Jonas Valanciunas 11/12 Season Thread III

[Laowai]

For our Lithuanian friends I hope the NT qualifies for the Olympics.
From a selfish Raptors standpoint I would rather they didn't.
If they didn't Jonas would get more time for physical conditioning and be able to play in summer league with DD, Bayless, Davis & draft picks. That said not bad to see Jonas playng against the best in the Olympics.

[YoungG]

For our Lithuanian friends I hope the NT qualifies for the Olympics.
From a selfish Raptors standpoint I would rather they didn't.
If they didn't Jonas would get more time for physical conditioning and be able to play in summer league with DD, Bayless, Davis & draft picks. That said not bad to see Jonas playng against the best in the Olympics.

Agreed, Olympics allow him to play the best each country has to offer but seeing him in the summer league would allow us to see how he fairs with some of the raptors players as well as against other nba hopefuls who will play hard.

[Rapsfan07]

How's Val been playing? I haven't been keeping up

[raptor21_85]

For our Lithuanian friends I hope the NT qualifies for the Olympics.
From a selfish Raptors standpoint I would rather they didn't.
If they didn't Jonas would get more time for physical conditioning and be able to play in summer league with DD, Bayless, Davis & draft picks. That said not bad to see Jonas playng against the best in the Olympics.

In fact, Lithuania is favourite to qualfy in Venezuela...

[RPzB]

Speaking of Venezuela... They have some great time-out/half-time dancing performances...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eoXacfZ5P_U

P.S. Did you notice how them players and staffs didn't even go to their dressing rooms for half-time?

[edquantum]

Social advertisement against alcohol

[LithuanianOne]

For our Lithuanian friends I hope the NT qualifies for the Olympics.
From a selfish Raptors standpoint I would rather they didn't.
If they didn't Jonas would get more time for physical conditioning and be able to play in summer league with DD, Bayless, Davis & draft picks. That said not bad to see Jonas playng against the best in the Olympics.

C'mon playing in Olympics is so much better for Jonas development you can't even compare it to summer league

[Laowai]

For our Lithuanian friends I hope the NT qualifies for the Olympics.
From a selfish Raptors standpoint I would rather they didn't.
If they didn't Jonas would get more time for physical conditioning and be able to play in summer league with DD, Bayless, Davis & draft picks. That said not bad to see Jonas playng against the best in the Olympics.

C'mon playing in Olympics is so much better for Jonas development you can't even compare it to summer league

The summer league is to would be to build teamwork for the young Raptors so would be adventagous for Jonas being there developing team chemisty. I know that the likelihood is that the national team makes it.

[xprt]

For our Lithuanian friends I hope the NT qualifies for the Olympics.
From a selfish Raptors standpoint I would rather they didn't.
If they didn't Jonas would get more time for physical conditioning and be able to play in summer league with DD, Bayless, Davis & draft picks. That said not bad to see Jonas playng against the best in the Olympics.

C'mon playing in Olympics is so much better for Jonas development you can't even compare it to summer league

The summer league is to would be to build teamwork for the young Raptors so would be adventagous for Jonas being there developing team chemisty. I know that the likelihood is that the national team makes it.

Chemistry between who? Ed, pick and bunch of scrubs who wont play for Raptors? Don't see how that would benefit more than playing against some of NBA bigs in Olympics and seeing where his game stands.

[Dri3er]

Kemzura announces Lithuanian NT shortlist.

PG - Kalnietis, Mantas (25 years) 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) BC Žalgiris Lithuania
PG - Jasikevičius, Šarūnas (36 years) 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) Panathinaikos B.C.
SG - Kaukėnas, Rimantas (35 years) 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) Montepaschi Siena
SG - Seibutis, Renaldas (25 years) 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) BC Lietuvos Rytas
SG - Dulkys, Deividas (24 years) 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) Free Agent
G - Delininkaitis, Tomas (30 years) 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) BC Žalgiris
G - Juškevičius, Adas (23 years) 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) BC Rūdupis
G/F - Pocius, Martynas (26 years) 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) Real Madrid
SF - Jasaitis, Simas (30 years) 2.01 m (6 ft 7 in) Türk Telekom B.K.
SF - Mačiulis, Jonas (27 years) 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in) Montepaschi Siena
SF - Kuzminskas, Mindaugas (22 years) 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) BC Žalgiris
F - Kleiza, Linas (27 years) 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) Toronto Raptors
PF - Jankūnas, Paulius (28 years) 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) BC Žalgiris
F/C - Klimavičius, Tadas (29 years) 2.04 m (6 ft 8 in) BC Žalgiris
F/C - Motiejūnas, Donatas (21 years) 2.13 m (7 ft 0 in) Houston Rockets
F/C - Songaila, Darius (34 years) 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) CB Valladolid
F/C - Kavaliauskas, Antanas (27 years) 2.09 m (6 ft 10 in) BC VEF Rīga
C - Valančiūnas, Jonas (20 years) 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) Toronto Raptors
C - Javtokas, Robertas (32 years) 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) BC Žalgiris

[theonlyeastcoastrapsfan]

Large feature on Jonas, translated to English at the link. Pieces are posted, check link for full article.

Supertalent but not Superplayer yet: is Jonas Valančiūnas ready for NBA début?

Has Valančiūnas – who played in Aleksandar Džikić-coached Lietuvos rytas and therefore had a taste of the Eurocup and the VTB United League, but not the Euroleague – made as much progress as everyone expected of him before the season? Is Lithuania's most promising basketball player ready for challenges in the NBA?

“I do not know what progress he was expected to make, but that he did make some is doubtless. Just because he underperformed in finals, one cannot say he didn't make any progress,” says Darius Maskoliūnas, one of Lietuvos rytas coaches.

“Perhaps some hoped for even more, but then remember his date of birth – he only turned 20 this year,” the coach adds. “I think people expect too much from him. In terms of development, he is steadily moving forward. He has flaws, no doubt. There will certainly be room for improvement, once he moves to the NBA. It would be odd to claim that he is already completely – technically, physically, and psychologically – ready for the NBA.”

Motiejūnas progressed faster

Basketball coach Rūtenis Paulauskas disagrees with Maskoliūnas – one must struggle to see evident growth in Valančiūnas' play, he says. The coach compares him to Donatas Motiejūnas, who is joining Huston Rockets this fall, while reasons for Valančiūnas' poor performance this season are best explained by pointing to the team's strategist Džikić.

“It was sad just looking at Valančiūnas at times. I hoped the team would use him better, that he would be given more opportunities and conditions to grow. I think that was his hope too. I do not want to put the blame on the player himself, since I can see he is exceptionally talented as well as an open and honest person, eager to be loyal to his team and follow the coach's orders. Unfortunately, not all turned out as they wanted. Valančiūnas stayed in the team in order to grow as a player. Did he? In my opinion, not really,” Palauskas says.
And yet – is Valančiūnas ready to début in the NBA? How important will he be for the Raptors in season one?

Let's not hope for an instant superplayer. Valančiūnas is not one just yet. He is merely a supertalent. It's still a long way before he becomes a superplayer.

“It will largely depend on the role he'll be given to play. Will much of the game be done through him or will he be given an episodic role. It's hard to predict anything, but I've a hunch that in the NBA, he'll blend in from day one,” Maskoliūnas says.

“70 percent of MBA forwards have certain tasks and are limited in their capacities. They defend well and are sent to the court to defend. If they are good at steals, that's what they do. Meanwhile, Europeans, like Valančiūnas, Darko Milčić, or Nikola Peković, in addition to their primary forte, do quite well at other tasks too. Therefore these players are expensive, they are valued and sought for by the NBA market,” Palauskas maintains.

He thinks it is hard to say whether Valančiūnas ir ready for the NBA. However, Palauskas says, he has plenty of time to prepare.

o far, the Raptors are not too demanding of Valančiūnas. The Lithuanian player is seen as a long-term project and no one in Toronto will panic if he needs some time to warm up. On the other hand, it is no secret that Valančiūnas is counted on to be a major factor in the team's bid for a place in the upcoming season's playoffs.

“A problem: Rookies rarely blossom right away, especially rookie big men,” says basketball reviewer for the National Post Eric Koreen. “Some exceptions, to varying degrees: Tim Duncan, Amar’e Stoudemire and Pau Gasol. Beyond Gasol, it has proven very difficult for European big men to get acclimated immediately to the NBA game, especially if they are expected to patrol the paint instead of operating on the perimeter.”
Valančiūnas is a different story. I truly believe his experience is going to have him a step ahead of any rookie we bring in. I really think he’s played against men in Europe. He’s going to be a step ahead,” Raptors' strategist Dwane Casey has lately commented on Valančiūnas.

Commentators point to Ed Davis and Amir Johnson as Valančiūnas' main competitors for playtime. Davis, 23, has spent his last season in the NBA. The 2.08-metre-high player played 66 games this year (9 in the starter), scoring on average 6.3 points in 23.2 minutes, with 6.9 rebounds. 2.06-metre-high Johnson, 25, has played his seventh season. He played 64 games (started 43), scored on average 7.1 points in 24.3 minutes and 6.4 rebounds.

“Young players take time to figure it all out, what the nuances of the NBA are all about. Jonas will be fine. But we’re not going to force feed anything. I’m not going to tell coach he’s got to play him so many minutes, not going to say he’s got to start,” Raptors president Bryan Colangelo says.

Maskoliūnas summarizes: “Let's not hope for an instant superplayer. Valančiūnas is not one just yet. He is merely a supertalent. It's still a long way before he becomes a superplayer.”

http://www.15min.lt/en/article/culture-society/supertalent-but-not-superplayer-yet-is-jonas-valanciunas-ready-for-nba-debut-528-220425#ixzz1vbNuG4vy

[ATLTimekeeper]

Thanks for posting. It really shows how much emphasis winning matters in Europe, because I watched a good 80% of Jonas' games this year and I thought he made an enormous leap on both sides of the floor compared to last year. But he had a few no-shows in high profile games and the consensus seems to be the season was a disappointment. We're literally talking about 4-6 bad games out of 65 or so.

I loved this quote:

“This season was very hard for me both physically and psychologically, but I'm happy that it was that way. Every difficulty makes me stronger. Whatever the challenges, our team remained united. Despite all odds. Personally, I am always aware of the support from my teammates. The team did not win and I am always critical of my own performance. Very critical. I think that everything could be improved, as there are no limits to perfection. It depends on how much work you put into it and how much you want to squeeze out of yourself. I'm always going for the maximum. There's the whole summer before the NBA season. I'll work hard, I'll try to increase my physical strength. I'm not afraid of challenges. If I run away from them, trying to evade, it won't do any good. I'll be going there with a positive attitude. I'll be going with a hunger.”

Let's not forget he's been playing basketball almost non-stop since 2010. I think he had a 3 week break after the ECs and Rytas' training camp.

[Los Manos]

Thanks for posting the article. I thought you had posted it all but then realised it's a really long piece and worth a read for any Raptor fan who hasn't followed his play this year (perhaps it needs a thread of its own).

Here's a great quote from JV summarising his season and where his head is going into the summer and next years NBA season:

“This season was very hard for me both physically and psychologically, but I'm happy that it was that way. Every difficulty makes me stronger. Whatever the challenges, our team remained united. Despite all odds. Personally, I am always aware of the support from my teammates. The team did not win and I am always critical of my own performance. Very critical. I think that everything could be improved, as there are no limits to perfection. It depends on how much work you put into it and how much you want to squeeze out of yourself. I'm always going for the maximum. There's the whole summer before the NBA season. I'll work hard, I'll try to increase my physical strength. I'm not afraid of challenges. If I run away from them, trying to evade, it won't do any good. I'll be going there with a positive attitude. I'll be going with a hunger.”

[Los Manos]

Thanks for posting. It really shows how much emphasis winning matters in Europe, because I watched a good 80% of Jonas' games this year and I thought he made an enormous leap on both sides of the floor compared to last year. But he had a few no-shows in high profile games and the consensus seems to be the season was a disappointment. We're literally talking about 4-6 bad games out of 65 or so.

I think it speaks to the expectations in Lithuania for JV's performance to be considered a disappointment, as you say in large part due to Rytas finishing second in the LKL and defeats in the later stages of the cup competitions.

There is a consensus amongst the Lithuanian media along with fans who post here that the reason for no major statistical leaps is largely due to his coach. I agree with you though, I have seen some major strides made in JV's footwork, post moves and defensive awareness compared to last year. That he wasn't utilised more, given the ball on the block more is on the coach and how he wanted to use him. For whatever reason he wasn't given the opportunity to really become a go to player, maybe due to a coach who knows he is not going to be a part of the team next season or a lack of trust in JV's offensive ability.

After JV's performance in the under 19's last year and then with the NT, I assume that there was an expectation that he would be leading Rytas to some glory by the end of the season. It didn't work out, he wasn't leaned on by his coach and ultimately by the end of the season he was no more important to the teams success than he was last year. Yet as an individual talent he has clearly made some big progress in his skill level. He is a better player today than he was 12 months ago but his impact on the court wasn't fully realised by his coach. Let's hope Casey leans on his skill-set a little more.

[LithuanianOne]

For our Lithuanian friends I hope the NT qualifies for the Olympics.
From a selfish Raptors standpoint I would rather they didn't.
If they didn't Jonas would get more time for physical conditioning and be able to play in summer league with DD, Bayless, Davis & draft picks. That said not bad to see Jonas playng against the best in the Olympics.

C'mon playing in Olympics is so much better for Jonas development you can't even compare it to summer league

The summer league is to would be to build teamwork for the young Raptors so would be adventagous for Jonas being there developing team chemisty. I know that the likelihood is that the national team makes it.

I doubt Bayless and DD would even play in summer league. It's mainly for rookes, second year players and maybe third year players who didn't get much playing time in addition to a bunch of srubs that try to make the rosters as 13-14th man. And summer league sensations such as Anthony Morrow and Magic Randolph proved to be such great players right ? ( Although I like Morrow.

And "chemistry" is marginal bonus which can be easily replaced by training camp.

Plus Olympics is just every four years and just by being there Jonas would gain immense experience. Not to mention the fact that he will be playing against the best competition outside the NBA. If you're a Raptors fan I can't imagine why would you like him to play in the summer league as opposed to Olympics.

[DG88]

I doubt Bayless and DD would even play in summer league. It's mainly for rookes, second year players and maybe third year players who didn't get much playing time in addition to a bunch of srubs that try to make the rosters as 13-14th man. And summer league sensations such as Anthony Morrow and Magic Randolph proved to be such great players right ? ( Although I like Morrow.

And "chemistry" is marginal bonus which can be easily replaced by training camp.

Plus Olympics is just every four years and just by being there Jonas would gain immense experience. Not to mention the fact that he will be playing against the best competition outside the NBA. If you're a Raptors fan I can't imagine why would you like him to play in the summer league as opposed to Olympics.

Casey said that a good amount of the team would be training in Vegas during summer league, he can get to know his new teammates and workout with them. Though it's still better for him to get that Olympic experience, it will make him a better player.

[Alfred]

C'mon playing in Olympics is so much better for Jonas development you can't even compare it to summer league

The summer league is to would be to build teamwork for the young Raptors so would be adventagous for Jonas being there developing team chemisty. I know that the likelihood is that the national team makes it.

I doubt Bayless and DD would even play in summer league. It's mainly for rookes, second year players and maybe third year players who didn't get much playing time in addition to a bunch of srubs that try to make the rosters as 13-14th man. And summer league sensations such as Anthony Morrow and Magic Randolph proved to be such great players right ? ( Although I like Morrow.

And "chemistry" is marginal bonus which can be easily replaced by training camp.

Plus Olympics is just every four years and just by being there Jonas would gain immense experience. Not to mention the fact that he will be playing against the best competition outside the NBA. If you're a Raptors fan I can't imagine why would you like him to play in the summer league as opposed to Olympics.

While all of this may be true, I'm a bit concerned about his conditioning if he were to play. He's been playing ball nonstop for more than 2 years.

[theonlyeastcoastrapsfan]

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/221162/Motiejunas_Doubtful_For_London_Olympics

See link for wiretap status for Motiejunas -

Correct me if I'm wrong, but would Valanciunas not be in the same position? Is he somehow able to sign with us before July 1st while Motiejunas has to wait, or is Jonas willing to risk it and begin playing and training with the Lithuanian team without a signed NBA contract?

[xprt]

I might be mistaking but I think Jonas allready has signed with Raptors contract which starts july1.

[dagger]

I might be mistaking but I think Jonas allready has signed with Raptors contract which starts july1.

I don't believe that's the case. I might be mistaken, but since he didn't sign before the season ended, he can't sign until July 1. But there is nothing from stopping the Lithuanian fed from buying insurance. They might not want to do it for more than one NBA player.

I don't know Houston's intentions. Morey may prefer to wait until the Olympics are over before signing Montiejunas, which throws the onus on the Lithuanian fed and the player to decide whether he makes the team.