Raptors’ bench face challenges in repeating past success – Sportsnet.ca
Will Powell join the gang?
While the backup centre position does seem to be most open to debate, Powell could provide an interesting wrinkle on the wings. Once a vital cog in keeping the Raptors alive in playoff series, the San Diego native never got going last season. Rewarded as the starting small forward at the start of the 2017-18 campaign, an injury in Boston in November forced him out of action and opened the door for Anunoby to take the job.
Once the second unit found a rhythm, Powell was left out in the cold. “I don’t think it was a skill thing, I think it was a fit thing,” Powell said at training camp Tuesday. “After I got hurt, I didn’t really fit in with any group.”
In some ways, the 25-year-old is back in a comfort zone, having to fight for minutes just as he did when he was acquired via trade and spending the majority of his time with the Raptors 905. If he can rediscover the form that made him a valuable two-way piece, he may even put some pressure on Miles for minutes.
Why the new-look Raptors could lead the NBA in 3-pointers this season | theScore.com
On the surface, entrusting a rookie coach to maximize this wealth of talent could be an issue, but Nurse seems to be the least of everyone’s worries. He’s been touted as an Xs and Os wizard ever since the Raptors hired him as an assistant in 2013. He also implemented new strategies last season, such as giving the green light to a traditional 7-footer in Jonas Valanciunas, while empowering C.J. Miles to test his luck beyond 30 feet. Leonard even called him a “brilliant mind” after the first day of training camp.
“I’m always excited for more help and more space, and having more weapons to do that,” Miles said. “With coach Nick Nurse, he’s innovative and creative in finding ways for guys to get shots. Having another season in the system, learning how to find space and shots within what we do, obviously will be a lot easier when we’ve been in it and know it like the back of our hands now.”
Toronto could conceivably field an entire starting five of efficient 3-point shooters, with another four coming off the bench. Put those weapons in the hands of someone like Nurse, and it’s not hard to see how the Raptors could continue their evolution and lead the league in threes this season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QublrI2K2Rg
Coach Nick Nurse wants to let Raptors play at training camp | Toronto Sun
But Nurse said the idea is to get away from projected or likely starters playing alongside one another. It’s not his intention to limit anyone on the team and playing only bench guys with bench guys and starters with starters would be limiting to the former group.
“I’m not trying to keep the starters together or the mob together right now,” he said. “But it may end up that way.”
At this early stage in training camp the emphasis has been seeing exactly what they have and the best possible way to do that seems to be a heavy dose of five-on-five scrimmages.
The drills that were the norm these past few seasons have been replaced by a lot of live game action. It’s how Nurse feels best able to see what he needs to see to make decisions on who should be playing with whom.
“I just really like playing game-like situations, and trying to teach and learn from there more than drills, and I think they like it too,” Nurse said. “They like to put the score on there and play it out and try to learn what we can from time-and-score situations.”
Nurse not changing his philosophy now that he’s the Raps’ head coach – Video – TSN
Nick Nurse sits down with Rod Black to discuss his transition to head coach in Toronto, how he isn’t planning to change his coaching philosophy now that he is the main man, the addition of Kawhi Leonard and how he plans to implement him, and much more.
Don’t tell new Raptor Greg Monroe what he cannot do – The Athletic [subscription]
And with Poeltl and Nogueira gone, rim protection was the glaring skill lacking on the roster.
“The things that stand out to us are his IQ, his passing, his ability to score in the low post and his rebounding,” Raptors general manager Bobby Webster said of the signing. “To address maybe one specific need — I think we just felt Greg was a more complete player.
“It’s getting the most talent and someone who can fill as many roles for you on the offensive and defensive ends. … Multiple skills are better (than hunting for one).”
In fact, the Raptors think Monroe will fit in quite well with that second unit, even though his age and playing style do not seem like natural fits. While he will not be out there blocking many shots, he can still get the ball going the other way. Among centres who played at least 1,000 minutes last year, Monroe ranked eighth in deflections per minute.
Raptors’ Pascal Siakam is a big man who’s going to grow on you | The Star
Where Siakam exactly fits is still to be determined. Nurse is nowhere near deciding on a starting five, or ever roles for backups, but Siakam’s unique skill set should make him invaluable wherever Nurse puts him. Leading the break is one thing fans should get used to.
“Yeah, I think you’re going see him handle the ball. I think, again, we’re there already with him on that,” the coach said. “When he snaps down a rebound he ought to push it and make a play and you guys probably see me (yelling) a lot, ‘Attack! Attack, attack, attack,’ until they collapse and then he’ll make the play. He’s really getting good at finding the next play out there.
“The shooting — everyone could get better. Especially him. Especially him. Just I think, again, we want all our guys to kind of play like that some day. To be able to be versatile: passing, reading, attacking, shooting.”
And when it comes to discussing the specifics of his role and what he’d like to be, Siakam reverts to his open-book form.
“My second year I evolved as a ballhandler, a guy who can make decisions,” he said. “Just learning a lot more, thinking about the mistakes I made last year and try and make better reads. Finding guys and stuff like that.
Podcast: Locked on Raptors #385 – Rooting for a Contender 101 w/ Joey Devine – Raptors HQ
In Episode 385 of Locked on Raptors, Sean Woodley chats with Roundball Rock co-host and Warriors fan Joey Devine about what it’s like to root for a title contender after years of not being particularly good. They touch on reconciling rooting for a superstar that is maybe not the most fun-oozing dude, how being on national TV a lot changes the fan experience, Kawhi’s laugh, and much more.
Should there be concern Lowry dodged Raps’ calls in summer? – Video – TSN
According to reports, Kyle Lowry didn’t answer calls from Raptors officials following the trade of DeMar DeRozan. Was Lowry trying to give himself a cool-off period, or was he being selfish? The crew from ESPN’s ‘The Jump’ share their thoughts.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPEyZtbN07Q
Raptors notebook: Players put their belts on the line, day after day after day | The Star
At the urging of assistant coach Nate Bjorkgren, the team is giving out two “championship belts” to players each day, gaudy little baubles they’ve been wearing proudly.
Chris Boucher and Kay Felder were champions for their two-on-two play when Tuesday’s training camp began in the suburb of Burnaby, B.C., and Fred VanVleet and Kawhi Leonard were the titleholders Wednesday.
Leonard got his for winning a one-on-one championship, VanVleet said he thought he might have earned his, “I think, they said for deflections.”
“I don’t want to sit here and compare this year to last year all year, but keeping things fresh, it’s a new approach,” VanVleet said. “Any time you’re transitioning head coaches or things like that, it’s going to bring something new to the table. This is one little thing that they’ve got, and it keeps things light. You want to have good energy when you’re trying to get this work in, it’s a long, gruelling season, and there are certain things throughout you can do to keep the mood light.”
It’s also about bragging rights and, even if it’s only for a day, that’s something.
“You know, you’re only as good as your last day,” VanVleet said. “So, those guys (Boucher and Felder) are forgotten about already. It’s a new champ.”
‘Ultimate teammate’ Green boosts Raptors’ leadership, experience – Sportsnet.ca
Since the Spurs were so veteran-laden, Green finds himself in a unique position for a player heading into his 10th NBA season – for the first time in his career he’s being looked upon to be part of a team’s leadership group.
“It’s different. It takes some adjusting to,” he said. “Coaches are asking me for different thoughts and theories. Players are looking up to me to see how I’m carrying myself, how I’m doing things, asking me for advice. But it’s one I am OK with and hopefully we can all learn from each other, adjust accordingly and have a good thing going.”
Green’s on-court attributes are obvious. The Spurs were at the forefront of implementing ‘3-and-D’ wings as key role players — think Bruce Bowen – to complement ball-dominant attackers and in Green they groomed one of the best. After becoming a full-time starter in 2012-13, Green averaged 14 points, five rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks per 36 minutes for the next three years while shooting 42 per cent form the three-point line – a level of both ends production and efficiency virtually unmatched over that period. Green’s play fell off somewhat last season, which he and the Raptors are hoping was attributable to a nagging groin injury that eventually required surgery.
Presuming his good health, Toronto instantly become a better defending and better shooting team with Green on the floor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wz5Skw85noM
Toronto Raptors 2018-19 Player Preview: Norman Powell – Raptors HQ
What Does Norm Need To Do To Succeed?
The most obvious answer is become a better shooter. There just isn’t much evidence that he can do this. In his rookie year, Powell shot 40.4 percent from three, but in just 89 attempts. Strip out that, and over 713 attempts through college and the NBA, Powell is a 30.9 percent shooter from distance.
Still, Powell can give more than he has. A more realistic improvement is for Powell to take a page from DeRozan’s book and learn to drive for multiple purposes, keeping an eye out for simple passes as opposed to crashing into the teeth of the defense every time. Here, his good play-making scores, and the eye-test suggest that Powell could consistently become a player who can force the defense to collapse, or over-commit, and then punish them for that.
On the defensive end Powell is fine. You can quibble about that post-performance, but thankfully few wings have Wade’s mix of guile and ability to play bully ball. Experience should also help Powell weed out some of the over-eagerness to his defensive game. Then again, maybe the pressure of living up to his contract might make him more jumpy.
The Raptors can keep Kawhi Leonard by pitching him as the new LeBron – Yahoo
Much like LeBron in Cleveland, the pitch for Leonard could be one that centers around the idea of having a team of his own that will always be vying for a spot in the Conference Finals. There is no end to the dominance of the West in sight, and that could be enticing for Leonard as he lives in a big city and cruises to 55-60 wins a season.
Ujiri could pitch Leonard as the new LeBron of the East, building a shining castle in Toronto. The new King in the North, for whom the road to playoff success is smooth and bereft of raiders, where veteran free agents come to try their shot at the NBA Finals. Ujiri could posit that each season would be a race for the others in the Eastern Conference to see who would meet the Raptors in the ECF, just as the Cavaliers had been penciled into that spot for a decade before.
The caveat here, of course, is that the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics have increased their own firepower over the past couple of seasons and, barring any injuries or natural disasters, they will remain in close competition with Toronto. Ujiri could pitch Leonard on being the new Cavaliers, but it wouldn’t make it true.
The other method of persuasion for Ujiri will be a sense of community and a primary focus on Leonard as a face of the franchise moving forward.
As much as Leonard was that in practice in San Antonio, it wasn’t a direct objective given that Gregg Popovich was always going to be the most important person in that building. While rumors of Leonard wanting to return to California have never wavered, neither have his apparent desire to be the solo star on a team (with supporting cast, of course).
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoK1ZuHAYdN/
2018-19 Player Preview: Greg Monroe, Raptors Insurance – Raptors HQ
Quite simply, Greg Monroe isn’t going to play that much. Less simply, Greg Monroe’s role on the 2018-19 Raptors feels a little extra—I didn’t really want to say superfluous but it’s a good word for this. He’s an extra body, a big, who as the many television commentators like to say about these kinds of players will “bang down low”.
But he’s also a perfect fit for this role. His skill-set is well-suited to sliding into lineups for Jonas Valanciunas. And JV knows how awesome it will be for him to have another big man on board. Even with all of the attention from Media Day headed towards Kawhi’s laugh or Lowry’s coldish temperament, the Lithuanian big man had time to drop this gem.
“Yes, we had some battles before. He’s a tough guy,” he said about Monroe. “He never backs down, and I never back down, and now we have a chance to play together. So it’s fun. We can kick somebody’s ass.”
I’m now taking bets on whose ass they’ll kick.
Raptors hoping championship pedigree of Spurs vets will rub off – TSN.ca
From a tangible, basketball standpoint we know what the two former Spurs can bring. Leonard, when healthy, is a legitimate superstar. He’s a top-5 calibre NBA player, perennial MVP candidate, and one of the best perimeter defenders the league has ever seen. Green is a career 40 per cent three-point shooter and is one year removed from being named to the NBA All-Defensive second team.
However, between the two of them, they also come to Toronto with a couple of championship rings and several seasons of playing under legendary coach Gregg Popovich and alongside three future hall-of-famers – Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli– in San Antonio. That experience and the winning pedigree those guys bring could be every bit as valuable to the Raptors – one of the league’s youngest teams last year.
“I think there’s something to going through some deeper playoff runs in this league to be a successful player,” said Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, following the second day of training camp at Fortius Sport & Health just outside of Vancouver. “It’s a challenge at that time of year and we’ve now got a veteran team, not necessarily years played or age, but a bunch of guys who have been through a lot of stuff.”
“It helps in a lot of ways. First, from a standpoint of they teach [the young guys] what it takes, the workday, the professional workday in this league and what it takes. They pick up on that. The second thing is there’s something to understanding what playoff prep is like, playoff pressure is like, going on the road to certain arenas is like and when you have guys that have been through it, they can ease the nerves a little bit.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoJsgstgVI-/
Ranking Every Toronto Raptor: #30 – 11 – Raptors HQ
27. Jalen Rose, SG/SF (2003-2006); 177 GP / 137 starts / 33.4 minutes / 16.2 points / 3.4 rebounds / 3.4 assists / 43.1 FG% / 34.5 3FG%
I know I said Rafer was the coolest Raptor ever, but Rose has me reconsidering that take. Rose was part of some bad Raps teams. He was also the main culprit for the 81-point Kobe Bryant game that neither Raptor fans nor sensible, Kobe-slagging NBA fans will ever stop hearing about.
But damnit, Jalen was a funky, cool player to watch when he got cooking; the type of do-it-all combo guard who would have been a nice fit in today’s NBA had he, you know, given a shit about defense. He had that Fab Five glow; he shot lefty; maybe no player has done better advertising for Toronto as a city for NBA players to live* in.
*-party
He brought about quite literally zero team success in Toronto, but style and fame points can’t be discounted when you’re a franchise that a) has had a red dinosaur logo and b) has had a debilitating inferiority complex for decades.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoNO3C_gY0q/
Eight Must-Watch Toronto Raptors Games for the 2018-2019 Season – Raptors HQ
5) DeMar DeRozan’s Return to Toronto
Friday February 22nd 7:00 PM vs. San AntonioDeRozan returns to the Scotiabank Arena for the first time as a Spur on February 22nd. It will be odd seeing DD in grey, white and black. DeMar was one of the best Raptors ever, leading the team in eleven different categories all-time including games played, minutes and points. He was a massive part of the Raptors 2014-15 turnaround season that saw them become Eastern Conference contenders year in and year out. Expect a raucous sellout crowd and an extended standing ovation from the classy home fans, who will no doubt be demonstrative in showing their respect and appreciation for DeRozan.
And don’t count out the possibility of him dropping 50-points on the Raps, as promised. In addition to being an ultimate competitor, he’s clearly harbouring a grudge against the Raptors’ front office and will be keen to make a point.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BoNPnqeAjpF/
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