Tier 2: All-Star talent+elite role players
Draft Range: 3-9
Pro Comparisons: Steve Nash, Tyrese Haliburton
Kasparas Jakucionis is getting underrated for reasons that I do not understand why. I was under the impression that we wanted to praise big point guards who can shoot the ball really well, pass the ball really well, and play very smart basketball. Apparently, the consensus has forgotten this undeniable fact. Jakucionis is a stellar player who is a reasonable bet to have a high floor and high ceiling in the NBA.
The NBA always has a place for players who can shoot, pass, and play smart basketball. Jakucionis arguably does all three of those things better than anybody in this draft. The shot is, I think, the most underrated part of his skillset. He isn’t put into the same tier as Kon Knueppel or Liam McNeeley by many because he doesn’t have the catch and shoot value that those two have. It’s a fair point, but it ignores the fact that Jakucionis is a stellar off the dribble/pull up jump shot maker. He excels at taking one his defender one versus one and creating those shots for himself rather than relying on his teammates to get him those looks. That’s a trait you find in guys who are very good at scoring the basketball. Jakucionis may not have high scoring numbers, but things like that point to him having the potential to be a high-level scorer down the line with more opportunities and refinement to the little things. His absolute ceiling as a scorer will be held back by his lack of a good first step, but there are signs that point to him potentially being able to be a very good one.
The most value you’ll likely get from him, however, will come from his elite elite passing. He sees the court like very few players his age can, and his pass execution is damn near flawless. He is capable, as a freshman, of being the primary initiator for a teams offense. His coach has a lot of trust in him, and it is paying off for both Jakucionis and his team. His teammates play better when he is in the court. The offense runs more smoothly when he is on the court. His team is just flat out better when he is on the court. THAT is what impresses me the most. He not only has traits that point to him potentially being able to be a star in the NBA, but he also is already a very positive player on the court at such a young age. Those two things often don’t mix together, which is what makes Jakucionis so special.
Even if he doesn’t work out as a star/primary ball handler, he has shown enough goodness as a cutter and catch and shoot shooter to still have a clear role for any team he could be drafted by. It is a very safe bet to assume Jakucionis will provide a lot of value on offense no matter what, and that will give him a role in the NBA.
There is certainly a lot to like about Jakucionis. However, there are also things that concern me and hold him back in my rankings. Most of those things are related to his defense. Jakucionis isn’t an awful defender, but he has clear limitations that make his value very questionable, if not negative, on that end. He doesn’t have the athleticism to keep up with most ball handlers at the point of attack, especially those at his own position. He is smart enough to not make terrible mistakes, but he always seems to be a step behind. He is an ok team defender, but not good enough to make up for his lack of value as a point of attack defender. I do believe he has the potential to get better in the NBA, but his ceiling as a defender is likely limited due to his limitations as an athlete and overall lack of goodness right now. Outside of his defense, there isn’t really anything that I don’t like about Jakucionis.
All of this begs the question, why do I rank Jakucionis so highly on my board over other more well known prospects? There are a lot of reasons, but it really boils down to one thing. I believe Jakucionis, at his peak, could be the primary initiator for a contending team, and he is the only prospect in the draft that I feel confident in saying that about. He provides so much value with his IQ and passing ability already at such a young age, and as I discussed, there are indicators that point towards him being able to continue doing that and improving on it in the NBA. There are other great passers in the draft, but I don’t feel nearly as confident about them being primary initiators for great NBA teams as I do with Jakucionis. He has that level of vision, IQ, and ability that maybe only two other players (that I have scouted) in this draft have (both of which are the same tier as Jakucionis might I add), and that might be stretching it because he is just on his own level. I am very confident in my belief that he is going to be a very valuable player in the NBA at a star caliber level, and to be quite honest with you I don’t understand why other people don’t see that as well.
His flaws as a defender and athlete keep him just outside my top tier for the time being, but not by much. He is a very good prospect who SHOULD be a top five pick in the draft. I don’t think he will be since he isn’t flashy and doesn’t score a ton of points per game, but he is that type of talent. The future is bright for Kasparas Jakucionis, and I will happily be one of the people who can say that they predicted that he would be a star.
