2023 Lithuanian NT

[Shawshank]

LOL, balling Yeah, 3eff kinda guy is just killing it out there Dimsa is Dimsa. Nothing changed. He is not even reliable shooter. He's a streaky shooter. For him sometimes it's easier to make some long distance step back three than an open three. He needs that first shot, otherwise lose his confidence fast. Again, if not couple of great shooting nights as 5/6 against Asvel or 4/7 against Fener, his shooting % would be completely trash. He's shooting 37% from the field which is bad, even struggling with FTs 66%. It's horrible for SG. I give him credit for his 100% defensive effort and hustle and heart, that's what he's providing, but no need to overrated him.

Jokubaitis was shooting 39% under Schiller too. I'm not saying he's Macijauskas, but he can shoot, even to make a step back three from time to time.

Im not overating him im saying what Dimsa shown this season he become from 13-15th NT player to making NT team as 8min role player that give what NT lacks alot defence.

Coach would have with him an option to throw defensively big size dude on opponnets PG to touching them up a bit,not just having walk in the park with Lukas just running near. Dimsa gives real contact

Jokubaitis can make shots sure,but he is not better shooter than Giedraitis,Grigonis or Dimsa.

He is in same middle pack of today lithuanians average guard shooters. To put his name as best shooter for me is misleading or simply dont look at games

Is not just about % its more how manny shots player takes and what kinda types shots.

For example Dimsa had made 29 3pointers and Jokubaitis just 12 threepointer in 24 games this season.


Jokubaitis basically takes one open 3pointer per game like Jonas and Domas in nba Neither of 3 are good shooters and i dont care their % on 1 wide open shot per game there are reasons why opponents risks on them.

[Straight forward]

Depends how you see these 8 or whatever limited minutes. If you think Dimsa will be playing quality 5 minutes down the stretch basically coming from the bench it's not gonna work, IMO. NT and Zalgiris is still 2 different worlds. We have to remember that Dimsa looked completely lost in NT camp and barely could cope with even friendly games. Maksvytis saw that and cut him. Also, we should remember that one of the key players of Baskonia, or at least strong starter R. Giedraitis is completely irrelevant and can't offer nothing basically in NT. Dimsa is not even a starter for Zalgiris, he's just a deep bench player on a status quo situations (Evans being present). Sure, this season will boost Dimsa's confidence, and hopefully he will deliver decently in short stretches, but I don't see how he's much of a different maker. We talk too much about him as potential 8 or whatever small minutes player.

Have in mind that in Eurobasket Grigonis unleashed 32, Brazdeikis 25, Kuzminskas 22, Jokubaitis 18 three point attempts. Just in comparison "a shooter" Giedraitis unleashed only 12. Jokubaitis doesn't shoot many threes cause he's playing for Barca and only 14min under freak' system of Jasikevicius. If he played for Zalgiris this season he would be launching a lot of threes. In last 3 games, when Saras unleashed Jokubaitis a bit more, he took 9 threes and made 6. It's not like Jokubaitis is hesitant shooter, it depends on a role. I think in WC he will take more threes than he did in Eurobasket cause I think he will be more aggressive already.

NT and EL is still huge difference. There's a good chance Dimsa will be "locked" with pressure just as R. Giedraitis has been despite being a solid player in EL.

All I know that Grigonis can shoot (Kuzminskas too, but he's trash defensively so...) in NT. I also hope Jokubaitis and Ulanovas will shoot solidly. All others are harder to predict. I know that Brazdeikis won't have issues taking shots, but I'm not sure he will make them cause it's just how he is, it's not about mentality, he's just not very good shooter. If Grigonis, Ulanovas, Jokubaitis would shoot consistently, that already would be very nice generally.

BTW, different topic, but related. Brazdeikis took the most shots from all NT player 62FGA. More than JV 60, Grigonis 52, Sabonis 50. Iggy's FGM 38.7%, it's not good. We need to give more shots to Domas and hope that Jokubaitis role will be increasing. He's the best decision maker on the team. If he can be more aggressive as main protagonist that is good news to the NT ball movement, decision making, taking good shots wise. Also Ulanovas will be there as quality performer hopefully. Off course, a lot will depend on Brazdeikis' shape and quality of performance. If he will play like he does in 3 last games for Zalgiris, I don't mind him taking many shots.

So ideal recipe for 23 WC would be this to me:

1. Sabonis and Jokubaitis roles increasing
2. Sedekerskis, Ulanovas, Dimsa add more defence and we play faster
3. Ulanovas will add offensive versatility and ball movement
4. Brazdeikis will be more efficient and smarter with decisions

If these things would fall together into one, we would see better team in WC 23.

[Shawshank]

Yesterday

Dimsa 5/7 3 pointers

Jokubaitis 0/3

Just saying my eye test looking at their shooting mechanisms Dimsa at minimum is not worse

Dimsa in his 8 minutes will make or miss his 2 taken shots it's irrelevant.He will be taken for defence

but will main pg in his 25min will make or miss shots it's bigger deal for NT

Domas plays most minutes and touches the ball most than anyone

If Domas gonna shoot again 45 of his all shots from inside and only 5 shots from distance with this predictable ratio it's difficult to do big damage in FIBA against top 8 teams


When the last time we saw non shooting nr 1 leader bring his NT atleast to semifinal in fiba small courts?

[Straight forward]

We had 4 main shooters as I mentioned in 2022. Grigonis was unleashing 5.3 threes per game, Brazdeikis 4.3, Kuzminskas 3,7 (50%), Jokubaitis 3. Others took significantly less shots.

Brazdeikis was shooting solid 36%, but I'm not sure he can keep it up with this. Doubt it. I think Ulanovas is more reliable shooter and he should take some Iggy's shots. Kuz was shooting with great 50%, but I still think we are just too vulnerable with him on the court. I mean JV and Kuz as frontline You would have incredibly hard time to find worse defensive frontline than that. I hope Sedekerskis will take some of these open threes from Kuz. Just a hope though. Jokubatis will probably shoot just as much as he did, but hopefully with better %. I don't need more threes from Jokubaitis, I need him to be more aggressive with his penetration, creating for others and himself finishing strong inside or from mid range.

Again, there's only few centers like Sabonis in the world. There's Jokic and upcoming Sengun. These are not merely non shooting bigs (even Jokic was taking only 2.2 threes per game in EB, not entirely shooting big as well), they make other better and they create great opportunities to shooters. So even if themselves they shoot little, but they make their team's good shooting teams. Serbia failed it, but I think we shouldn't doubt Jokic can make Serbia to win it all. Serbia's main enemy is Serbia itself. If Sabonis had versatile scorers around him, he can make the team a great scoring team.

Does Lithuania have Fox, Barnes, Huerter, Monk, Murray kinda pieces? Well, no. And that's sad. Case if we look at 90's, 00's and early 10's we had at least one or few players of such level or better. Now we don't have single perimeter player in the NBA. Last time we had it it was Kleiza who could score double digits in the NBA for a PO team.

That's the reason why I don't really see us winning much in WC 23, but I would love to see wrong though. I mean look at France, they have Fournier, they may even trough back Batum or the same prodigy Wemby might already be dominant basically. Serbia has Bogdanovic is healthy and EL MVP Micic. Spain will likely have both Rubio and elite American EL guard. Let's face it, today we don't have perimeter players of such kind and it already sucks. We are living for too long with much inferior talent. Way too long for a BB country. I mean Turkey can wait couple of decades, but not Lithuania Seriously, since 2014 we don't have perimeter stars of FIBA BB. With Kleiza it ended and it seems that it will continue to at least 23 and 24. So like 10 years we are playing with it, and most likely 2015 will be the only tournament when we succeeded to grab medals without true perimeter stand-outs. 1 exception in 10 years most likely.

In 2025 I already see Jokubaitis being a star more or less, I think he will either brake out in 24 or 25 and also I hope that 21yo Buzelis will show up for Lithuanian in Eurobasket 2025 and will do more or less similar things what Franz Wagner was doing for Germany this summer. Playing a little up and down but being already huge presence out there with 15.2ppg.

When I say I hope that Sabonis and Jokubaitis roles will be increasing, I'm not expecting them to combat obviously superior NTs as USA, fully packed France, Serbia, Spain and very likely Australia, Slovenia, Canada, Germany being superior too. With all these teams, aside maybe USA, we can fight, but all these teams have an obvious edge which almost every time decide the outcome. I only say that's the right direction as these 2 are our highest IQ and most complete and talented players on the roster. You look at the roster what you have? You have NBA all star and EL Rising Star who can be NBA player one day (perimeter NBA player which is HUGE BONUS compared to any big in the NBA when it comes to FIBA). Our direction is clear - NT will depend more and more on them.

1 Jokubaitis, 3 Buzelis, 5 Sabonis

That's our ultimate star power for upcoming decade, but 2025 the soonest it starts as I see it. Now it's just 2 NBA bigs and the rest of entire roster of decent/solid El players. Just 1 or 2 real stound-outs in perimeter will be complete game changer for us.

[Hepcat]

3pointer % this season in Zalgiris NT candidates

24 played game is already not small number of data:

Ulanovas 38,7%
Dimsa 35,8%
Brazdeikis 30,4%
Lekavicius 28,6%
Butkevicius 27,9%
Giedraitis 14,3%

Dovydas Giedraitis does not belong on the national candidate list of any person grounded in reality. But I sincerely hope that Edgaras Ulanovas doesn't pass on participating this summer because he's been putting up truly excellent numbers this season.

Looking at other candidates though, all of Tadas Sedekerskis, Martynas Echodas and Arnoldas Kulboka are having real breakout seasons and merit a hard look for Team Lietuva this summer. Have I missed anybody?

[Hepcat]

We don't care that you wouldn't trust him. I don't trust you, simulate your ass out of here.

What the bloody hell? What kind of comment was that? Everyone has an equal right to post on this forum!

[Hepcat]

Has the candidate list for the qualifiers later this month been announced yet?

[Giannis34GOD]

Taiwan will host Lithuania, France and Latvia for a series of tune up games before FIBA WC in summer.... Lucky for Taiwan even they are not qualified for this summer's big basketball event, As they will test their skills vs Europeans powerhouse...

https://focustaiwan.tw/sports/202302130014

[LuDux]

Brace yourselves, some guy on some podcast said that Rokas Giedraitis would look good in uptempo Sabonis ball (Saball?) team

[Shawshank]

NT 2022 dont need to invent new bicycle in 2023.

LTU leaded 35minutes againts silver medal winners France
LTU leaded 38minutes againts gold medal winners Spain and lost after OT
LTU lost after 2 overtimes againts bronze medal winners Germany

Just bring main 8 players back, make changes in roles players spots from what didnt work and what coaches learned in eurobasket 2022

Go all in untill 1992-1994 born mature duded now are still in their athletic peaks and have all that basketball knowledge they accumulated over their careers.



Sabonis Marciulionis was 31-32 in 95-96 olympics, Saras,Siskauskas,Kaukenas,Songaila were 30-32 in 07-08 Olympics, 1985-86 born was same age in 15-16,same now those 1992-1994 will be 30-32 in 23-24.

That last age when players can still recover bodies fast enough in those 2 week tournament playing every second day. After 33 old age it simply doesnt work for mortal players playing every second day and recover in time

After Olympics roster retooling is inevitable in 2025. But now time to go all in with experienced and battle tested players.

2 tallented rookies had their wild experiments in 2022 game endings,no time for that when Olympic tickets is in play.

If Jokubaitis.Brazdeikis again gonna do brainless desicions ,put them on bench and do what zalgiris 2023 does or kazlauskas used to do bring 5 mature/smart dudes for last 5 minutes that can play defence

[Straight forward]

Taiwan will host Lithuania, France and Latvia for a series of tune up games before FIBA WC in summer.... Lucky for Taiwan even they are not qualified for this summer's big basketball event, As they will test their skills vs Europeans powerhouse...


https://focustaiwan.tw/sports/202302130014

Great! Great politically supporting Taiwan and finally Lithuania will have strong opponents in exhibition. We played too many sissy games before Eurobasket. Greece and Latvia are powerhouses today and I had to include them in my previous post.

Brace yourselves, some guy on some podcast said that Rokas Giedraitis would look good in uptempo Sabonis ball (Saball?) team

I'll be short. We are waiting too long for Giedraitis.

After Olympics roster retooling is inevitable in 2025. But now time to go all in with experienced and battle tested players.

2 tallented rookies had their wild experiments in 2022 game endings,no time for that when Olympic tickets is in play.

If Jokubaitis.Brazdeikis again gonna do brainless desicions ,put them on bench and do what zalgiris 2023 does or kazlauskas used to do bring 5 mature/smart dudes for last 5 minutes that can play defence

OMG, you're with the same agenda no matter what Living in your own reality Dude, do you even realize that Iggy Brazdeikis literally saved Lithuania against Spain to get that overtime? He sunk a three with 37sec to go while Lithuania was -2 and then tipped to tie last seconds shot. Against Slovenia the main problem was shitty D (mainly JV's) and Doncic was doing whatever he wanted + Sabonis elbowing Doncic. Butkevicius missed on open three against Germany. Against France Grigonis turned the ball over and Fournier nailed a three in fast brake with 3min to go, then JV turned the ball over attacking 3 players under the board, then Domas turned the ball over, then JV gave completely open mid range jimmy to Huertel after p'n'r, then Domas another bad pass, then again Fournier attacks JV off the p'n'r. It has nothing to do with youngsters. And against Germany Grigonis, JV and Brazdeikis managed to cease -7 trailing in 1 minute. In OT we led with +3, 30sec to go, but Sabonis fouled Schroder 2+1, another overtime. There we were missing a lot of threes (Iggy, Grigonis, and open last second thee by Butkevicius).

Your idea that youngsters screwed us is completely false And if you think that Jokubaitis and Brazdeikis will give the path to Dimsa...you're completely clueless Sorry, but you write nonsense about your 92-94 generations.

[Svajunas]

Brace yourselves, some guy on some podcast said that Rokas Giedraitis would look good in uptempo Sabonis ball (Saball?) team

Well you have to agree that there is some logic behind that argument.

[Straight forward]

It still amazes me how one can be delusional, just led by silly dream that he can't get it over. In 22 LT NT thread I said before EB that best players of NTs will be from completely different age groups. Like Sabonis 96, JV 92, Grigonis 94, Jokubaitis 00. These 4 exactly happened to be top 4 most efficient players.

This time it won't be any different. Sabonis, Valanciunas, Jokubaitis, Grigonis (if shows up) will be the key again. Maybe Iggy, Ulanovas or Kuzmisnkas sneaking in. That's all.

Probably the only NT that had key players of generally the same age group 85-86 (Kleiza, Kalnietis, Pocius, Maciulis). Bat that wasn't 27-31 peaking age group, but 24-25yo dudes who lead NT.

All other NTs (or absolute majority) are absolute mix. The claim how peaking generation carries NT is complete bullshit. Even in 90s where Sabas and Marciulionis born the same year, other pieces were much younger Karnisovas and much older Kurtinaitis, and then Einikis, yet another age group. Passport Expert cringely gives example of 2008 team, but forgets 2000 and 2004 teams, when the same dudes were leading NT being youngsters 2000 NT was lead 24yo Jasikevicius, 27yo Stombergas, 31yo Einikis, 22yo Songaila and 26yo Timinskas. 3 players were not even in their prime. 2004 Macas is 24, Saras 28, Siska 26, Stombergas 31, Javtokas 24yo. Again, 3 players not even in their prime.

Again, top 5 players come from different age groups cause the best players are those who are most talented and not those who have certain amount of years. Shawshank, Passport Expert, please learn this lesson for once and don't be pathetic. All your theory about how prime players are always the best players, those who carry NT is complete bullshit. Live with that.

[LuDux]

Well you have to agree that there is some logic behind that argument.

I agree with that argument, but some already decided that Giedraitis should be banished

[Shawshank]

dinosour expert u dont understand what is same generation,dont understand what im telling

Player who is born 1992 or 1994 or 1995 or 1996 have same timeline of winning,similar understanding of things.

When im saying same generation i dont need all people will be born in same year.If they are born 3-4 years between of each other is same generation.


Like Chomicius,Kurtinaitis,Sabonis,Marciulionis was same generation players born between 1960-1964

Like Saras,Kaukenas,,Siskauskas,Javtokas,Songaila,Macas was same generation all born 1976-1980

Like all that group from 1984-1986

Same with Valanciunas,Grigonis,Ulanovas,Sabonis is same generation all born 1992-1996


All those players had similiar timeline of winning and played hundreds games together not by accident.

Where they born in same year? Ofcourse not that not the point im repeating here .

Every single NT will have veterans and youngsters.But they don't play main parts in critical moments.