PRIENAI, Lithuania -- On a court covered with Big Baller Brand decals, in front of BBB reality show cameras and 100,000 fans watching on Facebook, a 17-year-old point guard shined as the top NBA prospect.
In an arena packed with Vytautas die-hards and Ball family fanatics, Zalgiris' Rokas Jokubaitis went for 31 points (13-of-24 shots) in 31 minutes against LaMelo Ball, a matchup we outlined extensively in our preview.
"I was very excited to play against them Ball guys," Jokubaitis said after the game. "I saw them only on YouTube so this is a very great experience ... [LaMelo] can score. He can pass. It made a good experience to play against him."
While Ball's impressive offensive talent and overall smooth game stood out in his 20 minutes of play (10 points, 9 assists and 6 turnovers), Lithuania's lefty point guard got to the rim at will, made a host of pull-up and spot jumpers and ran the show nicely, helping Zalgiris' 18-and-under team lose by only 10 points to a team made up of predominantly grown men.
It was a true contrast in styles and development paths between Jokubaitis and LaMelo Ball. Jokubaitis has grown up in the Zalgiris system, playing with structure and discipline, and making incremental strides while competing in a handful of meaningful games at the FIBA and Euroleague junior level. He's been mentored by some of the greatest players in Lithuania basketball history and has developed a heralded work ethic that scouts have long been impressed with.
Ball, on the other hand, is a talent loaded with natural ability and upside, yet he hasn't experienced the level of infrastructure that a player like Jokubaitis has. The game comes easily to Ball, and he had some extremely impressive moments in the open floor, but he still plays a somewhat wild style and defense-free game that are a product of his current development path.
While Ball certainly showed both his unique talents and some of his shortcomings, it was the elder Jokubaitis who shined as the top NBA prospect in the game. After attending tonight's game as well as a practice for each team, here are quick scouting reports on Jokubaitis, LaMelo Ball, LiAngelo Ball and 17-year-old Lithuanian wing Martynas Arlauskas.
Rokas Jokubaitis | 6-4 | PG | Age: 17
Strengths
Nice size and frame for a 17-year-old point guard at 6-4. Strong upper and lower body. Good length relative to his height. Improving athletically. Said he had his first in-game dunk against Vytautas. Father was a big man -- he may still be growing.
Extremely creative ball handler and finisher. Mixes in sweeping crossovers and step-backs.
Uses his length, touch and spin to finish from all different angles around the rim. Super crafty. Using both hands. Soft touch on floaters.
Comfortable getting to pull-ups or floaters off the dribble. Uses hang dribbles to get in rhythm.
Spot 3 is a bit unorthodox but he shoots it with consistent mechanics and gets great rotation.
Offers a nice blend of scoring and playmaking. Delivers the ball from all different angles. Makes basic pocket passes. Keeps his dribble alive.
Competes on the defensive end. Will keep balls alive on the offensive glass.
Improvement areas
Good not great athlete. Doesn't always get by longer, rangier defenders.
Inconsistent shooter. Can stand to speed up his catch-and-shoot 3. Comfortable pulling up in midrange spots but his off-the-dribble jumper doesn't extend to 3 consistently.
Above-average point guard and floor general but doesn't always see over the top of the defense. Can improve against hard hedges and traps.
Sound defender but not an elite athlete or physical specimen from an NBA perspective.
Outlook
While we've been tracking Jokubaitis since he was 15, this was a coming-out party of sorts for him to the general public in the United States. He's built on a strong summer with the under-19 team and figures to put up big numbers this summer at the under-18 European Championships. Jokubaitis figures to get some first division Lithuanian League minutes next season with Zalgiris and has emerged as arguably the top young prospect in the entire basketball-crazed country.
Heralded for his tremendous work ethic and approach to the game, Jokubaitis looks every bit of a future NBA player and scouts and executives in the States will continue to learn more about him as he matures. Jokubaitis is draft-eligible after next season.
Caught up with Zalgiris' Rokas Jokubaitis after the game. The 17-year-old went for 31 points in 31 minutes on 13-of-24 shooting against Vytautas. The lefty PG has been steadily emerging as a very legitimate long-term NBA prospect and one of Lithuania's top talents. pic.twitter.com/EnnqaLEWVG
- Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) January 9, 2018
LaMelo Ball | 6-5 | PG/SG | Age: 16
Strengths
Excellent size for a lead guard at 6-5.
Smooth athlete who changes speeds and directions effortlessly in the open floor. Long strides to the rim. Shifty game. Sweeping crossovers.
The game comes very easily to him. Instinctual ball handler and passer.
Has the potential to be an elite playmaker if he buys in. Facilitates with either hand. Well-timed pick-and-roll feeds. No-look passes in transition. Lonzo-like quick hit-aheads. Playing more under control with Vytautas than he has in the past.
Excellent timing attacking closeouts. Gets solid extension around the rim as a finisher. Has floaters.
Can make a pull-up or standstill 3 with time and space although he's very erratic. Has some natural touch.
Decent feet and quickness on defense when he buys in.
Improvement areas
Lifeless demeanor at times. Almost never competes defensively. Cherry-picks on the other end rather than sprinting back. Wants to reach rather than keeping the ball in front. Not physical.
Still jacks 30-foot pull-ups early in the offense. Although he can really pass, he's a fairly poor decision-maker overall. Doesn't value possessions.
Not a good enough shooter to take most of the shots he does. No elevation. Elbows flying out. Doesn't get consistent rotation. Misses badly left and right.
Doesn't quite have the frame or at-rim explosiveness to finish in a crowd at times.
Needs to do more little things to impact winning to consistently earn the respect of teammates. Good for a lot of highlights but would benefit from playing with more consistent grit and effort.
Outlook
Aside from the chaos surrounding him, LaMelo Ball is full of natural talent as a ball handler and facilitator. While his priority has always been scoring, his court vision and instincts aren't far behind his brother Lonzo. For his first game overseas against an impressive group of players older than him, Ball did a solid job adjusting. Moving forward the key will be getting him into a situation where he'll develop better habits on both ends of the floor.
Although he didn't have many options for the rest of this season as far as overseas offers go, spending time this summer to find a club where he can develop long-term and play in a winning atmosphere with similar-caliber prospects, a strong infrastructure and excellent coaching will be key to his long-term outlook. Vytautas' style is perfectly suited for his open-court play in the interim, and competing against Zalgiris' under-18 team was a great experience, but scouts would like to see him in a more meaningful setting where he has to defend and take every possession seriously in the coming seasons.
From a sheer talent perspective, however, Ball is a unique, gifted prospect who has more than enough game to play in the NBA if he's put in the right situation.
LiAngelo and LaMelo Ball finish with 19 and 10 points, respectively, in their professional basketball debut in Lithuania.
Martynas Arlauskas | 6-8 | SF | Age: 17
Strengths
Great size for a wing prospect at around 6-8. Excellent frame. Fluid athlete who can play above the rim in space.
Smart and competitive defender with good feet. Always in the right spot off the ball. Willing to check an opponent's best player.
Mature mindset offensively. Makes the simple play. Strong feel.
Good straight-line driver with long strides
Capable spot-up shooter when given time and space.
Improvement areas
Below-average length with a 6-7 wingspan.
Rigid ball handler. Everything is in a straight line.
Jump shot is mechanical. Needs time and space to get it off.
Can improve his ability to finish in traffic
Puts a lot of pressure on himself. Can play more relaxed and free.
Outlook
Arlauskas is one of Lithuania's most heralded young wing prospects and arguably the second-best NBA prospect in the game behind Jokubaitis. While he's not a flashy player, he plays a simple game and does all the little things NBA teams look for in a role-playing wing.
He has to continue to improve as a shooter before he can be considered a topflight prospect, but the fact that he's already seen the floor in four Euroleague games at age 17 speaks to what the Lithuanian Federation thinks about him as a player and prospect.
LiAngelo Ball | 6-4 | SF/PF | Age: 19
Strengths
Big, physical body. Not easy to move as a post defender. Can use his strength to carve out space on the block against smaller wings.
Good hop into his jump shot. Gets good rotation. Has the most conventional release of all the Ball brothers. A threat when set.
Showed competitive fire with Vytautas despite having some athletic limitations.
Can make the simple pass when motivated
Improvement areas
Below-the-rim athlete. Thick body type that is more suited for a big man than a wing.
Limited ball handler. Has very little game off the dribble.
Score-first mindset. Plays a somewhat inefficient game.
Played with more competiveness than expected but still struggled to stay in front of wings
Can add more value as a rebounder
Outlook
LiAngelo Ball isn't an NBA or European prospect at this time. However, he does have the physicality and shot-making potential to at least play against pros for stretches, if he does indeed see minutes in the Lithuanian league (LKL).