PACERS LIKELY TO TURN FOCUS ON VALANCIUNAS
Raptors’ big centre has to be ready for the opposition, writes Frank Zicarelli.
Two post-season games into a best-of-seven series that has been reduced to a best-offive set and already too many are anointing Jonas Valanciunas as the second coming of Wilt Chamberlain.
It’s the nature of the beast, to put it mildly, in today’s 24-hour news cycle where anything and everything gets sliced and diced, conclusions reached and perceptions established without allowing the process to take its rightful course.
Valanciunas has been, there’s no denying, elevating his game right next to the ranks of a Paul George.
Heading into Game 3 Thursday night in Indianapolis, J.V. has emerged as the second-best player behind George.
Like George, he has become hard to stop.
But unlike George, the story on Valanciunas is far from complete.
One day, it’s hoped, Valanciunas will become that player who can stay on the floor in crunch time when a defensive stop is required, the kind of centre who can step out and defend the pick and roll and not get exploited. One day, he’ll be able to take his offence outside and knock down shots.
Anyone who has been around the Raptors long enough will tell you the impact Jack Sikma has had on Toronto’s big man, the two spending time Wednesday when the Raptors gathered at their practice facility before winging it to Indy.
Sikma was the prototypical offensive big, subtle around the basket by using nifty footwork and a soft touch, lethal when he faced the basket and heaved a shot that was near impossible to block — the best shot contest by an opponent was to get a hand up in Sikma’s face.
Valanciunas isn’t in Sikma’s perimeter world, but the basketball world has started to pay attention.
When he wasn’t taking careless fouls by reaching in or not keeping his hands up in Game 1, Valanciunas was a presence on the floor.
In the decisive second half, he played only nine minutes and six seconds before he fouled out.
During the second half, the Pacers scored 57 points, made seven of 10 three-pointers and scored 13 points off 10 Toronto turnovers.
In Game 2, the switch flipped, with Valanciunas dominating down low and on the glass as the Raptors pounded the Pacers in the first quarter en route to a rather easy victory.
Now comes the hard part for Valanciunas, now that the focus of attention will be and must be on stopping him, at worse containing him in the paint and limiting his effectiveness.
Whether it’s pushing Valanciunas away from the basket, fronting him more aggressively, sending an extra defender on the catch and forcing him to make the right decision, Game 3 will tell a lot about Valanciunas, his patience, resolve and composure.
It’s coming because the Pacers cannot win if Valanciunas remains that wrecking ball on the boards, producing 11 offensive rebounds in Game 1 and posting his second successive double double in Game 2 with a 23/15 night.
In two games, he’s hauled down 34 rebounds.
“He’s been huge, literally,” acknowledged George, who has been huge for the Pacers, scoring 33 and 28 points in Games 1 and 2, respectively. “We’re doing a good job on Kyle and DeMar, but Valanciunas has stepped up. He’s the one that’s causing us problems right now and we have to figure it out.”
Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan have not been factors offensively, as of yet, because nobody expects both to be mired in this shooting funk that has seen Toronto’s go-to guys go a combined 17-of-63 from the floor.
One is due, perhaps both, and if Valanciunas is able to dominate, the chances of the Pacers advancing are not good.
“I’m just doing my stuff,” Valanciunas said. “I’m going out there and battling and nobody is going to take that away from me. I’m going to go and put my heart out and battle for every single ball, every possession.”
That won’t change in Game 3, but he’ll have to change how he attacks the Pacers because tweaks are coming as the Pacers adjust.
“He’s gotten better in a lot of areas,’’ said head coach Dwane Casey.
“In those situations where reading the speed of how quick they’re coming down, how deep they’re digging or if it’s an all-out double team, he’s much better this year than he was last year.
“With him, just reading the situations, reading where his outlets are, those are very important if they decide to double team.”
It’ll be interesting to see what adjustments the Pacers make for Game 3, knowing how big a factor Valanciunas looms.
When they had to punch first in Game 2, the Raptors went to Valanciunas, who had 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting and seven rebounds as Toronto outscored Indy 18-2 in paint points in the first quarter.
Valanciunas needs to be patient and avoid taking sloppy fouls in Game 3.
How he gets defended, only the Pacers know.