The Raptors Should Go All In This Season by Trading for Jimmy Butler – The Ringer
With discord brewing in Minnesota, it could be the perfect time for Ujiri to step in. An offer that includes another All-Star player (ahem, Lowry), and a young guy who isn’t OG Anunoby, plus picks if needed, could do the trick. Which team could top a package headlined by one of the league’s best point guards—who just so happens to be the sort of salty, pitbull defender that Thibs loves—especially with Butler able to walk at the end of the season? Butler and Kawhi on the court together would be explosive. On defense, they would turn the perimeter into a hunting ground. They can both be primary ball handlers if need be and play off the ball, too; both shot at least 35 percent from 3 in their last full seasons.
For the Raptors, going all in isn’t shortsighted, it’s opportunistic. They probably won’t go to the Finals with Kawhi and Lowry as their top two, but they just might with Kawhi and Butler. (As an added bonus, Butler is set to make $12 million less than Lowry this season.) LeBron’s gone, but the East will only get better with Giannis Antetokounmpo improving and the Sixers and Celtics rising. Windows in the NBA open and close in the blink of an eye, and this could be the Raptors. If Leonard walks this summer, the Toronto may wind up trading Lowry and starting over anyway.
The Raptors are eager to find safe harbour from controversy on court – The Athletic [subscription]
“Of all the jobs I’ve ever had, there’s always things around the team, this and that. Let the team get on the practice floor and practice. Get the team to the arena floor for games,” Nurse said at media day on Monday. “I kind of think that’s the approach. I think Kawhi’s been around enough to handle anything, any positives or negatives that surround other than basketball. The important thing is we’re all going to show up and go out and do our work. That’s really our focal point.”
Just get to the court, and Nurse and his players can figure everything else out from there. It sounds exceedingly simple. It is not. At least not always.
Now that Kawhi Leonard is in Toronto, there will be no helping the chorus of signal-seekers who will sift through every pulse of noise between now and his unrestricted free agency on July 1. It began in earnest Monday, with Leonard appearing for the first time as a member of the Raptors and offering up a number of tea leaves that can be interpreted in any number of ways. As it pertains to Leonard’s future, the answers are unknown, although his introductory presser went about as well as the Raptors could have hoped in terms of affability and messaging. Leonard is here, which clears the biggest hurdle; there will remain uncertainty.
The upside: The basketball starts now.
“It’s about these guys, it’s about basketball, and basketball is going to begin soon,” Raptors president Masai Ujiri said to conclude his portion of the press conference. “We all feel good when basketball starts. I’ll really appreciate what these guys have said and getting the games started is the exciting part. The summer was crazy but you know it’s basketball and we’re excited.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEyXcB9EwPs
Early returns promising as Raptors begin unique training camp – Sportsnet.ca
Now it’s Nurse’s job to figure out how to best implement his philosophies while also finding the right way to use Leonard, not to mention newcomers Danny Green and Greg Monroe, while also finding proper roles for the likes of third-year forward Siakam and second-year wing OG Anunoby, who each seem to have picked up their games from a year ago.
In recent years the Raptors could rely on training camp and pre-season to get comfortable; continuity was a big part of their success. But this September things are different and making sure it doesn’t take too long to find the proper fit for everyone on a deep and talented roster will occupy a significant part of the rookie coach’s thoughts in the coming days and weeks.
“I think I kinda look at this whole pre-season and training camp as us trying to search for some different combinations just for the sake of it,” he said. “We gotta get to know them. They gotta get to know me a little bit and we’ll see a lot of learning and a lot of growth going on here that I’m looking forward to it.”
Once again, Kawhi Leonard is a professional basketball player – The Athletic [subscription]
Seriously, Leonard mentioned the rust and lack of rhythm you would expect from a player who went eight months without playing in a 5-on-5 game, and that will take a while to discard. Aside from Green, Leonard has never played a competitive game with any of these players. Leonard posited that finding the correct spacing and positioning on both ends of the floor will be the toughest thing about returning to game readiness.
Tuesday was the first real step in that regard. It was enough to start daydreaming about what Leonard’s role could be. In his last full season, Leonard used 31.6 per cent of possessions while he was on the floor, eschewing the notion that he was a mere product of the Spurs system. DeRozan’s usage percentage with the Raptors during last season’s offensive shift was a tad lower than that, so it is safe to assume Leonard’s ball dominance will sink a bit, too.
“Well, our offence is kind of equal opportunity, right, but it always tends to gravitate towards the guys who can score,” Nurse said regarding Leonard’s usage. “That’s the really neat thing about it. You guys have seen the way it’s rolled out. The balls gonna find him. He’s gonna have a lot of chances.”
Now, philosophy and thought experiments are turning into practical concerns for the Raptors. Kawhi Leonard is a basketball player again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xcpQodzlYV8
Raptors’ season of change is officially underway | Toronto Sun
“Yeah, it was different,” third-year Raptor Pascal Siakam said. “(Head coach Nick Nurse) has his own things, the way he does them. Just little things he does that are different from the past. We all have to circle in the middle. We have to have a perfect circle, different things that he just adds with his own little touch. It feels different.”
Nurse was a member of Dwane Casey’s staff but he has his own ideas about how to do things.
The circle thing, at least according to Siakam, is to have teammates looking each other in the eye. Again, it’s a small thing but one of many small differences the players noticed.
The big difference, obviously, was the presence of Kawhi Leonard and the absence of DeMar DeRozan.
In Leonard the Raptors boast a top-five talent, the magnitude of which the franchise has never had before and that includes the good Vince Carter years.
And training camp – and the pre-season for that matter – are going to be big for Leonard.
Consider that Tuesday was the first 5-on-5 basketball Leonard has played since January. That’s eight months, give or take.
Kawhi Leonard shakes off rust in first practice with Raptors | The Star
Leonard isn’t the kind of player who needs the ball in his hands constantly to make a contribution offensively, but things tend to work out that way. That’s what Nurse’s camp of discovery is about.
“Well our offence is kind of equal opportunity … but it always kind of tends to gravitate towards the guys who can score,” the coach said. “That’s the really neat thing about it. You guys have seen the way it’s rolled out.
“The ball’s going to find him. He’s going to have a lot of chances. Now, usage, percentages, minutes played and all that kind of stuff, (will have to be learned).”
The minutia and the Xs and Os are for the days ahead and the five exhibition games that start with one here Saturday against Portland.
Watching Leonard get up and down with his new teammates, each figuring the other out, was good enough for all concerned on Tuesday.
“He looks in shape, he’s locked in, made some big plays, still trying to find his rhythm and everything like that, but he looks good, first five on five being back, he looked good, good chemistry, so I’m excited,” said Norm Powell, who’s been watching Leonard since high school days back in San Diego.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYmAlo0_YBc
Valanciunas sad to see Casey and DeRozan go, happy to turn the page with Raptors | Toronto Sun
“I’m excited, healthy, it’s going to be different. Nick Nurse taking over, so it’s going to be fun to see how we play offence. Actually we’re going to keep the same strategy, probably, but it’s going to be more fun. More freedom,” he said, revealing a lot in only a few words.
Nurse is a huge fan of Valanciunas, the two usually worked closely together post-practices, developing the big man’s game. Valanciunas took major steps forward last season under Casey and his staff. Nurse believes there is more there to still be unlocked.
Valanciunas agrees, particularly pointing out how he wants to improve his passing.
He’s also excited to have Greg Monroe as a practice foil, instead of an opponent.
“Yeah, we had some battles, playoffs were good,” Valanciunas said in his scrum.
“He’s a tough guy. He never backs down, and I never back down and now we have a chance to play together on the same team. So it’s fun. We can beat somebody’s ass.”
NBA 2018-19 Player Preview: Welcome Danny Green – Raptors HQ
The three-point shooting is another story. Yes, the Raptors improved markedly from beyond the arc (and in virtually every other way) by shipping out DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard, but fans may need to temper their expectations around Green’s stroke. After four straight seasons of shooting the ball at an elite 41-43% mark, Green has seen his average dip down to 33%, 37% and 36% respectively in his last three seasons. Unfortunately, the dip isn’t due to an increase in volume, as Green shot the ball more during his high water-mark seasons than his low. Could this be a sign that Green needs to be shooting the ball more often for greater success, or are the Raptors looking at a downward trend?
Expected to slot into the starting shooting guard position on this year’s Raptors’ squad, Green finds himself in a couple of very interesting situations that will be predicated on both his performance and the sets that newly minted coach Nick Nurse will install on offense. A traditional two-guard now in a “younger veteran” role, will Green find himself playing more of a mentor from the bench in crunch time, or will he be leaned on for heavy minutes that belonged to Fred VanVleet last season? Will Nurse build in the same sort of motion sets for the starting unit that the Bench Mob found success with and that San Antonio has been reaping the benefits from for time immemorial, or will Green be expected to pop out for catch-and-shoot threes?
Green presents enough veteran guile, Gregg Popovich pedigree and intangibles that he’s more than capable of succeeding on this roster, but keep a keen eye on how long Nurse gives the new acquisitions to gel. Kawhi will get every possible inch of leash that can be afforded, but Green has some competition on his heels for his minutes. C.J. Miles is still a very competent player (though much worse defender) and Norman Powell still has some big-time dollars to earn out of his contract.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xauadPDoDGo
“I just really tried to incorporate myself offensively and with the guys. I don’t think it was a skill thing, I think it was a fit thing,” Powell said of off-season workouts with the likes of OG Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, Delon Wright and the other young guys. “It was just after I got hurt (Powell injured his right hip vs. Boston last Nov.) I didn’t really fit in with any group, trying to find a rhythm with them, the second unit already got going and had a good rhythm early on, and when I got hurt OG was playing well with the first unit, so coming back from injury those first four or five games that I missed, coming back it was just hard to get a flow, fighting for minutes, guys were getting hurt, guys were out for personal reasons, and just couldn’t stick. So (this summer) I was just really trying to learn the offence, incorporate myself with the guys, and skill-wise I’m up there with the best of them, so it’s just trying to find opportunities and being ready to go out there and play and make plays and be impactful.”
Powell was averaging over 22 minutes a night until he injured hip hip in Boston, but from that point on even after he got healthy again, Powell averaged just under 14 minutes a night.
The biggest off-season change was playing with Toronto’s bench mob as they once again put in the work together in Los Angeles.
“Yeah, building chemistry with the guys, getting a good rhythm, good flow, playing off each other, being more five-on-five, not worrying too much about individual stuff, but just finding a fit,” Powell said of the change. “I thought this summer was really good for me with that, especially with the things we had at the mini camp.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoKgcEYASBl/
Leonard makes strong impression in first practice with Raptors – TSN.ca
Unlike past seasons, when the Raptors went into camp with continuity atop their roster, this group doesn’t have the benefit of familiarity out of the gate. Not only are they bringing a new superstar into the fold, but they’ve also got a first-year head coach to get accustomed to – albeit one that’s been in the Toronto system for the last five years – and several other new faces to work in.
“We’re building a new team this year,” Leonard said. “It always takes time to create that chemistry. Knowing where guys are going to be, me knowing where their spots are, them knowing where my spots are, that stuff takes time, it takes practice and game playing.”
“I think I kind of look at this whole preseason and training camp as us trying to search for some different combinations just for the sake of it,” Nurse echoed. “We gotta get to know them. They gotta get to know me a little bit, and we’ll see a lot of learning and a lot of growth going on here. I’m looking forward to it.”
This was also Nurse’s first opportunity to do some hands-on coaching with the team and its new best player. Granted, it’s still early, but Leonard is already impressed with the head coach’s approach.
“[Nurse is] open-minded, ready to adjust on the fly,” said Leonard – a ringing endorsement from someone that has only played for one head coach during his seven-year NBA career: the legendary Gregg Popovich. “[He’s] just a brilliant mind, loves the game of basketball. I’ve got to talk to him more, this was just my first practice, but we’re going to develop a good relationship.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoKn9UEAGRC/
Thoughts on Kawhi, Masai and the start of Raptors training camp – TSN.ca
4. Masai Ujiri: I absolutely loved his comments Monday about the silly questions folks ask about Toronto’s viability as a big-time NBA market with regard to recruitment and retention of elite players. Top to bottom, this is one of the elite franchises in the NBA. In my time here, this is the best shape I’ve seen the organization in. There’s committed ownership, outstanding leadership, sound coaching and a top-notch support staff. The team plays in front of incredibly loyal and passionate fans in a sold-out downtown arena in the heart of a world-class city. Every game is televised on national TV and the team has a rabid following from coast to coast. Toronto is the third largest market in North American sports. This place has always been a sleeping giant and now it has come into its own. I have absolutely no doubt that if a Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Antonio Davis or Chris Bosh were still here and in their prime years they’d have an incredibly difficult time finding a much better place to play. I’ve been around this league a good while now. Bottom line: This is an elite situation, so enough with the small-minded, silly inferior market complex. That’s utter nonsense. Stick your chest out and be proud. We The North is not only a statement, it’s a mindset. Kudos to Ujiri for taking the fight to the other 29 teams.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoLOiCAl_m-/
How Raptors will look opening day is a work in progress | The Star
“I think I kind of look at this whole preseason and training camp as us trying to search for some different combinations just for the sake of it,” Nurse said after the team’s first full, official workout Tuesday morning. “We’ve got to get to know them. They’ve got to get to know me a little bit, and we’ll see a lot of learning and a lot of growth going on here that I’m looking forward to it.”
There’s no question team president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster have given Nurse a versatile roster that could create any number of possibilities.
That’s particularly true for the defence, which has more athleticism and length than a year ago, more experience for the younger players and more players capable of guarding different positions. In today’s NBA, switching on defence is the in-vogue style and Toronto should be able to do that.
“We have a lot of length,” said big man Pascal Siakam. “We’re just excited about just getting stops and running and that’s better, especially for me, because I am going to be the first down the floor. But the more stops we can get the more we can score and the better we will look. So yeah it’s exciting.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoKxxKcHxXl/
Raptors Media Day 2018: Five thoughts on Masai Ujiri, Kyle Lowry, and Kawhi Leonard – Raptors HQ
Masai’s “believe in your city” rant is an all-timer
So let’s just get this out of the way, because it was my favourite moment of the day, and if this man’s passion for the city of Toronto doesn’t get you fired up, then it’s probably time to move to Calgary or something. Says Masai Ujiri, when asked about the history of players not wanting to come or stay in Toronto:“The narrative of not wanting to come to this city is gone. That’s old, and we should move past that. Believe in your city, believe in yourselves.”
I got goosebumps watching it, and I’m fired up again writing about it! I already have the Toronto skyline tattooed on my left forearm, and I’m so fired up I’m thinking about getting “believe in your city, believe in yourselves” tattooed right beneath it!
When Ujiri retires, one day in the far distant future, there’s not gonna be a number to hang in the rafters, but how about a “Fuck Brooklyn” banner, a “We don’t give a shit about ‘it’” banner and a “Believe in your city” banner?
Ujiri says he’s not making any hard sell to Kawhi Leonard to stay here; when he comes out and shows his emotions like that, I don’t think he has to.
Did I miss something? Send me any Raptors related article/video to rapsfan@raptorsrepublic.com.
