2024 Lithuanian NT

[Shawshank]

You said Kariniauskas played only one game good im saying that a lie and showed why. I agree Kariniauskas shouldt be in olympic team,but stop lieing about beautiful underdog story.

LTU have 5 guards and Sirvydis was our worst guard in 2023 Tournament. He was projected as our best shooter coming to tournament and shooted ball like 2nd worst according to % in entire team.Once again NT rookie couldnt handle emotional pressure which is happening in those tournaments to players.


I repeat my question which top 10 NT is playing Ncaa students in 2020s fiba tournaments?

I dont see single one top 10 National team doing that in 2020s Fiba. Why ?


Maybe because 2020s Ncaa become so meh compared to proffesional leagues when all best americans or dont go to Ncaa or leaves after one 19old season?

So all best countries coaches are useless in coaching and dont see real Ncaa tallents they have ? or simply you doint understand levels of players ?

[Straight forward]

I repeat my question which top 10 NT is playing Ncaa students in 2020s fiba tournaments?

I dont see single one top 10 National team doing that in 2020s Fiba. Why ?

Listen, Sirvydis was taken as 12th dude after a long competition. No-one was projecting him a big role. Besides, his role was so little. Yeah, you could ask a bit better %, but that's it. How otherwise he screwed? He still give you 5pts in 10min. Meaning if he had played 20mpg, he would give you solid 10pts. What's bad about this?

Don't see the inadequacy of your question? FOA, if you have Micic, Jovic, Teodosic as your PG candidate, you don't look for alternatives cause you have 3 high level EL PGs. Do we have that? No. That's why we look for alternatives. That's why Kazlauskas in 1997 brought not completely ready Jasikevicius from NCAA and Kazlas won us Olympic medal in 2000 with the same dude as the key player. That's why Kazlauskas was pushing Cizauskas heavily in 2013 in the camp cause he was looking for alternatives. He pushed in Vasiliauskas in 2014 and Lekavicius in 2015 and then Kariniauskas in 2016. We simply usually have an issue with a back up PG (thanks god soon this ends for a very long stretch!).

Another thing, some of the top 10 teams don't include someone like current 22yo Marciulionis cause they don't have such piece. Latvia would be crazy to have some-one like Marciulionis as a back up next Zagars. They would be crazy about Kriisa too, no question.

Latvia and Lithuania are both top 10 NTs in the world ATM. And they have thin PG section (for Lithuania it's almost solved problem already luckily). It's as simple as that.

Not to mention that countries as Turkey, Croatia would slaughter some-one to have such piece as Marciulionis. He's one of the best international PG prospects. I think you don't really understand that. But it will be shown soon. Be it 2024 or 2025.

[Shawshank]

I thought Maldunas and Kariniauskas was 11-12th players. Sirvydis was 12th player before tournament really? lies after lies

He was taken to team for shooting alone and failed in doing that.

Its funny how your ranking our 5th best guard was solid but our 3rd best guard played only one good game


Im talking about 2020s Ncaa. Not about 1990s Ncaa where Duncan,Carters,P.Pierces was playing 3-4 years vs Jasikevicius teams. No no dont mix up everyhitng in one

We are talking about 2020s Ncaa levels and who is playing them in 2020s fiba.

So there not a single top 10 NT using ncaa students in 2020s fiba tournaments and you are suggesting our NT doing that?

So what will happend in results in fiba when those serbs or france euroleague guards will see inexperience ncaa NT rookie infront of them ?

[Straight forward]

Maybe Maldunas. Don't you get my point? No-one expected big things from Sirvydis. Kariniauskas was taken as a lock by Maksvytis from day 1. What are you talking about? How he's 12th option if he was taken without any compeition literally and Sivydis had to run with reserve NT. Are you smoking? You brain fog at times ridiculously

Again, it's 2 different roles. Kariniauskas played consistent role and bigger, Sirvydis role was fragmental and smaller. Kariniauskas had no competition at his position for a back up. Sirvydis had tons of compeitiion for a back up at 2/3. You don't really see the difference, don't you? Both were meh, Karinia and Sirvydis, what's to discuss here?

It doesn't mean though that today there are no studs and good players in the NCAA. And again some NTs would gladly use current Marciulionis and I think Lithuania will be one of them. Dig it? You don't get that you can count international elite PG prospects globally on one hand or 2 at most. Some countries simply don't have elite 22yo and younger PGs, tons of such countries. F.e. Greece, Turkey, Croatia, Latvia, Germany, Argentina even France (I think) don't have such prospect as Marciulionis, do you realize that?

And for the last time. What will happen when freakin' Kariniauskas will meat your EL guards and world class guards as you say? Don't you understand that your alternative is even crappier cause it doesn't even holds any upside? When I take Marciulionis I take high upside player who I think is even better now? If you have a player who WILL SURELY provide against elite guards, then say it, please, duh

[Shawshank]

So Sirvydis lost competion according to you versus 2 lkl mediocre guards Dimsa and Normantas in 2023?

Ending up as 12th player by end of tournament in NT 2023 who missed 50% of best players its not very prommising or solid at all.


Kariniauskas won competion for backup PG versus D.Giedraitis in preparation. Kariniauskas met euroleague Greece players in 2023 and LTU won with him playing well and NT finished in 6th place by far best place in 8 years.


Im talking with facts, who how played and what players from what league is coaches using in 2020s Fiba.

You are talking only theories and ignoring any data,all top 10 NT coaches desicions and your lame argument it doenst matter that nobody using inexperience ncaa students in 2020s Fiba tournaments

Im sorry for hurting your feelings with truth based on facts and real things what happening in 2020s basketball world not some brainless emotional fantasies

[Straight forward]

Why are you sticking with Sirvydis? Sirvydis is far from his prime yet and he's a top scorer of Eurocup? (The only Lithuanian to do that) What's to nitpick here? I don't really care whenever Sirvidis will make NT 2024 or not. His positions are pretty well covered. We lack absolutely elite players in these positions, but Grigonis, Brazdeikis, Dimsa, D. Giedraitis, Ulanovas, Butkevicius, Kuzminskas, R. Giedraitis and maybe even Buzelis cover it pretty nicely. Sirvydis might be in, might be not. What are you trying to prove here?

Maksvytis simply made a decision all along from day one and never looked back. Simple as that. Yeah, SG Giedraitis was Kariniauskas competition...who else? Brazdeikis, Dimsa, Normantas and all other SGs. Maksvytis refused to take either Marciulionis, Velicka, Zemaitis as pure PGs to give Kariniauskas a competition. He didn't see a point, just laid a red carpet.

Ok, pal, time to take a rest for you. You're not keeping it up as usual. You absolutely didn't get a single point what I wrote about NCAA, about ours or Latvia's situation with PGs. I'm afraid it's even too late for you to start reading books and improve you cognition. I would try in your case, though.

[Shawshank]

I said that Sirvydis sucked in 2023 fiba tournaments and shown why with arguments.

Like manny others rookies he also failed with shooting and when our best nation player needs shooting around him worst thing we can put around him rookies that never been part of fiba tournaments especially in olympic summer.

Coaching staff desicion betting on Kariniauskas experience end up being correct .


I repeat my question which top 10 NT is playing Ncaa students in 2020s fiba tournaments? Name the list please

[Straight forward]

LOL, he didn't suck. Kariniauskas sucked in 2016 with his 0.8eff. Sirvydis provided 5 freakin' points in 10 minutes? What do you don't get? He was meh, yeah, bleak, whatever, but it wasn't horrible performance.

To me 2023 wasn't a success, so I don't treat it a good decision. We are not fucking some kind of second rate NT. Specially NATIONAL team. Why? Because we put tons of money and effort on it. We have to come back winning. All coaches will be losers of NT if NT won't win. Maksvytis didn't win, so he's the loser. He gathered a loosing team which got swept in the key game of the tournament. That's the nut shell. I don't imply that Marciulionis could lead us to Gold But I imply that taking Kariniauskas gave nothing in the perspective of NT goal. Which is winning (being in semis or medaling) and it definitely won't help to win in the future either.

Dude, Karnisovas, Jasikevicius, Songaila, Sabonis, Kleiza came straight from the NCAA to NT. These things happen. What exactly you don't dig it here? We suck at back up PG. What you don't understand? Why would I care what Serbia or Germany using or any other top 10 NTs if their situation are completely different? We choose between scrub (CL, Eurocup material at best) Kariniauskas, almost scrub Lekavicius who basically ceased to be EL level player and Marciulionis. I repeat, don't you see that Latvia would kill for some-one like Marciulionis as a back up and they are top 10 NT in the world right now? And Lithuania should kill some-one too.

[Shawshank]

Do you understand the question ? or you gonna mixing up everything in one of last 30 years and act like smart idiot ?

In 1990s fiba LTU could win semifinal with only 4 players scoring points

in 2020s fiba Usa and Canada plays more than five 15pts+ nba players and have real problems winning bronze medal in 2020s Fiba

Time goes and sport level increases.Ncaa students isnt ready for that 2020s level fight your brain really dont get it ?


I repeat my question which top 10 NT is playing Ncaa students in 2020s fiba tournaments?

[Straight forward]

Ncaa students isnt ready for that fight

And Kariniauskas is ready? Current Lekavicius is ready? (even though there's no question Lekavicius > Kariniauskas). Who's ready? In which planet do you live? Look what Lithuania has you silly nutball We literally discuss who will back up Jokubaitis? Did you even graduate from high school? What kind of Americans who scores +15 in NBA will play for Lithuania? Are you nuts? We literally have Lekavicius, Kariniauskas, Marciulionis (maybe Zemaitis, Velicka if Maksvytis is completely out of his mind) to choose.

Who's ready? Your scrub Kariniauskas will deliver against prepared NTs? If Marciulionis would fail, at least there's future and he would surely provide better D. Do you dig it? Flat out better D. Any moment. He would come to Vilnius with jet lag and would instantly play 2 times better D than Kariniauskas plays for Wolves. Flat out. Do you dig it?

We don't have current back up PG who would be ready to truly be what it takes for a winning NT in current FIBA.. In 2000s when we were elite, we had some-one like Siska who could himself create a tons next to Jasikevicius. You're so delusional saying that you speak about facts. Tell me which top 10 team is led by a scrub like Kariniauskas you're fucking silly nutball You wouldn't find such level players in USA, Australia, Canada, Spain, Serbia, France, Germany rosters, literally either. Nor any of these teams are backed up at 1 with such players as Dimsa. We choose from what we have - dig it? All this bullshit, "NCAA kid is not ready". Who the fuck is ready to back Jokubaitis then? Just realize our options, dummy.

[Shawshank]

You just insulting with no reason like emotional factory worker I won't go to to this levels.Thats normal reaction of small brain when he have no answers to truth they start insults

Kariniauskas is uleb player more than 50% top 10 NT have uleb players in their rosters too.

I still waiting list who on highest 2020s FIBA levels is playing NCAA students ?

Nobody !

That's the answer, but your little brain have no clue even why .In same way like its hopeless for you to get why U-23 is repeating again and again in our NT

[Shawshank]

As always just briliant Kazlauskas minds in new 15min podcast.The man is by far best ltu basketball mind ever.

After asked why LTU NT didnt medal since 2015 first sentence coach Jonas started about perimeter players tallents

Coach asked: tell which ltu players which can beat his men 1 vs 1 and *draskyt* in such way create something from nothing for himself and teammates


When most fans repeating about our nba centers, i repeating people open your eyes and look who won those medals last 5 fiba tournaments its wasnt Jokic,Giannis or LTU centers

Its was perimeter fiba stars

With our euroleague backups as best guards very little hope in 2020s fiba basketball guard levels


Olympic draw is good.Teams who is sended to group A cant complain way more than LTU NT. I mean good to make 1/4 thats realistic goal

[Straight forward]

USA will be extra motivated against LTU if we make it. This matchup has very long tradition, ever since 1992. Always fun either way. Taking down Serbia would be huge. But the odds against LTU. First qualification, but OG group would be fun nevertheless. Going against such teams always a fun. ATM LTU would go to Olympics with less pressure than usual.

[Shawshank]

Kuzminskas himself put yesterdays picture with Nt head coach from Athens.

Thats what i was saying show attention and visit main players, have some dinner with players families it can go long way when summer comes

Grigonis isnt putting social stuff,but its clear coach visited all 3 Greece foreigners from LTU NT Kuz,Grigonis,Brazdeikis


Bravo federation and coaches for doing it in silence !

[Straight forward]

I will say this. I think Buzelis can be more impactful role player for the NT already in 2024 than Dimsa, R. Giedraitis, Sirvydis and likely even Butkevicius. I don't see a reason why. FOA, he can make defensive impact already, differently than Sirvydis, R.Giedraitis. He probably would be the best shot blocker on the roster. Second, there's a good chance he's already the best ISO player. His competition is Iggy. Thirdly, he does a lot of little things off ball and can impact the game with his length as hustle played. Shooting now is a problem, but he has been basically great in other aspects of the game recently. In 4 months he will be even stronger and better. Matas father says he's ready to join if NBA team won't prevent that. I think he will be more ready than people think.