Toronto Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas will not play in Game 1 against the Cavaliers and is doubtful for Game 2 of the conference finals, coach Dwane Casey said Monday. Casey sounded pessimistic about Valanciunas’ availability at any point in the series but isn’t ready to rule him out beyond the first two games.
“Just going to see how his body reacts and comes through rehab,” Casey said. “But to cancel him out for the entire series, I don’t know.”
Valanciunas sprained his right ankle in Game 3 of the conference semifinals and missed the remainder of the Raptors’ series against the Heat. He has not yet returned to basketball activities.
“We’re not going to jeopardize further hurting his ankle to get him out for a game,” Casey said. “He’s a little ways away from getting out there and contributing in a playoff game.”
Valanciunas is the 7-foot anchor to a Raptors defense that focuses on limiting opponents’ interior looks first. He was averaging 15 points and 12.1 rebounds in the postseason and has been replaced by Bismack Biyombo, who scored 17 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in the Raptors’ Game 7 win against the Heat. Biyombo is playing arguably the best basketball of his career following four relatively disappointing seasons with the Charlotte Hornets.
The Raptors, however, are driven by All-Star guards Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. Lowry raised eyebrows when he told ABC during his walkoff interview after the win over the Heat that LeBron James is “probably one of the best players in the league, besides Steph (Curry).”
Casey called James the best player in the league Monday. He believes Lowry was referring to Curry winning the Most Valuable Player award unanimously this season and dismissed the idea Lowry was taking a shot at James.
“Whoever is making a big deal about that has nothing else to write about,” Casey said. “There’s nothing but respect in our locker room and our organization for LeBron James. Anybody that thinks anything different or is trying to make anything out of that has nothing else to write about or tweet about or whatever they’re doing. The respect that we have for him and the respect I know I have for him and our staff has for him is unprecedented.”