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“When Paulius Jankūnas played his first match in the LKL Championship (October 3, 2003), Paulius Murauskas was still in his mother’s womb,” LRT journalist Rytis Kazlauskas wrote on Facebook during Sunday’s duel between Kaunas “Žalgiris “and Klaipėda” Neptūnas “.
Paulius Murauskas, who joined the Lithuanian championship system two years ago, is considered the most promising basketball player of his age in the country, and Žalgiris’ high hopes are perfectly reflected in his confidence in Sunday’s game with Neptune. from Klaipėda.
Fear of a coronavirus left Kaunas sniper Karolis Lukošiūnas in Kaunas, so Lithuania’s most promising sixteen-year-old played for 5 minutes in a match that raised no doubts about the winner.
Although the debut was not brilliant, as R. Kazlauskas warned, this Žalgiris resident, who celebrated his 17th birthday on February 14, became the youngest Žalgiris player in the last decade, and the third-youngest debut in the history of independent Lithuania.
The youngest from Žalgiris is Vytenis Čižauskas, who wore the Žalgiris first team jersey in March 2009, when he was only 16.5 years old. 12 days away from him is another player, Kęstutis Marčiulionis, who made his debut in the first season in LKL history.
By comparison, Vilmantas Dilys made his debut at the age of 17, Martynas Andriuškevičius and Žydrūnas Kelys at the age of 18. Lithuanian basketball oak Arvydas Sabonis debuted in Žalgiris almost 40 years ago on his 17th birthday and immediately began translating mountains.
From unfulfilled potential to absolute legend of national basketball. Destinations are different, and P. Murauskas began writing his book in Žalgiris on Sunday evening.
15 minutes on the website – the potential of the diamond “Žalgiris”, which is still being polished, force for the question mark. He painted this painting on basketball for 15 minutes with people who worked for P. Murauskas or fought on the field.
“Scanpix” nuotr./Paulius Murauskas
Paulius Murauskas is a 203 cm tall basketball player who is turning 17 years old and who, depending on his surroundings, should no longer grow. Currently he plays in the light and heavy edge forward positions, he excels with long arms, and in the future his position on the field will be determined by the speed and strength developed in defense.
The specialists emphasize the greatest weapon of P. Murauskas as a wonderful sensation of the game and reading of situations, calling it player. I don’t practice gamer skills. It is an innate feeling to deal with situations in a flash.
Paul, who began attending nine years of basketball training at the Tornado Basketball School, immediately excelled in physical proportions and was significantly taller than the others.
The talent was brilliant and it lacked work, but it later gained momentum and increased its fees with each season, until five years later it was switched to the Žalgiris system.
He looked great last winter at the Euroleague Youth Tournament, where he played in the symbolic five among players over the age of two, averaging 15.5 points, 7 rebounds and 18.5 utility points.
Last season, P.Murauskas, 15, made his debut in the National Basketball League and this year he became one of the leaders of the Žalgiris doubles team: 10.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists .
Before moving to the Žalgiris organization, two impressive years in the student environment. In the last season, the 13-year-old recorded 33.4 points, 18.6 points and 44.2 utility points in the MKL championship.
Good game IQ, long arms, medium jump, lack of stability, but versatile, burning with great passion for the game, angry gamer, sometimes arrogant.
Photo by Rokas Lukoševičius / 15min / Oak Tubelis and Paulius Murauskas
Body strength in the ranks of peers: natural and exceptional. Everyone 15 minutes the professionals interviewed highlighted the good understanding and sense of the basketball player’s game.
He has good ball control, capable of a two-on-two combination in the role of player. Due to his height, long arms and view of the field, he can share the ball well.
P.Murauskas can sometimes inadvertently break the combination, but due to his skills and playing IQ, he can find a way out of the situation.
P.Murauskas has agile and fast hands, to which the ball hits well in the fight under the board or after a difficult pass from a teammate. Of course, lack of experience is sometimes reflected in mistakes, but it is inevitable at that time.
The pearl of the “Žalgiris” system can overcome the opponent both in the fight on the three-point line, playing head-to-head in the basket, and playing in the penalty area.
VIDEO: “UrBONUS”: R. Kurtinaitis problems, P. Jankūnas (not) visible benefits, and Žalgiris scores
Throwing needs stability, but it is another sign of youth.
Although P. Murauskas shoots nearly three 3s and nearly three free throws in the NKL championship this season, he still can’t boast of a good shot: 30.8 and 66.1 percent, respectively. hits.
The coaches have adjusted and continue to adjust the launch of the young talent. Paul is getting stronger and more masculine, so there is still no stability in the throwing technique, his hands do not lift the ball perfectly and after the throw, he goes a little to the side.
“He’s still adjusting in men’s basketball. It’s a matter of time before you work hard and increase your percentages. He may become a sniper, but there’s a lot on his mind. Others shoot really well and get off the tractor. immediate. Paul needs to think less about the past, more about the future launch, “said one of the interlocutors.
The potential is not in doubt, but there is no need to rush the entire repair process. P.Murauskas has to throw his pitches, make his own mistakes and make his own stupid decisions. All of this will give you useful experience, help you learn from mistakes, and allow you to improve.
The Žalgiris coaches encourage him to attack the basket. If you don’t allow NKL, where will you allow it? Sure, he has to find a situation, he has to make a good decision, but with the pitches comes a stability and a confidence that the basketball player does not lack.
Eriko Ovčarenko / 15min nuotr./Paulius Murauskas
Everyone wants to score points, so having a defensive mindset at a young age is important so that working on your side of the field is just as important.
Paul’s defensive potential is good, although he tends to save at the moment, often trying to deal with everything with his long, fast hands. Either trying to knock out a defender who has already passed his back or intercepting the ball during the pass.
P.Murauskas has the strength to represent opponents below the basket, but sometimes he gets lost in team defense.
“He has been in men’s basketball for a year and a half, so those mistakes are normal,” said one of the interlocutors.
FIBA photo / Paulius Murauskas
“He already feels like an NBA player.” 15 minutes said one of the respondents, emphasizing that only the wrong character can stop a basketball player.
As it was told 15 minutes According to sources, the character is the main and perhaps the only “red flag” of this talent, and Robertas Javtokas, the sports director of Žalgiris, who wants to steer P. Murauskas in the right direction, has already dealt with him.
Comments on the character can depend on the attitude. Paul is an emotional gamer who can scream in an opponent’s face after a lean pitch or exchange retorts during a duel. Is it necessary to have sports rage and healthy arrogance or to cross borders?
Paul survives defeats, perhaps personal play, as he abruptly goes from boy to boy level. And it takes time to adjust.
Sometimes the emotions lift him to the clouds, sometimes he hits the ground hard. Finally, we go back to the age of 16 in the basketball player’s passport, so all these dangers are in the way of all talented players.
After all, this is a 16-year-old who has already made his debut in Kaunas “Žalgiris”. How not to star in and feel the attention of the environment?
Most importantly, it shows infinite desire and hopefully the aforementioned problems will be solved with maturity.
If there were training sessions lost in Tornade without justifiable reasons, then in Žalgiris it is no longer.
“I understand it. It should be very difficult for a teenager to deal with everything. This is a great challenge. Like everyone, the head can turn, so sometimes it is necessary to teach him,” said a person from P. Murauskas.
A prototype of the future? Some respondents mention Rokas Giedraitis, others Saulius Štombergs, the Lithuanian version of Kevin Durantas also appeared on the table, but most of the time the last name that fell was Linas Kleiza.
Although the veteran leader of the national team was at another level of fitness, and at the beginning of his career he was educated in the role of midfielder, but then he became a number 3-4, who read the game well, was versatile, had a nice long shot.
P.Murauskas will have to cross another desert with such a profile, but he has a guiding star.
P. Murauskas’ average athleticism, characterized by a relatively weak jump and rarely visible deposits, may close his path to the NBA. But in Europe, the chances of shining are slim.
“It will be neither Rock nor Saul nor Lin. It will be Paulius Murauskas, creating his own story. It is truly a gifted nature. There is still a lot of work to do to make dreams come true ”.
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