Built Ford Tough Posted October 3, 2011 Report Share Posted October 3, 2011 Valanciunas' club team (Lietuvos Rytas) is currently playing in some sort of tournament to qualify for Euroleague (or something like that, I'm not exactly sure of the details). Anyways, basically what I am saying is that his 2011-12 season has started and I'll post as many updates about his play as I can in this thread. If anybody else notices something about his play, feel free to post it in here as well. So far he has played 3 games and his numbers in each were: vs KK Buducnost - 11 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks on 3/5 shooting and 5/6 FT in 18:44vs Cibona Zagreb - 5 points, 6 rebounds on 1/3 shooting and 3/4 FT in 17:26vs Galatasaray - 8 points, 5 rebounds, 2 blocks on 3/6 shooting and 2/2 FT in 19:24 Which averages out to 8 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.3 bpg on 50% shooting and 83.2% FT in 18.31 mpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted October 15, 2011 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2011 He had another two games, but for some reason, he isn't getting many minutes. I know he is one of the better bigs on the team so I'm not quite sure why he is only playing around 15 minutes a night. Anyways, in one game he put up 4 points, 4 boards and in yesterday's game he put up 7 points, 1rebound and 1 block on 3/3 shooting in 13 minutes. I hope he starts to get some more minutes since watching/reading about his development this season, along with college ball, was about the only basketball related thing I had to look forward to this year and if he is only playing 10-15 minutes a game, it is hardly worth following his development. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted November 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2011 (edited) I haven't paid much attention to his play as of late, but I did notice he had a really solid game yesterday. 18 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks on 6/8 shooting and 6/6 from the line in 22 minutes. Some highlights (not just of Valanciunas) from the game: EDIT: For those of you who don't know, he is number 17. Edited November 5, 2011 by Built Ford Tough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Check my Stats Posted November 6, 2011 Report Share Posted November 6, 2011 I know nothing about Euroball, or that team, but it seems Jonas is criminally underutilized there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted November 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2011 I know nothing about Euroball, or that team, but it seems Jonas is criminally underutilized there. Going off of what I have read from posters over at Real GM who have watched him play, it sounds like their guards do a really poor job of getting him the ball. He can be wide open underneath the basket or have his man pinned deep, but the guards are either unable or unwilling to pass him the ball. I don't know whether it is because they don't have confidence in him as an offensive player or if it is a coaching decision or anything like that. From what I've read it just seems like his job is to play defense, rebound and make hustle plays and he doesn't have much of a role on the offensive end, aside from finishing 2nd chance opportunities or lobs. Hopefully as the season goes along this will change because he has shown glimpses of some offensive potential when he has been given the chance to showcase his skills on that end of the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted November 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2011 The other day (Wed I think) he had probably his best game of the season. 22 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks on 8/9 shooting and 6/6 from the line in 33 minutes against one of the better teams in the Lithuanian league. Then he followed it up with an even better game that saw him put up 25 points, 12 rebounds and 6 blocks on 8/10 shooting and 9/9 from the free throw line Highlights from the 25 point, 12 rebound game: Not much in terms of Valanciunas, but I guess it is better than nothing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dash Posted December 4, 2011 Report Share Posted December 4, 2011 Jonas Valanciunas will consider playing for the Toronto Raptors this season, according to a source close to the team. The source said that the team reached out to Valanciunas' agent over the weekend to gauge the center's interest in joining the Raptors in 2011-12. If Valanciunas has interest, Toronto would have to work out a buyout with his team in Lithuania, Lietuvos Rytas. Read more: http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/216981/Valanciunas_Might_Make_NBA_Debut_This_Season#ixzz1[expletive]1Nh9K I can't remember the buyout situation very well but I thought it was almost impossible to get him out of his contract? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted December 4, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2011 He isn't coming over, or at, at least, I'd be very schoekd if he did. Rytas (his Lithuanian team) already said that they won't allow him out of his contract to join the team this year. He will finish the year in Lithuania and then join the Raptors next season, like reported after the draft. What makes it tricky is that, as far as I know, there is no set buyout amount between Valanciunas and Rytas for this season. They have an agreement for him to coming over in 2012/2013, but iff Rytas wants to keep him this year, which from what I have read they do, all they have to do is throw out a nuge number that Valanciunas couldn't possibly afford, since the Raptors can only contribute $500,000 (unless the new CBA changes that) towards the buyout. In all honesty, I don't even know if I would want him to come over this year anyways. This year is going to be an absolute cluster[expletive] of a season with the shortened training camp, shortened preseason schedule, 4 games in 5 nights, back-to-back-to-back games and limited practice time for Casey and his staff to really work with him. Saving another year on his rookie contract is just another bonus considering how terrible the Raptors will be this season. It really isn't a good situation to introduce a raw center prospect who will need to adjust to the NBA game. If he comes over I wouldn't be complaining, but it makes sense for him to stay with Rytas for the rest of the season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Check my Stats Posted December 4, 2011 Report Share Posted December 4, 2011 Would rather let him finish the year out in Europe, have another summer to add weight and not have to deal with everything BFT mentioned. Also, I want Bargnani to get off this team before he gets here. Still really excited about this kid, but I want us to take our time with him... knocking a year off his rookie deal isn't something I am in a rush to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted December 5, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2011 Just to reiterate that he won't be coming over this year: "I'm currently with Lietuvos Rytas and I'm not really interested in those talks, Valanciunas said. "There's a lot to be done here. I'm in Lietuvos Rytas, not the Raptors." Club official Martynas Purlys also closed the door on the 19-year-old joining the NBA this season. "Jonas will stay in Lietuvos Rytas until the end of the season," Rytas said. "This has been agreed and we are not going to break the agreement." http://tsn.ca/nba/story/?id=382022 In on the court news, Valanciunas played against CSKA Moscow the other day and put up 13 points and 6 rebounds in 22 minutes. CSKA is one of the best teams in Europe so it is nice to see him producing against solid competition. Too bad his coach continues to play clearly inferior players over him. That is the only reason why part of me thinks it might be better for him to be with the Raptors this season. His coach doesn't give him nearly as many minutes as he deserves. From everything that I have read, he is the best big on the team and they play better with him on the floor but for some reason, he doesn't get more than 20-25 minutes a night despite his productivity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted December 28, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 28, 2011 (edited) He put up 22 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks in 24 minutes today. In the Lithuanian league, he is currently averaging 17points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.6 blocks on 68 FG% and 90 FT% in 25 minutes a game. He has also toned down his foul issues as he is averaging 2.9 per game. In comparision, last year he averaged 3.2 in just 20 minutes a game. Ty Lawson averaged 7.7 points and 1.7 assistsin 16 minutes in the same league during his time over in Lithuania. Just throwing that out there. Edited December 28, 2011 by Built Ford Tough Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted December 29, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2011 19 points and 6 rebounds in 13 minutes today for Jonas in a 41 point win. He is really hitting his stride over the past few games as he seems to have gotten his second wind as he hit a bit of a wall earlier in the season, which is understandable considering how much basketball he played during the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted December 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2011 Some highlights from his game yesterday. Not a lot, but I figure it was better than nothing. I like that he is developing that hook in the lane, though. He has shown nice touch around the rim when finishing in traffic with layups/dunks and he has also shown that he has a nice shooting touch, so I am pleased that he is starting to show a bit more of an offensive game with his back to the basket. The competition in this game wasn't the greatest and he is by no means looking like Hakeem Olajuwon in the post, but it is encouraging to see him expanding his game to more than just a pick and roll finisher. His length, touch and quickness off of the floor will make that shot very tough to defend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted January 3, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 14 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks and 2 assists for him today in another a 72-61 win over Spartak, who was previously undefeated I believe. He shot 4-8 from the floor and 6-6 from the line in 27 minutes of play. He really came out and set the tone early a he had 12 points and 7 rebounds in the 1st half as Rytas jumped out to an 8 point lead at the half. His next game is on January 7th against Zalgiris, who is Rytas' biggest rivals. For those of you who don't know, that is also the team that Sonny Weems is playing for so he will be going up against a likely future teammate as I imagine the Raptors will bring Sonny back next season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Check my Stats Posted January 3, 2012 Report Share Posted January 3, 2012 So excited about this kid, can't wait until he comes over. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted January 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 Just 2 points and 8 rebounds for Jonas today against their archrival Zalgris, but from what I read the Rytas guards were chucking all game from the perimeter and completely ignored all of the bigs down low. I can't find a box score or anything (haven't really looked all that hard) so I don't know how Sonny Weems played for Zalgris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish7718 Posted January 8, 2012 Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 I have a feeling this dude is going to be a stud, a 7 footer who can hit his FT's, only person I can remember doing that is Yao Ming... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Check my Stats Posted January 8, 2012 Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 I have a feeling this dude is going to be a stud, a 7 footer who can hit his FT's, only person I can remember doing that is Yao Ming... http://www.therichest.org/celebnetworth/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Pau-Gasol.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish7718 Posted January 8, 2012 Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 Didn't know Pau was 7 foot, and still that's only 75%...I'm talking 80-90 range Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DunkinDerozan Posted January 8, 2012 Report Share Posted January 8, 2012 I can't wait to see this guy in the NBA next year. A big centre who can drain his FT's is a rare thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted January 21, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 I've been slacking with the updates as of late, but in the 3 games since I last posted his numbers, he has put up: 10 points and 11 rebounds (5 offensive) on 4-10 shooting and 2-2 from the line in 27 minutes21 points, 9 rebounds (4 offensive) and 2 steals on 10-13 shooting in 26 minutes8 points, 13 rebounds (5 offensive) and 1 block on 4-8 shooting in 23 minutes For a quick recap, his season highs so far: Points - 25Rebonds - 14Offensive Rebounds - 6Blocks - 6 FGM - 10FTM - 9 (went 9-9)Minutes - 35 His best game of the year thus far came on November 12th when he put up 25 points, 12 rebounds and 6 blocks on 8-10 shooting and 9-9 from the line in 35 minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DunkinDerozan Posted January 21, 2012 Report Share Posted January 21, 2012 (edited) I've been slacking with the updates as of late, but in the 3 games since I last posted his numbers, he has put up: 10 points and 11 rebounds (5 offensive) on 4-10 shooting and 2-2 from the line in 27 minutes21 points, 9 rebounds (4 offensive) and 2 steals on 10-13 shooting in 26 minutes8 points, 13 rebounds (5 offensive) and 1 block on 4-8 shooting in 23 minutes For a quick recap, his season highs so far: Points - 25Rebonds - 14Offensive Rebounds - 6Blocks - 6 FGM - 10FTM - 9 (went 9-9)Minutes - 35 His best game of the year thus far came on November 12th when he put up 25 points, 12 rebounds and 6 blocks on 8-10 shooting and 9-9 from the line in 35 minutes. I don't like seeing that he's only getting like 8-13 shots a game. I'd think if he's like the best player on their team they would feed him the rock more. That might be to blame the PG on the team for whether or not he's feeding Jonas any good opportunities for shots. EDIT: Not to mention he's barely getting 25 minutes? he should be getting atleast 30 I would think. Edited January 21, 2012 by DemarDerozanDunk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted January 23, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 23, 2012 Yesterday he had 9 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks on 3-5 shooting and 3-4 from the line in 20 minutes. He landed awkwardly on his ankle and had to leave for the game for a bit. The coach wasn't planning on bringing him back into the game but Valanciunas demanded and pleaded with him to put him back in. There was also an incident a week or so ago where he got fouled, got a cut on his head and was livid that he had to leave the game to stop the bleeding. The guy really does hate being taken out of the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DunkinDerozan Posted January 24, 2012 Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 Yesterday he had 9 points, 10 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks on 3-5 shooting and 3-4 from the line in 20 minutes. He landed awkwardly on his ankle and had to leave for the game for a bit. The coach wasn't planning on bringing him back into the game but Valanciunas demanded and pleaded with him to put him back in. There was also an incident a week or so ago where he got fouled, got a cut on his head and was livid that he had to leave the game to stop the bleeding. The guy really does hate being taken out of the game. I love his determination Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Built Ford Tough Posted January 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted January 24, 2012 Today he has 17 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks on 5-8 shooting and 7-10 from the free throw line in 32 minutes. Oh yeah, he also got ejected for throwing an elbow at a guy. Colangelo and Stefanski were both in attendance to watch this game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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