Kyle Lowry scores 40 as Raptors beat T-Wolves | Toronto Sun
There was a decent turnout nonetheless and though the game felt at times like a never-ending parade of whistles and delays, there were still some interesting things to see. Most notably, Kyle Lowry continued his torrid pre-season play, bettering his previous two outings, which were quite impressive themselves with a ridiculous 40-point performance in 28 minutes in Toronto’s 112-107 victory. “He was hot as a firecracker. We aren’t running a lot of plays for him, but the ball is finding him,” Casey said. Only Vince Carter (38 points) had ever topped 35 in a pre-season contest, but Lowry caught fire in the third quarter, adding 18 points, to his first-half total of 22. Lowry 6-of-7 three-point attempts, before missing a couple of heat checks later on. Not that he was impressed. “Not a damn thing,” was Lowry’s response after he was informed about the accomplishment. “It’s only pre-season … for me, it’s about maintaining. Start off well, finish well.”
Lowry sets record with 40 points as Raptors down T-Wolves 112-105 | Raptors HQ
From the tip, Lowry looked terrifyingly quick and confident, “hotter than a firecracker” according to Casey. With his role defined, it allowed many of the other Raptors to assert their place. For Jonas Valanciunas, it meant rebounding (he had six) and being a bully in the paint (9-of-10 FTs). Newly acquired DeMarre Carroll, who shot poorly on the night, showed brains and a clever passing acumen. Cory Joseph came in to give the supernova Lowry a rest and work competently with everyone he was matched with. (His Tony Parker-lite moves are also a nice addition.) Bismack Biyombo played stellar defense, with his customary awful offense. Even Anthony Bennett, Normal Powell and Bruno Caboclo got into the action, with screening, some impressive drives and a massive block, respectively.
Game Rap: Raptors 112, Timberwolves 105 | Toronto Raptors
Luis Scola came off the bench to score 12 points in 21 minutes of action. He shot 4-for-6 from the floor, 4-for-4 from the free throw line while pulling down four rebounds. After the game Casey praised Scola’s experience and basketball IQ.
Wolves Lose to Raptors 112-105 | Canis Hoopus
The big story in this game was the play of Kyle Lowry, who has been on fire for the Raps this preseason. He took it to a new level tonight, putting 40 on the Wolves on 13-18 from the field in 28 minutes. All three of Lorenzo Brown, Tyus Jones, and Andre Miller took a try at guarding him, and they all failed.
Lowry drops 40 against T-Wolves, sets franchise record | Raptors Cage
Going into the third, the Raptors held a 60-59 lead, only looking to increase it. Lowry would take the game over, scoring four 3-pointers, including this eventual 4-point play, adding to his perfect 8-8 from the free-throw line.
Wolves’ Wiggins plays an effective half in his hometown | StarTribune.com
Former Wolves forward Anthony Bennett met his old mates Monday for the first time since his agent negotiated a contract buyout last month. Bennett signed as a free agent to return home to Toronto. “I felt way more comfortable here, with my family and friends and the great guys over here,” said Bennett, who had three points and five rebounds in 20 minutes. “My year in Minnesota, it was definitely fun. All those guys were all connected and basically we became a family. But at the same time, it’s a business.”
Raptors on the right track with revamped defense | Getting Benched
The obvious solution was ICE, a popular tactic deployed against the league’s staple play in the pick-and-roll. The general principles of ICE calls for guards to take away the middle while guiding his man towards the sideline, while the big drops back to shield the paint against the oncoming guard. The ultimate goal is to keep the play limited to one side of the floor in a 2-on-2 between the offense and defense. The Raptors’ scheme was the polar opposite. The defense often allowed (and sometimes encouraged) teams to go towards the middle while pressing their bigs up in an effort to pressure ball-handlers. Both strategies are valid, and in a league awakening to the value of shooting, blitzing might very well represent the way of the future. Certainly, the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks enjoyed plenty of success with siccing their legions of lengthy wings to rope off the perimeter.
A couple of Raptors things to look for as the pre-season trundles on | Toronto Star
With four pre-season games left there’s still a lot time to get everything truly set but there are some signs you shoud be looking for. Saturday’s tome dealt with one of them, finding out who fits best with whom in the frontcourt because Dwane’s got a few bodies and not nearly as many minutes to keep them all satisfied. I wonder if, when this all shakes out, they might like Scola with Valanciunas and Patterson with what could be an offensively-challenged second unit. Maybe that’s not how it works (I can see rebounding issues with that twosome and Dwane’s been harping on rebounding since camp began) but it might be how it works out. The other, I think, is a bit more interesting, and just as important. And that’s what they do at small forward when Carroll isn’t there because there doesn’t seem to be a lot of proven depth at that spot. Do they make DeRozan spend some time guarding threes when they know that’s not his strong suit? I know there’ll be thoughts about maybe Bennett there but every coach I’ve spoken to doesn’t think he’s a three. Maybe one of the kids? I do know they liked this Toupane fellow a lot but he’s been hurt and is a real longshot to be on the 15-man roster.
The 5 NBA teams with something to prove: Lakers, sure, but the Warriors? | CBSSports.com
There’s real talent here, though. Jonas Valanciunas is coming into his own. DeMar DeRozan has played at an All-Star level. They added DeMarre Carroll to give them a better defensive profile, and they seem to understand the importance of that end of the floor now. Their bench is better with Cory Joseph, Luis Scola and Bismack Biyombo. The real X-Factor here, though, is Kyle Lowry. An All-Star player who was soundly outplayed by John Wall in the playoffs, Lowry has always had an attitude. He’s gruff, and plays with vindictiveness over how he’s been perceived throughout his entire career. Lowry lost a huge amount of weight (he won’t say how much) this summer and looks like an entirely new person. That’s the mark of someone that went into the summer angry, stayed mad and resolved to make the changes he needed to in order to shut everyone up.
Anthony Bennett on the Raptors | Hardwood Paroxysm
Really: it’s a shame that Anthony Bennett’s name has been synonymous with tragi-comic failure, snark about his weight and sleep apnea overwhelming the glimmers of position-busting versatility he’s briefly shown on the NBA floor. Is there any other player in the league who is more relatable to us, the civilians who watch, agog, at these taut-muscled players who so reliably rip the nets from long distance? If you can’t identify with the visible cracks in Bennett’s self-esteem, if you can’t feel inspired by his quiet optimism in the face of each new devastating career turn, you’ve either unlocked and mastered the very mysteries of life itself, or you aren’t looking at your own life honestly enough. A few weeks ago, Bennett humbly agreed to lose millions of dollars — he’s earned about $11M in his career so far, and with his opportunities for future NBA earnings quickly dwindling — in humble pursuit of a better team situation. As ESPN’s report on his contract buyout indicates, his $3.6M buyout plus nearly $1M veteran’s minimum salary for this season fall well short of the $5.8M his original rookie salary would have owed him this season. But also: the fourth-year option on his rookie deal that would have been available to Bennett in 2016-17 — over $7M — is no longer available to him, and his odds of inking a comparable contract for that season are roughly equal to this year’s Sixers’ title hopes. By conceding that the Timberwolves have better options at power forward, as Minnesota GM Milt Newton frankly indicates in the above linked piece, Bennett is not acting like a souped-up lottery pick but instead like a stereotypically deferring, polite Canadian.
Bennett embraces fresh start with Raptors | TSN
By all accounts, Bennett appears to be an affable young man. Those who have come to know him, even over a trying couple years in the NBA, speak highly of his character. He’s an easy guy to root for. Few have questioned his talent, his natural ability. He’s got athleticism to spare, a developing jump shot and the tools to be a capable NBA player, but – among other things – injuries have prevented him from finding any kind of rhythm on the court, not to mention what that’s done to his confidence. “Just from the start, being hurt,” said Timberwolves head coach Sam Mitchell, an assistant when Bennett was in Minnesota last year. “He was hurt in Cleveland, had [shoulder] surgery, and [it affects] your confidence, not getting to play because you’re injured. All those things. And for a young player with a lot of high expectations, that’s tough.”
Toronto Raptors: the curious case of starting Patrick Patterson | Raptors Rapture
Patrick Patterson, one of the most offensively talented players on the team, has barely put up a shot at all throughout preseason, let alone take 3-pointers. In addition, Patterson has been exceptionally absent on the boards, allowing the Raptors to get frequently out-rebounded. It looks as though Patterson is being underutilize, and for his and the team’s benefit, I think he is best suited coming off the bench. This would give the Raptors a bench that could build their lead while the starters sit, not just hold the lead. This would also give Patterson more chances to find his own offensive groove in the rotation like teammate Terrence Ross. But if Patterson is on the bench, who should start in his position? The team’s two other power forwards aren’t without their cons. Luis Scola, though an underrated defender, would be paired with Jonas Valanciunas, and likely the duo would get taken advantage of by smaller and quicker lineups. Anthony Bennett, though blessed with the physical gifts to make him an effective defender and rebounder, hasn’t proven anything at the NBA level.
Jonas Valanciunas rank among NBA’s starting centers | RealGM
Cousins, both Gasols, D12, Al Horford are in the top tier. Then you have purely rebounders and shot blockers like Jordan. JV is not better than all of those type of players but is better rounded so holds his own.
Trade proposal: Chicago’s Taj Gibson to Raptors for…? | Raptors Rapture
Don’t stop reading – I haven’t lost my mind, and I love DD. But we need to maintain our composure, think like a General Manager, and understand DD’s contract situation. As most of you know, DeMar’s contract is in its penultimate year, and next year he can opt out of his 10 million dollar guarantee and become an unrestricted free agent. There’s little to no doubt DeMar will command a hefty raise, perhaps double his guarantee, as the NBA’s salary cap balloons to 90 million dollars per team.
Photo Credit: Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP
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