Jonas Valanciunas (Utena, Lithuania, May 6, 1992) Dominating the painting and the scene. It’s rare to see him smile, and it’s hard to decipher the emotion he conveys in that moment. “A few questions? Go ahead and get ready,” Pelicans his center begins. But the puzzling thing happens later.

“Let me ask you one question. Don’t ask about Willy,” declared Valanciunas.add dignity to a serious tone 2.13his face sober, with a respectful “look,” his lush beard and lustrous half-length hair perfectly back in place, not a single strand of hair out of place . Michael Corleone.

“Willie is a great boy, he always stays humble, Work hard and wait for his opportunity. He’s the locker room boy who makes everything so easy.He is the boy I love, ”confessed the Lithuanian, and in fact he “Hesitate”. He stared at her for a few seconds before starting a conversation, but he first forced a small smile as a green light as a sign of satisfaction with his inexpressive management of humor.

“Don’t ask about Willie”

Sitting on the right side in a few places, he crackles. Willie Hernangomez A position shared with his teammates, the center position shared by up to four players on the Lithuanian Pelicans, Larry Nance Jr., Jason Hayes And the Spaniard was third, most of the course continuing to fourth in a rotation of ‘5’ behind Valanciunas and two American interiors.

It’s not normal to have so many “big” people and so few “big” people in this NBA. “Kodama” ~, But the four New Orleans “giants” share that happy center position. It’s almost like Louisiana’s brother with a spinning top who doesn’t know where he’ll fall on the team, given how unpredictable their coach is. Willie Green Starter Valanciunas was able to put one of the insiders on the track for two consecutive games for 20 minutes in a row by a substitute, and then bench him for the next four games.

The same is true for Willie. Hernangomez’s eldest son noted many times on this course that the spinning top had its back to him. With no time in half of his 71 games played by these crumbling Pelicans, he placed third on the Revelation team shortlist.to the west Zion Williamson Broke in January. Without the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft, the team’s balance was 12-23 until then, and 21-14 is now an even number. play in.

“The main goal is to make it to the playoffs. Did we make it through the first round last year? We have to get there first and then we’ll see. There’s still a game left,” Williamson said of the accident. In an interview with the NBA before “Go further” The first round Pelicans’ good performance so far and the best team in the West Sundespite exclusion (4-2).

New Orleans is still highly regarded in the Lawless West, but it’s hard to imagine the Louisiana franchise doing well balancing Williamson’s uncertain return date. Brandon Ingram, CJ McCallum Valanciunas himself averaged 14.2 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists while shooting 55% from the field and 34% from triples in 24.7 minutes.

In the tradition of Arvydas Sabonis

Haircuts and beards are one of the best indicators of the passing of time, and like music, they can easily identify years by “look”.Valanciunas’ hair and beard are gone growth and evolution From the uniform, shaved “hairstyle” of his beginnings with the Raptors to the “degraded” hairstyle that’s essential in today’s standard cuts, his hair has adapted to fashion as his hair has. And today Jonas, with his broader, denser beard, looks rougher than he did yesterday, and it’s a wonder you can easily classify him with the classic Pivot description. More “sophisticated”. And he doesn’t say it.

“It has improved over the years and continues to improve. “Playmaker” , read the cut carefully. He almost got to have a “pass first” mentality. And he’s taken a step forward,” he stressed when the Pelicans visited Toronto a month ago. Nick Nurse The Lithuanian was under him as an assistant to the Raptors from 2013 to 2018, and Valanciunas was the first coach in the 18-19 season when he moved to the Grizzlies. Marc Gasol For “Big Mark” to win the ring that year Serge Ibaka.

“The limit is sky, Every night I try to add something to my game, learn something, improve something,” emphasized Valanciunas, averaging 2.6 assists on three shots after almost no assists last year. 36% of them did not score, the same as last year, and they scored two tries per game. , striving to meet the requirements of the modern heart.

“My physique is going down[with age]. It’s about understanding that and being a smarter player. I have to keep trying to be myself. This league is very tough,” he said. Emphasizing the center, following the tradition of Lithuanian interiors with a deep vision of the game Arvydas Sabonis started with his son. Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings) is currently the only player from Lithuania in the NBA.

“The sky is the limit”

Locas Jokbaitis It will be as follows. new york knicks Maintaining interest in Barça’s point guard after the Thunder selected him with the No. 34 pick in the 2021 draft. Coach of the New York team, Tom Thibodeau He admitted to MD that he would like to see him at Summer League this summer.

“Rocas in the NBA next year? He’s healthy, productive and is going to have a great summer.” Rietubos Ritas The Barça coach admitted last year in an interview with DAZN’s Pitti Hurtado that he hasn’t closed the door on a day of training in the NBA.

“Jasikevicius is doing well. He always has a team at the top of the Euroleague and the league. the brains of this game,basketball. he is a great trainer. He can do anything and he has the opportunity to go where he wants to go,” emphasized the center, admitting that he likes one good “factor” that can strengthen the Lithuanian’s presence in the NBA. . Matas Buzeriswas drafted No. 1 by ESPN specialist Jonathan Gibbony, and was MVP of Basketball Without Borders, a youth event parallel to the All-Stars in which he also participated. Adaimala.

Lithuanian basketball hungry for success. 2010 Bronze, No metal in any international championship since EuroBasket silver in 2015, when he lost in the final against Spain.. Also, in the last EuroBasket, they lost in the round of 16 against the Spanish team to Willy Hernangómez, who “wet his teammates’ ears”, the Spaniard had 21 points and the Lithuanian just 6. in 5 months world.

“Jasikevicius is the brain of basketball”

“First and foremost is to get everyone healthy before the season is over and we go back to work. It’s going to be a tough summer. What if our goal is a medal? Many teams talk about medals before tournaments, but we remain humble. We have a young team and we have people learning together. I don’t like to speak before the facts,” recalls Valanciunas.

Center has implied that he is looking to play in the NBA for many more years, so he could be the next Lithuanian match. 30 years I feel good Age is just a number. I need more rest, but I feel good,” Valanciunas said. 2024.

If he doesn’t arrive with his physique, he will with what his evolution as a player has given him. His three shots of him are an intellect that he also uses to “intimidate” in his own way. No need to scare Jonas Valanciunas any more, but he doesn’t have the privilege of being a star. Maximum respect in the world’s best league.

NBA – Euroleague Debate

‘Euroleague basketball is great’

In a friendly match between the Dallas Mavericks and Real Madrid on a specific date ～October 10～ And there is a real possibility that a Euroleague team will participate mid season tournament What the NBA wants to do, the comparison between American and European basketball is back. Jonas Valanciunas also gives his opinion on what happens.

“They’re different basketballs. The NBA’s are more athletic, they’re played with more rhythm. Structure, It’s more related to match preparation. It’s hard to say, the Euroleague has great basketball, but it’s hard to say what will happen.