What's Wrong with Jasi?

by Fantasy Junkie on Feb 8, 2007 11:19 PM PST in Links Comment 14 comments

Geoff Lepper of the Contra Costa Times poked around and asked Nellie why Sarunas Jasikevicius wasn't getting much playing time. Al Harrington and Stephen Jackson have seemed to fit in just fine, but the third piece of the trade isn't doing so well.

This is not exactly how Jasikevicius envisioned things when he came over as part of the eight-player trade Jan. 17. Jasikevicius grew up playing up-tempo ball at all his Euroleague stops, so Warriors coach Don Nelson's style would seem to be a natural fit. Instead, he's played just 91 minutes in nine games with the Warriors, with DNPs against Philadelphia and Charlotte on this road trip.

"Right now, I just don't have a lot of faith in him," Nelson said. "I've given him a lot of opportunities to play, and he just hasn't looked good to me."

"You can run the numbers," Nelson said. "He's just not dominant. Just about every category at this point, I haven't been that happy with him."

Jasi has his own side of the story:

Jasikevicius sees the problem as being a Catch-22. Since the Warriors are barely practicing -- Tuesday's session was little more than a glorified walk-through -- he can't get up to speed, which leaves him unprepared to play well in the games and thus earn more playing time.

"It would be nice to get continuous minutes," Jasikevicius said. "Really, the opportunity never presented itself. I know what I need to do, it's just basically, what I need is a little bit of rhythm. We'll see, hopefully the situation improves."

Sarunas was supposed to be a nice backup point guard who could run the show while Baron took a breather just like Keith McLeod did. But he's really not fitting in right now. He had a very nice game against Minnesota but in the previous 9 games, he struggled mightily. Hopefully the Minnesota game gives him the confidence he needs to produce in spurts off the bench.

Other than Sarunas being too slow, what else have you noticed that has prevented him from being a useful contributor here? Also what do you expect from Sarunas the rest of the year?

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At the moment...

it doesn't look like it was good idea to trade for this guy. IMO McLeod was a really good back-up PG. He was a true a PG in the sense that he knew how to run the team (better than Monta) and he was a pass-1st guy and shot the open J pretty well. I always felt comfortable when McLeod had to come in to give Baron or Monta a breather.

Sarunas looks slow and lost on the Warriors offense. His D looks confused. His shot looks spotty. Against Minny he fared alot better, but one game doesn't cancel what i saw in the previous 8 games. I'm not digging on this player right now.

by ssmokinjoe on Feb 8, 2007 11:42 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Take a look at his line at Indy this year

Sarunas needs to pick the pace up a bit and play some D, but he's a good shooter and can make plays.

The fact that Nelson doesn't play any pick and roll doesn't help either. How many times have we questioned Nellie in not putting two big men in at the same time when we were being killed on the boards? Nellie ball partially explains why. Give Sarunas a chance to pick and pop or pass the ball to a big man.

by callahan on Feb 9, 2007 12:38 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

IMO

Nellie shouldn't have to change his system to accomodate one player. The player needs to adjust to the system. At the same time, I also think that Nellie needs to incorporate some structured offensive sets into his playbook when the game slows down.

by ssmokinjoe on Feb 9, 2007 1:36 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

It's not one player, but a criticism of Nelson

Nelson doesn't play pick and roll (inside game) or use his big men that way. He also doesn't have much low post presence aymore since Ike got traded away.

Instead Nelson's looking for the big guy who has handles and can create plays -- the point forward. We don't have anyone like that right now as the Dunleavy was a huge failure in that key role.

I believe Nellie wants to keep the spacing inside, so he won't go to the pick and roll. That's a shame because we don't have personnel to play the low post game right now unless it's going to AB and AB isn't a back to the basket player.

by callahan on Feb 9, 2007 8:55 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

I prefer the original Sarunas (Marciulionis)

Man, during the Run TMC days the ol' Roonie was a tough SOB! Sarunas was the unheralded fourth wheel in the cog back in those days for Nellie! He was like a super fast NFL fullback barreling down the lane. If you were in the paint, Marciulionis would make you regret it and it would hurt. He helped the USSR win the gold medal in the Olympics over a John Thompson coached USA team (that incluced Mitch Richmond btw) and started the Lithuania Deadhead tea shirt craze years later after the USSR split up. The guy had a sweet stroke too and would never miss a wide open jumper. Unfortunately, his career ended from a freak injury running in the woods of Europe not knowing he had broken his leg thus taking his speed away forever.

by kirkkazas on Feb 9, 2007 4:00 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

LOL

Yeah and he had those vice-grip-of-death hands that would tie up fools if they exposed the ball to him. That dude was as strong as they come. I loved that guy.

by ssmokinjoe on Feb 9, 2007 4:32 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

That's right!

I forgot about Sarunas' vice grip!

by kirkkazas on Feb 9, 2007 8:16 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

He was a no-frills type of player

no herky jerky moves but still very effective. Remember when Rickey Pierce even tried messing with him? He thought Roony was going to back down. One thing I didn't like about him was he seemed to be out of control a lot. MP reminds me of Roony. But of course Roony was one tough SOB. MP? No comment.

by MANUTEs BOLs on Feb 9, 2007 10:39 AM PST up reply actions 0 recs

It doesn't matter

that Sarunas puts up great numbers vs. the T-Wolves if the GS Dubs get blown out of the water. Asking him to temporarily run the show is a little too much to ask. His best bet would be to find a role as a niche player, maybe a poor man's steve kerr or a rich man's tim legler. He's a good 3-point shooter and a very good free throw shooter, so he'd be great to help close out a game in the 4th. Only problem with that is, the Warriors need to find a way to be up in the 4th.

by JRichard Head on Feb 9, 2007 7:25 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

He had a very nice game against Minnesota

"but in the previous 9 games, he struggled mightily. Hopefully the Minnesota game gives him the confidence he needs to produce in spurts off the bench"

I missed that minnestota game, I was planning to go home and watch it but I got enticed by a cute little amazon with a pot of Peruvian stew and an open bottle of champaigne.
The games I rememmber seeing cabbages play in seem like he dint get much time to get in a groove? I do remeber him pulling a sweet pick and roll shortly after he arrived and remember thinking boy have we been missing that. I guess Nelson dint like it much though? It always amazes me when Nelson pulls a guy after 2 minutes and says he is not producing, cuase sometimesa guy will miss his first 10 shots then end up with a 40 point night.

by Skeptic con Urquell on Feb 9, 2007 10:15 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Well

Sarunas is not exactly the problem, he's a 3rd string point guard on this team, and as much as I like the guy, that's the role he is going to have on this team.

I think the Warriors as a whole are inredibly flawed, and I think Mullin should have blown up the team before we assigned the big 4 contracts to J-Rich, Troy, Mike, and Adonal.

Honestly, if the front office had signed those 4 players to the money they honestly deserved, J-Rich should be getting about 7-9 mill per year; Troy about 5-7 per year; Mike about 4-6 over 2-3 years; and Adonal about 3-5 over 2-4 years, then we wouldn't have been left in the dog house in terms of cap space (and have been handcuffed to players, even of J-Rich's caliber [I like the guy alot, he's the heart of the Warriors, but the Warriors also need a brain to regulate that heart]) and we could have signed FA talent that could help us out, and help move Troy, Mike, and Adonal to the bench where they can clearly thrive more. They're average to above average players honestly, but it was the money, not the talent.

Nelson ball also doesn't work if every other team is running more advanced versions of Nelson-ball.
Nelson needs to learn how to run defense, and needs to learn how to coach a half court game. Somehow, I find it hard to believe that there are no set plays in teh half court offense. Is it Baron/Monta/whomever is just not running them? Or is Nelson not calling them.

But w/ever, like i always say, I look forward to the offseason. We should be able to mess around with the new cap space!

Billy Beane for Warriors GM! Time 4 sum Moneyball -Crypt0naut

by Crypt0naut on Feb 9, 2007 10:28 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

I think being slow

is the issue

Thats big for a point

by Zig on Feb 9, 2007 11:15 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Shooting

Like seemingly everybody else on our roster, Cabbages can't consistently knock down the jumper, which makes him perfect for Nellie's system. One night he'll go for 20 on 60 percent shooting, the next night, he can't hit the broad side of Nellie's belly. And when the game is on the line . . .

He was Larry Bird's personal project in Indy, but apparently Larry Legend knows a failed project when he sees one. I think we're just waiting for the trade deadline so we can unload him.

The TruthMaker www.sfist.com

by TruthMaker on Feb 9, 2007 1:22 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

pretty simple

cabbages hasn't been able to knock down the open jumper. When he does so with even decent consistancy like say 43-45% shooting. He will earn Nellie's trust and playing time. I mean if you can't defend...you better score.