Over the last several seasons, big man Jonas Valanciunas has become a major part of the puzzle for the Toronto Raptors.
Heading into his sixth season in the league, head coach Dwane Casey has continued to voice praise toward Valanciunas play over training camp and the first few games of the preseason, according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN 1050 Radio.
Valanciunas has been nothing short of a dependable player for the Raptors in the frontcourt over his career as he's averaging 11.5 points on 55.6 percent shooting from the field with 8.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. His play has helped keep the Raptors become a constant in the playoff picture over the last four seasons that includes the franchise's first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.
There had been some chatter that Toronto was dangling Valanciunas for a brief period over the offseason, but nothing truly came about. He is heading into the second year of his four-year, $64 million deal with the Raptors that he signed back in August 2015. This also includes a $17.6 million player option for the 2019-20 season.
If Valanciunas can continue to show improvement in his play, it could help the Raptors make a more serious push to contending in the Eastern Conference with the likes of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics.