After Ricky Rubio, Jonas Valanciunas=International Superstar

[Yoga]

It's November 2012, after the international rookie phenom -- Ricky Rubio tore up the league the previous year...there is a man from Lithuania ready to dominate the league via the ACC in Toronto....










BOOM

[postertag]

agreed, but the OP could have used more substance...

[PapeSowish]

as a raptor fan, i hate threads like these.

[Cliff Levingston]

Watch out for Nikola Mirotic too; 23rd overall pick this year who's rights are currently owned by the Bulls.

It's amazing how far the game has come outside of the U.S. in just 20 short years. In '92, the best US basketball players beat teams by 60 without really breaking a sweat. This year, a team that at least comes close to comparing with the Dream Team will probably have to fight pretty hard to beat Spain, and there's plenty of other good teams there too.

[SUN]

I'm sorry, but that's pretty funny. Jonas will be a monster though.

[LApwnd]

Since Op says Nov 2012, he must be reporting from the future....can I get this weeks Mega lotto #'s please

[BeasleyTheBeast]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGZY6UysYF4[/youtube]

[Johnny Firpo]

I really like the kid, i think his game will translate beautifully to the NBA, just like Ricky's, hopefully he can make an immediate impact. Very good prospect, great motor, underrated post game, excellent defender, and a 85-90% percent free throw shooter, which suggests he can have a serious mid range game in a couple years.

At the very least he should be a very good second option in his prime, and borderline all-star, putting up 16/11/3/2, or something like that, but i think his ceiling is definitely higher, the kid was born in 92. Of course there is always a chance he flops, but i don't see it. He's a gym rat, he'll do anything to succeed.

[KiDeezy]

He's not the answer for the Raptors. A good piece, yes. But not the answer. We'll see what Harrison Barnes/Jeremy Lamb can do for them next year

[yowyOw]

Lol, with all due respect, Valanciunas is SO overrated. Putting up numbers against smaller non-athletic kids has no merit.

He relies on his physical dominance WAY too much. And that dominance would disappear in the NBA when meeting athletic freaks. He could do well, but he'll never dominate.

.

[Johnny Firpo]

Lol, with all due respect, Valanciunas is SO overrated. Putting up numbers against smaller non-athletic kids has no merit.

He relies on his physical dominance WAY too much. And that dominance would disappear in the NBA when meeting athletic freaks. He could do well, but he'll never dominate.

.

No, you're wrong. His euroleague efficiency was basically the same last year, at the age of 18, against grown men, that against those kids. He averaged almost 8 points, on some (Please Use More Appropriate Word), 70% shooting, and he averaged almost 9 points on 66% shooting, in the European Championships, against the best team in Europe! He's not the most skilled player in the world, but he has an underrated hook shot which he can make with both hands, and there is nothing that would indicate his mid range jumper won't be deadly.

It already is quite frankly, any time he shoots it, he just doesn't use it much, but you know it will work, because there are no precedents (or at least i think) when a player shot 85-90% from the charity stripe, and wasn't a good mid range shooter. The kid is a monster, and the sky is the limit for him if they can pack some muscle on him, and he continues to work hard.

(can anyone link his stats from this season? I guess Rytas don't play in the Euroleague this season?)

[Dr Positivity]

No, not really. Upside is Gortat IMO

[gaspar]

At the very least he should be a very good second option in his prime, and borderline all-star, putting up 16/11/3/2, or something like that, but i think his ceiling is definitely higher, the kid was born in 92. Of course there is always a chance he flops, but i don't see it. He's a gym rat, he'll do anything to succeed.

You think his ceiling is higher than 16/11/3/2? Seriously?

[Johnny Firpo]

No, not really. Upside is Gortat IMO

You weren't a believer from day one, for some odd reason, you don't like this kid. I don't get it, what your problem with him, as a prospect? What's not to like?

[edquantum]

Lol, with all due respect, Valanciunas is SO overrated. Putting up numbers against smaller non-athletic kids has no merit.

He relies on his physical dominance WAY too much. And that dominance would disappear in the NBA when meeting athletic freaks. He could do well, but he'll never dominate.

.

He played in European basketball championship this autumn against smaller non-athletic kids like Ibaka, Gasol Brothers, Kaman, Noah and looked very solid at the age of 19.

[cucad8]

I really like the kid, i think his game will translate beautifully to the NBA, just like Ricky's, hopefully he can make an immediate impact. Very good prospect, great motor, underrated post game, excellent defender, and a 85-90% percent free throw shooter, which suggests he can have a serious mid range game in a couple years.

At the very least he should be a very good second option in his prime, and borderline all-star, putting up 16/11/3/2, or something like that, but i think his ceiling is definitely higher, the kid was born in 92. Of course there is always a chance he flops, but i don't see it. He's a gym rat, he'll do anything to succeed.

I always love posts like this. AT THE VERY LEAST! he'll average 16/11/3?! Is that 3 blocks? Because if so, I see nobody in the last 10 years that has put that up. And if it is 3 assists, 2 blocks, Duncan, Shaq and garnett only 3 in the last 10. So, at the least, he's a HOF.

[Death Knight]

No, not really. Upside is Gortat IMO

You weren't a believer from day one, for some odd reason, you don't like this kid. I don't get it, what your problem with him, as a prospect? What's not to like?

Mufasa is just a badass wannabe. Hating on kids.

[Death Knight]

I really like the kid, i think his game will translate beautifully to the NBA, just like Ricky's, hopefully he can make an immediate impact. Very good prospect, great motor, underrated post game, excellent defender, and a 85-90% percent free throw shooter, which suggests he can have a serious mid range game in a couple years.

At the very least he should be a very good second option in his prime, and borderline all-star, putting up 16/11/3/2, or something like that, but i think his ceiling is definitely higher, the kid was born in 92. Of course there is always a chance he flops, but i don't see it. He's a gym rat, he'll do anything to succeed.

I always love posts like this. AT THE VERY LEAST! he'll average 16/11/3?! Is that 3 blocks? Because if so, I see nobody in the last 10 years that has put that up. And if it is 3 assists, 2 blocks, Duncan, Shaq and garnett only 3 in the last 10. So, at the least, he's a HOF.

The 3 is most likely assists. For bigs it goes, pts/reb/ast/blks. For small it goes pts/ast/rebs/stls

[yowyOw]

Lol, with all due respect, Valanciunas is SO overrated. Putting up numbers against smaller non-athletic kids has no merit.

He relies on his physical dominance WAY too much. And that dominance would disappear in the NBA when meeting athletic freaks. He could do well, but he'll never dominate.

.

No, you're wrong. His euroleague efficiency was basically the same last year, at the age of 18, against grown men, that against those kids. He averaged almost 8 points, on some (Please Use More Appropriate Word), 70% shooting. He's not the most skilled player in the world, but he has an underrated hook shot which he can make with both hands, and there is nothing that would indicate his mid range jumper won't be deadly.

It already is quite frankly, any time he shoots it, he just doesn't use it much, but you know it will work, because there are no precedents (or at least i think) when a player shot 85-90% from the charity stripe, and wasn't a good mid range shooter. The kid is a monster, and the sky is the limit for him if they can pack some muscle on him, and he continues to work hard.

I've watched him a couple of times this season in Eurocup, once against Benetton and the other one I don't remember (as well as in the Eurobasket last summer); the guy lacks a solid jumper because he won't bully NBA's centers. And he gets way too fast in foul trouble. Overall, he is not what you may call a "great defender". And his repertoire on the offensive end still needs a lot of things in order to be an efficient scorer in the NBA from the low post.

I like the guy because he's got potential. But he still needs to develop his game. At his age (or a couple of years older), Pau Gasol was a beast in terms of scoring ability & efficieny, as well as defensive presence and bball IQ.

In my opinion, he should stay in Europe and develop his game a little bit more. It wouldn't hurt him if he joined a better team with more possibilities to compete for the Euroleague, too.

.

[Johnny Firpo]

You think his ceiling is higher than 16/11/3/2? Seriously?

Oh, absolutely. Elite size, elite motor, very good athleticism, great fundamentals, very good defender, smart offensive player, who's shooting 85-90% from the free throw line, which suggests he's gonna have a mid range game at some point, if not early, and he can finish with both hands around the rim. I think he should have gone 2nd, at the very least (probably 1st) and i don't see any limitations that would stop him from being a 20/10 player in his prime.

Of course, that wouldn't necessary mean anything, probably dozens of players put up 20/10 in this league without elite impact, but what i believe, is that he can be a game changer. Not talking about Duncan, Shaq, or anything crazy like that, but someone like Gasol, i really think is an achievable goal for him. Not in the same way, obviously, but i think he has a chance to make an impact like that, in his prime.