2023 Lithuanian NT

[Hepcat]

3 games with this level opponent? wow new federation puts high standarts

Balciunas attention is to who sell LTU NT name .Their basketball level not important its all about how much their federations willing to pay

To be fair I believe these three games against Jordan are serving as a test to determine which three or four of these B-team players should be invited to compete for a position on the team in the main camp.

[Straight forward]

To be fair I believe these three games against Jordan are serving as a test to determine which three or four of these B-team players should be invited to compete for a position on the team in the main camp.

Well, Jordan is the participant of WC. So theoretically it's a good opponent for reserve NT. I mean if reserve NT sweeping WC participants big time, maybe we could win some games there with second team? I think 2 things happened - either Jordan is really bad this year and overall, or Lithuanian made most of their shots in first games and upcoming games will be more competitive. Hope for the latter cause the blowout would diminish any possibility to rank individual performance of our players.

[Shawshank]

Goodluck figured out anything in 40pts blowout games

Jonas Paukste even can score againts this level opposition.


If ltu federation is impotent to find chalenging opponnets,so atleast send those basketball clowns home and call u-20 ltu youth team they would give real game for this reserve NT atleast we could see something.


Jordan in their basketball history have won 1 official world championship game, freaking 1 game


Balciunas in theory can schedule games with all last 5 place finishers from 2019 world championship like Senegal,Jordan,Korea,Ivory Cost and repeat in media proudly they all are world championship participants

[Straight forward]

Looking at the boxscore Lithuania provided video game % - 71%, 47%, 79%

https://www.basketnews.lt/rungtynes/ziureti/111674-lietuvos-rinktine-jordanijos-rinktine.html#4

With TV on and the crowd youngsters will feel more pressure, not all shots will fall. Hopefully Jordan can play better.

I only happy that Markkanen will suit Finland. This will be be a good practice to play against FIBA superstar who can drop 30pts each night. Two games with France is good and one versus Latvia should be good too. But our exhibition stage is too soft 2 years in a row. I want to see us playing against USA, Serbia, Spain, France. To see 3-4 elite teams.

The last time we had really strong exhibition stage was 2016, we went against Australia, Spain, Argentina, Brasil.

The last time we played against USA in exhibition was 2010

https://m.basketnews.lt/komandos/337-lietuvos-rinktine/tvarkarastis/2015.html

[Straight forward]

"Brick city" Marciulionis with 67% from the field, 1/2 threes

Only Pleikys screwed, all others had a good game. You can't keep away Sargiunas from shooting. Dude has Brazdeikis' mindset

[Straight forward]

Paukste received 4 personal fouls in 11 minutes. Dude can't play even against Jordan.

[Straight forward]

Well, I'm not sure what to take from this game. Overall I liked Marciulionis' impact. He delivered pretty much what expected, maybe I expected even more energy defensively and higher motor, but he dishes the ball at completely other level than any other player and I would be really thinking about who's better facilitator - Kariniauskas or Marciulionis ATM...IMO, he deserves an invitation to main camp. He didn't develop the way I thought he will develop when I followed him being 17-18, but he still on his way to develop into solid back up NT PG, IMO, at least till someone like Jakucionis will take over.

Sirvydis remains streaky. The way he started was impressive, but then again that shot is not super consistent and without his shot being wet he still remains limited.

Giedraitis, Jogela, Sargiunas looked good, but nothing to brag about. Kinda expected Giedraitis to stand out more in such environment.

Basically there's no players who could have real solid role for the NT from this reserve NT. Little roles for for some of Sirvydis, D. Giedraitis, Marciulionis maybe, but long term I would emphasize potential Marciulionis relevance as pure back up PG. If only he had a bit more agility, burst and explosiveness, he would be terrific dominant PG even without reliable jumper. But he still has enough, IMO, to become true NT material as a role player, a back up for Jokubaitis.

[Shawshank]

When everybody was hyped about Sirvydis, Jogela stole the show


I like such silence dudes,going under radar and sudenly in games showing his no worse than praised ones


We have new candidate for SF that nobody saw

[Straight forward]

Yeah, but I'm not sure Jogela's style translates well at higher levels. He is building his game on athleticism and open basketball. If he meets high level athletic opposition and playing with less freedom, he might feel uncomfortable. ACB should suit him well, but NT environment...While Sirvuha's shot if it's wet is nearly unguardable. So as a role player I would prioritize Sirvydis. Give him few staggers, see where he is. Jogela is effective when he can play a lot with the ball and have freedom, but he surely ain't getting that in NT.

Again, as a role players I see Giedraitis, Sirvydis, Marciulionis who can be effective with small minutes and limited role.

[Shawshank]

Nobody will create staggers for 10-12th NT players.

Role players will get 5 minutes and coach will say just dont f*** up those couple minutes and help in anything you can and defend.


Defensively,rebounding,box out, run of fast break i trust Jogela way more than Sirvydis who just jacking up shots every time gets the ball like in G league and does nothing else

Sirvydis looks like poors men R.Giedraitis .We saw how Giedraitis looks in fiba


I like Jogela and Giedraitis as 5 minute deep bench players in 2023 for special matchups

[Straight forward]

Nobody will create staggers for 10-12th NT players.

Role players will get 5 minutes and coach will say just dont f*** up those couple minutes and help in anything you can and defend.


Defensively,rebounding,box out, run of fast break i trust Jogela way more than Sirvydis who just jacking up shots every time gets the ball like in G league and does nothing else

Sirvydis looks like poors men R.Giedraitis .We saw how Giedraitis looks in fiba


I like Jogela and Giedraitis as 5 minute deep bench players in 2023 for special matchups

Sirvydis doesn't necessary need staggers. He moves without the ball well and so on. But it's easy to have few stagger sets. Scrub Lukosiunas had couple of sets for him in Zalgiris. If he's in the game, you have to give him few shots. Same R. Giedraitis as you mentioned also had some sets. It's not personal sets, just sets for shooters.

I don't see how Jogela can be effective with 5-10 minutes role. Not that I hate the idea, but I don't see the point. He's not very good defender. He's not very good catch and shoot player. OK, for hustle and fast brakes...he can do that. But in the half court offense he basically needs the ball.

From Songaila's answer I understand than Marciulionis is not really in plans yet. But his answer was still funny "as a back-up PG he played solid" Dude, your main PG has 4 assists in 2 games while "back-up" has 15 assists There's 2 different levels in terms of facilitation between Dovydas and Augustas.

[Hepcat]

These players had the best numbers in the first friendly against Jordan

:

PLAYER	MINUTES	EFF
Deividas Sirvydis	15:37	17
Danielius Lavrinovičius	21:30	21
Laurynas Beliauskas	19:26	18
Augustas Marčiulionis	19:23	17
Ignas Sargiūnas	22:38	19
Matas Jogėla	16:20	13

These players actually had the best numbers in the second game against Jordan:

PLAYER	MINUTES	EFF
Ignas Sargiūnas	19:18	22
Augustas Marčiulionis	21:05	22
Matas Jogėla	22:55	21
Einaras Tubutis	20:40	15
Dovydas Giedraitis	21:31	10

Meanwhile Deividas Sirvydis slumped to an EFF of 7 in 23:17 minutes of play while Danielius Lavrinovičius registered a frighteningly bad -9 in 15:34 minutes.

[Straight forward]

Sargiunas 20,5pg and Marciulionis 19,5pg are most efficient player after two games.

[Shawshank]

Basically situation for 10-12th players spot looks like that reading and listening what basketball people saying


Maldunas vs Tubelis

Jogela vs Sirvydis

One from Kariniauskas,Giedraitis,Marciulionis



Those eff means very little is more which player is better fit stylistically to be that 5 minute role player in coaches eyes.

For example R.Giedraitis is good shooter if he plays 30minutes and gets in his rhytm.He becomes way worse player in 10minute role ( 2 diffrent times 5minutes streaches)


Usually hiqh iq ,universal skill players is better in this 5minute role player spot .Because player need to figured out very fast when he is put cold of the bench for specific job and nothing more. If he slow to adapting his ass will be on bench very fast

[Straight forward]

I hardly can believe that Maldunas is legitimate candidate to make freakin' senior NT...OK, his defense is sort of good, but he has no physicality to survive at 5 I think. But the worst thing that he's horrible decision maker with the ball. If you play short role or pick and role with him he will send the ball to the audience. No IQ and he has no offensive game. If Tubelis won't prevail, that would be a shocker. IMO, it's players from completely different tiers.

Well, I was saying that Marciulionis should have a chance once Lekavicius got down. BB community was all silent about it, but they talk now. I think Normantas also should be mentioned among Kariniauskas, D. Giedraitis, Marciulionis. He has bigger chances to make NT, but he's not lock as Dimsa, IMO. And, again, long term it would be much better for the NT to go with Marciulionis if he proves to be more or less on the same level as Kariniauskas and from what I see he actually is. If Augustas will get his feet wet in WC 23, he can come to the NT basically truly ready to be legitimate TRUE back up PG in 2024 cause his role in NCAA next season will be much bigger too. Lekavicius will come back likely, but we do know we lack true facilitation, true point guards.

As for Sirvydis and Jogela it's a good problem to have. I like them both and I'm OK with either way. But as small role goes I think Sirvydis' quick spot up shooting with his high releasing point is more spot on, specially that NT lacks shooters.

The way shit's brewing I think it's a good chance that this will be our guard section next year:

Jokubaitis, Marciulionis
Brazdeikis, Grigonis
Lekavicius (combo)

(and maybe one spot for R.Giedraitis/Dimsa/Rubstavicius)