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Draft Profile: Jonas Valanciunas
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I'm warming up to the idea of the Raptors drafting Faried at 5. Since, he has a once in a generation skillset of rebounding and hustle. Think of Dennis Rodman, who said to Faried that he sees a lot of himself in the kid. Noah came into the league as guy all about hustle, but no offensive game whatsoever. Well he turned out to be a lottery steal for the Bulls. Faried may be undersized, but I'd take a chance on the kid.
He could be a home run or a fly ball out.-"You can’t run from me. I mean, my heart don’t bleed Kool-Aid."
-"“I ain’t no diva! I don’t have no blond hair, red hair. I’m Reggie Evans.”
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Hollinger has Valanciunas ranked higher than Kanter on his 'Big Board' for Centers.
Interesting.
The biggest question about Valanciunas may be his contract. There are conflicting reports about how hard it will be for him to get out of the remaining three years of his deal with Lietuvos Rytas.
"The buyout's not bad," said a Central division executive, "but it exists, and it has many years on it."
Valanciunas may be worth the wait, but it's a gamble in a league that still remembers how Orlando has been left high and dry by Spanish star Fran Vazquez -- the 11th pick in 2005 who has yet to move to the NBA. And the looming lockout creates another set of uncertainties for international players -- and their agents -- who will think long and hard before signing an NBA contract with the possibility of not getting paid for a year. It may make more sense to stay in Europe and enjoy the guaranteed payday.
Valanciunas may be worth the risk.
"Whoever gets him, they're going to have a player," gushes a Pacific Division executive. "First of all, he has a motor. He plays hard and he has a huge (7-foot-6) wingspan. The only thing right now is he's light in the (behind). But he's got great hands. He's not a stiff; he's got a touch. He runs. Whether he can contain the post right now, I don't know; he's so light. But he's got a lot of (stuff) going for him."
Might Jonas go ahead of Kanter..?
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Raptorsss wrote: View PostI'm warming up to the idea of the Raptors drafting Faried at 5. Since, he has a once in a generation skillset of rebounding and hustle. Think of Dennis Rodman, who said to Faried that he sees a lot of himself in the kid. Noah came into the league as guy all about hustle, but no offensive game whatsoever. Well he turned out to be a lottery steal for the Bulls. Faried may be undersized, but I'd take a chance on the kid.
He could be a home run or a fly ball out.
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joey_hesketh wrote: View PostHollinger has Valanciunas ranked higher than Kanter on his 'Big Board' for Centers.
Interesting.
http://www.nba.com/2011/news/feature...ers/index.html
Might Jonas go ahead of Kanter..?
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The main topic: Jonas Valanciunas of Lithuania. He is considered by most teams to be the most intriguing of the bunch. At 6-11, with a reported 7-6 wingspan and a Joakim Noah(notes)-type motor, he's the type of prospect NBA teams have a difficult time getting their hands on outside of the draft. He has repeatedly indicated his desire to move to the NBA and only the NBA, which separates him from the Ricky Rubios and Fran Vazquezes of the world.
Seeing solid playing time for a BC Lietuvos Rytas team that made the top 16 of the Euroleague, and leading the competition in rebounding per minute, he's been seen by everyone. For him, it's his buyout, or lack thereof, that has teams worried.
Rytas has taken a major step forward in resolving the buyout issue in recent days by hiring a European lawyer with significant experience in NBA buyout negotiations. According to sources with knowledge of the situation, Rytas will attempt to structure the buyout on a sliding scale depending on where he gets picked, and are willing to be flexible with Valanciunas on when he can leave the team in case of an NBA lockout, even giving him the opportunity to stay with the team until he signs his rookie contract.
If his buyout situation will be resolved in a timely fashion, look for Valanciunas to be drafted somewhere between Nos. 3 and 8 overall. He's ahead of Enes Kanter on both Cleveland and Toronto's boards according to reports and has huge fans in Detroit's front office as well.
Valanciunas has three more years on his contract after this current season, with no buyout option. His American agent Leon Rose of CAA has been negotiating with the team for the better part of the year Most of the dispute revolves around when the buyout will be paid. The team, which is in serious financial trouble, wants the money now, not when he joins the NBA. It's asking for a percentage of Valanciunas' rookie contract. An agreement could have already been reached some time ago but the team has sent mixed messages.
Most expect a deal to be struck no more than a week before the draft. Valanciunas falling in the draft will only hurt Rytas' cause as not only will it lose significant respect from fans and constituents in basketball-crazy Lithuania, but it'll also hurt its chances of landing the next great young local prospect with NBA aspirations. Furthermore, being drafted lower results in a smaller contract.
Details on Jonas Valanciunas' contract buyout situation.@Chr1st1anL
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Matt52 wrote: View PostIt is very interesting Cleveland and Toronto both had Jonas ahead of Kanter - reportedly - from the yahoo link in Chr1st1anL's post (nice find btw, you too Joey). The next 4 weeks are going to be bi-polar.Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
Follow me on Twitter.
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Tim W. wrote: View PostIf Cleveland likes Valanciunas, as reported, and Utah likes Knight, as reported, Kanter may very well fall to 5.“The saving of our world from pending doom will come, not through the complacent adjustment of the conforming majority, but through the creative maladjustment of a nonconforming minority.” - Martin Luther King
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• Turkey's Enes Kanter was the real star of the Draft Combine. Many of the NBA executives in attendance had never seen him play before (with the possible exception of a Kentucky practice) and the rest had only seen him at the Nike Hoop Summit. Kanter didn't do anything spectacular, but he was in good shape, played hard, showed some skills offensively and was very good in interviews with teams. He also measured well at 6-11, 260 pounds with a 7-1 wingspan and a 9-1 standing reach. That gives him very good size at the power forward position and makes him a passable (albeit slightly undersized) center as well.
A lot was made on Friday about Kanter's decision to cancel a scheduled interview with the Jazz. Don't read too much into it. Sources in both Utah and in Kanter's camp said it was mutually agreed that the Jazz would fly to Chicago on June 2 and see Kanter workout in Chicago. The Jazz will get their interview then. Kanter did meet with the Cavs, Wizards and Wolves this week and will likely workout there. It's no secret Kanter would like to play in Washington with John Wall. I'm not confident he'll last until the sixth pick.@Chr1st1anL
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Balls of Steel wrote: View PostIt would make sense for JV to be viewed higher that EK simply because Kanter hasn't had any playing time over the past two years. That buyout option is kinda scary considering a lockout is looming. Jonas' old team also is desperate from a financial standpoint and may get greedy. In one sense, with the looming lockout, the Raps won't probably have to deal with the buyout until a new CBA is hammered out. Plus it keeps Jonas sharp for the time being. It could be a blessing in disguise rather than a curse.Read my blog, The Picket Fence. Guaranteed to make you think or your money back!
Follow me on Twitter.
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