ICYMI from RR:
Breaking it Down: Kyle Lowry channels Kris Jenkins | Raptors Republic
Anyway, the Raptors used a similar play to get Lowry his second-quarter three, with Lowry playing the role of Jenkins and DeMar DeRozan in the Arcidiacono position. DeRozan catches an errant Hornets shot under the bucket, essentially in the position he’d receive an inbound pass. He then pushes the ball up the floor slowly, allowing the frontcourt to get into better position for a play in semi-transition. Lowry slows even further behind the play, and Jonas Valanciunas runs alongside DeRozan in the event he needs to be freed by a screen (he doesn’t).
From around the web:
Experience, role make Terrence Ross critical to Raptors’ playoff success | Sportsnet.ca
It is strange: Ross is sounding a bit like a veteran these days, a startling thing for a player who has always been so quiet in front of cameras and verging on emotionless on the court. Now he speaks of perspective and setting an example for the Raptors’ young players. Time flies.
Naturally, since that Brooklyn series ended two Mays ago, the context around Ross has changed. He is no longer a fixture next to Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan in the starting lineup, even though the player who was supposed to replace him, DeMarre Carroll, has been injured for almost the whole season. The Raptors wanted Ross to come off the bench to be one of the second unit’s main scorers, and in all but seven of the games he has played in this season, he has been in that role.
It is not as if the role has transformed him — his per-minute statistics remain similar to the last two years, with his free-throw rate staying low — but he has come on strong as the Raptors have improved in 2016. Ross was one of the Raptors’ best players when they went on an 11-game win streak earlier in the calendar year.
Huge, if True: The New York Knicks are interested in Masai Ujiri? | Raptors HQ
My point here is this: don’t despair Raptors fans. Like the Lakers and their talk about trying to sign DeRozan, the Knicks think they are still the centre of the league, the destination that every player and executive would be silly to turn away from. And while the Lakers actually have some recent titles to lean on during their current run of misery, the Knicks remain firmly in the joke category. Every time a news item such as this one emerges, all we can do is throw back our heads and laugh. Can you believe the out-of-touch nerve of these guys? You almost want to feel sorry for them.
So, keep dreaming big, Knicks fans! Keep hoping for the best, Dolan!
Toronto Raptors Rumors: New York Knicks Interested in Masai Ujiri | Tip of the Tower
The question is, how likely is it that Ujiri could be lured away from the Raptors? Isola thinks he has the answer.
The Zaria, Nigeria native was originally brought to Toronto by Tim Leiweke, who has since left to start a business with Irving Azoff. As Isola explains, Azoff is also a business partner with Dolan, hence he believes the relationships and connections could conceivably make something happen.
Now, we could ask why Ujiri would even want to go to the circus in New York? The Knicks are consistently perceived as a prime destination for NBA players, but the truth is they very rarely live up to their mostly undeserved reputation.
However, it seems better to state that at this point, the 2013 NBA Executive of the Year still has two years remaining on his contract. You can’t imagine the Raptors would be willing to let him out of his deal.
Raptors focused on the now, not the post-season | Toronto Sun
Things can change and the playoff seedings are sure to change before next week’s finale, but no player, at least publicly, is being consumed with a post-season matchup.
“Not at all,’’ said Patrick Patterson, one of Toronto’s primary reserves whose ability to spread the floor and play solid defence are critical in late-game moments. “The only thing we do is focus on us, just us and finishing out these last five games.
“Treating them like playoff games and staying focused, working on our rotation and hopefully getting DC (DeMarre Carroll) back healthy and playing again. Just focus on what we need to prepare for going into the playoffs.”
As you might expect, the Raptors have assigned scouts to games involving any potential post-season foe.
Raptors willing to play the waiting game in playoffs | Toronto Star
“We seem to get that 12 o’clock start that cuts everything short,” Casey said Wednesday, before the team departed for Atlanta and Thursday’s game against the Hawks. “We take what the league gives us but it’s an early game, we’ve had it the last couple of years. If I had my wishes, I’d wish we had a later game on Saturday or even on Sunday but that’s a Masai question.”
Whether Ujiri can convince the league that a second seed with somewhere in the neighbourhood of 55 regular-season wins — making its third playoff trip in three years — deserves some consideration won’t be known until the playoff schedule is released in a week.
There are several factors that go into the scheduling beyond a team’s wishes, including television concerns. The Raptors’ two broadcasters may have conflicts with the Blue Jays or the Stanley Cup playoffs, or both. And there may be issues with arena availability beyond the first week in Toronto and the Raptors’ opponents’ arena.
But to Casey and the players, not having too much disruption to the normal rhythm of a day in the life is vital. Yes, it’s the same for the opponent and something they can’t do anything about, but change is frowned upon. A noon game on the first day of the playoffs does limit preparation time.
“Even if it’s at night, you can have a good shoot-around that morning,” Casey said. “But that’s above my pay grade.”
Dwane Casey keeps pushing Raptors in constant search for identity | Eh Game – Yahoo Sports Canada
There’s no better current example of that with the Raptors than Norman Powell. The rookie swingman has been Toronto’s primary starting small forward since the beginning of February and his game has flourished in an incredibly short period of time. Over his last 12 games, Powell is averaging 10.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists over almost 27 minutes.
For a coach like Casey, who has a tendency to roll with his veterans over rookies, sophomores, or even third-year players, the trust he’s placed in Powell speaks volumes. Furthermore, Casey is convinced that fellow young players Lucas Nogueira and Delon Wright would have also thrived under similar circumstances.“I tell you what, [Powell] has really impressed me. He’s grown … There was an opportunity and he took advantage of it with DeMarre being out. He grabbed it, held on to it, he’s made his mistakes and learned but he’s a great student,” said Casey. “It was an opportunity at that position. I’m sure if we had opportunities at the centre position Lucas would have stepped in or at the point guard position Delon would have stepped in.”
From liability to strength: the Raptors defense | Raptors Rapture
Through 76 games, the Raptors have held opponents to 98.5 points per game, fifth best in the NBA, while ranking 11th in defensive efficiency, posting a 102.9 DefRtg. Toronto’s defense has leapt from a bottom 10 defensive team to top 10 in a season.
Toronto’s bigs made the largest jump from last season, and their improved defense around the rim and in the paint has proven crucial to the Raptors success.
According to NBA.com, the Raptors especially improved their defense against shots less than 6ft and less than 10ft from the basket. Opposing offenses shoot 2% worse than their average (sixth best in the league) from less than 6ft and 2.6% worse from less than 10ft (best in the NBA) against the Raptors, who ranked in the bottom half of the league in both categories last season.
Better defense down low is a team achievement, but Jonas Valanciunas and Patrick Patterson, in particular, took major individual steps forward from last season. The two tables below show Valanciunas and Patterson’s defensive tracking stats according to NBA.com from 2014-15 and 2015-16.
A photo posted by Graphic Designer x Raptors Fan (@letsgoraptors) on
Raptors Teaching Powell To Defend Like Tony Allen | Pro Bball Report
t isn’t easy transitioning to the next level, however. Often times rookies are described as only having one gear, playing at 100 miles per hour on every play and it isn’t until they slow down that the game slows down for them and they start to realize their full potential. That’s usually talked about on offense, but the same principles apply on defense as Powell was finding out.
“(Mermuys) was trying to have me focus on not just defending – like – everywhere, trying to be everywhere at once, just stay in your position,” Powell told Pro Bball Report. “Learn how to fight over different screens, work different schemes and skills and tactics to guard against different guys up here.
“(He) let me focus on that and being a lockdown defender. Focusing on getting over screens, working off the ball, being pulled in and things like that.
“I think early on (I used my hands). I am just used to defending one way, especially you’re in college and you get that rep of being a defender and the refs allow you to guard and be physical and you don’t get those calls, but you come back up here (at) the next level and you’re starting at the bottom, they’re going to call those ticky-tack touch fouls for the older veteran players. So, it’s just adjusting, try to focus on moving your feet and beating guys to spots.”
Powell’s Confidence At A High As He Continues To Impress | Toronto Raptors
“He is focused on the task at hand,” Sharon said. “When he was in high school, the day before [a game], everything became more systematic. He seemed to have his mental to-do list. He was focused. He followed a routine. I remember him pulling up his socks and the logo on his socks had to be aligned, everything had to be just the right way. His shorts were turned [to match the logo], his shirt was in, everything had to be the right way. He wasn’t comfortable until he had everything perfect. Game-day approach, he became more focused and it was all about the game.”
Powell’s development highlights benefit of Raptors D-League squad | Toronto Sun
Jesse Mermuys, David Gale, Tim Lewis and Nate Mitchell, under the watchful eye of 905 general manager Dan Tolzman, did perhaps their best work with second-round steal Norman Powell.
Powell was an ideal pupil. He played four years at UCLA and had an NBA-ready body, but in Mississauga, he was able to work on the parts of his game that could most help him at the next level down the line. He was already a strong defender and finisher at the rim, but Powell was able to hone his three-point shot in his D-League stints and equally importantly, at times was allowed to direct the offence as a big point guard. Improving as a ball-handler was a key growth area for Powell. That skill-set has been on display in recent weeks with the Raptors, as it seems pretty much every game he gets a chance to break down defenders or even go coast-to-coast for easy scores.
Toronto Raptors: Realistic Expectations For DeMarre Carroll | Hoops Habit
While nothing is set in stone, the possibility of Carroll returning just before the end of the regular season is a huge boost for the Raptors on paper.
The Raptors have carried on exceptionally well without having Carroll for much of the season, but there have been areas of concern in recent weeks that Carroll’s return could instantly affect.
For instance, the improvement the Raptors have made on the defensive end this year have been a big story for the team. However, the Raptors have shown signs of slippage as they stand 15th in defensive rating (105.7 points per 100 possessions) since the All-Star break across the league (per NBA.com/stats).
How high are Wiggins, Towns on the list of the NBA’s Top 25 Under 25? | Sportsnet.ca
10. Jonas Valanciunas, C, Toronto Raptors
Age: 23
Valanciunas has quietly made some mammoth strides this season, improving considerably on the defensive end and continuing to establish himself as an effective and at times unguardable scorer down low. On a Raptors team chalk full of ball-dominant guards, there will always the questions of usage (what would JV look like on a team where he was more of an offensive focal point?), but the advanced metrics love Valanciunas, who sits comfortably in the top 5 of PER and top 10 in Win Shares. It can be easy to forget a)how long Valanciunas has already been in the NBA given his age, and b)how much better he could get.
Canadian transplant Thon Maker eyes quick NBA entry | Toronto Sun
Maker came to Canada to get bigger and stronger and to play against good competition — that happened — but his game didn’t take off and the unfair expectations the mixtapes created didn’t help.
Maker moved to Australia from south Sudan when he was seven. At Orangeville Prep, he teamed with Jamal Murray, the Kitchener native that will go in the 5-10 range this June and younger brother Matur.
Maker told Draftexpress.com after declaring that when he heard it was possible, “it was a no-brainer for me. I’ve always had the dream of playing in the NBA and I feel that I am ready.”
But he’s seen as a project, who will take years of commitment, likely in the NBA’s development league, before he becomes an NBA contributor.
Toronto Raptors at Atlanta Hawks: Thursday game preview | Toronto Star
Key matchup: Norm Powell vs. Kyle Korver. It’s not a lot of fun chasing the Atlanta sharpshooter around multiple screens all night but a rookie’s got to do what a rookie’s got to do. Powell had some success when the teams met in Toronto last week.
Raptors at Atlanta Hawks: Preview and 3 keys to victory | Raptors Rapture
On the Atlanta Hawks side, since winning 12 of their last 14 contests on their way into the ACC, they have dropped their last two before resurfacing against the lowly Phoenix Suns. They offer one of the top defenses in the league and an offense that is continually getting better. The Hawks have lost 4 straight in the series against the Raptors as the matchups seem to favor the Raps. In the matchup last week, DeRozan had his way with the Atlanta wings, as no one could seemingly guard him. Al Horford and Paul Millsap comprise one of the best front courts in the league, yet neither are the kind of hyper-athletic players who usually give the Raptor front court trouble. The Hawks’ guards are the real reason they have come on strong the last few weeks. Both point guards, Jeff Teague and backup Dennis Schroder, are jet-powered, and Kyle Korver and Kent Bazemore can shoot from anywhere.
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