OG Anunoby Would possibly Be The Subsequent Star Wing … However He’s Discovering His Personal Manner There | FiveThirtyEight
That Anunoby has not developed his pick-and-roll sport has not proved debilitating to his offensive affect. Regardless that improved effectivity dealing with within the decide and roll so typically constitutes the automobile by way of which NBA gamers ascend to stardom, Anunoby is selecting his personal experience. Nevertheless it’s arduous to pinpoint one space by which his enhancements have come. Anunoby is taking pictures worse from the sector and from deep than he did final 12 months. He’s making an attempt fewer free throws per sport this 12 months than final. If these declines imply something past the small pattern sizes of an early season, they level in the direction of him adjusting to his new position. Anunoby is averaging simply over eight additional touches per 100 possessions, and he’s distributed these touches in quite a lot of methods.
Anunoby has posted up 31 instances already — a top-15 mark on the season, per Second Spectrum. (He ranked 68th in whole post-ups final season.) Anunoby appears affected person within the publish, ready to see how the protection reacts. If the paint is clogged, he’s nonetheless exact to find inside passes. If he stays defended in single protection, Anunoby can typically overpower defenders and attain the rim.
Regardless that he hasn’t improved his effectivity as a handler within the decide and roll, Anunoby has expanded his sport as a curler. Per Second Spectrum, he leads the Raptors in picks set by non-centers, and the workforce is scoring greater than some extent per probability on pictures instantly involving an Anunoby display screen. His frequency of screen-setting is much greater than final season. Moreover, he was fourth in isolations amongst Raptors final 12 months, and he leads the workforce in 2021-22 by a large margin. He’s by far probably the most environment friendly transition scorer within the league amongst gamers with 15 such pictures or extra. Anunoby stays a generalist on the offensive finish.
However due to Anunoby’s wide-ranging talent set — and regardless of his struggles within the conventional hang-out of wing stars — the Raptors are much better on the offensive finish with him on the ground. Per Cleansing the Glass, his on/off offensive factors per 100 possessions is +7.7, second-highest amongst rotation Raptors and by far the best of his profession.4 Regardless that the means by way of which he’s scoring isn’t growing in the identical method as his archetypal predecessors, he nonetheless gives monumental offensive affect — with a bigger on/off offensive factors per 100 possessions than any of George, Brown, Leonard, or Antetokounmpo of their fifth seasons.
One other commonality between Antetokounmpo and George, if not Brown and Leonard, is that they each received Most Improved Participant awards, by the way the 12 months they attended their first All-Star Video games. May Anunoby be on monitor for a similar recognition? No matter what does or doesn’t fill his trophy cupboard on the finish of the 12 months, Anunoby is already following within the footsteps of giants. He’s simply strolling the trail in a method that’s fully his personal.
Raptors report: Good stats, unhealthy stats, impartial stats and Treasured Achiuwa’s position – The Athletic
Hey, sufficient with the statistics that also have a probability to be construed negatively. Let’s maintain it unambiguously constructive. In spite of everything, the Raptors are 6-5, typically exceeding expectations given the absence of Siakam and enjoying an attractive model of basketball. The Raptors are enjoyable!
A part of what makes them enjoyable is their penchant to hit the offensive glass — arduous. They’re grabbing 33.7 % of their misses, first within the league. (Khem Birch, the simplest participant in that space, will miss each divisional video games due to a sore knee.) Offensive rebounds went out of fashion for some time, as a number of coaches felt transition defence suffered due to any makes an attempt to get second possibilities.
Nicely, the Raptors are solely permitting 1.038 factors per transition alternative to their opponents, ninth-best within the league. As well as, just one workforce, Chicago, permits its opponents to shoot much less often in transition than the Raptors do. Solely 13.4 % of the Raptors’ opponents’ possessions have been on the run. (This contributes to the general tempo as a lot because the Raptors’ personal laborious half-court offence.)
In different phrases, the Raptors are carrying out the uncommon feat of feasting on the offensive glass with out having to pay for it on the opposite finish fairly often.
“It’s effort. They play actually arduous, man,” Nurse stated. “It takes a number of effort to get on the glass, after which when you’re getting on the glass to nonetheless get again — it’s effort. … A few of the stats are exhibiting you the hassle: the turnovers, the offensive rebounding, the defensive transition. They’re exhibiting a number of effort, and that’s so simple as that.”
If you need an evidence for why the Raptors have been so enjoyable to observe, regardless of the comparatively gradual tempo, there it’s.
Raptors pocket book: Effort and connection are difference-makers in stable begin
“A few of the stats are exhibiting you the hassle: The turnovers, the offensive rebounding, the defensive transition, they’re exhibiting a number of effort and that’s so simple as that. So we have to play arduous, we have to play more durable, extra persistently. We’ll be in fine condition.”
And Raptors centre Treasured Achiuwa echoed Nurse’s feedback.
“It’s effort. That’s one which now we have and that’s why I feel we’re a very good workforce. We play arduous and we cowl for one another. We play collectively, not simply on offence however on defence as nicely,” Achiuwa stated. “We’re in a position to cowl for whoever goes for the offensive rebound till they get again on defence. It’s all effort. In the event you go for the offensive rebound you’ve received to scramble again on defence, whether or not you get your matchup or not, and play from there.”
Hustling and enjoying arduous does seem to be a logical clarification for why the Raptors have been in a position to be each an important offensive rebounding and transition defence membership. However it’s a must to assume that if the requisite to being good at each of this stuff concurrently was merely effort, as each Nurse and Achiuwa stated, then each workforce within the NBA would at the least be midway respectable at this stuff as a result of principally each participant within the league, in a technique or one other, performs arduous and with nice effort. In the event that they didn’t, then they probably wouldn’t be within the NBA.
No, for the Raptors, there seems to be one thing particular about this specific group to need to go that additional mile for one another.
“I feel simply because guys on the workforce are naturally good guys,” stated Achiuwa, when requested what makes the hassle this Raptors workforce particular from effort different groups put in. “We take pleasure in one another’s firm off the court docket, on the court docket, and it’s loads simpler when you have a relationship with someone and may look out for the particular person and play arduous for the particular person subsequent to you.”
Most notably, the belief Achiuwa was alluding to is finest seen on the defensive finish of the ground, the place the Raptors have performed a high-risk, high-reward fashion of defence, predicated on forcing turnovers by both getting steals or deflections.
Such a defensive scheme isn’t attainable with out guys trusting one another.
“Having nice defenders in your workforce and guys that may assist you on the defensive finish, you’ll be able to miss sure gambles and nonetheless get better, nonetheless get a cease, or don’t get the ball in any respect so it’s an excellent factor to have teammates like that,” stated Gary Trent Jr.
Trent leads the league in each steals and deflections, and owes fairly a little bit of his success there to the actual fact he trusts his teammates to cowl for him when he decides to take a threat enjoying a passing lane or blitzing an offensive participant.
So, whereas the Raptors clearly do play arduous, it’s the hassle they put in, mixed with what appears to be like like a particular connectivity the gamers on the roster share with one another that’s been the foremost distinction in what has been a stable begin for the workforce.
Toronto Raptor Gary Trent Jr.’s fast palms, Raptors’ defensive edge – Raptors HQ
Throughout the offseason, he signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the Raptors, securing his spot on the roster for the near-future. Once more, as this season began, he was anticipated to be a key bench participant and supply an offensive enhance, one thing that was wanted because the workforce waited for Pascal Siakam to get better from shoulder surgical procedure. As a consequence of Siakam’s absence on the beginning lineup, Gary was given the possibility to start out — which appeared to make ALL the distinction because the Raptors tried to outlive earlier than their star participant returned to the lineup.
Certain, he offers a lot wanted factors on the offensive finish, however what has actually made the distinction to this point has been Trent’s defence. He presently leads the league in steals, averaging 2.8 per sport, in addition to deflections, averaging 4.5 per sport. His fast palms have helped the Toronto Raptors lead the league in deflections and free balls recovered per sport, at 21.2 and eight.4 respectively.
Trent’s explosive defence has additionally result in a gentle offensive efficiency — he presently averages 15.2 factors per sport, which is considerably greater than his profession common of 11.3 PPG. Although these numbers aren’t an excessive amount of of a leap from final season each with Portland and Toronto, his defensive skills will solely result in him getting extra minutes (and hopefully extra factors) because the season continues — particularly below the defense-first mindset of Coach Nick Nurse. His present season common of two.8 steals per sport is a large improve from his numbers of 0.9 with Portland and 1.1 with Toronto final season.
Gary Trent Jr. appears to be an important addition to the tradition of the Toronto Raptors, which prioritizes protection so extremely. There was hypothesis as to what the beginning lineup would appear like as Siakam returns — would Nurse elect to maintain a true-center on the 5 spot, or give the nod to Trent and play small? If Sunday’s lineup in opposition to the Brooklyn Nets was any indication of the place Nurse’s thoughts is at, it looks like Gary Trent Jr. has earned his spot within the beginning lineup. This appears to make sense, with all three of Siakam, Scottie Barnes, and OG Anunoby bringing peak, and the Raptors’ current historical past of enjoying position-less basketball.
One factor is for positive — Gary Trent Jr. has introduced a spark to the Raptors’ backcourt, and appears to be becoming in nicely. We’re excited to see the way it all blends collectively as soon as Siakam will get acclimated and the remainder of the workforce will get wholesome. At 6-5 to start out the season, this workforce has promise, and Gary Trent Jr. has been a key issue to this point. Whereas we beloved seeing all his unimaginable Bench Matches final season, we hope Trent Jr. is a powerful presence on the court docket for the remainder of the season.
Raptors’ Trent Jr. has discovered his defensive chops | Toronto Solar
Every week in the past teammate Khem Birch paid Trent Jr. the final word backhanded praise when he described him as a man who “Not performed defence (earlier than) after which out of the blue grew to become an excellent defender.”
If Trent Jr. heard about it, he didn’t let on yesterday when he was requested.
“I’m not too positive about that, it’s no matter,” Trent Jr stated. “It’s only a credit score to the arduous work I’ve put in, him seeing it.”
Trent Jr. although did drop just a few hints as to how this transformation took place, in addition to the apparent arduous work.
“Years of labor, years of being within the league, studying guys’ tendencies, realizing what sure guys can do, realizing what sure offences do, and the place I can put myself in place to achieve success on the defensive finish, simply reps and enjoying,” he stated.
However there’s one other factor to this and that’s the system he now performs. Principally on a Nick Nurse workforce, when you don’t play defence, you don’t play a lot in any respect. And this 12 months with a bunch of like-bodied 6-9 sorts, all of them athletic and all of them with a defensive bent, there’s the apparent have to sustain with the remainder of your teammates or get left behind.
“It’s the whole lot we do, it’s our DNA, it’s our core,” Trent Jr. stated. “Enjoying arduous, enjoying collectively, I really feel like that’s what all nice groups do.”
And for a man who beforehand solely acquired reward and accolades for his scoring, the defensive props are literally fairly cool.
“The extra recognition you get on defence and the extra you see on defence: you’re stealing the ball from guys, knock it free, you get a sure confidence, you get a sure really feel about your self on the defensive finish,” Trent Jr. stated.
“Additionally, enjoying on this workforce, nice defenders on this workforce so it offers me a chance to play arduous, I do know each one among my teammates received my again and so they’re going to assist me.”
Trent Jr. has managed his fantastic defensive begin to the 12 months with out sacrificing any of his offence too.
Raptors establishing an identification as one of many NBA’s hardest groups to play in opposition to – Video – TSN
Regardless of two straight losses, the Raptors really feel like they’re trending in the best course and establishing an identification as one of many hardest enjoying groups within the NBA. Josh Lewenberg has extra on Toronto’s powerful to play in opposition to angle forward of a tricky stretch of schedule.
The Raptors aren’t massive on following NBA tendencies. They’re playing on the offensive glass and making it repay | The Star
If the Raptors, below head coach Nick Nurse, have by no means been a lot for following the standard knowledge, right here’s a stat to underline their contrarian streak: Three weeks into the season, the Raptors aren’t simply main the NBA in offensive rebounds per sport. They rank second in stopping opponents from scoring fast-break factors (all numbers heading into Tuesday night time’s slate of video games).
In different phrases, opposite to the fears of the NBA orthodoxy, they’re successfully manufacturing second-chance factors — the fourth-most per sport — whereas limiting the harm on the opposite finish. It’s attainable they’re additionally profiting from the truth that opponents, realizing the Raptors wish to crash the glass, are spending an excessive amount of effort making an attempt to field them out to successfully run the break.
No matter is the case, Toronto’s relative effectiveness comes down to 1 factor, in accordance with Nurse: “It’s effort.”
“It takes a number of effort to get on the glass, after which, when you’re getting on the glass, to nonetheless get again,” Nurse stated. “These guys play actually arduous.”
None of that is to say the Raptors, with their 6-5 document, are setting any tendencies. And definitely Nurse isn’t precisely reinventing the game. Emphasizing offensive rebounding isn’t an announcement of ideology as a lot because it’s an admission of necessity. With the Raptors bereft of a bankable, shot-creating star, they’ve primarily turned their consideration to the deserves of on-court playing in an effort to fabricate straightforward offence.
They’re not solely all-in on chasing tap-ins and kick-outs on the offensive glass. They’re main the league in steals and free balls recovered. Whereas Nurse acknowledged that there’ve been video games when their defensive aggressiveness has backfired — significantly in Friday’s loss to the Cavaliers — the Raptors rank third within the East in creating factors off turnovers. Which is an efficient factor contemplating Toronto’s offence typically appears to be like hard-pressed to create factors off its personal schemes.
It helps that they’ve received three gamers ranked among the many league leaders in whole steals: Gary Trent Jr. (first), OG Anunoby (tied for twelfth) and Fred VanVleet (tied for 18th).
“Having nice defenders in your workforce and guys that may assist you on the defensive finish, you’ll be able to miss sure gambles and nonetheless get better, nonetheless get a cease,” stated Trent. “So it’s an excellent factor to have teammates like that.”
Raptors Credit score Hustle for Early Season Success – Sports activities Illustrated
The largest factor that’s jumped out in regards to the Raptors this season is their hustle, particularly on the offensive glass and on protection. They rank because the NBA’s finest offensive rebounding workforce, grabbing rebounds on almost a 3rd of their live-ball misses, per Cleansing the Glass. Their 32.2% offensive rebound fee is 6.6% higher than league common and eight.2% higher than final season.
Historically, crashing the glass has meant giving up transition buckets on the different finish. However Toronto has spurned that basketball equation. Regardless of their offensive rebounding prowess, the Raptors additionally snuff out transition possibilities higher than anybody within the league. They’re letting opposing groups run in transition on simply 12% of their possessions, the bottom within the NBA.
“It’s effort. They play actually arduous, man. It takes a number of effort to get on the glass after which when you’re getting on the glass to nonetheless get again,” Nurse stated. “A few of the stats are exhibiting you the hassle: the turnovers, the offensive rebounding, the defensive transition, they’re exhibiting a number of effort and that’s so simple as that.”
That effort is within the workforce’s DNA, Gary Trent Jr. stated Tuesday. It’s what makes the Raptors who they’re. It’s why on any given night time they
“That’s why I feel we’re a very good workforce,” Treasured Achiuwa stated. “We play arduous, and we cowl for one another. We play collectively, not simply on offense however on protection as nicely. We’re in a position to cowl for whoever goes for the offensive rebound till they get again on protection.”
That’s the advantage of having such a flexible roster. The Raptors can let two or three gamers crash the glass with out having to fret about who’s operating again in transition to defend. They’ll defend throughout positions, so whoever is again defending is simply completely outfitted to deal with an opposing massive or gradual a speedy guard operating downhill.
Raptors 905 raring to go this week after nearly two years away from Mississauga | The Star
The final time the Raptors 905 performed within the Paramount Nice Meals Centre? March 11, 2020. They had been on a four-game win streak, had received seven of eight and had been the most well liked workforce within the G League, seemingly destined to make a championship run. Then their title hopes had been ripped away.
Similar to the Raptors, the 905 spent final season in Florida. They completed with the very best document within the common season, however fell brief within the second spherical of the playoffs within the G League bubble.
Sanders says the bubble was an important expertise total, with extra downtime and alternatives to get to know gamers. The tough half, he provides, was restricted reps for gamers with the guardian Raptors. When in Mississauga, the group typically treats the 905 as a revolving door for younger guys who weren’t getting minutes within the NBA.
Regardless that the G League was comparatively near the place the Raptors performed in Tampa, it was arduous to shuttle gamers due to protocols that required a four-day quarantine after leaving the bubble.
“That was the tough a part of it, not having the ability to function how we usually would and perhaps get guys like Malachi (Flynn) just a few extra reps,” says Sanders, the 2020-21 G League govt of the 12 months. “As soon as we pulled him out of the bubble — when some guys had been down with accidents (with the Raptors) — it was arduous to get him again with out lacking an excessive amount of.”
There are solely two returnees from final season’s 905 roster, and so they misplaced all three of their core gamers: Henry Ellenson, Alize Johnson and Gary Payton II. However nearly 600 days after their final house sport in Mississauga, issues really feel regular once more.
“We’re again to the place we had been two years in the past,” Sanders says. “There’s fixed communication backwards and forwards between each organizations, and the entrance workplace and training workers on looking for the very best time to get these guys reps, each in practices and in video games.”
Smith, a Scarborough native, says he’s excited to hitch the workers of the workforce that first received him interested by teaching.
“I wasn’t enjoying that a lot, however I used to be at all times with the coaches, watching movie with them,” Smith says. “On the street, I’d be with Nate watching what he was doing.”
Congrats to Manny Rao for profitable our second Trivia Tuesday on Discord.
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Morning Espresso – Wed, Nov 10 originated on Raptors Republic.
