Raptors Tactical: 76ers’ lineups highlight duality of Raptors’ defence – The Athletic [subscription]
A 15-point loss and a 17-point victory in a back-to-back against comparably dangerous Eastern Conference teams highlights the early duality of the Raptors’ defence. The 76ers, in particular, offer their own window into that uneven defence thanks to their own Jekyll & Hyde routine. The 76ers started two different lineups for each half, beginning with Markelle Fultz and later switching to J.J. Redick. The Raptors were more ready and more capable of guarding the former on Tuesday, and Philadelphia’s change in approach nearly saw a 26-point lead erode entirely in the second half. The two 76ers groups present very different challenges. How the Raptors rounded into form against the Redick group late on Tuesday highlights the strength of the defence when it’s at it’s best. It should also be encouraging as to the potential the Raptors’ defence possesses if they can iron out some of the inconsistencies they’ve shown early.
Simmons called Leonard a “freak” defensively after being locked down by the two-time NBA defensive player of the year on Tuesday.
According to Positive Residual (@presidual on Twitter) Leonard was the primary defender on 60% of Simmons’s possessions in the game, with Simmons committing five turnovers on those possessions, four of them coming from Leonard steals.
Leonard also cleanly blocked a Simmons layup attempt, but was called for a foul on the play.
The NBA later admitted it was a missed call and should not have been ruled a foul.
Toronto’s had some outstanding defensive players over the years: Alvin Robertson and Doug Christie in the early days, Marcus Camby, Tracy McGrady, Alvin Williams, Antonio Davis, Keon Clark and Lowry and Amir Johnson later on, but nothing like Leonard.
He can guard four positions and shut players down, no matter how good they are, while also having enough in the tank to dominate at the other end.
“It’s pretty valuable, right,” understated head coach Nick Nurse when asked about Leonard’s defensive abilities.
“He can guard the ball, he can guard people coming off pin-downs, he can guard guys on the post but mostly, I think it’s just his natural instinct for getting his hands on stuff The ball’s popping around and, boom, he comes out of there with it any variety of ways.”
Recently Golden State’s Draymond Green said there isn’t anyone in the (same) defensive “category with me but Kawhi.”
4 things we’ve learned about the Toronto Raptors so far – Sportsnet.ca
2.Leonard is not a system player, he’s the best player in the East.
Leonard is 6-8, 230 pounds, with a 7-4 wingspan and has shown he can use that stature to be dominant no matter where he is playing.The MVP chants at Scotiabank Arena are premature but make no mistake Leonard is back playing at the level that had him perpetually in the MVP and defensive player of the year conversations. Although this time he’s doing it sharing the spotlight with Lowry and receiving the green light from Nurse outside the preordained structure of the Spurs basketball dynasty. The Raptors are 6-0 when Leonard has suited up. In those games Leonard three times scored 31 or more.
Through his first six appearances as a member of the Raptors, he’s averaging 27.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 2 steals and 0.5 blocks with a slash line of 50.4/44.4/91.4. Yes, he’s in the 50/40/90 club which is Steve Nash and Stephen Curry territory while remaining the one of league’s premier wing defenders making crazy plays on D like diving for balls like a shortstop.
Leonard is one of only 17 qualified players shooting above 45 per cent from deep while taking more than four threes per game.
Lowry and Leonard have a 20.1 net rating when both share the floor. As crazy as it sounds, Lowry might be the best teammate Leonard has ever played with.
Toronto Raptors exercise team options on contracts of Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby – Raptors HQ
Picking up the options on Siakam and Anunoby is a no-brainer for the Raps; both are exceeding the typical level of play of picks generally taken in their spots (27th and 23rd, respectively, in 2016 and 2017) and have made impressive contributions to the team’s success in their young careers.
Siakam has improved by leaps and bounds each season, and is averaging 10.9 points and 7 rebounds so far this season—and he’s already set new single-game career highs in both.
Anunoby has been limited to five games so far this season, but has also shown growth off of his impressive rookie season—and better hops, too, as he appears fully recovered from the knee injury he sustained in college.
With their positional versatility and ability to play both ends of the floor, Siakam and Anunoby figure to be key components of the Raptors’ future.
Raptors’ Siakam blossoming into a star – TSN.ca
A popular breakout candidate after taking a big step forward as a sophomore last season, Siakam hasn’t disappointed. Through eight games, the 24-year-old is averaging 10.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals on 59 per cent shooting in 26.0 minutes per contest – all career-highs – for the 7-1 Raptors.
“It means everything to us,” Kyle Lowry said of Siakam’s energy, following Toronto’s 129-112 win over Philadelphia on Tuesday. “I think it’s under-appreciated by fans and people, but it’s not by us. He’s unbelievable, honestly. The things he’s doing, the things he can do on that basketball floor, the pace he plays with, the energy, the skill work. Just give him all the credit because he continues to get better, and he’s still young.”
In just over 24 hours, Siakam put together the best two-game stretch of his NBA career. One of the few bright spots in Monday’s loss to Milwaukee, Toronto’s first defeat of the young season, Siakam scored a career-high 22 points. The following night he poured in 15 to go along with a personal-best 15 rebounds against the 76ers. He scored nine of his points in the second half, including one of the biggest buckets of the game.
With just over two minutes remaining and Philly still hanging around, Kawhi Leonard poked the ball away from Ben Simmons – one of the reigning Rookie of the Year’s 11 turnovers. At the time of Leonard’s steal, just outside the three-point arc in the backcourt, Siakam was well behind him, still inside of the paint. In fact, eight of the other nine players were between him and the Raptors’ bucket, with only Dario Saric trailing. Siakam covered 73 feet in four seconds to collect the bounce-pass from Leonard and finish the play with a lay-up.
Over that two-game span, he missed all five of his three-point attempts, but shot a remarkable 16-for-19 inside the arc, also recording seven steals and 23 rebounds.
“He’s great,” Jonas Valanciunas said. “He’s playing with a lot of energy. He’s playing with a lot of skills. He’s P-Skills. He’s handling the ball. Sometimes I don’t know, he’s trailing, he’s handling, I get confused because he’s all over the place. It’s good. He’s just enjoying playing basketball.”
Raptors exercise contract options on Siakam, Anunoby – Yahoo
Anunoby, who was taken with the 23rd overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, has averaged 7.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in five games this season. The former Indiana star has played a big role in coach Nick Nurse’s fluid rotation, mixing in and out of the starting lineup at the power forward position. He started 62 games for the club last season.
Anunoby missed his third-straight game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night due to personal reasons.
Siakam, selected 27th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, has flourished in this young season, averaging 10.9 points and 7.0 rebounds in eight games (seven starts). The Cameroon native followed up a career-high 22 points Monday against the Milwaukee Bucks with a career-high 15 rebounds the next night against the 76ers.
The two young forwards have been sharing starts at the power forward position since Serge Ibaka was shifted over to a full-time role at centre, proving to be invaluable assets in Nurse’s versatile rotation.
There was never any doubt as to whether the Raptors would exercise these two options as both Anunoby and Siakam have played critical roles in the team’s hot start to the season. And seeing as both players are still developing at a fine pace, exercising these two rookie contracts was simply a no-brainer.
Locked on Raptors #407 – Two Week Hyperbole w/ Vivek Jacob – Raptors HQ
In Episode 407 of Locked on Raptors, Sean Woodley is joined by Vivek Jacob to roll through three hyperbolic statements Sean has cooked up through two weeks of the NBA season. Topics include the Raptors’ status as East favourites, Pascal Siakam’s start, and the hilarious Washington Wizards.
The Raptors declining option puts Malachi Richardson at a crossroads – The Athletic [subscription]
Things are a little more straight-forward for the Raptors. As I reported Tuesday, the Raptors will be picking up their third-year option on OG Anunoby and their fourth-year option on Pascal Siakam. That didn’t really need reporting given the degree to which it was a no-brainer. The Raptors will now have Anunoby under contract for $2.28 million next year with an option for 2020-21 and have Siakam for $2.35 million with the opportunity to work out an extension with him sometime next summer (before the first day of the NBA season). Both of those players are key rotation pieces on team-friendly deals who the Raptors believe highly in. There was never any question.
There was a big question with Richardson, though, and The Athletic‘s Michael Scotto reported Wednesday morning that the Raptors will not be picking up Richardson’s fourth-year option.
The Raptors had a benefit here in not having any sort of endowment to Richardson. He was not their pick at No. 22 or their development project. There is no sunk-cost fallacy, really, as the team has invested far less in him than most teams in this situation. Yes, Richardson was the return for Bruno Caboclo at last year’s trade deadline, and netting something material for that experiment probably would have been nice. That trade was financially motivated, though, and Richardson’s 2018-19 contract was the cost of creating extra breathing room beneath last year’s luxury tax line. (The Sacramento Kings, quite hilariously, unloaded Richardson and waived Georgios Papagiannis at last year’s deadline, cutting bait on a pair of first-round picks after less than two seasons. They are paying Papagiannis $2 million this year while he plays in Greece.)
This still could have been a tough call depending on your thoughts on Richardson as a prospect. Richardson’s option for next season was for $2.58 million, which isn’t all that much if a player can contribute to the rotation.
Siakam’s energy keeps giving Raptors a spark | The Star [subscription]
For Siakam, the focus is less on career highs — “OK, OK, OK, I did?” was his reaction when told about the personal best in rebounds — and more on figuring out how to play with Toronto’s starters, what he can do to help the group perform better overall.
He likes the space that teams are affording him on the perimeter, even if the threes aren’t falling, which allows him to keep moving.
“And having the ball in my hands and being able to handle also helps,” Siakam said. “And the guys trusting me to have the ball in my hands and do different things, so I can find ways to score and ways to dish for anybody else, for an assist or whatever. So, just picking my spots and finding a way to have an impact.”
Like on defence, where Siakam — who is averaging 26 minutes early in the season compared to 20.7 minutes over the course of last year — likes to be aggressive.
“I mean, I like to run, so whenever we can get stops and run I think that’s a better game for all of us,” he said. “So, the more we can do that, the better we look.”
Running hard, playing hard, being active. They might seem like basic qualities for a professional athlete, but it’s those fundamentals that make Siakam vital to the team’s success, Lowry said.
“He never really asks for the ball. He just always puts himself in a good position to be successful, and we really love him being successful.”
Toronto Raptors Temperature: The forwards reach a fever pitch – Raptors HQ
Serge Ibaka
Ibaka has deserved a spot on this list all season and that spot is finally his after finishing Monday’s game scoring 30 points in a losing effort. The total may not like seem like a benchmark worth getting excited over, until you realize that it was the first time Ibaka scored at least 30 points in nearly two years — the last time being November 13th, 2016 as a member of the Orlando Magic.Nobody is quite certain what has brought out this version of the Congolese giant, but whatever it is, here’s hoping it never changes. Not only is Ibaka averaging 16.6 points per game on the year, he’s pitching in nearly eight rebounds as well. And in his past four? An even 18 and 8. There is absolutely no question — Ibaka has been a critical figure in the Raptors’ early season dominance.
Culture Watch: Surprise Toronto Raptors Halloween Edition – Raptors HQ
The Scariest Toronto Raptors Outcome
A franchise that has lived in a constant state of dread is no stranger to the possibility of horrifying situations. The current roster fits together like peanut butter and chocolate in a Reese’s cup, so the thought of any player getting injured is enough to make you check under the bed for any ACL tearing monsters.The possibility of Kawhi Leonard leaving after one season is another one that has Raptors fans waking up with night terrors, but what would happen if Kyle Lowry suddenly demanded a trade? The scariest haunted house of all is one that is vacant of our beloved point guard.
With LeBron leaving the East, it appears that the ghost of playoffs past has finally left Toronto alone. But what if, by some freaky new rule implemented by the Jigsaw Killer of the NBA, Adam Silver, LeBron ended up back in the East? For now, this seems completely unlikely, but where is Daniel Hackett because he’s going to need to check our closets for this one.
Remember when Cleveland assembled the most randomly put together roster last year, only to completely dissolve it at the trade deadline and come back and kick Toronto’s collective ass? Don’t pull back the shower curtain now, but there is a possibility that the same could happen with the Lakers this year. Getting to the NBA Finals is a very attainable goal for the Toronto Raptors this year, but the thought of clawing their way to safety, only to see that LeBron has composed a team that defeated the Golden State Warriors and is waiting for the Raptors is enough to keep you awake until June.
The GoDaddy curse has hit the Toronto Raptors again | Daily Hive Toronto
The dreaded GoDaddy curse.
When a Raptors player partners up with internet company GoDaddy, their performance begins to suffer, and this year it’s happening to CJ Miles.
Miles has been starring in commercials promoting GoDaddy and CJ’s PJs – his Raptors themed line of pyjamas – and while it’s entertaining, so far the pyjamas have put his game to sleep.
In eight games this season the 13-year veteran is averaging a career low in field goal percentage (31.7%), while having his second worse season in three-point percentage (23.1%), and free throw percentage (66.7%).
He’s also averaging only five points per game.
On defence Miles has remained solid with a defensive rating of 105.8, good for fifth on the Raptors. But, he’s been a shell of the sharpshooting forward the Raptors signed last year from Indiana. His offensive rating of 84.6 is second worst on the team, putting him ahead of only Delon Wright, who was injured at the beginning of the season.
DeMar DeRozan embracing new start with San Antonio Spurs – ESPN
The next day, DeRozan dialed up former Raptors coach Dwane Casey, who told DeRozan that he would love playing for Popovich. That sentiment was confirmed when Casey and DeRozan sat down Oct. 4 for dinner in San Antonio.
“He was so hurt, and I was just trying to help him to feel good,” Casey says.
“[I told him] to keep being himself, the class man that he is, and represent his family and go to San Antonio with your head held high, and now represent the Spurs to the best of his ability.”
Still, DeRozan needed reassurances from Popovich and Spurs general manager R.C. Buford.
After Leonard’s trade request became public in June, San Antonio held discussions with multiple teams to move its franchise cornerstone, but no teams were willing to give up the valuable young assets the Spurs sought in a potential deal. So if the Spurs were going to trade Leonard, landing a four-time All-Star still in his prime as the replacement felt like a gift.
“With the quality of the player and the quality of the person, it was a culture and a values fit,” Buford says. “But more importantly, it was an opportunity to get an All-NBA player.”
Still, trepidation wore on DeRozan’s mind. He hadn’t heard much from the Spurs in the immediate aftermath of the trade.
“Then, I had that first conversation with Pop [a few days after the trade], and it eased my nerves,” DeRozan says. “Initially when I got traded, it was so crazy, so hectic. You didn’t get any reassurances. You didn’t hear nothing from nobody. Your mind is just wandering, wandering. All you know is this one dude didn’t want to be somewhere, and now am I just a fill-in in a sense? You know what I mean? Like, damn. You’re just thinking all types of ways.
“But when I talked to [Popovich], talked to R.C., it was such a reassurance of understanding, like, ‘We didn’t trade you. We traded for you.’ Understanding, ‘We want you. We want you here. We want you to be you. Don’t worry about nothing. We’re going to make the transition as easy as possible.’ When you hear something from Pop like that, that’s all you need to hear. You don’t need to hear no whole story or nothing. That’s all you needed to hear.”
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