Knicks select Rokas Jokubaitis (34th overall)

[islanders11040]

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Draft and Stash? Can't be upset since we got him for free essentially trading 32 for 34/36.

[SelbyCobra]

I love this use for the pick. Turned 32 into a player (McBride) AND a 20 year old stash that pushes the asset forward with a chance to really appreciate.

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The Athletic's final draft board had Jokubaitis at 29 overall.

Strengths
Just absolutely tremendous feel out of ball screens and dribble handoffs. Zalgiris loved to start him in the corner then have him fly up and take a dribble-hand-off to get into the paint. Lot to like but the main thing for me is the craft with his handle. Just absolutely no worries about him turning it over. Plays completely and totally under control. And has every level and every decision all over the court at his disposal. As a scorer, can snake the screen and get all the way to the basket while shielding himself from defenders. Made a ridiculous 61.4 percent at the rim this season in halfcourt settings, an awesome number for a young guard in Europe. Very strong at the rim and plays through contact with great balance. Can stop and pop on a dime from the free-throw line, where he’s very comfortable having hit 41 percent of those shots as a 20-year-old. Then, of course, also can flatten out and just stop and pop if the big goes under. The only thing he’s missing is a true floater, although he is comfortable taking a pull-up from around 8 feet, whereas some guards just like taking the floater. More than that, though, his passing is awesome. Extremely creative playmaker with ball in hand and sees things that others just don’t. Makes every single read in the book. Moves opponents with his eyes and with fakes to draw defenders either toward the roller or the corner and then darts a pass. Regularly splits defenders with a perfect pass to the roller into tight windows. Loves the bounce pass directly into a shooting pocket to rollers. Anticipates defenses and passes players open. Very reliable decision-maker, too, with a near 3-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Effective as a shooter directly off the catch, not amazing. Made 39.2 percent of his shots off the catch, most of which were 3s. Good release, no off-hand interaction. Does take him an extra split second to get it off though as he generates power and rhythm and will need to speed that up. But it’s good and reliable from distance and doesn’t have to be totally set to make them. Very good at relocating if chased off the line. Steps forward into midrange jumpers. Will also note that Jokubaitis does a good job within defensive schemes. In Europe, where the guards are less athletic than in the NBA, does an OK job of holding up at the point of attack by using his strength and frame. Does fight and contest and is typically in the right spots rotationally.

Weaknesses
Jokubaitis is not a great athlete by NBA standards. He relies completely on change of pace with his handle and his footwork out of ball screens being so strong. Absolutely not a player who I’d feel comfortable with just giving the ball to at the end of a shot clock and assuming he can make something happen out of isolation. Needs that ball screen to get separation. Has all the reads down, but in the NBA I’m not sure I trust Jokubaitis to blow by bigs in isolation yet. Those same concerns stand up on defense for Jokubaitis too. He might not be quick enough to defend in space against the best guards in the league. He does a decent job in Europe because he can use his strength and body a little bit more than he’ll be able to in the NBA. But he’s not overly light on his feet. Takes him an extra split second to load up and drop his hips to get his momentum going again if a player changes direction. This affects his closeouts too. Don’t think he gets through screens particularly well at the moment, either. Good off the catch from 3, not great off the bounce. Only took 25 jumpers off the dribble from 3 this past season, making seven of them. That’s not great.

Summary
Players like Jokubaitis process the game well and play with a high-skill level. They can make live dribble passes all over the court and take advantage of any mistake the defense makes. On top of that, they project as good shooters off the catch, giving them the ability to translate playing both on and off the ball. There are just a lot of outs for those guys to be successful in some regard. On top of that, at just 20 years old, the Lithuanian guard has proven he can play a critical role for a great overseas team in the second toughest league in the world. Jokubaitis likely won’t be a star in the same way as Goran Dragic because I don’t think he’s as shifty as Dragic. But he can provide similar value to late-career Dragic, who is still a valuable and knows how to run an offense and provide value next to a wide variety of players. I have Jokubaitis as a late first-round grade because a lot of contending teams are looking for guys who can dribble, pass and shoot comfortably in the same way that he can. I’m not surprised that some of the best teams outside of the NBA like Barca and CSKA are chasing him. If he can hold up defensively, he has a real chance to make some money in the NBA.

[Grinditout]

Eh, we'll see if he ever puts on a jersey

[El Poochio]

My only meme for this guy:

Spoiler:

[SelbyCobra]

Keeps some of the asset's current value by pushing out the timeline, potentially growing even more value if these skills keep developing...

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[seren]

Most likely scenario: Knicks trade his drafts rights along with a second round pick and cash to Houston in 2032 for Houston’s second round pick

[blueNorange]

y'all don't even know that a guy like rokas probably gets drafted in the first round if:

- he was playing in the nba next year
- never put his name in the draft and played another 2-3 years before pulling the trigger.

[Capn'O]

I hope Souped Up Onion/Lithuanian Answer comes over. He can play.

[NYKnickerbocker]

Damn he playing with the original Kuz in that highlight lol.

[Jalen Bluntson]

See ya in a few years hopefully. When I first heard we traded back AGAIN at 32...I was mad. Not anymore. Deuce/Rokas is a nice haul for that pick!! I'm star to have hope that this FO is not just another bunch of fuqwads. Thet have confused and impressed me with the last 2 drafts...except the Obi pick but... whatever. The value they got for 19 was a bit weak but...well see how that works out. Still a future asset. It was enough to send me over the edge. I'm back on solid ground now though and...hoping they hit on multiple picks tonight. Liking all of the highlights so far. Can't wait to see them play.

[Adelheid]

He was playing with Kuzminskas? Future Knick with a former Knick cool

[SelbyCobra]

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[Adelheid]

Im seeing some Doncic in his game

[SelbyCobra]

These guys had him as the #3 European prospect for players born in the year 2000.

https://eurospects.com/player/rokas-jokubaitis/

PHYSICAL/ATHLETIC TOOLS
Good frame with a very solid and compact upper body which offensively enables him to absorb physical contacts quite well and defensively to put pressure on the ball and to get through screens with efficiency. Good size. More athletic than explosive, he owns a notable motor: remarkable running ability, speed open court athlete, good endurance. Nice footwork, but still improvable.

OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE STRENGTHS
Very creative, skilled guard who possesses natural instinct to pass the ball. Lefty crafty passer and generally very good court vision. He is an efficient pick and roll’s player. Shows great timing by being able to go around hedge, finding the roller and hitting the weakside corner as well with his left hand punishing the defensive rotations. Can pass over the top. Also able to push the stop button to read the defense and pass the ball. Head and eyes up. Good decision maker. Unselfish player with advanced IQ.

He pushes the pace in transition by whipping the ball and knowing the lanes to attack. He feels comfortable in open court: fast, smooth and capable at passing on the move. Knows how to read defense also in these situations. Decent athlete.

Maybe not the best in terms of explosiveness, but he owns a nice first step to beat defender in 1 on 1 and is strong physically to go through contacts. Likes to make a hesitation move before attacking. Can change his speed while driving. Good use of weak hand. Can drive and dish.

Solid mid-range shooter, going right and left as well. Very efficient at catching and shooting the ball behind the arc. Improved as shot creator, having much more confidence and showing a better shooting form compared to the past. Smooth and balanced. Soft touch.

He knows how to attack close-outs: ready hands to receive the ball and consequently read the defender’s position.

Able to attack the defensive switches, finishing also with the right hand. Has touch around the rim and can finish in different ways. Can perform soft floaters, too.

Very nice off the ball player: good cutter, intelligent at figuring out the timing to make the best possible cut. Always ready to play offering the right spacing and clear passing lanes on the floor.

Notable defensive attitude. Can apply pressure on the ball with a very competent defensive technique: always the right stance with nice footwork and quick hands. Great awareness about off the ball defense thanks to his fundamentals. He is active with his hands to make deflections or anticipations, working on the passing lanes. Can do energetic, hustle plays. Fights also when he is not involved in a good match-up.

OFFENSIVE/DEFENSIVE WEAKNESSES
He possesses an ok ball-handling, but has to develop it and to mix up different moves in order to become less predictable.

Sometimes he exaggerates dribbling when he runs a pick and roll, looses the correct timing to make the decision and is double-teamed with high risk of turnovers.

Needs to get better in regards to finishing in the traffic: he is able to absorb the contacts quite well, but still not enough for the maximum level. Has room for improvement about that.

Improved, but still not a great shot creator. A lot of his attempts are catch and shoot based situations.

Despite improving consistently his shooting stroke, sometimes he doesn’t have great balance while pulling up for a jumper, going a little bit backwards and loosing efficiency. But anyway always shows a truly nice follow-trough.

He gained self-confidence, but still he can do an other mental step in order to increase the trust in his tools.

Defensively he should still improve his footwork: has great stance and abnegation, but he may have some issues when he has to guard really quick and explosive players. Not elite athlete.

PERSONALITY
Amazing character. He goes through physical contacts fearlessly. Knows how to lead a team, generates advantages for his teammates due to his creativity. Maybe he should believe more in his individual potential. Team player, unselfish. Incredibly smart, brainy guy with elite IQ. The lucidity and the comprehension of the game are advanced for his age. Able to take responsibilities also in crucial moments of the game. Great desire to learn and get better. Has potential to be an elite euro guard Diamantidis style.

[RHODEY]

OK so he looks great but U dont want to wait 5 years to see him on the Knicks...

[Makar]

Watch on YouTube

[Sakkreth]

Watch on YouTube

1:56 damn

[edquantum]

OK so he looks great but U dont want to wait 5 years to see him on the Knicks...

No. He can come even this year, Knicks has to pay 750k.

[Jstock12]

OK so he looks great but U dont want to wait 5 years to see him on the Knicks...

No. He can come even this year, Knicks has to pay 750k.

^ This. Jokubaitis actually wants to come to the NBA immediately if the team wants to bring him over, but they would have to pay the standard $775,000 buyout to Zalgiris. If the team wishes to stash him, he's fine continuing his career in Barcelona.

[The Lamma]

OK so he looks great but U dont want to wait 5 years to see him on the Knicks...

No. He can come even this year, Knicks has to pay 750k.

^ This. Jokubaitis actually wants to come to the NBA immediately if the team wants to bring him over, but they would have to pay the standard $775,000 buyout to Zalgiris. If the team wishes to stash him, he's fine continuing his career in Barcelona.

Good to hear, because last two times we drafted Euro guards, we got stood up and never saw them in a Knicks uni. Milos Vujanic in particular was promising, this is going back almost 20 years, and very late 2nd rounder Ognjen Jaramaz a few years ago. Rokas has nice handles.