Toronto has spent the money and drafted young talent, so what’s next? | ESPN
We have no firm idea what exactly that team is. Carroll and Valanciunas have played just 15 games together, and Carroll hasn’t been healthy since injuring his knee in the conference finals. If higher-ups think the healthy version of that team could push Cleveland, Ujiri has assets to dangle ahead of next month’s trade deadline: the Knicks’ pick in the coming draft (thanks, Andrea!), a future pick from the Clippers and all his own picks plus a gaggle of young guys who can’t get on the floor because the Raptors are too good. Toronto could flip some of that for help on the wing, or an upgrade at power forward — the biggest long-term hole on the roster. “We already have so many young players,” Ujiri said. “And those extra picks over the next two years — we can’t use all those picks. So [a trade] is always something you’re looking at.” Alas, most signs point toward inertia — especially for a team that wins just enough that any shake-up feels like a gamble. With at least 13 teams chasing playoffs spots in the East, there may not be enough sellers willing to swap good players for future assets. “Adam [Silver] has done a great job creating parity,” Ujiri said. “I don’t know if that will create more deals or less deals, but it seems like less to me.”
DeMar DeRozan’s inside approach paying off big time for Raptors | SI.com
he byproduct of DeRozan’s added aggression is what Raptors coach Dwane Casey called the best stretch of basketball of his career. On the season, he maintains a stat line of 22.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists, but also boasts the highest PER of his career (21.1) and best true shooting percentage since his rookie season (54.9%). This success should speak for itself, but in a time when the three-point shot is more popular than ever, DeRozan’s methods don’t always stand out. DeRozan, who attempts 1.8 three-pointers each night, takes 15.4 shots inside the arc per game and has put up a whopping 601 on the season, which is more than any other player in the league, including paint-dwellers like Andre Drummond and Brook Lopez. In the past, when DeRozan’s shot selection was less refined, this approach might have had an adverse effect. That’s far from the case this season, though. What DeRozan might lack in three-point looks has been replaced with efficient inside play.
Re-Poll: Should the Raptors re-sign DeMar DeRozan? | Raptors HQ
It’s hard to overstate the fact that this last point is the real driver of the discussion. DeRozan is having the best season of his career and maximizing every inch of his game. He may never become an elite three point shooter, but his skill at creating buckets, getting to the line and, as Lowe notes, playing in the pick and roll, have made him extremely valuable. The question of course is: how valuable? I feel like I’ve asked this question before (because I have), but now we’re in the middle of the season and the Raptors are in second in the Eastern Conference and DeRozan is having a career year, so it feels fair to ask it again.
NBA Rumors: Raptors, Hornets Will Need To Max Out DeRozan, Batum | Sir Charles in Charge
If the Raptors and Hornets don’t have interest in giving the max to their impending free agents, there will be a number of teams ready to swoop in. And one of them could very well be the Los Angeles Lakers, who will have plenty of money to play with this summer. The Lakers have already been linked to DeRozan during the last few weeks, and their interest in him is not being hidden. They have wanted him for a while now (reportedly) and they’ll finally have a chance to pursue him in a few months. Of course, if the Raptors give DeRozan the max money that he’ll likely demand on the open market, none of this matters. He’ll be remaining in Toronto.
Los Angeles Lakers Look To Offer DeMar DeRozan Max Deal | The Sports Quotient
But there’s still one obstacle standing between a DeRozan-Los Angeles reunion: the Raptors. According to a report by Marcel Mutoni of SLAMonline.com, DeRozan said he wants to remain with the Raptors for the rest of his career.
Bet on Lou Williams Recruiting DeMar DeRozan for Lakers | The Hoops Doctor
There ya go. The Lakers clearly signed Lou Williams, a ball-dominant scorer they really didn’t need, so that he could become a pivotal part of their DeRozan pitch in 2016. It’s perfect. Genius. Infallible. The Lakers will need a Kobe Bryant replacement, and why invest in restricted free agent Jordan Clarkson or bank on one of Williams and Nick Young when you can throw $20-plus million annually at DeRozan, who, like Kobe, has managed to carve out an All-Star resume despite being incapable of knocking down threes?
A photo posted by @mffdjky on
DeRozan’s All-Star fate could rest on votes for Lowry | TSN
Here’s the conundrum. After the starters are announced on Jan. 21, the NBA’s head coaches will select the seven reserves for each team. The coaches only vote for their conference, but can’t vote in their own players. If Lowry does not get chosen by the fans, there’s some question as to whether or not the coaches would reward two Raptors, especially considering the strength of the East this season. Sure, Toronto entered Tuesday’s action nine games above .500, with the second-best record in the conference, but the East is better and more balanced than it has been in almost two decades. More teams are winning, meaning there are more players worthy of All-Star consideration, particularly at the guard position.
Raptors GM Ujiri hints at using extra picks as trade bait | Sportsnet.ca
Armed with four first-round draft picks between this year and next, including one that will become the lesser of the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks picks this year, the Raptors have attractive trade pieces. “We already have so many young players,” Ujiri told ESPN’s Zach Lowe. “And those extra picks over the next two years – we can’t use all those picks. So (a trade) is always something you’re looking at.” In all likelihood this would be the most effective way for the Raptors to add without giving up too much, especially because the team doesn’t necessarily need to, nor have room for freshly-drafted talent.
A photo posted by Anthony B 🚶💬 (@ab3nnett) on
Raptors Would Like To Deal Future Pick For Immediate Player | RealGM Wiretap
The Raptors became inadvertent contenders when they were unable to agree upon a Kyle Lowry deal in 2013 shortly after trading away Rudy Gay and are now looking to take their next step towards contention.
Toronto Raptors’ Bigs, Firing Away From the Corners | Nylon Calculus
Patterson and Scola are ranked in the top-3 on the percentage of three-point attempts that come from the corner, and both spend an unusual amount of time in the corners considering their position. Ibaka, who leads the list, will functionally always pop to the foul line when screening on the wings and from the top of the key, which limits his attempts above the break. Scola, gets the bulk of his three-pointers from the left corner screening for DeRozan and spacing to the corner, but he will run to the corners transition, not the wing or the top of the key for the trailing three-pointer as do many shooting bigs. The Raptors run a lot of down screens to get DeRozan on the move with the ball, and those are the situations where the big after screening spreads to the corner, leading to an unorthodox three-point distribution for the Raptors’ power forwards.
In our 29th episode, Koreen and MacKenzie ponder whether the Raptors should make a trade in the wake of DeMarre Carroll’s injury, discuss DeMar DeRozan’s excellent play and ask whether the Brookyln Nets are the NBA’s most depressing team.
Raptors Prospect Report: Powell being groomed as a ‘Tony Allen’-type stopper | Sportsnet.ca
“I think with him it’s more of just getting reps as a key defensive stopper,” says Raptors 905 GM Dan Tolzman. “In the D-League he’s gonna be expected to come in and try to shut down the best player on the other team. In the NBA I don’t know if he’s there yet, where he’s expected to go against the top scorers in the league, but for him to get on the court in the NBA that’s where [his playing time] is gonna come from.” Head coach Jesse Mermuys sees great potential in Powell as a true lockdown defender, but feels like there’s a lot he still needs to learn. “He’s gotta develop as a one-on-one defender as his specialty. Like a Tony Allen, or a Jimmy Butler, or a P.J. Tucker. Those guys that are all-defensive team-type guys that they make your life [very difficult]. Even when guys get 20-plus, which they’re going to because it’s the way that the league is setup with the foul calls, you make ‘em work for everything, you wear ‘em down. So he’s gotta develop that.
Raptors coach Nurse cut his path to NBA in England | Toronto Sun
Jonas Valanciunas got his military orders on Monday. And were he not a globally famous athlete he might be heading home today to fulfill those military obligations. He was among 3,000 19-27-year-old men enlisted to serve his country of Lithuania for nine months to address a declining military base and rising tensions in their corner of the world. Lithuania mothballed compulsory military service in 2008 but brought it back this past September in part to address tensions in nearby Ukraine. “I got drafted to the military yesterday. I had fun,” Valanciunas said smiling before turning serious. “Actually it’s a good thing because this is a mandatory thing and you have to protect your country. I would really do that if I were living in Lithuania but I have a different scenario and I have to take care of my baby (daughter).”
Drake not promoting Lowry or DeRozan for the All-Star Game. | Reddit
I have a feeling either Kyle and DeMar told him not to tweet/IG out because they want to earn it or Drake’s waiting for the last day to be dramatic or some shit.
Nash: NBA all-star weekend will be excellent for Canada, Toronto | TSN
“The growth of the game (in Canada) has been well-noted, and the Raptors organization is one that has turned the corner and gained the respect of the league,” he added. “All of our young players that have become NBA players, the growth of the game in our country and the Raptors success … and, not just the success and respectability of the franchise, but also the way the country and, in particular Toronto, have gotten behind the team, it really is a magical moment for Canada and Toronto to host all-star.” There were a record-tying 12 NBA players from Canada on opening-night rosters this season, more than any other country outside the U.S. for the second consecutive year. And according to the league, viewership of NBA games in Canada has doubled on average across all networks over the past three seasons — an average increase of 54 per cent since 2012-13.
Four Reasons the Raptors 905 Are Struggling In Their First Season | Ridiculous Upside
Ronald Robert’s is the 905’s top scorer (18.2 points per game). He’s a fine player with a knack for low post points and rebounding (12.4 rebounds per game), but he’s not a creator. The D-League is a proving ground for NBA talent and that means someone is looking to pour in a lot of points every night. The 905 have few consistent scoring options beyond Roberts, and no reliability from beyond the three-point arc. Bruno Caboclo (a frequent assignee of Toronto) is the only 905 in the D-League’s top forty in three-point attempts, but only hits at a 29% rate. Without the ability to score in bunches, it makes it easy for the 905 to fall into an early deficit without the ability to climb back out.
Handcuffs worth adding to your fantasy team | ESPN Fantasy Basketball
Joseph is known for his defense, but it hasn’t translated to much in the way of steals production (0.8 per game in 2015-16). And for a point guard, his 3-point shot remains a work in progress (0.5 per game, 28.6 3PT% in 2015-16). But here’s one thing plus-defense will get you: court time. Joseph has thrived in small-ball lineups in Toronto, logging time alongside Lowry at the 2. Joseph rebounds well, packs a reliable jumper and is getting better as a distributor.
Quick Stat Hits: #NBAVote Kyle Lowry | Raptors HQ
Here’s an interesting point: Lowry’s average shot distance this season is 15.1 feet, the shortest it’s been since 2009-10. And yet he’s taking as many threes as he’s averaged over that time (44% of his shots). It’s because all those 16+ foot jumpers are going one place – shots at the rim. 37% of Lowry’s shots this year have come in the paint. So that’s 81% of his shots that are either in the paint or worth three points. Not a bad distribution at all.
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