Valanciunas, Lithuanians eye redemption

MANILA, Philippines — New Orleans slotman Jonas Valanciunas headlines a Lithuanian team out for redemption in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Manila.

The 31-year-old Valanciunas, who averaged 14.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists for the Pelicans, provides the experience and strong inside presence as the Baltic Giants bid to bounce back from missed quarterfinal stints in the last WC and EuroBasket.

The 6-foot-11 is the only NBA talent in the squad with Sacramento’s All-Star center Domantas Sabonis skipping the campaign due to thumb injury and Azuolas Tubelis, who signed a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers, cut from the final roster.

Valanciunas, the fifth overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft, accounted for 14 markers and 8.8 boards per game in 2019 when Lithuania wound up ninth overall in the previous WC in China.

Aside from his basketball career, Valanciunas has film credits under his belt. He acted in the 2016 Lithuanian black comedy “Received Call 3” as a village thief and appeared earlier in the 2012 documentary “The Other Dream Team,” which chronicled the inspirational journey of the 1992 Olympics team that became symbols of Lithuania’s independence movement from Soviet rule and won bronze in Barcelona.

Seven-footer Donatas Motiejunas, who had past NBA stints with Houston, New Orleans and San Antonio, is expected to form a lethal twin tower combo with Valanciunas.

FC Barcelona 22-year-old point guard Rokas Jokubaitis, fresh from winning the Spanish Cup and the EuroLeague Rising Star award, is also tipped to get his time to shine in the tournament.

Lithuania is up against Montenegro, Mexico and Egypt in Group D of the world meet at the MOA Arena.