The Summer League is one of the main spotlights to see the new players of the NBA franchises. Especially in the case of the 'Rookies', which come into action and show their qualities before starting the competition of truth. In the case of a young promise from BarçaIt is not having an easy adaptation.
Draft as number 20 of the draft by the Miami Heat, Kasparas Jakucionis is one of the players with the greatest projection of this generation of players. In fact, the expectations with the Lithuanian base are very high and is expected to take gallons already in their first season. However, his beginning at the Summer League has not been good.
In 2021, Jakucionis landed in Barcelona with only 15 years to enter the team Cadet. In the following season, the player already alternated the first -year Junior team with FC Barcelona B of the EBA League, along with players like Dame Sarr or Raúl Villar. At the end of that same course, I would debut with the first team big: scoring a triple in just 30 seconds against Covirán Granada.
Lithuanus has landed in a dream situation in Miami. A franchise that was clearly surpassed in the first round of the playoffs and is in an important restructuring moment. Of the last five elections in the first round of the Miami Heat, Three of them were in the All-Rookie.
In his debut against the San Antonio Spurs, his statistics were very discreet: 1/7 in field shots, three points, a rebound, an assistance and three ball losses. The true concern of the Heat after its first two games is reflected with these numbers: the ball losses and their three -point inconsistent shot.
Kasparas Jakucionis, together with the NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver / AP
And in the second game, Lithuanian's performance was even worse. Before Los Angeles Lakers signed four points, a rebound, two assists and five ball losses. In total in the two games, Jakucionis has played 43 minutes with the Miami Heat. Despite his bad start with the franchise, the assistant coach Eric Glass saw positive things of Lithuanian.
“We don't reproach it”
“Obviously their shots did not enter, but no one was successful. So we don't reproach it. I think he competed. I think he directed the attack when we had him in those positions. I think it made good decisions in the pick and roll. We were very happy for him, because it was his first game“Glass said after the duel against the San Antonio Spurs.
Jakucionis averaged 15 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists per gamein addition to being at 44% effective in field shots and 31.8% in the triples, as a first -year student at the University of Illinois last season. The future will say if you will be able to apply these numbers in a more demanding competition such as the NBA.
