2025 Lithuanian NT

[Straight forward]

RPE, truth. But that's why I say my ambition is not medals for 2025. I don't predict anything big for 2025 team. Just want to see attractive BB and moving forward a bit in terms of adding talent.

I'll give you my "horoscope" more precisely:

2025 - solid offense, pretty competitive team, but likely with 4finals as the ceiling in EB which realistically will be less competitive than WC and OG. We should end up being 5-8 team if you ask me.
2027 - much improved talent level with Buzelis already being a player and Jakucionis emerging and such players as Jokubaitis, Sirvydis being in their prime, Sabonis still good. We are aiming for 4finals at much more competitive tournament surrounded by USA, Canada, Australia.
2028 - KJ ready to lead the team. He's not finished product yet, but already provides highest level playmaking and aggression. Buzelis even better than a year ago. We are striving for 4finals at the highest level, ultra elite Olympic tournament. Losing the 4finals, but being among absolute top notch top 8 team still success under the circumstances (missing 2020 and 2024 Olympics).

[Shawshank]

With Kurtinaitis and Pacesas its very optimistic scenerio if NT will make 1/4 game in 2025


Im seeing total chaos,bad vibes comming ,no team chemistry and NT getting eliminated by some Finland or Latvia level type team in 1/8.


Adomaitis failed to make 1/4...Maksvytis managed to do only once...and Kurtinaitis will do it from the first try with retooling 2025 roster?

[Straight forward]

Adomaitis failed to make 1/4...Maksvytis managed to do only once...and Kurtinaitis will do it from the first try with retooling 2025 roster?

Adomaitis had really trashy roster in 2017. Declined Kalnietis, really no guards at all. Besides, Adomaitis still was playing pretty well with that roster, but when you get A Greece in 8finals...

In 2022 Maksvytis had way better roster, but could have even better if not his blindness and mediocriness. We didn't reach 4finals only because our group stage was amazingly hardcore. We got champs in 8finals, but we could bet even Spain if Maksvytis had selected Sedekerskis or even D. Giedraitis (for stopping Brown pick and roll and stuff).

Kurtinaitis will have incomparably way better roster than 2017 which I think was at all time worst essentially. Much deeper, much more quality it's not even a debate. Depends on who you jump on 4finals. But talent wise I think we are top 8 team in Europe. It goes like this now: France, Serbia, germany, Spain, obvious top 4 teams and then I would say Lithuania, Greece, Slovenia, Latvia (Turkey, Italy). Something like that. Being top 8 in EB is not some kind of top of a mountain, objectively reachable goal.

[Shawshank]

2017 Greece = 2023 Greece their b roster versions

2017 Greece beat ltu and lost Russia in 1/4 it was wide open road to semifinal for all 3 mediocre rosters and Russia took advantage of that.


LTU 2017-2021 and other olympic cycle LTU 2022-2024 don't see big diffrence on roster level.

2017-2021 No 1/4 in 3 FIBA tournaments
2022-2024 Once 1/4 in 3 FIBA tournaments


More less same quality players in both olympic cycles but opponents quality is better in 2020s fiba


You underestimate how dangerous are those 8-14th best Europe teams in 2020s FIBA that is make upsets in every FIBA tournaments recently.


if it would be easy to make top 8 ltu nt would have made more than 1 in 6 FIBA tournaments.

Team need to play really well and together to make top 8 it's not fiba 1990s anymore

Spain won gold 2019 and 2022 and failed to make top 8 in 2023 and 2024 that's how everything is on little details in 2020s very deep fiba competion

[Straight forward]

2017 Greece = 2023 Greece their b roster versions

What? It's not even close 2023 Greece was complete utter trash compared to 2017 LOL...

2017 had prime Sloukas, prime Calathes, Papanikalou, still good vets as Printezis, Bousousis (who BTW was nailing threes while JV playing drop defence). It was totally elite team by Euro standards and 2023 was complete shit. They had no players. Our somewhat mediocre team without Sabonis, Grigonis basically swept them.

And no 2017-2021 was lower level...Really no go to guys...I mean in 2022 we clearly had highest upside. Still good JV, Domas, prime Grigonis and 4 more players who can score in double digits as Iggy, Kuzminskas, Jokubaitis, Lekavicius. That team was scoring 89ppg compared to 82ppg of 2017EB.

It wasn't substantial difference, but still in previous Olympic cycle we had more talent.

Besides in last 6 or so tournaments we had really shitty luck with draw. We randomly jumped on elite Greece in 2017, not our fault, but Greece itself which struggled, but still had a good team. Then hardcore draw in 2019, by far best opponent in entire Olympic qualification - Slovenia (that year they played amazing basketball), and hardcore draw for 2022 EB. Once got better draw in 2023, we reached 4finals. 2024 I treat as the logical ending of Maksvytis sucking balls. He mishandled everything: Sabonis and his attitude, Grigonis role, roster selection, players attitude, tactics, everything. It's on coach really.

[Toruko]

I wouldnt rank Slovenia that high. Greece with Giannis should be stronger than LTU but still beatable. Latvia is always strong. Would rate them stronger than LTU too. Spain does not afraid me too much but Spain is always Spain. France, Serbia should be considered two teams that need to be taken down. Spain and Germany strong but beatable too.

[Straight forward]

I wouldnt rank Slovenia that high. Greece with Giannis should be stronger than LTU but still beatable. Latvia is always strong. Would rate them stronger than LTU too. Spain does not afraid me too much but Spain is always Spain. France, Serbia should be considered two teams that need to be taken down. Spain and Germany strong but beatable too.

Germany is not getting any weaker at the moment while Shroder still at the top and Franz is getting better. So France, Serbia, Germany are obvious top dogs today and Spain still kinda attaches to this top group, but more questionable than they used to be.

[Toruko]

Germany is not getting any weaker at the moment while Shroder still at the top and Franz is getting better. So France, Serbia, Germany are obvious top dogs today and Spain still kinda attaches to this top group, but more questionable than they used to be.

Germany is strong but not as strong as Serbia or France but if lets say Jokic skips EB 25 then we would have to talk about it.

[Shawshank]

That 2017 Greece was elite? Just compare Greece 2015 A roster and Greece 2017 B roster

Greece finished tournament 2017 2-4 record... Beat ltu and one trash team and lost other 4 games in that tournament .

Dude you don't know history as always that's shouting alot


Greece ended up in group 4th and beat nr 1seed Lithuania in 1/8 it was real upset and Greece coach made fun of our coaching staff after game

If Sved and his 25 shot attempts managed to beat them I'm sorry that Greece 2017 was very meh


I don't see big difference in ltu roster strengths in 2 olympic cycle and I don't see 2025 having better team either

But facts don't lie only once top 8 in 6 FIBA tournaments


I repeat it's real deal to make top 8 in 2020s FIBA


For Baku coach in my eyes mission will be very very chalenging

[Straight forward]

That 2017 Greece was elite? Just compare Greece 2015 A roster and Greece 2017 B roster

Greece finished tournament 2017 2-4 record... Beat ltu and one trash team and lost other 4 games in that tournament .

Dude you don't know history as always that's shouting alot


Greece ended up in group 4th and beat nr 1seed Lithuania in 1/8 it was real upset and Greece coach made fun of our coaching staff after game

If Sved and his 25 shot attempts managed to beat them I'm sorry that Greece 2017 was very meh


I don't see big difference in ltu roster strengths in 2 olympic cycle and I don't see 2025 having better team either

But facts don't lie only once top 8 in 6 FIBA tournaments


I repeat it's real deal to make top 8 in 2020s FIBA


For Baku coach in my eyes mission will be very very chalenging

Dude, you literally compared 2017 Greece with 2023 You right about 2015 being better than 2017, but that's not what we were talking about, LOL

No, I didn't say it will be easy. I said it's objectively reachable goal and I think there's a lot of chances to be in 4finals.

[Shawshank]

Im saying that 2017 Greece roster was their B team and sucked in 2017 tournament (thats why compare them 2023 B team) we lost to worse team and you picturing like 2017 Greece was elite... nonsense

We got fantastic draw in 2017,didnt need to play neither gold Slovenia,neither silver Serbia,neither bronze Spain,neither Latvia was almost didnt eliminated gold medal winners and played very well.

Dont need to picture of poor Adomaitis got Greece b roster as opponnets and lost by 15pts to 4th best other groups team

3 worst ltu playoofs defeats 2011-2024

1.2011 Macedonia
2. 2024 Puerturico
3. 2017 Greece


Im saying for Kurtinaitis it will very very difficult to do. because he simply worse coach that Adomaitis and Maksvytis and they managed to make top 8 once in 6 fiba tournaments.

Making top 8 is elite in 2020s fiba

and predicting that LTu will make all 3 times top 8 in 2025-2028 is just very biased fans nonsense that doesnt follow strenght of recent fiba 2020s tournaments overall.... not seeing what pathetic results is shown by new head coach

[Straight forward]

1.2011 Macedonia
2. 2024 Puerturico
3. 2017 Greece


Im saying for Kurtinaitis it will very very difficult to do. because he simply worse coach that Adomaitis and Maksvytis and they managed to make top 8 once in 6 fiba tournaments.

Making top 8 is elite in 2020s fiba

I don't see essential differences between Kazys and Kurtinaitis. Both can't control NT in detail, both has no elite sense for coaching. I would even be sure Kurtaitis will be better with players selection.

Only because FIBA level increased...other way we have way more players who can score in double digits that we had in 2017 f.e. or even 2019. Still lack of world class perimeter players, but our team will be deeper and more talented. It's just that increased level of FIBA kinda reduces all that and it won't be felt much. We need to develop KJ and Buzelis as soon as possible.

How do you call Kazys basketball in Puerto Rico if not helpless chaos? Sabonis was running frustrated all tournament long and Jokubaitis played off ball...

[Shawshank]

Pacesas asked about Rubstavicius and NT in window games : "as matau jis daro pazanga,bet rinktineje turi zaist geriausi,jaunystes kreditas man nelabai veikia, jaunimas turi zaist jaunimo rinktinej"

And some folks imagine these new coaches from the past basketball will go with young team. Fiba window veteran roster is first indication how they see things.


Those washed up coaches will built team in to ale win in 2025 atleast in their minds ,not building for 2028. Because all their talks is to win now ,right away,best should play.

I dont hear songs from pacesas we need to start from the scratch,rebuilt with young players group and be patience for few years.

[Straight forward]

There's 2 ways - to push it and to reach the wanted level sooner or to fart around as we had been doing for 5 years at least and stay in the farted room longer...Either way KJ and Buzelis prevailing, we can just help them or not...Knowing out stinky BB culture we won't most likely and they will come later than they could if we had elite coaches.

[Shawshank]

That nba kid who average 2 pts per game after first 10 nba games is prevailing ?

Right now Buzelis looks like total gamble and just raw project far from being sure deal.


What elite coaching are you still dreaming? our head coach is baku coach that loses every single game in 3rd europes league and other coach is podcaster

Second elite option is far as possible from NT with Balciunas winning elections.


Yes most likely they will come to men NT like basketball history teaching us after turning 23 old age and having real men body and some experience in their heads


Thats why im saying Buzelis and Jakucionis is not 2025-2028 cycle players. Even if they make debut in 2027-2028 but just as role players,not some game changers.


Game changing players if NT will achieve anything must come 1996-2002 born players in 2025-2028