Cory Joseph leads Canada to victory in QOT opener | Raptors Republic
That’s the first takeaway from Canada’s 77-69 victory over Turkey to begin their Olympic Qualifying Tournament on Tuesday morning (Box Score). The long-time stalwart of the national program, Joseph proved to be the team’s best player, as expected. Working alongside Tyler Ennis to navigate tight spacing around a sea of enormous Turkish players, Joseph was magnificent, pushing the tempo in transition, changing speeds in the half court, and setting up teammates for a buffet of quality looks.
Not only does Joseph’s earlier apprenticeship under potential tournament finals opponent Tony Parker shine through in the FIBA format, it’s clear that Ennis is getting those same lessons second-hand. Ennis looked better than he has at pretty much any point in his professional career so far, even on a poor shooting night, proving head coach Jay Triano wise for starting dual point guards in the face of a dearth of wing depth.(Phil Scrubb was really solid and looked much improved, too.) The three point guards combined for 37 points, nine assists, just four turnovers, and a plus-18. Most of that production was Joseph (21 points, five assists), but if lineup data were available, it would likely show the two-guard sets were Canada’s best.
It was that look that helped Canada to a strong start and, more notably, their game-changing run to start the third quarter. It was that latter run that extended the lead to 16 at one point, giving Canada a cushion as Turkey fought back later in the frame and into the fourth quarter.
Three-point Grange: Cory Joseph emerging as Canada’s leader | Sportsnet.ca
Joseph is emerging as the real leader of this generation of national team talent. He’s not necessarily the flashiest player and he doesn’t really change his game from the NBA to the national team, but the shorter three-point line suits him and his willingness to shoulder responsibility on a young team is essential. He scored 10 points in the first half and then 11 points in the third quarter to help Canada settle in. Canada led by nine at half and 12 after three quarters. Their only real bobble came down the stretch when Turkey cut a 13-point lead with 2:08 to play to seven with 48 seconds to go, but it was more of a hint of a threat than the real thing.
Tristan Thompson looked a little out of rhythm — not surprisingly, given he just joined the team a few days ago — and Canada struggled with some foul trouble, so Joseph’s willingness and ability to take charge was key.
Canada starts Olympic men’s basketball qualifier with win over Turkey | Toronto Star
Using a decided advantage in athleticism and with a stifling defence that shut down Turkey’s outside shooting, Canada pulled away in the second half in the first game of the six-team tournament.
Turkey made a late run in the fourth quarter but a key Phil Scrubb three-pointer and free throws from Tyler Ennis gave Canada a comfortable lead they nursed home.
Joseph, Ennis and Scrubb were the keys for Canada as coach Jay Triano rode a quick, aggressive backcourt to get the game at the tempo Canada wanted.
Under-sized compared to Turkey, Canada held Turkey to abysmal shooting from the three-point line and Turkey also missed 15 free throws in the game. Canada was 18-for-22 from the line.
Ronald Roberts’ path to the NBA will now go through Turkey | Raptors Republic
Security was a word that kept coming up talking to Roberts. The 24-year-old played back-to-back seasons in the D-League, which is a reasonable career gamble but one that limits the financial upside of being a professional basketball player. Salaries top out at $25,500, and even with a $75,000 partial training camp guarantee from the Raptors last season (which followed a strong Summer League showing), Roberts left a fair amount on the table the last two years, including an offer from Maccabi Tel Aviv in the middle of last season.
Roberts opted for a second tour of the D-League because he felt he had “a foot and a half” in the door of the NBA. Kicking that door the rest of the way open remains his goal, and while his new deal doesn’t have an NBA opt-out clause, he doesn’t see a year overseas hurting his chances in the long run.
“I still feel very confident in my ability to play in the NBA,” Roberts said. “I’m on a lot of teams radars still, I could have played with Milwaukee in Summer League, and stuff like that. A lot of teams were still interested. I feel like I did a lot here in the States, me going over there for eight or nine months isn’t gonna make me fall off their radar.”
He’s probably right. Already in the last week, multiple players have been signed out of international leagues, some of whom played stateside before heading abroad. In Bursa, Roberts will get the opportunity to play a major role for a Tofas team that just earned it’s way back to the Super League after a year relegated in the TB2L. (Interestingly, he’ll also join fellow Dominican-American Sammy Meija, a 2007 second-round pick of the Detroit Pistons and himself a former D-Leaguer.)
July 5 open thread: Get on my (mid-) level | Raptors Republic
Alright. We’re through the big stuff. Most of the top free agents are off the board, and the trickle-down from Kevin Durant signing in Golden State is starting to materialize, and even settle. Unfortunately, the Warriors thinning themselves out theoretically takes a few potential ring-chasers off the market, and we’re still left to wonder exactly what type of players may fit the Raptors’ financial situation.
The next few days should be instructive. The moratorium is lifted on July 7, which means teams are free to “officially” make moves, which could also open up the trade market. It will also tell us if the Raptors are opting to maintain cap sapce (delaying DeMar DeRozan’s signing) or locking in to the trade route and the mid-level exception (in either case, they’d also have a second, smaller exception).
Why the Raptors Must Own the Trade Market | VICE Sports
As importantly, only one team in the East has dramatically bettered itself. Boston has certainly improved with Al Horford—perhaps, along with Durant, the only player that was worth the Raptors trying to shed assets for in order to sign. Beyond that, which second-tier team in the conference has gotten better? Atlanta will have to endure a major systemic overhaul with Howard in Horford’s place. Miami and Charlotte have basically stood pat. Indiana, Detroit, New York, Orlando and Chicago are all question marks with as many questions as answers.
That does not absolve Ujiri of responsibility to make the roster better. Part of the idea behind re-signing Ross was that it was important to have players on fixed, pre-crazy-TV-money salaries. Now, the Raptors have several useful players on reasonable deals—Ross, Cory Joseph and Patrick Patterson. Kyle Lowry is also on a steal of a contract for one more season, while Valanciunas’s four-year pact pays him the same amount as Timofey Mozgov, somehow.
Ujiri has avoided clogging up the Raptors’ cap sheet, but now his work gets complicated. For now, Ujiri must own the trade market, until he can reliably get the Raptors involved in the free-agent conversations that can truly shake up the league’s power structure.
What moves can the Raptors still make this offseason? | Raptors HQ
Trade for Boris Diaw
What better way to replace a beloved, international power forward in his thirties with a delightful old man game than with a more talented, beloved, international power forward in his thirties with a delightful old man game. Immediately following the news that the Spurs were signing Pau Gasol, reports surfaced that the Spurs were looking to move Diaw and his $7.5 million cap hit in a bit of financial reshuffling to fit Gasol in under the salary cap.
Diaw is 34, and before his career was rejuvenated with a move to San Antonio during the 2011-12 season, his career was teetering. There’s no way to guarantee Toronto Diaw would be the same as the ultra-versatile multi-tool he was with the Spurs, but given the way Luis Scola tailed off down the stretch last season, you could pencil him in as an upgrade — whether he were to start or push Patrick Patterson into Scola’s old role.
A lot of teams could use a guy like Diaw to inject some ball skills, solid defense and league average-ish three-point shooting, so a bidding war of sorts could develop for his services. But an offer centred around Lucas Nogueira could be a decent starting point for getting a deal in motion.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHfxfntAQ1v/
Toronto Raptors: Should Masai Ujiri Go After Kenneth Faried? | Tip of the Tower
The question is, should the Raptors consider the NCAA all-time rebounding leader as a viable possibility? He contributed 12.5 points and 8.7 rebounds per contest during the 2015-16 campaign, which would be a considerable improvement on the much older Luis Scola.
However, purely from a financial perspective, the answer would initially seem to be a resounding “no”. The Raptors are currently just over the salary cap limit for the upcoming season, meaning they have less than no wiggle room, unless they are prepared to go significantly into luxury tax territory.
Faried has three years and nearly $39 million remaining on his contract, and in truth, is not worthy of the Raptors making such a financial commitment. However, that doesn’t mean this is a lost cause, dependent on how much Ujiri really wants to go for his man, with two factors which could help.
The first is to include Terrence Ross in any potential trade scenario.
Ranking the Best & Worst of NBA Free Agency 2016 | Sportsnet.ca
DeRozan wastes no time returning to Toronto
He said he was coming back, and then he put his money where his mouth was. Or, more accurately, I guess it was the Raptors who put their money where DeRozan’s mouth was. Or… nevermind you know what I’m trying to say.Re-signing DeRozan was always a priority for Masai Ujiri, and for good reason. Under the safe assumption the Raps were never players for Durant, bringing DeRozan back into the fold was just about the only way Toronto could ensure they’d have a crack at another trip to the Conference Finals, and continue to try to build a title contender around their all-star backcourt (and the emerging Jonas Valanciunas).
DeRozan’s $27.8M per year salary may seem steep, but for a top-10 scorer who excelled as his team went deeper into the playoffs last season, it’s a fair market-value deal. For context: DeRozan will make just $3M more per year than Charlotte’s Nic Batum.
The 6 x Comp10: 6 Reasons That Validate Re-Signing DeMar DeRozan | TRAP’D Since 95
“I just want to come in and separate myself from when he (Vince Carter) was there and try to do a lot of other stuff that he didn’t get the chance to do.” ~ DeMar DeRozan, shortly after being drafted 9th overall by Toronto.
Since day one, DeRozan set his sights high and envisioned himself doing big things with the franchise that realized his NBA dream. Throughout the years, he’s been through some of the team’s lowest days and has been an essential factor in bringing it to an all-time high, while staying true to that vision and passionately working on his craft. DeRozan is approaching the top of many all-time Raptors stat categories. He’s set on leaving a legacy in Toronto and rewarding the fans that have also stayed loyal to him. This goes beyond just the player’s legacy.
This signing is for the team, the city and the country. No player has embraced representing an entire nation more than DeMar. The longest-tenured Raptor on the roster knows that Canada’s NBA pride is at stake every time he suits up and hits the hardwood. He helped get us to the Eastern Conference Finals, but there is unfinished business. The legacy continues.
It will take many moons and a truly special player to eclipse DeMar DeRozan’s legendary status once he’s all said and done in a Raptors uniform.
@DeMar_DeRozan put on an aerial display at the @nbasummerleague in 2010 for the @Raptors!https://t.co/WolNdwHx1e
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) July 5, 2016
Raptors 905 players set for NBA Summer League | Mississauga.com
Several players who spent last season with Raptors 905 and other newcomers who are expected to play with this year’s NBA Development League squad, are on the Toronto Raptors’ roster for the Samsung NBA Summer League beginning Friday in Las Vegas.
Bruno Caboclo, Delon Wright and Norman Powell, all of whom split last season between the Raptors and Raptors 905, are on the roster along with Raptors 905 teammates E.J. Singler, Davion Berry and DeAndre Daniels.
Last year, Powell was named to the All-NBA Summer League First Team after averaging 18.3 points over four games.
Chosen by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of last year’s NBA Draft and subsequently traded to Toronto, Powell excelled with the Raptors late last season, earning NBA rookie of the month honours for April.
What Free Agents Should The Raptors Try To Sign Now? | Pro Bball Report
Jared Sullinger, RFA Boston Celtics, 6’9 260 lbs
Jared Sullinger has burned the Raptors on numerous occasions and one would assume the Celtics would match any offer, but that team has some big decisions to make. They have rookies they need to sign, trade or potentially lose. They have unguaranteed contracts with veteran big men Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko that they should be picking up now that they’ve brought All-Star Al Horford on board. (They’d look good in a Raptors uniform if cut.)
It’s either Sullinger and Tyler Zeller (RFA center) or Johnson and Jerebko and the Celtics can be pushed around on this one. They don’t have enough roster spots to keep everyone.
Toronto Raptors: Will Status Quo Be Enough? | The Runner Sports
None of those teams won a championship their first season together. One of the Warriors’ key attributes is their ability to move the ball. Not that Kevin Durant isn’t a willing passer, but OKC did tend to let him isolate with the ball in a way that isn’t consistent with how Golden State is built. How long will it take the Warriors to find their chemistry with one of the Top 5 players in the NBA? Nobody knows, but the point is that other teams shouldn’t throw in the towel just yet.
So, where does that leave the Toronto Raptors? With #1 draft pick Ben Simmons joining the Philadelphia 76ers, Al Horford joining the Boston Celtics, and the New York Knicks reloading with Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Courtney Lee, and Brandon Jennings, the Atlantic Division just got a whole lot tougher. The Raptors, meanwhile, lost key backup Bismack Biyombo to the Orlando Magic and have only gained their draft picks, notably Jakob Poeltl and Pascal Siakam.
So, that’s the current situation for the Toronto Raptors, barring a big trade bringing in more talent. Can the young players develop enough to keep the Atlantic Division, which they’ve won the last three seasons, at bay and gain ground on the powerhouses of the NBA? The team needs Jonas Valanciunas to become their third All-Star while hoping that Poeltl can fill the big hole left by Biyombo. Another nice surprise would be to see development out of Lucas Nogueira who looked liked a deer in headlights when he was on the floor during the Raptors’ playoff run. The team is still “one year away from being one year away” on Bruno Caboclo, but it would be nice if he’s developed enough to contribute off the bench, at least.
Off-Season Grades for Atlantic Division So Far…… | Simply Hoops
Toronto Raptors: C+ A good re-sign for the Toronto Raptors, but a lot of money towards one guy. They sealed a large contract for DeMar DeRozan, who didn’t perform well in the playoffs. But still, the Memphis Grizzlies still managed to pay Mike Conley more than the Raptor All-Star. For the ninth pick, the Raptors signed a big-man from Utah, Jakob Poeltl. They really didn’t need him, a back up small forward would have been perfect for this team.
Did I miss something? Send me any Raptors-related article/video to rapsfan@raptorsrepublic.com
