A proficient sharpshooter, being reliable in catch and shoot situations and spot-up shooting even at high volumes.
BORN: 05/09/2001
LAST TEAM: IU Indy Jaguars (NCAA)
HEIGHT: 6-5 / 196 cm
WEIGHT: 205 / 93 kg
PRO
- Shooting range
- Movements off the ball
- Disciplinate defender
WEAKNESSES
- Athleticism – lateral quickness
- Playmaking – handling
- Rebounds
VIDEO
ACTUAL
POTENTIAL
INTRODUCTION
Paul Zilinskas is a Lithuanian-born player who has had a notable collegiate basketball journey. He began at Quincy University in D-II, where he became a key player over the years and earned Second Team GLVC honors in his junior year. Transferring to the University of Indianapolis (UIndy) for his senior season, he continued his strong performance, again securing All-GLVC Second Team recognition. In his graduate year, he joined the Jaguars and made his debut at the D-1 level, emerging as a key contributor, leading the team in scoring and ranking third in the Horizon League with 18 ppg. He was the second-best three-point shooter in the Conference on high volume after Anthony Roy.
PHYSICAL
Paul Zilinskas possesses a good size for a shooting guard, allowing him to shoot over smaller defenders and contribute defensively against multiple positions. While not exceptionally explosive, he demonstrates solid balance and coordination, enabling effective movement off the ball and the ability to navigate through defensive traffic. His physicality aids in absorbing contact when driving to the basket, though there’s room for improvement in his mobility and athleticism. Overall, his physique supports his swingman role as a versatile perimeter player, and improving his lateral quickness and agility can help him contribute more on both sides of the court.
OFFENSIVE PHASE
Paul Zilinskas is a proficient sharpshooter, being reliable in catch and shoot situations and spot-up shooting even at high volumes (41.1% on 7.2 attempts). His ability to move off the ball and stretch the floor forces defenses to extend, creating spacing for teammates. While primarily a spot-up shooter, Zilinskas has shown the capability to create his own shot off the dribble, beating close-outs to drive to the basket. He also excels at the free-throw line, converting 89.4% of his attempts, indicating reliability in clutch situations. While he navigates through screens effectively, he does not have a reliable mid-range pull-up and struggles to use it. His passing has improved over his collegiate career, averaging 1.8 assists per game in his final season, though he’s more of a scoring swingman than a secondary handler.
DEFENSIVE PHASE
Paul Zilinskas combines size, his defensive positioning, and understanding of rotations allow him to be effective on the defensive end. However, his lateral quickness can be a limitation when guarding more agile opponents, potentially making him susceptible in isolation situations. His understanding of the game and its limits leads him to be disciplined on passing lanes, attempting few steals, and his defensive awareness helps in rotating and providing help defense when necessary. Despite having good height, his willingness to go for rebounds is an area where he could improve (2.8 last season).
IMPROVED AREAS
Paul Zilinskas needs to improve in a few key areas. First, working on his lateral quickness and overall athleticism will help him more effectively on both sides of the court. Secondly, diversifying his offensive game by developing reliable ball handling and playmaking skills would allow him to become less predictable when chased off the three-point line. Lastly, increasing his activity on the glass (especially on the defensive end) would make him a more complete player. These improvements could help him transition from a shooting specialist to a more well-rounded two-way player. For his rookie year, he can guarantee an impact in a mid-level league or, with his Bosman-A status, find a spot in a second division of top countries.