Toronto Raptors: Measuring Success For Jonas Valanciunas
There appears to be a general agreement, among the local fans, media, the team, and even Jonas Valanciunas himself, that this will be a crucial year for the 6’11” center.
Drafted fifth overall in 2011, the native of Lithuania is entering his third season with the Toronto Raptors amid high expectations for both the team and for what he can bring to the table individually.
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The goal for the Raptors in 2014-15 is to defend their Atlantic Division crown and to erase the sting of how last season ended by advancing beyond the first round of the playoffs.
While the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers have emerged as the popular choices to compete for the top spot in the Eastern Conference, there is no reason to leave the Raptors out of the conversation.
A large part of my confidence in that statement boils down to the fact that the Raptors will be fielding that same starting lineup as last season. It is one that features an All-Star in DeMar DeRozan and a top-tier point guard in Kyle Lowry. It also boasts an extremely athletic wing player in Terrence Ross and the versatility of forward Amir Johnson. Lastly, it also happens to feature a pure center, which is always a luxury in the NBA.
A tall order
That pivot man, of course, is Valanciunas, also known as the Big V.
Standing almost 7 feet tall and weighing in at about 230 pounds, there is no mistaking his role on the court.
Valanciunas is not the type of player that will look to step outside the three-point line, nor should he. Far from that, he is a prototypical post player who either catches the ball in the post and makes a move towards the basket or pops out for a short jump shot.
What you hope for from Valanciunas at the defensive end is that he stays at home close to the basket to protect the rim with his long reach and to grab rebounds.
The 22-year-old has certainly shown steady improvement since making his NBA debut two years ago. It has even got to the point where I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of him making the All-Star team this season.
To accomplish that, though, Valanciunas would have to rise above other established centers in the East such as Roy Hibbert, Joakim Noah, Marcin Gortat, and Al Jefferson.
But even just to mention his name in that group is saying something.
Number crunching
In 2013-14, Valanciunas appeared in 81 contests for the Raptors, all as a starter, and averaged 11.3 points and 8.8 rebounds, along with 1.7 blocks. Furthermore, he worked efficiently at the offensive end, connecting on 53.1 percent of his field-goal attempts.
I certainly wouldn’t expect anything less than that this season from Valanciunas.
My inclination is that he might get into the realm of averaging 15 points and 11 boards on a nightly basis. Becoming a double-digit rebounder would be especially beneficially to the team, if only for the simple reason of gaining extra possessions. For Valanciunas, it’s the kind of benchmark that would garner some attention for his individual efforts.
From a defensive standpoint, Valanciunas will need to show improvement in one-on-one situations and in navigating his way through pick-and-roll scenarios. He will also need to do his part to ensure that there are few easy trips down the lane for opposing guards.
Some of these measures for success are very specific, while there is also an overriding generality.
The numbers will be there for Valanciunas and I expect to see growth and maturity in his game over last season – which is to say that I think he will be even better.
The real measure for success, as basic as it may seem, will be judged in terms of wins and losses.