Scottie Barnes’ All-Rookie possibilities, OG Anunoby for Most Improved and extra: 15 predictions for the 2021-22 Raptors – The Athletic
First, let me clarify the wording. The final time a minimum of 4 top-five picks have been named to the primary staff was 2018-19, when the highest 5 picks swept the spots. Earlier than that, it hadn’t been since 2008-09 that a minimum of 4 of the highest 5 picks all made All-Rookie (Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley, O.J. Mayo and Russell Westbrook, if you happen to’re curious.). Barring accidents, I feel first decide Cade Cunningham, second decide Jalen Inexperienced and fifth decide Jalen Suggs are near-locks for spots on the staff given their main roles on in any other case uninspiring offensive groups.
Barnes gained’t be in that kind of place. Barnes averaged simply 9.8 factors per recreation within the preseason, and that was with Siakam and Chris Boucher unavailable to play. He led the staff in minutes per recreation, however was sixth in scoring common. It was simply the preseason, however it’s arduous to consider that he’s going to attain extra if/when the Raptors get more healthy on the wing.
But, you’ll be able to see why NBA obsessives will gravitate towards Barnes’ recreation. He’s going to fill the stat sheet and play among the finest defence in his class, with essentially the most positional versatility on each ends. It’s doable he’ll common greater than 5 assists and rebounds per recreation and greater than a steal and block per recreation. He shall be on spotlight reels for all kinds of causes. I feel he squeaks in due to all of that, regardless of how far his scoring has to come back.
Bonds cast throughout combat for Raptors’ ultimate roster spots are made to final – Sportsnet
“Positive, the unguaranteed guys are preventing for spots like Isaac Bonga, Ish, Freddie Gillespie, however these guys are among the kindest human beings you may ever meet. So that’s the hardest a part of the job. For the coaches it’s the toughest a part of the job, for the entrance workplace it’s the toughest a part of the job, for the entrance workplace it’s the toughest half, for brokers and you’ll go down and down and down. … So these are guys that I’ll keep in contact with for a very long time, it doesn’t matter what occurs and I’m all the time going to cheer for them, it doesn’t matter what as a result of it’s the weak point of a person to root for somebody to fail. So no matter occurs I need these guys to have success in no matter they do.”
Added Wainright: “It’s a brotherhood. We’ve been enjoying in opposition to one another for years, it’s a basketball group, it’s a brotherhood. I imply, I’ve been enjoying in opposition to Sam for the reason that sixth grade, simply performed in opposition to him just a few months in the past abroad. I imply now we have a particular bond however on the courtroom we’re competing for spots.
“I’m competing not simply with Isaac, Sam, and different guys, I’m competing with OG [Anunoby], Scottie [Barnes], guys like that. We take no matter is on the courtroom, we don’t take it off the courtroom, we nonetheless have our bonds, we’ll nonetheless go to lunch, go to dinner it doesn’t matter what occurs we’re nonetheless going to be OK, we’re nonetheless going to be cool, nonetheless going to textual content, nonetheless going to have our group message. We’ll see down the road with no matter occurs.”
It is a constructive angle for anybody to have, however it feels prefer it’s important for guys like Dekker, Wainright and Bonga who’re on the fringes of the NBA. Being supportive and empathetic to the plight of others who’re going via related experiences is a strong approach to make a superb impression not solely together with your teammates and even these you’re competing with, however with front-office personnel and the teaching workers.
An upbeat, optimistic disposition will carry all of those guys far, even when their vacation spot gained’t essentially be in Toronto.
“I’m going to have the ability to go to mattress at evening pleased with what I used to be in a position to do and pleased with myself for this complete summer season, this complete fall, the best way I carried out, the best way I approached every day, the relationships I made,” Dekker stated. “These are the issues I’m pleased with, I feel I confirmed who I’m as a participant and an individual and if one among us isn’t chosen, it’s not a knock on you as an individual or a participant. We’ve 20 good gamers coming into camp so it’s not, oh, we don’t want that man. It’s extra of we’ve received to go in a unique path. It’s the artwork of the enterprise.
“Once more, I’m pleased with myself for the best way I’ve dealt with all of this, all of the strain, and coming again. The largest factor that it solidified in my very own thoughts is I’m an NBA participant. Typically the largest individual it’s important to show that to is your self. That’s the place I’m proper now.”
“Regardless of the way it goes I’m not going to hold my head,” added Wainright. “My dad and mom and my household all the time informed me as soon as one door closes one other one opens up. So I’m popping out of this a greater man, a greater basketball participant, a greater individual, interval. So I’m not going to carry my head, I feel no one’s going to carry their heads.”
And Bonga: “I feel for me the factor is all the time I wish to study as a lot as doable. It’s the identical factor as successful video games. These final weeks have undoubtedly accomplished that. As a basketball participant I feel I’ve gotten higher. As an individual I’ve gotten higher. 100 per cent.”
Fred VanVleet was born to steer the Raptors, with or with out Kyle Lowry: ‘For those who put successful first, you’re good in my e-book’ | The Star
On this comparatively new period for the franchise — with a staff that’s good however constructed for a 12 months or two out, a strong group that has championship expertise however lots of new items — VanVleet goes to emerge because the clever outdated soul and the chief.
“I feel that was one of many issues that allowed me to be right here is, they noticed a few of that management potential, simply my character and who I used to be as a person, a younger man,” he stated. “My first 12 months, DeMar (DeRozan) actually wasn’t that vocal when it comes to speaking. Kyle (Lowry) is basically not as vocal as you may suppose every day. He speaks when one thing must be stated. He checks issues as they go.
“So, there was a void there. You all the time want the leaders of the staff and guys who can lead one another.”
Lowry, who was a drive on and off the courtroom in 9 years in Toronto, is gone. The power of his character shall be missed, however it’s not like VanVleet was a shrinking violet with Lowry round.
“He’s carried lots of that load already,” coach Nick Nurse stated of VanVleet’s duty throughout the staff framework. “Will it broaden some from a management standpoint? I suppose.”
The reality is that VanVleet has been a predominant voice within the Raptors locker room for years. He could not have had the general public profile that Lowry did because the face of the franchise, he definitely wasn’t the Kind-A on-court character that Kawhi Leonard was, and he wasn’t as completed as DeRozan in his run of all-star seasons.
However VanVleet has for years been a commanding and demanding presence behind the scenes. He understood the “load administration” that Leonard operated below and might need bristled at it privately, however knew how essential it was to the staff and held his tongue. He let Lowry be Lowry, good and dangerous, as a result of it was finest for the staff.
Now? Now he’s the undisputed voice of cause.
“I’ve all the time been comfy there. I used to be allowed to have a voice just about from my first 12 months, second 12 months, and it’s simply been steadily rising,” he stated. “And all people else’s notion or expectations of me have modified, possibly. However for me, I’ve been vocal within the locker room for almost all of my time right here. That’s probably not going to vary.”
His on-court position will change this 12 months, although.
With Lowry gone to Miami — and it stays to be seen how a lot VanVleet will share the courtroom with Goran Dragic, acquired from the Warmth, within the two-guard system Nurse likes — VanVleet’s going to be the orchestrator of regardless of the Raptors grow to be on offence. His three-point taking pictures shall be very important to a roster that isn’t suffering from confirmed shooters, and his means to get the staff organized offensively shall be very important.
The candidates for ultimate Raptors’ roster positions | Toronto Solar
As Nurse stated following the ultimate pre-season recreation, it’s going to be a really, very robust determination.
They already made one robust minimize when the ever-likable Freddie Gillespie was waived earlier within the week.
Yet another must go and all three have a case for staying.
Here’s a chosen breakdown of what the Raptors have to decide on between.
SAM DEKKER: 27, Ahead, 6-foot-8, 229, NBA Expertise: 200 video games
The case for Dekker is an apparent one. He’s a man who can shoot the basketball and scoring seems to be a necessity on this staff.
Dekker is the lone first-round decide within the bunch however bounced round from Houston to the L.A. Clippers to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington earlier than spending the previous two years abroad in Russia and Turkey.
“I’ve had seven totally different staffs in seven years,” Dekker stated. “Lots of people get an opportunity to develop inside a company and therapeutic massage the method of on the brink of go. Seven or eight video games into my rookie 12 months, the Rockets fired Kevin McHale, so eight staffs. Two staffs that 12 months, then D’Antoni, Doc Rivers, Ty Lue then a firing, Larry Drew, get traded, then Scott Brooks. Then go to Russia and go to Turkey.
“I really feel like I’ve all the time needed to show myself.” Dekker stated. “And that typically, makes you a bit of anxious and I feel that’s the place it received me. I used to be trying over my shoulder, making an attempt to show hey, I’m doing this, I’m doing that and sort of driving myself loopy.”
The 2 years abroad, Dekker stated, was all about rising up.
Raptors roster determination time arrives. Watanabe, Bonga, Wainright makes as a lot sense as something | The Star
First, one of many presumably three open spots is locked up for Watanabe. I’m unsure that was ever actually unsure however he had such a superb camp and one good recreation that it turned apparent after simply a few days that that he’ll be sticking round.
However who else?
Like I stated, robust name, particularly after Dekker went berserk taking pictures the ball within the fourth quarter in Washington.
The final time we spoke with Bobby Webster, there was no clear indication if they’d fill out the roster to fifteen (three jobs) or depart one spot open (two jobs) however the sense is that they’ll go to fifteen, particularly now with the accidents, and fear about luxurious tax implications later as a result of these calculations aren’t ultimate till the final day of the common season and there shall be many doable monetary shenanigans that come up.
So, two jobs for 5 guys.
Nicely, I feel you’ll be able to take Reggie Perry out of the equation, primarily as a result of he by no means performed and he’s in all probability been destined to be minimize and moved to the G League 905 from the beginning.
So, two jobs for 4 guys.
Wainright.
Gillespie.
Dekker.
Bonga.
You may make a case for every of them, really. Dekker’s a shooter and you’ll’t have sufficient taking pictures.
Gillespie is aware of the staff and this system and performed final 12 months, properly at instances.
Wainright shot it fairly properly and he’s a banger on a staff that’s not overly robust.
Bonga plaed greater than the others, even beginning on Tuesday and he’s received the size and athleticism that make you suppose he’d match on the roster completely.
Me?
I’m retaining Bonga and Wainright.
Tip Sam Holako
Morning Espresso – Fri, Oct 15 originated on Raptors Republic.
