Late in the third quarter against Minnesota, Valanciunas spun toward the middle of the floor, where a second defender was waiting for him. In the past, Valanciunas has gotten in trouble in that sort of situation, holding the ball too long and often turning it over. He has shown little recognition of double teams early in his career. On this play, Valanciunas was remarkably poised. Without even picking up his dribble, Valanciunas identified Greivis Vasquez in the corner, passing him the ball. Vasquez hit the uncontested three-pointer. “That’s another step in my game,” Valanciunas said on Thursday. “I’ve got to find a way to see the open pass, find a way to see open teammates. That’s what I’m working on. I want to get better at that. One pass is not enough. We’ve got to get some more.” If Valanciunas remains methodical and indecisive in the post, the Raptors will not trust him to touch the ball in the fourth quarter. However, Valanciunas can be very effective as a low-post scorer, and the Raptors’ perimeter-oriented offence needs some of that interior scoring to diversify their attack. If Valanciunas can learn to deal with the extra defensive scrutiny, the Raptors will benefit in the playoffs.
“Yeah, he’s more excited every single day,” Patterson said. “Just happy, cheerful, joyful and anxious to start the day, every single day, because at the end of the day, he knows when he leaves us here, he’s going home to see his son. “On the court, it’s the same thing,” Patterson said. “He’s happier, he has more pep in his step, a little bit more bounce and you can see it every game. He’s been playing exceptionally well since his son was born.” Again it’s been only three games but even the numbers are livelier. In the first 63 games of the season, prior to Jonas Jr.’s arrival, Valanciunas had put together solid numbers, shooting 56.1% from the field, averaging 8.6 rebounds and 12 points a night. His plus-minus lagged a bit at minus-0.7 but, all in all, not bad numbers for a guy in his third season and still learning. Since he became a father for the first time, Valanciunas has gone up against Robin Lopez of Portland, Roy Hibbert of Indiana and Gorgui Dieng of Minnesota. In those three games, he has shot 80.8% from the field, pulled down an average of 12 rebounds and scored 14.3 points a night. With Valanciunas on the floor over those three games, the Raptors were a plus- 2.3
“He’s moving well [today] but he’s just sore,” the head coach added following a Thursday afternoon practice session at the Air Canada Centre. “Nothing structural, no structural damage.” Given the unpredictable nature of back ailments, it’s unlikely that his status will be known, one way or another, until just before the game. There’s a strong possibility that the team opts to play it safe, sitting their most important player out for a contest or two as a precaution. “It would be tough,” said Patrick Patterson. “Of course we’d rather have Kyle out there than not out there but at the end of the day, we want him healthy for the playoffs. We don’t want him hurt, we don’t want him to have any nagging injuries or tolls on his body once the playoffs start.” With general aches and pains building up late in the season, the Raptors gave Lowry three games off, amounting to a week’s worth of rest earlier this month. Since then, the all-star had looked like his old self again, averaging 18.4 points (up from 11.9 in February) and 6.4 assists, and shooting 49 per cent from three-point range (up from 24 per cent) in seven outings.
Kyle Lowry: Toronto Raptors PG Suffers Back Injury | Raptors Rapture
The Toronto Raptors cannot seem to catch a break, suffering yet another set back in their 105-100 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves last night (March 18). Sure, the win felt good, but it was probably not worth hearing the news that Kyle Lowry has suffered some description of a back industry. Though it doesn’t look serious yet, it isn’t a good sign for the Raptors, who can’t afford to lose Lowry right before the playoffs. In fact, the Raptors are currently locked in a tight race for second-place in the Eastern Conference with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Currently, the Cavs have a two-game edge, but the Raps still have 16 games to close the gap. It’s possible, but only with a healthy Lowry, who has often been the only bright spot for the Raptors over the last month or so. The team has limped badly since the All-Star break, struggling to sustain wins or gain any sort of momentum. Plus, with their next game being a must-win against the Chicago Bulls, Lowry’s role for the Raptors couldn’t be more pivotal.
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