Why should the national team fear Lithuania and why… not

THE Lithuania is the first and highest obstacle in the way of the National team for the great overtaking to reach its quarter-finals World Cup. After the nerve-wracking game against New Zealand that took the weight off their feet, the Greek team head into the second leg unscathed with a goal of a 2-2 draw that will put them in the eight, unless the USA lose to Lithuania. But who is Kazis Maksvitis’ team? Is so good that we shudder at her or she has weaknesses that leave room for optimism?

Christos Robolis writes from Manila

The truth, as usual, is somewhere in the middle with… leaning towards the latter. Lithuania is a good team indeed, but by no means invincible. It had an impressive first phase with three wins in as many games and an average difference of 25.3 points against Egypt (93-67), Mexico (91-61) and Montenegro (91-71). She played very good basketball at times and showed her strengths, but she also has weaknesses.

Something like… National

By diabolical coincidence, this year’s summer in Lithuania resembles that of Greece in his view number and importance of absences. Yiannis Antetokounmpo of “Lietuva” was the Domantas Sabonis, an All Star player as well, although not with a similar status to ours in the NBA. He was also put out of action, but early on, after an operation on his wrist. Next to the leader of the Kings came to be added by choice and not due to injuries Grigonis, Ulanovas, Giedraitis, Lekavicius and necessarily due to surgery o Butkevicius.

THE Kazis Maksvitis he emphasized – like Dimitris Itoudis – from the first moment that, lacking so much talent and so much experience, his team should become tougher. He chose one himself roster with ten World Cup rookies, two of which play in his own Zalgiris and another four in the domestic league. Himself wanting to create chemistry started the preparation from July 13 (!) and had his team play in 11 friendly! France, Latvia, Georgia, Finland, Puerto Rico and Jordan won among others.

The roster of Lithuania

Vaidas Kariniauskas (16/11/1993 – 1.98m. – G) Mazekiai

Rokas Yokubaitis (19/11/2000 – 1.94m. – G) Barcelona

Tomas Dimsa (02/01/1994 – 1.96m – G) Zalgiris

Margiris Normantas (27/10/1996 – 1.94m. – G) Ritas Vilnius

Davidas Sirvidis (10/06/2000 – 2.03m – G/F) Lietkampelis

Ignas Brazdeikis (08/01/1999 – 2.01m – G/F) Zalgiris

Tandas Sedekerskis (17/01/1998 – 2.06m. – F) Baskonia

Mindaugas Kuzminskas (19/10/1989 – 2.06m. – F) AEK

Eimantas Bendzius (23/04/1990 – 2.07m. – PF) Sassari

Donatas Motiegiounas (20/09/1990 – 2.13m. – C) Monaco

Jonas Valanciunas (06/05/1992 – 2.11m. – C) New Orleans Pelicans

Gabrielius Maldounas (19/04/1993 – 2.04m. – C) Lietkampelis

Jonas the pillar, Rokas the monk and the others

Lithuania’s roster doesn’t have a lot of glitz, but it’s a standout Jonas Valanciunas. Now 31, the Pelicans center may never reach superstar or even All-Star status in the NBA, but he’s a terrific center who he is coming off a season of averaging a double-double, 14.1 points and 10.2 rebounds in 24.9 minutes and 80 appearances. In the World, so far, he has not excelled but he has not had to charge. He plays 19 minutes in the first three matches and averages 13.7 points (60% 2-pointers, 66.7% 3-pointers), 10 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1 block, which shows how he was managed in view of the “finals ».

He flanks the beastly tall as one’s reserve similar cubic (but not of the same class) center, Donatas Motiegiounas of Monaco. In the forward positions, the oldest member of the roster offers flexibility, experience and speed. Mindaugas Kuzminskas, which now belongs to AEK. He measures 12.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists in the 17.7 minutes he offers coming off the bench, while the presence of the quality but unstable Ignas Brazdeikis stands out on the “sidelines” with 9.3 points, 4, 7 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 21.4 minutes.

The guards are dominated by Rokas Yokubaitis, who after two years in a golden reserve role at Barcelona is by far Lithuania’s best operator and creator. The youngest player on the roster (22) is having a very good tournament with 12 points, 5.3 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per game. However, it is not surrounded by similar class regionals, as Kariniauskas (once of… Kymi) and Normantas are far from the top level.

The virtues and weaknesses of Lithuania

Lithuania has great assets, but also vulnerabilities. It is obvious how the reference point of the team is Jonas Valanciunas. With Greece’s lack of tall players, the Pelicans center will get a lot of balls and has the blocks to be a big problem for Papagiannis, who excels in shots but not in volume. Motiegiounas has similar characteristics, who like the main center of the team on their day can threaten decently and face to face.

Taking advantage of the attention that Valanciunas is attracting, several players find an opportunity to distinguish themselves. Thanks to him too pluralismbut also the high tempo given by Jokubaitis, Lithuania has the sixth best offense in the World Cup with 93.3, while at the same time they are very high in accuracy in two-pointers (60.3%) and three-pointers (38.2%). The energy and athleticism of its players bring “Lithuania” first in rebounds in the competition with 48 per game-ahead of the USA which has 45.7- of which 14 are offensive.

As for the weaknesses; Granted, Lithuania has impressed in the first phase, but untested against great teams nor did it get into pressure and high-contest situations, as the first two opponents were of the lowest level and Montenegro showed a tragic face in the third game. THE lack of a high level playmaker behind Yokubaitis makes the Barcelona ace a key ‘target’ for the Greek defence, who has the defensive tools (Walkap, Luntzis and others) to wear down opponents’ brains. Valanciunas and Motiegiounas they have volume and quality that can be problematic, but can backfire and boomerang if the Greek attack hit their slow feet (for example, they cannot play the dynamic hedge out that the New Zealanders used and forced the National team) or if Papagiannis with his good long shot pulls them away from the basket. As for the rest, they have talent that can make them harmful on their day, such as Brazdeikis, Dimsa and Sendekerskis, but except for Kuzminskas, they lack the experience and the personality to consistently come out “in front” of the difficult.

In conclusion, Greece is not a favorite but it has its chances against Lithuania and will play them to a draw. It will take a very good game and not for 15-20 minutes, but for at least 30 from the National Team to stay in the match, with intensity in red from the beginning, because – quite simply – otherwise it cannot be done and because if this time he finds himself behind again by a large margin, it will be impossible to overturn it. It must to take the… livers out of Yokubaitisperhaps provoke some erratic opposition shooters by playing with their psychology and the pair’s “must have”, force the heavy bodies in the Lithuanian “5” to move out of the paint and possibly implement some complex defenses or and belts. The equation is difficult, but not impossible.