Lets not get caught in the Jonas hype just yet.

[Hotshot]

I see many fans praising Jonas domination of Under 19 basketball tournament. He deserves those praises for playing this well but let’s not kidd ourselves. This tournament is meaningless in terms of evaluating if Jonas can be a star player in the NBA. Most of those star players in the tournament couldn't hack it as starters on above average NCAA team ( I am not saying Jonas is one of them).

Wait until he plays the Men's tournament in the end of August before we can see any indication of NBA potential. The fact that he's 19 and playing this well among his age group is a good start.

[Rilu]

I see many fans praising Jonas domination of Under 19 basketball tournament. He deserves those praises for playing this well but let’s not kidd ourselves. This tournament is meaningless in terms of evaluating if Jonas can be a star player in the NBA. Most of those star players in the tournament couldn't hack it as starters on above average NCAA team.

Wait until he plays the Men's tournament in the end of August before we can see any indication of NBA potential. The fact that is 19 and he is playing this well among his age group is a good start.

If he will play there at all. He is only part of the candidate list for being part of the national team. Lithuanian head coach said it doesn't matter that he is drafted, he will have to show what he can do during the preparation. Lithuania has a couple of older, stronger and more experienced centers.
However, considering Jonas' enthusiasm and dedication for the game, he might just make it. You can watch the games live now and you can clearly see his strengths and weaknesses, we can already make some assumptions about him. I agree with you, it is a pretty good start.

[Soft Euro]

I'm hyped because that's it's fun to be optimistic for a change. If I'm disappointed in the end at least I had the joy of being hyped...

[Employee]

I see many fans praising Jonas domination of Under 19 basketball tournament. He deserves those praises for playing this well but let’s not kidd ourselves. This tournament is meaningless in terms of evaluating if Jonas can be a star player in the NBA. Most of those star players in the tournament couldn't hack it as starters on above average NCAA team ( I am not saying Jonas is one of them).

Wait until he plays the Men's tournament in the end of August before we can see any indication of NBA potential. The fact that he's 19 and playing this well among his age group is a good start.

Dude leave me alone! It's all I got right now...

[grindhouse]

Kid needs a gum badly but it's a start

[Balls of Steel]

I see many fans praising Jonas domination of Under 19 basketball tournament. He deserves those praises for playing this well but let’s not kidd ourselves. This tournament is meaningless in terms of evaluating if Jonas can be a star player in the NBA. Most of those star players in the tournament couldn't hack it as starters on above average NCAA team ( I am not saying Jonas is one of them).

Wait until he plays the Men's tournament in the end of August before we can see any indication of NBA potential. The fact that he's 19 and playing this well among his age group is a good start.

Well, the domination is against... his peers. Men you say, ummm, does Euroleague count? He's 19 right? How would you feel if he was struggling against other 19 year-olds? Should we temper our excitement then?

[Hotshot]

I'm hyped because that's it's fun to be optimistic for a change. If I'm disappointed in the end at least I had the joy of being hyped...

Well its best not to have a knee jerk reaction in the end. Otherwise its going to be like Bargnani "oh he ain't no the next Dirk! at best he is a less athletic version of Rashard Lewis! we been had!!"

Jonas ain't going to be the next Pau Gasol, that's the hype.

What is the reality is possibility of being the next Tyson Chandler or Andris Biedrins.

[Hotshot]

Well, the domination is against... his peers. Men you say, ummm, does Euroleague count? He's 19 right? How would you feel if he was struggling against other 19 year-olds? Should we temper our excitement then?

Euroleague does count, but we only have stats from when he was 18 year old and he didn't get many minutes.

If he was struggling against other 19 year olds, there wasn't going to be any excitement to begin with. However it wouldn't automatically indicate he would be a total fail. Pau gasol averaged just 5 points and 3.5 rebounds in his Under 19 tournement.

[joey_hesketh]

We're not getting excited because all of a sudden Jonas is NBA ROY, MVP etc.
We're getting excited because he is one of our own, and as a Fan of the team (and subsequently our players) then I have every right to buy into the Hype, and am able to think and believe anything I like.

The hustle and Determination I see from this kid has nothing to do with who he is playing against.
His Heart, has nothing to do with who he is playing against.
The stats may mean nothing, and maybe this tournament "is meaningless", but it is allowing most of us our first glance of a type of player that we have not seen in a VERY long time.

I'm buying all the hype I can get. Putting that shit lay away I'm buying so much.

Remember last year when Demar was killing it in Summer League, and some people were saying "Don't get to excited, it's only Summer League" ... In my opinion, this whole "Don't get excited, yet" attititude is for the people who aren't truly invested in the Raps as a team. Raptors fans should be excited, and should be happy about the way our Rookie is playing on a World Wide Stage. This is a legit World Championship, and seeing as I'm a fan of the game, and a fan of Jonas, then I will buy into the Hype.
If you don't mind.

[Maleko]

We're not getting excited because all of a sudden Jonas is NBA ROY, MVP etc.
We're getting excited because he is one of our own, and as a Fan of the team (and subsequently our players) then I have every right to buy into the Hype, and am able to think and believe anything I like.

The hustle and Determination I see from this kid has nothing to do with who he is playing against.
His Heart, has nothing to do with who he is playing against.
The stats may mean nothing, and maybe this tournament "is meaningless", but it is allowing most of us our first glance of a type of player that we have not seen in a VERY long time.

I'm buying all the hype I can get. Putting that shit lay away I'm buying so much.

Remember last year when Demar was killing it in Summer League, and some people were saying "Don't get to excited, it's only Summer League" ... In my opinion, this whole "Don't get excited, yet" attititude is for the people who aren't truly invested in the Raps as a team. Raptors fans should be excited, and should be happy about the way our Rookie is playing on a World Wide Stage. This is a legit World Championship, and seeing as I'm a fan of the game, and a fan of Jonas, then I will buy into the Hype.
If you don't mind.

You damn skippy!

[joey_hesketh]

Jonas ain't going to be the next Pau Gasol, that's the hype.
What is the reality is possibility of being the next Tyson Chandler or Andris Biedrins.

But this is complete speculation.
I've never heard anyone say he's going to be the next anything.
But for you to say he's going to be so and so, or he's going to be this, is just as premature as all of us getting excited.
You have NO idea what type of player he will become. And neither do we.

Seems our glass is simply more half full than your glass, which is, evidently half empty.

[hateslosing]

He's playing well against very good talent. That US team is better than most a lot of mid level NCAA teams and most of the other teams are pretty good. And he is destroying them all.
This is exciting!
No one is saying he is is going to be the best player in the league or an all star but it is nice to see our guy dominating very high level competition. If he plays in the men's championship that will be a better indication of how he'll do in the league initially but it's nice to see this.

Edit: K I guess some folks are saying he's going to be a monster right away.

[Hotshot]

Remember last year when Demar was killing it in Summer League, and some people were saying "Don't get to excited, it's only Summer League" ... In my opinion, this whole "Don't get excited, yet" attititude is for the people who aren't truly invested in the Raps as a team. Raptors fans should be excited, and should be happy about the way our Rookie is playing on a World Wide Stage. This is a legit World Championship, and seeing as I'm a fan of the game, and a fan of Jonas, then I will buy into the Hype.
If you don't mind.

I don't mean don't get excited when if Jonas is doing well but there are those who are already writing songs and salvating about him as if he is going to be the next saviour of the franchise. Let the kid grow and be excited too if he just ends up averaging close to a double double in the NBA. Raptor fans are really good at hyping their athlete's but when reality sets in they come out of the woodwork when their precious stud doesn't quite become the player they envisioned.

I blame Vince Carter for this, that S.O.B came in looking like the next Jordan but after 3 seasons became a hasbeen nightmare.

[joey_hesketh]

Raptor fans are really good at hyping their athlete's but when reality sets in they come out of the woodwork when their precious stud doesn't quite become the player they envisioned.

We are not unique in this mindset though, Hotshot. Look to any fanbase, and you will find that most Fans of any Team Sport want to believe that they have something special. Its the nature of the game.

[Apollo]

I see many fans praising Jonas domination of Under 19 basketball tournament. He deserves those praises for playing this well but let’s not kidd ourselves. This tournament is meaningless in terms of evaluating if Jonas can be a star player in the NBA. Most of those star players in the tournament couldn't hack it as starters on above average NCAA team ( I am not saying Jonas is one of them).

Wait until he plays the Men's tournament in the end of August before we can see any indication of NBA potential. The fact that he's 19 and playing this well among his age group is a good start.

And so if he plays in August and performs poorly then we know what he's about? I think we need to wait until he gets here and gets substantial games under his belt. Good or bad, right now you don't know for sure where he's headed. For what we have seen so far its more fair to suggest that the Raptors probably drafted a very good player at fifth overall who has the size and game to be starting in the NBA at the toughest position to fill with quality players.

He's already shown NBA potential. Teams were trying to trade up and throwing around star names, such as the Spurs trying to move Tony Parker to get him. I don't remember anybody doing that for the Raptors' last center prospect, Andrea Bargnani in 2006. In fact Colangelo was on record then saying he tried to trade down but there weren't any takers offering legitimate value.

[WhatWhat]

I don't think that he's the next anybody. If anything, he's a 7 foot Amir, which would be a 10 center. But the guy can play and is a White Swan antithesis.

All he really has to do is continue to get stronger (and he has the frame to fill out very nicely) and cut down on the fouls. At the very least, we have post-breakdown Beans.

But this was the guy I wanted when I was checking up on prospects very, very early in the draft. So I believe in the guy. And the stuff he's doing will translate pretty much anywhere.

[Bendit]

In my view, one of the reasons JV has garnered such interest is because of not only the position he plays but the type of player/skills the Raps needed from that position (ala a Chandler type). What JV has shown in this tournament so far is that he is exactly that type of player foremost with all the other tangibles possibly. And he is not shy about carrying his team either. The man plays as an inside player and guarding the rim is his game. And he is doing it within his peer group. So, I dont understand why these skills and traits cannot translate to the next level at his age given his mindset to succeed. A few days someone posted a quote from Jonathan Givony of Draftexpress who said (I paraphrase) that JV was the best Centre at this tournament or who had as much impact since Bogut. I believe Bogut won an award of some kind there. And I think JV has much more fluidity/agility and I'll take Bogut anyday if not for his constant injuries. I dont think he wants to be a Pau Gasol type player either. I can actually see him "save" Bargs career with the Raps.

[GameBreaker]

We're not getting excited because all of a sudden Jonas is NBA ROY, MVP etc.
We're getting excited because he is one of our own, and as a Fan of the team (and subsequently our players) then I have every right to buy into the Hype, and am able to think and believe anything I like.

The hustle and Determination I see from this kid has nothing to do with who he is playing against.
His Heart, has nothing to do with who he is playing against.
The stats may mean nothing, and maybe this tournament "is meaningless", but it is allowing most of us our first glance of a type of player that we have not seen in a VERY long time.

I'm buying all the hype I can get. Putting that shit lay away I'm buying so much.

Remember last year when Demar was killing it in Summer League, and some people were saying "Don't get to excited, it's only Summer League" ... In my opinion, this whole "Don't get excited, yet" attititude is for the people who aren't truly invested in the Raps as a team. Raptors fans should be excited, and should be happy about the way our Rookie is playing on a World Wide Stage. This is a legit World Championship, and seeing as I'm a fan of the game, and a fan of Jonas, then I will buy into the Hype.
If you don't mind.

I co-sign. If players get better playing this level during the off-season, then these games DO mean something, bottom line. Summer League or U19 Euro games, whatever, these games are put on for a reason. Whether he does well during the adult level or not, he shows huge promise and nothing says experience than experience...on whatever level. He's someone that brings hype to our team, in a time of unknowns and doubt. I'm on the bandwagon, too.

[grindhouse]

We're not getting excited because all of a sudden Jonas is NBA ROY, MVP etc.
We're getting excited because he is one of our own, and as a Fan of the team (and subsequently our players) then I have every right to buy into the Hype, and am able to think and believe anything I like.

The hustle and Determination I see from this kid has nothing to do with who he is playing against.
His Heart, has nothing to do with who he is playing against.
The stats may mean nothing, and maybe this tournament "is meaningless", but it is allowing most of us our first glance of a type of player that we have not seen in a VERY long time.

I'm buying all the hype I can get. Putting that shit lay away I'm buying so much.

Remember last year when Demar was killing it in Summer League, and some people were saying "Don't get to excited, it's only Summer League" ... In my opinion, this whole "Don't get excited, yet" attititude is for the people who aren't truly invested in the Raps as a team. Raptors fans should be excited, and should be happy about the way our Rookie is playing on a World Wide Stage. This is a legit World Championship, and seeing as I'm a fan of the game, and a fan of Jonas, then I will buy into the Hype.
If you don't mind.

I meant to say gym in my last post but damn iPhone lol. Everyone one that puts enough effort to visit this site to talk about the raptors are fans. Some of us are not getting excited because of the competetion level. Jonas would not even start if he was to play this year BC even said so because of his size but I do see potential and every game he dominates from now till when he comes over will help wi. Over the people like myself that wanted someone that was NBA ready and would play this year.

[enlightenment]

I meant to say gym in my last post but damn iPhone lol. Everyone one that puts enough effort to visit this site to talk about the raptors are fans. Some of us are not getting excited because of the competetion level. Jonas would not even start if he was to play this year BC even said so because of his size but I do see potential and every game he dominates from now till when he comes over will help wi. Over the people like myself that wanted someone that was NBA ready and would play this year.

What ''this year''?