News » Valanciunas fretted over the slump that had befallen him

TORONTO - Sitting in the home of assistant coach Bill Bayno one February evening, Jonas Valanciunas fretted over the slump that had befallen him. "Im not scoring," the young centre griped, as he and his most devoted mentor watched film, hoping to get to the bottom of the recent on-court funk that was beginning to wear on his confidence. JV, youre 21-years-old," Bayno responded. "Theres no centres in the league your age that are even playing much less averaging 10 points a game. Youve had great games [but] when you have a two-point game, going up against a really good, tough [centre], you cant get upset about it." His message, the teams message, has never wavered. "Youve got to do the other things to help us win." With that in mind Bayno put pen to paper, drawing up a list of attainable goals for Valanciunas, a cheat sheet consisting of basic fundamentals that can now be found taped to the right side of his locker. Outwork, outrun, sprint[Set] great, legal screensStep to [your] manBlock out And it goes on like that. "He got really down on himself when he went through that tough stretch," Bayno explained. "So we just really sat down and talked and [I] said, look, its no secret, JV, these are the things youve got to do." "Youre going to have some ups and downs," he told the second-year pro, "but Im going to write it in your locker, so every day before the game you see, this is what you have to do on a nightly basis." "Everything thats on that sheet is what we work on." Its a simplistic tool but one that the Raptors first-year assistant feels strongly about, one that has yielded proven results throughout his coaching career. Admired for his innovative player development techniques and his passion for molding young talent, Bayno first adopted this method of teaching on one of his regular trips to Africa, about a decade ago. There he met Michael Scholl. The two would become good friends and Bayno eventually hired Scholl as his assistant at Loyola Marymount University in 2008. Scholl - who spent eight years in Africa running an AIDS prevention campaign and implementing youth basketball leagues - introduced Bayno to an old Harvard study, something he used himself to motivate the children he taught there. The study correlated the success of students with writing down their goals and displaying them in their dorms. Bayno, like Scholl before him, applied that principle to basketball. "Having those goals, having them written out where they see them every day I think is huge and its been proven," said Bayno, who is also planning on employing that strategy with the Raptors other sophomore, Terrence Ross. "The vets dont need it. The vets will laugh at you if you try to do it. They really dont need it anyway. I could say to Chuck (Hayes), remember five games ago, you had that kick out situation, you missed a kick out. Hell say, yep, and hell know exactly the play. But the young kids need it." Bayno has spent more one-on-one time with Valanciunas than anyone on the staff this season. Whether hes sparring with JV in the post - wearing his trademark forearm pads to simulate in-game physicality - throwing out-of-reach passes to him in practice or hosting him at his house for an extra film session, Baynos fingerprints are all over the sophomores continued development. "He works with me a lot actually," Valanciunas said of Bayno. "Hes helped me a lot, especially on the post-up moves. Now I feel much more comfortable going against those guys, like big centres. What were working on every day is helping." Bayno, like head coach Dwane Casey and the rest of the Raptors staff, has worked to manage Valanciunas own expectations and lesson the external pressure that he faces as an emerging star in the league. Theyre not overly concerned with his scoring totals or the number of touches he gets in the post. He shouldnt be either. They know his value, at least this season, cant be measured using a box score. Instead they hope to lay down a foundation for the future. His role is to do the things he can control, to master the basic fundamentals of the game that will ensure his longevity in the league. The "little things" as Bayno calls them. "Were a good team because hes accepted his role and hes done all the little things," said Bayno, formally an assistant in Portland and with the Timberwolves. "I really believe hes going to be a good scorer in this league." "Im not expecting a lot of point production every night out of him," echoed Casey. "If he gives it to us, its great but I dont want to put that kind of pressure on him. Hes growing, hes a second-year guy. Im not going to expect him to get 23 points, 24 points every night. If he does, its gravy. If he runs the floor, rebounds, plays defence, for this team, this year, thats great. I promise you, his offence is going to come. We all want it to hurry up and get here yesterday but Im more concerned about him picking up the speed of the game, the rebounding, defending the low post, defending his position and reacting in the half-court game. His career is going to be long enough. Hes going to be a scorer in this league two or three years from now." A month ago at this time Valanciunas was pressing. The touches were not there every night, his scoring numbers dipped, as did his playing time. More often than not Casey would opt for a smaller, more experienced lineup late in games. Valanciunas was frustrated. Then the card went up in his locker. He sees it nearly each day, before and after every home game. Currently, hes playing some of the best basketball of his young career. Whether his improved play is related or a happy coincidence, he has been carrying out the very tasks Casey and company have been emphasizing. In Sundays win over Atlanta, Valanciunas recorded his team-leading 19th double-double of the season after totaling eight as a rookie a year ago. He played 33 minutes, attempting just four shots while matching a career-high with nine made free throws. His impact on the game was understated, yet significant. His point production has gone up but, as Casey points out, hes not necessarily seeing more touches. Instead hes working for them. Hes running the floor, hes rebounding, hes getting to the line and as a result hes playing more and closing out games. He understands how his bread is buttered, at least for the time being. "Im not a scoring machine," Valanciunas acknowledged. "Im a worker. My job is to get a rebound, to set a screen to make DeMar (DeRozan) open, or Kyle (Lowry) open, or [Ross] open, whoever is playing on the perimeter. My job is to box out [and] go for offensive rebounds. Thats my job." In less than four weeks, Valanciunas will make his first playoff appearance. Although hes peaking at the right time of season, the internal expectations havent changed. Outwork your man, set hard screens, box out, run the floor, do the little things. Hes heard them every day since arriving in training camp five months ago. Hes practiced them. Only now, handwritten in bright, unmistakable lettering, they stare him in the face. Niklas Hjalmarsson Jersey . The mood in Seattle was electrified as the parade featuring the NFL champions began near the Space Needle and made its way to CenturyLink Field, the home of the team. At a ceremony inside the stadium, the team thanked its loyal followers -- the 12th Man -- capping a day of boisterous celebration that drew an estimated 700,000 revelers to Seattle. Richard Panik Jersey . Everton Preview West Ham manager Sam Allardyce has been around the game long enough to not get too high when things are going well and not get too low when they arent. http://www.authenticcoyotespro.com/Derek-stepan-coyotes-jersey/ . His right arm rested in a sling and was encased in a cast from above the elbow to his hand. "Im excited," Fernandez said with a grin. Christian Dvorak Jersey . The teams all-time leading scorer, DeRo has won everything there is to win in MLS. Bobby Hull Jersey . According to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger, it doesnt appear the offer was warmly received by the team. Blue Jackets director of hockey operations John Davidson and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said on Wednesday the team has made offers of $6 million for two years, $32 million for six and $46 million over eight years but each one was refused by the restricted free agent centre and agent Kurt Overhardt.(SportsNetwork.com) - The Toronto Maple Leafs will take aim at their first five-game winning streak in nearly seven years when they visit the Phoenix Coyotes for Mondays clash at Jobing.com Arena. Toronto has recorded a season-high four straight wins on the heels of a four- game slide, but the Maple Leafs havent claimed five consecutive victories since Jan. 27-Feb. 6, 2007. The Leafs have notched four or more goals in each of their past three wins and recorded a 5-3 decision in Saturdays home test against the rival Montreal Canadiens. James van Riemsdyk scored the game-winning goal in the third period before Joffrey Lupul sealed the win with an empty-netter in the closing seconds. Lupul, Mason Raymond and Phil Kessel all posted a goal and an assist, while Cody Franson also scored for the Maple Leafs. Kessel has recorded a point in five straight games, logging three goals and seven helpers during the tear. Jonathan Bernier stopped 30 shots in the win, which helped Toronto pull within four points of the Canadiens for third place in the Atlantic Division. The top three teams in each division receive an automatic berth in the playoffs. "Obviously the magnitude of this game was huge," said Toronto forward Nazem Kadri. "For us to chase that top spot in the division is still a realistic goal for us. We knew we had to come out and play against a very good team." Toronto is currently in postseason position as it holds the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference.dddddddddddd The Leafs made the playoffs last spring to end a club- record postseason drought of seven seasons. The Leafs are kicking off a four-game road trip tonight and are just 8-10-4 as the guest this season. Toronto has lost three straight and four of its past five tilts in Phoenix, but the Leafs have won seven of 13 overall meetings in the series. The Coyotes have won two straight heading to Mondays tilt, giving the club consecutive wins for the first time since Dec. 10-12. Phoenix hasnt won three in a row since a five-game run from Oct. 26-Nov. 5. Phoenix has notched both of its recent wins on home ice and will cap a three- game stay in the desert tonight. The Coyotes picked up a 3-2 win over New Jersey on Saturday. Martin Hanzal tallied a goal and an assist to lead the way on offense, while Mike Smith made 32 saves in the victory. Jordan Szwarz and Jeff Halpern also scored for Phoenix and Keith Yandle supplied two helpers in the Coyotes second straight win after a four-game slump. "It is a great night for me. Our line has been playing well recently. It was nice to get rewarded early and get a goal for our team," Szwarz said. Phoenix improved to 14-7-3 as the home team this season. The Coyotes will begin a three-game road trip Wednesday night in Calgary. 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