Lithuanian talents.

[Gytaz]

I'm 100% sure that most of the players reach their top level of playing at age of 22-23.

Well, Kęstutis Marčiulionis did...

So, you think that players like Šiškauskas and Jasikevičius played better at age 22-23 than they do now?

[kaunaz]

Well, Kęstutis Marčiulionis did...

So, you think that players like Šiškauskas and Jasikevičius played better at age 22-23 than they do now?

They started playing in that level like they are now at that age 22-23.

[lafa]

They started playing in that level like they are now at that age 22-23.

hehe, good one
you are really a man of humour ))

[adebisi]

hehe, good one
you are really a man of humour ))

I guess he is from miestai.net forrum... So you should get used to this

[kaunaz]

hehe, good one
you are really a man of humour ))

Yes but not this time.

I guess he is from miestai.net forrum... So you should get used to this

So what? Get used to what?

Now seriously:
Jasikevicius:
1998/1999(22-23) Lietuvos rytas - 17.5 ppg 5.0 apg(LKL), 16.8 ppg 4.0 apg(Saporta cup)
1999(23) Eurobasket LTU NT - 9.0 ppg 3.5 apg in 22 min. per game. 4th in scoring. The first trio in scoring were such players like Karnisovas, Sabonis, Stombergas. Eurobasket 2007 10.4 ppg and 5.6 apg. in 27 mpg.
1999/2000(23-24) Olimpia - 9.3 ppg 3.4 apg (Slovenian league), 13.6 ppg. 4.9 apg (FIBA Euroleague). He was leading the Euroleague in asists that season.
2000(24) Olympic games LTU NT - at the moment i can't find out the stats but i remember it was about 14 ppg. For example Athens 2004 his average only 11.3 ppg.

I hope you wouldn't argue that Petrovic and Sabas reached their top level of playing even younger - 20-21 years old?

[kecal]

I guess he is from miestai.net forrum... So you should get used to this

I second that

[damelo]

I think if some guys rise fast at 18-19, like Batum, Rubio, Rudy, etc... (sorry, no lithuanian talents), they are no generality.
I remember Erman Kunter talking about Nando de Colo last year saying some players are starting to progress fast at 22-23, like probably did Saras.

And, we have to remember a player development depends a lot on the confidence he gets from his coaches, teammates, etc...

[Sss]

well... maybe it isn't 100% true that player reaches it's 100% at 23-24 yo. But, concerning physical body and basketball skills this is more or less true.

Siskauskas, Stombergas, Macijauskas were already fighting for LKL championship at 20-21 yo. Nothing to compare with Babrauskas, Peciukas, Sinica and so on.

PS: Nando de Collo is 20yo.

[quince]

I think that all the things about not enought talent is loads of bullshit.
Karnishovas sayed the same thing when lithuanian dream team of karnishovas,sabas,marciulionis retired. he sayed lithuania wont have any victories for long time, and what? they didnt win anything only for 3 years, that's is not that tragic!!! I dont think he expected to siska,macas,jasikevicius rise that hard as they did, and in few years same thing will happen...
all those 18 years old guuys will matture to Proper ballers, they will gain loads of confidence and experience in those few years and situation will stabilise.

[auris1]

There is one peculiar thing about the talents – they don’t win trophies, teams do. On one hand we can have dream Olympics with some hope about the next generation ,on the other ,if there is one too many refusals ,we can start panic already because we don’t have replacements as yet and maybe for the many years to come .There is a natural cycle in everything with ups and downs and by logic lt should be heading downwards .But you know what ,if we win Olimpics ,then who cares - I would die a happy man even if we don’t win anything else in the next , lets say 10 years .
Ok so to clarify – I would rather not see many of them than to see many of them not playing for the nt team

[Basketball GOD]

when i see rubio, gallinari or batum I see kids, even r. fernandez body looks highly underdeveloped and is more similar to a teenager than a mature basketball player.
There skillset makes them special not some out of this world maturity.
I think this is lame excuse which is often used by underachievers.
When 1984/1985 team won World gold nobody was talking about maturity.

[Straight forward]

when i see rubio, gallinari or batum I see kids, even r. fernandez body looks highly underdeveloped and is more similar to a teenager than a mature basketball player.

Do you realy need to watch at every italian talent? The fact is that Jasikevicius, Stombergas, Siskauskas, Songaila, Timinskas, M. Zukauskas had the best years being over 25. And this generation is one the strongest in the world. We are talking about lithuanian basketball talents and it's obvious that our players reach the peak later than players in western countries. Even Marciulionis (imho, phenomenal player which you could hardly find these days in european basketball) reached his peak being about 24. More over, people there can praise Rudy as much as they like, but all i know he wasn't the leader in Spain NT and his performance in Eurobasket was rather mediocre. He was gone somewhere in crutial games. As for me, Rudy isn't in the list of best players in Europe yet (the list is quite short though. i'm waiting for olympics).

[Basketball GOD]

Do you realy need to watch at every italian talent? The fact is that Jasikevicius, Stombergas, Siskauskas, Songaila, Timinskas, M. Zukauskas had the best years being over 25. And this generation is one the strongest in the world. We are talking about lithuanian basketball talents and it's obvious that our players reach the peak later than players in western countries. Even Marciulionis (imho, phenomenal player which you could hardly find these days in european basketball) reached his peak being about 24. More over, people there can praise Rudy as much as they like, but all i know he wasn't the leader in Spain NT and his performance in Eurobasket was rather mediocre. He was gone somewhere in crutial games. As for me, Rudy isn't in the list of best players in Europe yet (the list is quite short though. i'm waiting for olympics).

Jesus christ ... most players career years starts than they are older than 25. name me a player who was better at 22 years age than 27 years age and didn't have some freak injury?
Also from your players list only Jasikevicius and Siskauskas could be qualified as superstars on their time. And only Siskauskas could be qualified as a late bloomer (and of course when he was 22 years old he played very significant role on bronze medal team in Sidney) while Jasikevicius was always top notch talent just forgot because of his poor play in Maryland where he was used as SG. And others are just good players nothing extraordinary.
Also why you fail to mention Sabonis, Macijauskas, Kleiza, Kirilenko (same latitude), Nowitzki (not that far from Lithuania) and etc? These are players who dominated at youth competition or was already good to play professional basketball at young age. I think they clearly show that Lithuania isn't near some massive black hole, isn't affected by it's gravity and because of this time doesn't move slower.

[Straight forward]

Stombergas and Songaila aren't just ordinary players. They are huge players, specially when we talk about NT. Sabonis is phenomenon, more than just talent. Macijauskas is an exeption, though he had the best stats of his career in EL this year (...). Kleiza isn't that young, he's 23 now and i believe he will have his best years being 25-30. All i'm saying that players from east/north mature later (biologic books writes about that) and i see enough proves for that. Not saying that this is obvious like a rule, but you can't cut this out like you are trying to.

[Basketball GOD]

So once again what about Karnisovas, (Modestas) Paulauskas, Biedrins, Kirilenko? Other exceptions? LOL
BTW Kleiza was dominating youth competition at 19 years old and was considered elite talent then. Only today he looks average.