The World Tour: A Travel Guide to Kasparas Jakucionis
Recently named MVP at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Belgrade, the Lithuanian guard is a name to know for the 2025 NBA Draft.
Back in December, after his performance at the U18 L’Hospitalet Tournament, I wrote about Lithuanian guard Kasparas Jakucionis for this same series. I took note of how much improvement he had made at every single event that I watched him play at, and in the closing paragraph, I added: “It’s fair to wonder if Jakucionis is not the top prospect on Barcelona’s roster. (...) If he continues his ascendant trajectory during the next eighteen months, it’s easy to envision him as a first round pick in the 2025 draft.”
That ascent has continued during two events during the month of February. He measured really well at the Basketball Without Borders Global Camp during the All-Star Weekend and then last Sunday, he was named MVP of the Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Belgrade, where he led Barcelona to the title, earning an automatic berth to the ANGT Finals.
In our fourth World Tour, here is a travel guide to Kasparas Jakucionis: his player profile, and what his February break out means for his projection towards the 2025 NBA Draft.
Must-see attraction #1: Passing
Jakucionis’s growth as a playmaker has been outstanding, especially during the past twelve months. My first impression of the Lithuanian guard was that he played mostly as a secondary initiator who was able to make the requisite reads and deliveries expected from any ball-handler at his level—reacting to double teams, kicking it out to the strong side corner when defenders help on his drives. His latest ANGT performance, however, showed that Jakucionis is more than capable of carving up an opposing defense as a primary initiator.