Lithuanian talents.

[Straight forward]

It's not about federation, but about Lithuanian laws that don't allow a double citizenship. He's 20 years old and i don't think he won't play for Canadian NT (he already played in youth NT) just to wait until laws in Lithuania change.

Well there will be election of president and referendum for dual citizenship. Even if referendum would be dual citizenship negative, it will depend a lot on new president. Since Brazdeikis born in Lithuania and openly declared wish to represent NT, I think he can get an exceptional case. Federation can do a lot here. FOA, constantly contact Brazdeikis, second to talk with institutions about him. He surely still remember some Lithuanian language, maybe even talking comfortably with some family members. He probably just would have to work a little bit more on it and he's good to go.

[Dreamcatcher]

Well there will be election of president and referendum for dual citizenship. Even if referendum would be dual citizenship negative, it will depend a lot on new president. Since Brazdeikis born in Lithuania and openly declared wish to represent NT, I think he can get an exceptional case. Federation can do a lot here. FOA, constantly contact Brazdeikis, second to talk with institutions about him. He surely still remember some Lithuanian language, maybe even talking comfortably with some family members. He probably just would have to work a little bit more on it and he's good to go.

I red an article that they did contact him and his family. It was said that all was fine except the citizenship.

There is one more Lithuanian American who put good numbers in NCAA. He was born in Lithuania as well. His name was in Lithuanian youth NT list for several times but he didn't come.

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4066395/rapolas-ivanauskas

[Hepcat]

Well there will be election of president and referendum for dual citizenship.

Could you very briefly summarize the pros versus the cons here? Why are some people people for and some people against the concept?

[Recp]

To Recp
I think you exaggerate the level of top Latvian and Estonian teams saying they are on the same level with Rytas. When the latter doesn't struggle it can compete against way stronger rivals than Baltic teams. It's hard to judge the level of Latvian and Estonian teams though since you rarely see them in Europe. Ventspils that is leading in Latvian-Estonian league didn't get out frome the CL league that is weaker than Eurocup. Kalev and VEF are out of the play off zone in VTB league. Those results aren't solid. I believe that Kalev is coached well by Kairis and can play nowadays but i was never impressed by the level of Latvian and Estonian teams overall. When Baltic league was created it was long years about Zalgiris and Rytas. When they left it was won only one time by Ventspils and three in a row by Siauliai that ended as a 3rd Lithuanian team a few years before that. I liked a crowd in Estonia, other stuff but the level was a thing i wasn't impressed let's say like that.

I agree that it is hard to compare Rytas/Neptunas and VEF/Ventspils/Kalev as there haven't been many direct encounters lately. The only recent encounter was in the preseason when Kalev faced both Rytas and Neptunas and beat them both quite comfortably. Although as was said these were preseason matches and hardly evident anything.

Can't really speak for Ventspils or VEF, but Kalev at least has improved greatly since the Baltic League years and can now too compete against stronger rivals. They currently still have every option to qualify for the VTB play-offs and have had some very good performances in the process against Russian powerhouses (beat Lokomotiv Kuban away, lost to CSKA only by -5 at home, lost to Unics by -2 away after some very dubious refereeing which basically robbed the W from Kalev in the final minute, lost to Khimki by -7 this season, but beat them last season).

I too remember Baltic League times when beating Rytas seemed like some kind of unbeatable challenge for Kalev.. well, lets just say it doesn't feel like that anymore.

Anyhow, it wasn’t my intention to say that Kalev would definitely get the silver medal in LKL, hence the “more or less” in my original wording. Just feel that the gap between Ventspils/VEF/Kalev and Rytas has decreased considerably in recent years and depending on the day, a victory over Rytas wouldn’t be much of a surprise anymore.

Anyway, it's good for Velicka to play a lot and to have a freedom even if it may be too much as no one would let him to shoot so many threes on a serious level as he's far from being a good shooter. He performed well in NKL at the very young age and it was promising but then he mooved to Spain and it ended fucked up as a result he lost much time.

Yep, playing time is currently the most important thing for him and he recently said he is enjoying basketball again, which is always nice to hear. It will be interesting to see how Velicka will adjust in a new, more restricted role in the future and at a higher level. I tend to think it will not be much of a problem for him as he seems to have quite good basketball IQ and understanding of the game.

As for the training process, I think Priit Vene tries to apply a lot from his Žalgiris’ times and that may have been one of the factors why Žalgiris thought that Tartu might be the best place for Velicka.

[Dreamcatcher]

Jarumbauskas with 39 pts again I liked him a long before those huge performances btw

[Mindozas]

I red an article that they did contact him and his family. It was said that all was fine except the citizenship.

I missed such article, so who said so? Federation, Brazdeikis or our journalists? If journalists then I won't by it as they tends to talk random stuff without knowing details. I personally would like to know how about Brazdeikis participation with Canada u17 team in World Cup, being over 17 years old? Till 17 it's fine, after it - it's not. You must agree with Canadian federation and get permission, then FIBA should agree on changing basketball citizenship either. It wouldn't be easy

[Straight forward]

Personally I hate how silent this federation is. And current basketball media is very strange also. They can discuss Saras' every post game word, but they can't reach federation and ask a question about Brazdeikis, or even to ask Adomaitis about him. I remember Kemzura was going oversees for Dulkys, the guy who averaged freakin' 5 or 6 points in NCAA. Well Balciunas and Kemzura thought there's a chance he's a baller, so they went overseas...Now there's a flat out NBA prospect who rocks NCAA and openly says he wants to play for the Lithuanian national team...zero feedback from federation, zero. And some people still think Sabonis' federation is working well. Waiting when our official goals will be 8-12 in FIBA tournaments.

[Mindozas]

Personally I hate how silent this federation is. And current basketball media is very strange also. They can discuss Saras' every post game word, but they can't reach federation and ask a question about Brazdeikis, or even Adomaitis. I remember Kemzura was going oversees for Dulkys, the guy who averaged freakin' 5 or 6 points in NCAA. Well Balciunas and Kemzura thought there's a chance he's a baller, so they went overseas...Now there's a flat out NBA prospect who rocks NCAA and openly says he wants to play for the Lithuanian national team...zero feedback from federation, zero. And some people still think Sabonis' federation is working well. Waiting when our official goals will be 8-12 in FIBA tournaments.

Jeez, again you are making something out of nothing... C'mon. If there'll be something to say regarding the issue, they will say. Or you want official statement each week that nothing happens? Don't spread wrong info, they contacted him, they did this few years ago already and talked about playing for Lithuania, when there were no talk about him as possible candidate in media, so they knows what he wants and informed all us via media. What else federation can do? Change citizenship laws in Lithuania? FIBA eligibility rules?
Btw, I have absolutely no idea what Dulkys has to do with it? He was visited in USA like every other guy playing there and being NT candidate, federation talks with NBA clubs, players' plans and etc. Dulkys wan an option in 2012, so they added him to list too. Usual stuff

[Straight forward]

Jeez, again you are making something out of nothing... C'mon. If there'll be something to say regarding the issue, they will say. Or you want official statement each week that nothing happens? Don't spread wrong info, they contacted him, they did this few years ago already and talked about playing for Lithuania, when there were no talk about him as possible candidate in media, so they knows what he wants and informed all us via media. What else federation can do? Change citizenship laws in Lithuania? FIBA eligibility rules?
Btw, I have absolutely no idea what Dulkys has to do with it? He was visited in USA like every other guy playing there and being NT candidate, federation talks with NBA clubs, players' plans and etc. Dulkys wan an option in 2012, so they added him to list too. Usual stuff

Mindozas, you always over protective regarding Zalgiris and federation It's not a sacred cow. I didn't say anything wrong. There was no (as far as I know) any public say on Brazdeikis from federation. So - zero reaction here. Most fans are destroying forums and websites because of this guy, and this federation has no word on a matter. The difference between Balciunas and Sabonis (I don't even remember Spokas name usually, he's so invisible and silent all the time) federations are more than obvious. Previously they talked on all matters, Garastas always had something to say, Balciunas was very public also, the contact with basketball fans and comminity was way greater. I didn't agree with some things, but I knew what's going on. I remember when Kemzura discussed NT issues in the mid season, he was explicit even on such players as Eitutavicius, even if he played in some France league. Now Adomaitis can't even talk about Motiejunas, none from federation does, nor they talk about Brazdeikis, bad results of youth basketball. This is a federation of silence and low ambitions. Dulkys example is great, because the guy had one great game in the whole season and that was enough that federation would visit the guy. When current federation is planning to do the same with Brazdeikis? Will they ever? The knowledge that federation contacted Brazdeikis' family comes from media. Isn't a little bit strange that Adomaitis or Spokas never siad a word on him yet? He's a 20yo stud, so basically he's standing at the border of NT. Give him one or two years and he may be one of the keys of the team. He talks Lithuanian, he says it would be a privilege to become Lithuania officially and he wants to play for the NT. Basically, it would even be great to have him this summer in the camp already. I call it, the disaster of public relations. Your priority is senior NT. You have a gem in the horizon, every fan and any person from BB community know the fellow already, and federation remains absolutely silent about it, like they on permanent vacation. Sabonis and Spokas are working like they are FBI agents and not public figures of federation If they don't have any words on Motiejunas' and Brazdeikis' issue now, if that's not prioritized questions now, than what they are working on anyway? The problem is they don't have a word on anything, almost ever.

[LuDux]

If you talking and you not posting your talking, means you not talking.....

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWcvP0fAVaO/

[Mindozas]

Mindozas, you always over protective regarding Zalgiris and federation

That's nonsense. If something is wrong I'll always say it's wrong. I've been criticizing Zalgiris for years till something good started to happen, club priorities changed. The same is with federation or any other institution/club/team. I've been hitting you on NT matters for years, when you called 2012/2016 Olympics a failures, federation bein' bad, coaches bein' bad, goals set too low. Look how you are seein' it now...

It's not a sacred cow. I didn't say anything wrong. There was no (as far as I know) any public say on Brazdeikis from federation. So - zero reaction here. Most fans are destroying forums and websites because of this guy, and this federation has no word on a matter.

Again - you obviously missed it, so you are blaming me for being protective, and federation for doing nothing. But it's you who missed it and making some be deal out of it. I don't read much of our media, but I've seen at least few articles during the years where federation was asked and talked about the issue, it was federation who talked with Brazdeikis family few years ago in some tournament about possible playing for Lithuania. But you simply don't give a fck even if I've told you this. You didn't see - it didn't happen and you keep going with your rants. Way to go... I won't even comment much on that Garastas, Sabas matter. Garastas mostly talked some crap, finished even with racist one and if you don't see a difference and don't realize why Sabas is in federation then what to say... LuDux post was a spot on actually

[Straight forward]

Link on federation declaring anything about Brazdeikis?

Denying that this federation is silent and bad at public relations (trying to shut down the media, going after conspiracy theories a la Balciunas controlling basketnews.lt LOL, condemning Petrauskas for simply being critical while commenting the NT exhibition game, blaming media for being critical (who fucking knew, what a nightmare), Sabas saying "I'm retiring" than later "not retiring" and other nonsense) is the definition of reflexive attitude I guess And "always saying wrong, when it's wrong". If to you such "speeches" is "right" and good example of normal work of the federation's president than I don't really have things to discuss on the matter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzTTpDK6cs0

Was there any interviews after the end of qualification? Did Spokas or Sabas said a word? One of the key stages ended, who cares, not a word on it, not a word on the future, issues, goals...They are "working" and media should shut it. Real nice Soviet tradition there.

[Straight forward]

OK, I found one article where Špokas says one sentence on him "We're interested, we're watching him, but we should consider Lithuanian citizenship, Canadian citizenship and Ignas wishes". Good to know.

https://www.15min.lt/24sek/naujiena/nba/lietuvis-be-lietuvisko-paso-nba-intriguoja-kaune-gimes-talentas-su-ypatinga-istorija-1130-1069702

[LuDux]

Balciunas left LKF more than 5 years ago

[Mindozas]

Was there any interviews after the end of qualification? Did Spokas or Sabas said a word? One of the key stages ended, who cares, not a word on it, not a word on the future, issues, goals...They are "working" and media should shut it. Real nice Soviet tradition there.

Not a word? You are so obsessed with a hate, that you even forgot that there were talks about goals, when NT secured qualification and you even bashed it as usually

OK, I found one article where Špokas says one sentence on him "We're interested, we're watching him, but we should consider Lithuanian citizenship, Canadian citizenship and Ignas wishes". Good to know.

https://www.15min.lt/24sek/naujiena/...a-1130-1069702

Good to see you finally listened and used google, if you would've made it earlier, you could've save your time instead writing another rants towards federation, blaming me for nothing, putting some words into my mouth and spreading some hate for no reason with some 6 years old articles... This federation is not gold, like any other that was before, but you just going over the line way too much