Jonas Valanciunas 11/12 Season Thread II

[[SJJ]]

So the Raptors are counting on JV to start from day one?

[raptor21_85]

It seems like Big V is very excited about comin over to play for this team.. Hes really motivated and that is important. Devlin also asks Stefanski about the importance of the upcomin draft. Big V and the player we pick in the draft will be very important...

[raptor21_85]

I was foolin arounf on twitter, someone under Big V twitted this (day of draft 2011)

Valanciunas Jonas Valančiūnas
Being a Raptor has limitations on how happy you can be, but it's ok, I guess. There must be at least a couple crappier teams, aren't there?

hopefully, Big V didnt feel like this

[Regulio]

100% fake

[Laowai]

So the Raptors are counting on JV to start from day one?

I see no reason not to start him most games maybe against Dwight, Bynum or Bogut start Gray but rest of Centers he should be able to compete. I would ideally like to see him get 27 to 30 minutes and let him make mistakes.

Amir if he is still a Raptor is to small and Gray is a decent 2nd or 3rd. C.

[dbenalal]

So all of a sudden aaron gray is our future back up C for many years to come?

[Regulio]

Try catching some Eurocup or VTB games with Jonas playing. In my eyes he has made a very solid progress in past year.
As for NBA, I don't think he should be a starter from get go, let the kid adapt

[rmnts]

I don't think he should start from day one either, but who knows, maybe he'll adapt sooner then we think.

[nelabai]

I also think he should go off the bench like most rookies do. Dwight did not start for Magic as a rookie, why should Jonas. And as the season goes, we'll see how quickly he adapts.

[lilneige]

he shouldn't, he needs to prove he can overtake Gray and Amir....

[Los Manos]

I also think he should go off the bench like most rookies do. Dwight did not start for Magic as a rookie, why should Jonas. And as the season goes, we'll see how quickly he adapts.

Howard started all 82 games as a rookie averaging 32 mins. Jonas will likely do the same averaging similar minutes. Give him a full training camp and I think he'll be ready to go. Let him get out there and use his fouls for the first few months while he gets acclimated. Jonas seems like the kind of personality who will only train harder through the early disappointments.

[SkywalkerAC]

With 6 fouls, I expect Jonas to get at least 24 min as a rook.

[dagger]

I don't think he should start from day one either, but who knows, maybe he'll adapt sooner then we think.

Unlike college centres, Jonas is playing against men his own size, or even taller. Most NCAA teams have a 6'8"-6'9" centre, or if they have taller, he's a stiff. Jonas will also face up against better big men in the Olympic qualifying tournament and if Lithuania advances, the Olympic tournament. He's now undergoing the adjustment to opponent size that college big men typically face when they get to the NBA.

[nelabai]

Jonas was in pretty bade shape after the long summer with u19 and Euro championship, got no rest (a week maybe) he started to pick it up in late in December.

And this summer will be no easier, right after final series with Weems team Zalgiris, he will be going to LT national training camp to start preparation for Olympic qualifier. After the qualifier, he will be probably going to Olympics. After the Olympics, Raptors training camp. And then season of 82 games starts.

It will be very hard for Jonas to keep his best shape throughout this stretch..

[dagger]

Jonas was in pretty bade shape after the long summer with u19 and Euro championship, got no rest (a week maybe) he started to pick it up in late in December.

And this summer will be no easier, right after final series with Weems team Zalgiris, he will be going to LT national training camp to start preparation for Olympic qualifier. After the qualifier, he will be probably going to Olympics. After the Olympics, Raptors training camp. And then season of 82 games starts.

It will be very hard for Jonas to keep his best shape throughout this stretch..

The difference is that the Olympics are at the end of July, not in September like Eurobasket. After the Olympics, he can take 6-8 weeks off before reporting to training camp in Toronto.

[Los Manos]

The gold medal game at the olympics is August 12th. So even if Lithuania make it that far he'll have a good long rest period of at least 6 weeks as dagger said.

[UcanUwill]

August 12 is so early, it tended to be at the end of Olympic games, like a week before Autumn. last gold medal game happened on August 24 I remember it perfectly.
Well, it's for the best, less time of waiting, more rest time for Jonas before his NBA debut.

[raptor21_85]

Big V should start from day 1, if we expect playoffs

[HangTime]

The are 2 things I am worried about:
1) goaltending on both ends because he likes to tap the ball back quickly, after 1 bounce.
2) he sets quick screens, but the defender rarely bumps into him. I am just worried the refs would call him for a moving screen.


He's got a high energy motor that very few possess. I would definitely start him start for the energy and defense alone.




Is Lithuania in the Olympics this year? Would be great to see him against The bigs of USA, Spain, Argentina etc.