Jonas Valanciunas Articles - Page 3

When news broke shortly before the 2024 NBA Draft that the Washington Wizards had traded away Deni Avdija for a quartet of draft picks, including the one eventually used to select Bub Carrington 14th overall, it felt like a massive steal. Now granted, it was no secret that the Wizards were looking to radically reshape […]

The NBA’s wheeling and dealing season has been heating up for a while but now everything can be officially filed with the league. Some negotiations are expanding while others are being wrapped up quickly now that the July 6 moratorium has been lifted. The New Orleans Pelicans are in the middle of the action on […]

With the NBA free agency negotiation period underway, several players have already agreed to terms with teams. The Washington Wizards, engulfed in a rebuild, still need to fill out their roster and adding quality veterans is crucial for a young team. The Wizards addressed that in NBA free agency by agreeing to terms with veteran […]

The Los Angeles Lakers have gone through a lot of sagas since the end of the NBA season. They got JJ Redick and are planning to clear more space after LeBron James opted out of his deal. So, what’s the next move? Well, it looks like they are getting some reinforcements to help Anthony Davis. […]

On Friday evening, the New Orleans Pelicans made a splash on the trade market when it was announced that they would be trading for Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray in exchange for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance, Jr., and two future first round picks. It was a hefty price for the Pelicans to pay for Murray, […]

The Oklahoma City Thunder are not known for making huge moves during free agency. In fact, past-their-prime versions of Patrick Patterson and Caron Butler are the biggest-name external free agents that the team has ever signed. To get premier talent in free agency, you have to be willing to pay a premier price, and the […]

For years, it looked like the big man was going out of style. As spacing increased, so did the popularity of small ball lineups. Luckily for centers, the position has been revitalized, as it is once again viewed at as a franchise cornerstone. Nikola Jokic just won his third MVP award, and Joel Embiid won […]

Now that the Los Angeles Lakers have their coaching vacancy squared away, they can turn their full attention to the upcoming draft and filling out their roster. The roster for rookie head coach JJ Redick will have to be a very good one in order for the Lakers to compete with the best of the […]

The New Orleans Pelicans face a critical offseason decision regarding their frontcourt situation. Replacing the on-court production of Jonas Valanciunas, last season’s starting center, has to be one of the top priorities. Valanciunas was a force in the paint, providing steady scoring, offense-facilitating passes, rebounding, and more rim protection than most perceive. However, the Pelicans […]

The Sacramento Kings already have one obviously talented yet objectively limited seven-foot center from Lithuania on the roster. Would pairing franchise stalwart Domantas Sabonis with fellow countryman Jonas Valanciunas this summer really be an optimal move for Sacramento? Let’s just say the oddsmakers in Vegas don’t share your skepticism. As Valanciunas’ foray into free agency […]

Neither the New Orleans Pelicans nor the Cleveland Cavaliers finished the season the way they wanted to. Both teams entered this season with lofty expectations for their young cores but fell flat in the playoffs. The Pelicans barely even made the postseason before getting swept by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. The […]

The New Orleans Pelicans ended the 2023-24 season on a whimper; a campaign that had started out so promisingly ended in heartbreak when the Pelicans suffered a sweep in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. And now, major changes could be coming in the Big […]

The NBA’s traditional big-man role has been under attack since Steph Curry stepped into the league. Perhaps it was a bit before the 2009 draft class had their names called but the four-point line (The Curry Curve, if you will) is being implemented onto practice courts by practically every team. That has led teams like […]

Simply making the playoffs for the New Orleans Pelicans this year was an accomplishment on its own. It isn’t the end goal for every NBA team and the Pelicans themselves surely had greater ambitions, but they still were able to advance to the postseason. They did so despite a number of injuries. Trey Murphy III […]

The Los Angeles Lakers are now in their offseason after making a first-round exit from the 2024 NBA Playoffs. It’s back to the drawing boards for the Purple and Gold as they figure out the adjustments they need to make. While trading some of their inefficient players could do the trick, picking up valuable free […]

The New Orleans Pelicans can say they are not panicking, but actions speak louder than words. The eighth-seeded underdogs knew they allowed a golden opportunity to slip away in a two-point Game 1 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Both teams were confident going into Game 2, but only one of them seemed prepared to […]

It took a couple of extra games to get the job done, but the New Orleans Pelicans have officially qualified for the 2024 NBA Playoffs. Next up is a date versus the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. The first-round fight is missing some star power without an injured Zion Williamson, but the series still has the […]

As the curtains draw on another tumultuous NBA season, the Toronto Raptors find themselves at an interesting point. Once the toast of the North with its 2019 championship run, the storied franchise is now navigating through the choppy waters of rebuilding and re-strategizing. Not surprisingly, the 2024 offseason looms large over Toronto. This period can […]

In a season marked by unexpected challenges and disappointing outcomes, the Memphis Grizzlies find themselves at a critical juncture. With the 2023-24 NBA season drawing to a close, the team’s 27-51 record stands as a stark reminder of the uphill battle they’ve faced. Yet, in the world of professional sports, adversity often breeds opportunity. As […]

The New Orleans Pelicans (45-29) are in a precarious position following a 104-92 home loss to the Boston Celtics. They are now barely hanging on to fifth place in the Western Conference, just half a game up on the Dallas Mavericks and two games ahead of the Phoenix Suns. Externally, the Mavericks have one of […]

Willie Green and the New Orleans Pelicans (45-28) are still trying to find the best rotations right and get certain lineups locked in before the NBA Playoffs begin. They are not sacrificing wins for the sake of experimenting but certain players are getting asked to do more than usual. One very large Lithuanian is being […]

The New Orleans Pelicans visited the Miami Heat with the deck stacked against them. The Pelicans had not won a game in South Beach since 2017 and Brandon Ingram was ruled out for two weeks following an MRI on his knee. Dyson Daniels is also still recuperating from a knee injury, meaning Willie Green’s rotations […]

The New Orleans Pelicans can attack opponents in a variety of ways. Building a wall in the paint only works so well against an elite passer like Zion Williamson. Brandon Ingram can pick anyone apart from the midrange areas. CJ McCollum’s near career-high in three-point volume has led to one of his most efficient seasons […]

The New Orleans Pelicans are heading home having just wrapped up an undefeated three-game road trip through the Eastern Conference. The Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, and Atlanta Hawks were all missing key contributors but Willie Green’s squad took care of business to build a two-game cushion for fifth place out West. The team is playing […]

The New Orleans Pelicans stood pat this summer and doubled down on the status quo at the NBA Trade Deadline. All the smoke and mirrors around Naji Marshall and Jonas Valanciunas being expiring contracts on the move were misguided. Executive Vice President David Griffin did not build out this roster to wash the progress away […]

The New Orleans Pelicans let things get a little too close for comfort on Friday after building up a 31-point lead at home against the Indiana Pacers. Brandon Ingram and Trey Murphy III eventually finished off a 101-89 win, but there is plenty of credit to spread around. Willie Green’s decision to trust Jonas Valanciunas […]

The New Orleans Pelicans would have been forgiven for marking up their road game against the Indiana Pacers as a scheduled loss. Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, and Trey Murphy III were all listed on the injury report. Jose Alvarado was still serving out a three-game suspension. Dyson Daniels is still rehabbing his knee. […]

The New Orleans Pelicans were steamrolling the Los Angeles Clippers in the first half of action. Zion Williamson was getting dimes along while CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy III scored buckets. However, it was not a perfect night for them at all. They saw Jonas Valanciunas go down and it could cost them this game […]

After putting away the pesky Detroit Pistons 128-121, the Cleveland Cavaliers are on the road to face the Memphis Grizzlies in the second game of a back-to-back. Memphis is banged up, bloodied, and bruised heading into this matchup. The Grizzlies will be without Steven Adams (knee), Desmond Bane (ankle), Brandon Clarke (Achilles), Luke Kennard (knee), […]

The New Orleans Pelicans were going into their third road game in four nights without a two-time NBA All-Star and one of the most respective defensive stoppers in the league. The visitors had neither Zion Williamson nor Herb Jones against the Houston Rockets but still came out ahead 110-99. Willie Green’s locker room gave most […]

The New Orleans Pelicans find themselves in a promising position halfway through the 2023-24 NBA season. They boast a commendable record of 26-20. However, to bolster their prospects for a deep playoff run, the team must execute strategic maneuvers at the 2024 NBA trade deadline. The Pelicans’ 2023-24 NBA Season So Far As the season […]

The NBA’s Trade Deadline is less than a month away and teams are starting to commit to certain pathways. Contenders are waiting, looking to load up on the cheap. Sellers are starting to strike deals before the market resets and potential trade partners move on to other options. The standings are starting to shake out […]

The New Orleans Pelicans are approaching a crossroads with the luxury tax and the Feb. 8 trade deadline is just over a month away. Big names like O.G. Anunoby have already been moved. There are of course a lot of moving parts but, save for a Kira Lewis Jr. salary dump to avoid the luxury […]

The New Orleans Pelicans (16-12) and Cleveland Cavaliers (16-12) will face off Thursday night but the two teams have been linked together for a while. As first reported by Jake Fischer earlier this week, the Pelicans have been in contact with the Cavaliers to propose a swap of big men possibly needing better playing environments. […]

The New Orleans Pelicans (15-11) are still a work in progress with some big question marks going into the NBA trade season. Literally big, as in 7-foot-0, 265 pounds worth of Lithuanian Jonas Valanciunas big. The pros and cons of moving off or keeping the respected veteran seemingly sway in the balance with every win […]

They needed help from Luka Doncic’s Dallas Mavericks, but the Zion Williamson-led New Orleans Pelicans (10-9) have advanced to the NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals. The Pelicans In-Season Tournament run now leads to a matchup with the Sacramento Kings. A win on the road Monday means a reward money bump and the right to play in […]

The New Orleans Pelicans are always going to be a better team when Zion Williamson is healthy and playing. Although the former No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick has yet to play in both games of a back-to-back set so far in the 2023-24 NBA regular season, the Pelicans are undeniably ecstatic that Williamson is […]

If you’ll allow for a food analogy this Monday before Thanksgiving, the NBA season is nowhere near baked done but 14 games is enough to get the smells circulating through the kitchen. Specific lineups are still working with small sample sizes but some spicy trends are starting to emerge. Well, it seems the New Orleans […]

The New Orleans Pelicans have gotten off to a 1-0 start to the 2023-24 NBA season after an impressive road win against the Memphis Grizzlies in their season opener. They were led by Zion Williamson who is looking healthy and spry and could be a potential MVP candidate. The one thing that’s been holding the […]