VITALS: 7-2, 240, Zalgiris (Lithuania) OVERVIEW: An early entry candidate in the 2004 draft before withdrawing his name from consideration, Andriuskevicius has spent the last two years learning from legendary Lithuanian center Arvydas Sabonis, who plays for the senior team. After playing with the junior squad in 2003-04, the 19-year-old averaged 4.4 points and shot 50 percent from the floor in 10 minutes with the senior team this year. LIKELY DRAFT POSITION: Andriuskevicius surprisingly stayed in the draft despite not having a promise from any NBA team that it would take him early. Teams better structured to select him would be those who don't need him to develop quickly, and that means Indiana (17), Memphis (19) and Sacramento (23) are possible destinations. COMPARATIVE UPSIDE: Zydrunas Ilgauskas COMPARATIVE DOWNSIDE: Gregor ***** ROLE PROJECTION: Backup forward until he gains weight. POSITIVES: Andriuskevicius can shoot the basketball and run the floor well. He is too thin now to play minutes at center or even power forward but might get onto an NBA court in the next two years because he can shoot the perimeter shot comfortably to about 20 feet. He came up through the same system that produced another 7-3 Lithuanian, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Ilgauskas also was very skinny at this stage of his career. Today, Ilgauskas is one of the better (and few) true centers in the NBA. SHORTCOMINGS: Andriuskevicius is very thin and very weak. He just turned 19 and has plenty of physical development ahead of him. He is not ready to play in the NBA now and could be another Darko Milicic - a very talented player who is going require patience and a long-range view in order to succeed.
I know that everyone is saying he is a great athlete and he will be a first round pick but I think this guy has bust written all over him. If he wasn't 7'2" he would never have a shot in the NBA because he is weak and put up horrible stats last year in Lithuania. I also heard he has the wing span of 6'10" player even though he is 7'2". This post may start an argument but I just don't see how he is going to make an impact in the NBA when almost every other center is stronger and bigger then him.
^I do too. I thought he was good in the beginning, but he really isn't all that good. He does have bust written all over him.
Well, if he was there for Utah with the 27th pick, I would take him. He just need to gain some muscle, He looks like he is a twig from the pictures I've seen.
You guys never really seen him play enough to consider him a bust yet. Alot of people thought Bendrins would be a bust cause he was picked too high for a European, but he had a good rookie year and show alot of flashes and had a double I'm not comparing Martynas to Andres they're two TOTALLY different players, I'm just saying don't judge a book by its cover.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Swish15:</div><div class="quote_post">If he wasn't 7'2" he would never have a shot in the NBA because he is weak and put up horrible stats last year in Lithuania. </div> You can't blame him for horrible stats in Lithuania, and you can't compare NCAA with European pro teams... He played in one of most powerfull euro teams wich had the highest goals in Europe, and giving Martynas more playing time was not the teams priority, because they had more experinced players. If he would play in in some US Highschool he would put up same rediculous numbers like rest of players. He still migth be bust, and he is 1 or 2 years away from NBA....
Yeah I guess it is kind of early to put a label on him. I will give him a chance and see how his career pans out.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting MrJ:</div><div class="quote_post">He [Andirs Biedrins] reminds me more of Tiago Splitter.</div> Me too, I agree completely I have a clip of Martynas's TEAM< theres a part when he has a dunk http://s5.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=33QFEC09R1IF51LS3SVRQ4ZBWN
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting j0se:</div><div class="quote_post">You guys never really seen him play enough to consider him a bust yet. Alot of people thought Bendrins would be a bust cause he was picked too high for a European, but he had a good rookie year and show alot of flashes and had a double I'm not comparing Martynas to Andres they're two TOTALLY different players, I'm just saying don't judge a book by its cover.</div> Exactly-If you judge by the cover you see a real tall guy and you hear hype than would have you think this was Wilt Chamberlain's unclaimed son. Who has seen this guy play? Hardly anyone...because WHY? Because he doesn't play. Why not,Because Tanoka Beard is the starter,a decent 6-9 guy,ex-US College player who was not drafted. Beard is 6-9. The header of this thread says Martynas scored 4.4? last I saw he'd scored under 2pt a game. He had a worse FT % than Shaq and while little G Chris Paul had over 10 bench press reps in Chicago,Marty had zero.. Skills are not there. If you have ANY skills and are 7-2 or 7-4 or whatever,you gotta score 5 pt. What did Schenser do at Ga. Tech? about 10 pt a game? Schenser is what is called a stiff., tall, not real athletic,a few skills...and Marty A is a few years from being as good ....But let's judge this book by it's cover, He is real tall and if nobody is near-----He can DUNK! Clearly a top 3 pick,just don't open the book and try to look up "SKILLS" that chapter is blank.
