Lithuanian Point Guards

[Straight forward]

Man, Jakucionis will be huge guard. Lightening quick firs step, he gets where he wants to get, and he does it not because he's bigger and stronger than other, but because he's super agile, quick and has great fundamentals. He can shoot three of the dribble, shoots with the leap, quick release. Shot not always drop yet, but very very polished jumper for a guy who only yet to become 17yo. Tremendous defender, when he's on Topic that looks good. He's wild passer now and a bit careless with the ball, but he's gonna be elite guard.

The way things developing, it seems that Jakucionis is the best PG/Combi/true guard in the country. I can add one very important thing to what I wrote above - he has the best motor of our guards. Even higher than Marciulionis who is big grinder and bruiser defensively. Jakucionis is like that at BOTH ENDS. He moves relentlessly and super active and has great stamina. Goes after 50/50 balls, always hustle. From that high motor, sometimes TOs come, but that's fine for now. Jokubaitis has tremendous motor offensively, but not nearly as high defensively. Marciulionis, at least for now, vice versa. Jakucionis has it at both ends. Laurencikas also very active at BOTH ENDS, but he's not so athletic and has lesser size. Stuknys lacks more developed scoring skills, specially shooting. Velicka has issues with decision making, shooting and defense.

Today, I would make a bit crazy statement (knowing how high I am on Jokubaitis), but I think it's objective. Jakucionis is the best true guard prospect in the country. He does something historical now and it's not about being physically more matured:

1. Jakucionis
2. Jokubaitis
3-4. Marciulionis, Laurenickas
5. Stuknys
6. Velicka

That's how I rank LTU top PGs today.

With that said, I'm becoming a huge fan of idea that if we will be missing Lekavicius and Grigonis, we have to take one of Marciulionis or Jakucionis to the final roster. Yes, they won't help, but few minutes that they would get against weaker opponents, would be still very beneficial. Most likely we have to go with Marciulionis cause he's surely much more ready and already has PRO body and experience (Champions League, LKL, Match Madness), but even taking 17yo super talented Jakucionis makes sense to me. We can't fill the hole with Dimsa, D. Giedraitis. We have to develop one of true ballhandlers, true PGs (yes, Jakucionis is PG, 9 dimes tonight and he had some explicit facilitation fiesta's in playing in MKL).

Hands down, we have to get a back up for Jokubaitis as soon as possible and push for it. Without legit ball-handlers, facilitators we ain't going anywhere. Otherwise we will simply waist the spot as happened with Zemaitis.

[Shawshank]

You would be awfull GM for building functional team

NT already have very young main pg with his up and downs last thing such guard near him needs even more raw guard

If we talking about surviving emotional moments in tournament when everything goes badly

But if we just collecting raw talent and don't care about final results sure we can take all 5 raw guards like some tanking nba teams and finish with 25% winning record

Look at nba top 8 teams in playoffs, good luck finding in their 8 men playoffs rotation with more than 1 under 23 guard that makes desicions

[Toruko]

Yeah Tubelis is not a good match for LTU with Sabonis or JV. Tubelis will be interesting when JV retires.

[Straight forward]

My point is that Dimsa can't facilitate. Can we win something with non-facilitating guards at 1 as back-ups? Highly unlikely. You could see how difficult was for Zalgiris in that stretch when Dimsa and Giedraitis had to play at 1. Sure, we have to go with him now and test how it goes, but long term we need legitimate play makers as fast as possible, specially with today's FIBA intensity and so on. It's even different than it was in 2010s. We need serious legitimate play makers. We have to give trash minutes to one of our most promising PG and this would give hope that NT will have ready to compete legitimate back-up in 2025, or maybe even 2024 (less likely).

Imagine Lekavicius, Grigonis, Giedraitis, Brazdeikis out. Or even 3 of them. Then we would go with Jokubaitis, Dimsa, Normantas, D. Giedraitis kinda backcourt and in that case I would surely put some-one like Marciulionis in instead of Zemaitis/Kariniauskas type of mediocrities. Because it would be more or less wasted spot anyway, so at least let's give that experience for high upside youngster.

If everyone comes, the back-court is kind clear and no room for tourists:

Jokubaitis, Lekavicius
Brazdeikis, Grigonis, Dimsa/R. Giedraitis

If we won't throw one of Marciulionis or Jakucionis to get their feet wet now, the process in 2025 will be more complicated. We can't go only with Jokubaitis in 20's. The game becoming more and more intense, the pace increasing, more and more shots every tournament, more possessions. The future of FIBA is longer bench with quality 10-11 pieces. Specially that FIBA games are even more physical and grindy than EL and NBA playoffs.

[LuDux]

Macijauskas not getting his feet wet is 1996 is why process in 1998 was more complicated

[Straight forward]

Macijauskas not getting his feet wet is 1996 is why process in 1998 was more complicated

16yo Macijauskas didn't nail big three in ACB and didn't look like the best PG prospect in Europe

[LuDux]

Stop trolling

[Straight forward]

Stop trolling

Talk with me, not with yourself.

Your jokes are nothing but trivialization and reduction. The low kind.

[Straight forward]

As a matter of fact, Lithuania could kill some-one to have PG in 1997. We had no ballhandlers. Rooney went down because of injuries and we left with Maskoliunas, Pacesas and Markevicius mediocrities. NT could throw Jasikevicius in much sooner. In that case in 1998 and 1999 Jasikevicius had been better. Jasikevicus himself said he could be in NT earlier.

[Shawshank]

Not we or coach must make get their feet wet,those unproven players firstly have to show something real on high levels before even considering them.

Competions againts other kids that not high quality competions to judge anything.


top 10 NT level team is not testing polygon of raw tallents.top 10 NTs is for winning with proven players.

If we would be tanking nba team or like 20 best NT sure that would an option simply be patience for 2-3 years with multiple young kids and go through all those mistakes


I consider LTU NT more like playoofs team and in such type team one raw guard per roster is enough if we want finally to beat some other top 10 NT in nearest future.



You want NT win or not? if yes stop suggesting rebuilding teams methods that takes 3-4 years to see real results.

Look what top 8 euroleague clubs or top 8 nba team does and what kinda players they play in playoofs.

[Straight forward]

how you don't get what I'm saying?

Tell me one benefit of Zemaitis being in the NT 2022? One single tiny benefit please I'm saying have young talented PG in that tourist spot. He will suck and sit his ass on the bench as Zemaitis did, but that at least will have future. Now Zemaitis was 100% waste.

And you are missing the point that Jokubaitis is the best player in the country with the ball. He's not your random raw player He was the best facilitator in 2022, not even Grigonis was at that level. Stop being passport export. Jokubaitis may be raw only in comparison with absolutely best PGs in the world, not in LTU NT context.

I'm not suggesting rebuilding. I'm saying we will waste spots anyway if we will have to go with mediocres like Zemaitis (or previously Kariniauskas, Vasiliauskas and so on). Waste the spot for most talented youngsters. Don't waste it at all if all pieces available. That's all I'm saying.

[LuDux]

Jasikevicius played in 1997

Stop trolling

Apps to Avoid Drunk Texting and Posting (lifewire.com)

[Straight forward]

Jasikevicius played in 1997

Stop trolling

That justify my point perfectly. Jasikevicius was thrown in 1997 and in1999 already was main PG with 9ppg, 3,5apg. He could play in 1996 already though.

[Shawshank]

Ok Jasikevicius 1997-2000 what kinda guard was near him? other kid or kazlauskas trusted,matured Maskoliunas?

Im saying what coaches does if they have young inexperienced guard they want to put near him experienced one .Thats called building a team for every scenerios that can happen ,not collecting raw tallents.


Dinosour expert you dont understand because you watches kids tournaments more , i watching best men leagues and what best team coaches does in playoofs


Go i check boxscores of top 8 teams in euroleague or top 8 nba teams and goodluck finding teams who play 2 diffrent under 23 old inexperienced guards

[Straight forward]

More like you don't understand bruh In that stretch 1997-1999 Maskoliunas was solid defender and decent facilitator (very poor scorer though). What do we have as a back up now? We have undersized combo Lekavicius who has issues defensively and rather poor team control skills (only solid scoring skills). Yeah, now we definitely take Lekavicius as a back-up, he's a lock, but as we know he's questionable for 23 and looking long term his career in NT is kinda overall questionable. He doesn't bring what NT needs and likely when he will lose a bit of his quickness it will be basically over for him. So we can't count on him for next Olympic Cycle and even now he's a bad fit next to our poor centers defensively. When you have poor defenders and 5 and a midget at 1 (with all love and respect, I'm a fan of Lekavicius), you have a problem. Besides, have in mind that Kazlauskas took 24yo Jasikevicius and 23yo K. Marciulionis to Olympics 2000. Maskoliunas was still trying to back up Saras, but he was really poor already generally. Marciulionis also couldn't help cause he was trash and overrated (IMO). In other words, in 2000 NT already had the issue of "back-up" point guard and Kazlauskas had no solid options once Maskoliunas nearly completely declined. A bit later, in 2003 we will solve this issue putting young, super flexible and athletic Siska as a back up at 1 (again, fits my theory, young Siska got his feet wet in 2000 and in 2003 he was already fully ready). At that time he had that nickname "plastilinas".

My point is, that coaches choose the best options, not most experienced one. Maskoliunas was experienced in 2000, but he was already trash. For now we could live with Jokubaitis, Lekavicius, but overall we have a problem. Lekabvicius/Dimsa might be satisfactory solutions for 23 and 24, but I think LTU definitely should be building on young studs already if there's an opportunity. Marciulionis should be tested. Theoretically he's a good fit. We need defensively strong guard and offensively true floor general, pass first PG. Marciulionis fits the mould. 23yo Marciulionis should be ready to be solid back-up for Marciulionis in Eurobasket 2025. If that won't happen, we'll have an issue of a back-up. FIBA these days is different, it's really hard to play 30 minutes with this every increasing pace. Today starting players are more like playing 26mpg. L. Brown played 25mpg, Jokubaitis 26, Micic 27, Huertel 25. Some played more like Doncic, Schroder, Larkin, but that's more like exception these days and not a good fit for contemporary FIBA tournaments. Doncic looked gassed at the end. Larkin also got injured or something. Schroder seems to have great stamina and is extreme athlete, so he's different. But the fact is the back-up is very important. We'll see how things will work with Dimsa as a backup, but I feel a big need to have a fundamentally sound back up point guard.