A New Year’s Resolution for some Raptors

Hey, it’s not the most creative format, but we can certainly talk about unique things within it. Let’s go!

A Shared Existence: Pascal Siakam & Scottie Barnes’ pick n’ roll resolution

There’s a reason that the Raptors bread and butter down the stretch is a pick n’ roll or DHO that involves Pascal Siakam as one of the two parts. Gary Trent Jr. just did a fantastic job of closing out the Suns, and often times Siakam was his screening partner. Historically, Siakam has had a lot of on-ball reps with Fred VanVleet ghost screening for him. Potent two-man actions run the NBA. The Raptors have one of the best players in the league in Siakam, and a burgeoning young star in Barnes. The goal, of course, is to have them both initiating the offense down the road, but why not put them in more two-man actions now?

Really great contact on the screen on Randle. Finds the pocket between Siakam and Draymond. Finish over Embiid. Really nice. And, of course Siakam is doing all his wizardry.

Despite a tough run of finishing this season, Barnes is a big, big presence on the move and has shown great touch around the rim over a larger sample. Let him lay the wood on screens and burst into space. Siakam is more comfortable taking on doubles, shifting defenses and making plays that way. Hell, all of his assists vs. the Suns were 3-pointers. But, he’s been stretching his legs as a playmaker in the pick n’ roll (spread and otherwise) and making those types of reads – which is a really big deal. Combine the downhill threat of Siakam in a ball-screen with Barnes’ size and movement? Profit.

Health, and its elusive nature: Fred VanVleet’s well-being and shooting

Health is an odd thing to discuss, given the chasm of an information deficit between the team’s staff and everyone else. However, VanVleet and members of the team — basically everyone else in the world, too — have openly discussed his health. Things he’s dealt with that linger, and prolong, and have seemingly created unrest and instability elsewhere in his body. These aren’t the poked in the eye or appendicitis types of injuries that randomly seem to select O.G. Anunoby, for example. VanVleet’s body is dealing with the absolute toll of heavy minutes and the physicality of the league.

You won’t get a prognosis from me, just well wishes on his health and some stats on his irregular shooting. Apart from his short stint as Fred Gilgeous-Alexander, greatest of calamities, and rim-threatening deity, he’s struggled to find consistent offensive impact (by the numbers). A huge portion of that is his jumper going amiss. He’s a career .376 shooter from downtown and this year he’s sitting at 33-percent.

There’s a lot that goes into VanVleet’s game, but his catch-and-shoot proficiency helps provide a healthy floor of impact that’s been hit and miss this season. Nurse addressed some of the minor differences in VanVleet’s misses back in November, and how it’s a rare change for a shooter:

“His numbers on his right left axis, his straightness are, normally, just off the charts and that is the one that’s got a little off-kilter a little bit for him. It’s a bit strange because that’s one of those things that once you dial that in in your mechanics, that one doesn’t leave you very often. No matter how tired you are, or how deep you’re shooting, or whatever, you still get it to come off your hand the same way with some straightness and that’s the one that has got a little bit of a wrinkle for him right now.”

Nick Nurse on Fred VanVleet’s shooting struggles, back in early December

Considering that these types of misses are uncommon for the type of shooter that VanVleet is, it might be fair to think his health has created an imbalance somewhere in his body. But, who knows really? Not counting the Clippers game he left with injury, he’s hitting 38-percent from downtown on 10 attempts per game over his last 5. Hopefully, he’s turned this thing around.

Vive la révolution: Christian Koloko’s assaults on the rim

Liberté, égalité, fraternité. Koloko isn’t getting his fair share of points at the rim. Of his 76 shots attempted within 4 feet of the rim — so, pretty close quarters here – he’s been blocked 17 times. Overall? He’s shooting 55-percent from there, which puts him in the 3rd-percentile among bigs. He’s been one of the worst finishers in the whole league, and that has to improve. The good news is that it inevitably will, it’s just about how soon that change is coming. The weight room, touch, use of pivots, gathers and all that, it’s going to elevate his finishing a lot. Let’s just hope it happens in this calendar year – and even better, this season.

Relocation: Otto Porter Jr.’s toe and offensive proclivities

A humble request, but I’d like to see ‘OPJ’ play more than 8 games for the Raptors in 2023. I’d like to see a dislocated toe, relocated to its proper placement on the foot. And, I’d also like to see Porter Jr. relocating, lifting, shaking, and lending his all-purpose gravity as a shooter; and additionally, relocating smaller guards and wings from under the basket as he continues to assert his claim as one of the best offensive rebounding wings of the past decade.

Leadership: O.G. Anunoby, the man who never speaks, leading in some form or fashion

After the loss to the Grizzlies, O.G. said this: “Maybe it’s on us starters, sometimes we come out flat, maybe it’s on us. I think we’re all just trying to be better with our effort. I can give better effort, I can set the tone. I think I can definitely do better with that.”

Whether that’s fair or not, Anunoby is doing what a lot of the better players in the league do: taking on responsibility for the failings of the roster. A one of the best defenders in the league, I’m sure he does feel like he can set the tone, inform others output, and lead a unit. If some of the fixes (definitely not all) on defense are really related to effort and intensity? I hope Anunoby can help establish a healthier baseline. This season has seen him step outside of his comfort zone as far as interacting with media goes. Whether it’s his advocating for future defensive accolades, or this, it’s clear he’s becoming a leader in his own way.

The Slow Crawl: Gary Trent Jr.’s holistic offensive approach

For a gunner, Trent Jr. has a unique sense of how to play within himself. It’s been rare for him to look out of sorts this season, and that’s because he’s stretched his legs in a couple different ways. Most notably, his shots closer to the basket are coming more often and falling much more often. No longer operating from the offensive nosebleeds, Trent Jr. has taken more aggressive closeouts and lines of attack from defenders and turned them into more aggressive lines of attack for himself.

Every once in awhile there’ll be a game where Trent Jr. really feels his jumper and in that case, blast off. Otherwise he’s done a fantastic job of taking what the game gives him. The result? His best year as a pro, and an approach that should see him paid big money this offseason – in Toronto, or elsewhere.

The Cat Burglar: Jeff Dowtin Jr. needs to steal more minutes

It seems like every time ‘JDJ’ touches the floor, he makes an impact play of some sort. Now, most players should, but many players are passengers to stars for long stretches. Dowtin Jr.’s place as a point of attack defender means he’s always going to be featured in some fashion. The slight, G-League star gets targeted and tested when he’s on the floor, and he continues to meet the challenge. Quick and twitchy to keep up with burst-y guards, and slinkified to dart around screens, I’ve liked what I’ve seen from him.

It’s not often that the keys to the offense fall into his lap, so he’s robbed of his best qualities on that side of the floor. He can beat a lot of guys off the bounce, and even more when he has screen assistance. Off-ball though? His jumper isn’t seen as a threat to shift defenses, and he’s still not comfortable trying to make teams pay for those decisions. There’s not even really enough minutes for him to prove it either way. He’s won a lot of his minutes, though. And I would be really interested to see what a dedicated stretch looks like with him featuring as a change of pace guard off the bench. A few games over double-digit minutes, just to see what’s happening.

That’s all! Hope you enjoyed the read.

Have a blessed day.