Toronto Raptors: Jonas Valanciunas Doesn’t Fit

The Toronto Raptors have turned Jonas Valanciunas into a situational player out of necessity. This calls into question whether or not they can build around him.

The Toronto Raptors have put Jonas Valanciunas back into a role that he is accustomed to playing. Throughout his career Jonas has started games, tried to make his mark in the first three quarters and was only inserted back into the fourth if the game was out of reach.

That had changed to start the year, with Dwane Casey trying to make him a full-time player. But with the team struggling out of the gate and the defense floundering, they had to make a change. While he is talented, the flaws in Valanciunas’ game limit when you can play him.

The Raptors’ victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday was a classic example of how to deploy Valanciunas. After a rough first quarter, he went 3-for-3 in the third and found his offensive groove.

On the other end, it was business as usual as he was torn apart in the pick and roll. With 2:25 remaining in the third quarter, the Raptors trailed 85-84. Casey then subbed out Valanciunas, who didn’t see the floor again until there was 4:11 remaining in the game.

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At that point, the team had already built a 111-99 lead.

The league in general has gone away from centers like Valanciunas. Talented offensive centers that could score with their back to the basket were once in high demand. Players such as Greg Monroe, Al Jefferson, Enes Kanter and Valanciunas are being put into a reduced roles.

This is done in an effort to minimize the negative impact of their defense.  Per basketballreference.com, the Raptors give up 6.2 fewer points per 100 possessions when Valanciunas is off the court.

That’s the difference of being 13th in defensive efficiency and dead last. This isn’t a new occurrence either; last season the defense was 5.7 points better per 100 possessions with Jonas on the bench.

In a way, Valanciunas is very similar to another center selected top five in the 2012 NBA draft. He and Enes Kanter share tremendous offensive talent and the ability to be game-changers. Yet both often call short of that potential as a result of their defensive flaws.

Kanter has been relegated to a bench role since being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. While Valanciunas starts and plays more minutes than Kanter, neither player is relied on to regularly close games.

The biggest problem with Valanciunas’ fit with the Raptors is that his deficiencies are magnified against the league’s best teams. He has been one of the worst pick and roll defenders in the NBA.

His inability to defender the pick and roll, or to move in space, makes him a liability against the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers. The Raptors have already played the Cavaliers three times this season. Toronto has lost all three contests by a combined 11 points.

In those games, the Cavaliers have outscored the Raptors by 31 points when Valanciunas is on the court.

This isn’t questioning whether or not Valanciunas is a useful player. But it calls into question whether or not he fits with what the Raptors want to accomplish. While he is far from the only defensive liability on the team, as a center his deficiencies are magnified.

The Raptors have now won eight of their last nine games. They’ve accomplished this while sitting Valanciunas during most meaningful fourth-quarter minutes.

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Offensively Valanciunas can provide Toronto with valuable post scoring. But with few spot-up threats in the starting rotation and his limited ability as a passer, the effectiveness of his post touches is inconsistent.

His prowess as a pick and roll scorer fits well with the slashing of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. However, he is still a player that relies on post touches to sustain offensive production. Due to the construction of their roster, those touches are tough to generate organically.

As a result of this, his greatest games often come when Lowry and/or DeRozan struggle. This is certainly a desirable trait and likely the main reason Toronto advanced out of the first round last season. However, the inability to get the three of them working in harmony remains an issue.

In his situational role, Valanciunas remains an effective player for the Raptors. But his limitations and how they relate to the league’s elite is a glaring issue. The team can excel throughout the regular season by playing him in a limited role.

But to count on him as a core piece when he’s often a liability against the league’s best seems foolish. The Raptors clearly want to contend now and are looking to make moves to get to that status.

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With that in mind, Valanciunas seems like an obvious choice to be the centerpiece of a significant move. In the right situation, he can be a difference-maker.