Valanciunas is in the starting lineup for Friday's game against the Grizzlies.
The Wizards will opt to go big with Valanciunas in the starting lineup. He scored seven points, nine rebounds and four assists across 22 minutes in his only other start this season.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Double-doubles in loss
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Valanciunas chipped in 16 points (6-10 FG, 4-4 FT), 12 rebounds and seven assists across 21 minutes during Monday's 125-112 loss to Golden State.
This was Valanciunas' first double-double of the campaign, as he continues to be the focal point for the second unit. He has only one block to his name through six games, but he's been productive elsewhere with averages of 12.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.3 assists.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Well-rounded effort off bench
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Valanciunas registered 22 points (8-10 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 5-6 FT), eight rebounds and six assists in 25 minutes during Wednesday's 133-120 win over the Hawks.
Valanciunas entered Washington's starting five Monday against Atlanta, but he retreated to the bench for Wednesday's rematch. His change of role didn't seem to bother him, however, as he put together a well-rounded game while pacing the Wizards' bench in scoring. The veteran center will provide valuable backup minutes behind Alex Sarr and will occasionally enter the starting lineup throughout the 2024-25 regular season.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Coming off bench Wednesday
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Valanciunas is not in the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against Atlanta.
Washington will roll with rookie Alex Sarr at center, flanked by the shooting of Kyshawn George and length of Bilal Coulibaly. Valanciunas has logged between 20 and 22 minutes in all three of Washington's contests thus far.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Starting Monday
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Valanciunas will enter the starting lineup in Monday's matchup against the Hawks, Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network reports.
The club will opt for its jumbo lineup as the veteran center is slated to replace Carlton Carrington in the starting five. Valanciunas will join Alex Sarr in the frontcourt against Jalen Johnson and Clint Capela. Valanciunas has appeared in two games off the bench, during which he has amassed 28 points and 13 rebounds across 41 total minutes.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Starting Friday
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Valanciunas (rest) is available and in the starting lineup for Friday's preseason game versus the Knicks.
Valanciunas will return to action for Friday's preseason finale after sitting out the Wizards' previous contest for rest purposes. The veteran big man will replace Marvin Bagley in the starting lineup against New York.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Resting Monday vs. Nets
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Valanciunas (rest) has been ruled out for Monday's preseason game against the Nets, Varun Shankar of The Washington Post reports.
Marvin Bagley will pick up the start with both Alex Sarr (calf) and Valanciunas sitting out. The 32-year-old's last chance to suit up during the preseason will come Friday against the Knicks.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Not starting against Toronto
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Valanciunas is not in the starting lineup for Friday's preseason game against the Raptors, Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca reports.
Valanciunas had started the previous two preseason games alongside Alex Sarr in the frontcourt, but the rookie will start at center in this game, so Valanciunas will head to the bench, and it's uncertain if he'll see the court at all. Kyshawn George will start in Valanciunas' place.
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Wizards' Jonas Valanciunas: Bound for D.C. on three-year pact
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Valanciunas agreed to a three-year, $30 million contract with the Wizards on Sunday, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Valanciunas played at least 74 regular-season games in each of his three seasons with the Pelicans, but his role declined in 2023-24 while New Orleans enjoyed better health from frontcourt mate Zion Williamson. Though he appeared in all 82 games, Valanciunas' averages of 12.2 points and 8.8 rebounds in 23.5 minutes per game all represented notable downturns from the season before. The 32-year-old should have a chance to bounce back as a veteran presence for the Wizards, who just selected Alex Sarr with the No. 2 pick in this year's draft.
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Strong effort in loss
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Valanciunas supplied 19 points (6-15 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 7-8 FT), 13 rebounds, one assist and one steal across 26 minutes during Monday's 97-89 loss to Oklahoma City in Game 4 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Valanciunas finished second on his team in scoring and put together a valiant effort on the glass, marking his second double-double of the first round. However, his production wasn't enough to avoid a series sweep as the Thunder were simply too much to handle without the help of Zion Williamson (hamstring).
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Productive in Game 2 defeat
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Valanciunas closed Wednesday's 124-92 loss to the Thunder in Game 2 of the Western Conference first round with 19 points (8-14 FG, 3-3 FT), seven rebounds and two assists in 23 minutes.
Valanciunas has been doing everything he can to slow Chet Holmgren down, and while that has proven to be a daunting task for the veteran, he's finding a rhythm on the offensive end of the court. Valanciunas has now scored at least 13 points in each of his last three postseason appearances, and he should continue to experience an uptick in his usage rate since Zion Williamson (hamstring) will still be sidelined for Game 3 on Saturday.
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Pulls down 20 boards in loss Sunday
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Valanciunas registered 13 points (5-9 FG, 3-4 FT), 20 rebounds, two assists and one steal across 29 minutes during Sunday's 94-92 loss to the Thunder in Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
Valanciunas was heavily criticized for his play during the loss to the Lakers in the first round of the Play-In Tournament, but he's responded extremely well with back-to-back double-doubles against the Kings and Thunder. The veteran big man feasted on the glass against Chet Holmgren and used his physicality to dominate. Expect him to play a prominent role in the paint in Game 2 on Wednesday, especially with Zion Williamson (hamstring) still sidelined.
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Delivers double-double
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Valanciunas ended Friday's 105-98 Play-In Game win over the Kings with 19 points (8-16 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 3-3 FT), 12 rebounds, three assists and two blocks over 27 minutes.
Valanciunas was a non-factor in the loss against the Lakers during the first round of the Play-In Tournament. However, he stepped up in a big way Friday to help New Orleans avoid elimination and posted his second double-double since the beginning of April. With Zion Williamson (hamstring) sidelined, the Pelicans will likely need more consistent production from Valanciunas in the paint.
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Records 33rd double-double
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Valanciunas finished Thursday's 135-123 victory over Sacramento with 13 points (5-8 FG, 3-5 FT), 10 rebounds, three assists and one steal across 33 minutes.
Although Valanciunas' totals have taken a bit of a tumble this season, the 31-year-old has served the Pelicans well in the interior. Assuming he plays the final two games, the veteran will have logged a perfect attendance record for the 2023-24 season. Thursday's game marked his 80th start in 80 games. He's averaging 12.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 23.8 minutes per game this year.
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Impressive outing vs. Wembanyama
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Valanciunas closed Friday's 111-109 loss to the Spurs with 26 points (10-12 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 6-6 FT), seven rebounds, seven assists and one steal in 28 minutes.
Valanciunas had the daunting task of dealing with Victor Wembanyama on both ends of the court. Even though the French rookie finished just one assist shy of a triple-double, Valanciunas held his own, posting his best scoring mark since Dec. 15, when he recorded a season-high 29 points in a win over the Hornets. Valanciunas should continue to see an uptick in touches if Brandon Ingram (knee) and Zion Williamson (finger) remain out to face the Suns on Sunday.
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Doesn't start second half
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Valanciunas ended Saturday's 104-92 loss to the Celtics with two points (1-5 FG, 0-1 3Pt), five rebounds and two assists in 15 minutes.
Coming off a strong double-double performance against the Bucks on Thursday, Valanciunas saw just 15 minutes of playing time Saturday. He was not on the floor for the start of the second half, as Larry Nance joined the starting lineup. Valanciunas has seen his minutes wax and wane over the course of the regular season depending on matchups, though he should see the floor more Monday against the Suns.
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Mismatch liability
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Valanciunas logged six points (2-4 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-3 FT), six rebounds and one assist in 10 minutes during Tuesday's 119-112 loss to Oklahoma City.
Valanciunas did not play in the second half of Tuesday's loss, with coach Willie Green turning to Larry Nance and small-ball lineups with Zion Williamson at center to combat Chet Holmgren and Oklahoma City's spacing-oriented offense. Valanciunas will likely be more incorporated Thursday against Milwaukee.
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Plays 18 minutes Thursday
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Valanciunas supplied six points (3-4 FG, 0-1 3Pt), five rebounds, one assist and one steal over 18 minutes during Thursday's 121-106 loss to the Magic.
His low playing time Thursday can be partially chalked up to the Pelicans being down big in the second half. That doesn't change the fact that Valanciunas has failed to reach 20 minutes in a game over his last seven appearances. Part of it has to due with Larry Nance getting big-man minutes off the bench, but New Orleans also tends to play small in the fourth quarter with Zion Williamson moving into the five spot. Valanciunas is capable of filling the stat sheet in limited minutes, as he's registered 31 double-doubles on the year, but he's averaged just 5.3 points and 6.7 rebounds over 17.6 minutes per game over his last seven games.
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Muted effort in win
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Valanciunas amassed four points (1-6 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 2-2 FT) and six rebounds across 18 minutes during Friday's 112-104 win over the Clippers.
Valanciunas was woeful in the loss, scoring just four points in 18 minutes. He has now scored in single digits in six of the past eight games, playing limited minutes despite remaining in the starting lineup. The Pelicans are rolling right now, having won five of their past six games. As long as his reduced role continues, Valacinuas can be dropped in shallow fantasy formats.
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Registers double-double Tuesday
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Valanciunas totaled 10 points (3-6 FG, 2-2 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 10 rebounds, one assist and one block in 20 minutes during Tuesday's 139-98 win over the Raptors.
Valanciunas notched his 32nd double-double of the season Tuesday and led the Pelicans in rebounding. His playing time has typically hovered in the mid-20s this season, but he tends to be efficient with the few touches he does receive on the offensive side of the ball. Valanciunas is averaging 13.4 points on 56.8 percent shooting, 9.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 blocks over 25.1 minutes per game this season.
