Žalgiris, compared to NBA teams, records historical indicators / News

Marius Grigonis compared Žalgiris’ all-cylinder attack to the San Antonio Spurs game. Martin Schiller jokingly found analogies with the Utah Jazz.

Laughter, but this week’s game “Žalgiris” was probably the most reminiscent of the Golden State Warriors version of the best times.

A total of 34 triples are scored, shooting 61 percent. accuracy. On average, they scored 95.5 points, made 26.5 assists, missed, and not least, only 67.5 points.

The way Žalgiris looked in two games in three days is without a doubt the strongest section of them this year.

The tone was set in Tuesday’s game with Vitoria’s “Baskonia”. The Basque team, which until then had the second best defensive rating in the Euroleague, held Žalgiris less than 20 points in the second half alone (19).

In all other sectors, the Kaunas attack had no disturbances and the triples were thrown at an absurd 69 percent. precision (18/26).

18 hitting triples is “Žalgiris” second best result of all time in the Euroleague and the sixth best in the Euroleague overall.

Trouble for opponents came from everywhere on Tuesday: 8 different “Žalgiris” players attacked from afar.

It seems like it must have been difficult to repeat this on Thursday, but “Žalgiris” did just that. Again, 8 different basketball players scored at least one triple each, and in total they were scored 16 times from the 6.75m mark.

Accuracy, again surprising, 56 percent. (16/30).

“We shot well, but compared to other teams, we don’t shoot often,” Žalgiris strategist Martin Schiller said. – I wouldn’t mind if we pitch more often. But we must not sacrifice the quality of the shots. “

Based on the 3-point shooting percentage, “Žalgiris” is on a historic path this season, reaching the goal by 44.4 percent. long shots. Throughout the history of the Euroleague, only Partizan Belgrade (45.4%) scored more triples, but it was still in 2001-2002. season, after playing a total of 14 games.

Kaunas residents still have more than half of this season’s regular season games left, so this number will definitely fluctuate, but those percentages are elite.

It’s also impressive that Kaunas hits this way, as Schiller put it, throwing some 3-pointers – at just 20.9 per game, they are just two teams ahead of this indicator. For example, Real Madrid, who usually attack the basket from a distance, shoots 28.6 triple points during the game.

The impressive numbers don’t end here. Six players from “Žalgiris” main rotation (excluding the episodic Karolis Lukošiūnas) are shooting at least 43 percent from distance this season. accuracy. Lukas Lekavičius reaches 54.5 percent. three points (12/22) and Marius Grigonis – 56.3 percent. (36/64).

Artūras Milaknis, who previously had a difficult six-game series, during which he scored just 2 points out of three of 17, is 43.6 percent overall. precision (24/55).

“Guys work very hard individually. Coaches put a lot of emphasis on the individual development of the players. Players are comfortable throwing those pitches. ”Schiller searched for reasons to hit well.

Precise shots and division of the ball pave the way for records: 31 assists in the duel with Fenerbahce are Žalgiris’ best results in the Euroleague.

“It’s fun when they impersonate each other and then the whole team gets infected. It’s like a “Spurs” game in San Antonio, when everyone throws the ball to the end, “Grigonis said.

In both matches this week, “Žalgiris” eliminated the rivals in the third quarter. In the duel with Baskonia during this quarter, Kaunas scored all 5 shots, and in the game with Fenerbahče, 6 of 7.

Thus, in the first case, the fourth was won 24:11, in the second – 30:16.

“In the last three games, we have taken the right steps in the right direction,” said Aukšine Rubitas, who played the most productive (18 points) and most useful (27 points) match of the season after the victory over Fenerbahče.

The third match he mentioned was last week’s match in Athens, where Kaunas 81:69 betrayed “Panathinaikos” and thus ended a series of six losses.

But even earlier, in the game with Barcelona, ​​Žalgiris showed better defense and communication on the pitch and from the bench.

In this sense, everyone speaks – and Paulius Jankūnas, whose faster pace is a pleasant discovery this season, and the voice of the defense is always louder – and Marius Grigonis, who, sitting on a bench, seems to become assistant coach, giving advice to his teammates on how to cover. a specific opponent, and any other Žalgiris.

“Maybe we finally realized that speaking up in defense helps us and it becomes easier,” Jankūnas said after Tuesday’s match. – When we had a series of bad games, we all realized that we would not win by attack. Attack works more or less during those losses, but what we lacked is defense.

There will be mistakes all the time, but there shouldn’t be such wrong mistakes when someone has not spoken or easily missed (the opponent). We can’t give rivals anything for nothing. “

Changes in the top five also help Žalgiris’ defense. After Steve Vasturi retired, Nigel Hayes spends much more time in the position of a light forward and with him the Kaunas club have a very effective top five.

Lekavičius, Jokubaitis, Hayes, Jankūnas and Rubitas’ never used five during the first game of the 12 seasons was the second most played quintet in the last three games (only the five starters played together).

This five has a +11 gauge in almost 18 minutes played and becomes a secret weapon that Žalgiris hadn’t used before.

“With those five, we are mobile, big,” Jankūnas explained. – When you get the ball back, we have Luka (Lekavičius) or Rokas (Jokubaitis) next to those five, who are very fast, and then they run quickly to attack. Basketball is getting faster and faster and, after a good defense, the attack is always easier and better ”.

No matter how unfair it may seem, the loss of Vasturia may even benefit Žalgiris. It started with Walkup, Grigon, Hayes and Lauvergne, but all five were the least effective in “Žalgiris”, although they played the most: their +/- score was minus 22 in almost 67 minutes of play.

The situation is absolutely the opposite, when Milaknis takes the place of Vasturios in these five: for 36 minutes of those five games, Žalgiris has the best indicator +/- (+16).

Equally effective, only less used (14.5 minutes in total) are the five with Lekavičius, Jokubaitis, Grigonis, Jankūnas and Rubitis.

The success and failure stories come from many details, and “Žalgiris” has recently taken on such a golden streak in the game that even comparisons to NBA teams don’t sound absurd.