Why Jonas Valanciunas is the Raptors' Key Player

Any former NBA player or coach who has had success in the league winning championships or going deep in the playoffs will tell you that the game becomes completely different in the postseason. As the defensive intensity increases, play slows down and transition scoring and easy three-point shots become harder to come by. In fact, getting any kind of basket becomes a challenge.

This is why it is important for a team to have a couple of skilled big men to rely upon in the post to get easy buckets when things wind down and it becomes more difficult to rely solely on perimeter scoring.

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As good as the Toronto Raptors‘ backcourt of Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and Terrence Ross is, this team will not go from good to great without center Jonas Valanciunas making key plays late in games.

Valanciunas hasn’t been in the league for a long time, but he has already made his presence felt primarily on the defensive end. While he may not be the best shot blocker, only rejecting 1.2 shots per game this year, he is the best rebounder on the team, as he has gotten 5.9 defensive rebounds per game so far on the season.

While shot blocking and protecting the rim has always been an important part of playing defense, getting boards on that end of the floor has also been crucial for big men to do because it takes away any second chances for the other team on offense. Disrupting their tempo and not allowing them to get into a rhythm is at the top of any good defensive team’s wish list every night, and Valanciunas can do just that because of his sheer size and willingness to bang down low with the other big men in the NBA.

Valanciunas may not block as many shots per game as some may like, but along with rebounding the ball, he does contest his fair share of opportunities at or near the rim. Blocks are nice, but forced misses are just as good because they still take away the other team’s chance to get two points and limit fast-break opportunities. The more shots Valanciunas can reject or change, the easier it becomes for the Raptors to get out on the break and take advantage of their athleticism and transition game.

Offensively, Valanciunas will need to be a go-to option in the post if this team expects to win some playoff games later in the year.

As I already explained, the game is going to slow down, and the Raptors really don’t have any other players on the block that are game-changers or even above-average. Amir Johnson and Tyler Hansbrough can play in this league, but neither one of them are efficient back-to-the-basket scorers. Both are more comfortable facing up their man and either taking him off the dribble or spotting up for the midrange jump shot.

Valanciunas has the ability to make a jump shot in a pinch, but that has never been his game. Valanciunas can actually score with his back to the basket and really create problems for any team that doesn’t have the size to counter with. Hooks over either shoulder are not a problem for the big man, making him a dangerous enough weapon when the Raptors need to throw the ball into the post to get some easy buckets.

On the season, Valanciunas is hitting 68.8 percent of his shots within three feet of the basket, so his ability to finish is not in question, meaning he has to keep this kind of play up if he wants to give his team a shot.

Valanciunas has the kind of size that can help him get the position that he needs to set up down low. As long as he isn’t being forced too far away from the basket, he has enough strength to push his man back a little bit with two or three dribbles and score over the defense.

His 12.4 points per game may not seem like much to the casual fan, but to someone who knows the game of basketball, those points may be the most important to the Raptors’ success each and every night, because without Valanciunas, Toronto lacks the inside presence that can draw the defense away from the three-point line, something that gives Lowry, DeRozan and Ross enough space to work with outside.

If the defense is allowed to play tight on the perimeter, then how are the guards supposed to be relied upon to score at a high rate consistently?

What Valanciunas can do for his team is what has been the difference for the Raptors in a lot of games this season. His aggressiveness down low rebounding and scoring the basketball has made life easier for his teammates behind the arc, and right now, that’s all that coach Dwane Casey can ask for because of the lack of a true starting-caliber power forward.

Valanciunas needs to be getting close enough to a double-double each night for the Raptors to build momentum in the playoffs. If he can’t give his team enough production, then Drake may have to go find a new team to support come May and June.

*Statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.

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