Lithuanian guards (GOAT)

[Straight forward]

Let's discuss best Lithuanian guards of all time. In my opinion there are 5 players that should be mentioned and 3 players for competition of No. 1: Modestas Paulauskas, Šarūnas Marčiulionis, Rimas Kurtinaitis, Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Arvydas Macijauskas.

Most mysterious one for me is Modestas Paulauskas. Never saw him playing unfortunately. A. Gomelsky called this guy M. Jordan of these times. Probably it's hard to compare 1965 basketball with 90's and so far, but he became a champion and top scorer of Soviet Union NT in Eurobasket 1965 being just 20 years old! Plenty of other titles, including Olympic gold. Objectively looking, he's the best Lithuanian guard ever, IMO.

My favourite Šarūnas Marčiulionis. One of the first Europeans in NBA. Known as a pioneer of "Euro step" He was great and a beast. And I mean literally a beast, it's not like these days when Lakovič type of players are being called beasts. Save to say he's one of the most dominant European guards of modern basketball.

Šarūnas Jasikevičius. Probably you guys heard about him few times. I'll just remind you that Kazlauskas called him Maradona of basketball.

[madmax]

I dunno...
If we go by accomplishments alone, Paulauskas trumps everyone, but we all know that basketball was basically an amateur sport in Europe up untill the 80's or so. Most talented one I think is still Jasikevicius - he doesn't have the physical gifts of Marciulionis, but he uses his BB IQ and court smarts the best out of any lithuanian guard I ever saw.

[auris1]

Are you sure Paulauskas was a guard?

[auris1]

I dunno...
but we all know that basketball was basically an amateur sport in Europe up untill the 80's or so

How come?
If they trained full time,got paid for that you can not call it amateur sport.

[Straight forward]

Are you sure Paulauskas was a guard?

Not at all. But formally I think he's a guard. I heard he played more inside, but had a good mid range jump shot. He was poor from downtown, but fortunately there was no such thing back than

[madmax]

How come?
If they trained full time,got paid for that you can not call it amateur sport.

when I say "amateur", I obviously don't mean some lumberjack, who decides to play hoops with his buddies during his freetime. If you watched any of games back in those days, you would have noticed apparent lack of speed and pedestrian style of game. I'm not saying this kind of basketball is not enjoyable to some, but it sure lacks athleticism and training methods of today.

[auris1]

Not at all. But formally I think he's a guard. I heard he played more inside, but had a good mid range jump shot. He was poor from downtown, but fortunately there was no such thing back than

So here we go.
I am not sure how can you come up with

but formally I think he's a guard

.
I never saw him play too,unfortunately,but i had his book,so i just assume he was F if not PF? -i never sure about them abbreviations.
forward or power forward in layman terms .
But it is just me

[auris1]

I just noticed Kurtinaitis as well - hell no,no way he was a guard in my understanding.
Anyway,there are only 2 people really in this voting pole to consider - Saras J and Saras M.
So i will just split into categories -
defence - Sarunas Jasikevicius told in his interview some time ago that he only learned how to defend at the age of 30.Sorry,but i have to call it a bullshit and a bluff.
Clear winner - M.
rebounds - i would go with M again.
Steals - again,marcelo was so much better because of his strength.
Passing skills - J,and this is because( M never had to base the game on this).
Shooting - 3 pointers goes to J.
2 points - err,i would go with M because of so many fast breaks,but J has a better shot overall.So it is 50/50.
Free throws - J,at his prime he was 100 percent shooter.(like euro 2003).
Turnovers - again,no winners in this.
Fast break - J had an ability to make a pass,M had ability to finish .
Scoring - i think goes without a shadow of the doubt to M -he was always a scoring machine.

Titles - that's is a funny thing - J comes up as a clear winner.
Nba - M by no contest.
National team - close one,but euro 2003 gives the edge.J
i can go a bit further -
Personality - err,pretty dull, both of them
Personal life - Marcelo looks too promiscuous ,but i guess it because he is older compared too J.
Business - i like the fact ,that Marcelo invested his money in Lithuania,as opposite of Jaska,who has his restaurant in Barcelona etc,but i do not blame him for this.
Anyway,i feel that Marciulionis is a clear winner for me,but that is because i grew up with him playing basketball.

edit - i almost forgot - the sheer effort of becoming that they are - Saras had a natural talent,no doubt,but i remember reading about Marciulionis' efforts by hanging on the bar with weights attached to his feet for hours just to gain few centimetres he needed - that was priceless in my opinion.

[Shawshank]

Marciulionis