ARE YOU UPSET with BIG Val-anc-iunas's performance at London Olympics 2012?

[Profster]

OK, so I signed up to raptors republic just to reply to this...huge raptors fan and follow some of these threads through Team Stream and the biggest reason for his lack of playing time is this:

FOULS.

if you check the box score for every game Valanciunas is in, he has at least 2 fouls. You get two fouls in less than a quarter, if I was coach, you're gone. This is my biggest worry about him transitioning to the NBA and fouling every big man that touches him. It's very Amir Johnson-esque.

Anyone else share this same worry?

I share that as well but later in the game when he could be in there producing rebounds and scoring, he is parked on the bench. I'm wondering if the coach does not like the kid because of all the press in his home country.

[theycallmeZZ]

I personally am not upset about his performance given his PT, but type "Valanciunas" into the twitter search bar and you'll see a cesspool of hate, "bust", etc.

[Mack North]

I don't see too much harm in using your allotted fouls. I haven't caught any of the games so I can't say why he isn't playing. I'm definitely not upset at his performance, though I wish he was playing more. Could work out better for the Raps this way...

[Mess]

That's true because Risk Mgmt was being sarcastic (there should be a special font or colour or something for posts).

Yeah there should be a special trolling font for this thread. The only legit thing he said was "don't be upset".

[Puffer]

I think that maybe, just maybe, Jonas is cracking under the pressure. ...

I would completely disagree with this. Olympic play is different than regular Eurocup or league play, with different style, different refs and different venues. Big V has played in the European championships, the junior championships etc. He has already been on plenty of big stages. I don't believe there is any choking going on at all. I believe he is a low seniority guy playing on a team that has played together for years at international competitions.

It is hard to know what the coach is doing strategically, but you can bet he didn't get the job because he is stupid or ignorant of what it takes to win in international competition. All of this experience is a bonus. The only way JV can disappoint is by not working hard when he is put in or by copping some attitude.

[theycallmeZZ]

I would completely disagree with this. Olympic play is different than regular Eurocup or league play, with different style, different refs and different venues. Big V has played in the European championships, the junior championships etc. He has already been on plenty of big stages.

You might be onto something here. I believe Eurobasket 2011 was in Lithuania so he was playing right in his home country.

I don't believe there is any choking going on at all.

Val doesn't seem to think so.

[MyTEAM4Life]

how scared were you when you saw him go down grabbing his throat because of kobe's elbow - at least he's getting experience in attacking wing players going at him

[Apollo]

I think this is great actually. I've felt since he was drafted that the fans around here have been setting themselves up for disappointment. He's very young, he has a lot to learn and it's going to take time to put it all together. Hopefully this will lower expectations a little to a level where there won't be that many "trade JV" threads in the fall... Although I'm banking on a couple before the new year...

[10 000 Hours]

I would completely disagree with this. Olympic play is different than regular Eurocup or league play, with different style, different refs and different venues. Big V has played in the European championships, the junior championships etc. He has already been on plenty of big stages. I don't believe there is any choking going on at all. I believe he is a low seniority guy playing on a team that has played together for years at international competitions.

It is hard to know what the coach is doing strategically, but you can bet he didn't get the job because he is stupid or ignorant of what it takes to win in international competition. All of this experience is a bonus. The only way JV can disappoint is by not working hard when he is put in or by copping some attitude.

I can understand your opinion, but what I don't get is why then, is Jonas still starting? The coach must not like what Jonas is doing, or else he'd give him more of a chance. And has Jonas really ever played many of these NBA players? I'm not certain, but at the last Olympics, wasn't he only 16? I know he's played Euro Cup and such, but still, there must be something that he's not doing right.

[Skaloon]

I can understand your opinion, but what I don't get is why then, is Jonas still starting?

well Kemzura is starting Valanciunas for couple of reasons:

1. JV has potential to have 1 great game. if he starts rolling 1 time - coach will milk everything from him - however, that didn't happen yet. he had couple of decent games back in EU championship last year - and he got to play over 20 mins because of that.

2. JV is the only decent C we got. Kavaliauskas is low lvl player and Songaila is veteran PF - and you can throw Songaila in any time - because he doesn't need to get rolling - he is expierenced enough to play good whenever you put him on the court.

3. JV is young - young players tend to lack confidence - if you want to build that confidence up for 1 game - what do you do? you start the youngster.

so basicly what Kemzura is doing all this time - is trying to find that one game for JV that he can play a lot. but JV just doesn't perform this year at all for whatever reason. so when Kemzura sees that JV is not doing well - he benches him - tries it again at third Q. and if it doesn't happen - benches him again ad waits for next game to try out JV. coach can't let JV play trough his mistakes - these games are way too IMPORTANT.

so please stop blaming the coach. he is doing the best he can with this squad. and he did fairly good work vs USA.

[irgigi]

Today Valanciunas was benched after interaction with Kobe in 3rd Q (see video bellow). Kobe just sent a message : welcome to NBA.. kick in the balls and elbow to the neck.

The only thing i don't understand why coach does not let him play again in 4th Q..

[10 000 Hours]

well Kemzura is starting Valanciunas for couple of reasons:

1. JV has potential to have 1 great game. if he starts rolling 1 time - coach will milk everything from him - however, that didn't happen yet. he had couple of decent games back in EU championship last year - and he got to play over 20 mins because of that.

2. JV is the only decent C we got. Kavaliauskas is low lvl player and Songaila is veteran PF - and you can throw Songaila in any time - because he doesn't need to get rolling - he is expierenced enough to play good whenever you put him on the court.

3. JV is young - young players tend to lack confidence - if you want to build that confidence up for 1 game - what do you do? you start the youngster.

so basicly what Kemzura is doing all this time - is trying to find that one game for JV that he can play a lot. but JV just doesn't perform this year at all for whatever reason. so when Kemzura sees that JV is not doing well - he benches him - tries it again at third Q. and if it doesn't happen - benches him again ad waits for next game to try out JV. coach can't let JV play trough his mistakes - these games are way too IMPORTANT.

so please stop blaming the coach. he is doing the best he can with this squad. and he did fairly good work vs USA.

Come on, you don't build confidence by taking a young kid out of the game after a just a few minutes. Jonas is not stupid, if you were him, would you feel confident by starting each game only to be benched after a foul or two?

I'm not saying that the coach isn't trying his best. Just seems like he should give Jonas a little bit more of a chance. At least once, you have to let young players play through mistakes, otherwise they will be so worried about being benched that they are bound to make more mistakes.

Ultimately, I think if the coach has the mentality that you say he has, Jonas must be feeling so much pressure to dominate early on and not screw up, that he forgets to play the game the way he knows how.

Sure, he's young, but it's not like letting him play through a couple of fouls is going to dramatically alter the destiny of his national team.

[Soft Euro]

Off topic trivia about Kavaliauskas: "During his first year at school he gained 45 pounds eating McDonald's double cheeseburgers, bringing his weight to a more athletic 245 pounds." Source

[white men can't jump]

well Kemzura is starting Valanciunas for couple of reasons:

1. JV has potential to have 1 great game. if he starts rolling 1 time - coach will milk everything from him - however, that didn't happen yet. he had couple of decent games back in EU championship last year - and he got to play over 20 mins because of that.

2. JV is the only decent C we got. Kavaliauskas is low lvl player and Songaila is veteran PF - and you can throw Songaila in any time - because he doesn't need to get rolling - he is expierenced enough to play good whenever you put him on the court.

3. JV is young - young players tend to lack confidence - if you want to build that confidence up for 1 game - what do you do? you start the youngster.

so basicly what Kemzura is doing all this time - is trying to find that one game for JV that he can play a lot. but JV just doesn't perform this year at all for whatever reason. so when Kemzura sees that JV is not doing well - he benches him - tries it again at third Q. and if it doesn't happen - benches him again ad waits for next game to try out JV. coach can't let JV play trough his mistakes - these games are way too IMPORTANT.

so please stop blaming the coach. he is doing the best he can with this squad. and he did fairly good work vs USA.

He only did a good job coaching against USA. The other games were some of the most poorly executed games I've ever seen by a good team in any league. All JV stuff aside, because the team played great yesterday without him, which I think accentuates my point, I think the coach really had no clue what kind of game plan to execute coming into the tournament. I've followed Lithuania as one of my favorite random international teams ever, and one thing that has stood out with them is how well prepared they are. THey are always a well oiled machine, executing as efficient/effective a gameplan as they can. Most times when they lost, it was really because the other team had to out-execute them. This was not the team I saw most games last week. I never remember seeing them look so out of sorts and chaotic. If they fall back to that form instead of building off the USA game, I would not be surprised to see the guy fired.

[Craiger]

Come on, you don't build confidence by taking a young kid out of the game after a just a few minutes. Jonas is not stupid, if you were him, would you feel confident by starting each game only to be benched after a foul or two?

I'm not saying that the coach isn't trying his best. Just seems like he should give Jonas a little bit more of a chance. At least once, you have to let young players play through mistakes, otherwise they will be so worried about being benched that they are bound to make more mistakes.

Ultimately, I think if the coach has the mentality that you say he has, Jonas must be feeling so much pressure to dominate early on and not screw up, that he forgets to play the game the way he knows how.

Sure, he's young, but it's not like letting him play through a couple of fouls is going to dramatically alter the destiny of his national team.

The olympics isn't a developmental league for the Raptors. For some of these guys its there last or only shot to win on the biggest stage the world has to offer as a representative for their nation. Its not Lithuania's coaches responsibility to 'give Jonas a chance'. Its Jonas responsibility to earn it and maintain it. So far he hasn't.