Hardwood Highlight of the Night: Valanciunas scores on Gasol in the post
Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey is often questioned about his lack of usage of young center Jonas Valanciunas.
Perusing Valanciunas's numbers, the big Lithuanian's involvement in the offense is limited. He logs only 26.6 minutes per contest and is responsible for just 18.5 percent of possessions while on the court. That's odd, considering Valanciunas ranks second to spot-up shooter Patrick Patterson for the team lead in true shooting percentage (minimum 13 games played), a statistic that incorporates the value of 3-pointers and free throws. Bottom line: When Valanciunas shoots, he tends to score.
Despite his efficiency, the reluctance to use Valanciunas likely owes to the robotic nature of his attack. In all, he has one move - a sweeping right hook inside the lane - offering little by way of a consistent counter. Valanciunas is also not particularly adept at creating looks for others, as he logs just 0.4 assists per game.
Luckily for the 22-year-old, his one move is tremendously effective. Against the Chicago Bulls on Monday, he repeatedly exploited the Bulls' defense en route to 11 points in the early frame.
The post-up for Valanciunas is simple: Kyle Lowry inputs the ball to him in the post and he goes to work. But the big man makes life easy for himself by setting up shop deep in the post, with Pau Gasol trapped behind him.
Lowry then lines up on the same side as Valanciunas, as Terrence Ross flashes to the top. This makes sending help from the guard position difficult for the Bulls, as Ross and Lowry are both threats to score from deep. After setting his feet, Valanciunas turns and prepares to drive toward the middle.
Thanks to his positioning and strength, he is able to power his way using two giant strides into the lane. Gasol sticks with him, but Valanciunas is too powerful.
Once he gets in line with the basket, Valanciunas launches his patented sweeping hook, which floats over Gasol and pots two points for the Raptors.