Toronto Raptors 2015-16 Player Preview: You’re going to like DeMarre Carroll | Raptors HQ
Altogether, Carroll grades out as a league average-ish stopper. ESPN’s Defensive Real Plus/Minus ranked Carroll 35th out of 75 qualified small forward in terms of defensive impact per game last year, having him down as a just-about neutral defender with a -0.38 DRPM. That’s exactly why Carroll’s so valuable to his new team. It’s already been mentioned here, and has been drilled into the brains of Raptors supporters for months: Toronto’s perimeter defense last year was the equivalent of Enes Kanter’s rim-protection – it stunk. And it probably won’t surprise you to find out that the man who ranked dead last last on the ESPN list of small forwards was Terrence Ross, with a hilariously bad -3.77 DRPM. Defensively speaking, inserting Carroll into Ross’ starting spot is the equivalent of replacing 38-year-old Paul Pierce with Kidd-Gilchrist. It’s a significant upgrade that will have trickle down effects for the rest of the Raptors’ defense.
‘Blue-collar’ DeMarre Carroll ready to help Raptors take the next step | CBSSports.com
Carroll is the kind of player who makes coaches apologize for speaking in clichés. Smith said repeatedly that he “gets it,” and has the “it factor,” fondly recalling him challenging all of his teammates in quarter-mile races. Anderson said he always had a nose for the basketball and his work ethic is second to none. Casey said he sets the tone in practice and he makes everybody else bring their hard hats. At training camp, Carroll told Raptors guard Cory Joseph that he “might have come back home and got $30 million, but you still haven’t proven nothing yet.” “A lot of guys ain’t been through what I’ve been through,” he said. “A lot of guys haven’t been shot while they were in college, haven’t had a liver condition. So I think I’ve been through tougher situations. It’s my job to be a leader and get guys who haven’t really been through a lot in their life to understand that this game ain’t promised to you.” As Atlanta tore through the Eastern Conference, Carroll monitored the competition on NBA League Pass. He assessed Toronto accurately: “Great offensive team. A lot of iso-ball. But defensively they really didn’t have a guy who’s going to come in, who’s going to demand defense. They got beat a lot of times on the defensive end and that’s how they lost a lot of close games.”
Raptors’ Patrick Patterson shrugs off slow pre-season start | Toronto Star
“It’s pre-season. Whether I drop 100 or whether we go out there and embarrass them it doesn’t matter at the end of the day,” Patterson continued about the game against the team that swept Toronto in the playoffs last season. “It’s just going out there and having fun playing against John (Wall, Patterson’s former Kentucky teammate) again, having an opportunity to play another basketball game and just get better with my teammates.” Dropping 100 might be excessive, but a scoring outburst wouldn’t hurt Patterson. The starting power forward job is assumed to be Patterson’s but the 26-year-old has had a largely underwhelming pre-season. He’s been hesitant to shoot that three-point shot that coach Dwane Casey speaks so highly of. On Sunday against Cleveland, Patterson was 2-4 from three-point range but has averaged 3.5 points and 1.8 rebounds in 19.2 minutes in the Raptors’ 4-2 pre-season.
Raptors Roundtable: Making sense of Casey’s front-court rotation | Sportsnet.ca
The starting gig is Patterson’s to lose, which, if pre-season is any indication, he just might. That opens the door for Scola, who is more dependable yet carries far less potential. Johnson and Bennett are both complete wild cards at this point. And with due respect to Donnovan, James Johnson is clearly the most physically-gifted of the group— the dude can kick the rim fer crissakes! Think about that for a second. Of course, that doesn’t make a difference to Casey, who’ll likely employ the most enigmatic member of his team with the same inconsistency as last season. Regardless, the power forward situation will likely be the biggest ongoing subplot surrounding the team, especially if Patterson struggles as a starter continue.
Raptors Roundtable: Is this version of Kyle Lowry for real? | Sportsnet.ca
Lowry consistently plays like he has something to prove. He started this preseason well and I expect he will start the year well also. The difference will come after the all-star break. That’s when he and the team slowed down last year. Kyle seems to have the attitude that says “You don’t think I can do it but just watch me keep it up for an entire season…and the playoffs” His revamped body is his way of putting everyone on notice. He wants to be able to say: “I told you so.”
Lewenberg: Raptors will live or die based upon Lowry | TSN
Naylor and Feschuk spoke to TSN Raptors Insider Josh Lewenberg, who says Kyle Lowry is playing at a fantastic level, and despite his weight loss, his added quickness has not sacrificed his ability to attack the basket with strength and get to the free throw line.
Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry among players set to outperform ADP | Fantasy Basketball
The newly svelte Nova product is leading the league this preseason in scoring, thanks in large part to a massive usage rate of 31.1 and 7.5 free throws per game — good for sixth in the league. As John Cregan recently noted in his auction draft breakdown, point guard is a top-heavy market this season, with managers best served netting at least one elite option at the position. I consider Lowry to be a far closer fantasy peer to the Clippers’ Chris Paul and other upper-crust options at the position, rather than into the late third, where he’s found going in ESPN drafts on average this fall.
Raptors Roundtable: Will Terrence Ross bounce back in 2015-16? | Sportsnet.ca
With Greivis Vasquez and Lou Williams gone — and Patterson potentially starting — there isn’t a lot of offence in the 2nd unit (Joseph can score, but he’ll likely be relied upon for his playmaking and defence more than anything else). Ross added some muscle in the off season as well so, in theory, he should be adept at getting into the lane and taking contact in addition to continuing his tendency to look for his outside shot.
Know Your Raptors ep. 7: Bismack Biyombo | Sportsnet.ca
Despite his 6’9” frame, Biymobo’s contributions to the Raptors likely won’t always be seen and noted by many. Signed for his athleticism, physicality and defensive abilities, Biyombo has looked strong away from the ball through pre-season, providing excellent coverage in the paint. A lot of what he does won’t show up on the score sheet but the stability he’ll provide the Raptors on defense is invaluable, even if it isn’t headline material.
Know Your Raptors ep. 8: Cory Joseph | Sportsnet.ca
It didn’t take much for Toronto to become a fan of Cory Joseph. Not only is Joseph a hometown kid— born in Scarborough— but when he signed with the Raptors, he also became the only player on the team with an NBA championship ring. As if it weren’t enough, Drake then took it upon himself to reference Joseph in his song, “Charged Up”: “I get a ring and I bring it home like I’m Cory Joe.” He decided to adorn the no. 6 jersey for the Raps as well. OK, so it was something of a homecoming for Joseph. How he plans to fit in with the Raptors is another story.
Demar Derozan Shot Type: Made, Missed, and Percentage 2014-2015 | RealGM
I was just messing around with the NBA API and retrieved the shot chart dataset of Demar Derozan. Here is the shot type distribution table ordered by total made baskets and its corresponding percentages. This is not meant to be a case for or an indictment against Demar Derozan. Just merely an observation of what type of shots he took last year and how often he made them. I can make graphical shot charts of any player so I might be working on that in the next couple of days. Not really sure how the shot type is determined. Might be synergy, might be SportsVU.
Raptors 905 team will have intriguing list of prospects | Toronto Star
There will be players there every now and then who have NBA contracts — Bruno Caboclo, Lucas Nogueira, Delon Wright, Norman Powell and perhaps Anthony Bennett — but the others are just as intriguing. Axel Toupane, Shannon Scott, Ronald Roberts and Michale Kyser are intriguing prospects the Raptors hope to keep around. D-League roster rules allow NBA teams to place up to four players who’ve been in the main camp as “affiliate players” to their D-League team, if the players sign D-League contracts. That’s likely the fate of Toupane, Scott, Roberts and Kyser, although some team officials fear Toupane will be snapped up by another NBA team when he’s placed on waivers sometime on the weekend.
Raptors 905 – who’s making the team, & why do we care | Raptors Rapture
Michael Kyser has appeared in one game, with no points. Lucas Nogueira hasn’t seen the floor yet. One has to wonder if he’ll be waived. Ronald Roberts has played in three games, but I’ll be gobsmacked if he stays with the big team; likewise Shannon Scott. Axel Toupane hasn’t scored in two games. Keeping Bruno Caboclo with the Raptors makes no sense – he needs to play, and he’s provided little evidence he’s ready for the beating he’ll take in the NBA.
NBA Countdown: #28 of 30 TORONTO RAPTORS Preview | The News Hub
Despite improvements from the Heat and Pacers, this has the makings of a very good season for Toronto. Lowry has been excellent in pre-season, and Carroll should continue his fine form on both sides of the court this year. But it is the playoffs where improvements must be shown from a side with so much potential. Home court advantage in the first round should be the aim for the Raptors this season, but it will be extremely tight between 3rd and 5th, meaning a finish in any of those three positions is highly possible. However the loss of Williams’ points off the bench is something I believe the Raps have failed to replace, and that could be costly when two of Lowry, DeRozan or Carroll take to the bench. The pick is that Carroll will be paired with his old teammates in the opening round of the playoffs in April next year.
The AUX Toronto Raptors 2015/2016 season preview (featuring Drake) | AUX.TV
Last season’s humiliating finish did have the positive effect of splashing a bit of cold water on the wildly out-of-control expectations of many Raptors fans. All anyone really wants from the team is to win a playoff series. With their revamped roster making an increased focus on playing defence and sharing the ball (not to mention Jose Bautista hopefully bat-flipping the professional sports monkey off of Toronto’s collective back), they are poised to do just that. A solid improvement this year will leave the Raptors in a great position for next offseason, when they’ll be flush with cap space and will have the opportunity to lock down a marquee, franchise-altering free agent. Don’t worry, Drake is already all over it.
NBA Preseason Power Rankings | For The Fan Inside Us All
DeMarre Carroll does give this team another solid option on the wing to go with DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. They lack depth and may fall behind young up and coming teams such as the Bucks and Wizards.
Send me any Raptors-related articles I may have missed: rapsfan@raptorsrepublic.com
