Yakujonis: Lithuanian double-powered guard with a strong sense of rhythm will play an offensive movement in the NBA

Name: Kasparas Jakucionis

Date of birth: May 29, 2006

Position: Guard

Team: University of Illinois

Height: 6-5 (1m96)

Weight: 205 lbs (93kg)

Wandspan: 6-8 (2m 03)

Player template: Austin Reeves/Spanser Dinwiddie/Bogdan Bogdanovic

Statistics:

Yakujonis played 33 games for the team in the 2024-25 season, averaging 31.8 minutes per game, scoring 15.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists, shooting percentage of 44.0%, three-point shooting percentage of 31.8%, and free throw shooting percentage of 84.5%.

Pick Prediction: Lotto

Advantages:

1, full of creativity in holding the ball. Yakujonis is a defender who is good at creating opportunities. He is fearless when fighting in a one-on-one fight. He can always use some combination skills to tear open the defense and find a chance to find a mobile phone. Yakuchonis is not afraid of physical confrontation, and his shooting percentage at the basket exceeds 70%, and he can complete the end with various skills. Yakujonis can not only hit a shot directly, but also knows how to create fouls and stand on the free throw line.

2. Shooter talent. Yakujonis has a skilled shooting skills and can exert influence even without the ball in hand, and will become a reliable third-level scorer. His shooting movements are smooth, his feet moves sensitively, and he has various types of shooting bags. He can not only shoot whenever he catches the ball, but also use fake moves and step-downs to get rid of defense, and he can continue to hit after adjustments.

3. Potential for dual energy guards. Yakuchonis has a broad vision and a keen sense of smell. He is not only good at scoring himself, but also willing to revitalize his teammates. Like most European defenders, Yakujonis is good at finding open teammates in pick-and-roll and conversion attacks, and then sending assists through magical angles.

Disadvantages:

1, 3.7 turnovers per game. Yakujonis needs to pay more attention to control mistakes. He dribbles are too high and easily steals, and makes wrong decisions under high pressure. Yakujonis always passes some taken-for-nothing balls, which will be destroyed by the opponent's slight interference, and may even force feed the ball when there is obvious someone on the pass route. Yakujonis is a little frizzy when facing pressure, and will rashly rush into the crowd and then send the ball out.

2. Average athletic ability. Yakujonis is not very high or fast, he has no obvious advantages in running and jumping, lacks explosive power, and does not meet the standards. Yakujonis may be suppressed by better physical players in NBA-level games, affecting his stability on the offensive end.

3. Defensive struggle. Although Yakujonis has a good body shape, his transverse speed is average and he lacks hand movement interference when defending. Yakujonis will be broken through by smaller and faster defenders, and will not be able to deal with taller wing players. He will become the target of being named, and his defense tolerance is very small.

Summary:

Akujonis started playing in the youth team of the Lithuanian League at the age of 14. From 2021 to 24, he went with Barcelona Youth Team and Reserve Team. Yakujonis' freshman season was not smooth, and he made more mistakes than goals in the first 10 games. After finding the rhythm of the game, he missed two more games due to a wrist injury. After that, Yakujonis has been fighting against injuries and his shooting performance has also begun to decline (the three-point shooting percentage before the injury is 41.4%). But he was still selected into the top ten league third team and the best rookie team with his comprehensive performance. Yakuchonis is a highly adaptable panacea defender. He can play two positions in the backcourt and activates the team in various ways. He is full of the rhythm and fluency of European defenders on the offensive end. Although Yakujonis has nothing particularly stands out, his comprehensive skills are enough to give him a backcourt rotation position on any team. Yakujonis needs to better use the skills he has, rather than becoming a player who can do everything and do everything.