Lithuania in Eurobasket 2022

[madmax]

Velicka will most definitely be the "main" guy on this roster imo...he seems to be the most individually gifted player of the bunch anyway, unless you expect eternal softie Kuzminskas suddenly to start playing like in his best days lol

[Straight forward]

I would bet my money, that Velicka and Margiris will be the main guards, also Im looking forward to seeing them play together, should be quite a athletic defensive guardline, add Butkevicius to that and Im happy.

Those surely have the most tools to run the team from this roster. But Margiris makes his debut, Velicka still goes up and down in the national team and even his club to certain extent. Good that first game should be easier, a win should reduce the pressure.

Velicka will most definitely be the "main" guy on this roster imo...he seems to be the most individually gifted player of the bunch anyway, unless you expect eternal softie Kuzminskas suddenly to start playing like in his best days lol

Margiris surely more matured as a player today than Velicka. But it's surely possible that Velicka would establish certain domination if Maksvytis will allow him to be aggressive. Maskoliunas certainly overdid with trying to play something complicated. In FIBA windows ISO effort and simple hustle mean a lot. Hope Maksvytis won't over complicate, will use uptempo offense, a lot p'n'r action. For Velicka is entirely about mentality. If he will start of couple of good decisions and will feel the blood, he can have a strong game. But he can start with few mistakes and to lose the swagger as happened in that key game against Denmark.

But we first have to hear what Maksvytis has to say. 16:30 press comf.

Emotionally It's Dimsa's team. Dude seen a lot. But he super inconsistent, so you never know.

[Straight forward]

Not yet a red flag, but some yellow flags of concern raised the way Maksvytis handled players selection and press conference for this FIBA window. OK, you take Cizauskas and that's highly controversial, but at least say openly "that's my guy, I worked with him as youth coach and I want to try him". No, instead Maksvytis unleashes some bullshitting like "he can create, control the team"...Seriously? Where? Anyone who watch BB knows that Cizauskas can't control any team and create shit. He is simply inefficient combo who loves to take crappy shots, that's all. He even said that Cizauskas can make clutch shots and so on. Really? I mean he barely can play consistently and seriously for average LKL club, how the fuck he will be hitting clutch shots for the NT? That was bullshitting by Maksvytis.

Now, another thing. Girdziunas as the main PG? Seriously? And you leave aside Janavicius, Vasiliauskas? The argument that he used Girdziunas in Neptunas some thousand years ago doesn't convince me.

My impression is that I hear a guy who thinks from narrow Neptunas/Lietkabelis kinda perspective and unleashes that kind of mentality and culture. Hope I'm wrong, but if Maksvytis is going to conquer the Europe using freakin' Girdziunas as his main PG and decision maker...That is nearly a red flag...

[Hepcat]

And Cizauskas, really?

OK, you take Cizauskas and that's highly controversial, but at least say openly "that's my guy, I worked with him as youth coach and I want to try him". No, instead Maksvytis unleashes some bullshitting like "he can create, control the team"...Seriously? Where? Anyone who watch BB knows that Cizauskas can't control any team and create shit. He is simply inefficient combo who loves to take crappy shots, that's all. He even said that Cizauskas can make clutch shots and so on. Really?

And you leave aside Janavicius, Vasiliauskas?

Taking Vytenis Čižauskas instead of Žygimantas Janavičius surprised me as well. Comparing the play of the two in the last two seasons:

2020-21 LKL

Vytenis Čižauskas

GM 9
MPG 24:33
PPG 13.3
APG 4.1
EFF 14.0

Žygimantas Janavičius

GM 31
MPG 25:36
PPG 9.3
APG 6.5
EFF 13.5

2021-22 LKL+KMT (estimated averages)

Vytenis Čižauskas

GM 12
MPG 22:55
PPG 11.8
APG 3.6
EFF 10.8

Žygimantas Janavičius

GM 14
MPG 26:20
PPG 8.0
APG 6.7
EFF 10.9

My average estimates combining LKL and KMT play could be off just a bit since I didn't work out the numbers with a calculator but just eyeballed them. Nonetheless, the numbers indicate that Čižauskas may finally be getting his game together. While not as much of a playmaker as Janavičius, he's more of a scorer and has a bit of an edge in overall efficiency. But!!! I'd still be inclined to pick Janavičius on the basis of the maturity and reliability he's demonstrated over his entire career.

[Shawshank]

Maksvytis asked asbout who will be this teams main PG ?

Its pity Kariniauskas got injury he should have been our main PG.Then he goes to mentione combo Girdziunas as possibility and only then goes to Velicka and Cizauskas. Such little things says alot how coach sees those players.

I think Cizauskas got one chance for old times if he gonna fail dont think we gonna see him in next window.

[LuDux]

SF tasted blood with Adomaitis and now won't rest until every coach in Lithuania is grinded into dust

[Straight forward]

SF tasted blood with Adomaitis and now won't rest until every coach in Lithuania is grinded into dust

But you somehow have a problem with it only when it tuns out to be ex Neptunas kinda coach

[Straight forward]

Rimantas Kaukenas rumored to become the president of MKL (high school league). With new federation, things going the right direction. Open communication, decentralization, more attention to prospects, more attention to youth NTs preparation, more attention to women BB. All make sense.

I see Maksvytis, Kemzura, Chomicius, Zibenas, Berzininkaitis, Rinkevicius working with the NT. That sounds like a bit more serious than Masiulis, Matkevicius and late to the camp Maskoliunas...

[Hepcat]

Now, another thing. Girdziunas as the main PG? Seriously? ... The argument that he used Girdziunas in Neptunas some thousand years ago doesn't convince me.

My impression is that I hear a guy who thinks from narrow Neptunas/Lietkabelis kinda perspective and unleashes that kind of mentality and culture. Hope I'm wrong, but if Maksvytis is going to conquer the Europe using freakin' Girdziunas as his main PG and decision maker...That is nearly a red flag...

Now admittedly I've also been exasperated by the play of Mindaugas Girdžiūnas since he signed with Rytas. But his numbers seem to be trending in the right direction lately:

2017-18 Neptūnas

GM - 14
MPG - 25:34
PPG - 11.7
APG - 3.1
EFF - 12.2

2017-18 Rytas

GM - 35
MPG - 21:00
PPG - 9.0
APG - 3.5
EFF - 8.6

2018-19 Rytas
GM - 43
MPG - 21:47
PPG - 8.4
APG - 2.1
EFF - 6.5

2019-20 Rytas

GM - 23
MPG - 17:10
PPG - 8.2
APG - 2.3
EFF - 8.2

2020-21 Rytas

GM - 43
MPG - 21:33
PPG - 9.5
APG - 2.6
EFF - 8.7

2021-22 Rytas

GM - 10
MPG - 25:18
PPG - 11.6
APG - 2.7
EFF - 10.9

Yeah, yeah. They're only stats. But at the end of the season no one's going to ask you how you scored the points (or how you looked scoring the points). They're just going to ask you how many.

Still when all is said and done, Girdžiūnas still strikes me as being a combo guard. In the absence of Vaidas Kariniauskas, I would hope and expect that Margiris Normantas and Arnas Velička would be the two players sharing the bulk of Team Lietuva's PG duties.

[Hepcat]

Top 5 Lithuanian scorers LKL plus KMT minus EL

Do you have the updated numbers for the top Lithuanians in LKL plus KMT play? Would you have leading EFF numbers as well? Have any players that Coach Maksvytis didn't invite been putting up really good numbers?

[Straight forward]

So from Maksvytis interview I assume his boy Cizauskas is in Man, if he will cut down Velicka, the guy who exceeded Cizauskas' level few years ago already, it will come with a huge wave of antagonism and tsunami if NT will struggle. The only guy on his roster who might have significant impact for the NT in the future is Velicka, there's literally no-one else with all respect to T. Masiulis. If Maksvytis will cut the only young gem with huge upside coming from Italy while having a good season and will take his boy Cizauskas who has worse stats in 2 times weaker LKL while playing for bottom team, this will be ugly.

Jesus, what's happening with our coaches? One takes his colleagues' son to the NT, now new one thinks he should be pulling up his youth NT boy who busted in PRO. How the fuck we suddenly can't have normal coach who would avoid controversy in every fucking step? Jess...It's some sort of virus which started with corona and Maskoliunas...

[Hepcat]

SF tasted blood with Adomaitis and now won't rest until every coach in Lithuania is grinded into dust

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's still wondering whether Lithuania might have qualified for the Olympics had Dainius Adomaitis not been driven to resign from his coaching position by the over-the-top negativity from certain quarters.

[LuDux]

But you somehow have a problem with it only when it tuns out to be ex Neptunas kinda coach

All recent NT coaches are ex Neptunas coaches, so..

[LuDux]

Do you have the updated numbers for the top Lithuanians in LKL plus KMT play? Would you have leading EFF numbers as well? Have any players that Coach Maksvytis didn't invite been putting up really good numbers?

Soon
probably

[madmax]

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's still wondering whether Lithuania might have qualified for the Olympics had Dainius Adomaitis not been driven to resign from his coaching position by the over-the-top negativity from certain quarters.

well, compared to the "coach" (and I'm using quotation marks here very deliberately lol) Maskoliunas, Adomaitis was pretty much Phil Jackson compared to him...not exactly on the level of Kazlauskas witt and genius , but a smart and capable coach nonetheless. I was critical of him a few times, but I guess I simply had no idea what an absolute disaster his replacement will be