Raptors preseason observations: Why crashing glass could possibly be a part of the offensive reply – The Athletic
The play-by-play says Gary Trent Jr. didn’t take his first shot till 95 seconds after he first checked into Thursday’s sport. It solely felt like, let’s say, 90 fewer.
Trent made his preseason debut after lacking Monday’s sport with soreness in his quad, and he got here off the bench. The second beginning guard spot would appear to be a battle between Trent and Goran Dragic, with the previous bringing extra capturing and the latter bringing extra playmaking.
Effectively, Trent acquired up 12 pictures in 22 minutes, so he actually did his factor, scoring 12 factors. Effectivity is a piece in progress for Trent, however there’s an apparent match with Trent and a prototypical NBA function: that of the microwave scorer off the bench. Assume Lou Williams or Jamal Crawford.
Trent expressed indifference about whether or not he begins or comes off the bench after the sport. There may be some logic in, not less than initially of the yr, retaining him on the bench. With no Pascal Siakam, placing VanVleet in a lineup with no different skilled playmaker can be asking numerous him. Dragic might need slowed down since his prime, however he can nonetheless create extra for others than Trent can.
When Siakam returns, however, flipping the roles and taking extra benefit of Trent’s elite spot-up capturing would appear to maximise spacing. It wouldn’t be a shock to see Nurse swap the 2 gamers’ roles not less than as soon as within the closing three preseason video games.
5 takeaways from Raptors’ loss to 76ers in home-and-home finale – Sportsnet
Treasured Achiuwa was requested the opposite day what it was like making an attempt to wrestle with Sixers backup centre Andrew Drummond, who at six-foot-11 and 280 kilos is sort of as huge as beginning Sixers centre Embiid.
He hit the nail on the top within the scouting report: “They’re actually huge. These guys are actually robust and actually actually huge and in addition not simply that, they’re vets as properly, have lot of expertise seeing just about all the pieces.”
Drummond had his approach within the paint within the Raptors’ first assembly with Philly and issues didn’t venture to get any higher in Thursday’s sport when Embiid was enjoying after sitting out Sport 1.
Fortuitously, there aren’t many — if any — groups that may roll out 14 toes and 600 kilos of centre, however the Raptors’ potential to handle the league’s few dominant bigs shall be an element because the season unfolds. The Raptors don’t have anybody who resembles a major defender on a kind of monsters, so it’ll both be single protection and hope for the very best or a swarming method and hope that it doesn’t result in a blizzard of open threes and offensive rebounds.
The Raptors held their very own on Thursday night time and did very properly on the offensive glass as they flew into the paint for tip-ins and tip-outs, which helped generate 13 offensive rebounds (to 11 for Philly) and a 24-12 edge in second-chance factors.
A collection of smaller Raptors defenders acquired bullied every so often, however it wasn’t like both Embiid or Drummond turned the sport the wrong way up. Embiid did draw some fouls when he acquired the ball in deep. It was just about what you may count on.
Fortuitously, there is just one Embiid and never many others like him. Embiid completed with 10 factors and 6 rebounds in 19 minutes whereas Drummond added 10 factors and 7 rebounds in his 20 minutes of flooring time.
“Your greatest defence is to not allow them to get it at a cushty spot,” mentioned Achiuwa. “The very best defence is to not allow them to get it down low or a spot the place they’re comfy scoring the basketball.”
Simpler mentioned than performed, however an excellent instance was when Achiuwa denied an entry go to Drummond above the three-point line, acquired a deflection and took it the opposite technique to rating halfway by the third quarter. That’s the form of steadiness the Raptors are attempting to attain: give away slightly bit however get one thing again too.
Sixers Bell Ringer: Georges Niang headlines sizzling capturing night time in simple win over Toronto – Liberty Ballers
Georges Niang: 16 factors, three assists, two rebounds, one steal
With a quartet of threes, the previous Utah Jazz ahead dazzled past the arc and confidently fired shot after shot, regardless of some well timed contests from Toronto. En path to a team-high 16 factors, he launched spot-ups, cashed a motion three, operated shrewdly off the ball for a bucket and help through cuts, and helped catalyze fruitful minutes from the whole bench unit. He hedged properly on a number of ball screens too. The Sixers merely want extra sensible ball movers who hearth threes. Niang checks these containers and Thursday embodied that.
Seth Curry: 15 factors, three rebounds, one help, one steal
Recent off a sterling preseason debut during which he dropped 14 factors on 63.6 p.c true capturing, Curry topped that efficiency with 15 factors on 75.9 p.c true capturing and notched a second consecutive Bell Ringer shout out. The veteran guard had the two-man sport cooking with Joel Embiid and knocked down 4 of his eight lengthy balls. He maintained that ever-important scoring aggression, was undeterred by closeouts — a significant trait for him — and appeared in rhythm all night time.
Isaiah Joe: 15 factors, two rebounds, two steals, one block
I have to open this part by issuing a proper apology for Joe’s omission in Monday’s Bell Ringer. He completely deserved a point out. Hand up, that’s on me. I’ll be higher shifting ahead. Fortuitously for the Sixers, he produced one other spectacular sport off the bench with engaging two-way play and afforded me the possibility to pen an apology.
The second-year wing went 3 of 4 from deep, had quite a few possessions defensively the place he flustered the opposition with physicality and positioning, and garnered three mixed steals and blocks. Between an environment friendly, unabashed exterior stroke and multifaceted defensive chops, he’s quickly incomes consideration for a rotation spot throughout this preseason run.
GRADES: Sixers bounce again in second preseason sport vs. Raptors – The Sixer Sense
After falling to the Toronto Raptors of their preseason opener on the highway, the Sixers evened the preseason collection with a strong residence win.
Each groups got here out firing from 3-point land, together with the participant most acquainted with each squads, Danny Inexperienced. A lay-up to open the sport paved the best way to 2 lengthy balls as Inexperienced scored eight of his 11 within the opening minutes.
Again-to-back Fred VanVleet 3-pointers gave Toronto a 18-16 lead earlier than the Philadelphia protection tightened as an 8-0 run over almost 4 minutes propelled them to take a lead they’d by no means relinquish.
Like many preseason video games, the tempo was feverish. Newcomer Georges Niang opened the quarter canning a deep 3-pointer, a relentless theme of his night time. Andre Drummond, Furkan Korkmaz, Tyrese Maxey, and Isaiah Joe unfold the scoring whereas OG Anunoby, Scottie Barnes, and Svi Mykhailiuk helped Toronto hold tempo.
After a continued barrage of 3-pointers, Philadelphia entered the halftime locker room main 71-55.
The second half was extra composed.
Joel Embiid acquired the scoring began and Tobias Harris pitched in a seemingly common effort. With no participant exceeding 25 minutes and all 15 gamers getting not less than 5 minutes of motion, the sport started to extra resemble an open native gymnasium run with a mix of lapses on protection and open 3s.
By the ultimate buzzer, Philadelphia secured the win ending 125-113. As for the breakdown, Philadelphia had eight gamers in double figures and poured in almost 50 p.c of their triples whereas holding Toronto underneath 30 p.c.
Toronto Raptors at Philadelphia Sixers recap – Raptors HQ
OG Anuoby did his greatest to maintain the Raptors in it, showcasing some tantalizing glimpses on offense — a few above-the-break threes, together with one off the dribble, and a pleasant drive, stop-on-a-dime turnaround fadeaway.
But it surely wasn’t sufficient, because the Raptors merely gave the Sixers no matter they needed on their finish. Philly nailed 12 threes within the first half, and it felt like 10 of them had been extensive open (and Danny Inexperienced missed two different extensive open triples, too). How’s this for a stat: The Sixers scored 44 factors within the second quarter, and all 10 Sixers that performed within the quarter scored, however nobody scored greater than six factors. Fairly balanced assault, I’d say!
The Raptors discovered themselves down 16 on the half, and regardless of Anunoby and VanVleet each enjoying the whole third quarter, coudn’t make up any floor. By the fourth, we had been properly into rubbish time as not one of the veterans on both crew returned to the ground.
For the Raptors, Mykhailiuk was as soon as once more a optimistic, scoring 11 factors and being lively on offense. Nick Nurse talked about post-game that he was impressed with Mykhailiuk’s potential to fly off screens, get his toes into the paint and make performs for others. Mykhailiuk, for his half, spoke post-game to his chemistry along with his teammates; although it’s solely their second sport collectively and the crew has numerous younger guys, he can see his teammates studying from their veteran teammates.
Justin Champagnie additionally had one other strong sport, slithering into open spots for his teammates to seek out him. Treasured Achiuwa, in the meantime, did a strong job retaining Embiid out of the paint, forcing the Sixers huge man to get his touches farther from the ring. Embiid had simply 4 factors on 5 pictures in eight first-quarter minutes,
Gary Trent additionally made his preseason debut within the second quarter, and rapidly confirmed that he didn’t choose up the passing bug in the summertime — he acquired two threes up earlier than he even broke a sweat. He completed with 12 factors on 12 pictures in 22 minutes. To his credit score, Trent mentioned postgame that he is aware of his function and on this crew his function is to attain — particularly when he’s coming off the bench.
As all the time with the preseason, it’s simple to get enthusiastic about optimistic outcomes (like Monday!) and it’s tempting to toss out outcomes that don’t go the crew’s approach (like tonight!). In the end these early video games are about conditioning and coaches getting prolonged seems to be at new gamers.
‘Pure power and hustle.’ Scottie Barnes has infused Raptors with a youthful exuberance and his teammates find it irresistible | The Star
If nothing else, in his brief, brief time with the Raptors, the 20-year-old Barnes has infused the crew with a youthful exuberance that’s been absent the previous few seasons.
“I’d say it’s simply me being me, me being me on the court docket,” Barnes mentioned. “I prefer to win. I prefer to make profitable performs. I prefer to convey my power to follow.
“Regardless of the place I’m at, I’m going to be who I’m. That’s what you’re going to see me, being enthusiastic, bringing optimistic power to the crew, choosing everybody up, simply making an attempt to arrange us for no matter we’d like.”
Thus far — and even the pre-season remains to be in its infancy — Barnes’ enthusiasm has been spectacular. He has a approach of energizing gamers on the court docket with him, it helps him have an effect all around the flooring. He’s younger and excitable and if that enables him to have an effect on the sport, it’s nice.
“At this degree, you may’t be shy,” he mentioned. “You’ll be able to’t be making an attempt to look too cool. It’s simply the soiled issues that it’s essential do on the ground, that’s what’s going to have to be occurring.
“It’s probably not that onerous. I’m not a shy man. I’m simply going to be who I’m regardless of the place I’m at.”
The facet of Barnes that enables his older, extra sedate teammates to simply accept his excitable nature with out rolling their eyes is that truth he’s proven he’s acquired some very strong, multi-dimensional abilities which can be going to assist the crew win video games.
Coach Nick Nurse is adamant Barnes will get a heavy load in his rookie season, shifting all around the court docket. In simply two pre-season video games, Nurse has used him as a major ballhandler, an influence ahead and a wing, a form of a jack-of-all-trades piece that matches properly into what the crew was the roster to turn out to be.
It’s what endeared Barnes to the crew’s brass lengthy earlier than Toronto took him with the fourth choose in final summer season’s draft. Crew president Masai Ujiri, common supervisor Bobby Webster and director of scouting Dan Tolzman had been monitoring Barnes for years by appearances with the USA nationwide age-group packages and thru one yr at Florida State earlier than they selected him.
They knew what sort of participant — and particular person — they had been getting and didn’t hesitate to make him Toronto’s highest draft choose since Andrea Bargnani was the No. 1 alternative in 2006.
There are actually components of his sport that want to enhance however that’s not a difficulty for a company that’s proven its participant improvement program is without doubt one of the greatest within the NBA.
Barnes nonetheless isn’t an ideal NBA shooter by any stretch and his free throw capturing is suspect however he can have an effect on sport whereas nonetheless fine-tuning these abilities.
And that’s what’s going to endear him to his teammates, who remained bemused by his character.
DEEP-SIXED: Raptors stumble early, usually in pre-season loss to Philly | Toronto Solar
Clearly, the return of Embiid and Harris had been elements. To not be underestimated was easy satisfaction. The Sixers had been embarrassed in Toronto three nights in the past and head coach Doc Rivers known as out their effort, their physicality and their very want.
None of these had been in query Thursday night time because the Sixers had been the higher crew from the opening tip.
Raptors head coach Nick Nurse gave the impression of he felt his younger crew got here into this one anticipating a repeat of their success from Monday night time.
“There’s numerous classes, I believe that we will take from it,” Nurse mentioned. “I believe that you just perceive from one sport to the following, every sport is a brand new sport. It’s not such as you shoot the ball rather well, you run up and down the ground [it’s going to happen again]. You perceive that, particularly once you’re enjoying the identical crew, they’re going to be extra decided and make you do issues at a sooner pace and you bought to be prepared for that and the physicality.”
And no, the Raptors didn’t appear like they had been prepared for that.
Nurse’s different main takeaway from this one was the necessity to begin spending slightly extra time the crew’s offence.
“We’ve acquired to get occurring our offence slightly bit,” Nurse mentioned. “It was actually, most likely poor offensive execution tonight and shot choice and people form of issues. We acquired to get occurring that and choose up the tempo on that slightly bit.”
The Sixers acquired double-digit scoring efforts from eight totally different gamers, led by the 16 from Georges Niang.
Philadelphia was lethal from behind the arc, going 18-for-36 from distance, once more led by Niang, who was good on 4 of his seven makes an attempt.
The Raptors struggled mightily with the Sixers’ dimension on this one, with Embiid again becoming a member of Andre Drummond, two of the larger bigs within the league, in opposition to a Raptors crew that was enjoying with out three of their very own bigs in Khem Birch, Chris Boucher and Yuta Watanabe.
There have been some brilliant spots for the Raptors.
OG Anunoby continues to indicate a ton of confidence along with his offensive sport, ending with a game-high 22 factors. That form of contribution goes to be wanted even when the likes of Pascal Siakam, Boucher and Birch return.
Gary Trent Jr. struggled along with his long-range pictures, which is to be anticipated given this was his first motion in opposition to anybody he didn’t share a uniform with.
Trent, although, stays an above-average scorer and went 5-for-7 from the non-three-point capturing areas.
The Raptors will stay on the highway for a 3rd pre-season sport Saturday in Boston earlier than returning residence.
The Raptors’ ahead depth is lengthy gone within the pre-season, giving Treasured time to Achiuwa | The Star
“It was a stay scrimmage motion and we had been anxious it was going to be worse however clearly they checked him and scanned him and did all these things they usually suppose it is going to be OK in a fairly brief period of time,” Nurse mentioned.
The Raptors end the pre-season with three video games in 4 nights, beginning Saturday in Boston, and for now that leaves a few gamers preventing to make the roster, Freddie Gillespie and Reggie Perry, with Treasured Achiuwa incomes the No. 1 spot by attrition.
Not an ideal scenario in any respect.
“Normally we get all people that’s wholesome on the market, determine it out after which we give the final couple of video games the place we give the younger guys a crack to see the place they’re going fall so far as the roster, making the crew and 905 and all that form of stuff,” Nurse mentioned. “And you then’re form of saving legs however we’re going to need to most likely do it in reverse this yr.”
If there’s a benefactor to the scenario, it’s Achiuwa, who has began each pre-season video games and is settling in properly as a frontcourt anchor.
He had hassle at instances with the Sixers’ Joel Embiid on Thursday however he used his quickness to pressure a handful of turnovers and strain Embiid away from the ball.
That’s going to need to be a staple of Achiuwa’s defence in opposition to greater centres.
“The very best defence is to not allow them to get it down low or a spot the place they’re comfy scoring the basketball,” Achiuwa mentioned.
One trickle-down situation is that Achiuwa isn’t getting constant opposition in practices with all the opposite huge males on the sidelines. It’s good that he’s getting timing and chemistry with the rotation gamers however the each day challenges aren’t there.
“That’s what coaching camp is all about, coming in, proving your self and preventing for a spot, struggle for a rotation spot, and having the ability to be on the market and earn minutes,” he mentioned. “All of us got here right here to compete, and as a lot as we’re a crew we’re people as properly and all people needs to be on the market, all people is an expert athlete and everybody needs to play. And we convey that aggressive spirit day by day to follow.”
Not surprisingly, the Raptors seemed disjointed at instances Thursday, particularly defensively in opposition to a Sixers crew that had Embiid and veteran ahead Tobias Harris again within the lineup.
OG Anunoby, with 22 factors, and Fred VanVleet, with 17, put in strong nights however there wasn’t an entire lot else to the Raptors on the night.
With Raptors’ pecking order unclear, alternatives are there for the taking – Sportsnet
For exhibit A, contemplate the unsure standing of second-year level guard Malachi Flynn.
With Kyle Lowry’s departure within the low season, it appeared apparent that Flynn – after a promising end to his rookie yr – can be pencilled in for 25-Half-hour in yr two as a part of a three-guard rotation with VanVleet and Dragic.
Not so quick. The twenty ninth choose from 2020 didn’t play till the second half of the Raptors opening exhibition sport in opposition to Philadelphia on Monday night time. Partially it could possibly be attributed to Nurse’s want to see Raptors rookies Dalano Banton and Scottie Barnes get force-fed ball-handling duties with the second unit, but additionally a message to Flynn that his function isn’t assured.
Flynn is anticipated to get an earlier shot of minutes when the Raptors journey to Philadelphia for the second of what’s going to be 5 exhibition video games, however discover has been served. Nurse needs his membership to play quick and doesn’t need to waste time making an attempt to get the outlet go to level guards.
“He’s acquired to get slightly extra aggressive up the ground. He tends to be slightly safer and form of anticipate the creating play. In doing that, the defence can also be going to get set,” mentioned Nurse. “So we’re gonna attempt to get him to go slightly sooner and we’ve acquired to get him to go off the ball. The three level guards — the true, true, level guards; Freddy, Malachi and Goran all are actually good spot-up shooters. So, we’re making an attempt to get them to rise up the ground and get off the ball and get these kick-outs from Scottie and OG and Pascal and Treasured and all that stuff as a result of we predict that places numerous strain (on the defence) and will get them nice face-up, catch-and-shoot threes which they want.
“Malachi hasn’t (performed off the ball) a lot. He’s form of had the ball in his arms, bringing it up the ground, most likely since he’s been in about sixth grade,” added Nurse. “So we’re simply making an attempt to get him to be taught that slightly bit simply because we need to get him on the market. We predict that catch-and-shoot sport that he has is tremendous worthwhile and we’d like him to learn to put that to make use of slightly bit.”
However the risk for rotation disruption runs even deeper. Coming into camp the thought was somebody from the half-dozen non-guaranteed contracts may bounce up and declare some minutes. To an extent that has occurred as returnee Yuta Watanabe has seemed tremendously sharp, earned effusive reward from Nurse and appears a lock to not solely have his contract assured, however push for an opportunity to start out within the absence of Siakam. After that, issues are much less sure amongst Freddie Gillespie, Ishmail Wainright, Sam Dekker, Isaac Bonga and Reggie Perry.
Tip Sam Holako
Morning Espresso – Fri, Oct 8 originated on Raptors Republic.
