When the calendar turned over to 2018, it marked the start of a stretch of games that many followers of the Toronto Raptors were looking forward to. December brought a lot of wins, but plenty of sub-.500 teams as well.
Sure, the Raptors were making a strong case for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, but a caveat that has become a theme of their season is doing things the “right way.” So, with the schedule turning and several elite teams crossing paths with Toronto, it was time to showcase DeRozan’s improved all-round play, the trust that has been placed in their youth movement, and a more efficient reliance on Kyle Lowry.
But one storyline that has emerged over the past month is the impressive play of Jonas Valanciunas. The Lithuanian posted averages of 13.1 points on 66.7 percent true shooting, 9.9 rebounds and about a block in just 22 minutes over 15 January games. He has looked an impact player on both ends, finishing with consummate ease inside, sprinkling in the odd three-pointer, and working hard to be a disruptive force while defending pick-and-rolls and mopping up the glass.
DeRozan’s improved passing game has improved the two-man game between him and Valanciunas, but the increased trust has also seen the veteran center expand that aspect of his game as well. He’s making better decisions off the high screen, and challenging teammates to create space for themselves through movement, and they’re trusting that he’ll find the angle.
This play from the Celtics game is a perfect example, where in years past, Valanciunas would have been more than happy to just hand the ball off to DeRozan near the halfway line and look to set a screen to create an advantage against Jaylen Brown. Instead, DeRozan understands what his big man is capable of, and trusts that the pass will come if he can create enough room for it.
Valanciunas won’t get any credit on the box score as DeRozan gets credited with the assist, but it’s a big part of culture change that has seen Toronto make roughly 20 more passes per game.
He’s also rolling behind, parallel, and ahead of the ball handler at the right times to put himself in the right passing pockets, and then reading when opportunities are best available to both him and his teammates. That stems from being just as comfortable shooting from the midrange, finishing with hook shots, or scoring around the basket through resistance.
The first real signs of a breakout came innocuously enough, in the second meeting with the Milwaukee Bucks in the span of five days. Valanciunas hasn’t had great success against Milwaukee and was even resigned to a bench role during their series in the 2017 playoffs as the Bucks starting lineup went small. Here, he picked up two fouls in the opening minutes, stewing on the bench as the Raptors jumped out to an early lead.
The Bucks made a run in the second quarter, putting pressure on a Raptors opponent that has had its share of third quarter struggles this season. What was most encouraging about Valanciunas during this period was that he had success against both John Henson and Thon Maker. Henson is a good shot blocker but lacks the bulk to truly battle the Toronto center inside, while Maker, who found a way to play Valanciunas off the floor in the previous postseason, looked clueless to solve a Valanciunas bag of tricks made all the more complicated by a consistent jumper.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlGJVsT1dbA
All told, Valanciunas finished with 20 points and nine rebounds in just the third quarter alone, helping the Raptors outscore the Bucks by 24 in the frame and go on to a comprehensive victory.
Another big game came against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Valanciunas chimed in with 15 points and 18 rebounds in just 19 minutes as the Raptors romped home by 34. While he helped Toronto take control in the third against Milwaukee, he was instrumental in setting the tone right from the tip-off in this one. He had eight points and nine rebounds in his first 6:18 of action, proving a force on both ends once again.
As the success has carried over to games against his favourite rival Andre Drummond, a traditional big lineup in the San Antonio Spurs and perhaps most noticeably against Rudy Gobert with 28 points on 16 shots, 14 rebounds and four blocks, his head coach has seen a different man.
“The confidence factor,” Dwane Casey said recently after practice. “I think he’s in great physical condition, I think JV has a different mental approach than he had last year. For some reason, he wasn’t as confident or whatever it was last year and I think he has a great mental approach this year. He’s taking coaching much better as far as taking constructive criticism of his game and teaching and trying to turn it around and use it. A lot of it is maturity. It takes time for players to win and develop at the same time.”
The final part of Casey’s comments raises an important point. As a high lottery pick, much has been demanded and expected of the 25-year-old. He came into the league slender than he is now, but was molded into a physically intimidating force as the league at the time boasted centers of Tyson Chandler, Kendrick Perkins and Andrew Bynum’s ilk. His future is akin to chance much like playing real money casino online.
He’s never had the opportunity to ease into a role as the Raptors youth of today currently have the chance to do, but due to the three-point evolution, has never been a focal point either. Bigs are traditionally slower to develop, but by sheer virtue of being a starter, has never had a considerable margin for error.
Granted, his defensive struggles have presented challenges of their own, but lottery picks usually get the chance to play through those mistakes. Winning changes the dynamic entirely.
It’s interesting that despite the middling results — by a top five pick’s standards — to this point, the Raptors front office has continued to stick by his side. He’s been in trade rumors more often the past season or so, but they’ve never pulled the trigger and are being rewarded for it now.
The current dynamic of bigs also helps. In Serge Ibaka, Toronto has a 4-man flexible enough to switch out to the perimeter and limit the Lithuanian’s movement. After some initial struggles which saw the Lowry-DeRozan-Anunoby-Ibaka-Valanciunas starting lineup post a defensive rating of 112.2 through their first 124 minutes, they have given up just 97 points per 100 possessions since Dec. 4 (433 minutes), and a plus-15.1 net rating.
Off the bench, both Jakob Poeltl and Lucas Nogueira provide different looks for Casey depending on what the mood of the game demands.
With the league’s ecosystem well and truly settled into this era of pace, space, and efficient hot zones on the court, it has also allowed Valanciunas to figure out exactly how and where he can and needs to be effective. Just as the anticipation grows as he deciphers the necessity of each of his three-point attempts, there is a renewed belief that there is more to the big man’s game than he may have let on over the course of the past few seasons.
As the trade deadline approaches, Valanciunas serves as another reminder on this roster that perhaps the grass isn’t greener on the other side.
