Fan Duel Toronto Raptors

Morning Coffee – Tue, Oct 2

Deng Adel hopes his versatility is enough to stay with the Raptors – The Athletic [subscription] After going undrafted and participating in Las Vegas Summer League with the Houston Rockets, Deng worked out with the Wolves for about a week and, in late August, it was reported that he’d signed a training camp deal, providing…

Deng Adel hopes his versatility is enough to stay with the Raptors – The Athletic [subscription]

After going undrafted and participating in Las Vegas Summer League with the Houston Rockets, Deng worked out with the Wolves for about a week and, in late August, it was reported that he’d signed a training camp deal, providing NBA Twitter with a deep well of Luol Deng/Gorgui Dieng/Deng Adel jokes. Not long after, The Athletic‘s Shams Charania reported that Deng was changing course and joining the Raptors. As I reported at the time, the deal is an Exhibit 10 contract that could see him make the roster outright, get converted to a two-way contract or, if he clears waivers and is willing, join Raptors 905 with a $50,000 bonus (Exhibit 10 deals are explained in more detail here). A change in plans during the summer is not entirely uncommon — Rawle Alkins, for example, took a two-way contract with the Chicago Bulls after he and the Raptors had previously agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal — and for Adel, it wasn’t all that hard a decision to make.

“I’ve been here two weeks, working out, getting familiar with everything, the city, just the guys, everybody’s in the gym every day,” he said. “I was in Minnesota. I worked out there for a week and everything was going well, but I just felt the opportunity here was bigger. Obviously, with the roster spots, and then they do a great job of developing the young guys, especially guys like Fred (VanVleet), OG, a lot of the young guys they developed. So I just felt that it was best for me.”

This is a fairly common refrain around Toronto’s camps these days. It’s one Eric Moreland echoed, too: The Raptors have such a strong track record of player development at the NBA and G League level over the last few years that even if an ultimate goal — a roster spot — isn’t achieved, players and agents seem to feel they’ll be in a better position long-term after being in Toronto’s pipeline.

Raptors’ Siakam poised for breakout third season – TSN.ca

Siakam has been billed as one of the league’s breakout candidates for the 2018-19 campaign, and while he isn’t shying away from the hype, necessarily, you can tell it makes him slightly uncomfortable.

“It doesn’t really matter, to be honest,” Siakam said of the recent fanfare. “For me, it’s just about the work, and I’ve always done that. Obviously it’s cool when people recognize you, but at the end of the day this is what matters right now.”

The 24-year-old has always been a worker. He was a worker even before he picked up a basketball and started playing the game competitively, just eight short years ago. He has worked since Toronto went off the board to select him 27th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. So, he doesn’t quite understand what made this past summer different from the ones that came before it, other than more cameras floating around – a product of the social media age.

He shares some of the blame, having posted a couple of the videos himself. And yes, he can appreciate that irony. In mid-July he tweeted a one-minute mix tape that showed him crossing up defenders, beating them off the dribble, threading the needle on some tough passes in traffic, hitting step-back jumpers, and throwing down vicious dunks.

Home Team Hoops put the tape together from Siakam’s daily workouts and runs on the UCLA campus. Siakam didn’t expect it to blow up, and neither did his older brother, Christian – Pascal’s closest confidant.

“He’s always been low key,” said the elder Siakam brother. “But this time he just wanted to show his skills, show what he can do. He has a lot to offer. People don’t always get a chance to see that.”

The video went viral, and quick. A few days later Siakam was named Drew League Player of the Week after posting a triple-double of 38 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists in his debut game, and the legend grew.

Monroe refusing to accept NBA is done with traditional centres | Toronto Sun

Monroe is a traditional big man. He’s not going to jack-rabbit down the floor like a 6-foot point guard. He’s a big who carves out space for himself in the post with that size and scores the basketball.

He’s a willing passer which fits in nicely with the Raptors emphasis on ball movement and based on about a month now working with coaches and teammates he believes he can be a good fit here.

But the nine-year vet has about had it with talk that basketball no longer needs bigs and centres or even that all bigs and centres have to be able to step outside and knock down threes.

In eight seasons, Monroe has yet to attempt a three. Don’t expect that to change.

“We all know what everybody is reacting to and it is what it is,” Monroe said of the recent three’s-over-everything push. “If a team dethrones the Warriors with a big everyone is going to go out and get a big. I mean you saw what they (the Warriors) did this summer (signing DeMarcus Cousins). They added a centre. You need bigs. JaVale (McGee) was still playing in Golden State (Zaza Pachulia too). You still have great centres in this league – Joel Embiid, Andre Drummond, Marc Gasol. You still have guys who are productive that play so I’m not worried about it. The only thing I can control is what happens inside the lines and that is what I am focussing on.”

The very thought of basketball going all small is just ridiculous to Monroe. The role of the big man in the game isn’t going anywhere in his opinion.

“It’s basketball. The one sport where being tall is cool and they are trying to wash it out,” Monroe said. “ It will come back around. Guys are adapting.”

NBA Media Day: Masai Ujiri believes in Toronto, and you should too – Raptors HQ

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Ujiri go off. As his stature in Toronto has grown, as the Raptors have risen from the basement (or the grave), it’s been Masai leading the way — taking credit, sure, but also bearing the blame. After various playoff disappointments in Toronto, it’s been Masai in front of the camera talking about the need to to stay the course, to be patient, to continue to believe in what he and his staff are trying to build. It hasn’t always been an easy line to accept.

So what’s different about Ujiri’s response this time? It doesn’t feel like management lip service, or a wild fantasy, or the words of a man cajoling people to buy into a delusional vision. Even with all the added scrutiny and risk the Kawhi Leonard trade has brought to Toronto, Masai has earned the right to sound comfortable in his position. He knows it was the logical next step, for himself as president, for the franchise, and for the city.

“I’m not irritated by that at all,” Ujiri said later, after he’d moved from the podium to a more relaxed media scrum. “I understand why people ask that, people ask that a year before Kyle’s contract was over or any player’s contract is over. You ask that. That continues to be the question. I just don’t want the narrative to be, man, Toronto, Toronto, Toronto. We’re tired of that crap. I can say that.”

This is where the lines of old and new Toronto meet, where the established local media and long-time jaded fans meet new management armed with a fresh attitude. Ujiri knows it too — he went on to mention the rising Leafs, and the recent MLS champion Toronto FC. He also continues to trumpet what makes Toronto great aside from its sports scene, calling it a top three city in the NBA, a beautiful place, a goldmine. “We’re not overselling,” said Masai. “This is who we are.

“To continue to hear about people not wanting to come here is actually irritating after a while,” Ujiri continued. “It is. Come on. Let’s be real. People like it here.”

Consistent starting five not important for Raptors head coach | Toronto Sun

With the lineup talk now open, he was asked if he would be reluctant to break up the bench mob which lost a member this summer but otherwise returns intact and has created some real chemistry last summer, last season, and this past summer.

“When a five-man trots out and a five-man trots in there shouldn’t be a whole lot of difference,” Nurse said, softly dodging the actual question. “When a three-man trots out and a three-man trots in there is a style we are trying to play here and it shouldn’t be so in pieces.”

That would seem to suggest that the days of the hockey change — five off, five new one’s in —  are pretty much over, although even last season former head coach Dwane Casey staggered the rests of Lowry and DeMar DeRozan to keep one on the floor most of the time.

Nurse has as many as nine or even 10 potential starters at his disposal, and it appears likely that all will get a shot at some point this season.

Ranking Every Toronto Raptor: The Conclusion — #10 – 1 – Raptors HQ

Whatever it is you’re looking for in the number one Raptor of all time, I can guarantee you Kyle Lowry checks each box.

You want winning? With apologies to the King, DeMar, Lowry has been the best player on the most successful batch of teams Raptors fans have ever gotten to pleasure to watch. He’s been the blood-pumping core of three-straight 50-win teams — the only such squads in Raps history — and while injuries have caused his performance to drag in a few playoff runs, Toronto likely doesn’t have four of its five playoff series wins without him. Lowry’s career has set a new bar for winning that all future Raptors will have to live up to.

What about numbers? Yup. He currently sits fourth in career points, with a chance to catch Vince by the end of his contract; his 1066 career made threes are 265 clear on number two Morris Peterson (and seeing as he consistently flirts with the top-three in threes made per season, that’s likely to move past 500 this year); a few hyper-aggressive games will see him pass Doug Christie for the all-time steals crown; only 800 assists separate him from Calderon in that department; shit, man, he’s even sixth in rebounds despite being barely six-feet tall. On a more advanced level, Lowry is an annual fixture in the top-10 of ESPN’s Box Plus/Minus, is an instant five to 10 point NET Rating boost to most lineups he gets dropped into, and has been one of the captains of the pull-up three revolution that has altered NBA defense in recent years.

What happens in Vancouver doesn’t stay in Vancouver | The Star

Oh yeah, what about Kawhi?

Fine, too. Fully involved in everything, putting in all the work they ask of him and if you watched those 19 minutes he played on Saturday closely, he can do things on the court that few Raptors have ever been able to do. He’s the least of their worries at the moment and I can’t imagine that changing any in the next while.

I don’t know if it was the horrid season the Blue Jays stumbled through or the fact there was absolutely no American League pennant race drama to get into (and, no, I couldn’t care less about who got to host the wild card game) but baseball was “meh” for all of September for me.

You? The same?

I’m hoping the level of interest will ramp up now that the post-season is upon us but I don’t have a rooting interest so that’s a thing, too. Anyone want to convince to pay closer attention to one team over the others?

Stinks that I’m going to miss both playoff games while travelling, that’s for sure.

2018-19 Toronto Raptors Player Preview: Malachi Richardson – Raptors HQ

If anything, Richardson finally had a healthy summer where he was able to work on his game instead of rehabbing an injury. He looked good playing with the Bench Mob on Rico Hines’ basketball pickup runs. While defense is not a staple on most pickup runs, it looks like Malachi’s confidence on his shot is growing — that’s a good sign.

Fortunately for Richardson, he’s got a skill that’s currently at a premium around the league — three-point shooting. Additionally, Malachi’s still on a cap-friendly rookie-scale contract, so the Raptors can be patient and see how far they can go with his development. More importantly, on a roster where minutes are at a premium, Malachi has an option to be assigned to the G League to work on his game with the Raptors 905.

So yes, Richardson will have to go the G League route, and he’ll need to show a couple of things: One, that he’s a better talent than your average G League player; and two, that he can defend. If Malachi can turn heads in Mississauga, maybe, just maybe, he can get a few minutes of NBA garbage time to showcase his game.

Remember: the Raptors look to be very, very good this year.

4 offseason developments with the greatest fantasy impact | theScore.com

If Leonard is healthy, there’s no reason to think he can’t approximate the fantasy production owners came to expect from him between 2015-17: 23.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game with elite shooting percentages. He’s currently ranked No. 10 overall on theScore’s Top 150 fantasy draft rankings.

5 bold predictions for the 2018-19 NBA season – Sportsnet.ca

Paul George was in the same boat prior to last season when was traded from Indiana to Oklahoma City despite the belief he would sign in Los Angeles in free agency. When push came to shove, George ended up inking a four-year, $137-million deal to stay in Oklahoma City.

All the pieces are in place for Leonard to follow in George’s footsteps and stick with the Raptors for the long haul:

1) He’s playing for a contending team.

2) He’s already become an Internet sensation thanks to “the laugh.”

3) Toronto added Leonard’s close friend to its coaching staff.

4) There will be plenty of sponsorship opportunities to help boost Leonard’s image on the global stage, something he reportedly desires. Those same opportunities will let the 2014 NBA Finals MVP showcase his acting skills on the regular.

5) Teammate Norman Powell’s mother is friends with Leonard’s mother.

Way-Too-Soon Predictions for 2019’s Top NBA Free Agents | Bleacher Report

Maybe the San Antonio Spurs were never interested in packages that included picks and young players. Maybe general manager R.C. Buford is one of those executives irrationally committed to not trading stars within the conference. Maybe Gregg Popovich nixed a deal because he didn’t want Lonzo (and LaVar) Ball potentially diluting the Spurs’ well-established culture.

Then again, maybe the real reason Leonard is set to spend a season with the Toronto Raptors is that the Lakers knew they were going to get him in 2019 anyway. If they were sure of that, giving up assets never made sense.

If that’s how it plays out, the Lakers are betting on James extending his prime far longer than most stars; it’ll have to last until Leonard arrives in a year. It also makes 2018-19 a throwaway, non-title-chasing year. That’s certainly how James tried to frame it in his media-day comments to reporters, in which he repeatedly shot down talk of pressure or championship aspirations.

The Lakers are just waiting. They’ll get their guy without sending away pieces of their core. As long as James is still near the top of his game in 2019-20, he and Leonard could form the most potent one-two punch in the league.

Five Jimmy Butler Trades That Make The Most Sense — NBA — The Sports Quotient

Toronto Raptors
Hypothetical trade: Serge Ibaka, OG Anunoby, Danny Green, and the Raptors’ 2020 2nd Round Pick for Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson

This would project the Raptors to be serious championship contenders, who would form a scary big three of Kawhi Leonard, Butler, and Kyle Lowry. With the additions of Butler and Leonard this offseason, the Raptors would be a nightmare for wing scorers, as these two are stellar defenders who can lock down their opponent on any given night.

Although the loss of Ibaka would hurt the team’s ability to protect the rim, the replacement of him with Gibson isn’t a huge downgrade and allows the team to feature more small-ball lineups with Leonard and Butler at the forward positions and Jonas Valanciunas at the five.

The disappointment of losing Butler for Thibodeau would be somewhat overshadowed by the addition of three stellar defenders and players who put in plenty of effort in Anunoby, Ibaka, and Green. Anunoby would be a terrific starter to replace Butler and shore up the defense, along with providing a presence in a playoff atmosphere that is unmatched by most players of his age. Ibaka would serve as a talented shot blocker next to Towns, who doesn’t yet have the shot-blocking pedigree of a player like Ibaka. Green would add a perimeter threat to the Timberwolves’ offense that would be lacking without Butler on the roster, considering Wiggins’ inability to shoot from deep efficiently up to this point in his career.

NBA Power Rankings: Breaking Down Teams on the Rise Entering 2018-19 | Bleacher Report | Latest News, Videos and Highlights

On The Rise

Toronto Raptors at No. 4

While the Raptors probably spent most of last season hovering around the fourth spot, this distinction feels different.

There were legitimate worries about that group’s ability to carry over its regular-season success into the playoffs. Previous postseason stumbles and the lack of a top-10 superstar both opened the team to skepticism, and the doubters seem justified when Toronto was swept out of the second round.

But the offseason addition of Kawhi Leonard potentially changes everything. If he’s all the way healthy and bought in, he might be the best two-way player in basketball. He has two Defensive Player of the Year awards, along with two seasons of averaging at least 21 points on 48-plus percent shooting.

The excitement of his preseason debut was rightfully palpable.

Brooklyn Nets 2018-19 Primer: Toronto Raptors make big changes – Nothin’ but Nets

Outlook
Nick Nurse immediately sits on a seat that is, if not white-hot, at least a nice glowing red. Expectations will be through the roof after replacing the Coach of the Year and trading away the franchise’s all-time leading scorer.

Leadership off the floor could be an issue. Serge Ibaka isn’t known for being a fiery, vocal presence. Kawhi Leonard certainly isn’t going to win any Mr. Congenialty contests, although according to Josh Lewenberg of TSN.com, he was saying all the right things on Media Day last week.

(No, I won’t take the obvious cheap shot about “the laugh.” It’s been done to death.)

One thing general manager Masai Ujiri and Nurse both played down was the silent offseason from point guard Kyle Lowry. Long-time running mate traded away? No comment. Coach fired? No comment.

Perhaps what should have been more concerning was calls and texts from Nurse? No reply. Calls and texts from Ujiri? No reply.

Lowry does have a reputation for running silent in the offseason, but it seemed just a bit off that the first time he spoke with Leonard — his new All-Star teammate — was Sept. 24 while they were preparing for Media Day.

So this season will be part head-coaching indoctrination, part redemption quest and part chemistry experiment, all done with the clock potentially ticking down on Leonard becoming a free agent in July.

Five thoughts on Kawhi, Okafor, Hayward and more – TSN.ca

1. KAWHI LEONARD (Raptors): It was an encouraging debut for Leonard on Saturday in Vancouver. Obviously, he’s rusty, but that will improve with time. I loved Kawhi’s all-business approach. He’s very mature and focused. Leonard plays the game at a controlled speed and calmly goes about his work. He had a presence about him that creates a high level of confidence among his teammates. And I loved the pairing of him and Kyle Lowry together throughout the stretches they played. Getting those two familiarized quickly will help significantly.

Did I miss something? Send me any Raptors-related article/video to rapsfan@raptorsrepublic.com