Jonas Valanciunas' shooting struggle as of late has prompted Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun to speculate the Lithuanian's development apparently hit a wall because of the Raptors' offensive system.
While Wolstat believes the future is still bright for Valanciunas (12.5 points and 9.4 rebounds), the Raptors' offensive system that has been largely depending on the individual play of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry is limiting Valanciunas' opportunity to contribute.
TSN Sports writer Josh Lewenberg also agreed that Valanciunas' play has stalled some. In fact, the Raptors are playing their best basketball without their best big man on the floor.
"I think a lot of it, and probably I'll take the blame for it, is being in and out of the lineup because of the match-up situations," Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said, per Lewenberg. "It doesn't garner a lot of confidence and that probably has jerked him around a little bit.
"Every player goes through a situation where they're not shooting the ball well, not scoring the way they'd like to. He's not going to forget how to score, he'll bounce back. At the same time, we've got to continue to try and win games, that's our mission, our goal as he fights through it."
Despite Valanciunas' struggle, Lewenberg stated there's no indication the Raptors are actively exploring a trade involving the Lithuanian big ma. The Raptors are still pretty high on Valanciunas, considering he's still 24-years old and playing on a reasonable contract compared to his current market price.
On the other hand, Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors believes Valanciunas could be a huge trade chip for the Raptors, if they really want to find that missing piece in their championship puzzle.
"Still, Valanciunas' age, potential, and contract would all make him a valuable trade chip as well, and if the Raptors like their current roster and believe they're just one piece away from taking the next step and posing a serious challenge to the Cavaliers in the playoffs, it could make sense to explore a possible deal."
