Matt WilliamsPerhaps the most physically mature player on the World Select Team among the guards in attendance,
Vytenis Cizauskas is a physical, assertive guard who makes his presence felt in a number of areas by being relentlessly aggressive.
Standing 6'3 with a well-developed frame, Cizauskas is a solid, albeit unspectacular athlete. He isn't very bouncy, but plays the game like a bull in a china shop when he is attacking the rim with the ball in his hands, changing into contact and showing no fear going right into the teeth of the defense.
Offensively, Cizauskas can draw some fouls and score some points in the paint by virtue of his aggressiveness, but lacks much in the way of touch, creativity, advanced ball-handling skills, and perimeter scoring ability. When he does play with pace and gets into the midrange, he shows the ability to make the simple pass to the open man and can knock down a jump shot from time to time. He is not an inept shooter from beyond the arc, but he doesn't possess deft touch, releasing the ball on the way down and not proving very reliable from the outside without time and space.
Cizauskas is at his best on the defensive end, where his toughness, strength, and aggressiveness make him a terrific team defender and allow him to defend both guard positions with some effectiveness in half court situations. Fighting through screens, not giving up ground when his man looks to penetrate, and giving a great effort closing out shooters, Cizauskas's defensive intensity is certainly a plus.
Seeing significant minutes for Baltai Kaunas in the Lithuanian and Baltic Leagues, Cizauskas is by no means a terribly skilled prospect, but his intensity and confidence are rare for a player his age. If he can become a more reliable shooter and add some variety to his dribble drive game, he could emerge as a very solid player for Zalgiris in time. Not an exceptional athlete, Cizauskas has been able to overcome his weaknesses as a shooter at the junior level, and it will be interesting to see how his skill level develops as he continues his senior career.
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