OFF

• really tight handle

• smooth shooting form

• quick change of direction

• big guard, 6’6

• great passer, super quick decision maker

• makes great decisions

• finds passing angles really well

• attacks closeouts well

• misses elite passing reads

• great and aware off ball cutter and mover

• not the best burst, cant get separation on players well

• draws a crazy amount of fouls, fouls baits well

• pass first guard who seeks to get the best looks possible

• offense is drastically better when hes in the game

DEF

• slow laterally

• decently long arms

• good footwork

• can get torched by quicker guards

• stays up too high

• incredinle positional rebounder

OVERALL

• MY FIRST “MY GUY” OF THIS DRAFT CYCLE

• Love Jakucionis’ passing and shooting, he’s also a triple double guy which is great since I love Russell Westbrook (200 triple doubles)

• Best passer in the draft, great shooter as well. He’s so dynamic going downhill in his finishing and quick decision making in his passing

• If only he had a quicker first step, he’d be top 5 but that’s what worries me. His BBIQ is off the charts so it might not be a huge thing but it stops him from being a superstar

• Wish his defense was better as well, he’s definitely below position average

• His positional size gives him a huge advantage in passing and rebounding however

• I feel decently confident that Kasparas will at least be a starter in the NBA for many years, and that warrants top 10 in any class, plus he has the upside to be a game changer for the team that drafts him

Last Ranking: 8

Projected NBA rookie role:

Projected NBA position: Lead Guard

Projected Rookie Statline (Pts, Reb, Ast, Blk/Stl):

Strengths: 3 level scorer with lead guard instincts, gradual progression throughout the season

Weakness: Iffy defender who struggles against faster opponents.

Shades of/comp:

Best outcome:

mid outcome:

worst outcome:

Kaspras seems like the type of player who can fit into any system, he's a very good all around player to suit any teams guard. Averaging 16 6 and 6 across the season so far, he seems like a potential Triple Double beast if he can work on his playmaking and aggressiveness to get boards.

He needs to work on his defense if he wants to be considered as a top prospect in this year's great draft class.

Rating: B

jaku has grown on me a lot and i've started to enjoy how he's been consistently alright/solid for illinois and can do a little bit of everything.

while he's still not an outstanding prospect in my eyes, i expect him to be useful in the future with some more polishing, as he could still improve a variety of aspects of his game, but it's worth helping him clean his act up (he's not raw either, just not quite there yet).

Pros:

• Playmaking - Arguably the best passer in this draft. I like his ability in transition. finding his guys from behind the half court, spotting cuts and space on the inside. his iq is extremely strong, his passes are super accurate, they come out fast and put his teammates in a perfect position off the cut. He makes flashy passes, he's creative, makes space with his handle. He has great chemistry with his center Tomislav Ivisic. finding him on the pick and roll (More on later). His pass vision is great, doesn't miss a lot when looking for an open man. He is also just extremely confident in his abilities and I think this will translate to the NBA really well.

• Jumpshot

  • He has been very consistent when using his jump shot, very efficient and that has lead to consistent good scoring numbers in college, he's shooting 41% from three and 50% from the field (rounded on JAN 9th) and he's putting up 16 points a night taking 5 three point shots a game. He gets to his favourite moves consistently, the one move that stands out is his stepback three, he has been very consistent at getting to and making this shot. He has also been good in the mid range and you'd be surprised if his shot doesn't translate.

• PnR play

  • He has shone when playing with Tomislav Ivisic off screens, finding him in space wether that's rolling or off a pick and pop, he's very accurate and doesn't turnover the ball much in the PnR. He actually has shone scoring as well, I think that does also come under how good Ivisic is at setting screens and I think he is one of the better centers coming into the 2025 draft but the efficiency, eye test and advanced stats tell us that Jakucionas can navigate screens well and excels at getting to the rim off them. it will be interesting to see how/if this is used at the NBA level

Cons:

• Defense

  • It hasn't been great, he has the size so he isn't just going to be bodied In the paint and he isn't a total negative, but a lack of athleticism and speed has really made it difficult for him. He is very easily blown by and if you are guarding nba level guards, you can't lose your man like that. It is quite a big negative and I don't think he will ever be a real positive on that end. It's just pretty poor to watch. But he definitely can be neutral on that end. He has the size and if you have size at a position, you can definitely be somewhat effective on the defensive end.

• Turnovers

  • He does have a tendency to make flashy passes and because of that he can make some very stupid and annoying decisions, but that isn't really the main problem. He has a problem getting stolen off his handle, that's really annoying for an NBA team, you're giving someone a fastbreak with momentum and it's usually just a free bucket. The turnover numbers have been concerning but when we look across the top offensive guards across the league, Luka for example, they have high turnover numbers and that just comes with a guy running your offence. And his offence has been very successful so do you worry much about this. I'd take it with a pinch of salt.

• Athleticism - he's not very fast and doesn't stand out, he really doesn't feel like he has an NBA level athletecism and not one you want from someone of his position nd build. Look, I think he his iq and how he uses his speed is very good and helps him a lot but I'd be lying if it doesn't somewhat concern me.

Interesting factor:

• Archetype

  • He is a 6'6 guard who does everything offensively and is a negative on defence. we get quite a lot of these guys, he is a long playmaker and the archetype has quite a lot of success in the NBA, looking at Luka when is a big comparison and I don't think he fits it as I think Luka does everything better and is just way more athletic, sneaky athletic, but at a minimum he would have starter level impact on a team, I really view him as a guy you should really buy into just based off how well this type of guy plays. I comped him to Manu Ginobli because I think he can play some 2 guard and I think the production just really lines up between those two.

Conclusion:

Prospect Ceiling: all star ceiling, but he has a really high floor.

Pick Range: 3-8

NBA Comp: Manu Ginobli

Best Fits:

• Raptors

• New orleans

• Brooklyn Nets

Very high IQ, creates well going to the rim. Can shoot it well from everywhere. He's a solid defender on-ball and is strong enough to guard bigger guys. An all-around polished player. Pretty long arms. Decent athlete as well. He has had consistency issues shooting and hasn't been getting downhill as well lately.

NBA Comp: Cade Cunningham

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