There’s no point in proving anything on a basketball court with stars. Stars do everything, they make anything viable, and they paper over weaknesses. With the link-up play between Juancho Hernangomez and Thaddeus Young, we have further proof of some of the ideas that girder the Raptors Vision 6’9″ ethos. The mismatches don’t really come via the guard spot, or against smaller big men – the things we’re used to seeing be described as a mismatch. Spain and the United States established diplomatic relations in 1783, but they’ve never looked better because of these two.
What Toronto does is different. They’re tiny in the frontcourt and (save for Fred VanVleet) massive everywhere else. This is partially why their offensive economy runs on a lot of mismatches and isolations that look far different from the Steph Curry cooks Rudy Gobert variety. It’s not typically quickness or ball skills that are the driving force of their success, but their size paired with just enough ball skills to get by – although Pascal Siakam over the past year has kind of transcended all of this stuff with a superstar level of play. He’s not necessarily part of any vision that isn’t “Top-10 player, Pascal Siakam”. Back to the uncommon size outside of the frontcourt, though. Hernangomez represents that, and Young the trigger man.
Since Young and Hernangomez both found their way into the Raptors rotation in the midst of all the injuries — 7 straight games with more than 25 minutes played for Young, with Hernangomez averaging 24 mpg in the same stretch — the two of them have crafted a uniquely potent partnership. Unique in the sense that the Raptors have been using a 16-year veteran as a major hub of their offense, of course. Even more unique though, in the sense that Young has only passed to Hernangomez 14 times over those 7 games… for 8 baskets. I’ve never observed a ratio like that while watching basketball. Hernangomez has yet to miss a shot after a pass from Young this season.
These plays started out with Hernangomez recognizing mismatches, and Young just so happening to be the guy holding the ball at the time. As it turns out, you can’t get away with putting Trae Young on Juancho. He isn’t a milquetoast 3-point shooter or anything like that, he’ll flash for the ball if he has mismatch like that. And so, he continued to flash into space and it was Young who continued to feed him.
Jaden Ivey, Young x2, and Patty Mills. Guards who couldn’t hang. This is the major benefit of the Raptors size through the middle. Even though Fred VanVleet or Jeff Dowtin Jr. make appearances, the other teams don’t have the size throughout their lineup to protect against this type of bruising play from a role player. Of course it helps that Hernangomez is able to form up for triples off of Siakam or O.G. Anunoby — that’s great — but he has great touch, size, and a willingness to bruise that the Raptors are uniquely equipped to weaponize. On other teams, because of more regular lineup configurations, this wouldn’t be nearly as potent.
With the Raptors facing an unbelievable stroke of terrible luck with injuries and illnesses, not only did the Young & Hernangomez duo get a chance to stretch their legs on this stuff, but the quick reads and clever cutting (which serves to pull players away from dangerous spots on the floor, open up driving lanes etc.) started to work against different types of defenses. It’s a passive, persistent positive and the Raptors haven’t turned their noses up at it whatsoever. Your superstar Siakam is back in the fold, virtually the whole team is healthy – so you start the aforementioned duo.
Perhaps the most fun part of all of this? Once Hernangomez realized just how quick Young’s reads were? He stopped waiting to read the floor, he just started making basket cuts as soon as the ball was destined for Young’s hands.
Do you know how cool it is that Hernangomez is cutting before the ball touches Young’s hands? The level of trust in your teammate that they can scan the full floor and find you the moment they get the ball? Just awesome. They’ve traded in the need for a mismatch for a shared mind.
Among the Raptors rotational players, Young (1.78) and Hernangomez (1.55) use the least amount of time per touch. It’s no wonder they fit in anywhere, they play their potent 2-man games in no time at all. If they get the ball? They’ll probably move it on to a star and make use of themselves elsewhere. If they happen to link up? Well, you probably put points on the board.
A super fun pair of players. I guess all that’s left to do is sit and wait for their first missed shot together. I hope it never happens.
Have a blessed day.
