Motiejus was one of the most skilled big men in Treviso. It was a joy to watch when he received the ball in the paint and went to work. All of his moves looked smooth and with intention, he controls his body well and with great footwork creates the scoring chances. He was great in pick & roll actions and showed his soft hands and finishing touch in those type of plays. Has high basketball IQ, understands the spacing principles and rarely finds himself at the wrong spot. Not a prototype of a modern big man and fits more the mold of an old school inside big but he is so good and smart at the things he does, that I’m sure we will hear his name often in the future.

Motiejus played mostly for Žalgiris II in Lithuanian NKL (2nd Division) but also got minutes in two matches for the first team in LKL (1st Division) and especially in the game against Nevezis he proved his worth and scored 15 points in 15 minutes. But the constant performances in NKL got him the spot in the All-October Team since he finished the month with an average of 13.7 points, 12.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in about 27 minutes per game. He is really skilled on post ups and can easily create points down low. His finishing at the rim was also on high level throughout the month and he showed soft touch with both hands. Protected the paint and the rim well but struggled with defending on perimer. More of an old school big with skilled and also dominant inside game and there aren’t many players with that prototype in basketball nowadays. If Motiejus will continue putting up numbers like this for the second team, then Žalgiris will need to dress him up for the first team more regularly.

Motiejus Krivas (C | 212 cm | ‘04) ~ Lithuania

13.6 pts, FG2-58.2%, FG3-16.7%, FT-73.7%, 13.4 reb, 1.7 ast, 0.7 st, 3.4 to, 1.7 blck

Probably the most skilled big at the tournament. Krivas was a dominant inside force in most of the matches. He is mobile for a player his size and is able to move fluidly around the floor. Had some good post up possessions where he showed good technique and later on soft touch at the rim. Has good touch from distance too and could become a stretch big in future. His feel for rebounds is elite, has great hands and is a dominant rebounder. Played good defense around the rim too but got lost in space a few times and not really a player that could switch a lot. Very talented but I would say his tools and game fit better to the highest level in Europe than to the NBA.

15.8 pts, FG2-56.4%, FG3-0%, FT-71.1%, 9.8 reb, 3.2 ast, 1.5 st, 2.5 to, 3.0 blck

Lithuanian big man was one of the top interior options at the tournament. For a player his size, Motiejus runs/moves well and stays light on his feet. He walks on his toes with a center of gravity slightly shifted forward. It is a double-edged sword because it helps him defensively, making it easier to hold his ground, but offensively it is harder to create space. Nonetheless, he can explore a few options offensively. He is a reliable screener and a roll man. During this tournament even looked to pop after screens for some long-range jumpers but couldn’t make even a single one and, at times, looked to be without restraint. It is good he shows confidence, but there is no history or technique to back that up. Speaking about his decision making, he needs to be more careful as he made a few careless mistakes in the final stretches of a couple of games. Moving on. Another noteworthy part of his game is his ability to distribute the ball. Both on the short roll as well as from the low post. On defense, it was interesting to see how the opposing guards wanted to test his ability to protect the rim time and time again instead of looking for different options. In the end, he tallied 3-blocks per game which was one of the highest numbers in this year’s edition of the AdidasNGT. His vertical pop is rather average from a stationary position, but when running to contest can surprise. Also, his timing is very good.

(Written by Igor Chytrzynski)