Paulius Valinskas
{{short description|Lithuanian basketball player (born 1995)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Paulius Valinskas
| image = Paulius Valinskas 66 BC Žalgiris EuroLeague 20180223 (4).jpg
| caption = Valinskas with Žalgiris Kaunas in 2018
| position = Point guard / shooting guard
| number = 66
| league = Basketball League of Serbia
Adriatic League
| team = Borac Čačak
| height_m = 1.91
| weight_kg = 85
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1995|12|09|df=y}}
| birth_place = Kaunas, Lithuania
| draft_year = 2017
| career_start = 2013
| career_end =
| team1 = BC Žalgiris-2
| years1 = 2013–2016
| team2 = Žalgiris Kaunas
| years2 = 2016–2019
| team3 = →Lietkabelis Panevėžys
| years3 = 2018–2019
| team4 = →Orléans Loiret
| years4 = 2019
| team5 = Lietkabelis Panevėžys
| years5 = 2019–2021
| team6 = Okapi Aalst
| years6 = 2021–2022
| team7 = FMP
| years7 = 2022–2023
| team8 = Lietkabelis Panevėžys
| years8 = 2023–2024
| years9 = 2024–present
| team9 = Borac Čačak
| highlights = * 2× LKL champion (2017, 2018)
- 2× King Mindaugas Cup winner (2017, 2018)
- NKL most improved player (2016)
}}
Paulius Valinskas (born 9 December 1995) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for Borac Čačak of the Basketball League of Serbia and the ABA League. He is a {{convert|1.91|m|ftin|abbr=on}} tall combo guard.
Early career
During the 2015–16 season with BC Žalgiris-2, Valinskas won the National Basketball League silver medals after losing to BC Sūduva in the final. He averaged 14.5 points and 3.2 assists in 29 minutes of action and got the 2015–16 Most Improved Player Award.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketnews.lt/news-97347-labiausiai-patobulejes-nkl-zaidejas-valinskas-tai-buvo-paskutinis-mano-macas-sioje-ekipoje.html|title=Labiausiai patobulėjęs NKL žaidėjas Valinskas: "Tai buvo paskutinis mano mačas šioje ekipoje"|website=basketnews.lt|language=LT|accessdate=13 May 2016}}
Professional career
After a breakout season with Žalgiris-2, Valinskas was invited into the main Žalgiris team in the summer of 2016.{{cite web|url=https://www.basketnews.lt/news-100869-zalgiryje-debiutuosiantis-valinskas-esu-pasiruoses-kilti-i-aukstesni-lygi.html|title="Žalgiryje" debiutuosiantis Valinskas: "Esu pasiruošęs kilti į aukštesnį lygį"|website=basketnews.lt|language=LT|date=31 August 2016|accessdate=2 August 2019}} During his first two years, he saw little playing time. In the 2017–18 season, he averaged 4.7 points in the LKL and 2.8 points in the Euroleague. On 3 November 2017, during an away game against CSKA Moscow, Valinskas scored a career high 11 points, making 3 of his 4 three-pointers.
On 6 August 2018, Valinskas was loaned to Lietkabelis Panevėžys.{{cite web|url=http://zalgiris.lt/en/news/bc-zalgiris/74224/|title=Zalgiris inks Sabeckis and loans Valinskas|website=zalgiris.lt|date=6 August 2018|accessdate=7 June 2019}} In 55 games played during the season (both in the LKL and the Champions League), Valinskas averaged 11.9 points, 3.3 assists and 2.6 rebounds, shooting 46% from the field overall.
On 2 August 2019, he went on loan to French club Orléans Loiret Basket of the LNB Pro A.{{cite news|url=https://sportando.basketball/en/paulius-valinskas-signs-with-orleans/|title=Paulius Valinskas signs with Orleans|website=Sportando|date=2 August 2019|accessdate=4 August 2019}}
On 12 August 2021, Valinskas signed with Okapi Aalst of the Belgian BNXT League.{{cite web |title=Litouwse Paulius Valinskas nieuwe combo-guard |url=https://www.okapiaalst.be/2922-2/ |website=Okapi Aalst |access-date=13 August 2021 |language=nl-BE |date=12 August 2021}}
On 4 August 2022, Valinskas signed a two-year contract for FMP of the Basketball League of Serbia and the ABA League.{{cite web |title=FMP doveo pouzdanog šutera iz Litvanije |url=https://mozzartsport.com/kosarka/vesti/fmp-doveo-pouzdanog-sutera-iz-litvanije/426918 |website=mozzartsport.com|language=sr|access-date=4 August 2022}}{{cite web |title=Paulius Valinskas joins FMP Meridian on a 2-year deal |url=https://www.aba-liga.com/news/47217/paulius-valinskas-joins-fmp-meridian-on-a-2-year-deal/ |website=aba-liga.com |access-date=4 August 2022}} On 13 April 2023, he mutually parted ways with the Serbian club.{{cite web|title=FMP nutraukė kontraktą su P.Valinsku|url=https://www.krepsinis.net/mobile/naujiena/fmp-nutrauke-kontrakta-su-p-valinsku/327011|website=krepsinis.net|language=lt|date=13 April 2023|access-date=14 April 2022}} In 21 games played, he averaged 14.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.
On 9 September 2023, Valinskas returned to Lietkabelis Panevėžys for a third stint, signing a one-year contract.{{cite web|title=Į Panevėžį grįžta Paulius Valinskas|url=https://www.kklietkabelis.lt/i-panevezi-grizta-paulius-valinskas/|website=kklietkabelis.lt|language=lt|date=9 September 2023|access-date=9 September 2023}} He parted ways with the club on 30 April 2024.
On 12 July 2024, Valinskas was announced as the new player of KK Borac Mozzart.{{cite web|url=https://kkborac.rs/prvi-tim-nastavlja-da-se-pojacava-paulius-valinskas-novi-clan|title=PRVI TIM NASTAVLJA DA SE POJAČAVA, PAULIUS VALINSKAS NOVI ČLAN!|language=SR|date=12 July 2024|accessdate=24 September 2024}}
Career statistics
{{Euroleague player statistics legend}}
=EuroLeague=
{{Euroleague player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|2016–17
| style="text-align:left;"rowspan=2|Žalgiris
| 5 || 0 || 1.7 || .667 || .000 || .100 || .0 || .4 || .0 || .0 || 1.2 || 1.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|2017–18
| 25 || 1 || 8.9 || .371 || .310 || .750 || 1.1 || .7 || .2 || .0 || 2.6 || 2.5
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan=2|Career
| 30 || 1 || 7.45 || .519 || .310 || .673 || 1.9 || 2.3 || .4 || .0 || 2.5 || 2.3
{{s-end}}
=EuroCup=
{{Euroleague player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|2020–21
| style="text-align:left;"rowspan=2|Lietkabelis
| 9 || 7 || 26.1 || .425 || .455 || .667 || 2.2 || 1.2 || .4 || .0 || 11.0 || 5.8
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|2023–24
| 7 || 5 || 26.1 || .509 || .483 || .774 || 1.6 || 3.8 || .3 ||.0 || 13.1 || 10.6
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan=2|Career
| 16 || 12 || 26.9 || .466 || .468 || .727 || 1.9 || 2.5 || .4 || .0 || 11.9 || 8.7
{{s-end}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/players/paulius-valinskas/004664/ Paulius Valinskas] at euroleaguebasketball.net
- [http://www.lkl.lt/zaidejai/paulius-valinskas Paulius Valinskas] at lkl.lt
- [https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Paulius-Valinskas/Summary/27856 Paulius Valinskas] at realgm.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valinskas, Paulius}}
Category:BC Lietkabelis players
Category:BC Žalgiris-2 players
Category:Lithuanian expatriate basketball people in Belgium
Category:Lithuanian expatriate basketball people in France
Category:Lithuanian expatriate basketball people in Serbia
Category:Lithuanian men's basketball players
Category:21st-century Lithuanian sportsmen
Category:KK Borac Čačak players
Category:Okapi Aalstar players