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Illinois Fighting Illini
Kasparas Jakucionis

Illinois Fighting Illini

Freshman
HT/WT/WS6' 6", 200lbs
Age19

PTS

15.2
  

AST

5.3
  

REB

5.5
  

FG%

46.2
 

Big Board Rankings


Community Scouting Reports (28)


TheRaptor
u/TheRaptor

#2

RANK



Strengths

• Elite court vision

• Elite passer out of the pick and roll

• Elite understanding of how to use angles on passes

• Very good at making more advanced passes

• Great passer while going downhill

• Very good at making difficult passes

• Very creative passer

• Elite shooter off the dribble

• Good shooter off the catch

• Solid at attacking closeouts

• Good at drawing fouls

• Elite free throw shooter

• Utilizes angles solidly on drives

• Efficient scorer across the board

• Solid handle

• Great decision maker most of the time

• Good at leading the break in transition

• Solid rebounder at his position

• Good positional size and strength


Weaknesses

• Struggles to defend the point of attack

• Tends to be more of a target than anything on defense

• Can struggle to score around the rim

• Can sometimes be a little too audacious with the passes he attempts making


Conclusion

Kasparas is a very very good offensive player who will make a name for himself in the NBA being one of the best passers in the league. The upside lies in his shot making ability, which has so much potential because of the pull-up jumper and foul drawing. He is a low risk, high reward kind of prospect who could become one of the best offensive players in the league one day.


Shades of — Luka Doncic’s playstyle, D’Angelo Russell



Analysis done by @TheRaptor. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
jbb
u/jbb

#5

RANK


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



Analysis done by @jbb. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
NICO HARRISON OUT
u/TOTEMS

#5

RANK


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



Analysis done by @TOTEMS. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
u/esteven

#8

RANK


jaku has been fine.

solid PG, but he’s like not much other than that.

i think he could be a good passer in the future and serviceable as a scorer near the rim, but he still needs some cleaning up in both of those aspects.

also looks kinda small but idk, need to see more film on him. doesn’t impress me and i don’t see him with too much potential (especially defensively), but he’s ok, i guess.



Analysis done by @esteven. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
John Pikiell
u/jpikiell7

#8

RANK


Terrific on offense. Super skilled ball handler awesome passer, can play with anyone. Needs the ball in his hands to produce, bad defenderA little too reckless with the ball sometimes too many turnovers. High upside Ty Jerome.



Analysis done by @jpikiell7. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
Foremans Files Media
u/foremansfilesme

#5

RANK


Last Ranking: 8

Projected NBA rookie role:

Projected NBA position: Lead Guard

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

Strengths:

Weakness:

Shades of/comp:

Best outcome:

mid outcome:

worst outcome:



Analysis done by @foremansfilesme. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
Amy Rickard
u/aerickard

#6

RANK


Very high IQ, creates well going to the rim. Can shoot it. Solid defender. An all-around polished player. Pretty long. Good athlete as well.

NBA Comp: Damian Lillard



Analysis done by @aerickard. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
ozzy
u/ozzy09680

#3

RANK


Projected draft range:

Projected NBA rookie role:

Projected NBA position:

Projected Rookie Statline:

Strengths:

Weakness:

Shades of/comp:



Analysis done by @ozzy09680. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
Qwerty
u/Qwerty

#2

RANK


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.



Analysis done by @Qwerty. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.
Histericalcheese
u/HistericalChees

#4

RANK


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



Analysis done by @HistericalChees. View their full  draft big board and scouting reports here.