Race to the Tank: Breaking Down Kasparas Jakucionis

Kasparas Jakucionis

Bio: Freshman| Illinois| 6'6"| 200 pounds| guard

Stats: 16.1 points| 6.1 rebounds| 5.6 assists| 46.9 FG%| 42.0 3P%| 84.2 FT%| 1.4 steals| 4.0 turnovers (10 games played)

Analysis

Jakucionis has established himself as the top playmaker in the 2025 draft class. He can thread the needle between defenses and smoothly transition from a pull-up jump shot to an entry pass. Although extremely turnover-prone, Jakucionis has solid handles that can improve over time. He is consistent behind the arc and has a quick release. What Jakucionis lacks in athleticism, he makes up for with his ability to navigate through traffic, which allows him to get to the rim gracefully. His offense is stellar, but his defense has been questionable at times and will most likely need to improve at the NBA level.

NBA Comparison

Comparing Jakucionis to Luka Doncic may set an unrealistic standard. However, using a lesser comparison would undermine Jakucionis' impressive ability to abruptly change speed while attacking the rim. Although this may not seem significant at first glance, this ability allows a playmaker to disrupt a defense and create easy scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. 

Both Jakucionis and Doncic are taller guards who rely on crafty ball handling rather than athleticism to generate offense.

Chicago Bulls Fit

Jakucionis, a Lithuanian basketball player currently playing for Illinois, is a dream come true for Bulls fans. He complements fellow Illini Ayo Dosunmu nicely in the backcourt and has a Lithuanian connection with Matas Buzelis and Arturas Karnisovas.

 Beyond storylines, similar to Dylan Harper , the addition of Jakucionis is another tall guard to the rotation. This could indicate an overhaul in guard depth, especially since Jakucionis is a pass-first player, much like Josh Giddey.