The Raptors have announced that Goran Dragic is taking a leave from the team due to a personal matter, with the team's full support.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) November 28, 2021
“Put your best foot forward” https://t.co/fpJpH7PZ8I pic.twitter.com/yDrNprlOKD
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) November 30, 2021
Depleted Raptors get more bad news on injury front – Sportsnet
But, as Nurse mentioned, Boucher isn’t the only lesser light on the Raptors roster who needs to step up with key pieces out. Given the fact Raptors starters are injured, it means bench players have been promoted to the starting lineup, and they have to find a way to produce.
Notably, on Sunday, Svi Mykhailiuk got the start in place of Trent. Mykhailiuk scored 12 points and was just 2-for-7 from three-point range, but Nurse liked what he saw from the sharpshooting forward and wants him to take this chance he’s being afforded and use it as a springboard for his career.
“First of all, I really like him. I really think he’s got a lot of talent, he’s got a lot of game,” said Nurse. “This has given him an incredible opportunity to grow into an NBA player, really.
“I don’t know for sure, but I would imagine other places that he’s been … that he’s got chances and maybe had a bad game or two or four or five and that was it, he didn’t get to play too much I don’t think.
“This is giving us a chance to stick with him. I really like him, I really believe in him. I think he’s got more shot-making from three in [him]. He did a better job last night, we’ve got to get him over turning down open ones. For whatever reason, every now and then, he’ll come off wide open and bounce it and look for something. For a player, he plays and as a good a shooter as he is, he’s got to take every single one of those. I thought he did that last night.”
Mykhailiuk sees an opening to add more value to the team.
“It is what it is,” he said of the injuries. “In any team, if anybody’s getting hurt, other guys it’s next up, either it’s me or other guys it doesn’t matter, it’s supposed to be everybody’s mentality. It’s not really like seeing opportunity, it’s helping my team win, all I’m trying to do is win and I feel like everybody here is trying to win. For me, in this example, if somebody gets hurt, I feel like I gotta go step up and do it to the best of my abilities.”
The Raptors need more from their supporting cast while they’re dealing with injuries.
The chance is there for the taking many members of the Raptors’ reserve corps, and Nurse is just waiting for someone to grab it.
“I don’t think they fully understand it because they don’t do it each night,” the Raptors coach said. “But it’s a big teaching point. It’s not footwork, and it’s not form shooting and it’s not defensive slides. It’s a mentality of being ready to play in this league.”
Toronto Raptors Josh Lewenberg Injuries – TSN.ca
The club’s three-best players – Siakam, Anunoby and Fred VanVleet – have only shared the court in three games this season. The two centres on the roster, Birch and Achiuwa, have played 12 games together. The only Raptors players that have appeared in all 21 games are journeyman Svi Mykhailiuk and rookie second-rounder Dalano Banton. They’ve yet to have their entire rotation available, and it could be a while before they’re finally back to full strength.
While Anunoby was making progress last week and got in a limited practice session over the weekend, news on his hip ailment has been less optimistic over the last couple days. His recovery has “hit a wall,” according to Nurse, and he’s not healing as the team had hoped. With Anunoby, Trent Jr. and Birch out of the lineup, the Raptors are missing more than 40 points per game, as well as three of their most important defenders, and there’s no timetable for their returns.
Having lost nine of their last 12 games, the Raptors are desperate to find a player, or players, who can give them a spark and take some of the pressure off VanVleet and the starters, who are carrying gigantic workloads.
So far, the supporting cast has underperformed. Toronto is last in the NBA in bench scoring. They’ve been outscored by opposing reserves in 15 of their 21 games, and by a total of 187 this season, including a 74-28 margin over the last two contests. Some of that is the result of injuries thinning out an already short bench, but it also speaks to the inconsistency and inexperience of that group.
“We don’t have much choice,” Nurse said following another long film and practice session on Monday. “They gotta get out there and they gotta play and they gotta figure it out, and yeah, it probably should build some character on the way. They’re gonna be in there and we’re counting on them to deliver.”
Nurse seemed to be settling into a rotation earlier this month, but Siakam’s return and the subsequent injuries have shaken things up again.
“[On] any team, if [somebody gets] hurt, it’s next man up,” Mykhailiuk said. “Either it’s me or other guys, it doesn’t matter, it’s supposed to be everybody’s mentality. It’s not really seeing opportunity, it’s helping my team win, all I’m trying to do is win and I feel like everybody here is trying to win. For me, if somebody gets hurt I feel like I gotta go step up and do it to the best of my abilities.”
Raptors Continue Searching for Every off the Bench – Sports Illustrated
So far this season, nobody has really stepped up and run with their extra playing time. Nurse has instead been left searching for some consistency off the bench, hoping someone will come in and provide the kind of effort and focus he’s looking for night after night regardless of how many points are being scored.
“We haven’t had that from some of the guys,” Nurse said. “We can’t have multiple guys not engaged in the game like in Indiana.
“I don’t expect everybody to fire every night — especially on the shots going in and the shot making — I’ve always said my goal is for you to play a good game and play hard regardless of if the ball’s going in for you or not. … And that’s where we need the Malachis, the Dalanos, Chris [Boucher], those guys have to come in with the mindset of bringing everything they’ve got.”
That can be difficult for young players who have grown accustomed to being judged solely by their offensive production.
“A lot of younger guys sometimes, myself included, I feel like our defense is affected by how we play on offense, which is not the right way, it should be the other way around,” said the 22-year-old Precious Achiuwa.
It’s a learning process for this young team, one that Nurse understands is going to take some time. Ultimately, though, what he’s asking for is to control the controllable. Sometimes you’re going to get beat by a better team. Sometimes your shots aren’t going to fall. But the effort has to be there every single night no matter who is stepping on the floor.
“It’s a mentality of being ready to play in this league,” he said.
Whoever figures that out and runs with this opportunity will reap the rewards this season and into the future. Those who don’t… well, last year’s bench unit isn’t here anymore and none of them is starting anywhere in the NBA. That should be enough incentive to bring the effort every single night.
Nurse did go with a much different look in a couple of spots Sunday that proved just how upset he was.
He benched Chris Boucher for the entire game — his minutes went to Isaac Bonga.
Dalano Banton played three minutes in the first half and watched the entire second half as Malachi Flynn and then Justin Champagnie got playing time.
It was a statement. Loud and clear.
“There’s just no time to ease into the game, there’s no time to play it a little cool, there’s no time to not just give maximum effort the whole time they’re in there. And that’s what we’re striving for right now, all the way through the bench, and we’re battling there a little bit,” he said.
“Again, I’m very pleased with what the other guys brought — the Isaacs, the Yutas (Watanabe) and the Justins. They came in there with some fire and some good play — smart, tough, hustle, energy, rebounds, blocked shots, steals. They made some plays, but all those guys need to provide that on a consistent basis, so we’ll see what happens and how it plays out from here.”
Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse, seen here in a game against the Celtics on Sunday night, is sending a message to his players using playing time as his reward.
Nurse did laud Precious Achiuwa (“I thought he had an awesome game last night. He probably scored six points, but man did he play good,” the coach said) as someone who gets it.
“Whenever you’re out there you play hard, try to make the right plays,” Achiuwa said. “Shots are going to fall and some days shots aren’t going to fall, but you can always control effort, control how hard you play on defence and just playing the right way … effort is something you control.”
With a depleted roster — none of OG Anunoby, Gary Trent Jr. or Khem Birch played Sunday or practised Monday — the Raptors are only going succeed with consistent hard work. They are offensively challenged and the vagaries of shotmaking are likely to work against them with this group, so consistent effort and intensity is non-negotiable.
It’s the only way they’re going to win games against the majority of NBA teams. Next up are the Memphis Grizzlies, without injured star Ja Morant, in town Tuesday night.
If Nurse isn’t getting that from a couple or three guys, he’s going to move to the next group. It’s not a new philosophy but it’s now more necessary than ever given the injury situation.
Raptors Have Put Chris Boucher in a Precarious Situation – Sports Illustrated
“I just wanted to see if we could get some good, hard play out of other guys and take a look at them,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said following Boucher’s absence from the lineup.
Nurse’s message was clear: time is running out for Boucher. He’s had maybe two or three positively impactful games this season and with Yuta Watanabe returning to health, the Raptors are just about ready to move on from Boucher.
“He’s got to handle it like a pro,” Nurse said. “When he gets his chance he has to be a little more consistent. I mean he’s not the only one that needs to come off the bench and play more consistently. That doesn’t mean scoring or anything. That’s just engaged and playing hard and rebounding and blocking shots and things he should be able to bring most nights.”
Coming into the year, Boucher seemed like an obvious trade candidate when the trade deadline rolled around, especially if the Raptors didn’t see themselves as legitimate playoff threats. He’d come off an impressive 2020-21 campaign and at 28 years old with his free agency approaching he didn’t seem to fit with Toronto’s long-term vision.
Now, as he falls further and further down Toronto’s bench, he’s put himself in a precarious situation. His next chance could be his last.
RAPTORS BLOG: On Dragic, Boucher and next steps | Toronto Sun
So, Dragic … We said from the start a buyout or trade would happen at some point. Dragic was never destined to last the season as a Raptor. On Dec. 14 all the players signed in the off-season become eligible to be dealt, opening up more possibilities to find Dragic a new home. Since Dragic makes $19.4 million, the more available contracts the better because matching that high a salary isn’t easy. Dallas, for example, Dragic’s preferred destination, will be able to peddle shooter Reggie Bullock and giant Boban Marjanovic in just two short weeks.
Toronto will prioritize remaining under the luxury tax though with any deals.
And if nothing can be found, it’s possible Dragic continues to bide his time until the February trade deadline. If there still wasn’t anything doing on the market by then he’d surely just be bought out.
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In the case of Boucher, the path is less clear. The Raptors like him and he’s a franchise success story, having won G League MVP and defensive player of the year awards and then turned in a fine season last year, but this time around has been different. Boucher’s struggled in most of his outings, making misreads and missing the shots that were falling a season ago.He’s a free agent after the season and turns 29 in January. If a contender comes sniffing near the deadline for some bench help the Raptors would have to listen. The Raptors are invested in Precious Achiuwa, paid Khem Birch through 2023-24 and still have Pascal Siakam, Anunoby and Barnes around to guard big men.
“He’s got to handle it like a pro,” Nick Nurse said of sitting Boucher and looking at other players like Isaac Bonga.
“When he gets his chance he has to be a little more consistent. I mean he’s not the only one that needs to come off the bench and play more consistently. That doesn’t mean scoring or anything. That’s just engaged and playing hard and rebounding and blocking shots and things he should be able to bring most nights.”
Toronto’s bench has been a major weakness so far.
This Week: 23
Last Week: 20Toronto got off to a 6-3 start, powered by a five-game winning streak, but the Raptors have since dropped nine of 12, including Sunday’s loss at home to the Celtics. The Raptors need to get OG Anunoby back on the court, as his absence due to injury was felt in a big way against Boston, which simply wore Toronto down. — Bontemps
This Week: 19
Last Week: 199-12, -0.8 net rating
Weekly Slate: Win at Grizzlies, Loss at Pacers, Loss to CelticsFirst Quarter Grade: C-
I did not have this Toronto Raptors team thriving because of offense and failing because of defense. I thought it might be flipped for them. So much of their season has been waiting for Pascal Siakam to get back and then trying to work him back into the mix once he is. The Raptors have been chaotic on defense, both to the opponent and themselves. They gamble so much to create turnovers, but when they miss on those gambles, they’re getting torched everywhere. Even without veteran big men in the paint, the Raptors have to be better than this at stopping attacks at the rim. Scottie Barnes has been so fun. There are a lot of fun elements to this team. They need to be more competitive against non-losing teams (5-10).
What was the preseason prediction? Raptors finish with a top-10 defense.
How does that look? Not great so far. The Raptors rank 25th in defensive rating, and it’s been slipping the more the season has gone on. But we’re also seeing their rotation settle in, and I think that should give them enough continuity to get back to where they need to be on defense. Of course, that can’t happen without OG Anunoby healthy and consistently in the mix.
Team Canada defeats The Bahamas 113-77 in 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers – Raptors HQ
Something that was apparent yesterday and continued today was Canada’s efficiency from three; they hit 5-for-7 from deep in the first quarter. They also shot 63% from the field in the first to lead 34-26 after the first ten minutes.
In the second quarter, Canada stepped up both their defense and their offense, extending the lead to 17 on a quick 11-0 run to kick off the quarter. They would end the half up 12, 58-46, after The Bahamas continued to keep pace and not allow the Canadians to run off on them.
The third quarter saw Canada finally start to extend their lead, helped by Kyle Alexander crashing the offensive glass and getting seven total rebounds. Canada also saw their largest lead ending the third ahead by 24 points.
Canada closed out the game by continuing to extend their lead, with some of the young players stepping up to score down the stretch. Canada was able to secure their second against The Bahamas with a score of 113-77; the 36-point victory leaves Canada with a +78 point differential to end this round of qualifying games.
Key performances today included Kyle Wiltjer with 25 points, two assists, and five rebounds, with 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Phil Scrubb showed out today as well with 13 points, three assists, and four rebounds, scoring 5-for-5 from the field.
Kenny Chery had another stand-out performance today with 11 points, seven assists, and three rebounds, and Kassius Robertson added 15 points and two assists. Another interesting note is that every player on the roster, except for one, was able to get points on the board this afternoon.
It’s probable that we will see a majority of these guys suit up for Canada again in February as the NBA talent will still be in the middle of their season and unable to join Canada in their next round of qualifying matches.
