TORONTO — The Raptors’ 21-year-old center Jonas Valanciunas was good, very good, in his NBA playoff debut against the Nets.
But everyone around the Raptors, including Valanciunas, felt he could have been better. Much better.
“I missed a lot of wide open shots. Not ‘wide open’ shots but shots I’m used to making,” Valanciunas said Monday. “I worked today on my shots, so hopefully I’m going to make them.”
In Toronto’s 94-87 Game 1 defeat Saturday — which makes Game 2 Tuesday a “must” win for the Raptors, even if they say it’s not — Valanciunas finished 7-of-13 for 17 points to join Tracy McGrady as the only Raptors ever to score double figures in their first playoff game. Valanciunas also finished with two Raptors playoff rebound records: 18 total, 13 defensive.
Now if only he hadn’t blown so many put backs and in-close shots …
“He really crashed the boards. He missed a lot of easy shots that he should have made, but he played big. That should help his confidence,” said teammate DeMar DeRozan.
“I was very pleased with Jonas,” said Raptors coach Dwane Casey, stressing that through Valanciunas’ big-time Euro League experience, “he was not fazed by the crowd, by the moment, by being in the playoffs. He did a good job of fighting the physicality, getting inside, rebounding, using his length against KG.”
KG, of course, is Kevin Garnett, and Valanciunas “was not intimidated” by “guarding a legend like KG,” Casey said.
“You are talking about a guy who is going to be in the Hall of Fame. I told our guy you got to respect him,” Casey added, “but you can’t fear him.”
Valanciunas didn’t. And he also didn’t really understand him. Garnett, as anyone who has set foot on an NBA court in the last 19 years would acknowledge, is one of the all-time great trash talkers. Valanciunas just shrugged.
“I don’t understand English, so I’m OK,” Valanciunas joked.
One thing the Lithuanian import, who was the 2012 No. 5-overall pick, does understand is the need to take better care of the ball in Game 2. Valanciunas committed six of the Raptors’ 19 turnovers in Game 1.
“Sometimes the ball slipped out of my hands, so no it’s bad because I had six turnovers, but I’m going to try to fix it,” Valanciunas said.
And figure the Nets will fix, or try to limit, the damage the 7-foot, 240-pounder inflicts. In the final three weeks of the season, Valanciunas — who had off-court troubles thrown in, with a DUI arrest during that time — compiled a terrific 10-game stretch, when he averaged 17.1 points and 11.2 rebounds. Casey wants more of the same in Game 2.
“He is just as effective off the ball,” Casey said, “more so than running plays for him. That is when he struggles a little. … He is better playing off of DeMar, playing off Kyle [Lowry], playing off of guys and playing under the basket, finding the openings, that is where he has been more effective.”