Could Ilgauskas have been a useful addition to Lithuania's national team?

[Hepcat]

Also I'm surprised to see Ilgauskas mentioned as a player who could have help your NT in the past. He was such a sloppy, slow and stupid motherfucker that I don't think that he could really help Macedonian NT let alone Lithuanian one. His decent NBA statistics must not deceive anyone - he's like Vujabitch or Udrih in that - absolutely atrocious and too brainless for top international bball but seeming to have find his own niche in NBA.

So is Terrorizer correct or could Žydrūnas Ilgauskas have been a useful addition to Lithuania's national team during the years when he played for the Cleveland Cavaliers?

Myself I think Terrorizer could be largely correct. Ilgauskas was never known for his speed and Lithuania's teams in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics were teams built around speed and the fast break. I'm not so sure that Ilgauskas would have fit in well at all.

[macleopard13]

I don't know. His rebounding would've definitely helped us - he was grabbing like 7-8 RPGs in 2002-2008. As for speed, Zukis wasn't that fast either, but man, could he block . I think that yes, Ilgauskas would've been a great addition in 2004-2006, when we didn't have decent centers except Zukis and Javtokas (and the unstable Darjus sometimes). I'd have definitely taken Ilgauskas instead of Javtokas in the '04 Olympics. But I guess one player wouldn't have changed the fate of the team (losing to Italy in the semis). Or would have he?

[rikhardur]

I think Ilgauskas would have been useful... I mean, Sabonis was also slow and to leave him out would have been insane

[Straight forward]

What's for competition here? And I'm not talking about Lithuania - we had some great bigs, but generelly? OK, Divac, Radja, M. Gasol, P. Gasol (if he counts as a center?). And that's it.

And please don't start with all these "how good Bourousis could be in NBA"...

Ilgauskas is one of the best European Centers ever. Period.

[Hepcat]

I don't know. His rebounding would've definitely helped us - he was grabbing like 7-8 RPGs in 2002-2008. As for speed, Zukis wasn't that fast either, but man, could he block .

Good point.