2023 Lithuanian NT

[Straight forward]

I think Dimsa's value is more on defense than offense. I don't see how he can help offensively except trying to hit open jumpers. I'm not that high on Brazdeikis, teams usually gamble on that kind of player with questionable decision making and poor efficiency to try to beat them. Lithuania is hit hard with injuries, they are easy to scout in this roster. A lot of holes to patch up and not too many assets to work with. Slow tempo basketball, crashing boards and grinding on defense is where Lithuania can look for their chances.

This is true. We may be so desperate that going even with Kariniauskas might be our option this time. He has more facilitation in him than Dimsa, D. Giedraitis, M. Normantas (other candidates to play some at 1), but even Kariniauskas is a ball hog, slow decision maker, high dribble point guard. We may see Velicka in the main camp too, he's much more aggressive, athletic, can split the D, draw fouls and finish strong with lay-ups, and he actually is talented passer, but turns the ball wildly and is very inconsistent decision maker.

That's why I'm calling out for a little bit forced incorporation of Augustas Marciulionis to the NT. Probably his decision making and consistency are also not exactly at the premium level yet, but his facilitation upside is incomparable to all these guys I mention here, he's at another level. Poor shooter, but lock down defender and has high potential to become true floor general. He will be tested with the reserve NT this month soon. Even if Lekavicius comes back for 2024, he's not fundamentally sound PG. So we need real deal back-up at 1 who could run the team at the high level regarding ball distribution.

I do hope that we could establish athletic, defensively minded unit that could also play very fast offensively. Grab the rebound and run. I doubt we can entirely expect any success with slow BB. Today's BB is different and it's nearly impossible to win this way.

I don't think it will be all that easy to lock down Jokubaitis and even Brazdeikis though. Easier said than done. On a good day for those, Lithuania can be more sparkling that it looks just watching at the roster names. Sirvydis at 3 may provide some passing touch hopefully. His ability to pass and create a little bit may be something worth pointing out ATM since we lost so many talent, specially in Sabonis and Grigonis.

Too bad Rubstavicius may be just one year to young to make noise for this NT. He's big piece for NT going further and his relentless aggression would be very much needed. But it's too soon to ask a lot from him.

[R1ou]

Probably logical to test him, but have in mind he's 44.7% EL career from downtown. While Calathes 29.5%, Walkup 34.9%. Jokubaitis will be shooting the lights out and will have some +20 points games in WC while playing around 30min. But Greece definitely have bodies to throw at him, specially if Walkup's available.

This is a projection that's out of reality at best. His season high in scoring in EL was 13 and generally at most games he wasn't even close to double digits, how he's supposed to be shooting lights out and average 20 points in the world cup ? I get he will have a bigger role than Barca but the proposed scenario is just wishful thinking.

[Straight forward]

This is a projection that's out of reality at best. His season high in scoring in EL was 13 and generally at most games he wasn't even close to double digits, how he's supposed to be shooting lights out and average 20 points in the world cup ? I get he will have a bigger role than Barca but the proposed scenario is just wishful thinking.

I didn't say he will average 20pts. In Barca he was playing 14mpg...Here he will play double this and probably more.

[Shawshank]

This is a projection that's out of reality at best. His season high in scoring in EL was 13 and generally at most games he wasn't even close to double digits, how he's supposed to be shooting lights out and average 20 points in the world cup ? I get he will have a bigger role than Barca but the proposed scenario is just wishful thinking.

Its called dinosour expert formula adding triple playing minutes its means stats will go triple too

[Straight forward]

Lear learn learn. Start with learning to read.

[Shawshank]

Lear learn learn. Start with learning to read.

I agree u need to read alot of history books before your fantasy future projections would start making any sense


If men dont know history and isnt learning from it he has no chance guessing anything what will happen in the future

[Straight forward]

My prediction of 2021 NT that I made in 2018. Wasn't all that bad, specially if we have in mind 2022 roster. Only too much trust in Kulboka, Sirvydis and obviously Jogela. All other pieces are logical. IMO, Sedekerskis had to be in both 2021 and 2022 NTs. As well as Ulanovas, but he skipped. Jokubaitis developed stronger and faster than even I projected in 2018. Basically he was a starter in 2021 already.

Here's some fantasy, prediction game - 2021 EB team*:
PG Lekavicius (27), Jokubaitis (21)
SG Grigonis (27), Jogela (23), Sirvydis (21)
SF Ulanovas (29), Kulboka (23), Sedekerskis (23)
PF Sabonis (25) Kuzminskas (31)
C Valanciunas (29), Ehodas/Birutis (24)

Nevertheless I do hope to see Sirvydis making NT this summer (Sedekerskis to me is a lock), IMO. We shouldn't waste talent like that. He must be incorporated.

[Shawshank]

i dont remember seeing Jogela,Sirvydis,Kulboka,Sedekerskis,Echodas,Biruti s playing on 2021 Olympics team

So nobody of your predicted youngsters made the team ?

Only one generational tallent Jokubaitis did?


same pattern repeating


But doesnt matter now i again start predicting your horoscopes how 5 diffrent players 23 and younger will make NT in 2024

[Straight forward]

I didn't post it to impress you or to prove you wrong about something or anyone else. Simply wanted to share the perspective. It's really not easy to project 3 years ahead, let alone even one year sometimes get tricky. Last time you tried to project one year ahead you got like 3 players out of 12 Don't take it personally, IDC, and it's not competition...

You took it too lazy thinking I was projecting Olympic team back then in 2018 speaking about 2021. It had to be Eurobasket, only Covid changed that situation. That's why I included more young players as Sivydis, Jogela. Eurobasket is a good place to add more young talent. Also I do think that Maksvytis made a mistake not to even testing Sirvydis. We were not in a situation that we could actually ignore a player who can drop 16ppg in NBA Summer League. Maksvytis didn't know Sirvydis will be such a standout there, but later I think he regretted.

I wouldn't call Jokubaitis generational talent. Was Jasikevicius, Siskauskas, Macijauskas, Stombergas generational talents? Well, then we had 4 generational talents coming basically at the same time. If Jokubaitis is generational talent, there's many generational talents coming potentially, and even one super generational talent

[Shawshank]

I dont see ltu 19-20 old kids who plays ok in euroleague like Jokubaitis did at that age.

You see 4 such new ltu tallent that at age 19-20 can play ok in euroleague ?? wow we gonna win olympic medal in 2028 if that true



Players that was ready at 20 old age help men NT and was euroleague level players at 20 in last 10 years it was 3 super tallents


Valanciunas,Sabonis,Jokubaitis that the list,i call them generational ltu tallents.


Next candidate for that is Buzelis.

[Hepcat]

Nevertheless I do hope to see Sirvydis making NT this summer....

I agree. I'd also like to see Arnoldas Kulboka, Matas Jogėla, Martynas Varnas and Donatas Tarolis in camp competing for positions this summer.

(Sedekerskis to me is a lock), IMO. We shouldn't waste talent like that. He must be incorporated.

I agree that Tadas Sedekerskis is likely to make the team this year but there's no way he was ready in 2021 and 2022. He showed up tentative and afraid of making mistakes in camp.

[Straight forward]

I dont see ltu 19-20 old kids who plays ok in euroleague like Jokubaitis did at that age.

You see 4 such new ltu tallent that at age 19-20 can play ok in euroleague ?? wow we gonna win olympic medal in 2028 if that true



Players that was ready at 20 old age help men NT and was euroleague level players at 20 in last 10 years it was 3 super tallents


Valanciunas,Sabonis,Jokubaitis that the list,i call them generational ltu tallents.


Next candidate for that is Buzelis.

Dude, you're going nuts with Jokubaitis. One day he doesn't have scoring for you and you just hope that he will become good facilitator, next day he's super talent, top 3 of all time Only you can be so lost here So now to you Jokubaitis is a tier above Karnisovas, Jasikevicius, Siskauskas, Macijauskas, Stombergas right? And off course 00s golden generation is freakin' poor case they didn't have a single generational talent... Dude, if such non-generational talents a la Jasikevicius, Siskauskas, Macijauskas will ripe to help generational super talent Jokubaitis, I'm all fine

Poor Sarunas Marciulionis...just a scrubby late bloomer, not a super talent...

[Shawshank]

Dinosour expert

Im talking about real tallents shown on the floor by at 20 not your theoriticals fantasies made in your head with millions iffs and buts about your beloved kids


Tell me who shown more by age 22-23 on highest levels not including Valanciunas and Sabonis in 1990-2002 born kids?

Why are you bringing 1970 and 1980 born players? they have nothing to do with last 10 years of ltu basketball. Where i said even single word about Karnisovas,Macijauskads and so on? Stop putting words in my mouth and stop chanching topic

We are talking about best ltu tallents born in 1990-2002 now.



23 old Jokubaitis vs best fiba guards of 26-32 age will be nothing special in 2023-2024

Jokubaitis at 23 old versus all other lithuanian tallents under 23 players is fantastic tallent.



Do you understand diffrence or is too difficult for you?

[Straight forward]

OMG, you're so lost and your brain works so slowly...

You yourself literally brought LTU history into context, saying only A. Sabonis, Valanciunas and Jokubaitis played at the high level as 19-20yo. Next you implicated that since there's no other 19-20yo guys who are at this level, we are not winning big things in the future which is a silly statement since all 00s were not EL players at this age, but nevertheless it happened to be one of the deepest and best NTs ever. Do you understand that all players develop differently? The same Jokubaitis was barely a standout among U16. Actually 15yo Murauskas was more dominant in U16 than 16yo Jokubaitis in U16. Do you understand that while NBA drafts where millions are rolling is all about ifs and buts? Is Wemby a trash that he struggled in NBA Summer League at first, is he is just a horoscope? He never dominated EL...

Dude, you're so lost...Arvydas Sabonis as the only one true generational talent (by literal usage of the term) was at completely different level at 18-20 than Jokubaitis. It's not even comparable.

[Shawshank]

I said Valanciunas,Sabonis,Jokubaitis was only 3 players in last 10 years who was ready to help NT at age of 20

And thats why im calling them ltu generational tallents of last 10 years !


dinosour exopert once again got lost


I didnt made a single word about Arvydas Sabonis dude, i was talking about his son