NEW ORLEANS — As the Oklahoma City Thunder’s first-round matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans has progressed, Jonas Valanciunas’ playing time has dwindled.
It was painfully obvious in the Thunder’s Game 3 blowout win over the Pelicans. The 31-year-old played a series-low 12 minutes and was benched in the second half in favor of Larry Nance Jr.
In his 64 minutes on the court this series, the Pelicans have been outscored by 26 points. Valanciunas’ matchup against the small and fast Thunder was one of the swinging points heading into this series and it has predictably played in OKC’s favor.
Chet Holmgren nullifies Valanciunas’ paint presence by stretching out to the perimeter. Playing a fast-paced game also is a detriment to New Orleans because the 265-pound center can get tired out.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault talked about Valanciunas’ gradual decline in playing time, noting it’s part of the chess match between himself and Pelicans head coach Willie Green.
“It’s just a matter of forcing the opponent to pivot. They’ve forced us to pivot at different times this series,” Daigneault said. “There’s a push-pull with that. … Whatever they choose to do, we gotta be able to attack it and adapt to it.”
It’ll be interesting to see if the Pelicans decide to stick with Valanciunas for Game 4. If they elect to go small to match OKC’s speed, the Thunder should outscore them enough to complete the sweep.
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