Rokas Jokubaitis

Rokas Jokubaitis, 6-2, Point Guard, Zalgiris, 2000

Strengths
-Average physical profile at the moment at around 6' 2” but his father, a former player, stands 6' 7” and Rokas is expected to add another couple of inches, evident by his long arms and big feet.
-Creative point guard who plays with a level of pizazz and confidence rare for a 16-year-old. Stepped up in the final scoring 18 points and dishing out six assists in only 23 minutes. Not afraid of the moment.
-Provides a nice blend of scoring and playmaking – 19.6 points and 5.7 assists per 40 minutes.
-Very comfortable playing out of ball screens. Whips one-handed passes over the top to the roll man. Avoids the hedging big. Can find the weakside shooter.
-Uses sweeping crossovers in each direction to keep defenders off balance. Rarely kills his dribble.
-Tough shot maker off the dribble. Somewhat unorthodox mechanics with his shooting (left) elbow flying out a bit and his right hand coming off the ball a bit early, but he gets excellent rotation and has great touch. Can stop on a dime in mid-range spots. Very accurate hanging, short-range jump shooter. Can also knock down open threes if the defender goes under in pick and roll.
-Comfortable playing off the ball as well – capable spot shooter. 36.4% from three and 82% from the free throw line. Gets great rotation and has soft touch.
-Doesn't shy away from contact around the rim
-Will compete on the defensive end. Plays with fire. Long arms.

Weaknesses
-Average physical profile for an NBA point guard prospect at this stage. Will likely have to grow to gain more traction, especially given the fact that he's an average athlete both in terms of burst and vertical explosiveness.
-Struggles to get by elite defenders without a ball screen. Relies more on handle and deception. Doesn't change speeds or direction with force.
-Not a great finisher around the rim. Struggles with length and athleticism. Will have to continue to add more craft to his game.
-Very left-hand dominant as a ball handler, penetrator and finisher.
-Can get a bit wild as a decision maker. Stops short for contested pull ups rather than getting all the way to the rim. Will whip passes around blindly. Has a feel and his creativity is a plus overall but he can stand to reel it in a bit.
-Streaky shooter. More of a shot maker than a knockdown shooter at this stage.
-Defensive potential is a bit limited at this stage. Gets by more on grit than tools or quickness.

Outlook
Jokubaitis had a coming out party of sorts at the ANGT in Kaunas, following up a strong U16s this past summer where he caught our eye. Jokubaitis' spirit, creativity, tough shot making ability and vision really stood out as he made play after play on the biggest stage of the tournament, as the team's third-youngest player nonetheless. His long-term upside rests quite heavily on how much he'll grow and develop physically over the next few years, but his skill package and mentality for his age make him someone to follow moving forward.