Toronto Raptors: What can we expect from Jonas Valanciunas

After yet another disappointing end to a great season the Toronto Raptors will look to find success once again. How involved will former fifth overall draft pick Jonas Valanciunas be while the team seemingly aims to go small?

Adaptability. It’s how animals survive in the wild, it’s how you make it in this big scary world. It’s plain and simple, if you can’t adapt, you’re going to be left behind. Adaptability is the key word for Toronto Raptors big man Jonas Valanciunas as he comes into his 7th year in the league. JV’s big appeal out of the draft revolved around his size and his rebounding, in the mold of yesteryear’s big men. JV was touted to be a star with the Raptors. But, as the league quickly shifted, due to the violent and yet beautiful explosion of Steph Curry and his three-pointers, big men were seemingly left to rot.

Not being left with many choices, it was either sink or swim and throughout the years we’ve seen both. Big men such as Karl Anthony-Towns, Marc Gasol, DeMarcus Cousins or Anthony Davis all developed range which helped space the floor and in-turn kept them in the game (with that being said I would still keep everyone of those players on my team shot or not).

We’ve also seen cases such as Dwight Howard and Marcin Gortat who haven’t been able to keep up with the league (INB4 Dwight becomes the hybrid Kevin Durant and Anthony Davis). The ability to shoot a basketball has never been so important in the NBA before and the big men of the past such as JV are either going to eat or be eaten.