Norm and OG got some Mamba mentality | Matt Thomas has range | Siakam has zero pressure on him
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cmyu9lVUygE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVpZeRotCaw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7SOi4GsL8-c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6ikG7wVuU8
Raptors training camp: Matt Thomas’ adjustment, Norman Powell as a starter, and more – The Athletic
The last point is perhaps the most intriguing with Powell. He hasn’t quite developed as a playmaker for others over his four seasons, but he can get to the paint in a hurry, a skill that figures to be in demand on this team, especially in late-clock and late-game scenarios. It’s no surprise that Nurse mentioned Powell as a possible recipient of the late-game workload abandoned by Leonard. He’ll need to improve, of course — his free-throw rate the last two seasons has been well below where it was in his sophomore season, he’s only an average finisher at the rim for a wing, per Cleaning the Glass, and a stagnant assist rate needs to climb if he’ll absorb more ball-handling duty.
Summer sessions breaking the game down with Kobe Bryant may have helped, as Powell is earning rave reviews early in camp.
“Really unbelievable,” Nurse said. “He’s got a lot of pop, is knocking down everything in sight. But in saying that, the biggest thing I’ve seen from him is — one of the things we’re focusing on — he’s got himself much better when he’s taken it into traffic. We’re trying to teach him that when he’s drawn two, his job is done. It’s not his job to try to rustle it up to the rim between two and three guys, and he’s getting there on that and that’s been a big big plus for us.”
Entering the season with questions about his role is nothing new to Powell. He’s started 63 of his 255 career regular season games, starting between three and 24 in each of his four seasons. He’s at times been a go-to fill-in for a starter needing nights off or suffering injury, and at times it’s looked like a job was his only for injury (and competition) to strike. If he takes strides as an attacker and passer while maintaining a high-30s mark from long-range, it’s easy to see him fitting alongside the holdover starters and soaking up some lower-attention usage. The Raptors’ rotation as a whole probably looks more seamless with him earning that job rather than him operating in less space as a higher-usage sixth-man type.
As noted throughout camp so far, the Raptors will probably mix up the starting lineup plenty over their four exhibition games. I’d expect to see VanVleet and Powell both draw a start alongside Kyle Lowry and maybe one together if Lowry sits. A little competition between friends is healthy, and the pair have made preseason magic together trying to fight for roles in the past.
Raptors’ Norman Powell looking be known as consistent threat – Sportsnet.ca
Powell has been an NBA starter before. He was pressed into service there as a rookie by former Raptors head coach Dwane Casey when James Johnson was injured. In 2017-18, Powell was the starter out of training camp until he was injured and the Raptors decided to stick with rookie OG Anunoby. When Toronto acquired Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard prior to the 2018-19 season, any hope or expectation that Powell would start was shelved. But now Green and Leonard are gone and Toronto needs someone to step up.
With that in mind, Powell undertook some professional development this past summer as he was among 20 younger NBA players who attended a two-day camp hosted by former Lakers legend Kobe Bryant (Anunoby and newly acquired Stanley Thomas were also included). An invited Powell was able to wrangle thanks to former Raptors assistant and off-season workout guru, Phil Handy.
Beyond a three-point shot stroke that can run cold a little too often, Powell’s main obstacle to reaching the potential his drive and athleticism indicates is a tendency to force ‘plan A’ when ‘plan B’ might be an easier; he makes his mind up and attacks, even as circumstances dictate otherwise.
So who better to study with than Bryant, whose ability to dissect a defence and react accordingly is part of his Hall of Fame legend?
“I learned a lot just talking to him personally. His mentality, his approach,” said Powell, who grew up a Bryant fan and has often cited him as a role model for his relentless work ethic and preparation.
“Just the level of detail and how he approaches things and what he sees. Him sitting there and watching us go through drills and then stopping us and saying, ‘That ain’t going to work.’ Then really breaking it down to the smallest detail. I would be like ‘I thought that was good’ and he would say ‘Nah, that ain’t going to work. I’m reading this, that and the other.’ I’m like ‘All right. I see where people think he is insane in the way he thinks but he’s really like that. It was amazing to see that high level of thinking.”
Powell has the tools. He’s six-foot-four with tremendous reach, massive hands and the ability to explode given the slightest sliver of space. He can be a plus defender and has shown for reasonably significant stretches the ability to score from beyond the three-point line – in both his rookie season and last season he shot better than 40 per cent from deep. The seasons in between he was just 30.4 per cent – illustrating how with Powell it’s a case of which player is going to show up.
Best part of Powell’s summer? Being mentored by Kobe – TSN.ca
Powell scored an invitation from Lakers assistant coach Phil Handy, who was with the Raptors last season and has worked with Bryant for years, as did Raptors forward OG Anunoby. Also on hand: Clippers forwards Kawhi Leonard and Paul George – who didn’t participate in the workouts but attended part of the camp – as well as Nuggets rising star and Kitchener, Ont., native Jamal Murray.
Powell was just three when Bryant broke into the league with the Lakers. He was six when Bryant won his first of five championships. Growing up just south of Los Angeles, he idolized Kobe. So, as you can imagine, the chance to get some feedback from the man himself was a dream come true.
“I was excited to take advantage of the opportunity,” Powell said following the first of two practice sessions on Tuesday, the third day of Raptors training camp in Quebec City. “To be able to sit, talk and see him break down the game – like, that’s my favourite player. I always try to take his mentality and approach to the game and implement that into the way I played – the competitive fire, passion and daily grind of getting better and working on the little things.”
“So it was great to be able to see that from all aspects. Off the court where he’s talking about breaking down film and games and what he would do and then on the court seeing him talk for 45 minutes on one thing – a jab step or a shot. It was just his intense focus to detail was amazing.”
Nobody should be surprised to hear about Bryant’s “intense focus,” even in a more casual setting. Throughout the course of his extraordinary 20-year NBA career, Bryant was known for his killer instinct and attention to detail – the type of teammate guys either loved or hated to play with.
Now four years into retirement, the 41-year-old has a lot of wisdom to impart. It’s just a question of whether your skin is thick enough to accept his teaching. Powell was all ears.
“I learned a lot just talking to him personally – his mentality, his approach,” said the 26-year-old Powell. “There is something that I asked him about specifically and I got a great answer and I have been using it ever since. I am going to keep that for myself. But just the level of detail and how he approaches things and what he sees. Him sitting there and watching us go through drills and then stopping us and saying, ‘That ain’t going to work.’ Then really breaking it down to the smallest detail. I would be like, ‘I thought that was good’ and he would say, “Nah, that ain’t going to work.’ ”
Norm Powell hangs with Kobe before taking aim at Raptors starting job | The Star
“I always try to take his mentality and approach to the game and implement that into the way I play,” Powell said after the Raptors practised Tuesday morning at Laval University. “So it was great to be able to see that from all aspects. Off the court, where he’s talking about breaking down film and games and what he would do, and then on the court seeing him talk about 45 minutes on one thing — a jab step or a shot.
“It was just, his intense focus to detail was amazing.”
The Raptors had no issue with Powell getting some tutelage from one of the all-time greats, especially if it can help the 26-year-old get a firmer grasp on the mental aspects of the game, thinking his way through plays. One of Powell’s most limiting traits is his tendency to go too fast, too often, too early instead of reading the game. Bryant’s ability to dissect the game is legendary, and anything trickling down to Powell can only help the Raptors.
“It’s not any different than me going to talk to Phil Jackson and Joe Maddon,” Nick Nurse said, evoking two of the team leaders he respects the most. “You go talk to somebody that’s done it at a super, super high level. You get out on the floor with them.
“For me, you’re pretty much in awe of them. You’re gonna pretty much listen to everything they tell you and I think it’s only good. You’re going to come out of there with something. You’re going to come out of there with several things, maybe a few nuggets you can use, and so it can only be a plus.”
The six-foot-four Powell spent the summer working on all facets of his game with one goal in mind: to become a starter. The departures of Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green opened up two spots in Toronto’s starting lineup and Powell, who has started 63 games with the Raptors over his four seasons, wants one of the jobs.
Nurse has not said if he has any specific starting lineup in mind, but his decision would be made much easier if Powell shines throughout the pre-season.
“Starting at the two spot. Trying to put in the coach’s head that I should be a starter. Separate myself from everybody else who sees the opportunity in front of them,” Powell said of his goals.
What will the Raptors do with expiring contracts of Lowry, Gasol, Ibaka, VanVleet? – Sportsnet.ca
The contract situation VanVleet finds himself in is very different to those of Lowry, Gasol and Ibaka.
That’s because, even though he was probably just as important to each of those players to Raptors title run last season, there may be less of a decision to wrestle with when it comes to re-signing the clutch shooter.
VanVleet is still only due to make about $9.3 million this season and even though he’ll almost certainly be in line for a raise it’s not like it’ll be a maximum contract.
What’s more, he’s only 25 years old and figures to be a big part of the future for the Raptors. He should be looked upon as a player who can make an impact on the court and also potentially help with free-agent pitches as a solid, reliable point guard with championship pedigree and toughness.
An unrestricted free agent this coming summer there is, of course, the possibility that he takes an offer from another team. But given how the Raptors have invested in VanVleet and will continue to do so this season, you’d have to think that Ujiri and Co. will look to re-sign him and keep him in a Dinos jersey for the foreseeable future.
In the playoffs, Siakam’s primary defenders in the four series were Jonathan Isaac, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Draymond Green. Purely anecdotally, that seems like one of the most difficult gauntlets ever navigated by a player, let alone someone who was new to the stage and his role.
“It requires a lot. If you want to be one of the top scorers, you’ve got to be able to score in different ways,” Siakam said. “It’s trying to find ways to score off the dribble, attacking. Whatever the defence is giving me, it’s taking advantage of that and being able to make a play no matter who is in front of you.
“I know there are always good defenders in the league. Every single night you’re going to have different matchups and different people are going to guard you. Now, obviously there’s more attention on me. I’ve just got to be ready.”
As Nurse said, this season figures to be mentally and physically taxing in a way Siakam will have to adapt to. The regular season is different than the playoffs, and there is generally less of an obsession about getting the ideal defensive matchup every time down the court. During the playoffs, you could almost feel Siakam exhale before going to work in the post when he ran down the floor and found Shaun Livingston on him instead of Green. There will be more of those scenarios available to him this fall and winter than there were last spring.
At the same time, Siakam will not only be on the opposing team’s scouting reports this year, he will be at the top of most of them. Leonard won’t be there to soak up a disproportionate amount of defensive attention or draw the opposition’s best wing defender. Instead of Leonard’s mere presence lightening the load on his teammates, Siakam will be asked to show that he can not only be a dynamic, versatile scorer against elite defenders, but that he can identify double teams and complicated schemes and create for his less offensively gifted teammates. To that end, Siakam said he spent most of his time working on scoring in the mid-range as well as his ball-handling, knowing that his post scoring — the Siakam spin cycle that caught the attention of the league — would always be his foundation.
Siakam willing and able to take on first option scoring role | Toronto Sun
No one is saying Siakam will replace Kawhi’s production. No one expects that and no one would put that kind of pressure on a guy whose game is still growing.
But the Raptors are not shying away from this one. They are not trying to shield their fourth year forward from any undue pressure expectations might bring.
Ask Masai Ujiri, ask Nick Nurse. Hell ask Siakam himself. They will all tell you the plan is to make Siakam the central figure in the offence … and the defence too, although that won’t get the same amount of ink.
“I see it as still part of a long process,” Nurse said of Siakam growing into that role. “I think in my mind I have him playing four (power forward), and I have him playing three (small forward) and I have him playing some point guard coming up. So there is some movement there, some different matchups, there will be different speeds, different sizes he will be dealing with so I think it will be a process of some ups and downs.
“Again I want to take the longer term view of where he is headed in his climb upward,” Nurse said. “If he comes out and scores 35 one night we’re going to be “Whoa!” and then if he has eight the next night it’s just part of the process. The guys who score 30 a night have those kind of nights.”
NBA Preseason 2019: Toronto Raptors: Should we be worried about Kyle Lowry? – Raptors HQ
Lowry’s health definitely leads to questions. Will he participate in camp at all? Will he play in the preseason games — in Japan, or here closer to home? Will he be ready in time for the season?! After all, Raptors title defense isn’t nearly as fun or interesting if Kyle Lowry isn’t a huge part of it. And if Lowry isn’t ready for opening night, it’s going to put a huge damper on that ring and banner ceremony. And then what: A Load Management program similar to that of Kawhi Leonard’s? Alex McKechnie’s legacy may yet live on! And would a slow start or limited games impact his upcoming free agency?
But it’s way too early for those questions. In other words, it’s not time to worry. There’s no indication that Lowry won’t be ready, at some point in camp, to play full on. In that same interview above, Lowry says he’s cleared for contact, but they’re being patient.
No one on or around the team is expressing any real concern; everything seems precautionary at this point. The man is 33, after all, coming off of an extremely long season; and with low expectations this season, there’s no reason to rush anything.
Nevertheless, the situation is worth monitoring, at least until we see the GROAT back on the court at 100%.
2019-20 Toronto Raptors Player Preview: Matt Thomas, the sharpshooter’s sharpshooter – Raptors HQ
As previously mentioned, Thomas can shoot the hell out of the ball. He operates mostly as a catch-and-shoot player, adeptly navigating screens to find his space — much like Klay Thompson. As a floor spacer, he could be nicely paired with Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, whose shooting woes are no secret. He won’t be asked to handle the ball much — or, ideally, at all — but a fluid offense with a talented playmaker like Kyle Lowry may do Thomas wonders.
Thomas has also shown some flashes of brilliant passing in Europe, potentially supplanting Danny Green in that regard. We’ll have to wait and see if he gets a chance to use that skill though. Even in an offense with active cutters and screeners, Matt should see much of his time firmly planted in the corner as the shot clock winds down, waiting for the ball to swing his way.
Of course, this all sounds great, but there are limitations to Thomas’ game that I have yet to talk about.
Which Raptors newcomer can make an impact this season? – Video – TSN
Jack Armstrong joins Josh Lewenberg to share his thoughts on which Toronto Raptors newcomer can make an impact this season.
Constant reminder that it’s a Raptors camp like no other | The Star
None of these players has ever gone through anything like this, none of the coaches really have either.
The grind of going so hard for so long – playing high intensity games into June – and then having to start gearing up again about three months later isn’t easy.
The bodies aren’t right, the minds aren’t right, the rhythm is just off a little bit.
Now, there’s no way anyone would trade last spring and the early summer for the few extra weeks of off-season. That’s a ridiculous suggestion.
But it is new and it’s put an onus on the team’s medical staff to make sure they have a handle on everyone’s load, it’s put an onus on Nick Nurse to avoid pushing too hard, too fast; a delicate balance indeed.
I have a feeling they’ll handle it perfectly well and from the very limited actual basketball we’re allowed to see everything seems fine. Talking to people who are in the gym for the entirety of workouts yields the same thing: They’re being careful and not pushing too hard but they’re getting the requisite work in.
I guess the full impact of the long season and short turnaround won’t be known until late October when it starts for real and things matter but if there’s a slow start to the season, it’s going to be easy to explain it.
New Raptor Matt Thomas is fluent in the language of shooting | The Star
The six-foot-five forward played college ball at Iowa State, the same state that produced Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, and the stories of high-profile players are familiar to everyone in the area.
The 25-year-old Thomas joins Toronto after playing two seasons in Spain, where Marc Gasol is an icon and Raptors assistant coach — and Spanish national team mentor — Sergio Scariolo has immense reach and a higher profile.
Toss in the fact that the Raptors originally hoped to have Thomas on their Summer League team in 2017 after he got out of college, and there would appear to be a seamless fit.
“Look, you guys know I love shooting and I love shooters,” Nurse said.
The job for Nurse and Thomas is to find ways to ensure the other facets of his game are up to NBA standards, so that his outstanding shooting — nearly 48 per cent efficiency from three-point range in two seasons in Spain — can be an asset.
2019-20 Toronto Raptors Player Preview: Patrick McCaw, agent of chaos – Raptors HQ
McCaw’s role in Toronto will likely be as a bench player, but it is unsure where he stands in the rotation before training camp. The Raptors lost a lot of superstar power over the course of free agency and, in turn, rebuilt the roster with defensive players that may take precedence over McCaw, no slouch defensively either. Players like Stanley Johnson and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson are seemingly going to get more attention initially.
On the other hand, McCaw can still be an asset to Toronto if he shows improvement in certain areas (see the next section). The new additions to the Raptors haven’t been in contending situations and McCaw can take advantage of having been through the ups-and-downs of high expectations.
According to Basketball-Reference.com, last season with Toronto, albeit a relatively small sample size with 26 games played, McCaw had averages of 2.7 points, 1.0 assists, and 1.5 rebounds per game on an average of 13.2 minutes per game. Of course, these numbers aren’t too much to brag about, but he wasn’t expected to do much other than be a part of a bench unit that was supposed to hold leads. Unfortunately, McCaw did not exactly help do that, considering he had a negative point differential at minus-5.2 when on the court with Toronto last season.
What it really boils down to is that McCaw hasn’t had much—if any—of an opportunity to show his skillset. Toronto considers him to be someone who can play the one-, two-, or three-spot, given his frame and ability. And this season, he’ll definitely get more playing time to show it out on the court. McCaw holds all the cards to determine his future in the NBA.
Raptors’ VanVleet not satisfied, wants to reach ‘new levels’ – Sportsnet.ca
It’s no stretch to say the Raptors aren’t NBA champions without his contributions – he shot 53 per cent from three over their last nine games in the playoffs, a hot streak that came on the heels of a deep slump that was famously broken after the birth of his son, Fred Jr. His perimeter shooting and dogged defence against the Golden State Warriors’ Steph Curry – he was the “one” in Raptors head coach Nick Nurse’s famous “box-and-one” – earned VanVleet a vote for Finals MVP from none other than Hubie Brown, the legendary former coach and broadcaster.
From a largely unknown, undersized point guard fighting for his NBA career to key cog in a championship team is quite the leap. As he heads into his fourth season, VanVleet paused to savour it for a moment.
“Coming in here as an undrafted guy trying to make the team four years ago, so I would think I’m moving up in a little in terms of that and my value, and what I bring to the table but that honestly started Day 1,” said VanVleet who is one of four Raptors rotation players heading into the final year of their contract.
“From my first day being here, just keep climbing, I’m a very ambitious guy and work my butt off to continue to grow and better each day.
Hopefully, there’s new levels for me to keep reaching, it’s not gonna all happen at once but I think the future is bright.”
It will interesting to see exactly what shape VanVleet’s future takes.
For the first time since he’s been with the team, there might be the opportunity to start regularly, with the departure of Danny Green who started in the backcourt with Kyle Lowry last season, not to mention the gap created by Kawhi Leonard’s decision to leave for the Las Angeles Clippers in free agency.
Time will tell if Raptors’ Boucher, Gasol chose wisely with World Cup – Sportsnet.ca
There couldn’t be two more different players with the Toronto Raptors in training camp arguably than Marc Gasol and Chris Boucher. But they have in common the hope that the choices they made this past summer will benefit them in what is a critical season ahead for each.
Boucher is the lithe and electric big man who uses his drive, energy and athleticism to make plays on the floor most wouldn’t attempt. But at 26 and soon to turn 27, he’s been on the cusp of an NBA breakthrough for two years now and needs to make it happen. The late-bloomer from Montreal, via junior college and the University of Oregon, is on a partially guaranteed contract that will only be paid in full if he makes the Raptors out of training camp.
Gasol is the 12-year veteran who became the second player in FIBA and NBA history – joining Lamar Odom – to win both the NBA title and the World Cup of basketball in the same calendar year. He’s almost an anachronism as a 7-1 bruiser who – he would happily tell you – would have a hard time jumping over your laptop. His game is smarts, feel and making opponents feel him.
Gasol doesn’t have the same urgency as Boucher, who is still waiting for his first major NBA payday, but heading into the last year of his contract toward his 35th birthday, making sure you are in a spot to secure another one is often top-of-mind for someone in his position.
Where they are in their careers reflects the decisions they made this past summer. Each of them had an opportunity to play internationally – but only one of them did.
Gasol wouldn’t have had it any other way than to suit up for Spain – something he’s been doing since he won gold for the first time as a 19-year-old at the 2006 world championships in Japan. He’s been part of one of the great teams in FIBA history, but may have topped it all off leading an undermanned Spanish team to another gold with a win at the World Cup in China where he was a tournament all-star.
And now his hope is that all the tread isn’t worn off the tire, and that with some careful “load management” – remember that? – he will be the same player who went off for 33 points against Australia in the semifinals in Beijing, or be able to add some more offence to the defensive acumen he brought to the Raptors from the Memphis Grizzlies at the trade deadline last season.
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