Jonas Valančiūnas thread

[TalkBasket]

Birthdate: 1992-05-06
Birthplace: Utena, Lithuania
Height: 2.10 m
Weight: 95 kg
Position: center
Team: Lietuvos Rytas (started the season at Perlas)

LKL

Points Per Game: 11.6
Minutes Per Game: 21:51
Rebounds Per Game: 7.5
2PT %: 57
3PT %: -

Full stats here

BBL (played only 2 games as of today)

Points Per Game: 170
Minutes Per Game: 20:59
Rebounds Per Game: 8.5
2PT %: 100
3PT %: -

Full stats here.

DraftExpress lists Valančiūnas as the 3rd overall pick in their 2011 NBA Mock Draft.

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[TalkBasket]

Steep learning curve for hard-working Valanciunas

KAUNAS (2010 FIBA World Championship) – Jonas Valanciunas has a big future with Lithuania but the 2010 FIBA World Championship may come too early for the 2.10m starlet of Lietuvos Rytas.

The 17-year-old played fouled out after playing just 16 minutes in his side’s Baltic Basketball League clash against Zalgiris Kaunas over the weekend, an 85-82 win for the Kaunas team that left both sides with 16-2 records.

Valanciunas competed but found it hard against Zalgiris big man Tadas Klimavicius and Travis Watson.

“It's a shame that a 17-year-old has to fight it out against the strongest Euroleague hustler and gets called for five fouls,” Kurtinaitis said.

“We are trying to play aggressively. Today the referees didn't allow the kind of game that was allowed in Vilnius, maybe they favor home teams.”

Lietuvos Rytas won the first BBL encounter between the sides in Vilnius 91-74 back on December 12.

"Valanciunas can't compete (yet) with the likes of Watson or Klimavicius, he's still developing," Kurtinaitis said.

"He's still very young and needs to work, and that's exactly what he is doing."

Klimavicius, meanwhile, is doing his best to force his way into Kestutis Kemzura’s Lithuania national team for the FIBA World Championship.

The 27-year-old power forward was easily the game’s top player after pouring in 24 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

Because of Lietuvos Rytas’ +14 differential in the two meetings with Zalgiris, the Vilnius club ended the regular season in first place in the Baltic League.

http://www.fiba.com/pages/eng/fc/news/la.../arti.html

[straight forward]

Valančiūnas had 22 minutes against Žalgiris in intense game and he finished with 10 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. Really impressive game. I believe with his speed of progression, he might get a decent role in Euroleague (hopefully) next season, at least some minutes for sure.

[TalkBasket]

Indeed. And it's always good to see the crowd giving him a warm welcome when he enters the court. No other players of Rytas is loved by the fans as Valančiūnas is.

[Black Urum]

Via FIBA Europe

The general manager of Lietuvos Rytas, Jonas Vainauskas, has expressed the hope that rising star Jonas Valanciunas will have a more prominent role with the club next season.

The MVP of last year's Champion U18 All-Star Game in Katowice, Valanciunas received playing time this season with the Lithuanian champions but was not one of the most important players.

Some of Europe's biggest teams are watching his progress, including Olympiacos.

Vainauskas, who said the player won't leave this summer for a new team, told Krespinis.net the young center can have a big impact next season in Vilnius.

"Everything's in Valanciunas' hands," he said.

"I think he's more than ready to step up, just like (Arvydas) Sabonis in his days.

"Valanciunas is a modern Sabonis, I have never seen anyone better among young centers in my career."

Sabonis played in the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers, though his best years were in Europe.

"He doesn't need to be crushed in the NBA as Martynas Andriuskevicius was," Vainauskas said.

"Jonas should go to NBA as a star, not as a prospect.

"Many Europeans had bad experiences over the Atlantic. I don't want the same to happen with Jonas."

[straight forward]

As expected, Valančiūnas led his team to the top of U18 European championship in Lithuania and was unquestionable MVP the tournament. Here's the highlights:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0PRXLHFDZg

PS: Let's wait and see how he'll look in Euroleague

[Black Urum]

Will he get any serious playing time? Especially against EL tough guys?

[TalkBasket]

Will he get any serious playing time? Especially against EL tough guys?

Vainauskas said that Valančiūnas will be the starting center for Rytas and he is supposed to play at least 25-30 minutes in EL. That's why they signed Nalga as a backup instead of singing a better front line player. The question is whether Jonas will be able to play against the best centers in Europe and how well/bad he'll play. But he is a guaranteed starter at least for the start of the season. I doubt they will keep Jonas in the starting line-up if he fails big time.

[straight forward]

He looks skinny and he is, but he was combating against Watson last season already. I think he'll have some up and downs, but the fact is that he's already dangerous.

[straight forward]

NBA scouts making next years draft predictions. Jonas standing in amazing 4th position, specially having in mind he can wait for couple of more years (he must).

4. Jonas Valanciunas, PF-C, Lithuania Lietuvos Rytas, 6-11, 230 pounds – Scout’s take: “Very long and can go to the glass on both ends. Can score in transition; plays above the rim. Nice hands. Still needs to work on strength against bigger players in the post. Playing big minutes in Europe against men.”

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=mc...zzer111210

[Black Urum]

#4 in 2011 draft? Impressive.

But if he goes in the summer he will get his ass whooped by American big guys. He'll get literally slaughtered.

Also NBA teams have this bad habit of pumping up skinny white players immediately, and they lose a lot of their touch. So straight forward is right, he must put on weight and muscle gradually, in Europe.

[straight forward]

#4 in 2011 draft? Impressive.

But if he goes in the summer he will get his ass whooped by American big guys. He'll get literally slaughtered.

Also NBA teams have this bad habit of pumping up skinny white players immediately, and they lose a lot of their touch. So straight forward is right, he must put on weight and muscle gradually, in Europe.

4th pick would be a record for Lithuanian players (we are talking about such stars as Sabas, Marčiulionis, Ilgauskas). Off course, one could only guess which pick would be young and non-injured Sabas these days when such as Miličič gets first picks, but it would be still amazing. Specially if I would be optimist and I would remember that Ilgauskas was only 20th pick and he was getting 20 points and 12 rebounds in very strong team at that time Kaunas "Atletas" while being 19/20yo. And than Ilgauskas became all-star player in NBA.

My prediction is - he can be an NBA all star one day. Important thing is that he would play for NT

PS: Valanciunas won't make the same mistake. I think he might be departed to some top Euroleague club already after this season, but I think he should stay in Rytas for one more season and than to join some Euroleagaue powerhouse.

[straight forward]

Valančiūnas with the best performance in Euroleague this season. 15 points, 9 rebounds and 26 ranking.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX-UgB22f...r_embedded

[Kenneth23]

He really played great last night. he will get better every game and if he keeps developing like he does then he could get drafted higher than number 4. He is extremly talented and he will be a great player. The heir to Sabonis throne

[straight forward]

Worth mentioning performance in LKL against Alytus:

19 points, 18 rebounds in 21 minutes (34 ranking points).

[Kenneth23]

Valanciunas played very good in the game against Alytus

He'll be a very dominant bigman in the future, he's already a very good player for his age but he'll need to bulk up if he wants to better than more bulked up centers

[straight forward]

22 points, 13 rebounds, 4 blocks and 39 ranking in 25 minutues against Juventus (4 place in LKL). The guy is getting stronger everyday.

[Kenneth23]

22 points, 13 rebounds, 4 blocks and 39 ranking in 25 minutues against Juventus (4 place in LKL). The guy is getting stronger everyday.

He really played great. Like you said he becomes stronger every day. He will be a very dominant bigmen in the future if he keeps developing like this

[Black Urum]

Hope he doesn't go to NBA right away and plays several seasons at an EL title contender...

[straight forward]

Two more seasons in Euroleague is a must for him. It would be a clear declaration to risk the career not to go this way. Hopefully Rytas staff is smart enough to let him with buyout only after another season where I suppose he might become a double-double player (10 points, 10 rebounds) with improved positioning and increased minutes.