So what are your thoughts on Valan?i?nas? (poll inside)

[Xsy]

I think he'll have a similar rookie season to Enes Kanter.

Greatly underwhelm, but show glimpses of certain amazing skills.

[Geaux_Hawks]

I think he'll have a similar rookie season to Enes Kanter.

Greatly underwhelm, but show glimpses of certain amazing skills.

I think he will show more than Kanter simply because he has the minutes to do so. I think Kanter will be better or at least produce more offensively. Gortat is about the best comparison for Val also. As stated, neither is a really skilled big, but both can flourish with P n R guards.

[Rockazoids]

Right now, he is easily as good as Tyson Chandler.

I don't even.

Am I the only one to see this.
"Valanciunas Benched Because Of Foul Trouble"

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/22 ... _Argentina
I can't say much about him until he stay's on the floor in the Olympics.

[Dr Positivity]

He still has a lot of work to do to get to Gortat's level. Valanciunas has awful positional instincts right now. He is an "energy guy", he wants to be moving all the time on both ends but has little ability to play in control positionally either offensively or defensively. He has Thomas Robinson's skill game/feel for the court in Greg Stiemsma's body

[jazzfan1971]

I'm gonna guess a shorter SHawn Bradley.

[JWiLL02]

He still has a lot of work to do to get to Gortat's level. Valanciunas has awful positional instincts right now. He is an "energy guy", he wants to be moving all the time on both ends but has little ability to play in control positionally either offensively or defensively. He has Thomas Robinson's skill game/feel for the court in Greg Stiemsma's body

Little control offensively? I guess that's why he's so god damn efficient.

You should be banned from talking about Jonas.

[Tolverines]

He'll have some trouble during his rookie season, simply adjusting to the pace of the game. However, his learning curve will be super high, simply due to his physical weapons. He's a solid 6'11 with a 7'6 wingspan, can run the floor like a gazelle, and is relatively explosive for someone his size. His pick and roll game is well beyond his age right now, he's got great hands and finishes alley-oops at a high level, and is a very good free throw shooter which will help NBA coaches translate that into into a mid-range game. With a wingspan like his, and good athleticism, he's bound to be solid starter at the least.

I project a 10 ppg/6 rpg/1 apg/1.3 bpg rookie season.

His career projections would be silly to make at this point, but I'll estimate his potential peak numbers: 17/11/3/2.2

[Volcano]

He's a project..I wish Raptor fans would stop hyping him up because he needs time to develop and not be boo'd after his 5th game.

[Johnlac1]

He's a project..I wish Raptor fans would stop hyping him up because he needs time to develop and not be boo'd after his 5th game.

He's a project..I wish Raptor fans would stop hyping him up because he needs time to develop and not be boo'd after his 5th game.

That will be a huge problem. I said some things on a Raptor board about Valanciunas not being the second coming of Bill Walton, and that did rile a lot of Raptor fans. There are 4 aspects to being a great player: two mental (desire and intelligence) and two physical (basic physical body type and skills). Valanciunas has a decent physique and desire, but he needs work on skills and game knowledge. Give him two or three years, and he'll be an effective, stronger player. Maybe not a superstar like Raptor fans are hoping for, but a good player.

[reapaman]

I think from now on, anyone that says that Val is a bust should be refered to those old ricky rubio threads.

Real GM = The Forum of Overreaction

[KembaWalker]

I think from now on, anyone that says that Val is a bust should be refered to those old ricky rubio threads.

Real GM = The Forum of Overreaction

Yeah if Val shoots 35% then blows out his knee then I'll be sold. superstar

[BBgun]

Right now, he is easily as good as Tyson Chandler.

.

I'm a Raps fan and wouldn't trade Val for Chandler.

But thats because there like a 12 year age difference and the Raps are a rebuilding team that just needs to stockpile young talent, so a couple/few years of Chandler probably wouldn't do us much good compared to better teams that would benefit a lot more from him in an immediate sense.

But you said "right now." And if it came down to either player for THIS season only, and anybody hose Jonas over Tyson, they would deserve to be institutionalized immediately due to a complete loss of common sense and objective reality.

"I don't even" is right...

[Weems]

Darko's biggest problem is apathy; he doesn't give a ****. Valanciunas is entirely the opposite -- almost to a fault. He almost cares too much. If Valanciunas was afforded Darko's skill and talent-level, he'd be just plain awesome. Especially if he kept his motor and hands.

But uh, Valanciunas was picked behind Williams, Kanter, Thompson, and just ahead of **** Vesley, Walker, and Fredette. Darko was picked ahead of Wade, Bosh, Melo. Valanciunas can't be Darko. I'm not Valanciunas' biggest fan either (he's alright), but I'll concede that his worst-case is better than almost everyone picked behind him.

[DG88]

There is hype surrounding Valanciunas with Raptors fans but that hype is based off Valanciunas' potential to be one of the top C prospects in the NBA. When he comes over he has much to learn before he produces at a high level and there will be foul trouble, the speed of the NBA game and making proper decisions. When the Raptors made a TV special called "The Jonas Valanciunas Story" Jonas told our director of sports science Alex McKechnie that he wants to be dominant at his position in 5 years. Right now Jonas has the physical tools, work ethic, mentality and motor to achieve that and that's what gets Raptor fans excited. In his rookie year most think he'd average something like 6-9ppg 6-8reb 1ast 1blk.

[peja drobnjak]

he's gonna be ass his first year or two

but when he matures physically and learns the nba pace i think he'll be a double double centre

[skones]

He still has a lot of work to do to get to Gortat's level. Valanciunas has awful positional instincts right now. He is an "energy guy", he wants to be moving all the time on both ends but has little ability to play in control positionally either offensively or defensively. He has Thomas Robinson's skill game/feel for the court in Greg Stiemsma's body

Little control offensively? I guess that's why he's so god damn efficient.

You should be banned from talking about Jonas.

He shouldn't, because he's absolutely correct.

On defense, he tends to rotate slowly and off balance which is why he had so much trouble staying out of foul trouble during the 2010-2011 season. While he improved in that aspect during 2011-2012, he's going to take his lumps all over again when he's matched up with faster, stronger, guys in the NBA.

On offense, particularly on the block, he moves very awkwardly and tends to rush looks at the basket. When he does rush them, he tends to fall away on his looks, and that won't fly in the NBA, particularly when players are going to be challenging him vertically. I worry this may hinder his greatest strength, his efficiency.

Having just turned 20 years old in May, he may very well be growing into his body.

[Nowitness]

I'm gonna guess a shorter SHawn Bradley.

Please, he is not that good.

[fart]

Top 3 center in three years.

1. Dwight
2. Bynum
3. Val

[CKRT]

My thought is that his last name is so hard to spell he'll need a good nick name in order for us Americans to be able to discuss him.

We need to get Kyrie Irving up here, so we can have the dynamic duo known as Valkyrie.

For shame Cavs front office,for shame. Could've had a great nickname for your core.

[jazzfan1971]

I'm gonna guess a shorter SHawn Bradley.

Please, he is not that good.

Well, Bradley was 10 and 6 as a rookie with 3 blocks. I don't expect as many blocks because Val is shorter, but, 10 and 6 sounds about right.