The first European player in this draft may well not be French as these last two years, but Lithuanian. Kasparas Jakucionis Signed a great first season in NCAA and will necessarily hit the eye of certain recruiters, as he has done with part of the public in recent months. Difficult to remain insensitive to the main qualities of Kasparas Jakucionis, a magnificent passer capable of superb gestures to serve his teammates, or to sanction by his shot. “Flashy”, while having fundamental solids acquired between Vilnius and the FC Barcelona training center, the Illinois player also arrives in the NBA with his share of questions.
Mounted fairly high in certain predictions after a canon start to the season, the European U16 2022 champion lifted the foot thereafter, especially at the address, after an injury in the forearm.
Was his drop in diet due to this physical glitch? Was he over-regime in his first ten ten matches? Or have the defenses adapted to his particular game? And what about his real NBA position: a large leader but physically limited elsewhere, or an ideal rear as a secondary creator? One thing is certain, there is no shortage of talent in Fighting Illini.
Profile
Post: leader
Size: 1.95m
Weight: 93kgs
Team: Illinois Fighting Illini
Stats 2024/25: 15.0 points (at 44.0%), 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3.7 bullets lost in 31.8 minutes
Strengths
– Distribution. Seeing Kasparas Jakucionis at work is almost the assurance of going out at least your eyes once per game by a very high technical level. Above the shoulder, blindly, to cross the whole field, the Lithuanian is an artist, just as capable of seemingly simple but unstoppable readings for the defense as they are mastered.
– Mastering the game with screen. It is mainly on Pick-And-Roll that Kasparas Jakucionis operated with Illinois, and brilliantly. He does not have the first fastest or explosive step, but his ability to change the pace and his mastery of feints make Lithuanian a very serious finisher (64.5% success near the circle and more than five free throws attempted by match). His patience makes him difficult to predict as much as he is just as capable of passing as to finish the actions himself.
– The shooting potential. With a very modest 31.8% at 3-point, there is something to wonder what the shoot does among the notable facts of the former Barcelonnais. But this raw percentage does not say everything about the potential danger that Kasparas Jakucionis represents. It was much better than that before his injury this season (41.4% by far in his first 14 games), or with the Barça reserve (38%). Especially since the game of Illinois pushed him to take many difficult shots, for which he did not flee his responsibilities.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Weak points
– Gluttony. Connection of the playing style of Fighting Illini, Kasparas Jakucionis sometimes abuses outdoor shooting, in particular by his step-back on his left, which he loves. And if he is capable of magnificent passes, he does not always make the safest passes by his risk taking. He will absolutely have to temper these ardor and drastically reduce his 3.7 medium -lost balloons.
– Athletic qualities. Large leader with its 1m95, it is an advantage in the service of its vision of the game. For the rest, the Lithuanian lacks speed as well as liveliness, whether on his dribble or his side trips. This is felt in his attack on the sometimes too tender circle – which should not be well in front of the NBA athletes … – or in defense, where his contribution is limited.
Comparison
The “hybrid” profile of Kasparas Jakucionis, large but slow, good passer but not very secure leaves the field of possibilities very wide as for its future. He could as well be a player at the From Angelo Russell with his good as his bad sides, that a Austin Reaves of which he is approaching by the physique and which he could approach as a secondary distributor.
Prognosis
Second part of the Lotteryaround 10th place.
