45-17; Thank Jah for game-day
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeJJR12_Jv8
Terminology varies (“back screen pick-and-roll” is another name for it, and NBA teams do not appear to call it by this name), but the Spain pick-and-roll is generally a pick-and-roll where the screener’s man is screened after the initial action. The idea is to make it more difficult for the screener’s man to defend the pick-and-roll when an opponent is using a drop-back defensive scheme. Normally, that big dropping back can navigate the gap between ball-handler and screener until the ball-handler’s defender recovers, helping contain the pick-and-roll as a 2-on-2 action. (This is a fundamental part of Toronto’s own defensive approach.)
Without that back-screen, the big is sometimes left to catch a pocket pass and execute in traffic, often against an additional defender “tagging” the roll from the corner. Gasol is an expert passer in these scenarios and Lowry a dynamite needle-threader, but things can get tight in the paint even with good spacing around the pick-and-roll.
You can combat that by having the screener pop, something that looks right now to be a worthwhile strategy against Boston and Milwaukee. Al Horford, for example, dropped below the elbow Tuesday to prevent Lowry penetration, conceding a Gasol three-point attempt to better protect the paint. (Ben Falk recently wrote at Cleaning the Glass about Milwaukee employing this approach to the extreme in order to protect the rim and dare bad shooters to beat them with above-the-break threes.)
If you don’t have the requisite shooting or want to get the ball into the paint, though, the Spain pick-and-roll offers a route that also forces some more difficult decisions on a defence. If we go back to that play against the Knicks in Gasol’s first game, who each defender is responsible for becomes unclear.
The Knicks even communicate this well, identifying it early, and Fred VanVleet is still able to thread a nice enough pass to get Gasol to the line. Part of that is because by drawing a third defender into the action, it’s more difficult for the Knicks defenders in the corners to tag Gasol’s roll – there’s already a defender just below the nail and Gasol is a good passer if help comes. (That OG Anunoby is in the corner nearest to Gasol’s roll probably plays a factor here, as the Knicks may have still tagged off Patrick McCaw.) Had the Knicks switched the initial pick-and-roll, this all gets a little easier, but they don’t have the defenders to do that here without surrendering a disadvantage.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3VCEt1TBs8
Siakam adds three-point shooting to expanding arsenal – TSN.ca
When it was all said and done, Siakam hit just 22 per cent of his three-pointers during his sophomore campaign. Only nine players have shot a worse percentage on at least 100 attempts since the NBA introduced the three-point line in 1979, including Charles Barkley twice. By that metric, it was the 11th-worst three-point shooting season in league history.
For all the strides he took in his second pro season, this was not one of them.
Fast forward 14 months. It’s almost March and Siakam isn’t just the favourite for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award, he’s practically a shoo-in.
The 24-year-old has blossomed into one of the league’s premiere young talents, a two-way player and borderline all-star who can beat just about anybody off the dribble or make them look silly with his trademark spin move.
He’s eclipsed his career-high in scoring seven times this season, most recently with a 44-point explosion against Washington earlier this month, and he’s been the most consistent contributor on a team that features Kawhi Leonard and Kyle Lowry.
But the most remarkable thing about his third-year breakout is how quickly he’s turned himself into a capable – and perhaps even better than that – outside shooter.
Siakam hit 49 per cent of his threes in February – 11th-best in the NBA among players that attempted at least 30 – including 12 of his last 16 tries. He’s up to 37 per cent on the season – higher than Damian Lillard, Kevin Durant, James Harden, C.J. McCollum and Kemba Walker, albeit on a fraction of the attempts.
He’s become especially proficient from the corners, where 102 of his 149 three-point attempts have come from. He’s shooting 43 per cent, including 52 per cent (15-for-29) this past month. On the season, only nine players have taken more corner threes than Siakam, yet only one of them – teammate Danny Green – is shooting a better percentage.
Given how hard Siakam works and how rapidly just about every other area of his game has developed – especially considering he’s only been playing organized basketball for eight years – this improvement seemed inevitable. Eventually he was going to extend his range, but if you expected it to happen this quickly you were more optimistic than most.
Siakam’s rise to near all-star has raised Raptors ceiling significantly | Toronto Sun
“Probably the biggest things that have changed on the scouting report is it’s gone from disrespect, ‘don’t guard this guy, he can’t hurt us offensively’ — well, we know that’s not the case anymore — to they’re gonna have to start making the adjustments,” Nurse said. “I think it’s going to balance things out for everybody else. And I think it has. I think it’s made guys a lot more effective. It’s been pretty important. It’s almost like we added a whole new all-star-type player.” Siakam was able to make an impact even as a rookie, starting 38 of 55 games, largely because of his speed and athleticism, but he managed only 17 assists that year and was out of the mix by the time the playoffs rolled around.
He made steps forward in Year 2, mostly as part of a devastating second unit, but 2018-19 has become his breakout year in large part because of his advancements as a shooter. Siakam has gone from a 22% three-point shooter to a 37% marksman (including a 50% surge over his past 10 games and 46.2% work over his past 15). He’s also gone from a liability at the free throw line (62%) to a 79% shooter.
How has this happened? All kinds of hard work, plus a dash of confidence.
Siakam tries to make 100 three-point shots a day and has taken steps to hone his shot — holding the guide hand in place, eliminating movement in his legs, going straight up, to name some examples — and he’s mentally stopped being so hard on himself.
“I think before it was just like a lot of thinking,” Siakam said.
“A lot of thinking and talking about going through that stretch where I didn’t make a shot for like a month (Siakam made one three on 28 attempts in December of 2017). So, going through something like that, it’s definitely tough but you have to be strong,” he said.
“And for me to just trust that you’re going to make some shots and you’re going to miss some shots. Right now I’m willing to miss. Like I don’t care. Before you have to think, ‘I’m going to make it, I’m going to make it.’ For me it’s just making sure that I take the right shot and it’s the same mechanics and I’m just willing to accept (the result).” The results have been particularly absurd lately, with Siakam nailing 12-of-17 three-pointers over his past five games (70.6%).
The Raptors financial outlook beyond 2020 is exquisite. They have
limited commitments in 2020-21: Pascal Siakam ($3.5 million qualifying offer), OG Anunoby ($3.9 million – team option) and Normal Powell ($10.9 million).
The Raptors moved on from a number of long-term commitments since last summer. DeRozan was signed for nearly $28 million per year through 2021, Valanciunas has a player option worth more than $17 million next season, Delon Wright is due either the qualifying offer or a rookie extension and CJ Miles has a player option for approximately $8 million next season – all of whom were traded by the Raptors.
It stands to reason that the Raptors viewed their roster as being insufficient. And therefore, Ujiri may have believed it to be a better strategy to gamble on Leonard, knowing fully well that if he were to walk the Raptors could rebuild around Siakam, Anunoby and Powell more quickly than if DeRozan and Lowry are still in town. And through that lens, the trade is a win-win: either compete for a championship with Leonard for the foreseeable future or speed-up a rebuild by shipping out long-term salary commitments.
And the Raptors could also be in position to further speed up a rebuild through opportunistic trades, much like the Nets have done recently, accepting unwanted contracts so long as young players or draft assets are attached. Providing the Raptors even more flexibility and youth. And they can also swap Lowry for expiring contracts and as many assets as they can pry away from a trade partner, and then take their chances with free agents come the summer of 2020. It appears as though Ujiri is not patient enough for a complete rebuild, and he may have found a way to remain (very) relevant while jumpstarting the process.
Portland Trail Blazers at Toronto Raptors Preview – Blazer’s Edge
The Portland Trail Blazers take on the Raptors following a clutch win over the Boston Celtics 97-92. Damian Lillard led the way with 33 points, and Maurice Harkless issued a standout two-way performance with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals. The Blazers had a dominant fourth quarter that allowed them to put away the Celtics, who struggled to defend Jusuf Nurkic in the post.
The Toronto Raptors face the Blazers after shellacking the Celtics in Toronto 118-95. Pascal Siakam had 25 points, while Kawhi Leonard had 21 points on the night. Serge Ibaka added 14 points, and Kyle Lowry had 14 assists for the Raptors in their decisive win. Toronto showed remarkable energy during the second quarter, outscoring the Celtics 36-13. The Raptors are a team that likes to push the pace in transition and take advantage of turnovers, something the Blazers will have to look out for.
Trail Blazers Look To Remain Undefeated On Road Trip In Toronto | Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard has scored 20-plus points in 10 straight games against the Raptors and has topped 30 points in three of his last five games against Toronto. Lillard has averaged 36.7 points (56.1% FG, 48.1% 3-PT, 88.5% FT) and 7.7 assists in his last three games in Toronto.
• CJ McCollum had 14 points (5-14 FG, 2-5 3-PT), one rebounds, four assists and three steals against the Raptors on Dec. 14. McCollum has scored 20-plus points in four of his last seven games against Toronto. He has shot 46.3% from the three-point line against Toronto for his career.
• Jusuf Nurkic recorded 11 points (4-15 FG, 3-4 FT), nine rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one block against Toronto on Dec. 14.
These lineups could change the NBA playoffs – FanSided
Toronto Raptors
Lineup: Kyle Lowry, Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, OG Anunoby, Pascal SiakamThis lineup has a similar rationale as the Bucks’ unit; the difference is that it did not emerge as a possibility thanks to a midseason surprise rotation entrant, but was expected to be a decent option throughout the year basically from the moment the Raptors executed the Kawhi Leonard trade and has instead gone under-utilized.
This group of five players has shared the floor for only FOUR minutes all season. Sure, some of that is because Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas ate up most of the center minutes (deservingly so) and now Marc Gasol is there to take the JV role. Some of it is also because of Anunoby’s Year 2 struggles, some of which may or may not be related to personal tragedies off the court. (His father passed away earlier this season.) But down the stretch here, it might be worth it for Nick Nurse to just explore what it looks like when he loads the floor with these athletes, ramps up the pressure, and forces the opposition to deal with Lowry and Leonard and Siakam in maximum space.
I wasn't kidding. Here's Kenny Smith saying we're gonna have a Blazers-Raptors NBA Finals pic.twitter.com/VB78377mfb
— Jackson Frank (@jackfrank_jjf) March 1, 2019
https://www.instagram.com/p/BuaguR-hlG1/
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