Live from Eurobasket 2011 - A Look at the Raptors' Jonas Valanciunas
by Adam Francis on Sep 9, 2011 9:45 AM EDT
in HQ International
Email
Print
I have a dream.
No wait...I HAD a dream.
It was last night and no word of lie, in the dream, Jonas Valanciunas grabbed a rebound in international play, and crammed it on Andrea Bargnani.
Now this scenario is impossible this year of course, with Andrea's Italian team out of Eurobasket contention, however Jonas cramming on say a Marc Gasol?
We may yet see this.
After all, Lithuania is tied with Spain at the top of Group A with two wins and a loss, and could very well face each other when all is said and done.
That would present an interesting match-up between Gasol and Valanciunas, and perhaps a good indicator of Big Val's upside as he heads to the NBA in about a year's time.
How has Valanciunas fared so far this tourney?
His averages of 9.2 points and 3.6 rebounds don't sound like much, but considering he's only played an average of 17 minutes a match, that's not too shabby. Averaged over 28 minutes, it's likely we'd be talking about 15 points and 6 rebounds to go with a pretty surreal shooting percentage from the field.
He's currently shooting 75 per cent from two-point range (he's attempted no 3's, thankfully) and while the 66 per cent free-throw number could use some improvement, I'm sure Raptors' fans could live with such a number considering his other metrics.
Oh...and that includes averaging a block a game so far, in again, limited burn.
But enough about the stats, again we're lucky enough to have Zorgon from Welcome to Loud City give us his first-hand take on Mr. Valanciunas:
Before I begin this recap, I must preface it with a disclaimer. For me, at least, European basketball is a lot harder to follow than it's NBA counterpart. Many players on the floor play more or less the same role, and it's tougher to distinguish exactly how good each one is. This is especially true in the context of the system most European teams play in, which involves a lot of passing and a lot of open shots.
With that being said, I had no trouble in separating Joans Valanciunas from the crowd during this game. He was up against one of the top 5 Centers in the tournament, Nenad Krstic, and he found a way to shine offensively. His main weapon against Krstic was the speed he possessed. He could easily run around Krstic on any kind of roll or backdoor play, and make the score look easy. This lowered Krstic's effectiveness, as his scoring would be negated by Valanciunas on the other end.
At the same time, you could see Valanciunas do certain things that you would think were fitting of Chris Kaman or Ali Traore. He could battle with the best of them for boards and garbage points, always somehow muscling his way or finding the right place to put the ball. Thirdly, Valanciunas runs the floor much better than most big men. He was regularly involved in fast break plays, throwing the ball to the post from halfcourt or completing a play himself. Fourthly, he had a sweet touch around the basket. He was always in position to rebound his own shot if need be, but even his off-balance tips seemed to have come from a smartly placed hand. The best example of this skill was a sweet left-handed hook he hit from about 7 feet out.
I do have a few knocks on his play, though. He didn't really show a whole lot of ball handling or shooting skills in this game. I guess you could chalk that up as knowing how to take care of the ball or knowing when not to shoot. But he would elect not to dribble whenever possible, and he was hardly ever in position to shoot, so, chances are, those skills aren't the greatest. He also tried a bit too hard to find his way around his opponent, rather than just biting the bullet and receiving the pass in front of his defender. This led to a few too many turnovers on his part.
Situation-wise, Valanciunas had two excellent runs in the fourth quarter. Early in the fourth, he came in, scored, and had a block, continuing Lithuania's already strong lead. Later in the quarter, he did exactly the same thing, killing any chance Serbia had of a comeback. And, just for good measure, he faked out Nenad Krstic and forced him to commit his first foul of the game.
All in all, Valanciunas definitely isn't a finished product, but it will be interesting to see how he evolves over the next few years. With work, he could turn into a Luis Scola type of player, being a deadly scorer in the paint and scrappy defender. But, I could just as easily see him becoming an Anderson Varejao. A spot player that you use for energy in certain situations, but not somebody you can rely on consistently or build around. Either way, if I were a Raptor fan, I'd be excited for this foreign product, as he fits into the Raptor mold quite well.
A big thanks again to Zorgon and a very positive review of the Raptors' top pick in this past draft. Reading reports like this, it's extremely hard not to be excited about his future in the league.
We'll be keeping tabs on Valanciunas as he and the host Lithuanians take on Tony Parker and France today in what should be a very entertaining affair...
43 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Bad Article On Valanciunas Filled With a Bunch of Misstatements
1. Yes Valanciunas is shooting only 67% from the FT line but that is in limited attempts.
Go to this link to see that Jonas shot 81.7% from the FT line during this summer’s U19 games. That was in 8.2 FT attempts per game over 9 games.
http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/11/fu19m/statistics/p/top-players.html
2. Jonas has no problem making the 15 foot jump shot. He has done this with high accuracy when he has shot it. I have seen him do it enough to know that when he makes a 15 foot shot it is no accident. In fact I would say that he is more likely to make one than to miss one. He just isn’t used that way by LTU.
3. Players that 7 feet tall don’t or at least shouldn’t put the ball on the floor dribbling it any more than is absolutely necessary. The reason for this is simple. The ball has to travel a further distance up and down when be dribbled by a 7 footer than a 6’2" significantly increasing the chance of it being stolen or batted away.
Got to watch Turkey vs Germany
later
There Are Some Exceptions To the 7' Thing
Bargnani being one, but then Kareem, Shaq, Duncan etc were never known for being good dribblers.
I see Jonas developing into a Kareem lite especially if he can get his sky-hook down.
Right now I see his upside at 22+ PPG and 9 – 11 RPG based upon watching him play close to 20 games thus far.
The Chief/McHale
Ideally, I would like to see Jonas become a fundamentally sound big man who concentrates on protecting the basket, rebounding and playing the game the right way. On offense, I’d like to see him setting screens, rolling to the basket, hitting free throws and open shots, etc. If he develops a post game then great, but I don’t see him evolving into a first option on offense. I see him as a more of a Parrish/McHale type of guy than an offensive leader like Kareem. Just my opinion, obviously.
My best case scenario for the Raptors would have Jonas-Ed-Amir developing into the main big-man rotation with Bargani either becoming a scorer off the bench or getting traded. It would be great to supplement those three main guys with a heavyweight who can provide relief against the really big strong guys post players (Howard, Bynum, types). Maybe Alabi can develop into that guy. Otherwise an FA signing would be fine.
As a final point, I would prefer Toronto’s number 1 option to be a wing scorer. That probably won’t be Demar. Maybe it could be someone from the upcoming draft. As I said above, this is all in my fantasy future scenario where everything works out as I would like it to….
Ideally, I would like to see Jonas become a fundamentally sound big man who concentrates on protecting the basket, rebounding and playing the game the right way
He is already on his well on way to doing that. He just needs more experience and to physically grow from a teenager into a man. On a side note, Kanter at 19 already has an adult male body. He looked really good today vs Kaman and Dirk. Kanter as I expected is starting to show Blake like moves down low but of course without the Blake power dunk finishes.
IMO from what I have seen of Jonas’ play so far in close to 20 games I expect him to be much more than you want.
He definitely has NBA all-star potential. Bosh like numbers by 2014-15 with better defense wouldn’t surprise me at all.
I agree with DW here. While I’ve been impressed with Jonas’ abilities this summer, I haven’t seen the type of offensive arsenal that would indicate he can be a number one offensive option. In fact, a diverse offensive skill set is probably one of his weeknesses. I’ve seen a steady diet of rolls, and put backs and not much else. Don’t get me wrong, he doesn’t have to be a number one offensive option to be crucial to this team’s success. In fact he can be more important as a solid rebounder, defender and grit player that finishes and runs the floor.
I've said this before
My best case scenario for the Raptors would have Jonas-Ed-Amir developing into the main big-man rotation
Raptors can only “afford” to develop 2 of the these 3 Bigs – as I feel a certain redundancy is inherent. I base this opinion on Raptors having so many other needs, while being somewhat overloaded on the Big side. The team needs balance.
.
Jonas will be staying (unless something dramatic happens), which leaves one of Ed & Amir (IMO). AJ has probably best defined his role as a Big off the Bench – at least if we’re projecting towards Contender status, while Ed doesn’t have the offensive game (as a PF) that we became so accustomed to during the CB years. This is where I see Andrea’s role – as the starting PF. If Raptors elevate themselves to Contender status, and AB doesn’t “gel” with the working model (for the team), then he’ll either be replaced, or have to adjust to a 6th man role.
.
I know some fans argue that a combo of Jonas-Ed-Amir can provide sufficient scoring, but I’m not convinced, nor enthusiastic about the odds.
.
by RapthoseLeafs on Sep 9, 2011 3:04 PM EDT up reply actions
I know some fans argue that a combo of Jonas-Ed-Amir can provide sufficient scoring, but I’m not convinced, nor enthusiastic about the odds.
I want to see the bulk of the scoring coming from the wings. I think 10-15 points a piece from Jonas-Amir-Ed would be plenty.
Raptors can only "afford" to develop 2 of the these 3 Bigs – as I feel a certain redundancy is inherent.
I would say “redundancy” is one of their biggest pluses as a combination. When you have any 2 of those three guys on the floor you know you will get hustle, defense and rebounding. Jonas gives a little more length while Amir gives a bit more hops and Ed is somewhere in between. All you are missing is an enforcer-type who can handle the league’s biggest bigs. Perhaps that can be Alabi.
Personally, I don’t see a role for AB unless it would be as a change of pace guy off the bench.
Amir Doesn't Need To Score To Be Effective
I can see 30-35 PPG coming from Jonas and Amir along with another 10 – 15 from Ed on a combined FG percentage of maybe over 60%.
I will take that any game. LOL
Laker Win With
Bynum, Gasol and Odom up front
No reason the Raptors can’t eventually do the same with Amir, Ed and Jonas
ok... this is a BIG stretch
Bynum I’ll give you, but none of the Raptors 3 have anything even close to the offensive game of Gasol or Odom.
Odom was almost a point-forward type coming out of college… none of the Raptors 3 can even dribble that well.
agree with you DW19
“while being somewhat overloaded on the Big side”
why would the Raps not want that? Its not like they are being forced to give up a perimeter player in order to keep 3 bigs. Don’t get me wrong if a deal for one of these guys came along that couldn’t be beat you don’t turn it down… but at the same time you just don’t move one because “uh oh we have too many good big guys time to trade one”
Now the raps probably won’t be able to keep all 3 + Bargs… but I think there is a very logical solution there… (although I’m betting a very difficult one to implement)
“Ed doesn’t have the offensive game (as a PF) that we became so accustomed to during the CB years”
why does he (or anyone) have to? The Raps should try to unaccustom themselves to everything during the CB years
by Not so Friendly Stranger on Sep 9, 2011 4:21 PM EDT up reply actions
But
.
the crux of all the arguments on here, is that Andrea will be gone. And while that may happen, it doesn’t strike me as being realistic.
The whole debate going on here, and in the past, keeps leaving Bargnani out of the fold. Maybe that’s what you desire, and hope for, but you have to ask yourself – will it happen?
.
Why do we persist in trying to mold this team (in your fashion), when all of us are not making the decision. It’s like a rationale for “if” a Chandler should sign. Or a top flight PG would venture over. Or a top free agent will come here, if we have a Contender. I keep saying – no they won’t (for my Canadian reasons), and I have yet to be wrong on that – Turkey aside.
.
Debates have to be on what is, and not what you want. Otherwise, it becomes like all those trade scenarios that everyone throws out, and have no realistic chance of happening. And to say I’m crazy for wanting Andrea on the team, just camouflages what the reality that is, and will continue to be. You can throw out the unicorn perceptions, but my reality is – what it is. And I debate on that basis.
.
.
by RapthoseLeafs on Sep 9, 2011 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions
the crux of all the arguments on here, is that Andrea will be gone
Not exactly. I said that he would be fine as a change-of-pace big man off the bench. I also said that the Ed-Amir-Jonas front court rotation was my ideal scenario. The Raptors currently own the rights all those three players, so it is not exactly a stretch to envision them as a possible “frontcourt of the future”.
“the crux of all the arguments on here, is that Andrea will be gone”
no thats just the ideal situation
“it doesn’t strike me as being realistic.”
me either… who’s gonna want him and that contract?
I’m hoping BC finds a way to move Bargnani… I’m just not convinced he will be able to (or is willing to for that matter), atleast not for what a team would be willing to give up for him. I hope I’m wrong in so many ways when it comes to that though.
by Not so Friendly Stranger on Sep 9, 2011 6:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Right now I see his upside at 22+ PPG and 9 – 11 RPG
While I like your enthusiasm, these upside numbers sort of scare me. If they become a goal (or a purpose), it could distract JV from what I’d prefer seeing him become. That 9 – 11 rebound average, that is able to contribute 12 – 15 ppg average.
Raptor “bulk” scoring should be left in the hands of Demar & Andrea. And by “bulk”, I mean 15+ ppg.
.
by RapthoseLeafs on Sep 9, 2011 2:47 PM EDT up reply actions
For The Record Jonas Has Already Faced The Gasol Brothers Three Times
Twice in the friendly games and once in the Preliminary round of the EuroBasket 2011
France vs LTU Up in 30 Minutes
Will Jonas get to go against Noah for the first time?
On Sunday LTU plays Germany so we could see Jonas matched up against Kaman for the first time.
Germany beat Turkey so things are getting interesting as we move toward the semi-finals. If LTU can manage to beat France which is currently undefeated that will make it even more interesting going forward.
France Vs LTU
End of Q1 F 18 LTU 16
Jonas 4 minutes 2 points and 1 rebound
He scored on a missed free throw going up over Noah to grab the rebound and put it in.
LTU up 46 - 43 After Three Qtrs
Jonas with 13 minutes 6 and 2 but he has had a significant impact on the game for LTU so far. He must be a +10 or more in 13 minutes
From ESPN Insider - David Thorpe (encouraging review of Valanciunas)
High hopes for Knight, Valanciunas
“At the moment, I like both Knight and Valanciunas to emerge as the best of this group after a few NBA seasons are under their belts. Knight has all the tools I look for in an NBA point guard; he has size, agility, skills with the ball and a great-looking shot. He also has lots of poise, a huge basketball IQ and quite possibly one of the highest general IQs in the league.
He gets knocked for not being a “pure” point guard, but no one thought Chauncey Billups was a pure point guard when he was entering the NBA, yet he’s considered a classic point guard now by most basketball insiders. Sure, Knight has a lot of learning to do to play the position in the NBA, but with his talents and intelligence there’s every reason to believe he will be very effective as the quarterback for a good team. Furthermore, his skills give him opportunities to get on the floor for important stretches even before he’s ready to run his own team. That means he won’t just be learning from the bench.
Valanciunas might have the most upside of any draft pick in this year’s class. Who doesn’t need a scoring machine who can rebound, run and defend? He’s also a high-motor player.
Put it this way: If he was coming out of college after a year at UNC, he’d have gone No. 1 overall.
At worst Valanciunas looks to be a solid big man with starting potential, thanks to his willingness to rebound and defend, and his ability to make perimeter shots. But he’s a scorer as well, with post moves and a knack for getting good looks. If he can provide a go-to scoring option and all the benefits that come with it — drawing double-teams, getting lots of free throws, etc. — that will take him to another level. When he enters the NBA after next season, we’ll probably see what I’m writing about here."
Buddah, before you even ask, I can’t link to this as I don’t have an ESPN insider account. A friend copied and emailed it to me.
I Disagree
I think Kanter has more upside that Knight
Depending on how TT does the top five in last June’s draft could easily become the best five in the draft.
I don’t see Knight being as good as Irving, Williams, Kanter or Jonas. JMO
France Wins 76 - 67
France playing with
J. Noah
N. Batum
B. Diaw
their star was Nando de Colo 6’5" guard who was drafted by the Spurs in the second round in 2009. He now plays in Spain.
His final line
Min 25
Points 21
Rebounds 4
Steals 5
He was everywhere. A great game by de Colo who was previously only averaging 2.2 PPG in the EuroWorld 2011.
Jonas final line
MP 19
Pts 12 (FG 5 – 7 and FT 2 – 2)
Reb 3
Asst 2
Turn 3
St 1
Bl 1
PF 2
Plus one got kicked in the head while on the floor.
He play pretty good today. However, today’ s game again showed that he needs more girth and strength, i.e. to grow up physically into an adult. LOL
I expect France to face Spain for the Championship though Russia could be the wild card.
Jonas Rebounding
He is not getting many rebounds vs the adults.
Though he is battling.
As I said he
1. Needs more girth
2. Need more strength
I think when he adds those two qualities he will be able to clear more space for himself to rebound more and of course score more down low against the adults.
He is one tough kid, but then almost all Lithuanians are tough. He battles get hit, kicked in head, elbowed in the face and keeps coming back for more. A great quality especially for a Big man
Enes Kanter EuroBasket 2011 Analyis
For Raptors fans interested in reading my analysis of Enes Kanter after watching him play in the EuroBasket 2011, Turkey is now out of the tournament, they can find it on the link below
http://www.slcdunk.com/2011/9/11/2418217/enes-kanter-eurobasket-2011-quick-analysis
LTU Advances To Quarter Finals
Jonas had a pretty good game though he missed several at the rim
Min 18
Pts 15 (FG 6 -10, FT 3 – 4)
Rbs 4
Blks 2
Turn 1
Fouls 4
When he was on the court against Kaman he outplayed Kaman. Doesn’t surprise me. Kaman is a bum despite his numbers. Again Kaman disappeared in the 4th quarter.
Anyway nice to see LTU and Jonas advance.
O/T – The NBA game style is better suited for Dirk’s game because he is the most effective in the ISO and they run very few of those of European (Int’t) basketball
"pretty good" a little modest
He was frankly a game changer. In the 4th when he came in Germany had taken over, Dirk and/or Kamen went from getting basically anything they wanted to constant agression from his indefatiguable long body. At one pint Dirk drives the lane and Jonas comes from the weak side and instead of attempting to block, he basically body slams him (no foul) right under the rim. Nowitzki ends up lying on his back and that was it for him as a presence.
Throw in those momentum swinging alley oops and I don’t think “game changer” is hyperbole. Being my first time watching such a young JV vs. NBA level talent, I was amazed.
Pretty Good Relative To How He Can Play
I do agree that he was a game changer but he can play better.
He Missed Three Easy Ones At The Rim
that he usually makes.
He also did not have any steals as I recall. He did play solid defense though. Probably his best game on defense in the tournament.
Based upon the now 20 or so games I have seen him play he can and will do better. That is why I say he was pretty good, for what he can do and what I expect from him.
Being a little tough on the kid 4sure, but no tougher on him than I am on my favorite Raptors player, Amir. LOL
just off hand
bet that chair is even more afraid of him now.
by Not so Friendly Stranger on Sep 11, 2011 7:09 PM EDT up reply actions
It Is Going To Get Very Interesting Next Week
They now enter the quarter finals.
Only the top two out of the eight in the quarter finals are guaranteed Olympic spots.
Hopefully Jonas can continue to improve over the next week – LOL
On a side note. I read where Kleiza is returning to North America to see the Dr. who did his surgery for what hopefully will be a go ahead to start practicing.
Link To Video of Germany vs LTU
It says it is 1:37:10 long so I assume it is the full game.
Unfortunately it is not in English
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DkzWofJkZk&feature=player_embedded
Jonas Highlights
by dhackett1565 on Sep 12, 2011 8:13 AM EDT up reply actions
He Scored Nine of His 15 In The Fourth Quarter
He definitely outplayed Kaman when the game was on the line. Of course that isn’t saying much since just about every Center, except maybe Bargnani, outplays Kaman in the 4th quarter.
Nonetheless this is a very good sign that Jonas wants the ball when the game is on the line and it was close at the beginning of the 4th quarter. Also a good sign that at least yesterday he delivered in the 4th quarter when the game was on the line. That is something that I rarely remember Bargnani doing, at least over the last couple of seasons when I have watched him play regularly.
Vogue Fashion's Night Out, an evening of fashion, celebrity, cinema and sports
But you prefer the blazer and bow tie, the bottom is not the most important thing. It ’an evening of fashion, you just have to celebrate it. And if in the company of a celebrity, so much the better. What rhymes not only with fashion style, it became clear yesterday. Even athletes and actors are not immune to the charms of a great outfit elegant.
For this reason we felt like fashion can be conjugated with sports, film and television, interviewing the great basketball champion Andrea Bargnani
Great basketball champion Andrea Bargnani?
Say what?
ISTM that the writer of this article has a hole in his/her screen door.
Yea Yea he/she does.
video on link. I didn’t watch it. It could be in Italian.
In 2004–05, he averaged 12.2 points and 5.4 rebounds in 28 Lega A games for Benetton, and averaged 3.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in 18 Euroleague matches.2 The next season, he averaged 15.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.8 steals in 47 games for Benetton.2 He posted a season high of 25 points against Rome. He also shot .528 from the field and .408 from three-point range, and led the Lega A in blocks with 82. In the process, he helped lead Benetton to Italy’s Lega A 2006 championship.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrea_Bargnani#Europe
He was a champion in Italy – which might not count to you, but probably counts to Italians.
Nice Article on Jonas Impact on Yesterday's Game
Raptors Valanciunas Blocks Kaman and Nowitzki at Eurobasket 2011
The game stayed close, and once again Valanciunas made his biggest impact coming off the bench mid-way through the fourth quarter, scoring nine points and collecting four key rebounds in six minutes. Most impressive were his blocks on Kaman and then Nowitzki on successive plays to help keep Germany’s two big offensive players from gaining any momentum down the stretch.
With Valanciunas covering him in the fourth, Kaman only scored four more points in his monster game of 25 points, 11 boards, and three blocks. Nowitzki finished his toughest game of the tournament with only a pair of made free throws over the final seven minutes. During this tournament, it has become evident that Valanciunas can play against the best big men the NBA has to offer.
complete article on link
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
NBA Playoffs Content Module
Related FanPosts on Raptors HQ
Related FanShots on Raptors HQ
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
