What to watch for as Raptors 905 begin G League bubble – The Athletic
Can anyone push Jalen Harris for his Raptors’ spot? Who earns the next two-way promotion?
Last year, the 905 ended up with three players the Raptors had considered with their No. 59 pick: Dewan Hernandez (their pick), Brissett (two-way) and Ponds (two-way). Davis was a fourth consideration at that spot and is the only one of those players who remain on the NBA roster. In other words, the difference between No. 59 and an undrafted signing is very thin — there’s no real opportunity cost to pivoting from Harris to another developmental option if fellow No. 59 considerations Tinkle and Breein Tyree thrive.That may not be necessary. The Raptors have an open roster spot right now and Watanabe has made a strong case for being converted from a two-way into that spot, which would open up another two-way slot for the Raptors. You could look at the 905 in the bubble as a competition for that eventual roster spot, with Stauskas, Gary Payton II and Henry Ellenson in consideration for the proper NBA spot (none are two-way eligible) and Tinkle, Tyree and Alize Johnson fighting for a possible two-way.
It’s great to have that kind of internal competition driving things. With the level of talent around the bubble with the league shrunk to 18 teams, each game should be pretty intense with everything that’s on the line. And that’s before factoring in the potential addition of an 18th NBA roster spot that would turn the G Bubble into basically a leaguewide tryout.
The wisdom of Fred, concerns about Baynes and Yuta-mania all in the weekend mail | The Star
Q: Just watched the Raps lose to Atlanta, no doubt tired and out of sorts while the Hawks shot the lights out. Though playing much better the lack of a NBA starting center is holding the team back. Certainly miss Ibaka. And Gasol. The quicker this is addressed the better. What think ye?
A: Is he? He sure didn’t play well Saturday but he sure played well Friday. There’s a recency bias to the question that’s unfair.
Sure, there are better centres in the league, I am not sure any are obtainable for any asset the Raptors may have.
But if you look at the minutes distribution and the overall contribution, the two centres the Raptors use – Boucher playing starter minutes, Baynes playing back up minutes – they’re fine. Not great, but fine.
Summer has arrived in February for Raptors prospects Malachi Flynn and Jalen Harris | The Star
A lot of that work is normally done in the period after the draft and before the season, a three-month span that includes the Las Vegas Summer League and weeks of individual work with development coaches. That didn’t happen in 2020; it’s about to happen now.
“We didn’t really have an off-season, we didn’t really have an understanding of the system, we didn’t really have time to learn it,” Harris said. “I think that’s kind of the point of us being down here, is to really just get a feel for it, get an understanding of the system and the different roles and different things (the Raptors) focus on and pay attention to at that level.”
Neither Flynn nor Harris see the G League assignments as any slight on their skills or as any indictment of the stuff they showed in a couple of months with the Raptors.
They know the work they’ll get now will be intense — the 905 practise every day and will play a rapid-fire 15-game season that begins with three games in four nights, starting Wednesday. They’ll work a lot, play a lot and hopefully learn.
“They didn’t tell me like, do this, do that,” Flynn said. “I think it’s more just coming down here and getting a chance to really compete and have fun.”
Patrick Mutombo, the former assistant to Nick Nurse and Dwane Casey who is the 905 head coach this season, understands what he needs to get from Flynn and Harris. They need to be held accountable for their play but also be allowed a bit of leeway.
“If these guys get to play more minutes, and a lot of minutes, then they’ll have opportunities to grow from it,” Mutombo said. “But (they can) also make mistakes and things that we can revisit and correct and prepare them as best we can for the big team.”
And for Mutombo, one of the key ways to teach is by winning.
Baynes-Boucher debate rages following a zero rebounding game from Raptors big | Toronto Sun
The 132 points were the most surrendered by the Raptors this season.
Chris Boucher had a career scoring night, not enough offence, despite the team’s 121-point total, could be summoned by Kyle Lowry, not able to play in transition because their defence couldn’t contest, a failure to finish around the rim, a myriad issues would have a factor in a loss that snapped Toronto’s three-game win streak.
Of all the numbers to emerge, the one that is most damning is the big goose egg affixed to Aron Baynes.
Scroll down the box score and one will see the number 0 in the rebounding category.
Baynes, who has, in fairness, been playing well of late, was on the floor for 15 minutes, his lowest number since a loss in Indiana on Jan. 25.
Baynes had one game last season when he failed to haul down a single rebound, and four O-fers during the 2018-19 season.
Perhaps Saturday night’s no-hitter was an aberration.
The Raptors didn’t lose the game because Baynes was ineffective when the primary culprit was Toronto’s defence combined with Atlanta’s impeccable shooting.
The two, of course, go hand in hand.
Baynes needs to be that serviceable big the Raptors envisioned when they signed him in free agency.
There are no illusions in terms of what Baynes is or no mistake in what he isn’t.
He has to set screens, swing the ball, make the occasional shot and rebound.
To play minutes and not record a single board isn’t very good and neither is the two turnovers on a night when Baynes produced two points.
