Player Spotlight: Arturas Butajevas - The fast rising force from Lithuania

SKOPJE (North Macedonia) - Arturas Butajevas' run at the FIBA U16 European Championship 2023 has been a continuation of a successful last couple of years in the Lithuanian youth ranks, where his level of domination earned him the attention of some of the top professional teams in Europe.

Lithuania have made a strong push for a second consecutive U16 title with Butajevas having a standout showing in Skopje having only switched to the sport from football in recent years.

It's time for FIBA contributor Ignacio Rissotto to take a deep dive into the Lithuanian center’s game and look at all aspects of his performances and potential.

OFFENSE - A PRESENCE AROUND THE BASKET

Butajevas does most of his offensive damage in the paint, a zone where he has been dominant in the tournament, shooting 71.4 percent inside the arc while also grabbing 3.4 offensive rebounds per game.

His ability to score in the paint can be attributed to a number of factors, starting with his size. While Butajevas is listed at 2.04m tall, which could be considered as slightly below average for a center, he compensates to a degree with his wingspan and standing reach, as he uses his long arms to catch passes and offensive rebounds over defenders in the paint.

Butajevas also does a great job of moving without the basketball, finding the open space and making himself available for passes that, once they come his way, he's able to secure with his combination of long arms and secure hands as he rarely bobbles passes or rebounds.

Butajevas' mobility and coordination are also impressive for his size. In the open court, he routinely beats opponents in transition creating easy uncontested shot opportunities around the basket. In the half-court, he’s able to roll off screens with a good level of speed and power, which makes him a threat in pick-and-roll sets.

His touch around the basket is also solid, especially on lay-ups, being able to solve situations quickly after catching the ball in the post. Butajevas doesn't need a lot of time to set up his shot, being able to readjust mid-air and convert layups against contact and off balance.

This level of touch, however, is mostly reserved for his layup attempts, as he lacks a level of versatility in his finishes, rarely converting or even attempting floaters, runners and other finishes from a few feet away from the basket. These types of finishes become important for him when you consider his lack of strength, which keeps him from establishing deep post position against bigger opponents. In order to become a solid interior offensive threat he will certainly need to either get stronger or to improve his finishing arsenal — or both.

Butajevas does show flashes as an interior self-creator. While he's not a player that is consistently on the block like a traditional center, and he gets most of his scoring opportunities from pick-and-roll and offensive rebounding, he does show an intriguing combination of ball-handling, coordination, footwork and touch to dribble the ball in crowded areas in order to find the open space in the paint.

The final piece of the puzzle is his passing. As evidenced by his impressive 3.3 assist-to-turnover ratio during the tournament, playmaking for others is an area in which Butajevas shows tremendously interesting flashes of vision, finding open teammates consistently from the post, showing not only the vision, but also the accuracy and creativity to deliver the ball to teammates through tight passing windows.

DEFENSE - USING HIS SIZE

Butajevas lack of elite size and explosiveness off a standstill certainly limit his upside as a primary rim protector, but just like it happens with his offensive profile, his wingspan allows him to make an impact around the basket. As he can contest and block shots off a standstill, as well as making an impact in the defensive glass with his long arms.

When he’s out in the perimeter, despite his high center of gravity, which makes it hard for him to get low in a defensive stance, Butajevas is quick to move his feet to stay in front of wings and his length allows him to contest and block shots from drivers at the rim.

OUTLOOK

It’s been an impressive tournament for Butajevas, who, according to reports, will be moving to Spain to play for FC Barcelona in the 2023-24 season.

The prospect of an undersized center by NBA standards who doesn't space the floor can be a tough sell for teams but the good news is that it's too early for NBA hypotheticals and Butajevas does a number of things really well on the court. His combination of interior finishing, creative passing, rebounding and defensive production will be valuable for nearly any team in the world.

Whether his long-term future is in the States or in Europe, the future is bright, both for Butajevas and for Lithuania, who have found yet another talented big man for the senior National Team's future.

FIBA