Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Notches double-double in victory
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Valanciunas posted 18 points (7-11 FG, 4-4 FT) and 11 rebounds in 29 minutes before fouling out of Monday's 127-117 victory over Sacramento.
Valanciunas led all Pelicans in rebounds and ended as one of six players with a double-digit point total en route to a double-double performance. Valanciunas has hauled in 10 or more rebounds in 11 games this season, finishing with a double-double in 10 of those outings. Valanciunas has posted a double-double in three straight games and four of his last five contests.
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Dominates down low in victory
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Valanciunas chipped in 24 points (9-12 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 6-7 FT), 12 rebounds, one assist, two blocks and one steal in 31 minutes during Friday's 121-106 win over the Spurs.
Valanciunas was the only player on either team to reach the 20-point mark in the contest, and he did so on a healthy 9-for-12 shooting line. The big man added a game-high 12 boards to notch his eighth double-double of the campaign. Valanciunas has seen his scoring output drop overall this season, but he's been impressive over his past two games, averaging 21.5 points while shooting 81.0 percent (17-of-21) from the field.
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Registers 19 points in victory
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Valanciunas produced 19 points (8-9 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 3-3 FT), six rebounds and three assists across 32 minutes during Wednesday's 124-114 win over Philadelphia.
Valanciunas received a bit of a break when 76ers center Joel Embiid (illness) was ruled out shortly before the beginning of the game, resulting in 6-foot-8 Marcus Morris starting in his place. Valanciunas took advantage with a nearly perfect shooting effort from the field, which led to his highest scoring total in his past six games. The big man's stats have been down overall this season, but he's still producing useful fantasy numbers with 13.4 points, 8.8 boards, 2.5 assists and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 55.2 percent from the field and 80.8 percent from the free-throw line.
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Double-doubles in win
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Valanciunas had 15 points (6-9 FG, 3-4 FT), 11 rebounds and two assists in 28 minutes during Wednesday's 117-112 victory over Sacramento.
Valanciunas notched his third straight double-double but didn't record a block for the first time since Nov. 8. Over his past seven appearances, the veteran big man has averaged 15.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.1 blocks in 26.4 minutes per game.
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Comes close to triple-double
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Valanciunas finished Monday's 129-93 victory over the Kings with 10 points (3-4 FG, 4-4 FT), 13 rebounds, seven assists, three blocks and one steal in 21 minutes.
Valanciunas didn't have many touches on offense, but he was extremely effective while making his presence felt on both ends of the court. The veteran big man ended just three assists away from a triple-double and notched multiple blocks for the fifth time across his last six appearances. Valanciunas might not be the dominant rim presence he once was, but he remains a productive asset in most fantasy formats, particularly in category-based leagues.
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Huge double-double in loss
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Valanciunas tallied 26 points (10-15 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 6-6 FT), 11 rebounds, three assists, three blocks and one steal in 30 minutes during Saturday's 121-120 loss to Minnesota.
With Zion Williamson taking the night off for rest purposes, Valanciunas was called upon to do more of the heavy lifting on the offensive end. He ended with a season-high 26 points, adding multiple blocks for the fourth time in the past five games. Valanciunas is currently putting up top-50 value across the first month of the season. There is a chance this regresses as the Pelicans get healthy, making this a prime sell-high opportunity for managers.
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Goes for 22 points in win
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Valanciunas had 22 points (10-18 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 1-3 FT), eight rebounds, three assists and one block in 34 minutes during Friday's 115-110 win over the Nuggets.
Valanciunas came just one point shy of tying his season-high scoring mark, but he's not the steady double-double threat he was in previous seasons since he's had to adjust to a secondary role on offense, particularly when both Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson are healthy. Valanciunas has only three double-doubles across 12 outings.
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Puts up double-double
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Valanciunas finished with 15 points (6-11 FG, 3-5 3Pt), 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocks over 21 minutes during Sunday's 136-124 loss to Dallas.
Valanciunas has been relegated to a secondary role on offense as long as he shares the court with Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, but he can still find ways to produce and impact the game. The veteran big man only has three double-doubles this season, but he has scored at least 15 points in back-to-back contests, something he hadn't done since a back-to-back set on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2.
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Double-double against Pistons
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Valanciunas posted 23 points (9-16 FG, 2-3 3Pt, 3-4 FT), 13 rebounds, five assists and three blocks across 33 minutes during Thursday's 125-116 win over Detroit.
It's the second double-double in five games for the veteran center, and Valanciunas produced a season-high scoring performance in the absence of Zion Williamson (rest) and Brandon Ingram (knee). The three rejections were also a season-high mark for Valanciunas, and after averaging a career-low 0.7 blocks a game in 2022-23, he appears to be focused on protecting the rim better -- he's collected at least one block in four of the Pelicans' five contests, and his 1.4 blocks per game would be a career high if he can keep it up.
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Misses out on double-double
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Valanciunas recorded 19 points (6-10 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 6-7 FT), nine rebounds, one assist, one block and one steal across 21 minutes during Wednesday's 110-106 victory over the Thunder.
Valanciunas posted a season-high 19 points in Wednesday's win and has now scored in double figures in three of his first four appearances of the season. While he narrowly missed out on a double-double, the veteran big man tallied his first steal of 2023-24. Valanciunas has also expanded his range this season, converting 36.4 percent of his 2.8 three-point attempts per game across his first four appearances.
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Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Posts double-double in win
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Valanciunas registered 12 points (4-7 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), 12 rebounds, one assist and one block in 29 minutes during Wednesday's 111-104 win over the Grizzlies.
Valanciunas has averaged a double-double in points and rebounds in each of the last four years and continued that trend in the Pelicans' season opener. He also continued to show his willingness to shoot from beyond the arc, and his three-point attempts will be something to monitor over the course of the regular season. The Pelicans will look to continue their winning ways Saturday when they host the Knicks.
Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Average outing Tuesday
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Valanciunas finished with 10 points (5-9 FG, 0-2 3Pt) and six rebounds across 21 minutes in Tuesday's 104-92 preseason win over the Magic.
Valanciunas can get the job done on both ends of the court and is able to shoulder a more significant responsibility on offense if needed, but given he'll share the court with Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, Valanciunas is expected to hold a secondary role on offense. He's still a player who can rack up double-doubles with ease, but his fantasy upside will be limited due to his scoring limits.
Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas: Expected to play Tuesday
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Valanciunas is expected to play under 20 minutes during Tuesday's preseason opener against the Magic, Will Guillory of The Athletic reports.
Head coach Willie Green said all of the Pelicans' starters are expected to suit up and play under 20 minutes, so it should be a good opportunity for the first unit to develop some chemistry before the regular season. Valanciunas has averaged a double-double in four consecutive campaigns with two different teams (Memphis and New Orleans). The veteran big man might see a slight dropoff in production if Zion Williamson can stay healthy for an entire season, though Valanciunas should still play a key role as the team's starting center in 2023-24.
