Are Raptors Lowry and DeRozan best leadership duo in NBA? – Raptors Republic
The evolution of Lowry-DeRozan’s yin-yang partnership has resulted in the best qualities of each rubbing off on the other. Lowry’s offseason conditioning may have been fostered via DeRozan’s off-court work ethic example. Whereas the confidence and swagger of DeRozan (the current NBA points per game leader) no doubt was partially influenced by Lowry’s bulldog demeanor. Yet the real benefit is how the pair’s best qualities permeate the team as a whole. To that end, around the Association, there are countless squads who feature stars and youthful talent, but consider why they aren’t recognizing similar success.
Entering the third week of NBA play, only 3 teams ranked in the top ten on offense, defense, and net differential: the San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors. Following Wednesday’s games the Clippers have edged into the tenth spot offensively to become the fourth team. Obviously this is a small sample size, but of those 4 teams Toronto has played the toughest defensive competition.
Considering the Raptors are tied with Portland as the second youngest team in the NBA (25) the leadership of Lowry and DeRozan merits even greater recognition. Only the Sixers have an average roster age that is younger (24.6). Furthermore, the Raptors have been utilizing their youngest players either due to necessity or injury of core players. So, the Raptors continued excellence speaks to the relevance of DeRozan and Lowry’s leadership.
DeMar DeRozan is leading the league in scoring (34.1 PPG) thanks to a complete domination of the midrange game. https://t.co/XTjxNcIVNv pic.twitter.com/I11jEgygyN
— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 10, 2016
DeMar DeRozan Is Balling Out Like MJ | VICE Sports
DeRozan’s visibly more confident than ever before and has developed and matured into his game while embracing his lack of outside shooting. He’s been among the game’s best players this season—in addition to leading the league in scoring, DeRozan’s 31.0 player efficiency rating is fifth in the NBA (behind a group of superstars) for the 5-2 Raptors. His mid-range jumper and pull-up game have been dominant. He wants the ball in his hands, and so do his teammates.
With that increased confidence comes increased versatility. His shooting from midrange has been his bread and butter to say the least, shooting nearly 56 percent from 10-23 feet out, but when the shot isn’t there, the tenacity has been. DeRozan hasn’t been afraid to take it to the basket, as his ten free throw attempts per game rank fifth in the league.
How Luke Walton has the Lakers on the rise – Yahoo!
Like many, DeRozan benefited from his Olympic experience. He studied the work ethic of Kevin Durant, absorbed the confidence of Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, and took note of how hard Kyrie Irving works at getting better at finishing at the rim. He learned leadership, something he says he and Lowry strive to be better at every day.
“We are always trying to be better leaders,” DeRozan said. “We’re a better team because of last season. We were tested at the highest level. We fought through two Game 7s. We went to a Game 6 in the conference finals. Nothing came easy. To go through something like that, it builds you. We have a better understanding of what it takes to win.”
Toronto Raptors: DeMar DeRozan, the Mid-Range Dynamo – Tip of the Tower
DeRozan isn’t afraid of people contesting the shot, nor is he worried about contact at the rim, he has used his road-runner speed before to just take people to the rim. The majority of DeRozan’s shots are taken from within five feet and he’s been hyper efficient shooting 63.7 percent around the rim.
Webster-Chan, Wiggins, Goodluck make Raptors 905; 12-man roster set – Raptors Republic
Expect Bruno Caboclo to see plenty of practice time with the 905 this week, and he may be joined by Fred VanVleet depending on the health of the Raptors’ roster (they might prefer to have the extra body with them on the road). Pascal Siakam, Jakob Poeltl, and Lucas Nogueira aren’t expected to see immediate time on assignment due to the thinned out frontcourt with the parent club, and Delon Wright would probably only see time as a rehabilitation stint when he’s cleared for contact in December or January.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMp_5W7gixW/
Axel Toupane and 11 others set to make Raptors 905 roster – Raptors HQ
Axel Toupane, SG: Toupane, arguably the best player on this 905 roster, was caught up in a numbers game in Denver which led to his release and return to the 905. With the Nuggets last season Toupane played in 21 games averaging 14.5 minutes. In that time Toupane averaged 3.6 points and 1.5 rebounds per game while shooting 35.7 percent from the field. Toupane fared much better in the D-League last season with the 905 where he played in 32 games starting 14 of those. Toupane played an average of 29.7 minutes per game, where he averaged 14.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 42.9 percent from the field.
Toupane will be the starting shooting guard on the 905 but the real question is: how long he will be in the D-League? Toupane has proven himself to be an NBA-level talent with a good chance of making another NBA team this year.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMokri8gMci/
Raptors have big plans behind Valanciunas | Toronto Star
Poeltl had assumed the mantle of Valanciunas backup and replacement. He started the two games that Valanciunas has missed with a sore knee and acquitted himself well for a first-year player.
But Nogueira came to the rescue Wednesday night in Oklahoma City, recovered from yet another injury — a tweaked ankle picked up in the final pre-season game — to provide the front-court athletic spark the Raptors needed to finish out a 112-102 win over the Thunder.
“(It’s) matchups more than anything else,” Casey said here Thursday. “Speed and quickness. Lucas does a really good job of really getting out on some of the speedster point guards … and there’s some matchups on the big guys that Poeltl does a better job.”
The two are disparate personalities with disparate skills that give Casey options. Nogueira can be electric, taking lob passes to finish off screen-and-roll plays that energize his teammates and presenting an imposing, if thin, presence at the rim because of his freakish length.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMo3Xm3gruJ/
Raptors’ Carroll finding a rhythm on offence | Toronto Sun
Carroll knew when he signed a lucrative contract to play with the Raptors that it wasn’t going to be the basketball nirvana that his two years in Atlanta were.
There, everyone touched the ball as it was zipped around, constantly in search of the best look. In Toronto, league scoring leader DeMar DeRozan and all-NBA point guard Kyle Lowry dominate the ball, often turning three of their teammates into spectators (with the other usually being involved in some sort of pick-and-roll action).
That’s fine with Carroll, Patterson and the others, but it just means adjustments need to be made.
“It’s hard. We in a different dynamic right now. We are winning and DeMar is scoring 40, so it’s kind of, I don’t think anybody really has a rhythm on this team, besides DeMar and T-Ross … nobody really has a rhythm. I feel like as a team we got to figure out the rhythm,” Carroll had told Postmedia.
“When you get limited shots, you’ve got to prepare yourself every day. That’s what I feel like I haven’t been doing. I have to get back to being the first person here, doing the little things because if I’m getting six shots, I’ve got to at least make those shots.”
And he just about did that, knocking down 2-of-3 three-pointers against the Thunder. Patterson, embroiled in a rough 2-for-13 shooting skid since Halloween, made 3-of-8 and Lowry, who began the year below 30% from deep, went off for five treys on 11 attempts as the team hit 11, shooting 42.3%, even without injured sharp-shooter Terrence Ross.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMozDySA9gW/
Bringing Up Bebe Week 3: On Halting Progress and Empathy – Raptors HQ
Happy
If any of these thoughts have been in Bebe’s head for the rest of the week, it has not be evident. Since Jonas Valanciunas went down with injury and missed games on Sunday and Wednesday night, Nogueira’s number has been called. The results have been smile-inducing. In two games, he’s averaged 8.5 points and six rebounds, to go with 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks. Bebe is also, rather comically, shooting a perfect 100 percent from the field.Last night, there were numerous plays you could point to suggesting Nogueira was ready to be the Raptors’ go-to centre of the bench. There was his easy rapport with Kyle Lowry on the pick-and-roll, the plethora of alley-oop finishes, the block on human nuclear bomb Russell Westbrook, his overall presence at and above the rim, the confidence found in his passing around the perimeter. Bebe was active and largely playing within himself — he put more on the table than he took away and helped the team win. He finished the game plus-30 in his 29 minutes, which, I mean, wow.
And baseline here, there’s Bebe’s positivity. After the Kings game on Sunday, a game frittered away by the Raptors, Nogueira remained upbeat and smiling. (He even called guarding DeMarcus Cousins a “blessed opportunity.”) He didn’t like to lose, of course, but Bebe was happy to play and pleased that he could help. “I don’t like to play in a loss, you can’t control that, but I’m happy with myself.” Good on you, Bebe.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMpDLzmAopH/
Toronto Raptors at Charlotte Hornets: Friday preview | Toronto Star
KEY MATCHUP
DeRozan vs. Kidd-Gilchrist
Raptors’ guard DeMar DeRozan was back at it again Wednesday, piling up 37 points in a win over Oklahoma City. While Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is a promising defender, he’s going to have his hands full trying to corral DeRozan.
#Raptors GM Masai Ujiri: "I want to thank Donald Trump for making Toronto an unbelievable sports destination."
— Neil Davidson (@NeilMDavidson) November 10, 2016
Hornets Gameday: vs. the Toronto Raptors | The Charlotte Observer
Did you know?
The Hornets and Raptors are both top 10 in defensive efficiency. The Hornets rank second, allowing 94.1 points per 100 possessions. The Raptors are seventh at 99 points per 100 possessions.
Toronto Raptors look to take the sting out of the Charlotte Hornets – VAVEL.com
Key Matchup
The Charlotte Hornets are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA. They hold opponents to 42 percent on field goals and allow only 96.7 points per game which are the second and fourth-best in the NBA. They are definitely rolling to start the season which is why the key matchup to watch in this one is DeMar DeRozan vs. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist/Nicolas Batum. DeRozan will square up against one of the elite defenders in the game in Kidd-Gilchrist which should be a no-brainer, considering DeRozan’s recent success. Kidd-Gilchrist’s disruptive play-style can give any player problems, especially one like DeRozan who likes to slow the game down and play at his own pace.
DeRozan has also experienced difficulties in the past with taller, lankier defenders like Paul George and Otto Porter. The Hornets may switch Nicolas Batum on to him as well because of his ability and length on the defensive end like Paul George. DeRozan will likely have his work cut for him as the Hornets appear to have two answers to his scoring spectacle heading into this game.
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