Lietkabelis Panevezys big man Gytis Masiulis continues to add weapons to his game as the 22-year-old enjoys a standout season in the 7DAYS EuroCup.
Spotlight, Gytis Masiulis, Lietkabelis: 'I keep working on my shots'
Player Spotlight
5 mins read
Gytis Masiulis knows there is more than one way to the final destination and the Lithuanian big man has regularly taken the road that leads to more development - just like this season with Lietkabelis Panevezys.
Masiuilis joined Lietkabelis in the summer on a one-year deal looking to take the next step in his career. And the 22-year-old has been excellent in his maiden campaign in the 7DAYS EuroCup. He is averaging 12.6 points and 6.0 rebounds to go along with 0.8 assists and 0.8 steals in five games. Masiulis's highlight by far came in Round 4 as he collected 26 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks for an index rating of 38 in a crucial 80-73 home victory over Telenet Giants Antwerp.
"It felt amazing. We knew that it was a do-or-die game for us if we want to advance to the Top 16. I'm really happy that my performance helped us get a win in that crucial game," said Masiulis.
"I'm really happy that my performance helped us get a win in that crucial game."
The victory remains Lietkabelis's only one in Group C; the team has a 1-6 record and is trying to chase down MoraBanc Andorra, which currently stands fourth in the group at 3-3 for the final spot in the Top 16.
"We have a pretty strong group this year, but our chances to advance are still not lost. Our team is still young and we try to learn from our mistakes and we hope we will advance to the next round," said Masiulis, who has missed Lietkabelis's last two games.
In that big game against Antwerp, Masiulis drained 3 of 5 three-pointers as the 2.06-meter big man is showing off the work he put in over the off-season on his outside shot.
"I keep working on my shots every day and for me, it's not a surprise that they are going in," said Masiulis, who is shooting 36.4 percent from three-point range in the Lithuanian LKL and 42.1% in the EuroCup; both numbers are much higher than in past years.
Masiulis knows that his outside shooting makes him a more dangerous player as defenders must go out to guard him on the perimeter while also facing the threat of him dribbling past them to the basket.
"It's a lot easier to play when the opponents know that you are a good shooter because they have to guard you closer and that leaves more gaps for penetration," he explained.
It's all about developing his game and Masiulis has not been afraid to take a different path to get that additional work. The son of Tomas Masiulis, a 1999 EuroLeague champion with Zalgiris Kaunas, Gytis joined Zalgiris in the youth ranks. He played in the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament in 2014-15 and 2015-16, but struggled to find a regular rotation spot with Zalgiris's senior team. He did, however, appear in 12 EuroLeague games in 2017-18, during which he collected a total of 14 points and 9 rebounds in 38 minutes over those games.
Having already turned 20 by the end of that season, Masiulis and Zalgiris agreed to a loan deal with Neptunas Klaipeda, allowing him to get much more playing time while also competing in the Basketball Champions League for two full seasons.
"Those two years in Neptunas were very important to me because I wanted to be loaned to a team where I could get a lot of playing time and play in a European competition. So Klaipeda was the best place for that. It helped me improve my basketball skills and I got a lot of confidence," he said.
Masiulis got the chance to play alongside players his age as well as Tomas Delininkaitis, who at 38 years of age at the end of the 2019-20 season had even played against Tomas Masiulis back in 2002 when he was at Neptunas and Masiulis at Zalgiris.
"It helped me improve my basketball skills and I got a lot of confidence."
"I learned a lot from him because he was a very important player on and off the court. He always has a voice in the locker room and gives great advice to young players," the younger Masiulis said of playing with Delininkaitis.
The COVID-19 pandemic shut down sports across the globe in March, but Masiulis was part of the first league to return when he signed with Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt in June 2020 for the German League's season-ending tournament.
"I wasn't expecting to go play anywhere, but one day my agent called and said that Frankfurt was interested in me. It all happened very fast. I had to make the decision quickly and the next day I had to go to Frankfurt," said Masiulis, who had his first chance to play outside his native Lithuania.
"I'm really glad that I took that opportunity because I wanted to know what it is like to play abroad. I had great teammates there who helped me a lot during that month."
Even though Masiulis is trying to become more of a power forward who can also play outside, he knew Frankfurt was bringing him in to play center - which was another chance for him to test his ability to adapt to different situations.
"I wasn't afraid to face new challenges, even though the German league is known for its physicality. We were able to advance to the playoffs, so we reached our goal," said Masiulis, who averaged 11.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in six German League games.
Masiuilis also reached his goal of continuing the development of his game - both on and off the court - as he finds his way.