Alright folks, let’s talk Raptors 905. They had a New Year’s Eve game and lost 119-105 to Sioux Falls, who are very good (13-3). The 905…are not (5-13). But that’s OK. We’re going to do things a little differently today because it’s New Year’s Day and I feel like it. Also,
Some notes off the top
*Apologies for the delay in recap. I battled with the idea of going down to cover the game because three NBA players were assigned, but I’ve literally taken one day off since the season started and needed a night off. With a 7:30 tip-time, I would have been in a Tim Horton’s writing the recap as the clock struck midnight. As attractive as some of the fine customer service representatives at the Hurontario-and-401 Tims are, I deemed it more necessary to pretend to live a real life for a night. Now…no days off in 2016.
*Ronald Roberts sat with a sore left knee. It was heavily taped and iced as he was leaving the arena Wednesday – he got kicked during the game but had been dealing with soreness before that – and it doesn’t sound like there’s anything going on beyond general wear-and-tear. The timing is tough for Roberts, who surely wanted to be in the game both to help the team and continue auditioning for a potential NBA job, but also needs to be in top shape for next week’s D-League Showcase and any eventual call-up. I was told this morning that he’s expected to play Saturday.
*Ashton Smith sat again with a sprained ankle.
*Anthony Bennett didn’t play in the second half due to lower back stiffness. It sounds like this was mostly precautionary and it shouldn’t effect his availability for Friday’s game against Charlotte, should he be recalled.
Prospect watch
The Raptors assigned Delon Wright and Anthony Bennett to join Norman Powell for the game. Bruno Caboclo was recalled for a night off. Those moves were explained in more detail here, and what follows are a few notes on each assignee.
Norman Powell
21 points, seven rebounds, five assists, one steal, six turnovers, 7-of-18 shooting, 0-of-5 on threes
There’s really not much most D-League defenders can do to keep him from getting to the rim. What Powell and the 905 are focusing on now is distributing off the bounce, making better decisions once he bends the defense, and determining when to attack and when to facilitate. He did well in that regard Wednesday, and Thursday was a mixed bag – he made some really athletic passes, made the extra pass on the perimeter, and was probably the best he’s looked in terms of making quick decisions.
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The precision and timing are still a work in progress, as can be expected, and it’s leading to a heavy volume of turnovers. This is entirely fine. In terms of player development, you’d strongly prefer a player making plays and mistakes than neither, and Powell’s future role in the NBA depends in part on how well his drive-and-dish game develops. He has an NBA skill in terms of getting to the rim; finishing against NBA length and using that skill to open up things for others could be the difference between deep reserve and regular rotation player.
In five games with the 905, he’s averaging 25.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, four assists, two steals, and 3.2 turnovers with a 53.2 true-shooting percentage. Good as he is attacking, there are still important things he’s working on, so those calling for him to be in the Raptors rotation should be patient.
Delon Wright
15 points, two rebounds, seven assists, two turnovers, 5-of-13 shooting, 1-of-4 on threes
Wright’s a strange guy to watch and evaluate in the D-League, because he doesn’t stand out possession to possession like Powell. For a 23-year-old point guard, that’s almost surely a positive, as he’s composed and poised running the offense. Thursday was particularly hard because there seemed a clear edict to let Powell run the offense for stretches, and Wright isn’t someone who commands spot-up attention yet. When he did have the ball, it was more of what we’ve seen plenty of at this level – passes you didn’t notice were there, quick bursts to the rim, and funky drives that throw defenders off their rhythm, as he kind of just waits for the defense to open up a hole for him.
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The somewhat poor shooting night has a little to do with playing off-ball and a little to do with some trouble finishing against help, but his performance was mostly encouraging. You’d like to see him help a little more on the defensive glass, something that was expected to be a skill but has ind of come and gone game by game. And stop picking up your dribble so early!
Through nine games now, he’s averaging 16.2 points, five rebounds, 7.2 assists, and 1.4 steals with a 61.8 true shooting percentage and strong man-to-man defense. He’s a bit too advanced for this level, but he’ll continue to get minutes until something opens up with the parent club.
Anthony Bennett
As mentioned, he didn’t play in the second half due to lower back tightness. He played 5:36 in the first half, going 0-of-3 from the floor with two rebounds, an assist, and a turnover.
This is remarkably disappointing, not because of his performance, but because I’m having a lot of trouble evaluating Bennett right now. We get a ton of questions about where he’s at right now, why he isn’t playing, whether he’s getting better, if he should be cut, and so on, and the honest answer is that I don’t know. He was obviously bad in his first two seasons but I saw an NBA player somewhere in there, and he looked good for most of the summer. He also works his tail off, and the team seems to remain confident in his long-term upside.
But he’s played 58 NBA minutes this year and now 29 D-League minutes, which just isn’t enough time to get a good look at a guy. His earlier D-League game was terribly disappointing, but shortly after he got real NBA action and looked capable, if shaky. I know what the team thinks he can be, and there’s not much choice but to hope for the same, but it’s really difficult to evaluate a player in three-minute stints.
So the answer to all your questions remains “shrug” until he gets some more actual run.
This, though, isn’t exactly encouraging.
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This simple attack of a closeout is.
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Other game notes
*”It was bad. That is your recap.” – A note from a friend before I watched. They were correct.
*Axel Toupane (20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, six rebounds, three assists) turned in a terrific game bumped into the starting lineup. His flexibility has been key for head coach Jesse Mermuys, and while he seems most comfortable leading the second unit, he really stepped up Thursday. Turnovers (four) remain a bit of an issue, but he looks to make aggressive plays enough that they’re understandable.
*Sim Bhullar (two points, four rebounds) played, which is notable. He played a season-high 21 minutes on Wednesday, and while he didn’t look very good in his 11 minutes Thursday, the fact that the team trust him in a back-to-back is a good sign.
*Scott Suggs (21 points, 6-of-9 on threes) spit fire from long-range. He’s the team’s most reliable player when it comes to creating offense for himself, but I remain unsure if he’s good enough at that one thing to have a shot at an NBA role.
*The 905 play again Saturday and your boy will be on hand for more proper coverage. Here’s hoping at least two of the prospects remain with the team.
Happy new year, all.
