TORONTO – Jonas Valanciunas smiled broadly amidst the blinding camera flashes as he held up a red Toronto Raptors uniform with his name and No. 17 on the back.
The 19-year-old Lithuanian forward called it a dream come true as he was introduced to the media Friday – a day after being picked by the Raptors with the fifth overall selection in the NBA draft.
“I’m so excited, I’m happy to see my jersey, to see my team, to see Toronto,” said Valanciunas. “I like this city, I look forward to living in this city. It’s amazing.”
It was a moment to savour for Valanciunas, especially considering it could be a long time before the seven-foot, 230-pounder sees the Toronto jersey again.
The Raptors will need to buy out his contract with his current Lithuanian club, Lietuvos Rytas, if they want to get him in camp sooner than later, and that could prove difficult.
He’s signed to a three-year deal reportedly worth US$2 million and the Raptors are only allowed to kick in a maximum $500,000 towards a buyout.
Valanciunas is soft-spoken with broken english and his lithe body is all legs and arms. He’ll need to fill out and gain muscle if he expects to bang bodies with others players in the NBA.
He wants to be a fixture at the Air Canada Centre as soon as possible to make this happen, but understands it’s out of his hands at this point.
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“Yeah, I would like to come here as soon as possible because it’s my dream,” he says. “I am working on the court, this is my job on the court. They are agents working on this business thing, I will let this job for them.”
That dream started in a small village of 30,000 called Utena which, as Valanciunas describes it, is known for producing tall players. And like everywhere else in the small northern European country, is crazy about basketball.
“Everybody like basketball in Lithuania,” he says. “Young kids start playing from young days. Everybody follows it.”
His father was a rower with the Soviet team, back when Lithuania was part of the U.S.S.R., and Valanciunas grew up admiring Arvydas Sabonis, the sensational Lithuanian centre who played for the Portland Trailblazers in the late 90’s.
Now Valanciunas models his game more after L.A. Lakers centre Pau Gasol.
“He shoots more than me. I like playing inside more,” says Valanciunas.
“I like pick-and-roll. I like working on defence, blocking shots, rebounding. I want to work on my body, I need to get stronger. I need more skills on the low post, (and) on my shot.”
Toronto general manager Bryan Colangelo is eager to see these skills develop so that Valanciunas can eventually fill the team’s desperate need for a low post presence in the five position.
“The No. 1 goal this off-season is to address the need of a big man,” said Colangelo.
The GM says he spent Friday morning on the phone feeling out Valanciunas’ situation with his North American and European agents.
Still Colangelo doesn’t sound optimistic that Valanciunas will be available next season. Throw in the complications of a possible work stoppage in the NBA and the picture becomes even cloudier.
“With all those unknowns right now, I think you’re looking at a young guy who probably has a ways to go before he’s contributing on this roster,” said Colangelo.
He will contribute immediately to Lithuania’s under-19 team before seeking a spot this summer on his country’s senior squad.
Valanciunas had a .681 field-goal percentage and averaged 11.7 points over 31 games in Lithuania’s top league this past season. He also averaged 7.4 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game.
His European-based agent, Sarunas Broga, says Valanciunas will have to work for a spot on the national roster.
“He has to prove he deserves to be on that team,” Broga says. “He is on the list of 20 players and he will have to fight for that spot.”
Another member of the Raptors organization excited to see Valanciunas in uniform is fellow Lithuanian Linus Kleiza.
Valanciunas says the two have already chatted about the city and team.
“Linus tells me (this is a) great city with good fans and great team and I will like.”
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