The Lithuanian national team can already prepare for the upcoming EuroBasket at full capacity.
Saturday photos have been released in which the country's best basketball players Jonas Valanciunas and Domantas Sabonis are already practicing with the national team.
Both NBA towers have been unable to practice with the team since the start of camp due to restrictions from the NBA.
All 16 candidates are now with the national team. Valanciunas, Sabonis, Ignas Brazdeikis, and Mindaugas Kuzminskas did not play in the first preparation game against Estonia, which Lithuania won 84-70.
After the match against Estonians, national team coach Kazys Maksvytis said that on August 7 Ignas Brazdeikis will already play, while the situation of the two NBA players will still be assessed.
"There will be changes," said Maksvytis. "It will definitely be Ignas Brazdeikis. We will see the condition of our big men tomorrow. How they play with contact, how they play five-on-five. There will be minimal changes," Maksvytis added.
The Lithuanian national team will play six more preparation games. On August 24 and 27 the Lithuanian NT will participate in the qualifying matches of the FIBA World Championship. The EuroBasket 2022 starts on September 1.
Player | Club |
---|---|
Arnas Butkevicius | Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania) |
Domantas Sabonis | Sacramento Kings (NBA) |
Donatas Tarolis | CSM Crisana Oradea (Romania) |
Eigirdas Zukauskas | Wolves Vilnius (Lithuania) |
Gytis Masiulis | Rytas Vilnius (Lithuania) |
Ignas Brazdeikis | Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania) |
Jonas Valanciunas | New Orleans Pelicans (NBA) |
Kristupas Zemaitis | Wolves Vilnius (Lithuania) |
Laurynas Birutis | Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania) |
Lukas Lekavicius | Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania) |
Marius Grigonis | Panathinaikos OPAP Athens (Greece) |
Martynas Echodas | Rytas Vilnius (Lithuania) |
Mindaugas Kuzminskas | Free agent |
Rokas Giedraitis | Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (Spain) |
Rokas Jokubaitis | FC Barcelona (Spain) |
Tomas Dimsa | Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania) |
Lithuanian NT preparation games schedule:
August 4 | Lithuania | Estonia | 20:30 CET |
August 7 | Lithuania | Estonia | 20:30 CET |
August 10 | Lithuania | Finland | 20:30 CET |
August 11 | Lithuania | Finland | 20:30 CET |
August 16 | Spain | Lithuania | 21:30 CET |
August 18 | Lithuania | Spain | 20:30 CET |
August 19 | Lithuania | The Netherlands | 20:30 CET |