Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) 2018-19

[Dreamcatcher]

You're missing some obvious facts. Last season Zalgiris was a better team. Healthy and better than ever Jankunas, Pangos, Micic. I agree with one thing though, both coaches are mediocre. But you can't justify such performance by few injuries. Rytas just wasn't prepared for the final. That's the key. Rytas didn't fight and that also goes to the coach as well. What worries me that Adomaitis couldn't push his players to fight, to hustle to make couple of PO fouls, few technicals. Gutless team, with gutless coach, IMO. The only attribute that I really respect about Adomaitis. He is able to handle pressure (he worked with NT under pressure after the failure, he had so many problems with Rytas, but he never showed signs of falling down mentally) that's the only elite skill he has, but that's not enough to be a good coach.

Rytas? Horrible organization. Needham and Stipcevic are scrubs. Seeley collapsed and he never played D all season. Artiom is the only good pick by Rytas. That's how I see the roster next season:

Foreigner, Normantas (Let Pilauskas go, it's a waste of time)
Foreigner, Girdziunas, Giedraitis (Jarumbauskas)
Butkevicius, Sirvydis
Foreigner, Bendzius, Turbutis (Tubelis)
Echodas, Parakhouski/Kairys (Blazevic)

I marked the players that I truly see as a good peace for Rytas present and future, they should build around these and to gve them advanced credit. Echodas should be a tarting center from now one, stick with that. Work wit him. I would seriously consider to integrate 17yo Tubelis already because is a stud, he's a real deal talent who I think doesn't have anything to prove in NKL already (give him NKL and LKL licence). Now Normantas is a fighter so I would keep him. Rytas lacks emotional leaders and Normantas is such one. Sirvydis role should be bigger and more expressed, he shouldn't stand in the corners all the time. Use him both SG an SF. They should bring home Karolis Giedraitis from Liekabelis, he might be a pleasant surprise. They should keep Butkevicius as he is coming to his prime and his impact at times to Rytas reminded me the impact that Pipen had to Bulls, if you allow me such a raw comparison. But the key is, what kind if foreigners Rytas will get. This season was a nightmare. Seeley is no D scorer, Sutton a nutcase, Needham, Stipcevic scrubs...The only Parakhousky is a good back-up center for the next season if he's not too expensive. Rytas should get smart, to get team orientated, defensively minded foreigners and to use youngster more. Ehodas, Normantas, Giedraitis and Sirvydis should be ready to play meaningful roles in Eurocup, while other youngsters to help in LKL. They should be more patient and to stop signing scrubs. Better garb such material as Bickauskis, Sabeckis, Kariniauskas, Ignas Vaitkus. Make a call for Sedekerskis and Kulboka (Personally I think both should do anything to get the fuck out from their clubs, specially Sedekerskis).

Parakhouski is a good back-up center for Rytas if he's not expensive? I'm afraid he will be too expensive as the main one. He would be a good back-up center for many EL teams. You put Martynas in front of Artsiom - that's crazy as the last one is clearly a better center. Your complectation "from the sofa" is nearly as bad as Rytas's one. If you build a strong team you don't put Echodas as a center to build around him a team.

I'm not sure Kurtinaitis is better than Adomaitis. I think Rimas is a very overrated coach. He was good only in his first coming to Rytas (he was lucky with Eidson a lot but it was a good decision to make him a pg though), in the second time it was just bad, but even the first time 10 years ago if i remember in a proper way Zalgiris didn't have a coach at all (Romanovas having fun), there were Braun and Salenga coaching and there were still hard LKL finals with blow outs from the both side and if not that triple by Jomantas (his best one in the whole career), it could have been a close win by greens. Today i don't consider Kurtinaitis as a good coach especially when i see Khimki being such a bad defensively team, but luckily they have strong enough players to win some games offensively.

[Straight forward]

Why the roster is bad? Always provide arguments. My thesis, build around youngsters and add only long term peace to the team mainly. Rytas shouldn't aim too high now, but to build fundamentals, adding solid Lithuanians to the club mainly and keeping star Liths as long as possible (Sirvydis, Tubelis have stars potential clearly). Artiom is surely better than Echodas now, but you can't build around such player now. He can't rotate (step out) at D and today it's a disease in BB now and he gets washed out with bigger usage. It would be a wrong decision for a club who wants to grow. Echodas is improving and he will evolve into a good modern center.

Echodas was better in LKL finals, embrace the facts.

[Dreamcatcher]

So what if Echodas was better in blow out - LKL finals? (did i say an opposite?) Parakhouski was better overall and he was a huge reason why Rytas saved the season in terms of results. Going further in Eurocup wouldn't happen if not signing Artsiom. He's a strong power under the basket, his body helps in defense against big centers (another side of not being able to step out properly enough), he can use his body well in offense as well and can shoot the ball. He's a very all right center, when the last time Rytas had one? I didn't like Echodas this season, he was too insonsistent, running too much "there and there" like a "modern" center without doing some things a center shoud do - protect the basket and make an influence in the rym. Do you know he played a pf in Zalgiris-2 and Siauliai before Rytas? He's not even a center, but a "modern" basketball allows to play him at 5, but he's not strong enough and that's often is a problem. If he would be a solid shooter it would be another story, but he's not. When he just came to Rytas i liked him more. Those 2 is a good pair of centers for such team like Rytas (even very good because of Artsiom), but if it would be necessary to choose one it should be the last one as he's just a better center, but i think he will cost too much.

You rely too much on youngsters. How is some Giedraitis should get a meaningful role in Eurocup if he didn't have such in LKL? It's not clear if he can play at all. Or the same Blazevic who is injured a half of the season. Then Tubutis (almost the same as Giedraitis), Normantas, get a call to Sedekerskis and Kulboka, try Tubelis, give Sirvydis a bigger role - it's already more than a half of the team. It's too much. It's not even clear if majority of them can play at all in a highier level. On the other side, you say that such a solid foreigner-center like Parakhouski can be left only as a back-up.

The main thing is to bring solid foreigners. Look at Zalgiris. There were plenty of them - not few, but a good half of the team.

[Shawshank]

if you put team around echodas,whats your goal maybe make semifinal in lkl?

2018/2019 zalgiris main 9 players was 6 foreigners+ulanovas,grigonis,milaknis others was youngsters and vets for very limited minutes.Zalgiris have signed like most of the biggest young liths tallents,but they loan them to other lkl teams because level is not right.Those youngsters (masiulis,birutis) is very similiar level like echodas.

[Straight forward]

Why you compare Zalgiris with Rytas? It's a nonsense. Rytas should understand they should more or less tank for one or two more years. This year I give them credit for continuing developing Echodas, involving Sirvydis, establishing Butkevicius as one of the key (and he should remain so for 4-6 years more). Rytas should sign young, overlooked and upcoming hard workers as a foreigners and not to pay for such as Sutton, Seeley and Artiom (he's good, but it's not where Rytas should be going) type of players. Zalgiris is completely on other planet, but even them taking young foreigners mostly and developing them. They only fill unexpected holes with veterans. Again, Rytas should slowly build their culture, not caring to much about short term success. Personally I think they should invest to scouts and strong managers.

[Shawshank]

If Rytas will go this way,not looking up to Zalgiris.So we have champions and 2-3 teams fighting for other 2 medals before season even starts.For me this bullshit biggest city should have stronger team and they goal should be how to beat zalgiris or atleast make gap closer,but with every last 5 years gap is going bigger...as im fan i dont even wait for lkl finals anymore,because we all know how it gonna end.No drama,no interest...and there were times when lkl finals was an event

That rytas should do inside job better finding professionals sure,but big 'no' to becoming some kind young players developing team.Rytas role in lkl is diffrent and should stay diffrent.Or othewise lkl will become one team league.

I dont believe this plan is right one for biggest and richest lithuanian city.Such plan can be for Lietkabelis or Juventus to develop younger players,for rytas and vilnius it should be how to win highest places,not thinking about developing like Zalgiris dont.Let developing young players job made by average lkl teams not by top ones.

Zalgiris tried to develop foreigner and what was the point of that? no point,neither of them worked and dont see them trying to buy more foreigner tallents.But Zalgiris tried and saw problems of that and went other dirrection,more involving buying most tallented lith kids thats way better plan to my eyes.Atleast couple of them eventually is making your team and bringing some results.Some even growing up to NT team level.

Even Zalgiris cant compete with barsa or real who are buying top 10 young europes kids.To try to develop just good foreigner youngster,but not top one (those goes to barsa or real school) for me is playing big lottery with very little gain possibility.There is enough young lith boys that need help and professional hands.

[Straight forward]

Even Zalgiris cant compete with barsa or real who are buying top 10 young europes kids.To try to develop just good foreigner youngster,but not top one (those goes to barsa or real school) for me is playing big lottery with very little gain possibility.There is enough young lith boys that need help and professional hands.

No-one is saying that you should play 18yo mainly. And young foreigner, I mean 24-26yo.

You say Real and Barsa grabbing TOP prospects, which is true, but Rytas is lucky enough to have elite prospects right now in their system as well. Sirvydis is absolutely top prospect, you would find him among best Euros as candidates to be drafted now. I believe Blazevic (17yo) is a top prospect as well, only injuries slowed down his integration this season. Tubelis is surely a top prospect and one of the best in his age category. And Marciulionis is also among most intriguing Euros in the same age category (BTW, he is invited to basketball without borders). That's a hell of a luxury if you ask me in a short span. Not to mention that such Rytas prospect as Jarumbauskas might be just a borderline elite prospect. How Rytas can utilize all this is another question.

In my opinion Rytas is in so much better situation Lith prospects wise. Zalgiris has only Murauskas is an obvious top prospect and very likely Kancleris. That's it.

[Mindozas]

I've been saying this for months, Rytas needs much better management. This one is so amateurish. Their scouting is horrible, there's no one who really understands game and has GM skills at the same time, there's lot of miscommunication between the guys in front office. It's absurd when one does one thing, other does another one and none really knows what's happening. It's horrible to work under such management

[Hepcat]

So other than Žalgiris in Euroleague, which LKL clubs will be playing in which other leagues this year?

[Mindozas]

So other than Žalgiris in Euroleague, which LKL clubs will be playing in which other leagues this year?

Rytas - Eurocup
Neptunas - FIBA Champions League regular season
Lietkabelis - FIBA Champions League 2nd qualifying round, will have to beat Cyprus or Denmark club to qualify to regular season

Some clubs got offers to participate in FIBA Europe Cup, but refused

[Hepcat]

Is the Eurocup in which Rytas will be participating a competition sponsored by Euroleague or by FIBA? It's tough to keep these things straight on this side of the Atlantic.

[LuDux]

Is the Eurocup in which Rytas will be participating a competition sponsored by Euroleague or by FIBA? It's tough to keep these things straight on this side of the Atlantic.

By ULEB