Picking an MVP for Each NBA Playoff Team Using Analytics

Jonas Valanciunas, Toronto Raptors

nERD: 16.0

The 2016 NBA Playoffs have been a coming out party for the 24-year-old (as of today) Jonas Valanciunas. While his All-Star teammates, DeMar DeRozan (-18.9 nERD) and Kyle Lowry (-13.8 nERD) have combined to shoot a paltry 32.5% from the field and 16.0% from long range over nine games this postseason, JV has carried the team on his broad Lithuanian shoulders.

The birthday boy is averaging 14.9 points, 12.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 1.0 steal, and 1.6 blocks in 29.2 minutes per game, while shooting 54.5% from the field and 81.3% from the free throw line this postseason.

His rebounding, in particular, is a large part of the reason that the struggling Raptors are still even alive, as he's currently second in the NBA Playoffs in Offensive Rebound Percentage (16.9%), fourth in Defensive Rebound Percentage (32.2%), and third in Total Rebound Percentage (24.0%).

He has dominated matchups on the offensive end in both series Toronto has played so far this postseason as well, scoring 1.28 points per possession as the roll man on pick-and-rolls (82nd percentile) and 0.92 on post-ups (64th percentile). He currently leads the league in points scored on putbacks with 31.