Samson Folk takes listener/viewer questions and talks about the Raptors, focusing specifically on the Raptors shooting woes.
The Raptors are, by the numbers, one of the worst pull-up teams in the NBA. When accounting for only pull-up 3’s, they’re last with a bullet at 27-percent. When you look through the numbers of Gradey Dick, Ja’Kobe Walter, Scottie Barnes — anyone on the roster really — there is currently no statistical case to be made for someone on the team, outside of Immanuel Quickley, becoming an elite pull-up 3-point shooter. That doesn’t mean, of course, that there won’t be. You can poke around on the mechanics of Dick & Walter, and hope and dream.
Samson discusses at length how the Raptors high volume shooters could carve pathways to better shooting, and explains the types of shots they’re succeeding and failing at so far in their careers. Quickley’s mechanics and limitations as a voluminous shooter are discussed.
A question is asked about how the Raptors are planning to shore up their guard defense going forward and how Davion Mitchell + Quickley factor into it – and how they both represent things the Raptors need going forward.
Regarding Dick, and his below average finishing, Samson discusses how he expects the Raptors second year guard to improve some of the easier things he’s doing, and perhaps limit how often he tries to do the impossible as a finisher. Kyrie Irving is brought up as a comparison point regarding the intersection of how hard it is to have elite finishing numbers when you try such an adventurous array of difficult attempts.
To round things out, Samson discusses Bruce Brown’s trade market (or perhaps buyout market), and answers questions about the type of center that would fit really well next to Barnes. Ultimately though, Samson ends up reminiscing on the championship Raptors – a hell of a team.
Have a blessed day.