Everything Valanciunas

[Nilanka]

He's just going to have to pull the trigger and quit thinking about it in game situations. You can almost see him going through it in game: "Should I? Shouldn't I? I'm really open, I probably should. No, this is weird. No, coach said I can. I should. I can't. I will. That's it, I'm shooting it." Airball.

Sadly, we've seen this indecisiveness in his mid-range game too.

[Mess]

He's going to have all the time in the world.

�������� Andre Drummond with the savage wave off on JV pic.twitter.com/FMMjW5Yqdv

— Fanatics View (@thefanaticsview) October 11, 2017

The impressive part of this play was his hustle to save it from going out of bounds. And it wasn't disrespect by Drummond, it was a well learned fear of JV's pump fake.

[Scraptor]

He's going to have all the time in the world.

�������� Andre Drummond with the savage wave off on JV pic.twitter.com/FMMjW5Yqdv

— Fanatics View (@thefanaticsview) October 11, 2017

The impressive part of this play was his hustle to save it from going out of bounds. And it wasn't disrespect by Drummond, it was a well learned fear of JV's pump fake.

Drummond probably wakes up in cold sweats after nightmares of JV's pump fakes.

[S.R.]

If I'm going to nitpick (and I am), Jonas wastes that split second rotating the ball to align the seams on his fingers. He's gotta just catch and shoot.

You're not shooting free throws, Jonas!

He's been studying game tape.

[Scraptor]

Man, Zach Lowe still thinks we might have to attach an asset to trade Jonas. I think this is mostly a reflection of the big man glut in the NBA; just try and find a team that needs a centre that can also match salaries. It's tough.

If our options are Vucevic or Chandler I hope we keep Jonas and eat the tax. Blech.

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/2...ctions-2017-18

Toronto tries to trade Jonas Valanciunas

Toronto is about $4 million over the projected 2018-19 luxury tax counting only 10 players. They dealt DeMarre Carroll and a first-round pick to duck this season's tax. Sloughing Valanciunas is their most realistic way to limbo again.

Given the glut of big men, we should see more center-for-center deck chair shuffling: You take my guy because his contract fits your salary sheet, and I'll take your guy with the longer contract and lower annual salary (and I also secretly think he might be good). One iteration: Valanciunas to Orlando, where former Toronto No. 2 Jeff Weltman is in charge, for Nikola Vucevic. The deal saves Toronto about $7 million over the next two seasons, and Vucevic comes off the books a year earlier than Valanciunas.

One roadblock: league rules bar the Magic and Raps from trading with each other until April or May (depending on when Toronto's season ends) as a condition of Toronto letting Weltman out of his contract.

How about Valanciunas for Tyson Chandler? Toronto gets a win-now veteran and the same years-and-money reduction; Phoenix exchanges a geezer for a 25-year-old. Eh. Unloading deals that extend past the summer of 2019, when some of the bubble contracts come off the books, is going to be really hard. The market will loosen up in July, when more cap room pops open and those deals creep a year closer to expiration.

Even then, Toronto may have to attach another asset to dump Valanciunas. They might prefer exchanging Valanciunas for a non-center, anyway; Ibaka needs time there, and either Jakob Poeltl or Bebe Nogueira will be in their long-term plans.

Here's a wild one: If the Raptors fall off badly -- and I don't think they will -- I wouldn't be shocked if DeMar DeRozan's name pops up in the rumor mill.

[DanH]

Yeah, if they move JV for any of those packages, that feels like it would be an incredibly stupid move.

[Scraptor]

Yeah, if they move JV for any of those packages, that feels like it would be an incredibly stupid move.

This is one reason the cost of keeping Casey goes beyond wins/losses, imo. He shapes the value of our assets. I'd much rather swap out Casey before we dump Jonas. But Masai is so loyal to Casey.

[Nilanka]

I dunno, part of me is intrigued by Vucevic.

[Chr1s1anL]

With Chandler this team would be a top 10 D forsure. Also think Suns would make that deal.


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[Nilanka]

With Chandler this team would be a top 10 D forsure. Also think Suns would make that deal.


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I didn't even know Chandler is still in the league. That's how irrelevant he's become in my head.

I would hope Jonas is worth more than a rotting carcass.

[Chr1s1anL]

I didn't even know Chandler is still in the league. That's how irrelevant he's become in my head.

I would hope Jonas is worth more than a rotting carcass.

He is irrelevant because Phx is irrelevant. The guy can still play. Still an upgrade on D.

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[JimiCliff]

If Jonas can start hitting threes, his value increases significantly. It would be pretty shortsighted to trade him before he's been given a chance to establish that part of his game.

[DogeLover1234]

With Chandler this team would be a top 10 D forsure. Also think Suns would make that deal.


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Sure the 35 year old center who isnt worth his contract will make this team better.

[golden]

With Chandler this team would be a top 10 D forsure. Also think Suns would make that deal.


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lol. A half-decent rim-protecting center can lift up a team's defense by himself. Suns were 28th in DRTG last year. Chandler's DRTG last 3 years: 103, 107, 109. Dude is finished.

[Shaolin Fantastic]

Vucevic is literally a poor man's JV. Like same type of player just not as good. Why the FUCK would we want him?

Chandler isn't good anymore. 4-5 years ago I do that, not now.