Everything has a cost in the NBA. Tanking nets higher value draft picks, but can also create an environment where winning basketball isn’t prioritized and if that goes on long enough you can lose culture. Too many young players and suddenly there isn’t enough playing time for everyone to develop. Not enough youth and you run the risk of having little-to-no-potential on the roster. Even under the best conditions, it’s hard to strike the right balance.
The Raptors have been forced into a position, through sickness and injuries, where a player like O.G. Anunoby gets to test his limits in a primary role. At this point, I think we’ve gotten a decent sample of what that looks like on a team this limited by the aforementioned injuries. This isn’t to say that Anunoby shouldn’t have a headlining role — and games where he rises as a primary option — once the roster is healthy. This is to say that we have seen a sufficient amount of the grind. Hell, even Kevin Durant — one of the greatest players of all time — did an interview where he gently suggested something to the effect of “hey, you see the roster around me, don’t expect too much”.
Coach Nurse isn’t enjoying the challenge of scheming and crafting endless game plans for end for a depleted roster either: “Once in a while, you might enjoy the challenge, but not for three weeks in a row here. It’s getting, it’s not that enjoyable.” And while the next man up commentary continues to be prolific among the players, there’s no doubt that wears thin. It’s hard to win in the NBA and although the in-between has seen some success everyone is waiting for health to come back.
“It causes so much other time spent away from focusing on the game. On trying to figure out when this guy is back, where this guy is, when his treatment is, when his MRI is, where he is, is he traveling, is he not traveling. There’s just so much. Is he sick? Is it covid? There are so many other things that you’re spending and occupying, and that’s not what you really want to do. We want to focus in on the games and putting all of our energies there. We have to do the best that we can.
Nick Nurse on dealing with injuries
9 games with Pascal Siakam and 9 games without him, and Anunoby in particular had to adjust his game for the new context. Most of the trappings of on-ball duties have accompanied the change in role: more turnovers, more free throws, lower shooting percentages and a lot more work on each possession. The great news has been that he’s found a pace on drives that better suits him and it’s by far the best he’s looked inside the arc in his career. The tough news, so far, has been the complete dearth of good looks from downtown for him and the 23-percent he’s shot from there. On top of that, his playmaking looks as if it’s reached a bit of a plateau.
“I’m just reading the defense, reading where the open man will be, looking for the roll, looking for the weak side, and then just being more patient in the paint.” said of what he’s learned so far with all the extra attention in these games. “Slowing down my finishes, trying to be more patient. Knowing sometimes I can’t get all the way to the rim, sometimes it’s a touch shot, sometimes it’s a pump fake, just reading the defense that way.”
I have maintained for a long time that Anunoby’s playmaking was underrated by most who observed it (it was!). The slick laydowns for layups and dunks, plus the occasional skip pass/spray out beyond the arc are better than most wings with his statistical profile bring to the table – and especially when coupled with his elite finishing and above-average ability to put the ball down to get to the rim. With defenses loading up on him though, the turnovers have risen while the assists have been pretty quiet. When attacking a rotated defense, his decision making can break the last line and he can occasionally make plays as the primary option. But, over this time we’ve seen too many of the limitations of his game pop up repeatedly as he attempts to take this leap as a passer.
The good news? All of these things can still be progressed upon and can be done so when the Raptors are healthy as well. There will be possessions and creation opportunities abound, and especially if Anunoby manages to help lift some of the Raptors transitional lineups. However, Anunoby got his “okay, run with it” opportunity, and jogged at a leisurely pace.
The even better news? While we found out that Anunoby isn’t a sleeping dragon as a creator, we saw meaningful steps made as a driver and he’s maintained a DPOY level of play on the other side of the floor while still obviously being able to offer elite cutting, finishing, and shooting as a secondary/tertiary guy on offense. 18 games into the season and a third of the way to the All-Star break, Anunoby is making his case to play when others go on vacation. No eye-rolls, no wishful thinking, none of that. Anunoby is hovering around All-Star level. Anyone who defends at his level and does all the things he can do on offense is threatening for an All-Star appearance.
You’re supposed to figure things out about a player when you see them jump their usage-percentage from 19-percent to 25-percent, and you count yourself lucky if any of the info you start getting back is good. Just because we want Anunoby to flash everything all at once with Siakam out, doesn’t mean he will. Since entering the league he’s quietly improved every facet of his game, and any loud mistakes are underpinned by a quiet excellence elsewhere. Big leaps are the best for narrative, but the small ones maintain the momentum. Anunoby is always moving in the right direction.
Have a blessed day.
