Another possibility for the mystery big guy. - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

Dooby · 06-28-2002, 12:42 PM

Chcago JK posts at LMF (It ain't plagerism if you give credit):

this is from Dallasbasketball.com message board. One guy thinks he found the mystery man. The name is comes up with is Saulius Kuzminskas from Lithuania. Saulius played at U of Cal for a year, but it looks like he didn't play much. After one year he went home to his pro team. He had an ACL injury last year.
Anyway, this is fun. Here is soemething frome telebasket.com
Grew up with Vilnius Basket School (Lithuania) junior, made his senior debut in the 1999-00 season playing with BC Sakalai Vilnius. In 2000-01 played college ball at the University of California at Berkeley. For the 2001-02 season was signed by AB Siauliai(Lithuania).
.
Selected for the 1999 Nike EuroCamp in Barcelona. Played with the Lithuanian Junior National team at the 2000 European Championship.

Interest
Local, NBA, NCAA, Foreign

Notes
Tall, Saulius has a tailor made frame, long limbed and with huge wingspan.........Mobile and athletic, he’s pretty explosive and runs the court with excellent coordination.........A great offensive talent, plays the four spot.........Has some back to the basket skills, can quickly spin on the pivot foot to slide along the baseline.........Shows hook and jump hook shots with either hand.........Always ready to beat help and slam the ball.........Strong on penetration, has a quick first step and drives on either side with consistency; can finish with good body control even when getting bumped.........Has a good shooting form and a soft touch, he likes to take jumpers with his feet set.........Deadly from the top of the key, needs to catch and shoot a bit.........Hits the board hard thanks to his athleticism.........Very cool in the clutch.........On defense he’s pretty good too.........Can slide against opponents on the perimeter, but is a bit light against heavier big men down low.........Relies mainly on his athleticism and size, and shows timing to swat shots.........Should be a better defensive rebounder.........A superb talent, he showed substantial improvements since he has started playing at senior level.........Will play the next season in the NCAA........Euroleague and NBA potential.

Dooby · 06-28-2002, 12:56 PM

He is listed at 6'11". No weight listed.

mick · 06-28-2002, 12:57 PM

Yep. I posted this info in the Grath Joseph threa a little earlier. I think there may be something to it.

Dooby · 06-28-2002, 01:00 PM

Yeah, I was thinking of posting it there, but started a new thread.

He is listed at 6'11". Which I find dubious. He is probably shorter, which makes me question if we have the right guy.

I really want to know this guys weight.

bskball.com is also reporting that NY may be trading the guy they took with the 36th pick to us as part of a NVE trade. I find that unlikely but possible.

mick · 06-28-2002, 01:03 PM

See the other post under Jpseph thread for the other candidate.

Dooby · 06-28-2002, 01:06 PM

When in doubt, look at the NBA draft list:

Kuzminskas, Saulius PF 6'11" 230 11.5 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 1.5 apg.

Kuzminskas, Saulius Draft Page

HIGHLIGHTS
Became automatically eligible for the 2002 NBA Draft when he left California and signed to play in the Lithuanian League as a professional.
Played very briefly at California (Berkeley) during the 2000-01 season.
Played briefly for Sakalai of Lithuania during 1999-2000 season.
In his first full season as a professional in Lithuania, averaged 11.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in 21.9 minutes per game.
Ranked fourth in the league with 28 blocked shots and was 13th in the league in rebounding.
Showed potential in only the third game of the season when he scored 20 points against well-respected Lietuvos Ryas.
Exploded for season-high 30 points and added nine rebounds vs. Alita Alytus.
Posted one of three double-doubles for the season when he tallied 18 points and 12 rebounds vs. Sakalai.
Scored 17 points and added nine rebounds vs. Atletas Kaunas.

According to the J&J European Register, his mother was a star power forward on the Russian National Team.
According to telebasket.com, he is mobile and athletic with a huge wingspan.
Has a growing offensive game that includes jump hook shots with either hand.
Their report says he has good range on his jump shot out to 15 feet, and that he has a quality spin move out of the pivot.

STATISTICS - California
SEASON G GS FGM FGA PCT FTM FTA PCT REB AST STL BL PTS AVG
2000-01 14 1 4 .250 4 6 .667 7 0 0 1 6 0.4
Three-point field goals: 0-for-1 (.000)

STATISTICS - Siauliai (Lithuania)
SEASON G GS FGM FGA PCT FTM FTA PCT REB AST STL BL PTS AVG
2001-02 30 128 246 .520 84 108 .778 174 44 15 28 346 11.5

Dooby · 06-28-2002, 01:13 PM

Mick, I cut and pasted your post here.

I don't think this is the guy. He isn't listed on the draft list on NBA.com. This may or may not mean it can't be this Giedrus Rinkevcius guy, but is something to consider.

************************************************** *********************
Here is another candidate that Jay posted at dallasbasketball.com

>>And if ain't him, it's this guy
Giedrus Rinkevcius

I asked you to ask Donnie about him yesterday, fish. But you didn't.

Here's a story. It sounds mysterious . . .

Sabonis claims Þalgiris' rights for NBA draft early entrant

On the eve of the 2002 NBA Drafts, Arvydas Sabonis wants the basketball world to know more about one of the candidates, Giedrius Rinkevièius, in a letter he sent to the NBA Commissioner Mr. David Stern, FIBA, and NCAA authorities.

KAUNAS (June 24) - Among those who have applied for participation in the 2002 NBA Drafts, there are five Lithuanian players – Darius Songaila (Wake Forest), Arvydas Macijauskas (Lietuvos Rytas), Gintaras Kadþiulis (Alita), Saulius Kuzminskas (BC Ðiauliai), and Giedrius Rinkevièius (Bridgton Academy). Even though the basketball experts in their previews claim Darius Songaila to be the only Lithuanian that might be drafted this year, at the Þalgiris front office the predictions are somewhat different.

“To our knowledge, the Dallas Mavericks are rather seriously considering to use their only call, the 55th, on the Lithuanian early entrant Giedrius Rinkevièius,” says Mindaugas Plukas, President of the Kaunas team. “It won’t be any problem for us, if not the circumstances under which Giedrius has ended up overseas. Recently we have exchanged letters with the NBA Commissioner Mr.David Stern concerning the clearance issue for this player. The authorities in the NCAA have also been informed about the Rinkevièius case.”

According to Mr. Plukas, in their letter to the NBA Commissioner, he and Arvydas Sabonis, who is a co-owner of the Kaunas team, presented the evidence showing that 19-yr-old 218-cm Rinkevièius is still under the labor agreement he entered into with BC Þalgiris in September, 2000, after being for years with the ‘Arvydas Sabonis Basketball School’ program in Kaunas. The team paid him regularly the agreed salary as a professional player and has covered the costs of a major surgery and ensuing rehabilitation until he left for the United States last summer, neglecting all his commitments and without giving the team any notice. Once in the United States, Mr.Rinkevièius avoided any contacts whatsoever with BC Þalgiris trying to set up a sort of communication firewall. Messrs. Plukas and Sabonis were shocked by such behavior of Þalgiris young player, as well as by the fact that he had concealed his professional player past while pretending for the student-athlete status with the University of Missouri men’s basketball program, as he signed a National Letter of Intent last November. In their letter, the writers also emphasized that some of the decisions made by Mr.Rinkevièius apparently had been imposed on him by interested persons from an NBA team and their partners in Lithuania.

In the reply Messrs. Plukas and Sabonis have received last week from the NBA Commissioner’s office, they have been assured on Mr. Stern’s behalf that, under the NBA/FIBA agreement, the NBA would make its teams respect the Þalgiris rights and would prohibit them from signing Mr. Rinkevièius should he be drafted.

As concerns the NCAA, there are scores of Lithuanian players overseas, and some of them have joined college basketball programs in a way similar to Mr. Rinkevièius’, but this is the first case when a Lithuanian team strongly protests against the campaign of smuggling ex professional players into the NCAA.<<

Dooby · 06-28-2002, 01:17 PM

My gut says it is one of these 2 guys.

I lean toward Saulius Kuzminskas for 2 reasons. One, Giedrius Rinkevièius isn't listed on the NBA Draft Index. And second, if Sabonis was high on this guy, I think Portland would be aware of him.

mick · 06-28-2002, 01:21 PM

<< Mick, I cut and pasted your post here.

I don't think this is the guy. He isn't listed on the draft list on NBA.com. This may or may not mean it can't be this Giedrus Rinkevcius guy, but is something to consider. >>

What the heck, bring them both in along with Joseph. Out of Raef,Wang,Bradley,Eschmeyer, Joseph, Andy Ellis, and these two guys the Mavs ought to find a 3-headed center as good as anyone else in the league not named Shaq.

I think we need to have an 8 player rotation with 4 young guys at the end of the bench who will develop. Add the two still in Yugo-land, and we will start to have some real players coming in and contributing over the next 2-3 years. Enough veterans already, our core are veterans. We need to be developing a PG to take over from Nash who might break down in 2-3 years (as least as full-time starter), a SG to split time with Fin, and a real SF, not just someone to fill in.

Dooby · 06-28-2002, 01:24 PM

I said this in another thread; I think it is appropriate here:
Seems to me we should have fenagled another second round pick so that we could secure the exclusive negotiating rights to at least one of these guys, particularly the mysterious 7-footer. Next year's second plus cash for somebody's pick in the mid-40s might have worked.

Bayliss · 06-28-2002, 02:32 PM

<< What the heck, bring them both in along with Joseph. Out of Raef,Wang,Bradley,Eschmeyer, Joseph, Andy Ellis, and these two guys the Mavs ought to find a 3-headed center as good as anyone else in the league not named Shaq.

I think we need to have an 8 player rotation with 4 young guys at the end of the bench who will develop. Add the two still in Yugo-land, and we will start to have some real players coming in and contributing over the next 2-3 years. Enough veterans already, our core are veterans. We need to be developing a PG to take over from Nash who might break down in 2-3 years (as least as full-time starter), a SG to split time with Fin, and a real SF, not just someone to fill in. >>

Couldn't agree more. The more players we bring in that are either:

a) bulls down low
b) rebounders
c) athletic
d) big

the better our chances of Nellie not having enough "little" bodies to go small.

Dooby · 06-28-2002, 02:45 PM

Joseph isn't the same class as the mystery big guy. By class, I mean the purpose for which we are pursuing them.

Joseph is being signed to play in the summer league. He has to light it up just to make it training camp. Unlikely.

I don't think the mystery big guy is being discussed for the summer league. This guy is being looked at for a contract. To play. If I am playing in Europe and am a european, I don't come to the USA for anything short of a sure thing. I play enough basketball already. I am not wasting my summer to play for lunch money in Utah.

Bayliss · 06-28-2002, 02:56 PM

Dooby, did you hear Kiki? He said they are taking applications and one guy from the summer league will make the roster. Why don't you try out and see if you can make the team. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

But I do agree that the player they are looking at is a stud that has some sort of "flaw" in which other teams passed on him thinking he's a risk.

Drbio · 06-28-2002, 03:10 PM

Have either been injured lately?

Dooby · 06-28-2002, 03:11 PM

<< But I do agree that the player they are looking at is a stud that has some sort of "flaw" in which other teams passed on him thinking he's a risk. >>

I disagree with a characterization of a "flaw". The risk might be low. I don't know how many scouts there are in the NBA; I don't know how many scouts there are in the NBA that scout internationally. I will assume it is a few; averaging 1 international scout per team max. Now, how many actually see league games night in and night out. Some, but not all. I bet there are scouts at the European Finals and every tournament, but not at every game.

I really do believe that an international player that doesn't attend a pre-draft camp or participate in a major tournament stands a good chance of going undrafted simply out of lack of information. I think that is what happened to Askrebic and this 7-footer. They played, got hurt and were eligible for the draft and didn't actively participate in the draft process. They go undrafted and Whammo. They are free-agents.

This is why I am really on board with Askrabic and the mystery 7-footer, provided we don't blow the mid-level exception on them. The risk is low, regardless, but I really do think there may be some diamonds in the rough.

Bayliss · 06-28-2002, 03:20 PM

<< I disagree with a characterization of a "flaw". The risk might be low. I don't know how many scouts there are in the NBA; I don't know how many scouts there are in the NBA that scout internationally. I will assume it is a few; averaging 1 international scout per team max. Now, how many actually see league games night in and night out. Some, but not all. I bet there are scouts at the European Finals and every tournament, but not at every game.

I really do believe that an international player that doesn't attend a pre-draft camp or participate in a major tournament stands a good chance of going undrafted simply out of lack of information. I think that is what happened to Askrebic and this 7-footer. They played, got hurt and were eligible for the draft and didn't actively participate in the draft process. They go undrafted and Whammo. They are free-agents.

This is why I am really on board with Askrabic and the mystery 7-footer, provided we don't blow the mid-level exception on them. The risk is low, regardless, but I really do think there may be some diamonds in the rough. >>

Maybe flaw isn't the right term, but I use it in the sense of "snags" in drafting the kid. That can be injury, contract staus, etc. And Oggy would've been drafted last year had he not got hurt.

And I agree that we should bring in as much talent as we can w/o using the exemption. You never know with some of these Europeans with little track record (as far as "spotlight&quot

. They might just surprise us and we could find a good role player for next year's team.

mick · 06-28-2002, 03:51 PM

<< But I do agree that the player they are looking at is a stud that has some sort of "flaw" in which other teams passed on him thinking he's a risk. >>

One of the "clues" Nellie gave was that they guy had a recent knee injury.

Drbio · 06-28-2002, 03:56 PM

recent knee injury

I knew this would come up....if he's healed though...let's see him.