Nuggets coach David Adelman shared his vision for Jonas Valanciunas as a versatile "point center" who can initiate ball movement and elevate Denver's half-court game.
Jonas Valanciunas is officially a Denver Nuggets backup center, despite a strong push from Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos Athens to bring him to Europe.
According to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews, Denver fully intends to keep Valanciunas. For Panathinaikos to sign him, they would need a letter of clearance from the Nuggets, but the NBA team has no plans to release him.
With the saga nearing its end, Nuggets head coach David Adelman shared his vision for how Valanciunas will fit into Denver.
Speaking on an ESPN broadcast last week, Adelman referred to the 33-year-old veteran center as a "point center" and now clarified that idea in a conversation with Bennett Durando of The Denver Post.
"He's a bona fide, big-time center over the last decade who you can put in a bunch of different spots all over the floor," Adelman said. "And when I say 'point center,' I mean someone you can play through in the half-court. I don't envision him getting a rebound and pushing the ball up.
"I do think some of the things we already do [work with him]: playing five-out with back-side dribble handoffs, playing off the elbows, posting him up against smaller lineups, his ability to make others better," he continued.
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While Valanciunas has averaged just 1.4 assists over 937 NBA games, Adelman isn't focused on stats.
"It's not the assist numbers that matter to me," he said. "It's his ability to start ball movement through the impact of who he is. So he's an enormous get. I'm super excited about getting him here, getting him acclimated."
When asked if he has specific lineups in mind to pair with Valanciunas, Adelman said it's still early.
"It's gonna be the guys who earn these spots that get to play with him," he added.
Valanciunas is under contract for $10.4 million in the 2025–26 season. His $10 million salary for 2026–27 is non-guaranteed.
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