Kaunas Zalgiris Thread

[Straight forward]

I took a first look at Zalgiris. Snatched the game live. Big concern about Fransico. There's certain hesitation and lack of confidence. IDK if that's will pass, but if not, Zalgiris will have problems at 1. Mitchel sucks at 1, that try by Trinch was stupid and meaningless. Manek now makes everything. All threes going in. Birutis sucks defensively and it's not gonna chance. Overall it will be a bad defensive team. Trinch playing Iggy and Sirvydis apart, but those seem to be most gifted offensive players on the team. We didn't see yet Wallace, he's also a scorer and might need to play a lot of 1 if Fransico will choke. Sirvydis started extremely well, got to the cup, very crafty with his size, but had a bleak second half. It's too soon to tell, when we didn't see Wallace, but Sirvydis looks like a guy with the highest upside on the roster. Smailagic with the bad game, but he will be pretty good.

First impression, there's tons of work to do to mesh cause Trinch using wild rotation and if Francisco will suck Zalgiris will be in trouble. Didn't like what I see from Ulanovas, Butkevicius, Lekavicius.

On other hand, EL season is still far away. That Wallace dude better be good cause I don't see Fransico leading this team ATM. Sirvydis is also not 100% player with the ball at EL level, more of a spot up guy who can attack close outs here and there. It's between Wallace and Brazdeikis this season to lead this team if Fransciso won't wake up. Sirvydis on other hand, can be really good player if will continue to develop. If he had a bit more handles and more consistent accuracy, he would be a star in EL. Now he still can be a rotation player for top teams one day, IMO.

[zalias]

way too early to give up francisco, you have to remember the fact that he most likely didn't work out the whole summer because of knee issues, he needs to get into a better shape but last year he already proved that he's a euroleague level scorer.

[Dreamcatcher]

Smailagic (780k), Ulanovas (650k), Francisco (530k) are the most expensive Zalgiris players. Somehow i feel than no one from them will be top3 team's players. Ulanovas is the most overpaid. Smailagic may also be the same case.

P.S. Brazdeikis gets more (allegedly about 900k), but Oly pays him 400k. No way Zalgiris would pay him all these money. Greek club failed with Brazdeikis. Zalgiris pays the same amount (400k) to Wallace, Mitchelle and Sirvydis.

[zalias]

zalgiris need another euroleague level center. its clear they got money, why do they always to be greedy pigs trying to save every euro they can when in the end it costs them games? it was the same case scenario last season, a lot of free money that they did nothing with. dunston and birutis is not a center rotation you can win with

[Straight forward]

Sirvydis or Iggy with more points in EL? They seem to be more or less on the same tier already. Sirvydis has bigger upside, he reads the game better, better shooter.

[Straight forward]

Sirvuha was balling for Canak, now he's balling for Trinchieri. But he was sucking under Maksvytis...

Make your own conclusions.

[zalias]

sirvydis with 16 points in the first half, lkl is just too easy for him as it is for brazdeikis, wallace and francisco, when these players want to score there is 0 resistence, zalgiris has not had this kind depth on the primeter in years.

i see the potential in matt mitchell, he can guard 1 through 5 but he's been rough offensively so far.

and still think zalgiris desperately need another big, smailagic looks clueless, manek is out, dunston is playing like a 38 year old and birutis is birutis. they need to stop treating him as some kind of prospect, he is 27 years old

giedraitis is still a mystery to me. he has a perfect shooting form, was a great shooter from youth teams and acb to eurocup but ever since he joined zalgiris he just forgot how to shoot the ball

[Dreamcatcher]

I would guess that the leading players will be Wallace and Brazdeikis. Sirvydis is an interesting case regarding how his defense is going to be vulnerable in EL. Trinchieri was told that Sirvydis had scored 16 pts in the first half, and Italian replied that he would like to know how many pts had scored Sirvydis' opponent. It's open criticism and it's only Nevezis.

Smailagic also got criticism. Having in mind that he's the most expensive player in the team, he might be a bad signing very easy.

[zalias]

zalgiris declared a 17,7m budget for the upcoming season, you couldn't tell that by the roster for sure

[Dreamcatcher]

Francisco won against Barca in the 4th quarter. Totally destroyed. That's a key to have this level player to win EL game. I'm not sure if he can do it again, but today it was a key after Barca had returned to the game.

Also, Zalgiris is lucky that Brazdeikis couldn't do anything in Oly. In Kaunas he will be one of the keys and will do a lot.

[Straight forward]

When Brazdeikis plays his best I like him much more than Grigonis. He can go hard to the cup and finish. In open court when he's fully on it you can't do anything about, he's too big, too strong. While Grigonis can only shoot. But then Iggy would take some silly shots, some bad reads and that will never allow him to be top player. He doesn't have elite BB IQ. If he could use his skills with with that he could be great, but his decision making will never be consistent. Nevertheless, he should boost NT in 2025.

Sirvydis looked like PRO out there, some mistakes yes, but mentally he's ready for EL.

It will be interesting to see how Francisco and Wallace will compete for No.1 PG spot, and how Brazdeikis and Sirvydis competition will develop during the season. I like guards rotation, knowing how well Giedraitis looks.

[zalias]

smailagic is completely useless so far. if he doesnt show improvement any time soon zalgiris will be in trouble, you cant cut a player making close to a million

[Shawshank]

Missing hiqh iq it means player will have problems to adapting to diffrent situations, such player unlikely ever will find spot in team with 10 high quality players- elite clubs

One tricky ponny Brazdeikis is good option for teams who fights for 8-14th places and have limited tallent. For clubs who fights for 1-5th place Brazdeikis is not good option


Grigonis have IQ,is better shooter but have less athletism ,less size and he finds the place in cska or panathinaikos star clubs and can be leader of zalgiris level team too why?

Because Grigonis adapts and plays without the ball in elite clubs , grabs rebounds,makes assists ,solid in defence, even if shot isnt going in he is doing other things.


Brazdeikis all he does is just scoring and more less nothing more. He rarely rebounds compared to his size , always ends with 0 asists ( it means he doesnt create for others) and all he wants play 1 vs 1 and is often lost in team defence.


Thats why Grigonis is better overall player in elite clubs eyes .

Grigonis simply more universal and can do more things on floor and adapts playing with elite players (thats shows players IQ and universal skillset)

[Straight forward]

Grigonis useful role player for top clubs. We always have that breed. They play the right way, they hustle, they care, they listen to what coach says and so on. He's good for this role, as long as you don't ask anything more from him. Problem starts when you ask more.

Yes, Brazdeikis is good only in scoring and mainly going to the cup, but even that doesn't come everyday. Even though I believe he will have a very good season and in up coming 2-3 years will get a bit better. For the NT when we need a scoring punch Brazdeikis can be very valuable at times. NT doesn't lack high IQ average players, NT lacks high IQ standouts. Brazdeikis can't be one of leaders, but a push from the bench sometimes, yes.

Giedraitis one day will play for Real, Barca as a 15min player if you ask me. He's typical high IQ Lithuanian hard worker. But his defense is art.

[Shawshank]

Brazdeikis should be 6th men in our NT that gives scoring for 18min,but dont ask for him being a leader it will be disaster with his basketball iq and seeing double teams and best opponenst defenders .

Grigonis is better team leader than Brazdeikis.

But with neither of them our NT can win as nr 1 options,because 2020s fiba medal winning leader level is nba all star requirement


Grigonis can be 3rd option on winning team,Brazdeikis can be 6th men thats their level in 2020s basketball