Before the start of the LKL season, there are five bold guesses

The clubs, which have almost finished their work, have left only one or the other adjustment, lined up on the starting line and are waiting for the first ball of the dispute.

The season promises a lot of intrigue and a possible transition of strength in qualifying.

How will Kaunas achieve “Žalgiris”? Will Martin Schiller live up to executives’ expectations? Will the Rytas Americans stay in Vilnius until the end of the season? Who will become the most productive player in the LKL and who is at risk of being relegated to the NKL?

Portal 15 minutes provides bold predictions of how the next LKL season will play out.

The most productive player of the season is Kyle Vinales

Last season, the most productive LKL basketball player was Alytus “Dzūkija” leader Chauncey Collins, who on average punished his opponents with 16 points per game.

Although the new Lietkabelis attack, General Kyle Vinales may not be able to pull off this high-profile poster, the Panevėžys team’s attack is not lacking in other weapons, such as Paulius Valinskas, Gytis Masiulis or Marinas Maričius, but the defender of the Puerto Rican and American citizenship should to become one of the basketball players with the most protocol in the 2020-2021 championship.

Lietkabelis played seven games in the preparation stage, and K. Vinales recorded double-digit number of points in all of them and became the most productive player on the team (average 14.4 points) in the control game cycle.

The 28-year-old, 188 cm tall defensive defender arrived at Panevėžys from the Tallinn Kalev / Cramo team. K.Vinales, discovered for the first time in his career on the sled of an attack organizer led by coach Robert Štelmaher, recorded the best rates of his career.

The player, who became the absolute leader of the Estonian national team, ranked fifth in the VTB championship in terms of performance, accumulating 17.7 points (46.8% round trip, 30% triple, 75 , 7% penalty) and surpassing himself according to this indicator. CSKA Moscow Horror Mike James (average of 17.6 points).

He is the player who looks the most at the basket who distributes passes to his teammates. The third season of basketball in Europe is likely to be decorated with impressive individual performances.

In the Aukštaitija team, 15 minutes Knowledge, K. Vinales should earn around 70 thousand. euros.

At least five defeats for “Žalgiris”

Kaunas “Žalgiris”, led by Šarūnas Jasikevičius, finished the regular LKL seasons with confidence, placing first place and losing a total of 2, 3 or 4 times.

It looks like the greenish-whites will have to absorb more accents next season, when 38-year-old Martin Schiller of Austria is at the helm.

“Žalgiris” has the main core of players who give a strong boost to the team, but the strategist has an even greater rotation, the presence of basketball players on the field according to predetermined minutes and the incompatibility and ignorance of the coach will lead to the Lithuanian champion at least 5 losses.

Everyone plays against the favorites with double energy, but when the decisive battles come, the green and the white will not budge: the title of champion will travel to Kaunas for the eleventh time in a row.

The last time Žalgiris suffered at least 5 losses in the 2013-2014 season (6), when Šarūnas Jasikevičius was still competing professionally, and the Kaunas players finished the regular season in only fourth position. However, they beat Vilnius “Rytas” in the semi-finals and in the final – “Neptune” from Klaipeda.

How will “Žalgiris” fare before “Morning” next season? Donald Kairys should have at least one win, but there may be more.

At the end of the season, “Žalgiris” will have a new coach

Martin Schiller, successor to Šarūnas Jasikevičius, has not yet left an optimistic impression, although he remains positive and confident.

Although Shar, who traveled to Barcelona, ​​left behind an impressive shoe size that would be a difficult task for any newcomer to complete, the biggest questions arise about the suitability of the NBA’s methodologies in Europe and the flexibility of the 38-year-old strategist. years.

Schiller, considered a progressive innovator, still adheres to his philosophy, which is somewhat contrary to trends at the highest level of the Old Continent: the minutes of the players are divided according to a pre-established plan, only a defense system, no practice of offensive defense. most of the Euroleague clubs.

This generates alarming signals before the start of the season. Stubbornness in these respects can ultimately lead a strategist not only to lose the confidence of students and managers, but also of work.

On the LKL scale, the composition of Žalgiris is more than guaranteed, so the warmth of M. Schiller’s chair does not really correlate with the results on the home front, where Žalgiris can compete due to the large number of players from highly trained basketball, but in the Euroleague.

This is a pretty bold assumption, but that’s what we gather here: “Žalgiris” will have a new coach at the end of the season.

The Americans from “Morning” will not be in Vilnius until the end of the season

Vilnius team leader Rolandas Jarutis and new coach Donaldas Kairys shook the market during the offseason, acquiring high-potential basketball players from the United States.

Yet it’s hard to expect these three high-profile fans, Andrew Goudelock, Demetrius Jackson and Chris McCullough, to welcome the season finale as Morning players.

A.Goudelock, a former Euroleague star, will win around 150 thousand in Vilnius. euros. Although the defender told reporters in Lithuania that he was not thinking of leaving “Rytas”, the ransom specified in the contract, according to the basketball player himself, comes to only 50 thousand. euros.

If the defender who scored 19 points against Athens Panathinaikos has recovered from an injury and is going to show a powerful game in the Champions League, those 50,000. it can become a real snack for the Euroleague or the strongest clubs in the European Cup.

Come 15 minutes sources announce that player D. Jackson will earn 11.5 thousand in Vilnius per month. EUR, others – 9 thousand. Seeing the origin of the information, it is very real that the correct option is the first.

Still not a huge sum for a high-potential, well-placed basketball player who scored 27 utility points in a game with Panathinaikos.

Ch.McCullough’s price is set behind the scenes at 10,000. euros.

Bet 15 minutes Sources agree that the contracts of these basketball players are very flexible, allowing them to leave the team during the season and rise to a higher level.

It all depends on your game. Of course, there are no vacancies for a long time, so in case of departure, newcomers would come to Vilnius.

The four strongest will be carved, and Dzūkija will be the last.

In the last four years, the top four places in the LKL have been distributed by Žalgiris, Rytas, Neptūnas and Lietkabelis, but it will be very difficult for clubs to extend this tradition into the coming season.

The port city organization suffered the biggest hit to COVID-19, which cut Neptūnas’ budget by a third, from € 1.5 million to € 1 million. – 900 thousand, and part of this amount will continue to be used to cover debts.

The Juventus club money gap is smaller for next season (around 700 thousand), but Klaipėda residents have opted for a long-term vision with a mix of veterans and youngsters.

The player acquisitions, Martynas Gecevičius and Mindaugas Kupšas, a future newcomer, for whom Juventus coaches are willing to pay up to 10,000, have been saved. per month.

These reasons drive the great ambitions of Juventus. Žydrūnas Urbonas and the company will manage to enter the first four, and there, perhaps, challenge him in the fight for the medals.

It will be more dangerous than ever to remain the last team in the LKL next season, because Jonava, who invited Virginijus Šeškų, wants to join the strongest league in the country.

Although “Šiauliai” with Prienai’s “CBet” seems uninspiring, Alytus “Dzūkija” walks over the abyss more dangerously.

Several representatives of the club are looking for a place in the Seimas, the coach may change during the season, Antanas Sakavickas Jr., who has become the leader, found himself in the team’s application for the season, and

The Alytus team finished ninth in the previous season, which had the same number of victories (6), as the last Kėdainiai team.

Dzūkija is hoping to drop not only to the bottom of the table, but also to a possible lower league.