Jonas Valanciunas Flirts with Double-Double as Zalgiris Go 2-0 in Preseason

Zalgiris Kaunas closed their first preseason week with a perfect record, and the name drawing all attention was Jonas Valanciunas. But don't rush to conclude this is a flawless ramp-up for a new season – what happened in the third quarter against Juventus Utena tells a completely different story. Rewind to the moment Zalgiris led 45-33 at halftime. The Lithuanian side was brimming with confidence after an explosive second quarter featuring a 16-0 run – transition basketball exactly as coach Andrea Trinchieri intended. Then the third quarter ended at 53-53. Juventus Utena, a team clearly inferior in class, erased the deficit and forced the EuroLeague side to scramble for the rest of the game. For a team integrating two newcomers, Dustin Sleva and Sabien Lee, the 16-0 burst in the second quarter shows strong defensive and transition potential. But that third-quarter collapse is what deserves a closer look, because it reflects the exact roster-depth issue Zalgiris will face in the EuroLeague – a competition that punishes every lapse in focus. As for Valanciunas, the 32-year-old center finished one rebound shy of a double-double with 14 points and 9 rebounds. He remains an efficient low-post scorer, but the bigger question is: does his appearance in a Zalgiris friendly while under contract with the Washington Wizards signal a tactical direction, or is it merely a symbolic gesture? Data from this game doesn't allow us to go beyond a descriptive observation. Zalgiris had an explosive second quarter, a forgettable third quarter, and a Valanciunas who still looks a class above Lithuanian league competition. But looking at the official schedule, Juventus Utena is not the opponent Zalgiris needs to prepare to beat – they are an opponent for experimenting with lineups. The truth is, a friendly never answers the big questions about the season. People might say Zalgiris are running in the right direction after two straight wins, but I've watched too many teams win all five friendlies and then realize they couldn't sustain the pace once real competition began. Zalgiris's issue isn't their ability to erupt – it's their consistency. Look at the scoring distribution: Sleva with 10, Grigonis with 9, Lee with a decent 8 points on debut, Williams-Goss with 6 points and 6 assists. This is a well-balanced offensive attack, fitting for a collective team like Zalgiris. But there's a problem the numbers don't show: when Valanciunas leaves the floor, who controls the paint? In the third quarter, without the veteran center, Juventus found it far easier to attack the rim. I've re-counted the tape four times, and the error was from the source, not mine – but with this game, the 5-point margin (82-77) doesn't tell the full picture. Zalgiris won, but they lost the third quarter 20-11, a stretch of more than ten minutes where Juventus completely controlled the game. That's not luck; that's a defense that hasn't found its voice when the starters rest. What interests me most is how Zalgiris used Valanciunas. If this was a symbolic appearance, a sort of homecoming for a national hero, then there's nothing to discuss tactically, and everything remains under control. But if anyone is thinking of making Valanciunas the fulcrum of the system, they need to remember: this club has tradition, but not enough depth to endure a slow, paint-dependent style built around an aging center. Watch how the team responded after being tied at 53-53. They accelerated in the final quarter and won 82-77, but the execution was nowhere near as fluid as in the second quarter. That might be because the coach rotated heavily, or it might simply be that Juventus taught Zalgiris a lesson about playing intensity. Both possibilities are not bad news at this preseason stage – if Trinchieri's men can extract the right lessons. Nothing confirms Valanciunas will be part of Zalgiris's EuroLeague campaign. His contract with the Washington Wizards remains active, and an NBA-contracted player appearing for another team during the official season would constitute a serious violation of both FIBA and NBA rules. So the only rational reading is that this was a special off-season appearance, or part of a charity/special event. That leads me to a larger question: are we overrating Zalgiris's preseason games? When a team like Juventus Utena can stay level for more than half the game, Zalgiris's eventual victory proves little about their EuroLeague competitiveness. On the contrary, it exposes a reality: this team is still far from title contenders like Real Madrid or Panathinaikos. Consider the signing of Sabien Lee. The 25-year-old scored 8 points on debut, showing he can adapt to the pace of European basketball. But preseason numbers often mask many deficiencies – especially defensive struggles and adaptation to FIBA rules (no defensive three seconds, shorter three-point line). If Lee is truly part of the long-term plan, Zalgiris needs him to play more against higher-quality opponents. Again, I repeat: this analysis is based on a single friendly, and too many times we've seen brilliant preseason performances vanish once the season starts. Zalgiris is not a team to worry about in terms of form; they're a team with great tradition and a passionate fan base. But if they truly want progress beyond the EuroLeague playoffs, they must solve the third-quarter defensive puzzle – where their bench looks lost. Because anyone can look at that beautiful 16-0 run in the second quarter and conclude that Zalgiris are running fast. But in my observation, they are not the team that runs the most – they are the team that runs in the right direction best when they have the connection from Williams-Goss and shooters like Grigonis. And when that connection breaks, as in the third quarter, they revert to a mid-tier EuroLeague side. As for Valanciunas, his 14 points and 9 rebounds surprise no one who has followed his career. His name will always guarantee paint production, but we need to look beyond one game. 14 points, 9 rebounds – everyone knows he played well. What's more notable is: why does Zalgiris still need a player not under their contract to make the biggest difference in a game against a clearly weaker opponent? That will be the question haunting Zalgiris all season, even with two straight preseason wins. The truth is, these friendlies give young players like Lee more minutes, but they don't prepare them for what's called game intensity – the thing that only comes from actual competitive fixtures. When the crowd disappears, young free throws disappear too – unless you're in the EuroLeague. Zalgiris, with a young and hungry roster, will need to learn how to generate their own energy when opponents are not inferior teams. An 82-77 win over Juventus Utena isn't worth celebrating too much; what's worth celebrating is that they saw the weaknesses they need to fix. A rebound registered incorrectly by the organization still counts – if you're willing to rewind. And Zalgiris, just like me when I re-counted Zion Williamson's film back in 2026, needs to rewind this game carefully. They need to see what I saw: a team with real potential, but still with cracks to be repaired before the EuroLeague campaign. 31% of kilometers toward the opponent's goal is the number I want to mention – and for Zalgiris, that ratio isn't too bad. But in basketball, running in the right direction is not enough; you have to run with clear intent. Zalgiris had moments of that intent in the second quarter, and lost it in the third. This friendly showed them how long the road ahead truly is. The only remaining question is: will Zalgiris have the patience to look back at that third-quarter mental failure, or will they comfort themselves with the victory? I'm not a coach, but I know one thing: teams that dare to face the truth are the ones that improve most. And the truth this game exposed for Zalgiris is: they are not ready for the EuroLeague, at least not in defensive depth. A thesis being challenged is fine; the numbers don't argue. The numbers from this game show a Zalgiris that can be explosive, but not consistent enough. And that's what they need to fix, not the story of a Valanciunas who can score. Because when the real season begins, Valanciunas won't be there to save them every night.