2024 Lithuanian NT

[Straight forward]

I will put it this way - is this line-up the most offensively talented since 2008 (Jasikevicius, Kaukenas, Siskauskas, Kleiza, K. Lavrinovic - 85ppg) or not?

Jokubaitis, Grigonis, Sirvydis, Sedekerskis, Sabonis 2024

vs

Kalnietis, Pocius, Maciulis, Kleiza, Javtokas 2010 (82ppg)

Jokubaitis, Grigonis, Brazdeikis, Kuzminskas, Sabonis 2022 (88,8ppg)

Jokubaitis, Brazdeikis, Kuzmisnkas, Sedekerskis, Valanciunas 2023 (89,1ppg)

I believe that 2022 team was extremely talented offensively cause we were putting 89ppg vs elite teams every night. 2023 team shot the ball very well, but tons of games were against second rate teams, so that's not the same. Even though we had a great offensive flow in most games, that has to be said.

I believe 2024 team might be the best offensive team we had in 10 and more years. FOA, Jokubaitis is way better now that 2022. Grigonis still the same hopefully. Sirvydis is heading towards becoming superior player than Grigonis/Brazdeikis. Probably not in this tournament yet, but I secretly expect a brake out tournament (if not Kuzminskas can take his minutes and score which he still can), Sedekerskis coming from his best season in career and he's really good, and off course prime Sabonis.

Funny thing is, that those medaling teams of 2010, 2013 and 2015 were much lower scoring teams. Specially last 2. Around 75ppg. I doubt today this would work. Those EB teams didn't have such crazy talented oppositions which we have today with Doncic, SGA, Jokic, Giannis talents and so on. NBA MVP level players.

It's funny how basketball changed. We are scoring more points than 2008 stacked team was capable, but we are still losing cause around there's even crazier offenses.

2004 tournament will remain the most painful. Lithuania was scoring 93,4ppg game, way above any team in Olympics. Second was USA with 88.1ppg. And Italy only with 77,9ppg, but they had to unleash their shit against us exactly.

Also 1999 loss was very painful. We were leading the tournament in all statistics and winning everything, but then slipped against Spain. But that was different times. The team was stacked, but scored only 80ppg. By far the best in the tournament.

Lithuania traditionally has been offensive powerhouse. Only 2013-2015 stretch is exception, but I think this stretch has a lot to do with luck and great draw. That's why it will be interesting to see how such lineup as say Jakucionis, Indrusaitis, Buzelis, Sedekerskis, Krivas will look at the end of 20s. This would be the first true 2 way line-up in our history. It will probably still be offensive line-up primarily, but there's tons of defensive upside as well.

[Shawshank]

2020s fiba basketball competion level is highest it ever was easily.

Before 2015 2 bigs was in the floor most of the game and since 2015 playing style and shooting abiltiies of small balls is alot diffrent


Main diffrence between other ltu elite scoring teams that was winning medals was they had perimeter star and Lithuania didnt have perimeter star since Kleiza

Kleiza not perimeter player but he was scoring like one, both in averages and stylistically.

Its not about just averages of points its more to do can team outscore opponnets in endings ? For that teams need perimeter star


2022 Valanciunas was leading scorer with 16,2pts and he is not top 5 players list from 2022 ? So leading scorer didnt play no part in team averaging 88pts?

[Straight forward]

Yeah, well, it doest really matter. I mention him in 2023, you should be happy enough

The point is, if my calculation is correct, and we would play superior offense than in 2022, scoring plus 90 points is a serious shit. Maybe we could move some teams while not even having true game closers.

[Straight forward]

2004 NT was visionary. We were playing the type of ball that now top 3-4 teams are playing, scoring 94+ points per game

[Shawshank]

Very nice and objective analyses like always talking about lithuanians rebounders and dont mentione best NT rebounder of last 8 fiba tournaments.

Talking about 2022 offence and dont mentioning leading scorer of 2022 team


yes 2003 and 2004 we played Don Nelson Run TMC warriors style and that was ahead of time in fiba. But for that to happen Sireika was lucky to get elite multiple perimeter scorers at that moment in time.

Now it 2024 most elite teams does similiar things only improved version ,especially in defence than our NT 2003-2004 did.


So all this analyses is very mediocre and looking only from lithuanian perspective and dont even trying to look what works for recent medals winners and why they are winning in 2020s

[Straight forward]

I knew some nitpicking from homer fans would accure. How's that matter? JV was way better than Sabonis in 2022? At the end of the tournament Sabonis looked better. You can put any of them at this point. But off course, you feel like a butthurt cause JV is your darling.

The last line shows how funny you are If there's nothing to discuss you put some pseudo claims that I never pointed and make a contra-argument against it It's bit schizophrenic TBH.

[Hepcat]

I am big JV fan.

Oh?! So explain why you slammed Jonas Valančiūnas with these words when he's very clearly one of Team Lietuva's two best centers?

I hope not.

Who's your alternative?

At the same time I acknowledge his weaknesses, weaknesses which are not usually visible in stat sheets.

Im pointing towards fans who look at stat sheets above else. In this forum there are people who blindly defend JV....

1. Valančiūnas' weaknesses are actually very evident in even semi-detailed stats sheets. The Raptors turned a player who ran like a gazelle into a lumbering post player. He's a defensive presence only under the glass but can't (and should not be asked to) chase fleet footed guards around the perimeter.

2. Once again, who here blindly defends Valančiūnas? Madmax isn't around.

...the same people are not acknowledging Marciulionis because he missed 3 shots.

Since nobody here is blindly defending Valančiūnas, then logically "they" can't be the same people "not acknowledging Marčiulionis". Do you ever think through your words before you post?

And speaking of Augustas Marčiulionis, it was obvious to any objective observer that he wasn't playing well against Lebanon. Eight other players on Team Lietuva were beasting while Marčiulionis was ho-hum. So it turned out that he had a broken rib meaning there was a good reason for his poor play. But that doesn't mean that he didn't play poorly which some less than objective observers on this board still tried desperately to deny. Talk about "blindly defending" a player!

But blind defence of Marčiulionis doesn't seem to bother you. Why not? Consistency is a virtue you know.

Why do you invariably agree with Straight forward's every word? Do you work for him or something?

[Straight forward]

Holly shit! Grab your seats folks. "We were more looking to replace the same position player. We planned Augustas, who is PG, so we were looking for PG".

Oh my fucking god...He's going to invite Kariniauskas! He just had to.

https://www.krepsinis.net/naujiena/nezinomuju-palikes-k-maksvytis-kas-pakeis-a-marciulioni-pranesime-sekmadieni/335883

[Shawshank]

Jonas Valanciunas said himself that he will be in camp that start tommorow. But will he play unclear.

He added : „Nėra tokio dalyko, kaip draudimas, ir nebus jo .Nes negali apdrausti oro. Dabar reikia žiūrėti, kokie yra scenarijai ir nedaryti iš to didelės problemos. Viskas įmanoma, žiūrėsime, kaip susiklostys scenarijai.“

So my guess JV will do all physical preparation things with team in first week to prepare body for tournament,but wont have no contact training


But i still dont get what kinda scenerios must happen for Valanciunas to be able to play with insurance done that would protect his new nba contract.

Free agency open July 1st,Olympic qualification tournaments starts July 2nd.

[Straight forward]

I'm not concerned about this at all. The only legitimate chance to win is with Sabonis playing well. JV version of 2023 gives us nothing to our chances to win something more serious. Outplayed by Milutinov and almost zero defense. To me it's completely meh whenever he's in or out. Actually I have intuition that NT would do better without him.

I only respect his attitude towards NT and great example. But when it comes to winning...In 2022 last hope died that JV can give us medals.

[Straight forward]

Aside the loss of Marciulionis, it's safe to say that NT is pretty lucky with injuries so far. All other players are healthy. All the core players. That is Jokubaitis, Lekavicius, Grigonis, Sirvydis, Ulanovas, Sedekerskis, Kuzminskas, Sabonis, Valanciunas. So key 8-9 players are healthy, except Butkevicius not being 100% ready. That's good. Off course, it's pity that Marciulionis got injured. I wanted to see how 100% ready Marciulionis looks. That D and passing was needed and he would have shown nice athletic slashing ability too.

But now I'm pretty intrigued with our talent in Jokubaitis, Grigonis, Sirvydis, Sedekerskis, Sabonis. That's not yet where I want NT to be yet, but that's already pretty nice. Some legitimate talent out there.

When we will add Buzelis, Jakucionis, Rubstavicius, Murauskas (and few other pieces), we will be ready to fight for top awards legitimately.

[Shawshank]

I think 10pts+ nba player is way more important topic than who will be 11-12th players on the roster and who wont even play

NT didnt win medal with Jonas and Domas because ltu guards is mediocre level

[Straight forward]

I think 10pts+ nba player is way more important topic than who will be 11-12th players on the roster and who wont even play

NT didnt win medal with Jonas and Domas because ltu guards is mediocre level

I'm not talking about this. I'm talking about possibility that Domas will feel better and finally bring his A game if JV won't be around. About possibility that other player will be more involved with Sabonis being 30-35mpg kinda player in some games and some D-Mo being a back up (who is better passer and probably slightly better defender in FIBA). Maybe Maksvytis will even use Sedekerskis/Tubelis as back-up centers which I would be big advocate of. Maybe our team will play faster and will be looking for quality threes in more possessions rather than will try to pound the ball inside for slow post game. Maybe it will turn out that without JV we are faster, more defensively capable and having more offensive possessions team. I wouldn't be surprised that with Sabonis at center for 30 minutes will increase our offensive production overall and we will go +90 points per game.

JV slows down the game and other are less involved and out defense becomes super bad.

That's off course just possibility, but I would be very curious to test it.

[Shawshank]

Doest matter what you do with you big position.Those days when center could lead NT to medal ended with Pau Gasol in 2010s

in 2020s perimeter stars that what wins medals.


So all those talks about bigs doesnt matter how you gonna rotate them. Good nba center max can do lead to first playoofs stage most remaining job in playoofs when faced with top 8 opponnets must be done by perimeter players.

Centers in winning teams is 3rd or 4th option as finisher not creator in 2020s fiba


Elite top 8 teams wont allow Sabonis or Valanciunas dominate inside.

In those games guards must take the ball and start creating for himself and for team or Lithuania NT ship will sink again and again faced with elite teams.

What 10pts nba bigs can do is finish better than lkl bigs if our perimeter players will do creating thing


Blaming Valanciunas or Dmo for serbia is just talks from 1990s basketball ,we had no chance in serbia game because all our guards sucked in that game

[Shawshank]

Hernangomez was Valanciunas 10min backup for years,

He won MVP because Brown was creating easy layups and dunks and nba big was good finisher

Thats how perimeter and centers should work in 2020s


What you think Jonas or Domas couldnt finish in same way like Hernangomez did? ofcourse they could finish those layups and would win medal too

But nobody in lithuanian perimeter is creating even close to what Brown did