Pelicans’ Willie Green doubles down on controversial Jonas Valanciunas usage

The New Orleans Pelicans can attack opponents in a variety of ways. Building a wall in the paint only works so well against an elite passer like Zion Williamson. Brandon Ingram can pick anyone apart from the midrange areas. CJ McCollum’s near career-high in three-point volume has led to one of his most efficient seasons on record. Each of the Big Three’s skill sets fit in the space-and-pace era. The same cannot be said for Jonas Valanciunas and this limits how the Lithuanian can be deployed, at least by one very important opinion.

Willie Green has been humble amid a near-historic season for the franchise. He also adamantly doubled down on the starting big man’s recent usage rate after the last practice in New Orleans before flying to face the Brooklyn Nets.

“Yeah, (Valanciunas) is still a large part of what we do but the way the game goes it becomes a small game,” Green explained. “(It’s) fast, dynamic, guys all over the floor. There are moments where he can take advantage of a team like that then there are some times we like a different group on the floor.”

Green played 731 games in the NBA and is now in his third year as a head coach. Valanciunas is a known commodity no matter where someone might sit in the arena, much less on an NBA bench. The Lithuanian big man brings a steady voice and consistent professionalism to the locker room regardless of the minutes played on a given night.

There were no worries about Valanciunas after playing only seven minutes in a road loss to the Indiana Pacers or 15 minutes in a home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Green, Valanciunas, and the rest of the locker room stayed the course charted all season long.

“Block out the noise. Concentrate on what we can control. We can control our preparation, how hard we go in practice, watching film. It’s really just take it one game at a time. That’s the key for us. I know it’s a cliche but it’s really how you have to look at this. Take it a game at a time. Win the game in front of you. Then prepare for the next one.”

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