JV at World Cup 2014

[pbj]

Next 3 games (courtesy of OP)

*Aug. 16 - Lithuania vs Greece - Kaunas - Zalgirio Arena

*Aug. 17 - Lithuania vs New Zealand - Kaunas - Zalgirio Arena

*Aug. 18 - Lithuania vs Slovenia - Kaunas - Zalgirio Arena

I was hoping we could get a look at JV against decent teams in Greece and Slovenia, but no NBA bigs playing for either team this year (other than Uroš Slokar, if you count him)

[Young_Buc]

people forget that in the last 12 games of the season JV was averaging 17/11 while shooting 56% or so. The sky's the limit here.

[mihaic]

Almost exactly a year ago, LTUs NT coach Kazlauskas gave his now legendary interview in which he said that JV has been slow and stupid with the basketball in LTUs preliminary games. It was a harsh interview, no doubt, and it was very hard for us fans to accept it. However, and I am not afraid to admit it now, Kazlauskas was speaking the truth (at the time). I, for one, am happy that JV was not coddled like Bargnani (we all know how that ended) by Kazlauskas last summer and by Casey last season. JV is much stronger mentally than Bargnani due to ridiculous exposure and hopes of the entire nation on his shoulders since he was about 16 - he can take criticism and use it as fuel. I think instead of bashing, we should thank Kazlauskas for that interview - like Randy Pausch said in his Last Lecture (if you haven't seen it, Youtube it, it is absolutely spectacular), when you are **** up and no one says anything anymore, it is a very bad thing - it means no one gives a damn anymore, it means they have lost all hope with you. It is the critics that show that they still care about you. So, thank you Kazlauskas, for bravely speaking the truth last year.

With that, I would like to give a quick summary for those who maybe haven't seen JV last and this summer. I would like to do it by comparing the two, since it is almost a full year apart and they are both Euro ball related, so it should be a good gauge for how far JV has progressed.

In both the Lithuanian forums and on RealGM, the most talked thing about JV this summer is his improved physicality. Indeed, last year he was really, painfully slow and not as strong as he thought he was. This summer, he somehow managed to not only become much stronger, but also much faster, at the same time! It is quite amazing to see. To add to that, it still seems that JV has a couple of extra pounds, so he might improve even further before the season starts.

His improved physicality has helped his game tremendously. On the offensive end, he is now able to be much more active than he was last summer and you can constantly feel his presence as he rushes out (as opposed to slowly walking out like he did last summer) of the paint to set screens, switches sides in the paint constantly, sets screens off the ball, tries to get in position for every offensive rebound (and due to his strength, speed and motor, often succeeds), constantly changes direction in his movement to try to catch the defender off guard, etc. The one thing JV has always had is an amazing motor and with this improved physicality he is now able to use it to full extent.

However, his improved physicality is seen even more on the defensive end. Granted, Finland and Australia might not have the best centers in the world, but that does not mean anything - JV definitely passes the eye test. His speed and strength allows him to consistently get perfect position for rebounds and box out with relative ease. Today, Australia's Aaron Baynes (very strong dude, looks more like a body builder than a basketball player) and Nathan Jawai (very big dude, looks more like a whale than a basketball player) have both tried to back JV down in the paint, and JV did not give them an INCH.

Last year, despite him bulking up, he was still consistently pushed around in the paint by guys much weaker than Baynes for example. Last year, whenever someone would get a ball in the paint vs JV, you couldn't help but feel that it is going to end either in a basket, or foul to JV. This year, whenever someone gets a ball in the paint vs JV, you can't help but feel that we are soon going to be running on a fast break after he rebounds the ball and gives a short outlet pass. And that plays wonders to the entire teams' "mood" on defense, when they now that JV is going to hold his own.

But lets not forget his improved speed. It allows him to make his presence felt everywhere inside the perimeter. He is now constantly hedging on screens and that speed often allows him to get back to his man. He helps like crazy, whenever someone even THINKS about beating his own man, he already sees JV in front of him. It might sound like I am exaggerating, but watch the game - it is quite incredible. If they somehow do manage to get in to the paint, JV is waiting for them there with fully vertical, altering shot after shot. It does not matter that he does not get many blocks - it's his presence alone that makes people re-think their decision of driving in to the paint. Also, his improved speed allows him to stay in front of his opponents when they try to face him up (with one exception, where his opponent did a very solid crossover and drove past JV for an easy lay-in).

However, to me, JVs physical condition was always just a matter of time. I have faith in Alex and our staff and I thought that they will, sooner or later, solve JVs problems and turn him in to a beast. I didn't expect them to do it so quickly though, so props to him. To me, the most impressive thing about JV this summer is not his physicality, but his maturity.

When Kazlauskas said last year that JV constantly made bad decisions with the ball, it was not an exaggeration. I guess it was fairly natural - a young guy with a new found strength wanted to showcase it to the world. Whenever he would get the ball in the post, you knew that that ball is not coming back to his teammate - he was either going to beat his defender and score (20% of the time), force up a bad shot (30%), get the ball stripped (30%) or get an offensive foul while trying to brute force his way in without using any skill (20%). It was a sad picture and it lead to JV playing as a sub instead of getting the starters minutes.

I was worried about that. I thought that his physicality will come around, but I was not sure if his basketball IQ could be fixed so easily. That's why this summer, when I saw JV play, I was simply mesmerized - so far he has been making correct decisions almost 100% of the time. It is an absolutely ridiculous turn around from last year, almost to an unbelievable extent. Instead of trying to force his way through, he plays within the system, seizes up the defense and takes what it gives him. If he can comfortably drive - he drives. If he can back the opponent down - he backs the opponent down. If he can't do it himself, he gives the ball back to his teammates. If the opponents double him, which happened pretty often, he was consistently able to find an open man with some on-point passing. He should have had way more assists than he did, but we kept missing open shots after his passes Last year, when he would get the ball, he would just look down and try to force it - this year his head is constantly up and you can see that he is scanning the court for open or cutting teammates. Olajuwon's influence is also very clearly felt - both in what I wrote about keeping his head up, and also in his moves in the post. When he gets the ball in the paint, he now consistently does these little shakes to both sides to try to feel his opponent and usually he is able to make a correct decision based on the information he receives. Also, he is able to read the game much better now and because of that he can consistently provide perfect spacing for his guards/forwards to drive in to the paint.

To sum it up: last year, whenever JV would get the ball in the pain you couldn't help but feel that this is not going to end well for the team. This year, whenever JV gets the ball in the paint you can't help but think that the opponent is in trouble no matter what, and that he WILL make the correct decision. That also really lifts the "mood" of the entire team, since they know that they have to stay active and JV will find them, instead of being a black hole.

His maturity on defense is also felt. Last year, it kinda seemed like he only cares about his man, not about the entire defense. If he would spot that his help was needed, he would try to help, but often he would spot it much too late. This year though, he is constantly scanning the opposing offense and, very importantly, he is not afraid of acting preemptively, which points toward his much improved ability to read the game. He is not afraid to come out of the paint, to leave his man for a bit to hedge or simply to show his presence to the opposing guard from a bit further away. Because of his increased ability to read the game, he is now able to pick his spots to do these things, instead of doing them randomly and leaving his man open with a wide open passing lane.

Even though this summer JV has been looking pretty fantastic, there are of course still things that he has to improve. On the offensive end, he could still use the jump shot. I refuse to believe that he lost his ability to shoot it (his FT % is still very good). It must either be a self-confidence issue, or tactics by the coach. Also, he needs to add some variety in how he sets his screens. In the last game, he was setting very hard screens the entire game - then, in the end of the game, he slipped the screen once and got a dunk. He could mix these up a bit more often I think.

On the defensive end, JV still sometimes over helps a little bit. He needs to trust his teammates more in that regard, trust that they will be able to recover and only step in when he sees that they won't. I think this timing will come with experience. Also, his hedging needs some work - it is good that he is now able to hedge and return to his man, but his timing and understanding of angles often is a bit off. He has issues with committing/under-committing to the hedge - sometimes he hedges too hard, which leaves him with larger distance to cover and a weird angle for his run back, while sometimes he makes one short step to hedge and then tries to run back, which leaves the guard pretty free to either drive or pass in to the paint. Again, I think that he can get this timing down with experience in practice.

I think most of you probably won't read any of this and I ain't even mad - I had fun writing it either way

All in all, JV has been an absolute beast this summer and his improvements over last summer are IN-SA-NE!
Cheers guys, and lets hope for a fantastic World Championship and the next season for the Raptors.

I really really hope you are right

[Saul Goodman]

I never had a problem with Jonas bulking. In game 1 and 2 Jonas FEASTED on the boards vs the Nets and I feel like with added strength he can put up 12 plus boards consistently

[OhMyBosh]

people forget that in the last 12 games of the season JV was averaging 17/11 while shooting 56% or so. The sky's the limit here.

The sky is not the limit. Dwane Casey is the limit.

[BetterCallSaul]

Next 3 games (courtesy of OP)

*Aug. 16 - Lithuania vs Greece - Kaunas - Zalgirio Arena

*Aug. 17 - Lithuania vs New Zealand - Kaunas - Zalgirio Arena

*Aug. 18 - Lithuania vs Slovenia - Kaunas - Zalgirio Arena

I was hoping we could get a look at JV against decent teams in Greece and Slovenia, but no NBA bigs playing for either team this year (other than Uroš Slokar, if you count him)

Is Steven Adams on the NZ roster for that game? That would be a nice match-up.

[blocked]

people forget that in the last 12 games of the season JV was averaging 17/11 while shooting 56% or so. The sky's the limit here.

The sky is not the limit. Dwane Casey is the limit.

Lol, his medical condition is the limit. The dude has a problem.

[Clementine9]

people forget that in the last 12 games of the season JV was averaging 17/11 while shooting 56% or so. The sky's the limit here.

The sky is not the limit. Dwane Casey is the limit.

Lol, his medical condition is the limit. The dude has a problem.

Nuh uh, charges were dropped!

[blocked]

The sky is not the limit. Dwane Casey is the limit.

Lol, his medical condition is the limit. The dude has a problem.

Nuh uh, charges were dropped!

Not really - he still does not have a spot on the national team due to his health problem.

[Just Passing By]

The **** are you talking about?

[blocked]

Well, that's what I am talking about.

Ok guys, your chance to learn Lithuanian now:
„Šiandieną per treniruotę Jonas Valančiūnas susiėmė už kojos ir buvo išvežtas į ligoninę darytis magnetinio rezonanso. Visiems buvo baimės ir tada supratome, kad į raginimus greičiau apsispręsti turime nereaguoti“, - sakė J.Kazlauskas.

Ką jis sužinojo iš medikų? „Sakė, kad yra maža problemėlė“, - atskleidė treneris.

from here: J. Valančiūnas dėl sveikatos turi „mažą problemėlę“
http://www.lrytas.lt/ispanija-2014/j-va ... lemele.htm

[Clementine9]

Lol, his medical condition is the limit. The dude has a problem.

Nuh uh, charges were dropped!

Not really - he still does not have a spot on the national team due to his health problem.

Oh, I thought we were talking about his alcoholism.

[blocked]

Nuh uh, charges were dropped!

Not really - he still does not have a spot on the national team due to his health problem.

Oh, I thought we were talking about his alcoholism.

! that's funny. I was talking about his leg pain.

[Just Passing By]

By this logic, we can say that JV also does not have a guaranteed spot on the Raps starting five, since he might get injured at some point. And by that same logic, neither does DeMar or KL.

That is not a good logic

[pbj]

Next 3 games (courtesy of OP)

*Aug. 16 - Lithuania vs Greece - Kaunas - Zalgirio Arena

*Aug. 17 - Lithuania vs New Zealand - Kaunas - Zalgirio Arena

*Aug. 18 - Lithuania vs Slovenia - Kaunas - Zalgirio Arena

I was hoping we could get a look at JV against decent teams in Greece and Slovenia, but no NBA bigs playing for either team this year (other than Uroš Slokar, if you count him)

Is Steven Adams on the NZ roster for that game? That would be a nice match-up.

Nope.. probably for the best, that would have ended in a fist fight

[blocked]

By this logic, we can say that JV also does not have a guaranteed spot on the Raps starting five, since he might get injured at some point. And by that same logic, neither does DeMar or KL.

That is not a good logic

No, it is not the same logic.
The coach said that Val's health is an issue and after seeing the test results they are not in a hurry to finalize the roaster.

[Thespianoid]

I wonder what his leg problem is, if it's something new or something residual from his foot injury before his rookie season.

[Darknemo2000]

By this logic, we can say that JV also does not have a guaranteed spot on the Raps starting five, since he might get injured at some point. And by that same logic, neither does DeMar or KL.

That is not a good logic

No, it is not the same logic.
The coach said that Val's health is an issue and after seeing the test results they are not in a hurry to finalize the roaster.

The coach said - there was a minor problem with Jonas leg but it wasnt a big issue. But that reminded them that injury can happen anytime so in case they decided to have 14 guys till the end of the training if one of guards or big guys get actually injured.

There is no isue with Jonas health per se though. Jonas himself said that it was no problem and he drove himself to see the doctor just because Kazlauskas was **** bricks (probably still nervious about the leg cramp Jonas got in the game against fins). If there was an issue with Jonas health there is no way they would have let him play in unimportant friendly game vs Aussies. Lithuania media as always tried to make it look bigger than it actually was.

[Just Passing By]

By this logic, we can say that JV also does not have a guaranteed spot on the Raps starting five, since he might get injured at some point. And by that same logic, neither does DeMar or KL.

That is not a good logic

No, it is not the same logic.
The coach said that Val's health is an issue and after seeing the test results they are not in a hurry to finalize the roaster.

The coach said - there was a minor problem with Jonas leg but it wasnt a big issue. But that reminded them that injury can happen anytime so in case they decided to have 14 guys till the end of the training if one of guards or big guys get actually injured.

There is no isue with Jonas health per se though. Jonas himself said that it was no problem and he drove himself to see the doctor just because Kazlauskas was **** bricks (probably still nervious about the leg cramp Jonas got in the game against fins). If there was an issue with Jonas health there is no way they would have let him play in unimportant friendly game vs Aussies. Lithuania media as always tried to make it look bigger than it actually was.

This man get's it!

[blocked]

Lithuania media as always tried to make it look bigger than it actually was.

Not really, they just said Jonas experienced leg pain during practice, was taken to the doctor for MRI, which confirmed that "a problem is not big, but exists". Then he said that this MRI test revealed to them that they should not hurry with the decision about the final roaster. I would think this is a very fair factual reporting.