Big time: Valanciunas’s game picks up every year as the playoffs come around
The time has arrived when the Toronto Raptors will ask the most of centre Jonas Valanciunas.
In the slower, tougher, more physical NBA playoffs that are approaching, a solid defensive centre who can protect the rim and have an impact on pick-and-roll offences is often vital to a team’s success.
The Raptors are buoyed, then, by the string of solid outings the sevenfooter is providing.
In five games before Wednesday’s outing against the Detroit Pistons, Valanciunas averaged 11.8 points and 14.2 rebounds per game, his most productive five-game stretch of the season.
“Defensively, offensively, taking care of business on his coverages, he’s done a lot of positive things in the last few weeks,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said of the five-year NBA veteran. “I really like the way he’s been playing the last couple of weeks or so.”
It shouldn’t come as too big a surprise that Valanciunas is having a hot streak just before the playoffs arrive. Historically, that’s what he has done.
His rebounding numbers have gone up in the playoffs compared to the regular season in each of the last three years and he’s never shown a drop-off in offensive production.
A year ago, Valanciunas turned in some of his best games in the playoffs until a sprained ankle sent him to the sidelines.
He averaged 13.8 points and 10.8 rebounds in 12 post-season games last spring, up from regular season averages of 12.8 points and 9.1 boards. He was dominant at times in a firstround win over Indiana and effective in the early portion of the series with Miami before getting injured.
He returned for some of the conference final against the Cleveland Cavaliers but was not near 100 per cent, taking away one clear advantage the Raptors had over the eventual NBA champions.
“Consistency is something we’re all striving for in our league,” Casey said. ”As a team we’re striving for consistency, defensively, offensively.”
Having Valanciunas effective defensively on a consistent basis will be a significant boost to the Raptors when the playoffs begin the weekend of April 15-16. While the team has had success playing with a relatively small frontcourt of Serge Ibaka and Patrick Patterson, a seven-footer at the rim provides a different look for opponents. And while rookie Jakob Poeltl has looked good at times as Valanciunas’s backup, when rotations tighten, minutes for starters are generally extended and games become more physical in the playoffs. Valanciunas, when at his best, becomes a major factor.
Casey has been pleased by the way Valanciunas and Ibaka are starting to mesh defensively. It took a while for the holdover to get familiar with the newcomer but there is progress being made. The two are communicating more effectively, making sure the back of the defence is covered.
“He and Serge have got a better feel defensively for covering for each other, they’re doing a good job of that and that takes time,” Casey said. “Serge has only been here since the all-star break but they’re working well together, which is a good sign for us defensively.”