Raptors coach Dwane Casey loving way rookie Jakob Poeltl’s game is developing | Toronto Sun
“For me, just every time you put him in, he does something positive,” Casey said. “There’s that trust, not only with myself but with his teammates. He’s doing positive things, he plays with physicality. The only thing — and it’s not his fault — is cheap fouls, he gets a lot of cheap calls.”
Those calls will eventually even out as Poeltl earns some credibility with the league’s officials.
But make no mistake, it has been Poeltl’s eagerness engaging opposing players physically that has made his jump up the depth chart possible.
“He’s always in the right place, very few mistakes, he’s very physical, he’s not afraid, he loves contact,” Casey said. “All those things add up, this is a physical game … and he meets all those criteria.”
Ironically it was the physical nature of the NBA game that Poeltl’s counts as the toughest adjustment he has made.
“Not now, not anymore, because I feel like I’m used to it already,” Poeltl said. “I’m still not the most physical player but at least I’ve got adjusted to the new level of physicality in the NBA. But that was definitely a challenge to start the season, getting used to playing against bigger bodies and stronger guys.”
Rookie Jakob Poeltl earning the trust of Raptors, coach Casey | Toronto Star
“For me, just every time you put him in, he does something positive,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said Monday. “There’s that trust, not only with myself but with his teammates. He’s doing positive things, he plays with physicality.
“He’s always in the right place, (makes) very few mistakes, he’s very physical, he’s not afraid, he loves contact. All those things add up, this is a physical game . . . and he meets all those criteria.”
Poeltl’s biggest attribute may be his humility. He knows what he doesn’t know, he doesn’t get too happy with big nights or too down with bad ones. He avoids going berserk when the inevitable bad rookie calls go against him — “If that was me, I would have lost my mind a long time ago,” Casey said — and he has built a reputation as a trustworthy young player.
“I wouldn’t say there’s a moment,” he said. “It’s just that trust is something you’ve got to develop over time . . . with solid performances night in, night out.
“That’s how you earn your trust, like being in the right spots in defensive rotations, doing your job, playing hard. I feel like that’s how you earn a coach’s trust and that’s what I try to do.”
Rookie Poeltl making an impact with Raptors – TSN
It can be a maddening thing for a player that has worked hard to both get and stay on the floor as it is, but to Poeltl’s credit he’s taken it in stride. It’s one of the biggest reasons his transition to the NBA has been relatively seamless and something the Raptors have always liked about the 21-year-old. He’s mature beyond his years.
“That’s okay,” he said with a smile on his face, shrugging off the idea of an officiating double standard. “That’s just part of the journey. As long as it’s not a deciding play I’m okay with it.”
“He’s got the emotional stability that you want from a rookie,” said Casey. “[He] doesn’t get overly dramatic or excited, or down or up. He’s a very levelheaded young man. All those things factor into him having a little bit more immediate success than if you were up and down emotionally, unstable and all those things. He’s got the right mindset for where he is and who he is because if that was me I would’ve lost my mind a long time ago.”
Jack Armstrong on Patterson’s struggles – TSN
TSN Basketball analyst Jack Armstrong joins Home Court host Meghan McPeak & co-host Duane Watson to give his take on Patrick Patterson’s recent struggles. Armstrong also explains why he thinks this Raptors team has more potential than last year’s team.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BR4QMtdlzUK/
2017 Free Agent Rankings: Point Guards | Basketball Insiders
Lowry may not be in the same conversation with Curry and Paul, but these numbers show that he’s a difference maker that deserves to be on the highest tier of pending free agent point guards. One need look no further than the near-max contract the Magic gave Bismack Biyombo after his heroics in the playoffs to see the Lowry effect. A stout rebounder, defender and shot blocker, Biyombo has looked like a shell of himself this season without Lowry to set him up for attacks on the rim. Basketball Insiders editor and publisher Steve Kyler spoke to sources close to the Raptors during All-Star festivities in New Orleans, who said there is almost no scenario in which Toronto wouldn’t pay whatever it takes to keep Lowry, despite the wrist injury that has cost him extended time.
Simply put, the Raptors without Lowry are in danger of falling into the dreaded NBA purgatory. A healthy Toronto squad can compete for a second consecutive trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. If Lowry departs in the summer, the Raptors lack the cap space to replace him with anything close to equal talent. In that scenario, the Raptors would be too good to tank for high draft picks, but not good enough to contend. Toronto must do everything within its power to keep Lowry long term. Trading for Ibaka was almost certainly part of that equation.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BR2J94bgAKq/
A master of falling down, Cory Joseph becoming adept at getting back up
Joseph’s traditional numbers without Lowry do not jump off the page. He is averaging a solid 11 points, five assists and 3.3 rebounds in almost 32 minutes in those 13 games. However, his value is easy to find: With Joseph on the floor, the Raptors are outscoring opponents by 6.3 points per 100 possessions; with him on the bench, they are being outscored by 2.5 points, and those numbers were far more pronounced before the Raptors’ last two wins, during which the Raptors’ second unit has shown signs of coalescing. Of Raptors’ regulars, only P.J. Tucker boasts a bigger gap between his on/off court splits (plus-8.1 points when he is on the floor, minus-1.7 points when he is off of it).
“Playing with force. He had a tough game against, like everyone else, (Oklahoma City point guard Russell) Westbrook, but he’s still giving us every ounce of energy and toughness Cory has, and running the team in the right way,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said of Joseph before the Raptors beat the Pacers on Sunday. “I think he’s in a rhythm now from being a starter. It’s a different rhythm, (it’s) different from being a starter to being a second unit guy. I think he’s used to do that. He’s given us all he has. And he’s logging big minutes. Until Delon (Wright) and Fred (VanVleet) get their feel on both ends of the floor, he’s going to be logging some pretty big minutes.”
Now, that says a lot about the unreliability of Joseph’s aforementioned backups. But it also speaks well of Joseph’s transformation from reserve to starter. This is not Joseph’s first time starting — in his final year in San Antonio, Joseph started 14 times in 19 games because of injuries to Parker and Patty Mills. However, the Spurs, given their structure and consistency, were never as reliant on their point guard as these Raptors have been on Lowry. Joseph said he has talked to Lowry a bit about what it is like to play with the starting group.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BR1woEjgbIc/
Leo Rautins on P.J Tucker: “He’ll get in your face and he backs it up” – TSN
NBA analyst Leo Rautins joined Home Court to talk about P.J Tucker’s impact on the Raptors both on the court and in the locker room. In the wake of the Raptors holding a players only meeting, Leo also breaks down the impact that it can have on an NBA team.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BR34poHBtiy/
Five Things to Watch: Bulls clash with Raptors | CSN
Scoring won’t be easy. The Raptors have really picked it up defensively of late after adding both Serge Ibaka and P.J. Tucker at the trade deadline. The Bulls had a solid showing offensively against the Jazz and will look to replicate it against a Raptors team hitting its stride on that end of late. Defense won’t necessarily win it tonight; finding enough baskets late will.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BR3RHk6BB1g/
Tuesday game preview: Chicago Bulls at Toronto Raptors | Toronto Star
KEY MATCHUP
Butler vs. DeRozan
Jimmy Butler (23.3 points per game) might be the Bulls’ only real threat with Dwyane Wade injured, but he has the ability to go off at any time. He scored 40 in a half against the Raptors last season, and was at it again in January, putting up 32 after halftime in an overtime victory over Toronto. DeMar DeRozan is going to have to have his defensive game up to par. Look for P.J. Tucker to get some time on Butler, as well.
Did I miss something? Send me any Raptors-related article/video to rapsfan@raptorsrepublic.com
