Pelicans Forgot About Jonas Valanciunas In Lost Season
NEW ORLEANS - The Oklahoma City Thunder were down by 9 points at the 6:40 mark of the first quarter, down 7 points in the third, and the Pelicans had a tie or the lead for over 3 minutes in the fourth. No worries.
Mark Daigneault's squad led the league in comeback wins after being down 10+ points. They played to their strengths, had a clear identity, and now have a date with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The New Orleans Pelicans messed around and found out the hard way in a 113-108 loss in the NBA Play-In Tournament to end the season. "I thought we got a bit casual in our approach. We talked about it at halftime, they are a really good third quarter team. They just made more plays than us," Green said to open the postgame press conference.
However, the team had practically closed the night on Jonas Valanciunas at the break. Valanciunas has been the steady veteran hand holding down the fort all season. He only missed three games and finished with averages of 14.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists on 54.7% shooting.
Apr 12, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas (17) reaches for a loose ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
He had a double-double at halftime of an elimination game. Valanciunas was anything but casual in diving for loose balls and cleaning up possessions for easy put-back buckets.
Once he was phased out of the gameplan, the Thunder made a run into the lead with a 39-24 third quarter. Once he was hobbled with 4:26 left in the game and the offense became isolation-heavy. Oklahoma City keyed on Brandon Ingram and Trey Murphy III before driving out with a victory.
It is hard to make sense of the decision to de-prioritize one of the most steady paint-based hubs of offense in the NBA. Valanciunas only played 24.9 minutes per game, the lowest since the 2017-18 season in Toronto before being traded to Memphis. It's also the lowest point per game and field goals attempted since that final season with the Raptors.
It would be easy to blame that on Zion Williamson, but Valanciunas still posted decent stats in those 29 games Williamson played. Brandon Ingram missed half the season and CJ McCollum dealt with a thumb injury that needs surgery. Still, the usage rate went down for the season for Valanciunas.
Worse, even though the Thunder were playing with a small lineup all game, Valanciunas did not get a shot in the third quarter. The Pelicans lost the third quarter by 15. A full 12-minute stretch of freelancing cost New Orleans in what wound up being a 5-point game. Somehow, Valanciunas found a way to end the season with a very respectable 16-point, 18-rebound stat line on just 9 shots.
“We have been through a lot this year," Pelicans coach Willie Green said after the season-ending loss. "Health. Injuries. Guys being out of the lineup. Shuffling the deck. Stuff going on in family lives. For them to put together the type of season they put together this year, it’s a credit to our players, our staff, our coaches. It’s hard to do. I’m extremely appreciative.”
“It’s important to have your guys on the floor," Green added. "It helps your team reach its potential. We didn’t do that this season.”
It's also important to not forget about the players that are available. Giving Valanciunas a bit more credit might have extended the season, especially in those games the Pelicans dropped to lottery teams. Much like the Thunder on Wednesday night, some were even lacking centers so it was a matchup to exploit.
Instead, the Pelicans got 27 combined points from Valanciunas in three losses to the Utah Jazz. He posted 7 points on 8 shots in a November home loss to Portland. The turn away from the Lithuanian got worse down the stretch.
Valanciunas had 8 points on just 4 shots in a home loss(2/27) to the young Orlando Magic. He went 4/6 in another home loss to the Thunder on March 11. The coaching staff upped the volume after the next few weeks but the team never found the rhythm or trust to work off of the 11-year veteran. It might have cost them the season and come at the price of some reduced confidence in the locker room.
Mar 12, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas (17) and forward Herbert Jones (5) hold back Portland Trail Blazers guard Matisse Thybulle (4) on a free throw attempt during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
Now the front office has to figure out how to move forward. If the coaching staff is diminishing Valanciunas even when Williamson does not play, there has to be a change in the game plan or roster construction.
So, the question looms large this summer: How will the Pelicans be spending the $15.4 million owed to Jonas next season? Valanciunas is a respected voice around the league and a double-double machine. He is still a top-10 NBA center but that might not be what this roster needs right now. But at that price, it's tempting to keep him around for depth and leadership alone.
There will be plenty of negotiations this summer considering he is on an expiring deal. Regardless of how it plays out, there is no doubt Valanciunas has been an example of top-notch professionalism in New Orleans. The city will not forget that.
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