It’s unlikely that anybody will unseat Rutgers freshman Dylan Harper as the first guard selected in the 2025 NBA Draft. However, this year’s class has some serious potential when it comes to on-ball initiators, and one of the ones that should hear his name rather early is Illinois freshman Kasparas Jakucionis. The 6-foot-6, 200-pound guard is averaging 15.5 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.0 steals per game for the Fighting Illini, and his creativity with the ball in his hands is second to none when looking at the other prospects that play his position. Jakucionis genuinely has some jaw-dropping tape — which is impressive considering some of the struggles of his Illinois teammates. And his combination of size, playmaking, shooting upside and flair makes it fun to think about how his game might translate.

Jakucionis’ passing is probably the most impressive part of his offering as a prospect. The 18-year-old is extremely advanced as a pick-and-roll operator. Jakucionis might not be conventionally athletic, but his first step is explosive enough to help him create the type of advantages he needs to make plays off the dribble. That, combined with a world-class feel for the game and great size for a point guard, is enough to really make Jakucionis dangerous as a playmaker. Jakucionis can make every pass in the book, including lobs, pocket-passes, one-handed lasers and the occasional no-look beauty. All of that makes him good when working with a traditional roller, and he’s just as effective with a stretch big that pops.

Jakucionis is also tremendous at manipulating defenses with his eyes, using the pick-and-roll as a disguise to get the defense moving and then go in a completely different direction. On top of that, Jakucionis’ basketball IQ shows on even the most straightforward of plays. He’ll hold the ball for an extra second, look off a defender or make a super quick read to give a teammate an advantage when they have no business having one.

Of course, Jakucionis’ 4.8 assists per game are nothing to write home about, but it doesn’t help that the Illini are shooting just 30.5% from three this season. There are 325 teams in Division I basketball that are shooting it better from deep. If Jakucionis was surrounded by more reliable catch-and-shoot options, he’d likely average way more. Not only would more of his passes lead to more made triples, but Illinois’ floor spacing would also be much better.

Jakucionis does, however, have an assist percentage of 28.1% this season. Using that and his Box Plus-Minus of 6.8 puts him in elite company when it comes to freshmen guards. According to Bart Torvik’s player database, which goes back to the start of the 2007-08 season, only 14 players have had BPM’s of at least 6.8 and Assists Percentages of at least 28.0% in their freshman seasons. That list includes highly successful NBA players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Trae Young, Lonzo Ball, John Wall, De’Aaron Fox, Derrick Rose, Scottie Barnes, D’Angelo Russell and Tyreke Evans. That’s good company.

Part of Jackuionis’ effectiveness when it comes to BPM does factor in his scoring. And while he’s definitely great as a facilitator, he’s also got quite a bit of firepower himself. The Lithuanian is a bit streakier than you’d like as a shooter, and his 32.8% shooting from deep leaves plenty to be desired. But the 18-year-old can clearly shoot the three-ball, and his 85.0% shooting from the free throw line backs up the fact that he is a dangerous shooter. There will be some tweaks he can make to improve his consistency at the next level, but he should be viewed as a good perimeter shooter right away. Jakucionis is capable of knocking them down off the dribble, and he’s also very reliable as a spot-up option. The latter is big considering his size should allow him to play off the ball a little in the NBA.

Jakucionis is also capable of scoring at the rim, and a lot of that comes when he’s running pick-and-roll plays. He’s smart about knowing when the right pass won’t be there, and he’s always quick to put the ball down and find something at the basket. He’s especially good at taking an extra dribble, going under the rim and finishing on the other side. Jakucionis is also clever about faking handoffs, turning and exploding as a driver when he has defenders discombobulated.

Jakucionis just has the total package as an on-ball player, and he should be excellent as an offensive engine in the NBA. He’s going to benefit greatly from having better shooters and athletes around him, and he’ll also do well with the extra spacing he’ll see at the next level. All of that makes it hard to worry too much about the fact that Jakucionis is a below-average athlete.

Where Jakucionis’ lack of athleticism is problematic is on the defensive end, where he is a bit of a sieve. The Lithuanian can struggle to stay in front of quicker guards, and he’s going to be covering a ton of them in the NBA. That will be interesting when it comes to team-building for his next squad. While Jakucionis should operate with the ball in his hands offensively, he really shouldn’t be covering the opposing team’s primary ball handler. He has the size to defend twos and threes, and that’s where his lack of quickness and proper foot speed will make him a little less noticeable. He’s at least good when it comes to understanding rotations and being in the right spots.

But you don’t draft Jakucionis expecting him to figure out the defense. You draft him because of what he provides offensively, and he’s going to be very appealing to any lottery team in need of some juice. There’s a pathway to Jakucionis becoming a cerebral offensive initiator, and players like that don’t grow on trees.