The Jonas Valanciunas Thread

[redred9]

Really, how athletic do you need a 7-footer to be? He doesn't have to jump out of the rim or anything.

If I was a hater, I'd stop nitpicking about the athleticism and start seeing of the footwork or post-moves needed work
(Which frankly, they seem to, but those aspects are more correctable)

I recall people saying the exact same thing about bargnani...look how that turned out.

Sorry I'm not sold on this pick. We'll have to wait and see..Maybe 3 years lol.

Bargs on the other hand is incredibly slow off his feet. If there's one thing I think we have to agree Jonas is going to do in the NBA- it's rebound.

[mowcrowbar]

He kid of reminds me of Pau Gasol, nice soft touch, But I think his defense can exceed Pau's.

[J.Kim]

nbadraft.net

Jonas Valanciunas - NBA Comparison: Spencer Hawes/Primoz Brezic

yikes

DraftExpress:

Jonas Valanciunas
Best Case: Andris Biedrins Meets Joakim Noah
Worst Case: Omer Asik

[bakafool]

Jonas looks decent. Not spectacular, not great, but decent. That for a 5th pick. Really shows how much of a crapshoot this draft class is.

[mowcrowbar]

nbadraft.net

Jonas Valanciunas - NBA Comparison: Spencer Hawes/Primoz Brezic

yikes

Pfft nbadraft.net?

[DG88]

Yes he's a Euro but he's not the type of Euro's that we've had on this team. In other words he isn't a soft pansy like Bargs or Turk. This guy plays hard and has a great motor. I think we got ourselves a good pick in a weak draft.

[Undefeated]

Come on Choker, you're better than this. It's only one clip that showed how bad Val is.

I know, I just can't be excited about this pick at all. A guy who is probably at best a decent defender who can't block shots and can't create his own offense. The only thing I'm excited for is his rebounding, that is all.

Valanciunas is only 19 years old, so I think we should cut him some slack. He's got PLENTY of time to work on his offensive game, and from I've seen he finishes REALLY well off the catch. Too many bigs lack that soft touch around the basket where they just simply throw the basketball up in hopes of it going through the net, but that's not Val. Yeah, Val needs to improve on his footwork, but I'd argue that's easier to develop than developing a soft touch around the basket because a soft touch around the basket needs body control when you try to finish over your defender.

And where's all this talk about him not being able to block shots?

[Volcano]

Really, how athletic do you need a 7-footer to be? He doesn't have to jump out of the rim or anything.

If I was a hater, I'd stop nitpicking about the athleticism and start seeing of the footwork or post-moves needed work
(Which frankly, they seem to, but those aspects are more correctable)

I recall people saying the exact same thing about bargnani...look how that turned out.

Sorry I'm not sold on this pick. We'll have to wait and see..Maybe 3 years lol.

Bargs is more athletic than most guys his height. But he's very flat footed when it comes to rebounding/blocking shots. It's like he's dragging lead on his feet. Yet, he's agile enough to drive past shorter players and do crossovers.

[noahrose131]

I've watched Jonas play a bit and his ceiling is incredible. He is Joakim Noah with much greater offensive potential. He will end up as the best player of this draft, mark my words. Athletic, great motor, great rebounder, very underrated shot, and most importantly he has the work ethic and heart to keep getting better.

[Undefeated]

he's athletic enough for the offense for sure, but he's not the defensive presence, shot blocker defender that we need and that colangelo said we lacked. And that video was his play in the lithuanian league, the other one when he looked worse I believe it was in euro league. (Could be wrong about the euro league)

If you don't mind, but where are you getting the idea that Valanciunas can't block shots? Based on all the reports, they say he's a terrific weakside shot blocker.

[Kabookalu]

I'm no expert in these areas, but he looks like he has a projectable frame that can afford to put on some pounds... I think.

Considering his history of playing on the inside and what seems to be a mindset of an inside player, it just feels like he can be a traditional center, if he reaches his potential.

(Of course, I'm doing a lot of projecting and it could really, just as easily, go the other way)

(also, what the hell is up with me today... too many typos)

I dunno, the rare times I've seen him take it to the post, he didn't really "body" his defender up and sort of shied away from contact. Bulking up would help but I see more Rik Smits than Pau Gasol if it did happen. You can only get away with not being a scorer in the post without the use of strength is if like I said before, having Kevin McHale footwork.

You do realize that there may only be a handful of big men in the past twenty years who have footwork close to Kevin McHale's, don't you?

That was my point; that acquiring Kevin McHale footwork would be unlikely and that I don't see a bright future for Val. I never really ragged on him until now cause I never imagined we would have selected him.

[dagger]

Love the pick. Love all the angst from everyone who hates the pick.

Chew on it, baby.

I spent a year following this kid while you were wasting your time on severely flawed NCAA trash (okay, and a few guys who thought better of entering this draft).

Mark my words. Valanciunas will be one of the two or three best players to emerge from this draft.

And I lvoe the fact that everyone was wrong on BC. He made the ballsy long-term pick, not the short-term move to ensure he wins more games next season.

He's rebuilding the proper way. BPA after BPA after BPA. It would have been easy to sell Walker or Knight, might have sold some tickets for the Teachers' pension plan. But no, he put the franchise first.

I salute you sir!

[primecougar]

this was a decent pick but it will take a couple heres i think all of us are really dissappointed with how barg progressed

[carsoni4]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMH-0yn8nK0[/youtube]

[clockwork]

His body type doesn't look like he'll be able to put on much.

I have no trouble with white dudes don't know why you would say that, that's pretty racist.

I have a HUGE problem with Euroball however.

he's 19 years old and 7 feet high. how easy do you think it is to build strength?

[tkim01]

If he had elite athleticism he'd be Dwight Howard. Let's be realistic for a second, you won't find many more athletic 7 footers. He's more athletic than Gasol was at that age. He doesn't jump high but there is no denying that he gets off the floor insanely quick for a big man which is really important.

Even in that **** video, no one was impressed that he managed to stop the ball and get a hand on the layup by the pass recipient? That takes some type of quickness man.

And I don't care who you are, or where you play, shooting 70% is impressive. Bismack Biyombo couldn't even do that against air.

He'd be a Dwight Howard who just shot 88+% from the FT line last season

[Undefeated]

Love the pick. Love all the angst from everyone who hates the pick.

Chew on it, baby.

I spent a year following this kid while you were wasting your time on severely flawed NCAA trash (okay, and a few guys who thought better of entering this draft).

Mark my words. Valanciunas will be one of the two or three best players to emerge from this draft.

And I lvoe the fact that everyone was wrong on BC. He made the ballsy long-term pick, not the short-term move to ensure he wins more games next season.

He's rebuilding the proper way. BPA after BPA after BPA. It would have been easy to sell Walker or Knight, might have sold some tickets for the Teachers' pension plan. But no, he put the franchise first.

I salute you sir!

[basketball royalty]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMH-0yn8nK0[/youtube]

Well, he's a bust of an interview for sure.

[bakafool]

To me his best case is a more offensively polished Tyson Chandler.

[J Dilla]

Really, how athletic do you need a 7-footer to be? He doesn't have to jump out of the rim or anything.

If I was a hater, I'd stop nitpicking about the athleticism and start seeing of the footwork or post-moves needed work
(Which frankly, they seem to, but those aspects are more correctable)

Strength is whats needed to guard NBA Centers. We've taken the skinny approach, it doesn't **** work. Just because he looks like he has a big man game in some graveyard league doesn't mean its gonna work in this league.

Best player of this draft dagger, based on what? Weren't you Bargnani's biggest backer too?