2023 Lithuanian NT

[Shawshank]

Is one thing being good in game ending when nobody is taking you seriuosly being around elite players like Mirotic/Higgins/Lapro/Calathes when all defensive attention going on them.

Tottaly diffrent being Nr1 floor general/desicion maker on average team that defenses takes you seriuosly.

Im saying what i saw Jokubaitis did bad job in playmaking/controling NT in all game endings in 2022. In same way like Sharas was bad in 1997-1999.


It takes years to learn how to run entire men team.Normal process.I expext big things from Rokas starting from 2024 or 2025.But imagine we can take 21 youngster as main desicion maker and he will control bunch of mature highest level men team is a bit unrelistic.


Evans type guard is better suited to be nr 1 playmaker in average level teams like Zalgiris/LTU NT + athletic afro guard have more to offer in defence too.

Jokubaitis maybe is better role player for specific coaches jobs in elite team,but as main ball handler/desicion maker for me is clear who is better right now to run average level team.

[Straight forward]

Jokubaitis maybe is better role player for specific coaches jobs in elite team,but as main ball handler/desicion maker for me is clear who is better right now to run average level team.

Probably, but we don't know for certain. We don't know how Jokubaitis would lead such team as Zalgiris now. We don't know how Evans would do with such team as LTU NT (it's a higher level team nevertheless - like 3 players would be No.1 option in Zalgiris: JV, Domas, Grigonis). Have in mind that Sloukas in EB was 10ppg, 10,6eff kinda guy, Calathes 8,1ppg, 11eff. And look how they dominate in EL. FIBA is different animal than EL. There's more talent on the court (world class stars), the game is even more intense as it's a short tournament, refs usually allow plenty of contact. I wouldn't be shocked if Evans numbers would be lower in NT than Jokubaitis was and he would look more lost (except the D). It's one thing to play when the next 2 best guys around are some Iggy, Smits and completely other - Sabonis, Valanciunas. The tension and responsibility is incomparable. EL season is long, who cares. And I wouldn't say that Jokubaitis was bad down the stretch. I think as 21yo he dealt with the pressure impressively. Sure, made some mistakes here and there and wasn't yet fully comfortable, but knowing his age he dealt really well.

Our problem with game endings has very clear hierarchy of three issues:
1. Defence.
2. Lacking game closers.
3. Missing open shots (some would call it lack of luck or guts)

It's the mix of these three. I'm not sure Evans would pull it off at such crazy tournament as EB and all the stars around.

[Shawshank]

Evans best querters are 4th statistically he scores most of his points in one podcast somebody said this fact. Thats what NT needed badly guard that take things to his hand in 4th querter.

How zalgiris is scoring in 4querter and wins those close games? Evans so far was nr 1 men or scoring or creating for teammates.


I disagree in euroleague is harder and level higher overall than in eurobasket + opponnets prepare for you not one day like in eurobasket,but entire week.

Euroleague teams is way better preprared tactically than NTs because of way bigger time together. Ask Brazdeikis .

Yeah 1-2 nba players adds individual level in starting 5 ,but euroleague bench players 7-12th is stronger than NT uleb level players for most NT at 7-12th spots.

Most best NT have 5-6 highest quality players,euroleague top 10 clubs have like 8-9 highest quality players.

Euroleague teams because of way bigger time together reach better chemistry that allows to reach higher level of basketball.


Dont get wrong those nba players would be stars in euroleague,im talking about overall playing level.



Those even not highest quality american athletic guard rocks in NT competions simply because 1 vs 1 individual abilities. Evans would be really good in fiba too from what i saw.

In 2 weeks sprint no time for big tacticall adjustments,just play basketball 1 vs 1 or use pikenrool and attack slow bigs.

In long club season is abit more complicated.Evans even here looks really good ,but we will see now teams gonna do adjustments on him going further.

[Shawshank]

Interesting Maskoliunas interview in pikenrolas and he said: he felt before game best to handle Doncic is let him play 1 vs 1 and cut all those 10-12 asists for slovenian shooters,but didnt had balls to make this desicions and he regrets about it.

Let Luka scores 35pts,but do not let involve those other slovenian shooters.

But its easy to say and way harder to do that men is basketball genius.France did that in group and Doncic scored 46pts when France simply refused to double team him.

Overall i felt our death group took alot physically from Luka. He wasnt healthy anymore and was tired when playoofs came. That heavy loud in group versus very strong opponents Ltu,Ger,Fra,Bos left marks on his body. When players need to play every second game.

Similiar story happend in 2021 Olympics.The further tournament went,the less strenght one men attack had in him .Even visually it was very clear by bronze game he barely was even running fast.

Unlucky LTU NT faced Doncic both summers early when he was still fresh and energetic.

[Straight forward]

Evans best querters are 4th statistically he scores most of his points in one podcast somebody said this fact. Thats what NT needed badly guard that take things to his hand in 4th querter.

How zalgiris is scoring in 4querter and wins those close games? Evans so far was nr 1 men or scoring or creating for teammates.


I disagree in euroleague is harder and level higher overall than in eurobasket + opponnets prepare for you not one day like in eurobasket,but entire week.

Euroleague teams is way better preprared tactically than NTs because of way bigger time together. Ask Brazdeikis .

Yeah 1-2 nba players adds individual level in starting 5 ,but euroleague bench players 7-12th is stronger than NT uleb level players for most NT at 7-12th spots.

Most best NT have 5-6 highest quality players,euroleague top 10 clubs have like 8-9 highest quality players.

Euroleague teams because of way bigger time together reach better chemistry that allows to reach higher level of basketball.


Dont get wrong those nba players would be stars in euroleague,im talking about overall playing level.



Those even not highest quality american athletic guard rocks in NT competions simply because 1 vs 1 individual abilities. Evans would be really good in fiba too from what i saw.

In 2 weeks sprint no time for big tacticall adjustments,just play basketball 1 vs 1 or use pikenrool and attack slow bigs.

In long club season is abit more complicated.Evans even here looks really good ,but we will see now teams gonna do adjustments on him going further.

Bench is thinner, yes, but in the game endings there's more talent on the court and that's why it's so hard to win FIBA. Yeah, individually those naturalized Americans do well, but their teams never win anything basically. One could say Brown is an exception and to certain extent he is, but we should also emphasize that L. Brown is truly elite guard. He's like skilled American guard with European PG's mind. He sees the mis-matches, his decision making is elite and so on. Other than that only teams who have legitimate NBA guards or high IQ European guard win in FIBA - Fournier, Rubio, Mills, Dragic, Doncic, Kalnietis, Bogdanovic and so on. The same Germany needed elite guard in Schroder to be successful. They wouldn't do it with some-one like Evans. It's another level.

It's complicated comparison. Sure, there's less polished team work, less scouting and more ISO action in FIBA, but that goes for both sides, thus that doesn't mean that it's easier to play there. Both teams are thrown in wild game and you have to survive somehow. The coaches who make quick and spot on decisions can benefit a lot in such tournament though. Scariola showed it nicely I think.. In EL it's hard to surprise cause the scouting is strong in both sides. At the end we can see that huge heart and hustle means a lot (Zalgiris).

It's difficult comparison. Some players exceed in FIBA (usually guards), some get worse (usually bigs). Some playing more or less on the same pace. Depends a lot on the role, team's level, facing opponents and so on. We have to have in mind that Lithuania was going against 3 great defensive teams - France, Germany, Spain. Our guys numbers would be bigger if we had Serbia's opponents f.e. BTW, Brazdeikis' numbers in EB and EL are exactly similar.

Also we should emphasize that the pressure is much bigger in FIBA. Every game is crucial basically. That is very important moment. Butkevicius already nailed couple of huge clutch buckets in EL, he actually did it early in the season, didn't need many games. While EB he was missing those in the clutch moments. The same Jokubaitis unfortunately couldn't do what he has been doing for Barca in the regular season. The tension is different.

What we can say that no average American ever lead FIBA teams to medals. Brown is huge exception, but I think he managed to do it because of his high IQ and some luck (remember how he struggled against Lithuania in the first half and overall he wasn't so good in the group stage? If we had tools to play legitimate D down the stretch there wouldn't be Brown's success in EB, but he started to punish us attacking in p'n'r possessions and so on. Gotta give credit to him. He exploded exactly in PO. 28pts against LTU in 8finals, 29pts against GER in semis).

My message is clear - keep naturalizing ISO American foreigners. It doesn't work. Brown is playing more like some Spanoulis, Jasikevicius. I guess Spain knew what they are trying to buy.

[Shawshank]

That pressure in NT competion is bigger yes thats is very clear in players eyes.Thats why im repeating all the time rookie kids wont help in real fiba games.


But atletism of multiple americans,scouting,preparation time,chemistry,deeper teams of euroleague have bigger upper hand on 3 weeks preparation of NT .Adding 1-2 nba players doesnt overweight all those euroleague club pluses.

Almost every euroleague team have Hayes type athlete that protects the rim in NT competion is mostly long,slow white non athletic dudes.


Those weak NT doesnt win not because those americans play badly because they have weak team overall But put skilled american on Lithuania level NT that would be diffrent story.That american would have real tools to work with . Im strongly againts american with ltu jersey,but i also see facts.

Spain example with skilled pg american or slovenia example when they added athletic big men american in 2017 won them gold medals in last 2 eurobaskets.

Thats where euroleague have advantage over eurobasket NT : every euroleague team have skilled american guard and athletic afro american at big position for defence.

2022 Spain version had both (Brown,Garuba) and won eurobasket with average level players in other positions.With just one of them that Spain roster arent winning eurobasket,like slovenia arent winning eurobasket without athletism from Randolph

3-5 americans on every euroleague team simply makes competion better/higher level than adding 1-2 nba players. We see what 1 american can do in fiba games,euroleague clubs have more than 1.

[Straight forward]

Does 5 average American foreigners exceed Jokic/Bogdanovic, Sabonis/JV, Shroder/Wagner, Fournier/Gobert and so on? IDK, it's debatable. Star power was crazy in 2022. What are best EL players? Clyburn, Mirotic, Micic, James, Vezenkov. NBA role players at best. And there comes superstars and stars like Luka, Gianis, Jokic, Sabonis, Gobert, Markkanen, Wagner, Shroder and so on.

My point is that comparison is very complicated. We can't directly compare FIBA teams with EL teams. In their own ways both competitions are extremely competitive. I disagree that it's harder to play in EL cause there's more scouting, because there's more preparation too. It's goes both ways. You can polish your team-play to the perfection. Imagine Sabonis with a good chemistry in EL. Or better Jokic. When they understand teammates and teammates understand them. Some players get better in club competition, specially facilitators. They need time to establish certain patterns. That's one of reasons why Sabonis will barely ever be as good in FIBA. Not enough time to fully mesh.

Top teams have better guards than EL teams with second rate (compared to true NBA material) Americans as James, Larkin, Higgins. I mean Rubio, Fournier, Bogdanovic, Shroder, Doncic are definitely better. The lack of modern athletic defensive bigs are visible though, but many teams can compensate that with offensive talent, star power. I think this decade FIBA will be crazy good. Look what kind of young players coming as Wemby, Wagner, Banchero, Buzelis, Jovic, Pokusevski.

We can't compare directly. I mean if you throw some EL teams without preparation to FIBA most of them would surely be inferior roster wise to top FIBA teams. And if some FIBA teams would have as much time together as EL teams, they would be a force, much bigger than they are in FIBA. We can compare only in the frame of each competition's semantics.

[Straight forward]

Sedekerskis must make 2023 WC. It's absolutely a must to trust him and give him a chance. Shit's working with him in Baskonia and Baskonia is winning in EL. We can leave aside such athlete, such size of position 4. It was mistake to let him go last 2 season already I think. I don't see PF players who could fit switch all defense better than Sedekerskis (maybe Olanovas or Tubelis, but first is undersized, second not tested in EL, so we don't know). Maksvytis must do it.

I stick to my previous prediction that this should be the roster

Jokubaitis, Lekavicius
Grigonis, Brazdeikis, D. Giedraitis
Ulanovas, Butkevicius
Sedekerskis, Kuzminskas, Tubelis
Sabonis, Valanciunas

If Buzelis comes, let's have him a spot hell or high water. Just occupy the spot for him without any hesitation.

How about the line-up D. Giedraitis, A. Butkevicius, E. Ulanovas, T. Sedekerskis and D. Sabonis as a point center who makes the decisions of the short roles. This line-up would be working extremely effectively defensively.

We have to put the line-up of grinders, and hard workers and to out work and out hustle the opponents. This identity has been lacking. Until Jokubaitis, Buzelis and Murauskas won't explode, we can't compete with top teams in terms of offensive talent, we should build our identity as a defensive team for 2023-2024. Even Grigonis should be forced to play D instead of thinking about offense. When he wants it, he can play D. He showed it in 2017 EB nicely. The jimmy wasn't working so the guy worked his butt of defensively.

I think we may see the lesser role for JV, Lekavicius, Brazdeikis. And I really hope there won't even be a smell of R. Giedraitis.

[Straight forward]

I'm lacking defensive point guard badly. Augustas Marciulionis development is crucial for the second line-up of the NT long term. We just have to have some-one who can we truly trust as a defender and facilitator. Jokubaitis will be huge offensively, but will be more or less liability defensively. D. Giedraitis can step to 1 some, but his facilitation is not at the needed level. In the future I can see R. Jokubaitis playing 25mpg as the primarily PG (providing his 16/7/4 in his prime or so), but Marciulionis likely finishing games with his bulldog defense and spot on facilitation offensively. The way basketball is developing, you have to have a stoppers at perimeter. Rubio won it 2019. USA won it in 2021, Spain (with Diaz and Brown) in 2022.

[Shawshank]

Rubio,Holiday,Brown

there is no chance in lithuania basketball to have such level two way PG in next 5 years from what we have now. Brown is killing in euroleague too this season its wasnt fluke in eurobasket. Such type guards is game changers,not some defensive role player that affects game in minimal way.


Even peak Kalnietis 2010-2016 level floor general looks like very dificult mission to have in nearest 2-3 years future.

Mantas played with NT jersey like strong euroleague starting 5 pg and lots of time outplaying best europes PG in fiba games.


IF LTU basketball ale best chance is non shooting PG from students league going together with non shooting C NT is doomed to win nothing.


Their fathers was 10m times better shooters and played in non shooting era. Sons is bad shooters and playing in shooting era. That wont work. Domas need 4 shooters around him in NT get his best version. Otherwise Domas will look how he looked so far in fiba.


All my hopes is on Jokubaitis if not him rising his level alot,NT gonna be just average max 1/4 stages with such level guards next decade too.

With maybe one fluke tournament reaching more. Thats how LTU NT picture i see for 2020s with such guards.

[Straight forward]

It is what it is. Last Olympic cycle 2017-2021 we had the worst talent pool ever in the NT history. This cycle we have more talent compared to previous, but very dis-balanced roster which still lacks some important components. So this cycle doesn't look very optimistic. I don't think we will win medals in upcoming 2 seasons. I think we should try to build defensive identity cause currently we don't have enough talent to win offensively.

But our future (let's say starting with 26/27 and going further), IMO, is great. Great even to the point that we can be as good again as in 90-00's and potentially even better.

FOA, there's Buzelis. He can be absolutely huge. He literally has superstar's upside. The only player who had that previously was A. Sabonis. No-one else had it. Literally. So can be a game changer that we didn't see for a long time or ever.

Second, there's Jokubaitis, Murauskas and Indrusaitis as complete players who have star's potential (complete players).

Thirdly, say, such guy as Rubstavicius will be a heck of a scorer. I have no almost no doubt he will be better player than Grigonis f.e. He is much more deadly slasher, observes contact, has killers mentality. I could even argue that he may become complete player potentially, but Indrusaitis is more athletic, explosive and smoother version of Rubstavicius so I take him firstly.

Then, we have great role players as Sedekerskis, Tubelis, Krivas, D. Giedraitis, Sirvydis, A. Marciulionis, Brazdeikis and so on. I think it's obvious that not only our starting line-up my improve radically, but our bench will be deeper and more talented then it used to be (remembering Juskevicius, Milaknis, Gecevicius, Kariniauskas, Bendzius and other meh players making NT in 10's...)

My projection is that we can have starting 5 of 5 complete players in 2029: Sabonis, Murauskas, Buzelis, Indrusaitis, Jokubaitis. That would be first occasion of such in NT basketball history.

Why I'm high on Marciulionis? Cause he can play D and he can facilitate. When you have say Buzelis and Murauskas on the court (all around offensive beasts, nothing less), you don't need scoring from 1. You already have enough and more.

To some extent in Lithuania many fans still don't realize what we are getting from ready Buzelis and Murauskas. Buckets all day long all possible ways.

This OC is screwed more or less (even though I as devoted fan, always hope for surprise). But next 2. Watch out.

[Shawshank]

You need shooting always in todays basketball. Modern basketball is going C must be able to make 3pointers.

Guards is out question dont just make open shots,make shots after dribble and so on.

Goodluck believing in non shooting PG how game is played today.

What type players works with best of best players like Giannis/Doncic? yeah shooting players.

Every player that cant make open shots is bad fit with Domas in his next peak 5years. The less non shooters NT will have the better Domas can be.



2027 i dont care.Nobody knows what will happen in 2 years forget 5 . All i care is 2023-2024 now.

[Straight forward]

Brown 32%, Shroder 32% in Eurobasket. Shooting was far from the main things in EB for them. The way I see it, we will have great players in all positions, great shooters at 2 (Rubstavicius, Indrusaitis), dominant 3 who can do it all (Buzelis), dominant all around 4 (Murauskas) and good finishing centers as Sabonis/Tubelis/Krivas. What I need from Jokubaitis/Marciulionis is elite facilitation in the first place. They will score some too, but that's not the priority, specially going deeper in 20's. As for 23/24, yeah, we should give Domas some shooters, but we don't have them ATM unfortunately...Let's just grind defensively then...

[Shawshank]

Your fantasy prediction about 2027 i dont need your own biased horoscope basketball prediction.

Here we talking mostly about men 2023 NT.

All those Buzelis,Murauskas,Marciulionis,Indrusaitis have nothing to do with main 9 playoofs men rotation in 2023-2024.

I dont ask 45% shooter.When i say shooting i mean players that will make open shots after double teams our bigs is getting alot in fiba.

If we taking 1-2 non shooters it must be very important defensive pieces.


Shroder is bad shooter yes ,but he is very fast even compared to nba athletes (by far fastest player in entire eurobasket). Schroder would very bad fit with Domas crazy,wild non shooter. Shroder himself needs shooters around him and Germany 2022 in most cases built team like that.Wagner,Thieman type bigs was making long shots.

Domas need stable smart Pg that can make open shoots and give him the ball in right positions Brown would be perfect fit.

Nobody was going under Brown picks like teams went under Shroder/Jokubaitis picks. If opponents always going under it means that player is bad shooter in my book.I trust teams scouting/preparation.

Role players shooting wide opens shots mostly ,when playmakers like Brown/Evans shooting contested 3ponters that not the same shots to look just at %.

[Straight forward]

All I'm saying you have false imagination that NT upside will fall on position 1 generally. It won't cause we will have bigger talent in other positions compared to 10's. We will have guys in other positions who basically can do it all. That's why I'm saying I need ability to run the team, to make the right passes, the facilitate, to be glue guys from our point guards in the first place. Scoring power won't be an issue. An issue will be to find a way to utilize all talent optimally. When you do have a lot of good pieces, facilitators become very important, and chemistry becomes very important. When you have say Indrusaitis 2, Buzelis 3, Murauskas 4 and Sabonis 5 they all need the ball. And in ISO situations all 4 are generally great players, and potentially literally unstoppable (Domas is not stoppable in ISO situations). So I don't need much scoring from 1. I need facilitation. You have that idea that we need absolutely DOMINANT 1 to have success, but that's because you don't understand what kind of gifred players are coming. Sure, currently we would benefit a lot having a guard who can drop 16pts and make 6-7 dimes, more or less something like L. Brown. But in the future it won't be a problem. We will just need elite facilitation from 1 generally. Besides, Jokubaitis offensively won't be worse, but probably better than L. Brown.

21yo Jokubaitis was as 9.2ppg, 4apg kinda player in 2022. In 2025 these numbers my sky rock to some 15/7. I think even in OG 2024, if we make it, we are talking about 12/5 kinda PG most likely with elite decisions.

Your problem that you don't see all the picture what's coming (as always). We will have more than enough individual talent. The question will be - what's the best way to put it together. And there's where I ask something what Jokubaitis/Marciulionis are best at - precise decision making, facilitation. To some degree, there will be tournaments when Marciulionis will be even more important most likely. Cause we will have plenty of scoring options, and probably 2 ways beast Marciulionis will be more needed than offensively more talented Jokubaitis. But it's all good problems to have anyway.

If you want jacking off threes PG, take Velicka. He shoots 41.5% in bundesliga, and 40.9% in FIBA Euro Cup.