Jonas Valanciunas is in for a steep learning curve in his rookie year.
The Raptors center – who likely would have been the No. 2 pick in this year’s draft behind Anthony Davis if he’d been in this year’s draft – will have to go up against Tyson Chandler, Brook Lopez, Kevin Garnett and Andrew Bynum this year in the Atlantic Division.
But Valanciunas, the fifth pick in the 2011 draft who then spent last season playing in Europe, is looking forward to going up against each of them all season long.
“I like challenges, because I’m a young guy and I have to improve myself in this league, and challenges are going to help me,” he said last month at the 2012 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot with Panini, the NBA’s trading card partner for the past four years.
“I’m not expecting to beat those guys from the start, but I’m going to work hard and prove that I can play with those guys.”
The 20-year-old from Lithuania already got some exposure this summer, when he was a member of his country’s Olympic team in London. Valanciunas and his teammates gave Team USA one of its most difficult games of the tournament, leading 82-80 with less than seven minutes remaining before the U.S. eventually won 99-94.
Valanciunas spent that game matched up against Chandler, the starting center for Team USA.
“I had a great experience,” said Valanciunas, who was the fifth pick in the 2011 draft and played professionally last year in Lithuania.
“The Olympics are the best [competition] I could get this summer. I got a lot of experience playing against USA’s Dream Team, a lot of different teams like Argentina, France … there were a lot of great players.”
The Raptors made several moves to improve their team this summer besides bringing Valanciunas over from Europe. They traded for Kyle Lowry, signed former Knick Landry Fields, drafted guard Terrence Ross and should have Andrea Bargnani back healthy after he spent much of last season sidelined with a lingering calf injury.
“We have a young team,” Valanciunas said. “We have energy, speed … we’re gonna try to win games.
“I’m excited. I’ve heard [Toronto] is a great city. I’m looking forward to moving there. It’s [a great] opportunity … it’s going to be good.”