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The decline of this forum is amazing. Like when I joined there been several bright posters (I'm talking about Liths). You can agree or disagree with them, but they were smart. Now there's basically zero guys who could handle normal debate, meaning following what is written and adequately response with spot on arguments on the matter. Couple who are such or close to that show up too rarely and write too implicitly.
LTU NT will snatch Eurobasket 2029 title with this roster:
Yes lets take Wemby or Wagner or some other super star examples and ignore other 90% what happens with 21-22 age players in olympic summer.
I saw in 2024 olympic summer how other 2 youth teams leaders 22old Tubelis and 24old Sirvydis performed and ended up being 10-12th players.
So horoscope prediction in 2028 ltu will have not 1 but 2 guards at 22 old age that will take starting 5 guards roles in desicion making positions and play vs best nba guards in olympics im sorry i dont believe in such nonsense
outside of canada who are those best nba guards in the olympics?
germany have only schroder, who is a mediocre roleplayer in the nba
spain had no nba level guards
japan no nba level guards
puerto rico one nba roleplayer guard
sudan no nba level guards
greece no nba level guards
brazil no nba level guards
australia had a 21 year old giddey
france no nba level guards
serbia with bogdanovic and micic who are both roleplayers in the nba.
there is also a clear gap different between sirvydis and jakucionis as prospects. lithuania is really not that far from competing with the best, every loss they have had in the national team tournaments since 2017 have often been very close games against top tier contenders, 1 or 2 decent individual players and lithuania would be back on track competing with the best.
Canada had 5 nba guards with top 10 player on team in guard position
Australia had Mills fiba star ,Giddey,J.Green,Dyson Daniels,Exum 5 nba guards (they were one shot away from beating Serbia)
Germany had Schroder 13pts nba guard + 4 other nba players
Serbia had 2 Bogdanovich 16pts nba guard and fiba star + Misic nba guard, former best euroleague guard + best world player Jokic
France had Fournier,Ntilikina (300+nba games) from nba guards + also had 4 nba players in other positions
Greece have top 5 nba player Giannis that dont have no help from perimeter and is loosing all the time like our nt versus elite teams
Greece NT perimeter is very comparable to Lithuania Nt perimeter. With euroleague roles players guards no chance to win anything in todays fiba.
Greece last time was in semifinal in 2009, Lithuania in 2015.
Lithuania not far from elite? we made top 8 once !! in 2017-2024 and didnt qualife for last 2 olympics. Its not a fluke when it repeats for 9 years streach.
For me there is top 6-7 elite NT right now. LTU NT belongs in second group 8-14th best NT right now.
Yes we are just one elite perimeter star fiba 20pts scorer from being in top 6-7
But do u understand how difficult is to get even 1 such perimeter level player? Lithuania didnt have such perimeter star for last 15 years and unclear when they will have such again.
People who imagine Jakucionis is projected being top 15 in nba draft as guard so this will miracle game changing guard in fiba
Australia guards was drafted who played in 2024 olympics:
Dante Exum nr 5 in 2014 nba draft
Josh Green nr 18 in 2020 nba draft
Josh Giddey nr 6 in 2021 nba draft
Dyson Daniels nr 8 in 2022 nba draft
and they also had great Patty Mills but that wasnt good enough to make top 4 in Olympics.
Look at France draft recent history they have such Jakucionis or Buzelis top 15 picks like 20 players in last 10 years most of them become nothing special.
But France won loterry and got 10 nba player tallent in Wemby for next 15 years.
Imagine that Buzelis and Jakucionis will be fiba stars and way more Australia or France or Canada top 15 picks will be all busts is just funny imagination what is happening big picture on basketball world now and seeing only our own small garden
Im looking big world picture and im saying lithuanian basketball are in big trouble going further too if somebody imagine it will be easy to make 1/4 games .Not just last 10 years.
We literally have to win loterry and get top 10 world players tallent ale Doncic,Jokic,Gianis,Shai to change what globally is happening now to seriuosly compete for some medal.
Zalias, pretty much spot on. You're one of rare hopes of this dying forum as new sensible poster. NT still has the depth and quality just lacking expressed leader or two in the perimeter. And we have pieces for that to emerge.
Now with the boomer redneck there's millions of problems as always.
FOA, you don't have precise eye on basketball and thus rely on some very abstract and vague takes. You never precise and analytical enough. Just putting everything into rigid primitive schemes.
FOA, why to take Australia or France as an examples of drafting and not to take Serbia or Germany? Serbia got only Jovic drafted high recently and he became a player. Now they got Topic and he will also be a player. Germany had only Franz as high drafted and he became a player. Slovenia had only one true first rounder Doncic and he became GOAT.
Lithuania had Sabonis, Ilgauskas, Kleiza, Motiejunas, Valanciunas, Sabonis as first rounders and all of them became players, either solid/great. Not a single first round LTU pick didn't become a bust. Marciulionis also had to be first rounder, he would be today, probably top 10 easily, and he didn't become a bust. I have little doubt that Buzelis will be a player as first round pick, good player, and if Jakucionis will show further stable stand out development, he also will be a player. I believe we are pretty good with lottery Like 100% successful so far
Another problem with all these France and Australia's or even Canada's picks is that you don't have an eye on players. People who understand BB saw that Giddey is special and he's delivering. Exhum never was that kind. So you have to always see at individuals. When I saw Franz's highlights of NCAA I instantly saw it. You either have an eye on basketball or you don't. And you, boomer redneck, simply don't have it.
Another mistake you make. You don't evaluate full holistic picture. Kaspa and Nojus balled big time, but the team sucked. And you don't get it. You don't get it that Australia has worse frontcourt than other contenders and that's the reason why they lost (but they were very close to win big things). It's not only about the starts or superstars, but the BALANCE. Look how Doncic is helpless with Slovenia which is not deep and fundamentally sound team. When I have to say these things for grandpa I feel really bad cause it's cringey. I feel sorry for you.
So when you say that Buzelis is just another piece like some of those French first round picks it only shows that you're completely clueless. You can't even separate players who have upside to play WITH THE BALL from those who don't have it. Buezelis is completely different piece compared to Sarr or Risacher cause he has handles and ability to create for himself and others. But it's useless to say to you these things, you don't get it. You're too primitive.
Another thing. 2022 was won by elite EL guard as the key. Serbia snatched a medal last year with only one NBA role player Bogi. France in Olympics won the silver with their best guard Fournier dropping shabby 9.8ppg. Where the dominant guard? France didn't have, but they had a great team with great size, depth and defensive presence. So all this primitive talk like you must have guard superstar to do it (like Luka is winning any medals...) is another harsh and stupid reduction. It's about the whole picture the whole team. Lithuania controlled the game against Spain for the biggest part in 2022 and blew it the last second drama. We could easily win medals in 2022 with some better coaching (like Sedekerskis being present) and luck.
Another thing. In 2023 and 2024 top 6 teams had no naturalized players. Naturalized players don't work with some extremely rare exceptions that nearly don't exist. Look at Turkey with elite El guards sucking balls. And it's even hard to find an elite second rate American to naturalized. So I'm just laughing hearing suggestions to naturalize some undrafted scrub who reached decent EL level at best when we have lottery Buzelis and likely lottery or first round Jakucionis. Yeah give me some fucking undrafted scrub instead of them and a random guy from no-where. You're fucking nuts dudes.
LTU NT will snatch Eurobasket 2029 title with this roster:
And I will make my take more precise. It's not that I see 100% that Kaspa and Nojus will start 1-2 in 2028. More like I hope for that (even though I believe Jakucionis will be our best guard at that time). My point is, we should really wait for them cause they have real talent and real ISO talent. They can truly create for themselves as guards. Match them with selfcreating beast forward Buzelis and we have the whole puzzle. Love Jokubaitis and Rubstavicius, but they don't have ISO game of Jakucionis and Indrusaitis. That's the difference. So whenever that becomes reality, 2028 or 2029, Lithuania should eagerly wait when 1-3 positions will be filled with Jakucionis, Indrusaitis, Buzelis.
LTU NT will snatch Eurobasket 2029 title with this roster:
And I will make my take more precise. It's not that I see 100% that Kaspa and Nojus will start 1-2 in 2028. More like I hope for that (even though I believe Jakucionis will be our best guard at that time). My point is, we should really wait for them cause they have real talent and real ISO talent. They can truly create for themselves as guards. Match them with selfcreating beast forward Buzelis and we have the whole puzzle. Love Jokubaitis and Rubstavicius, but they don't have ISO game of Jakucionis and Indrusaitis. That's the difference. So whenever that becomes reality, 2028 or 2029, Lithuania should eagerly wait when 1-3 positions will be filled with Jakucionis, Indrusaitis, Buzelis.
I always projected him as a role player more. I saw him as potential role player of top teams, but even that projection now seems to generous. When you wrote here that Brazdeikis is about to be a force in EL cause he basically has full package offensively I didn't see it. He can be a valuable piece as bench player for the NT long term, but in his position there's Rubstavicius, Sirvydis, Lelevicius to compete for that. All gifted swingmem. I think Rubstavicius and Sirvydis have higher upside than Iggy (Rubsta surely). But Iggy has swagger and some ISO game. At times you can throw him in and he can play some hero ball given day. That's what makes him intriguing. But IQ and consistency is not there on constant basis and that's what won't allow him to become true elite EL player.
LTU NT will snatch Eurobasket 2029 title with this roster:
France have 3 players nr 1 ,nr 2 and nr 6 picks in 2024 nba draft where Buzelis went 11th in weakest nba draft of last 10 years said multiple times by all draft experts.
Im sorry i dont care about your fan based opinion that knows nothing about history and what low % of those top 15 kids become real deal players.
Im saying simple facts 3 French kids was drafted above Buzelis in 2024 draft. Thats is facts not your horoscopre prediction. FACTS what happend,what nba teams with their proffesional scouts choosen.
Lithuania have 2 draft top 15 kids Buzelis and maybe Jakucionis thats all ltu hope in 2020 decade?
Look at 10+ kids of French kids that is drafted in top 15 in last 5 years, Australia,Canada,Serbia kids they simply have way more candidates and way more hopes that something from those talented kids maybe become.
Lithuanian hope is on 2-3 kids that maybe they will become fiba stars. This is such weak hope my god
Im sorry ltu 2-3 tallents gonna loose this horoscope prediction battle versus 10-15 similiar tallent France,Canada,australia kids like we lost last 10 years in comming new tallents.
I looking at full world of basketball picture,you seeing only small lithuanian garden. France,Australia,Serbia,Canada is smilling if lithuania all hope is on 3-4 good tallents kids,when they have such 15-20 tallent kids in next 10 years.
France already won best worlds tallent of 2020s entire decade. And adding Nr 1 and nr 2 picks and now new top 5 Traore is comming and not stop comming like that. Canada will put 12 nba player roster soon in fiba competion.
What will happen if Buzelis,Jakucionis,Indrusaitis,Krivas only one will become real nba player? and other become Brazdeikis and Sirvydis? what is our other plan?
When France,Canada,Australia,Serbia have such level tallent almost in every draft.
Bogdanoch is not a role player .He is 17pts average scorer in nba 2023/2024 season and top 10 european player right now. easily
2024 Bogdanovich+Jokic is better than 1992 Sabonis+Marciulionis
That tandem almost did impossible beat USA A team.
What will happen if Buzelis,Jakucionis,Indrusaitis,Krivas only one will become real nba player? and other become Brazdeikis and Sirvydis? what is our other plan?
Dude, you're so lost Not history playing basketball, but people, separate individuals. French PG Hayes as sixth pic busted. It's not even clear if he ever suit for French NT. Doesn't seem so. He's trash. You have to look at each player separately. I can do it and you don't. That's why you have to rely on scouts who failed with Buzelis and he gonna be big steal most likely (the shot is a bit worrysome though, but if he proves he can shoot, game over, he's the best in the draft or top 3 easily). You just have to follow blindly cause you always can't observe the talent spot on. Better just trust my instincts. Jakucionis won't be a bust. He will be good enough to make big things for Lithuania, like giving 17-20ppg, 7-10as, 5-7rbs per game with solid defense. Imagine something like improved version of prime Calathes, maybe with slightly less defense, but way more scoring. Like Calathes with a an elite jump shot and scoring ability. That's what we get in Kasparas. I don't see him busting. He has it all. Hayes couldn't shoot and it appeared he doesn't have a touch for either scoring or passing.
FRANCE still have no TRUE answers in perimeter. With all these tons of draft picks their best chance is swingman/forward Coulibaly and future draft pick Traore. They have only one truly elite pure guard Traore as their guard hope. Meaning it's not about amount of draft picks, it's about quality. Lithuanian first rounders became all good players 100%, including guard Marciulionis (he had to be first rounder and would). You can't just say that France will inevitably have better guard section cause they have 5 first round guard picks(or so ) instead of 1. Jakucionis may easily be better (and in terms of scoring I think he will in FIBA) than any France darft picks.
France will have a great team, that's true, but you are pointing at the best drafting team in Europe. And even them will have certain issues with guards. Tons of their prospects bust out. We can't say the same about Lithuania or Serbia. Most of our prospects pan out. Even take Iggy, he became EL level player. Jokubaitis too, Sirvydis too. Almost 100% of our drafted players pan out.
Don't jump from one topic to another. No-one claimed that Lithuania will have the best talent pool in Europe. My claim is to build the team that can contend and win some medals here and there. For that I think we have the pieces, via 2028 projection. And don't forget that Buika is a very strong guard too, who could make the team in 2029. He can create for himself as well.
What if only one true FIBA star will emerge from Jakucionis, Buzelis, Indrusaitis, Rubstavicius, Jokubaitis? It probably will mean that we are sticking around semis and even having a chance to snatch a bronze in some EB or WC. Lithuania is deep and quality in each position and will be much better than today after 3-5 years. If two true FIBA stars will emerge (Jakucionis/Buzelis) and other guys as Indrusaitis, Rubstavicius will turn out to be elite EL players at least, we will be contending and challenging every single team.
LTU NT will snatch Eurobasket 2029 title with this roster:
Bogdan Bogdanovich nba role players stats 2017-2024 449gm 28,1min 14,7pts per game
Domantas Sabonis multiple nba all star stats 2016-2024 576gm 30,2min 15,7pts per game
Just imagine what is small diffrence between role player and nba all star only 1pts average diffrence
If you could say to NT coaches choose Sabonis or Bogdanovich. Like 90% of NT head coaches im sure would choose that ale nba role player guard for fiba competions.
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