Lithuanian NT 2017

[auris1]

Noooo Of course I'm gonna follow it and cheer for NT, just it's meaningless for World Cup and then Olympic qualification. Olympics is main goal for me (and NT of course) every cycle, so I'm more focused on WC qualies starting right after Eurobasket

So ,would you rather accept 4th place in World cup and being 5-8 in Olympics to Euro silver,twice ?
Because it is euros where we are likely to get medals .

[Mindozas]

So ,would you rather accept 4th place in World cup and being 5-8 in Olympics to Euro silver,twice ?
Because it is euros where we are likely to get medals .

Next cycle yes, cause system will be different. One Eurobasket and then, if we'll make it throught qualies - World Cup with tickets to Tokyo. Previous cycle no, with that I mean 2015 Eurobasket of course, that silver was direct ticket to Rio, not just a medal, that was probably happiest day in whole cycle to me.
Overall, it'll be interesting to see how top players will react to new system, how many of them will choose to play next year. If situation will be as miserable as in 2013, when probably some 50 players were missing, I guess Eurobasket might be screwed for good

[Shawshank]

STRF

Main players in 2013-2016 was kalnietis, valanciunas, maciulis, jankunas, seibutis, darjus,kuzminskas that not running team at all.Most of those players feel better in slower basketball.Kazlauskas played as main player he had required.

From 2017 maybe we have more runners, but still our best players is inside players and in order to exploid that you will have to slow down the game.I dont believe you can gun and run without good guards on highest level, and right now we just dont have them.Maybe we can try run more, but our biggest strenght is inside and we have to maximaze it .I dont i understant you want sabonis+valanciunas play together and also run? How that is possible?

[Straight forward]

Main players in 2013-2016 was kalnietis, valanciunas, maciulis, jankunas, seibutis, darjus,kuzminskas that not running team at all.Most of those players feel better in slower basketball.Kazlauskas played as main player he had required.

From 2017 maybe we have more runners, but still our best players is inside players and in order to exploid that you will have to slow down the game.I dont believe you can gun and run without good guards on highest level, and right now we just dont have them.Maybe we can try run more, but our biggest strenght is inside and we have to maximaze it .I dont i understant you want sabonis+valanciunas play together and also run? How that is possible?

I depends. On one hand, you right saying that you need elite guards for elite transition basketball, but on other hand, if your guards are not skilled and uncreative than you can say the same about the half court offence - it will barely work without elite guards and we seen plenty of times when NT couldn't utilize bigs. Actually I think it's a better idea to run when you have uncreative guards (aside Kalnietis) because you have to have high IQ players to play smart halfcourt offence, you have to have all around skills, flexibility, craftiness, ability to facilitate and to make your own shot. In 2010 we off course had much deeper backourt, but simply hustle and running gave so much for that team. I'm not suggesting we should run like some crazy undisciplined team, but we should play faster, should have more fast brakes, The only guy who is not much of a runner is JV. Sabonis and D-Mo are great bigs for transition basketball, not only they can run themselves (and we saw that quite few times with D-Mo at 2013-2014), but they have a quick first pass, both are gifted passers. Domantas BTW is perfect big for transition basketball because he is also a great rebounder, not only passer. Increased speed of the game doesn't mean that we won't have slow possessions and our bigs won't get the ball in the paint, sometimes spontaneous and quick offence allows to get a good post position. Actually D-Mo is very good at it, playing for Rockets he loved to make quick spurt and than to turn around and to demand the ball in the paint with a good position. Kazlauskas game plan became too readable to predictable, offence looked stoned and stagnant way too often. JV never was getting the ball deep in the paint. I don't think we could play the same basketball any more, even if Kazlauskas would had stayed.

I surely would love much more of that:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VP1M17mTaho

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c77JxaLEiDc

[Straight forward]

BTW, I'm far from being pessimistic looking forward to Eurobasket 2017. Quite few reasons to believe we might have a very good NT season. Despite the failure which followed, NT showed some glimpses of great basketball in the first 3 games which we haven't seen for a long time. Valanciunas can't be that bad any more. He was so out of shape mentally and physically that he can't be that lazy for once more. I'm pretty sure that's the worst tournament for him in his NT career. His perimeter defence won't improve radically, but even at this spot of his game he can be better than he was in OG. Motiejunas might join the team - the tournament will be in September (?) so there's a good chance he'll have a contract and will be available. Sabonis is developing extremely fast. He might already be the best defensive big in the NT already and I think his offensive contribution will be much different already next year. Kuzminskas likely will be even better, he's peaking and I think he had to be even more aggressive at OG. I think he was the victim of Kazlauskas' system generally. Not blaming Jonas here, it's just that the system was a bad fit for Kuzminskas who wants to run and I expect a bigger role for him next year, hopefully as a starter. Be it Grigonis, Ulanovas or anybody else, but the backourt rotation must be and IMO will be increased. Pocius, Milaknis, Gecevičius might be an addition from experienced guards (if Kurtinaitis hired, I wouldn't be surprised to see all of them making the team). Youngsters as Lekavičius, Kariniauskas, Valinskas (some others maybe) might be trying to sneak into rotation. I said it many times, backourt rotation wasn't good. It was one of the reasons why NT failed. To sum this up, this team is on the growing path - JV, D-Mo, Sabonis, Kuzminskas, Grigonis and the older generation in Kalnietis, Seibutis, Maciulis, Jankunas won't be any worse next year most likely. If we somehow gathering full package, we're more or less in the contenders list.

[Mindozas]

Pesimistic, optimistic... I can't even be realistic for upcoming Eurobasket There's no way to know now how the teams will look like, not only ours, but all of them. It's not only post-Olympic Eurobasket, which gather the most missings, but also World Cup qualies starts basically right after it. Also none knows in what situation FIBA vs ULEB war will be. Will players be allowed to join NTs during the season. It only adds extra uncertainty

[Shawshank]

Over biggest star is Valanciunas right? And you suggesting playing style that do not fit our best player? In 2010 that play plan fit our best player Kleiza perfectly and we had no bigs one leg javtokas so that team didnt had any other choice only play fast..and that team had no pressure at all, nobody believed in them before champ and we had 2nd best player in entire tournament peaking, you just cant duplicate that .

If you wanna run put valanciunas on the bench,sabonis center and kuzmibskas pf than i see running team. But not with centers valanciunas and sabonis that cant shoot at all for more than 3 metres...sabonis is perfect if you put him as c in running game and rebouding,but not as pf! Those europeans streach fours is faster than him even now when he is young and without nba bodybuilding system...if you wanna run we have to put kuzmi skas as pf and kazlauskas tried that in 2015 playoffs and it worked well.but try to run with clumsy bigs together....

Motiejunas i doubt he will play more than once in next cy le knowing him and his health overall.So i dont put in my plan his help too much.

Do you really see playing fast with two big bodys that cant shoot?

Remember that 2010 running team had centers javtokas/jankunas and pf was kleiza, jasaitis, and to sone degree klimavicius. And we were putting javtokas and 4 fast bodys and good shooters...with valanciunas and sabonis together that team will be slow and clumsy when we are talking about shooting too.

If you wanna play fast put 4 fast bodys and 4 good shooters, if you want pound inside that yeah you could put 2 huge bodys inside.But you cant have both at same time.

What we have now in our roster playing style suggest itself...

In 2017 we have good chance winning medal new system, new coach still kalnietis can be kalnietis and opponents wont be as strong as they could be ,but in 2019 we will strugle. That my prediction for next cycle if i have to predict now.

[Straight forward]

First of all, D-Mo and Sabonis can shoot. The fact that latter struggled with a jumper in OG doesn't say he can't shoot, it's is the same as to say Grigonis can't shoot at all which is not true. However, transition basketball is not about shooting. Transition bb is about going to the basket, getting to the FT line, crashing the boards offensively. JV shouldn't settle for turtle mode anyway, he can run when he wants. Look how he played at playoffs, he was moving his ass and was extremely intense. Look at this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5_q9hYbYwQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKj8IpDbM5I

I don't have huge expectations for this cycle either, but it's way too soon to tell. However, I have a feeling we'll have very strong 2021-2024 cycle when likely more talented backourt generation ripe and our star bigs still be there, some of them (as Sabonis) peaking.

[auris1]

I don't have huge expectations for this cycle either, but it's way too soon to tell. However, I have a feeling we'll have very strong 2021-2024 cycle when likely more talented backourt generation ripe and our star bigs still be there, some of them (as Sabonis) peaking.

Extremely long shot,wouldn't you agree ?
Especially as I do not see JV or DMO willing to play(lasting) that long in NT team .
Now ,back to this upcoming cycle - who (what country ) in Europe could be looking with optimism towards upcoming EC 2017 ?
Serbia . Yes . Who else ? Actually ,that would be no one ,but us ...
We shed most of our veterans and replaced them with quality younger players in the last few years. We have done this hard job already that many other teams will have to deal with eventually .
Spain ,Italy ,France etc . They are running out of the time and that is good for us .
So,we have quite young team in place already with some experience . I think it is an opportunity . It does not happen that often ...

[Straight forward]

Extremely long shot,wouldn't you agree ?
Especially as I do not see JV or DMO willing to play(lasting) that long in NT team .

Why not? Bigs are playing so long if injuries don't kill them. D-Mo as the oldest, will be 30-34yo that cycle, very playable age. JV will be 28-32 and that's peaking most likely.

Now ,back to this upcoming cycle - who (what country ) in Europe could be looking with optimism towards upcoming EC 2017 ?
Serbia . Yes . Who else ? Actually ,that would be no one ,but us ...

Croatia. They surprised in OG. Their key players on the growing path and they're about to add more talent. Teams that you mention - France, Spain, Italy won't be a peace of cake and some other teams. But generally I agree that we have a very good chances if we gather best players.

[auris1]

Why not? Bigs are playing so long if injuries don't kill them. D-Mo as the oldest, will be 30-34yo that cycle, very playable age. JV will be 28-32 and that's peaking most likely.

JV ? Willingness ? By then ,he will be a very rich guy with another ,hopefully ,150 or so mil contract in his pocket . DMO,JV ? Would we have money to insure them ? No . Think about that . Insurance money . For them two ,for Sabonis etc .
I am not sure of how it worked before regarding insurance ,who paid what , but ...Can FIBA afford that insurance ? Can our federation spare some money ? Would it be worth it ? To spent on that but

Croatia. They surprised in OG. Their key players on the growing path and they're about to add more talent. Teams that you mention - France, Spain, Italy won't be a peace of cake and some other teams. But generally I agree that we have a very good chances if we gather best players.

Croatia is just not ready . They got lucky in them winning games , apart from that ...
Turkey maybe ?
They play at home .But that is maybe .

[Straight forward]

JV ? Willingness ? By then ,he will be a very rich guy with another ,hopefully ,150 or so mil contract in his pocket . DMO,JV ? Would we have money to insure them ? No . Think about that . Insurance money . For them two ,for Sabonis etc .
I am not sure of how it worked before regarding insurance ,who paid what , but ...Can FIBA afford that insurance ? Can our federation spare some money ? Would it be worth it ? To spent on that but

Seriously? It never was a problem, even to go after crippled Ilgauskas at 2008. Do you think any our guys will become higher profile players than Dirk, Pau, Parker? All loved NT and played/playing till the very end. Jonas so far showing huge loyalty, D-Mo and Sabonis also (luckily) are NT freaks. If federation would ever ask such question if it's worth, they should be fired instantly.

[auris1]

Seriously? It never was a problem, even to go after crippled Ilgauskas at 2008. Do you think any our guys will become higher profile players than Dirk, Pau, Parker? All loved NT and played/playing till the very end. Jonas so far showing huge loyalty, D-Mo and Sabonis also (luckily) are NT freaks. If federation would ever ask such question if it's worth, they should be fired instantly.

You just can not cherry pick big names there or there , and pretend that there weren't another dozen or so them big European names in NBA who never really cared about NT teams .
DMO willingly missed 2 tournaments already .
JV after 2019-2020 will be unrestricted free agent .
Just before 2020 Tokyo Olympics . Just saying .

[Svajunas]

You just can not cherry pick big names there or there , and pretend that there weren't another dozen or so them big European names in NBA who never really cared about NT teams .
DMO willingly missed 2 tournaments already .
JV after 2019-2020 will be unrestricted free agent .
Just before 2020 Tokyo Olympics . Just saying .

To be fair. JV should/will be at his peak then so he should be considered one of the bigger FA that summer. He will get the contract from day one of agency if he will want that.

[auris1]

To be fair. JV should/will be at his peak then so he should be considered one of the bigger FA that summer. He will get the contract from day one of agency if he will want that.

He might be at his peak . He might have a contract for 200m in his pocket . And he might have another child or two on his hands as well .
And his wife might say - enough is enough - stay home , spent some time with your kids instead ...