“One of the big focuses for us to advance in the playoffs is that he’s got to be the best rim protector — block shots, [legal] vertical [jumps] and being able to get over to that weak side early on any [dribble] penetration,” said Bill Bayno, the Raptors assistant coach who has worked extensively with Valanciunas. “At times he was great at it last year. … But we want it every night, 82 games.” By “best,” one assumes that Bayno meant he wants Valanciunas to be the best help defender he can be. “Best in the league,” Bayno clarifies. “We want him to be No. 1 in the NBA. We want that as a goal. Right now, [Pacers centre Roy] Hibbert is the best. We want him chasing Hibbert. If he comes up a little short, hopefully he’s going to be elite, one of the top five in the league.”
Lewenberg: Casey looking for “sense of urgency” on defence | TSN
The Raptors have a lot invested in third-year centre Jonas Valanciunas, hoping he can grow into the anchor of their defence but understanding he still has a ways to go. Amir Johnson has served in that role for years but has taken a physical beating. Although it’s still early and it generally takes longer for big men to re-adjust to game speed at this stage of camp, they’ve both stumbled a bit out of the gate. “[It’s] not only Jonas, it’s everybody,” Casey insisted. “It’s everybody, all the interior people. We’re just not there yet. These games don’t matter, whether we win or lose, but the habits we create now are very important.” “[There’s] no sense of urgency on the defensive end,” he continued. “We’re scoring the hell outta it. Everybody’s shooting the ball very well but that’s not going to win in this league.”
Raptors defence needs ‘better focus’ | Toronto Sun
“We’re not anywhere near the defensive intensity we need. We need a better focus, a better interest in playing defence and I don’t see that as a team,” Casey said. “I don’t expect us to be in February form, but we have to get out of the summer league, summer-time, one-on-one, no-interest-in-playing-defence mindset.” The Raptors were the only team in the Eastern Conference to rank in the league’s top 10 in both offensive and defensive rating (points scored/allowed per 100 possessions), but clearly the offence is far ahead of the defence right now. “We’re scoring the hell out of it, everybody’s shooting the ball very well, but that’s not going to win in this league,” Casey said.
DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry winning war for respect | theScore
The extra lining in their pockets hasn’t made Lowry and DeRozan complacent. As they enter the 2014-15 season with increased expectations, they realize they are the leaders. There’s no struggle to be the Alpha, though, just as there wasn’t when the two vouched for each other instead of themselves ahead of last season’s All-Star selections. “After that,” DeRozan said in July of the team’s heart-wrenching Game 7 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, a series best described as trench warfare. “I looked at Kyle as my friend, my brother outside of all of this basketball stuff … The way I was looking at it was that I trust my dog. You trust your best friend.” They are dissimilar people but with similar chips on their shoulders. Lowry’s oft-prickly demeanor is well-documented, but DeRozan, too, uses every slight as motivation.
Toronto Raptors’ DeMar DeRozan could cash in on NBA TV deal | National Post
“I think it’s pretty cool just to see where the league is going,” DeRozan said. “It’s definitely amazing. I went through a lockout year [before the shortened 2011-12 season]. A lot of teams and owners were screaming out that there wasn’t [any] money. Just to see it come back around in this type of way, to where it could be in the favour of the players, it’s definitely amazing.” In 2017, it is like the two sides will haggle over their share pie, as it is becoming more and more caloric. In 2016, though, players will get to cash in a little early. Even if DeRozan cannot negotiate a maximum-value contract, which would possibly earn him more than US$25-million annually, it would not be a surprise to see him double his current salary.
Bruno Caboclo finding his fit with Toronto Raptors | Toronto Star
“It’s different, but I feel OK. It’s normal,” said Caboclo. Figuring out how to spend his first NBA paycheque? That’s a much different story, he admitted, after having taken some good-natured teasing from Raptors assistant Jamaal Magloire over his impending riches during practice. “I don’t know yet. It’s so much money,” said Caboclo, who signed a rookie deal with the Raptors through the 2015-16 season. There are two team option years after that.
This season will be about learning for Raptors rookie Caboclo | TSN
“He plays the passing lane well, he can change shots at the rim, he’s long, can rebound. . . those are qualities that you can obviously see on him,” said Raptors all-star DeMar DeRozan. “He’s done great. He’s still young out there, he’s got a lot to learn, not just with basketball, but just getting comfortable speaking English, learning the language, learning everybody on the team,” DeRozan added. “Everybody has that little feeling when they first come into the league, being shy, you don’t want to say too much. But he’s done great.” Caboclo, who has two older sisters who grew up playing volleyball, works with an English tutor a couple of days a week, and teammate Greivis Vasquez helps facilitate communication in practice by speaking to Caboclo in Spanish. The Brazilian conjures memories of a young Jose Calderon, who arrived in Toronto Raptors training camp speaking little English in 2005. Not knowing the word “teammates,” Calderon referred to them as his “friends.”
Know Your Raptors: Chuck Hayes on Wagon Island | Sportsnet.ca
The 10-year vet didn’t see a ton of court time for the Raptors last season, but when he did, it was often at crucial moments. Despite giving up half a foot or more to most of his opponents, Hayes is one of the league’s most dependable post defenders. Whenever Valanciunas or Johnson was getting beat up badly down low, Hayes checked in and put out the fire. Toronto allowed 102.9 points per 100 possessions with Hayes on the bench in 2013-14 and 100.3 with him in the game—roughly the difference between Miami’s 11th-ranked defence and San Antonio’s unit, which ranked fourth.
New Faces in New Places: Atlantic Division | Basketball Insiders
After a brief stint in the D-League, Johnson returns to the Raptors a changed player. Johnson left the Raptors a couple of years ago after an incident with Raptors head coach Dwane Casey and appears to have put that in the past and is ready to provide the Raptors any type of role that they need. Now that the Raptors have stars in Lowry and DeRozan, Johnson knows that he won’t be the star in Toronto and accepts his role off of the bench. Johnson also brings an element of defense with him that will help when the team faces off against the better teams in the Eastern Conference.
