First off i'm not even gonna rant about Casey anymore but Avery Johnson got canned like mid season for a .500 start and Casey was kept on board for a 4-19 train wreck.
On to Jonas V. specifically, this is what rotoworld (a long with a number of other outlets along with myself and others have been saying all damn year)
Quote:
Jonas Valanciunas scored 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting with 13 rebounds, two assists and four blocks in 39 minutes on Friday against the Pistons.
Valanciunas could have been doing this for much of the year but has been held back by Dwane Casey. The big man is still not being used to his full potential, either, a matter that will need to be addressed offseason by the Raptors.
He clearly hasn't been getting the minutes until we fell out of the playoff chase, hasn't been getting the touches, and generally has been disregarded for no particular reason. Despite the fact that he's hungry, he has a great attitude, he's a work horse, and he does whatever you tell him to do. Every time he gets the minutes, he produces, it's that simple. And as much as quick cheap fouls have been an issue, he's only averaging 2.9/game. So it's not even like he's been on the court long enough to be getting fouled out. That's the end of my mini-rant. Get rid of Casey, get a coach who will actually use a player who should be a KEY piece of our future no matter what.
Valanciuans is the only thing to be excited about when it comes to the Raptors future. Then I realize the money locked into mediocre players that will prevent the Raptors from improving and the big "meh cloud" forms again.
Next year is the last year on Casey's contract, right?
What are the chances that he goes with a "developing young players" mind set, versus a "win at all costs to try and get the 8th spot and save my job" mindset next season?
Uh oh, looks like Kwajo is stuck in a universe where Chris Bosh never existed. Come back to us!
Bosh was great, yes probably a better prospect than Val, but Jonas fits my preferred model of a big man better than Chris ever did. Give him a few years to hit the gym and bulk up and he'll be a great rebounder and bruiser in the paint, which is exactly what Bosh never was.
With another trip to the lottery assured, the Raptors have begun to invest heavily in their future in recent weeks. The big beneficiary has been rookie big man Jonas Valanciunas, who has become a focal point of the offense. Valanciunas scored in double figures for the 10th game in a row Wednesday, against the Wizards, and he was incredibly efficient in establishing a new career high in scoring. Valanciunas scored 24 points on 4 of 7 shooting, as he continued to impress at the free-throw line. Valanciunas went 16 of 18 at the charity stripe, and added 10 rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocks, in an 88-78 win.
Analysis: Valanciunas has taken full advantage of the Raptors' new reliance on him, averaging 15.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game during his 10-game double-digit scoring streak. The Raptors have plenty of reason to keep going to Valanciunas, and he is showing a lot of skill on the offensive end. He is averaging 4.9 free-throw attempts and is shooting 83.7 percent from the line during this streak. Valanciunas has emerged as a viable starting Fantasy center down the stretch.
Jonas V. with minutes and touches
