Lithuanians in NBA

[Hepcat]

dinosour expert is changing his mind every 3 months about Kulboka What Kulboka shown last season he had business being invited to Nt camp.

Kulboka in dream world can become Bertans,but in reality such stories happends for 1 in 50 for such very tallented PF shooting european players.

i don't know about Arnoldas Kulboka. He just doesn't seem to be developing as a player. Consider his Champions League numbers:

2017-18: PER 10.5 in 28:42 minutes over 14 games
2018-19: PER 2.8 in 11:30 minutes over 12 games
2020-21: PER 4.7 in 18:50 minutes over 6 games

[Straight forward]

Shaqtin' A Fool Lithuanian edition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKAjj3F-WfA&ab_channel=E%26BJoyfulEditions

[Straight forward]

Hope that Karnisovas won't sleep on Sirvydis. It would be a good place for him. Beefy G league season is a must for him.

Deep sleepers for the Chicago Bulls to add to the camp roster: Deividas Sirvydis

Another young potential free agent target for the Bulls that could be a good find for Arturas Karnisovas and the Bulls is the former Detroit Pistons lengthy 6-foot-8 21-year-old shooting guard Deividas Sirvydis. The second-round pick of the Dallas Mavericks in the 2019 NBA Draft has a lot of potential in this league.

It wasn’t the best opportunity for Sirvydis to find his rhythm with a legitimate team in the 20 games he played with the Pistons last season. What Sirvydis needs is a sustained opportunity to succeed at this level or at least some level of stability in the G-League.

His insane length and natural shooting ability should come along in the next few seasons if he finds the right situation soon. And with the upgraded core that the Bulls have amassed since the trade deadline last season, Sirvydis could find a good home in Chicago.

A really good mover off-ball with a strong fundamental shooting stroke, it just seems like a matter of time before Sirvydis finds the right fit. He is good in catch-and-shoot situations and is excellent at shooting off of screens. The Bulls could add a very solid floor spacer with a lot of room to grow heading into Training Camp with Sirvydis.

Sirvydis is also a good enough defender, given his length with a wingspan north of 6-foot-10, to defend most anyone at the two or the three.

Out of the three players on this list, I would personally like a potential Sirvydis signing the best. He did not have the best showing with the Pistons Summer League team, but his ceiling is just too high to ignore at the young age of 21.

https://pippenainteasy.com/2021/09/02/chicago-bulls-3-deep-sleepers-to-add-to-the-training-camp-roster/3/

[Straight forward]

Watched Ignas Brazdeikis pre-season action and I would say he would be a perfect piece now for "Saras' Zalgiris" concept. 22,6yo guy who already has tools to be PRO, but still needs time of adjustment and polishing. Saras would crystallize his role. What I do like about Brazdeikis that he developed a really nice motor defensively. In NCAA he was all about the buckets, but now he hustles defensively as well. He's not a good defender, but the guy is sturdy and hustles and that's already good news, he won't be a black hole defensively at 3. I like that he's a good rebounder for his size. The shift of the attitude shows that Brazdeikis is willing to work and do what fits his career. Offensively now in NBA he lacks more stable jump shot and overall more consistency scoring wise. That may come, or may not. IDK about his NBA career, but I do see EL material in Iggy. At 25 he could be a valuable player of EL if he would work with some-one as Saras in Zalgiris. I wish him luck, but contemporary NBA is not the best fit for him. He's not so super good to be a creator in the NBA, and that's his best trait offensively - playing with the ball - and he can't really shoot consistently. This puts his NBA career in Jeopardy. NT wise he won't add shooting, but he can be good enough as one of secondary distributors, aggressive slashers, the one who can play with the ball at 2-3.

[Hepcat]

I take it that Deividas Sirvydis is still a free agent without a contract, and that at this time both Ignas Brazdeikis and Arnoldas Kulboka seem destined to begin the season toiling in G-league.

[Straight forward]

I take it that Deividas Sirvydis is still a free agent without a contract, and that at this time both Ignas Brazdeikis and Arnoldas Kulboka seem destined to begin the season toiling in G-league.

Brazdeikis has more chances to step on the court here and there. Kulboka surely will be playing in the G league first. Sirvydis should play in the G league for Pistons. G League season starts November 5.

[Straight forward]

Kulboka picks 98 number of the Hornets jerseys, it's the year he born. He expected to have complete freedom in G league. Hope he'll do OK and will get his chances in the NBA.

As a starter in Greensboro, Kulboka will have the ultimate green light to take tons of threes and the freedom to make mistakes on both ends while learning the Hornets’ system. As is the case with Scottie Lewis, if we see lots of Kulboka with Charlotte this season, that means multiple players have been injured, but head coach James Borrego will put him out on the court somewhere down the line.

https://www.atthehive.com/2021/10/10/22716843/2021-22-charlotte-hornets-player-preview-arnoldas-kulboka

[Straight forward]

JV unleashed for 34mpg Big fella has to move. Interesting that both JV and Domas generates equal 24.7 efficiency rating, standing 18th and 19th in whole league. It's funny, no other European NT has 2 guys who could be among TOP 20 most efficient NBA players and yet this thing means so little in FIBA court.

Brazdeikis facing some fragmented time in NBA, but really didn't shine during those. Seem to be out of identity.

NBA G league season starts in Feb 5. Kulboka should be unleashed big time, will be interesting to see how he will look there.

[Hepcat]

JV unleashed for 34mpg Big fella has to move. Interesting that both JV and Domas generates equal 24.7 efficiency rating, standing 18th and 19th in whole league. It's funny, no other European NT has 2 guys who could be among TOP 20 most efficient NBA players and yet this thing means so little in FIBA court.

Precisely! I can't get excited about NBA numbers anymore because for whatever reason they don't translate to national team play for Lithuania.

[Hepcat]

I think the problem is that they don't play defence in the NBA. After all, it's offence that sells tickets. But FIBA national team ball requires defence. This creates a two-fold problem for both the players and coaches:

1) The NBA players aren't accustomed to playing defence and whatever defensive skills they may once have had are faded due to disuse.

2) The coaches have no recent film to assess each player's defensive strengths and weaknesses. As a result, the coaches are hard pressed to create defensive schemes adapted to the players' skill sets. Therefore you end up with man-to-man defences requiring Jonas Valančiūnas to switch-off and chase fleet footed guards around the perimeter. T'aint going to work.

The net result is simply that the players struggle so much with their additional defensive responsibilities (that they don't fulfill) that even their offensive skills are compromised.

[madmax]

I think it's pretty clear cut by now that JV is a better fit in FIBA ball than Sabonis is, if only because of his ability to protect the paint much better than Domas can...Sabonis is also very indecisive and timid while playing offense in FIBA games, which results in him missing open jimmies and even layups sometimes, which doesn't happen to him in NBA games. I think we can safely assume that Maksvytis will be able to use JV properly and not force him to chase lightning quick guards on the perimeter, if history is anything to go by at this point (and yeah, I know it's been 10 years since JV was coached by him lol)

[Toruko]

I think it's pretty clear cut by now that JV is a better fit in FIBA ball than Sabonis is, if only because of his ability to protect the paint much better than Domas can...Sabonis is also very indecisive and timid while playing offense in FIBA games, which results in him missing open jimmies and even layups sometimes, which doesn't happen to him in NBA games. I think we can safely assume that Maksvytis will be able to use JV properly and not force him to chase lightning quick guards on the perimeter, if history is anything to go by at this point (and yeah, I know it's been 10 years since JV was coached by him lol)

This is really interesting. We all know of the defensive deficiencies of Domantas Sabonis but he should be able to create for himself in FIBA games. I mean i was also projecting Giannis not being as efficient as in the NBA because he needs space to accelerate but Sabonis game should normally suit to FIBA games. He looks a bit hesitant to take bigger roles in FIBA games.

[madmax]

This is really interesting. We all know of the defensive deficiencies of Domantas Sabonis but he should be able to create for himself in FIBA games. I mean i was also projecting Giannis not being as efficient as in the NBA because he needs space to accelerate but Sabonis game should normally suit to FIBA games. He looks a bit hesitant to take bigger roles in FIBA games.

I generally think he's a product of american basketball school first and foremost, which only makes sense knowing he grew up and played college ball there...and yeah, his horrible D (both in NBA and FIBA at this point) is his major setback and is affecting him on the offensive side too at times. Him not being accustomed to european style "grind it out" basketball is also a massive factor of his struggles in FIBA imo

[Straight forward]

If someone thinks that JV is better defensive player than Sabonis in FIBA, he's either 100% JV's pathological fanboy as madmax is or simply clueless about the issue. The fact that Sabonis has been struggling offensively is another topic though.

The fact is that both never yet been more than a very solid role players in FIBA. That's the whole story.

[madmax]

If someone thinks that JV is better defensive player than Sabonis in FIBA, he's either 100% JV's pathological fanboy as madmax is or simply clueless about the issue. The fact that Sabonis has been struggling offensively is another topic though.

The fact is that both never yet been more than a very solid role players in FIBA. That's the whole story.

right, please educate us uninformed ones on those great defensive masterclass games by Sabonis in FIBA then, if you think he's actually any good defensively Right, you can't, because they simply don't exist lol. JV at least can protect the paint and rebound like an animal, not to mention his scoring. Now what can Sabonis do anyway? Throw a fancy pass out of bounds? yeah, that's pretty much it I guess