FROM HERE ON OUT IT IS JUST GUYS THAT HAVE RECLASSIFIED BUT I WROTE UP EARLIER

The Rundown:

I hope I have been loud enough in my Azuolas love up to this point because by golly someones gotta do it! I would not be shocked if I was the highest on the planet on Tubelis, outside of Lithuania, but what can I say? I’ve been sold. And who wouldn’t be? Offensively he is an anomaly. Let’s start in the post and work our way out. His footwork is probably the best in college basketball right now, not on the level of an Alperen Sengun, but one tier down. With counters for days, he makes up for being a little bit smaller than some centers and then some. Azuolas has some great touch as well, making his fades and hooks second nature. In the midrange, his face up game is also tantalizing. He’s too big for most power forwards, and too quick for centers. If they get up close to him, he’s gone with his first step that resembles the age old question, how do bee wings support the bee? There is no reason for him to have such good agility but here we are. If they fade back, he’ll drill the midrange. While his three point numbers aren’t there yet, I believe that a 37-39% is in his future.

However, his scoring on offense isn’t his most appealing trait, that award goes to his handle and passing. He is similar to Jovic in his rebound and run game, blazing down the court and seeing the movement of all of his teammates. His passing is great, be it with his back to the basket, transition, or sitting at the three point line. Handling the ball is oddly natural for this mountain of a man, with genuine top of the key isolation potential. I don’t believe he will ever be a pick and roll ball handler, but that doesn’t take away from his uniqueness on that end. There are an infinite amount of roles which he can fill; offball shooter, roll man, dunkers spot, short roll maestro, or mid range primary option is just the tip of the iceberg.

Defensively the picture is a little more murky but I still have hope. The question is, are his feet quick enough to stick with 3s and 4s, and if not are his instincts and size good enough to man the 5 spot? I think that we could be adequate at both positions, not elite at either. He is almost the definition of sneaky athletic, so I trust him to step out and guard the perimeter. You wouldn’t want him on Kawhi Leonard (although his great and dogged attitude would mean he would try as hard as possible and maybe give Kawhi a bit of trouble), but on your average run of the mill forward I wouldn’t be too worried. Playing him at center wouldn’t be my preferred game plan because I value dominant interior defense immensely, but I believe he has good instincts on team defense and physicals that aren’t necessarily below average. This would be more of the case when (alright IF) he becomes a great enough offensive player to allow the slight downtick in defense. He won’t ever be a switchable defender but versatility might be overrated if it means undervaluing this type of prospect.

Synopsis:

A wizard in the post with buttery shooting touch to the three point line (where you should expect improvements), with good handling and passing chops for ANYONE, his fate will be determined on if he is big enough to play center on defense or quick enough to guard forwards.

Shades of: 

Sabonis with more wiggle, tiny bit of Lamar Odom (?), splash of Gasol brothers

2023!!

When you think of the ideal NBA frame for a power forward, you may think of Tubelis. He has great size, and athleticism. The obvious thing with him is just his understanding of the game. He is an excellent pick and roll partner, with good passing instincts as well. If he doesn’t have a great shot available, he is unafraid of passing the ball off. This will bode well for him early on in his career. His finishing is smooth, and fluid. He has a beautiful shot. Unfortunately, he still isn’t a very good shooter. He isn’t a volume guy however, so we have a very small sample size. Still, the report is not good. His three point percentage is well under 25%. That is the main reason that he is this low. His shooting will definitely scare some teams away. Nonetheless, he can improve a ton with proper coaching. He’s a good defender, and has great quick twitch muscles. While he probably won’t make an All Defensive team, his defense is better than most. He is posting decent block and steal numbers. Don’t expect a superstar out of him, but he can become a rotation player in a short amount of time.