2024 Lithuanian NT

[Toxicity]

I wouldn't call it a fiasco. Italy will be pretty good. Darius Thompson will be playing for them and he is much better playmaker than both Mannion and Spissu, which will give them big depth and more versatility in the backcourt. It's 50/50 game IMO.

I highly doubt about Darius playing for us... the italian passport was needed if he have joined EA7 Milano last summer but in the end he went to Efes so i'm not sure if he's interested. Sure he has italian wife... but still no passport.

[Straight forward]

I sneaked in to see what's with Puerto Rico and I definitely put them into the same tier with Italy and to certain extent it may even turn out to be more dangerous. In WC they beat DOM REP in the same fashion as Italy, they beat China, but lost to Serbia and Italy. However, they been lacking their best player, PG Jose Alvarado. Pelicans didn't let him play in NT because of stress reaction in his tibia which forced him to miss the end of the season. He has a role with Pelicans and last season he was playing solid 21,5mpg, 9ppg, 3as. He dropped 38pts in one NBA game. Only 25yo, growing player, was cooking 21,5ppg for PR in FIBA Window. Another NBA player yet to play for PR NT is 21yo youngster Julian Strawther. 3 weeks ago he dropped 21pts for the Nuggets. He's a swingman, can play as a big SG who can shoot and drive. Both didn't play in WC and likely to suit up for Olympic qualifying tournament I think.

Looking at WC 2023, they had true leader Tremont WATERS who has been at the end of the NBA teams benches for some years and now playing China. He was dropping 20pts, 9as and 21eff in WC which is huge. Also only 25yo. Another strong guard was Jordan HOWARD, 11,4ppg in WC, but he's coming to his prime at 27 and putting 14ppg in ACB this season.

So these 4 guards, specially Alvarado, Strawther, Waters are real ballers, NBA material generally speaking. All are young and becoming better which makes them even more dangerous. They also have a good young forward, 23yo George Conditt IV, who had 15,8eff in WC 2023. He plays in the G League.

They don't have impressive bigs, their best one is Ismael Romero who plays in Local PR league, but was solid in WC. However, PR was a good rebounding team in WC, standing at 10-11 spots.

Scoring wise PR was just behind LTU in WC (here have to said Lithuania choked in some games, as the one against Latvia). They turn the ball over quite a bit, and not the best facilitating team. Their problem probably are usual - lack of discipline and probably more balance between interior and perimeter game.

Nevertheless young, growing, talented team which can really hurt you if those guards will start cooking. I;m looking forward if those 3 NBA level guards are suiting up. I think we can beat them being a better, and much more disciplined and experienced, but it's not gonna be easy.

PS: Both Alvarado and Waters are super crafty midgets. Maksvytis has to pack at least one from D. Giedraitis/Marciulionis to Puerto Rico, otherwise these guards will make Maksvytis look silly just as Serbian guards did. Against those, you have to throw some-one like Giedraitis out there. Butkevicius/Dimsa stand no chance in that category, I don't even speak about slow ass Normantas. Maybe Maksvytis will throw Lekavicius, that's better against such type, but Lekavicius is not at the level of Giedraitis/Marciulionis defensively.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tD5TO2AxmUk&ab_channel=NBA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMrXsuw1jyA&ab_channel=FIBA-TheBasketballChannel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4Ia_0dCEys&ab_channel=FIBA-TheBasketballChannel

[Shawshank]

i watched 2023 Italy vs Puerturico (because in that game i thought ltu opponnets will be decided) it was such chaotic,brainless game total chaos from both sides and not stop jacking up tough jumpers all game long.

Even unpredictable Pozzeco Italians looked like organised team compared to that emotional craziness was played by Puerturico team


Puerturico is really dangerous at home for sure,in neutral arena Puerturico would lose to both Italy and Lithuania by double digits.

One game at home they can catch that crazy emotional wave and win with their wild fans.

2012 game Lithuania vs Puerturico was emotional nail bitter when entire arena supportes puerturico but even in that game brainless plays in critical moments killed Puerturico.


I expect very chalenging,emotional game because of hostile crowd.

Puerturico can win one game vs Lithuania/Italy but that they would catch 2 good emotional waves in a row very unlikely.

[Shawshank]

https://www.fiba.basketball/oqt/latvia/2024/news/the-experts-tell-us-which-teams-are-winning-the-oqts

Neutral experts dont see clear favourite in Puerturico tournaments and i agree with them.


Best results in final standings in 2021-2023 was shown by Italy.

Puerturico had their wild crazy fans pushing them and for team that plays literally on emotions is big thing

Lithuania have tradicion but results in last 8 years shows they are just 7-11th best team.


To win back to back 2 games vs very dangeruos Italy and in wild,hostile atmosphere vs crazy Puerturico i dont think LTU chances to qualife combined is more than 50%.

In order to win 2 games mental strenght,composure and good play in last 5 minutes will be a must thing for our team. One of those games will come to last minute with close score and leadership on perimeter will be crusial in how game will end.

[Straight forward]

I was really surprised to hear that "Italy controlling the tempo will frustrate Lithuanians". At first, I was like GTFA. But then I dug a bit deeper. Watched Italy vs Serbia game (WC). Well, Italians do able to elevate pretty nice ball movement at times and their really pushing to transition. Yet at times that ball movement is a bit one dimensional as they really lack more expressed pick and roll game and some-one with true post game. They base their game on perimeter movement and slashing mostly, but they don't have true flour general, as Spissu is good, but by no means elite PG, or Mannion who is a shoot first PG and not exactly there yer. If they won't have Thompson, they won't have anyone nearly as good facilitator as Jokubaitis. So, that claim is controversial. IMO, LTU can play match more fundamentally sound basketball, to have way better interior and perimeter balance, to be extremely superior in never ending pick and roll action which open up three ways scoring options, but, on other hand, Italians use more mobile line-ups, they rotate very quickly at both ends, their passing culture is really high generally and they are really quick decision makers, and they have more transition offense. So it's controversial.

In that game Serbia, specially Bog, was cold from three. Another thing - Serbia didn't have a body to throw against Fontecchio who was causing a lot of troubles. They missed Kalinic and that's where Sedekerskis will be priceless. Extremely priceless. Not only we can throw him against Fontecchio, but also Galo. Gallinari is on decline, but he still can be deadly in certain games. With that length he still can shoot comfortably against anybody. There will be times when Galo will play the 5 and Fontecchio 4. It will be very uncomfortable. IMO, we should throw Sabonis and Tubelis against Galo at 5 (on Melli too). Italians will have shooting 5 and that will make JV barely playable against Italy. You can use him for short stretches to dominate Melli or Galo inside, but only short stretches, cause it's too dangerous and contra-productive. Again, having Sedekerskis, IMO, will be the key basically. Fontecchio is essentially best player of Italy now, then Galo is also bad match-up for most opponents and if you don't have players like Sedekerskis, Kalinic, Shengelia, you are in trouble. It will be interesting to see how Sabonis can fair with Galo at 5, cause now Wizards are using Galo at 5 mostly, when he became much slower.

One thing is certain. Both PR and Italy love to run. Maksvytis has to do everything to improve our transition defense with which we struggle nearly for decade now. In my opinion it's a no-brainer that we have to take Tubelis as third center. He can run and he can chase down people when he's in the mood and in the NT he should be always in the mood. No slow ass jokes like D-Mo, not even talking about Maldunases disasters. Tubelis can run, Tubelis can leap, and he should be in. Then Maksvytis should test both D. Giedraitis and Marciulionis. At least one should be in, IMO. We desperately need those pure guard defenders. Not only against Italy, but against PR and Mexico guards too (specially PR). I think Maksvytis will do it, cause he understands that. If he won't make adjustments of WC (when none of our guards could stand a chance against Serbian agile guards), then he's an idiot or emotionally done. I personally have no doubt he will be looking to add Giedraitis, cause he plays Giedraitis 16mpg in last 4 EL games, even when he's not providing anything offensively. He understands his defensive value. Last game, Giedraitis played almost 22min. despite being scoreless. You just throw him on best guards for do or die defensive effort. Maksvytis will re-peat the same mistake if he will decide that Dimsa is good enough to go against Alvarado and such defensively.

Italians provide rather good defensive presense. Their mobile line-ups causes a lot of troubles, you can punish them inside, but in today's game you can' kill opponents with that. We seen many times. LTU simply needs to improve defense (specially perimeter snf transition D), to play more with mobile line-ups (Domas, Tubelis and even Sedekerskis at 5), to throw at least one true guard defender out there for 15-18mpg (Giedraitis/Marciulionis) and offensively to do what we did in WC. Our offense was good, ball movement good, in and out balance good (a bit too much JV was fed though), we can just be even better with it if Sabonis and Grigonis come back.

[Shawshank]

Brazdeikis 11games 14min 3,7pts on 36% 23% and 57 % shooting splits and below average defence

Jokubaitis 11games 16min 5,5pts on 39% 33% 73% shooting splits and average defence

Grigonis 13games 29min 9,5pts on 62% 39% 86% shooting splits and average defence

R.Giedraitis 13games 25min 9,2pts on 51% 34% 69% shooting splits and below average defence

T.Dimsa 13games 20min 9,5pts on 54% 41% 58% shooting splits and good defence



Only Grigonis is playing better compared to previuos season and he clearly was best lithuanian guard in first 1/3 part or euroleague season.

Steps forward lithuania basketball desperetely needed to see from Jokubaitis and Brazdeikis doestnt seem to happening this season.


Brazdeikis was as bad as you can be to this point in a season for million contract player.

Wild mustang have seriuos problems to understand team concept of Olympiakos all that moving/reacting basketball. His lack of basketball iq its seems can be even worse than i thought.

[Straight forward]

You overrate Dimsa's defense. He's not better defender that Grigonis. I actually would treat Grigonis slightly better or on the same tier. Both are solid defenders, but not good. Giedraitis, Marciulionis are good fedenders. Butkevicius. That's the good defenders. Dimsa is by no means at that level.

SOA, you look at stats too directly as Hepcat. Jokubaitis has very limited role in second best EL team. He is not given the freedom in EL yet. In ACB he's second most efficient Barca's player. He's progressing. In my opinion next season he will be about to exceed Satoransky. And off course 2024 Jokubaitis will be better than 2023 one.

Brazdeikis will never feel comfortable in strict system basketball where defense is priority. In that environment he will never show his best traits. But he's surely much better than EL stats indicate. Under Maksytis liberal basketball he will feel much better. At least he won't have second thoughts on playing for the NT while playing limited minutes in EL.

I don't even care about R. Giedraitis. His efficiency sucks. He's horrid in the NT. Basically not many teams were interested in him in off season. Meh...I hope he's done as a NT player cause he has been trash. That's the reality.

[Straight forward]

BTW, if NTs back up PG will be Kariniauskas again, 5.3eff kinda son of a bitch with 3.9/2.9 as/to ratio in Eurocup then fuck me...this is not a national team, it's just a dark humor of Maksvytis...

[Shawshank]

Your one fan stories is just one fan biased fantasies nothing more.

Cold facts of 10+ games in strongest europes competion already shows something

simple reality first 1/3 of euro league season was really disappointing for Jokubaitis and Brazdeikis

No step forward can be seen.They are at age now Macijauskas and Siskauskas was in 2003.


Especially Brazdeikis by far biggest disappointing player this season from all NT players how he looked to this point

[Toruko]

Yeah definitely! I watched the FB game and had a close look on Jokubaitis. His role diminished significantly. His usage rate dropped and he has no room to find rhythm. His defense is weak and he doesnt there was no action of creating anything for his team. Its really disappointing to see him in this role in his third year. You cant develop a game winning PG with that approach.

[Straight forward]

Shawshank, you almost always lack cognitive capabilities to get all the picture and the message. You have to follow a player day by day to realize what's going on and what kind of season has been. The start of the season was really successful for Jokubaitis in EL, his role increased, at the very start, like 4-5 games he even exceeded Sato stats wise. He was playing around 20mpg. Later his minutes dropped, Sato shaped up and Jokubaitis had a slump (probably partially because of long summer too). And then injuries followed. What we see now in EL is Jokubaitis coming back after injury. In ACB he's second most efficient player in Barca which is huge. Opponents really go hard against Barca and ACB is legit league. All games are tight basically. So to be second MVP of the team there is big step forward. At the start of the season Jokubaitis had probably the most reliable stretch overall. His defence is slightly improving all the time, he'll never be good, but slowly he's working his way towards being nearly solid defensively (at least I hope he can get there). Where you making a mistake is saying that he's not progressing this season which is simply false. He improved his numbers in ACB and even last season he didn't show much improvement stat wise in EL, but he was much better player in the NT 23 than he was 22. You don't see the whole picture. Do I generally satisfied with his EL season so far? No, I would like bigger role and more consistent performance. But he's definitely progressing. It's all logical that injuries and slumps slow down you and you playing next really good PG Sato and also Lapro who is in his complete prime. So it's all logical to have shifting role in terms of the minutes and impact. The key is that Jokubaitis is a player who can shift from being non factor to key guy who carries Barca in the 4th quarter. That's how elite teams are built. Main 8-9 guys can step up big time any day, or have lesser role the other day. When you have 13eff in ACB as second best player for Barca and you lead the LTU NT as the most impactful and most important player in WC with 15eff being 22yo, you are in great situation essentially, despite the slumps in EL. To quote his EL numbers and to say that he's not progressive is primitive and stupid. That's emateur posting. I have zero doubt that Jokubaitis in 2024 will be superior to his 2023 NT version. Zero doubt, unless he would be bothered by injuries or something. If he will be in optimal shape, he will be superior player than he was in WC. So far without any brakes he was making a step forward each year. I'm not worried about certain changes of his role in EL while playing for such club as Barca. He'll be very good player and the best guard of 2024 NT, IMO.

Toruko, your eternal problem that you make too much conclusions from very tiny samples (like one or two games here and there). You putting too much weight of making the decision from fragmental observation. However it's much more justifiable for you as a Turk, compared to Lith Shawshank here who supposed to have better picture.

To sum it up- I don't see the reasons which could prevent Jokubaitis becoming elite EL PG essentially. I simply don't see and I have no doubt he'll be elite EL PG in his prime. And I have no doubt Jokubaitis will play very quality basketball player this summer with NT jerseys if he will be healthy.

[Toruko]

Even if you are right (lets say you are) he is in that situation right now. There is no significant increase in his role in his third year and he is miles away from being a game changing player and I dont see any sign of becoming a crunch time player. I am insisting on the position that it was a mistake to transfer to Barca. I claimed back then that he should stay at Zalgiris for one or two more years in a decisive role.

The same problem Tarik Biberovic is facing right now too. Just give him the fucking ball and let him decide. Both dont show any sign of being a decisive player one day.

[Straight forward]

Even if you are right (lets say you are) he is in that situation right now. There is no significant increase in his role in his third year and he is miles away from being a game changing player and I dont see any sign of becoming a crunch time player. I am insisting on the position that it was a mistake to transfer to Barca. I claimed back then that he should stay at Zalgiris for one or two more years in a decisive role.

The same problem Tarik Biberovic is facing right now too. Just give him the fucking ball and let him decide. Both dont show any sign of being a decisive player one day.

What do you mean he doesn't show any signs of being a crunch player? Just a week a go he dropped 14pts, 3as, 3rbs in the 4th quarter and Barca won the game against Granada. He killed your Efes being a clutch player in the 4th quarter for 2 times in a row few seasons ago, dropping 2+1 on Micic in last minutes (both games). He was the main protagonist in Copa del Rey against Real, deciding the game. He had tons of games when he was carrying Barca in the 4th quarter. Can you name any other young guard in EL aside Doncic, who would have more clutch performances for such club as Real/Barca? No, there's none. That's where your partiality speaks. Is he some kind of ISO freak who can or will be able to decide each game by his own (something like Mike James...even though he's playing in lower level club)? Off course not, and he shouldn't and no-one expects that from him. But to say that Jokubaitis never show crunch time performances is more than false bro I simply want something what Jasikevicius was able to do. To run the team as PG at the highest level. Thats all.

I think 16 minutes in final 4, Copa del Rey or ACB final equals more than 26min. playing for Zalgiris. It's the highest stage You should value the fact that being 20-23 you play three seasons with Barcelona and you make a lot of big games. It's virtually incredible and only such players as Rubio or Doncic did it (well they exceeded Rokas impact, but still) were able to do that. You don't see that on a constant basis at all. So I don't really understand what we are discussing here. If Jokubaitis is 26yo and still gets 18min for Barca just as a role player, then I'll be disappointed. At that point I want him to play 26mpg, to drop something like 13-16ppg, 7-8as, 4rbs and extremely consistent and reliable decision making. That's what I project. In the NT too, he's not gonna be like a go-to guy. We just need him to be elite PLAY MAKER. That's all.

[Toruko]

You dont understand what I mean. Every player has some good games but his role must steadily grow each year. It hasnt happened so far and it doesnt look like that way. Its something like Haliburton or Sengun

[Shawshank]

Doncic by 19 was euroleague MVP .Stop putting Jokubaitis and Doncic in same category is not same calibre.


Jokubaitis is already 5 season eruoleague veteran.We cant compare players who started playing in euroleague at 18 and who started at 22.

From 5th season euroleague veteran and main pg of Lithuania NT i expected his role will increase by 3rd season in same club (if he is indeed all timer)


Satoransky is 31/32 he is veteran that not peak Satoransky version anymore,Laprovitola is Argentina NT backup and Jokubaitis is Lithuanian main PG and he manages to get just 16min and 6pts average in this rotation? yes thats dissapointing to me atleast first part of the season.


I dont look at Jokubaitis as some youngster anymore.He played way more important games than 95% of such 23 age players.

I look at him as best lithuania guard and as best lithuanian guard expectations is he should be more than 15min euroleague backup if our NT is dreaming anytime to comeback to medal podium.



Because what best fiba NTs brings to 2020s competions is literally nba guards and LTU gonna bring euruoleague backups and do what play for 9-16th places like last 8 years ?