Raps’ big man becoming a force
YOUTH: Valanciunas makes strides to get deeper in paint, focused on rebounds
TORONTO— Young players learn all sorts of lessons in their formative years in the NBA. You hear about them all the time: how to pace yourself for an 82-game season, what constitutes a good shot, how to eat well, how to improve within the context of team defence.
In his first few years, DeMar DeRozan learned a different lesson, one that is not discussed as often: never steal a big man’s rebound. He learned that from Reggie Evans.
“You’d better not touch a Reggie Evans rebound or you’re going to deal with him in the locker-room,” DeRozan said last week.
“If you take their rebounds, they’re going to get mad at you. (Jonas Valanciunas) is starting to get there. You can tell he’s becoming more aggressive when it comes to that rebounding, being able to get secondchance points. That comes with experience. When you’re young in the league, you don’t really pay attention to that. That’s definitely big, for him to give us an extra chance to continue to get buckets. And he wants the ball more in the post.”
It is that last part that has the Raptors excited about Valanciunas’s late-season progress, even as the team remains stuck in a poor state.
Offence has not been the Raptors’ biggest issue this season, but it could quickly become a problem against their two most likely firstround opponents as Washington and Milwaukee are the two stingiest teams in the Eastern Conference.
Milwaukee, in particular, has a host of long-armed wing defenders that could frustrate DeRozan, Kyle Lowry and Lou Williams, but is not especially equipped to control Valanciunas down low.
To that end, the Raptors will need Valanciunas to create good offensive looks inside.
He is shooting 57 per cent from the floor this year, with his turnover rate dropping from last year, as well. Both of those things start with him catching the ball closer to the basket.
“That’s my job, to be inside the paint,” Valanciunas explained recently.
“I have to be comfortable. That’s my home.”