Jonas Valanciunas Has Been Too Inconsistent

Dec 9, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson (L) grabs a rebound in front of Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas (17) and forward Kevin Love (0) in the fourth quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Toronto Raptors Centre Jonas Valanciunas has earned his share of criticism this season, even though the Raps have been winning. Many say he is under underperforming both offensively and defensively. The Lithuanian big man has had a few clutch performances for the Raps recently, helping them compete, and sometimes earn wins, in DeMar DeRozan’s absence. Unfortunately, his successes have been mixed with disappointments. Inconsistency has marked JV’s third season in the NBA, so far.

Valanciunas is averaging 12.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game this season. Last season, he earned 11.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Coming into the season, many people believed Valanciunas would make strides, turning into one of the Eastern Conference’s best big men. That’s why they have been so disappointed by his start to the season. His numbers aren’t bad, but they certainly aren’t elite, either. Statistically, He has hardly improved from last season. Let’s look at JV’s last five games to see the inconsistencies in the 6-11 bearded-wonder’s play.

Dec. 2 vs. the Sacramento Kings

JV had a decent game, finishing with 15 points and eight rebounds. His shooting was a little off, going 3-6, considering he has averaged 57% shooting for the season. He did do a really nice job from the charity stripe, going 9-10. The Raptors need to be able to count on Valanciunas to get more than 8 rebounds, considering they are already a weaker rebounding team than some of the NBA’s elite squads.

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Dec. 3 vs. the Utah Jazz

This was a weak contest for Valanciunas. He looked timid and tired, failing to get it going offensively or defensively. This game represents the type he needs to have less of for the Raps, moving forward. JV earned nine points on 4-9 shooting, and added 6 rebounds in the win.

Dec. 5 vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers

This game marked two poor ones in a row for JV, who continued to struggle shooting the basketball. Even worse, he was nowhere to be seen on the glass, allowing Cleveland’s big men to keep possessions going and earn more chances for their teammates. Valanciunas scored seven points and picked up two rebound. Two. Only two rebounds. He’s a centre. That can’t happen.

Dec. 8 vs. the Denver Nuggets

This was a comeback game for Valanciunas, who played tough basketball against the struggling Nuggets. JV got 18 points and 12 rebounds. That’s the kind of stat line people expect for him this season. He has all the tools to make that happen, he just has to go out, be assertive, and get things done. Interestingly, Valanciunas also added a whopping four blocked shots in the contest, showing his skills in that field as well.

Dec. 9 vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers

This time against the Cavs, JV seemed far more interested in winning, amassing a ton of rebounds against King James and co. Valanciunas finished with 18 points and 15 rebounds, scoring his buckets on 6-7 shooting. He looked comfortable and determined on the court, playing like a veteran.

From the previous descriptions of his last five games, it’s clear that JV has had some problems, but he has also had some major successes. He needs to continue to deliver performances like his last two. The Raps are counting on his rebounding and scoring, especially with one of their best scorers out for at least the month of December.

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