Credit: BNS
Credit BNS

Marek Blazevic is the most self-confident EuroLeague prospect you've seen this season. Even his teammates laugh that one day he'll get punched. But Zalgiris young man is not afraid of EuroLeague stars and takes the best out of his privileged opportunity.

Marek Blaževič

Marek  Blaževič
Marek  Blaževič
MIN: 14.26
PTS: 7.1 (63.57%)
REB: 3.3
As: 0.9
ST: 0.5
BL: 0.2
TO: 1.3
GM: 20

Blazevic scored a tough 2+1 against Derrick Williams and didn't hesitate to scream aloud all of his joy.

Zalgiris tied the game 35-35, and Blazevic tried to spark the home crowd in the Zalgirio arena.

Williams, a former 2nd overall NBA draft pick, was right there in front of him. Blazevic looked at Williams for a second, screaming and yelling out of excitement. He would have T'd up right away if that was the NBA.

But EuroLeague rules allow letting players' feelings fly. However, Williams couldn't let a 20-year-old young man disrespect him that way. He pushed Blazevic away and got the unsportsmanlike foul.

Blazevic was still enjoying the moment. He didn't get disturbed. Instead, he raised his hand and asked fans to make more noise.

"Oh, that's the guy from Vilnius," Zalgiris veteran Mantas Kalnietis smiled ironically on the bench.

Kalnietis, a die-hard Kaunas resident, has his own feelings on overconfident natives from the capital of Lithuania.

Blazevic smiles as if he did nothing wrong against Williams.

"I didn't do anything. I just walked by," Blazevic justified himself. Later he received technical.

A few minutes before, Blazevic already had a mean face-to-face interaction with Jalen Reynolds, one of many clashes of egos this season.

Although Scottie Wilbekin still gets confused between another rising Lithuanian star, Rokas Jokubaitis, and Blazevic, EuroLeague bigs start recognizing cheeky Zalgiris center.

It was not the first time Blazevic got himself in heated situations with the opposing bigs.

Free throws this season

79%
10,6
Points made: 10,6
Accuracy: 79,3%
Place in standings: 16
Record max: 20
Record min: 4
Most made FTs: Marek Blaževič

"Even Kalnietis told me that one day I'll get punched," Blazevic laughs.

A couple of years ago, he almost got punched by his teammate.

When Blazevic played for Rytas Vilnius, his teammate Dominique Sutton didn't like the physical screen his young fella set in one practice.

One of the most physical and athletic foreigners Rytas ever had pushed Blazevic and started cursing him.

"But later, before he departed from Rytas, he approached me and praised me for my energy. He said I have to keep going," Blazevic revealed. "At first, I didn't understand why he did that. But when I think about it now, that's cool."

Credit BNS

When he was 18-year-old and played against the biggest Rytas rival Zalgiris, Blazevic got into a scuffle with Paulius Jankunas and EuroLeague veteran KC Rivers

He was taught to never back down, both by his father and his first coach Paulius Budenas.

But there's one rule. He never crosses the line and never makes it personal.

"You can trash-talk, but I would never say anything about the relatives of my opponents. That's the worst you can do," Blazevic points out.

Some might think he's arrogant or amateurish, going at his opponents this way or talking with referees too much. But some are convinced that big players need big egos, and that's what Blazevic has.

Although he's coming at you in the EuroLeague games, off the court, he's a very polite and respectful young man that always follows his coach's authority.

Blazevic put himself in the spotlight not only by getting info conflicts with EuroLeague stars.

In the home loss against Maccabi Tel Aviv, Blazevic became the youngest Lithuanian in the EuroLeague to score 20 points.

Donatas Motiejunas, Paulius Jankunas, Jonas Maciulis, and Martynas Gecevicius, the previous youngest players with 20 EuroLeague points, reached that mark at age 21.

Three weeks ago at Ulker Arena, he also became the youngest Zalgiris player to score a double-double (10 PTS & 10 REB). In the three-game span against Fenerbahce, AX Armani Exchange, and Maccabi, potentially three Top 8 teams, Blazevic averaged 14.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and a PIR of 18.3.

He also dished four assists in games vs. Fenerbahce and Maccabi. Some of his teammates described his floor vision and the ability to read the situations a few steps ahead as an elite.

Some off-court reasons might explain these numbers.

Main Zalgiris center Joffrey Lauvergne missed 21 games due to injury. His backup Josh Nebo also had health problems that sidelined one of the most athletic EuroLeague bigs. So Blazevic received a chance and used the opportunity at its best.

This year, he's averaging 7.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 7.3 PIR in 14 minutes.

He's the second-best scorer in the EuroLeague among age 21 and under players. Blazevic is only behind Rokas Jokubaitis, who's having a stellar rookie season with FC Barcelona.

Blazevic shares the best +/- in Zalgiris among the players with at least 10 appearances and 12 minutes per game, per BBallytics.

Also, he makes the best Zalgiris lineup per +/-, along with Mantas Kalnietis, Karolis Lukosiunas, Edgaras Ulanovas, and Tyler Cavanaugh.

More than these stats, Blazevic values the game-time experience he's finally getting after the disappointing 2020-21 season. Last year under coach Martin Schiller, he received only 28 minutes of action in 6 EuroLeague games. 

For example, last week, he spent over 26 minutes fighting Williams, Reynolds, and Maccabi.

Martin Schiller, who Zalgiris fired early in October, still stays in Kaunas. If Blazevic met him on the street, he would ask him something.

"I don't know the right word to describe my feelings on this experience if I was offended or saddened. But it would be beneficial for me to hear his response on why I didn't receive any chance," Blazevic said to BasketNews.

"Yes, I know that our frontline was loaded. But I would like to hear from him what he didn't like about me. If it's my personality, my work ethic, or my actions. Or he just didn't like me as a player," Blazevic wondered. "I would like to know it so that in future I could make some adjustments. If that's related to my work ethic or personality, maybe I could change it. But if he didn't like me as a player, there's not much that I can do."

Credit zalgiris.lt

Now one night, he's chasing one and only John Brown III. In the other game, he's battling up against Nikola Milutinov. Next time he tries to outpower and outsmart Kyle Hines.

Finally, he's getting a taste of the EuroLeague experience.

"Hines... He has such a high lower-body strength that I can only imagine what kind of monster he was at his peak," Blazevic shared his experience meeting the best EuroLeague centers. "Milutinov... How huge, strong, and mobile he is. With the strength he's coming at you under the boards and how strong you have to be to stop him... It's incredible how he moves, runs, and seals positions with his body."

"John Brown and his energy. Even if he's defending, it seems like guards are afraid to beat him on the drive. Even if the guard is with the ball, it seems like he's attacking you, not you're attacking him," Blazevic says.

The sharpest elbows?

"That's Rolands Smits," Blazevic smiles.

"Powerful man," he adds. "Also, I would include Reynolds because he also loves contact. Maybe Milutinov's elbows are not that sharp, but he's so strong and huge..."

Coach Jure Zdovc started his young center in nine EuroLeague games. He often talks about what Marek lacks to become a big-time EuroLeague player. He also doesn't hesitate to show his frustration during game-time.

But at the end of the day, Blazevic is getting this significant EuroLeague experience that not many young players have the luxury of.

Credit zalgiris.lt

Recent research showed that young players usually don't get much playing time in the EuroLeague.

"It's a perfect place for a young player. But only if you play," Blazevic, one of the rare EuroLeague exceptions, said. "Because you fight against grown men, one of the best players in Europe, who are borderline NBA players. For example, Mike James is an NBA talent. If he started his career right now as a rookie, you could build an NBA team around him."

"I think it's an amazing place for your development. But only if you play. If not, it might be difficult for you."

Blazevic worked a lot with his body, mobility, and physicality in the summer, having such a player like Steven Adams as his practice sparring partner.

But the EuroLeague action brought him features that you won't learn even under the best practice conditions.

"It gives you more peace. It seems like the game becomes slower for you. And the excitement for the game grows," Blazevic adds. 

"Last year, I didn't get many opportunities, so every time I entered the court, I wanted to do everything. I was too afraid of mistakes and stressed to do as much as possible quickly. But it doesn't happen that way."

"Now I play way more relaxed. I understand that my game has to start from the defense. I make a defensive stop, then set a good screen, remain patient for a good pass, finish it. That's how you get the rhythm and keep playing."

"I play my game. I'm not a different player. I can be myself on the court."

Blazevic was never high on NBA draft boards. After an inspiring spark in the EuroCup with Rytas, he set himself a goal to become a lottery pick.

But the previous season brought him back to earth. After long hours on the Zalgiris bench, Blazevic shined again.

"It's only midway the season, so it's too early to think about summer. Now I have to take on a lot of other things, including fighting for a roster spot," Blazevic said.

"I really don't think about the NBA Draft. If I work hard to fight for the roster spot, I'll have a chance to show my skills on the court. And then, if I'll be focused, in shape, playing good quality basketball, I will raise my stock."

"You just have to continue developing, trying to be better every single day, and then all the opportunities will come themselves."

Joffrey Lauvergne and Josh Nebo are back on the lineup again for the first time since October.

Blazevic understands that he'll have to fight for his minutes again. That's what coach Zdovc emphasized when he joined Zalgiris after two EuroLeague games: everybody will have to prove themselves in practice.

With the main guys out, things went so good for Blazevic that sometimes another 20-year-old can lose the ground under your feet.

But there was always somebody who put Blazevic on the ground again.

Was that Tristan Vukcevic or Sehmus Hazer that put him on a poster? Or Mantas Kalnietis, maybe coach Zdovc?

"I don't really care about those dunks. I would put assistant coach Tautvydas Sabonis in the first place," Blazevic said. "He always reminds me that it's only the game, and I have to be low-grounded. When he sees me too relaxed, he always reminds me to get focused."

Credit BNS

"Then I would say it's my teammate Karolis Lukosiunas, also, the veterans. And if all these things don't help, the last would be my bad game, where somebody comes and dominates me. Just like Ante Zizic in Tel Aviv or Milutinov, where I didn't have any chance."

"Everything is so temporary. Tutis always reminds it to me," Blazevic added. "When you relax for a second, he comes and reminds me: 'Remember the last season? So work, don't relax, and stop making excuses.' Everything is so temporary in our lives. One day you're satisfied and happy, while the other, you might be out of the roster. Things turn around very quickly in this business."

Blazevic was very happy to hear positive feedback from FC Bayern Munich center Othello Hunter. In a recent matchup in Munich, a 35-year-old EuroLeague beast told he liked Blazevic's energy and encouraged him to keep it up, despite physical battle against way younger opponent.

However, when Blazevic faces his other matchups for the second time this season, he should be prepared for a less friendly experience.

"I definitely might receive some response," Blazevic smiled.

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