Micah Nori promoted with Denver Nuggets | Mile High Sports
Micah Nori most recently coached the Nuggets 2016 NBA Summer League team. He seems to have developed fantastic relationships with the Nuggets and has to be given his own respect when it comes to turning around a fractured and dysfunctional franchise that the Nuggets were two seasons prior. Congratulations to Micah Nori on his promotion within the Nuggets.
Raptors Player Review: The ongoing human enigma that is James Johnson | Raptors HQ
Johnson’s contract is up with the Raptors now and it seems incredibly unlikely he’ll be back. In a sense, he’s become expendable for the team — with his obvious replacement DeMarre Carroll on a long term contract and Patrick Patterson emerging as just as valuable and versatile a defender.
That said, it also seems incredibly likely that Johnson will easily snag a spot on a different team. He has value as a player who can fit the 3/4 spot (even with his lack of outside shooting) because of his defensive, ball-handling, and finishing ability. Also, as I’ve alluded to, there’s an under-reported value to Johnson’s presence on an NBA team. The Raptors put him in the proximity of its younger players and it’s clear that he likes that role. Johnson was a steady presence at Raptors 905 games, and after practice he could most often be found playing 3-on-3 with the team’s youngsters. Johnson may yet become a valuable mentor/player coach in his dotage. It’s just a shame, to a certain extent, that it probably won’t be with the Raptors.
Dwane Casey's Extension puts A Cap On Raptors' Ceiling | Today's Fast Break
To be fair, Casey should be commended for adjusting and using the pieces that were brought in well. Again, he’s a good coach. It just doesn’t seem like he could coach defense on his own, which is not an unforgivable sin. A lot of coaches can’t, which is why assistants like Darren Erman are always in high demand. If Casey were great on offense, however, it would be worth to keep him around. But it’s unclear how good he is on that end, despite top 10 finishes in offensive rating in the past three years.
There’s nothing distinctive about the Raptors’ attack. It’s based on the talents of Lowry and DeRozan, so it features a lot of pick-and-roll action in which the ball handler finishes the play and a significant amount of isolations. They play at one of the lowest paces in the league and move the ball very little, ranking as mediocre in passes made per game and second-to-last in assists per game last season. The players move, but that movement is geared more towards getting players free off screens than towards keeping the defense guessing.
Obviously it’s a good offense by the numbers, but it can be a little too predictable, which explains why it has traditionally struggled in the postseason. Late in games, it devolves into Lowry and DeRozan going one-on-five more often than it should. Those two are good at making tough shots, so it’s not wrong to empower them, but there should be more wrinkles to it after years working together. The entire attack feels a little bland.
That’s actually a good word to describe Casey. There’s not much that stands out about his style. He doesn’t get in the way, which is a good thing, but he doesn’t move the needle, either. To be fair, not many coaches do, but a team that is looking to make the leap while very likely returning the same core should have looked for one of those, especially since some were available. It’s hard to make a case for the Raptors being better off with Casey than Thibodeau, Frank Vogel or even Jeff Van Gundy.
Toronto Raptors: 5 Needed Roster Moves | Hoops Habit
Another restricted free agent is Seth Curry. who in 43 games made 45 percent of his three-point shots (50-of-111). Sacramento did not give Curry much of an opportunity last season, but the younger Curry had a really good end of the season.
NBA Team Draft Needs: The Toronto Raptors | The Sports Quotient
That’s the appeal of Ellenson. When you keep in mind his potential as a stretch four, and pair that with the fact that he put up 17 points and 9.9 rebounds per game as a freshman, you’ve got quite a prospect. Ellenson may struggle on defense, but he could be used in the way Charlotte used Frank Kaminsky this year, easing him in so he’s ready for meaningful minutes in the playoffs. Ellenson also showed flashes of being able to dribble coast-to-coast. Should Biyombo re-sign in Toronto, Ellenson would be a great fit next to the shot blocker.
Since there’s no guarantee that Ellenson will even be able to play meaningful minutes next year, Toronto could instead opt to go for a more established player in Poeltl or Sabonis. Poeltl had a sensational sophomore season at Utah, where he won Pac-12 Player of the Year and averaged over 17 points and nine rebounds. On the other hand, Sabonis dominated Poeltl in the NCAA tournament, has great basketball genes, and averaged 17.5 points and 11.8 rebounds.
NBA Free Agency Sliding Doors: What if Bismack Biyombo stays and DeMar DeRozan leaves? | Raptors HQ
Right, and for me, that’s where this conversation ends. I know the cap is rising, so these numbers need to be taken with a grain of salt, but paying a primary backup that much just doesn’t make sense to me. You’re not getting anybody decent for that kind of money, unless you’re somehow banking on finding the next Biyombo, which seems foolish. Unless Toronto plans to play significant minutes with both Biyombo and Valanciunas on the floor next year, or plans to deal JV?
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Patrick Patterson on Instagram: “Four Brothers.. 📽”
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