Vilnius Rytas Thread

[Shawshank]

for rytas standarts to let strasbourg score only 81 (hold u-85) and you atleast give yourself a chance to win.No more nonsenses with 90+ allowed points.



Goudelock can win game ending on offensive side and hope Butkevicius with Ndoure together will manage hold rytas on defensive side.

Well done rytas first decent game this season against normal level opposition


ps. overall scary how bad perimeter defenders rytas has... allow second unknown american score 30pts+on you in 2 games you played in europe.

[Straight forward]

Goudelock got away with clutch performance, something what was expected from him in the first place, but he sucked during the game. Echodas looked huge offensively, but only three defensive rebounds is too less. D effort was much better, guys hustled, but I still see almost complete chaos when Rytas uses zone or some mix defence, almost guaranteed open shot If Kairys can fix somehow team defence eventually maybe there's some chance, because this win was far from impressive...

PS: It's not only perimeter...it's D overall, there's a lot of misunderstandings, switches, miscommunication, total chaos. Kairys thus far couldn't set team D and individually we know that only Bickauskis and Marciulionis can play some D, Goudelock, Girdziunas and Boatright can't. So it's a do or die to establish some decent team D for Rytas.

[Straight forward]

If Kairys would unleash Marciulionis for 12–15min that would be a spot on treatment at this stage of his development

If this source is true, then my thinking matches Augustas' side thinking. There's at least 12min playing time in contract. Kairys words after the game against Cbet át the start of the season ("he'll get his minutes") kinda conforms this agreement, but he blew his word. Some will say, meh, spoiled youngster. I disagree. If you work your ass off, and Augustas does, and you agree with something (12 min asking is not some inadequate ask for leaders' role) things should go as agreed. You can't just sacrifice one year of development because some coaches ass is burning and he's confused. I remember when Rooney said that George Karl stole something from him, "he said he gonna gimme playing time and he didn't, so he stole from me". That's the mentality in Marciulionis' side, IMO. Another story is when you ask and get a lot, but you don't work (like Dilys case...). It's other way around here.

Kairys' gave Marciulionis 13min in Champions League last game and the kid did pretty well. He should give his minutes every night and to allow him to go through mistakes. If he's not able to do that, loan him. Simple. Kairys better wouldn't stand as an obstacle for Lithuanian basketball future with his precious coaching career interests. Mediocrity is written all over his face, at least he wouldn't screw one of the best ever guard prospects development, that would be an achievement for him. All this Rytas' crap is worth a shit compared to what Augustas possesses with his talent and working ethic. Many people like me turn on to watch this Rytas' shitty basketball just to track youngsters development, that's a fact.

https://www.lrytas.lt/sportas/krepsinis/2020/11/14/news/d-kairys-gesino-dar-viena-gaisra-a-marciulionio-zaidimas-ryto-starto-sudetyje-uzmine-misle-17103874/

[Mindozas]

I feel like we already had this issue discussed before, probably Sirvydis and Adomaitis being the latest case, but coach in the club first of all is responsible for results, not for Lithuanian basketball future. Moreover these days, any youngster can leave your club easily, so you can risk, invest, sacrifice results and talent will leave without giving anything back. We, as neutral observers, might want to see Marciulionis playing more minutes, but nor owners, not sponsors, nor fans will care that some teen prospect is playing if club will keep losing, no matter numbers of his sold t-shirts. Especially if we talk about a club like Rytas, which has ambitions to win smth, not some Siauliai with Sireika, who can lose 10 games in a row, fck up the season and still remain in his position for years. In top clubs in league even youngsters must earn his minutes, nothing comes for granted, even in Zalgiris which looks like a sure winner season by season lately, not much youngsters have got a chance if not worth it, cause winning still matters.... or there's always other way - go on loan to the same Siauliai type of team and get playin' experience. Giedraitis might be good example, even tho he is hardly a prospect anymore

[Straight forward]

When it seemed like another sweep, Rytas suddenly showed guts. It's way different when Rytas has some decent defenive players who can hustle on the flour like Ndour, Radzevicius, Bickauskis, Marciulionis. Show some swagger m...fuckers! Let's see if Rytas will have enough stamina, they are playing with 7 players or so.

[Hepcat]

Hell of a week for Marciulionis. Unleashed against Zalgiris and VEF.

More importantly the week was real hell for Rytas fans:

Žalgiris 92 Rytas 45
Rygos VEF 85 Rytas 81

Why does Rytas suck so bad this year? Yes, yes, I know, captain Arnas Butkevičius and so-and-so are injured, another so-and-so opted for greener pastures, but somehow I think the rot extends far deeper. Comments?

[Straight forward]

Not exactly more importantly, Hepcat Rytas has been very disappointing last 5 or so years, but this season it reached new level. It's a joke. They sign players with little or no buy-out, going after nutcases and so on. Vilnius needs new team with new owners. Current owner keeps big investors away from the club because he wants to remain the main DOG. The same Ndour has no buyout and can leave with first offer. I don't blame Kairys even though he didn't impress me either, but management and ownership has been super crappy. Such city as Vilnius can create so much more competitive and consistent club, it's not even a question, but this shit has been sticking around. At this point, all I care that potential franchise Lithuania's guard would get the most of these messy circumstances. That's the only bright spot of this Vilnius team. And to be honest, he held Rytas on his back against VEF. By far the best guard of the team in that game.

[Straight forward]

OMFG, Rytas... They basically screwed regular sissy Champions League season already...

Sure, there have been a lot of misfortune, but now they basically had all their players and the team looked miserable. Goudelock is trash, no excuses for him. I understand Ndour, Butkevicius and Boatright being rusty, but Goudelock doesn't play any defence and just sinks the team. Boatright looks slow, out of shape, ball hog. And also the feeling is that even if Kairys has a crappy defensive team, overall he sucks and can't do anything watchable with this team...

What a nightmare of a season, it's time to shut this club down. It has been a disgrace.

[Straight forward]

'ashes to ashes, dust to dust'...Kairys gone. IDK, if he was complete trash as it looked, or he needs perfect players for his ideas (Zibenas says Kairys' defences where too complicated and players started to accuse each other for mistakes), but he surely screwed in Vilnius. I'm looking forward to see how Zibenas will look, we lack young coaches and should be looking for such. I have a feeling Zibenas will do pretty nice job. Rytas hired international scout, at least something makes sense, it has been a while. Let's see where it goes from there. But I also eagerly waiting new club in Vilnius, better sooner than later.

[Hepcat]

Now it seems that Kleiza's and Adomaitis' stretch may be very consistent and solid compared to current mess...

Rytas needs completely new club, with new owners, completely new page. At least Marciulionis will be unleashed now till they get someone...

Precisely. And you can stretch that back to the more recent coaching tenures of Tomas Pačėsas and Rimas Kurtinaitis as well. The Rytas organization is so pitiful currently that Vilnius basketball fans must be longing for a resurrection of Sakalai. That may be their only hope.

[Hepcat]

Marciulionis should GTFA from Rytas ASAP. The only personality that I care about in this dying club. It became complete joke.

I've always maintained that for skills development young players are better off playing for Dzūkija or Nevėžis than sitting on the Rytas or Žalgiris bench.

[Mindozas]

'ashes to ashes, dust to dust'...Kairys gone. IDK, if he was complete trash as it looked, or he needs perfect players for his ideas (Zibenas says Kairys' defences where too complicated and players started to accuse each other for mistakes), but he surely screwed in Vilnius. I'm looking forward to see how Zibenas will look, we lack young coaches and should be looking for such. I have a feeling Zibenas will do pretty nice job. Rytas hired international scout, at least something makes sense, it has been a while. Let's see where it goes from there. But I also eagerly waiting new club in Vilnius, better sooner than later.

I guess Kairys was the smallest problem in this mess. Where on earth a head-coach was forced to work also as sporting director during the season... Of course, he is to blame too, he simply wasn't able to cruise his ship from this storm he was guided in by management. As captain/leader he looked lost and clueless sometimes, it's inexcusable for head coach. But again, put aside that injuries and covid thing, everything else was decisions by ex GM Jarutis and other management staff, first of all letting talented kids go, then open contracts for key players, guaranteed minutes for others, players signed by management and not by coach and etc... No wonder it was a ticking bomb. And now when everything collapsed it was easy to find a victim. Kairys became a scapegoat for Gudelis. Gudelis was pushed so much into corner that he decided to sacrifice coach even tho now will have to pay few hundreds k of euros... No coach, no money, no sporting director, but kept safe place in management and a bit calmed down fans. He won time, but the biggest problem remains, which is exactly him and whole management of amateurs. Look it at, that dried blonde GM Jankauskas (?), that stylish beard executive manager Buzinskas, then Gudelis himself, it looks more like resurrection of boyband Bavarija than management of pro club and not only by looks, but most importantly by talks too They simply has no idea what to do now or even what they did before. They doesn't even know if they'll keep Zibenas as coach, they now need a sporting director to make decision, I mean 3 key guys of manegement need some newcomer to decide what to do... Seeing Zavackas among candidates is even bigger joke, a guy who was fired from his hometown club Neptunas... Then that signing of international scout was another joke, I mean they brought some unknown guy without any achievements, experience, who bragged about it on his instagram or facebook right away and spread the news, showing how pro he is... I thought Zalgiris signing that Bruzas for the same position was a joke, but this one goes even further, basically a guy to browse youtube videos and some paid stats platforms... And that's not all. Simply this is club without any vision, goals and ideas. I simply don't see how to solve this mess, with these guys at helm it seems impossible, some short term success might happen, but in long term it looks abysmal. Maybe indeed Vilnius needs some fresh air and new club

Precisely. And you can stretch that back to the more recent coaching tenures of Tomas Pačėsas and Rimas Kurtinaitis as well. The Rytas organization is so pitiful currently that Vilnius basketball fans must be longing for a resurrection of Sakalai. That may be their only hope.

Sakalai will hardly reborn, it was run by one man and he is simply not interested anymore as it seems. While resurrection of legendary Statyba would be the greatest thing. It was tried to do it some 10 years ago, club even reached NKL finals, but it died again due to financial issues, back then there was no room for Statyba. Current Rytas, starting with Guoga, has stolen Statyba's history and added to Rytas' one, even tho it has nothing to do with it, but not sure how it all was done juridically
Regardng youngsters, it depends where they develop, under which coach

[Straight forward]

Well, now that Jr. Maskoliunas (who obviously loves food!) became an assistant coach, Rytas gonna be alright I don't think that international scout is a bad idea, at least they have a scout now... Seems some changes on the line, might be foregner GM. We'll see, but just as you I barely see the future. I want new team with serious ambitions, maybe they will succeed to make a team. BTW, I like Zibenas as a person, let's see if has some talent as a coach.

[Mindozas]

Well, now that Jr. Maskoliunas (who obviously loves food!) became an assistant coach, Rytas gonna be alright I don't think that international scout is a bad idea, at least they have a scout now... Seems some changes on the line, might be foregner GM. We'll see, but just as you I barely see the future. I want new team with serious ambitions, maybe they will succeed to make a team. BTW, I like Zibenas as a person, let's see if has some talent as a coach.

International scout is a good idea, a must for any club, but if you have some amateur there, well, what's the point then? I totally understand for some small club to sign some unknown guy to do it, but not for team of Rytas caliber. The same goes with Zalgiris and that Bruzas guy. Well, latter at least had some experience with that, he worked in Lietkabelis, but when I saw him in Zalgiris I was utterly surprised, I've read his analysis before in knet and he basically got knowledge only from stats platform, nothing else to base his opinion on or nothing new in his view about the games/players. We even had inner jokes about that "according to Bruzas analysis" and etc Good that we had Saras, who is bball freak and was doing lot of scouting by himself, but I'm afraid that now we might be in trouble to find some hidden gems, which is very important thing for lower budget (on EL terms) team like Zalgiris. The same goes with Rytas

[Straight forward]

Neptunas' dropouts continue to reinforce Rytas. God bless Vilnius basketball!

Imagine Tubelis messing at 4. IMO, he would be tearing LKL competition already pretty much, there's no guys aside some Hayes who could contain Tubelis agility and athleticism in LKL. Imagine Sirvydis at 2, shaped Blazevic at center.

Foreigner, Marciulionis
Sirvydis, Girdziunas, Uleckas
Butkevicius, Radzevicius
Tubelis, Bendzius
Echodas, Blazevic

This could be the team for this season under fair and square management which wouldn't suck balls in such city as Vilnius. And that roster would be hooping this and specially next season (potentially big time), but Rytas managed to screw this gift entirely...

There won't be the package of Tubelis, Marciulionis, Sirvydis, Blazevic (all pure Vilnius kids) for at least 20 years now likely if ever...