Under Nick Nurse and the Toronto Raptors new style of play, could Jonas Valanciunas flourish from a reserve role and win NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award?

With a new era of Raptors basketball underway in Toronto, it’s clear Nick Nurse will be shaking up the rotation and bringing in a variety of lineups. How will this effect Jonas Valanciunas this season?

Since his rookie season, Valanciunas has been a starter in almost every single game he has participated in. This year he is coming off the bench with regularity, and currently, he is logging the lowest minutes per game throughout his entire career.

Could his diminished role this season be an indication that Nick Nurse has a limited use for him in his coaching system? Could Jonas Valanciunas be on his way out of Toronto?

Quite simply, no. His decreased minutes can be attributed to a small-ball game style and an emerging Pascal Siakam. Valanciunas and Serge Ibaka will see limited action on the floor together this season if any at all. This is not because they are incompatible together, but instead, it fits the system Nick Nurse wants to implement.

Serge Ibaka seems to fit ideally at the starting five position. His scoring numbers are up this season, and he opens up the floor on offense for players like Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard who rely heavily on driving to the hoop to generate offense.

JV will start in games where the opposition starts a center with a similar offensive skill-set. So far Valanciunas has started against players such as DeAndre Jordan, Deandre Ayton, and Tristan Thompson.

Going forward, Valanciunas and Ibaka will split starts at the center position with Valanciunas likely spending more time coming off the bench. Serge Ibaka fits better at the center position, and Valanciunas has proven to be a reliable spark off the bench this season.

Heading further into the season, Jonas Valanciunas will likely come off the bench for the majority of games, and he will be one of the most crucial pieces to the second unit. In this 2018-19 season, JV could be in the running for Sixth Man of the Year.