Who’s staying and who’s going? The Raptors most-likely-to-stay list – The Athletic
Likely staying, at least for now
Masai Ujiri (88.6 percent) — This feels a little low considering Ujiri has this season left on his contract. Uncertainty about his future may be creeping into the present. Because while it’d make sense for him to leave early if he was heading to another team, he’s probably going to want to oversee any transition period as a matter of good business and taking care of his staff. That would be especially true if the sneaking feeling that he’d leave the Raptors for something other than running an NBA team were to wind up accurate.Patrick McCaw (84.4 percent) — McCaw is one of two Raptors in this group who can be classified as “staying unless their salaries are required to make the math of a trade work.” The Raptors, and especially Nurse, would tell you that another year of McCaw at $4 million, plus his Bird rights in 2021, is worthwhile. While some may disagree, McCaw’s absence was notable in the playoffs, and he’s still young enough to assume some improvements are coming. A $4 million contract does help in some trade scenarios involving Norman Powell, though, so he’s not a lock to be back.
Kyle Lowry (83.1 percent) — This is where we first start to see some disagreement on the panel. To this point, everyone was usually within 10 or 15 percentage points of each other; we have a 25-percentage point range for Lowry, going anywhere from 70 percent (two people) to 95 percent (Koreen). The logic for a Lowry trade is pretty straightforward, as he’s one of their better assets and could provide a return that helps for 2021 and beyond. Still, the cap math is difficult without taking on long-term salary, and Lowry means the world to the franchise.
Stanley Johnson (82.5 percent) — I’d put the odds of Johnson picking up his $3.8-million player option at something close to 100 percent. Even the idea of leaving to pursue playing time leaves too much money on the table given where his market would probably be. This comes in below that percentage for two reasons, though. One, it’s always possible the Raptors eat the cost and cut bait on him since they have some flexibility this year. And two, like McCaw, Johnson’s salary is a helpful chip for making trade math work, even if it’s a negative asset in general.
Report: Raptors coach Nick Nurse earning $8M salary on extension – Yahoo!
That’s a lot for a coach, especially in these times.
But Nurse has proven his value. He might even be the NBA’s best coach right now. He checks so many key boxes.
He has shown the ability to prepare his team for the playoffs then adapt through a long playoff run. His players have developed under his watch. He has dealt with roster upheaval and kept everything humming.
After just two seasons as head coach, Nurse still must prove himself in more situations, especially as opposing teams become more familiar with his strategies. But Toronto should want to keep him.
Credit Raptors ownership for paying to make it happen.
Now onto Raptors president Masai Ujiri…
“Nick has proved that he can coach on the court and lead in life, and we’re looking forward to accomplishing great things in the future.”
Nurse has posted a 111-43 record in his two seasons as head coach of the Raptors. He has a 23-12 playoff record, which includes leading Toronto to their first Finals appearance and capturing their first NBA title.
“My family and I will always be appreciative of Larry Tanenbaum and MLSE ownership for this opportunity,” Nurse said in the release. “I’m grateful to Masai, (general manager) Bobby (Webster), and the players for their trust and their hard work.
“Toronto has been my home for the past seven years, and I look forward to it being home for many more. I’ve watched this franchise grow and reach the pinnacle, and I look forward to the challenge of helping us win another championship.”
Nurse came to the Raptors in July of 2013, becoming an assistant coach on Dwane Casey’s staff. He was integral in helping improve the Raptors’ offence, eventually leading to a franchise record-setting 59 wins in 2017-18. He was promoted in June of 2018 to the head coach role, taking over after Casey was let go.
Nurse was named the 2020 NBA Coach of the Year in August and is widely regarded as one of the premier coaches the league has to offer in just two short years.
Watson is on the same timeline as Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet once were, as he is only a few months younger than them. That means the Raptors need to find out what they have in Watson soon and where he fits in the team’s immediate future. Watson has shown what he can do at the G League level. All that’s left to do is test his skills against NBA-level competition.
Watson’s ability to spot up and pull-up behind the arc with a defender on him should be transferable. He’s also pretty good at reading the defense and moving off-ball, using his ability to cut and get up quick for a finish.
Watson’s defense is also promising. He makes sound defensive reads and plays the passing lane well enough. He’s shown a lot of effort on shot-contest and scramble situations — a Raptors’ specialty — while also being able to switch and battle on the boards, which should get him in coach Nick Nurse’s good graces. Watson also didn’t back down against bigger players when the 905 played micro-small ball. That should help in the NBA.
As a wing, Watson’s handles could use some polish. As a perimeter threat, he’ll need to be able to play off of defensive pressure out there when he gets run off the line. At the very least, it would lessen the chance of him turning the ball over. It was a bit of a struggle for Watson driving to the basket to create something, as he was known to lose the ball in traffic. Still, his straight-line drives look great once he gets some separation from his defender. That’s something to build on.
Taking all that into consideration along with Gasol’s age and contribution, it’s hard to see the Raptors offering more than a one-year deal.
How much of a raise that would be from his 2019-20 salary of $25.6 million (U.S.) isn’t a big concern for the club. The Raptors can sign him to any amount without regard for the salary cap, and it won’t eat into any savings for the 2021 free-agent period.
Gasol, though, is likely to have options.
NBA teams may want to offer a second or third year, and even playing out his career in his native Spain is a possibility.
The website Eurohoops.com reported last week that Gasol might be considering staying home, living in his homeland and finishing his professional and international career in familiar surroundings. That makes some sense, but would be among several contemplations Gasol is having now.
One thing that’s wrong to do is to strictly judge Gasol’s contributions on empirical data. His raw numbers don’t jump off the page most nights, but his subtle impact on games is something a championship-calibre team needs.
And all those times when fans threw their hands up and decried his seeming unwillingness to fire up three-pointers have to be balanced against the ultimate results of those possessions, where his first pass may have led to a second pass and a third, and an open look for a teammate.
The Case for Re-Signing Marc Gasol – Sports Illustrated
He’s still valuable on the court
The playoffs were not particularly kind to Gasol this year. The 35-year-old looked every bit his age offensively, seemingly unable to make his shots and reluctant to shot anything beyond a few feet from the hoop.
He averaged just six points per game in the playoffs and made just five 3-pointers in Toronto’s two series. Offensively, he was negative throughout the playoffs, but he continued to show the defensive fortitude he’s made a career out of.
In the regular season, that defensive strength was even more apparent. He held opposing teams to just 98.9 points per 100 possessions when he was on the court, well off the 106.6 points per 100 possessions they scored when he was off the court.
Even at his age, Gasol still has the savviness and size to frustrate opposing teams, especially those with talented bigs.
OG vs. AD: Whose buzzer-beating game-winner was better? – Sportsnet.ca
Reaction to the shot from the player/teammates
Anunoby shot:
In a picturesque moment, Anunoby’s reaction to his buzzer-beater was simply to stride towards the locker room, an iconically stoic look grafted onto his face. To many, this response may warrant dinging him here, but it perfectly encapsulates Anunoby’s mindset and modus operandi as a player.His teammates, however, weren’t quite as enigmatic, with Gasol and Siakam raising their arms in triumph and VanVleet letting loose a roar before tackling him, followed closely by Lowry and the remainder of the bench. In an instant, they had consumed Anunoby with hugs and victorious yells, and their collective happiness oozed through the screen in recognition of how close they’d been to a nail-in-the-coffin defeat.
Davis shot:
More akin to what is archetypal of a buzzer-beater reaction, Davis made no bones about what he was feeling, crying out in joy and half-skipping back towards the Lakers bench after his shot splashed home, where he was mobbed relentlessly by his electrified teammates. Similarly to Gasol and Siakam, both Green and James raised their arms skyward before racing back to join in on the celebrations.Throw in some extra brash trash talk at the end while pounding his chest, and Davis’ reaction, along with his teammates’, was one seen time and again in the NBA, though that certainly didn’t make it any less special.
Advantage: Anunoby
