According to recent reports, the New Orleans Pelicans have no plans to pursue free agent centre Jonas Valanciunas again. The seasoned centre was a contentious player this season, thriving as a rebounder and low-post scorer yet continuing to have serious defensive issues. What will they miss if New Orleans decides to let him walk this summer?
This season, as usual, Valanciunas performed the majority of his damage from the block; more than 25% of his possessions were post-ups.
The powerful Lithuanian is as good as ever, using his body to create space before adding shots. Particularly challenging to defend are his fadeaways and face-ups. This season, JV shot 52.5% from the mid-range, ranking him in the 96th percentile among all players. The Pelicans’ offence increased by four points per 100 possessions when Valanciunas was on the court.
Apart from creating offence on his own and snatching rebounds, Valancinuas isn’t always a good match for the Pels’ offence. With only 30.8% shooting from beyond the arc on 2.3 attempts per 75 possessions, he is hardly a trustworthy spacer.
Valanciunas struggled on defense this season, with his declining mobility impacting the Pelicans’ defensive performance. Opponents shot well against him, highlighting his limitations in defending the rim. His lack of speed made it easy for quick players to score against him, while his strength helped him in one-on-one situations. While he can excel in certain matchups, his value to the Pelicans may not outweigh their need for a more versatile defender. It might be best for the team to explore other options in the offseason.
