Nurse, requested why Flynn isn't enjoying: "There's a Fred and there's a Goran and we've given Dalano a run. And Dalano's the one it is best to in all probability be asking me about. He's performed excellent each minute he's been on the market.. You guys ought to be throughout me for not enjoying him extra"
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) October 26, 2021
Pascal Siakam and Yuta Watanabe each practiced in full at present, per Nick Nurse, which might point out that Siakam has been cleared for full contact. Plan is for each of them to make the journey to Mississauga tomorrow and apply with the 905, who’re holding camp this week.
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) October 26, 2021
Scottie Barnes with 17 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast on Sat. His courtroom consciousness on each ends is simply particular.
Barnes and Evan Mobley’s ceilings are eventual “High 10 participant within the NBA” excessive https://t.co/zo9hGgMfVZ
— Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider) October 24, 2021
Raptors doing ‘an fascinating dance’ at level guard early in season – Sportsnet
Dalano Banton has gotten Nurse’s consideration as effectively. The second-round decide from Rexdale has seen motion in all 4 video games. He was a part of the Raptors’ second-half surge of their opener, the place he received almost 13 minutes of motion. It’s been spotty since however Nurse did discover 5 minutes for him with Toronto down by 15 late within the third quarter and was rewarded with a fast burst that helped the Raptors minimize the Bulls’ result in 10.
Which brings up the subject of Flynn, the second-year guard taken twenty ninth total within the 2020 draft. He struggled for taking part in time final season however because the Raptors started positioning for the draft and prioritizing improvement, he had some good outings, averaging 14.9 factors and 5.5 assists on 37.4 three-point taking pictures in 14 late-season begins.
With Lowry having moved on, the expectation was Flynn would discover his approach right into a three-guard rotation with VanVleet and Dragic. As an alternative, he has averaged simply three minutes in 4 video games. He was final seen placing up jumpers on the courtroom at Scotiabank Enviornment in a late-night exercise effectively after the ultimate horn had sounded.
Why has he been the odd man out?
“Properly, there’s a Fred VanVleet and there’s a Goran and we’ve given Dalano a run,” Nurse stated. “And Dalano – he’s the one it is best to in all probability be asking me about. He’s come out and performed excellent each minute he’s been on the market and the offence will get very easy when he’s on the market and he’s performed like eight minutes an evening. You ought to be throughout me for not enjoying him extra. In order that’s a part of the problem.
“And once more, I believe Malachi is an efficient participant, proper? It’s only a matter of timing and numbers and all that form of stuff proper now however he’s not, like, out of the dialogue. He virtually went within the recreation final evening, he virtually went (in) the sport (in opposition to) Dallas, like, it’ll occur one among today after which it’s gonna be as much as see what he seems to be like on the market.”
Fred VanVleet is now nothing lower than crucial participant on the Raptors | The Star
VanVleet performed a whopping 43 minutes in Monday evening’s 111-108 loss to the Chicago Bulls, which head coach Nick Nurse described as “in all probability slightly excessive.” However the enjoying time doesn’t start to explain the workload. 4 video games into the marketing campaign he’s overlaying a median of three.0 miles a recreation — up from the two.76 miles a recreation that led the league final season.
That VanVleet managed to rack up a career-high 17 assists on Monday evening, this whereas he additionally coughed up a career-high eight turnovers, tells you the way typically the ball has been in his palms — all evening, kind of, together with Monday’s ultimate possession. It says one thing about Toronto’s restricted late-clock choices that, with the Raptors down three within the dying seconds, it appeared like the perfect obtainable choice, each to VanVleet and anyone watching, for VanVleet to dribble right into a step-back three-ball on the buzzer, a shot that missed lengthy.
Fred VanVleet stated he got here into the season trying ahead to the problem of being the Raptors’ major choice. 4 video games into the season, he’s already logged huge minutes and brought a ball-dominant function on a younger crew missing a prototypical NBA scorer.
It’s a form of mandatory ball dominance that’s comparatively new to him. Earlier than Monday, VanVleet had by no means had greater than 14 assists in a recreation. He’d by no means dedicated greater than 5 turnovers in a single contest.
“I don’t care about (the 17 assists) … I couldn’t consider I had eight turnovers. I nonetheless can’t consider that. (Faculty coach) Gregg Marshall might be someplace throwing a match,” VanVleet stated.
Such are the occupational hazards of operating an offence that’s being described by Nurse as very a lot a piece in progress. Whereas the purpose guard spoke of learning movie in order to not repeat Monday’s errors, he wasn’t precisely dwelling on the adverse.
“It’s nonetheless two-to-one — two-to-one assist-turnover ratio. I’ll take it,” he stated.
As a lot as VanVleet stated he got here into this season trying ahead to the problem of being a major choice — “a kind of guys” is how he described the function — there’s little question he’d be pleased to delegate a few of his on-ball duties to teammates within the weeks forward. No less than, that’s the plan. It’s promising that Siakam’s return date, although it’s not but clear, seems to be approaching; Nurse stated Siakam participated in a full-speed apply on Tuesday and seemed “good.”
And it speaks to the veteran buy-in across the crew’s developmental focus that VanVleet sounds greater than prepared to patiently play by way of the inevitable rising pains of gamers like 22-year-old Valuable Achiuwa and 20-year-old rookie Scottie Barnes.
“We’re studying one another,” VanVleet stated. “Scottie’s had the ball rather a lot — for higher or for worse at occasions. However he’s proven some unimaginable expertise and decision-making at occasions. And he’ll proceed to develop and get higher. So I’ve been making an attempt to not give attention to simply dribbling the ball for 23 seconds. I’ve been making an attempt to let the offence work, and it doesn’t all the time work. However I believe we’ll be higher for it in the long term.”
Raptors notes: The sport has modified VanVleet says …. Gimme’s aren’t so automated … What about Malachi? | Toronto Solar
Fred VanVleet is satisfied there’s a whole different change to the way in which the sport is being referred to as in 2021 that didn’t include the identical warnings.
“They forgot to inform us (another) issues have been altering,” VanVleet stated Tuesday in response to a query about why the Raptors have been turning the ball over at such an alarming price. VanVleet himself had a profession excessive eight in Monday’s loss to Chicago and was nonetheless blushing on the considered it greater than 12 hours later.
“I do know we heard the purpose of emphasis concerning the pump fakes and leaping into guys, nevertheless it’s a totally completely different recreation on the market,” VanVleet stated. “I’ve observed it. I can’t communicate for anyone else, however I’ve definitely observed it. I’m watching a ton of video games each day. The league seems to be rather a lot completely different from an officiating standpoint.”
This commentary took place the identical 11 or 12 hours after Raptors head coach Nick Nurse marvelled on the quantity of physicality being allowed today.
“I’m not complaining about that, you guys have observed, you’ve watched all of the video games this yr, it’s very, very bodily on the market,” he stated.
And to be clear VanVleet shouldn’t be saying the Raptors are getting singled out for this sort of therapy both. It’s league-wide.
“It’s throughout the board and it’s each methods,” VanVleet stated. “I believe each groups are equally sad in all of the video games I’ve performed in. I’m watching video games and, like I stated, I’m seeing the identical issues (in these video games).”
This isn’t a criticism, extra an commentary and half clarification for some very uncharacteristic giveaways dedicated by himself and his teammates.
“You simply received to regulate,” VanVleet stated …. “Early on within the season you may inform the distinction and it’s very bodily. Sure issues are being referred to as that weren’t earlier than and sure issues aren’t being referred to as that have been referred to as earlier than. You simply received to discover a approach to really feel it out and that can in all probability take a while, however our guys have been staying collectively, speaking. We are going to proceed to construct belief. It’s onerous to develop with out failing someday. However I want to be taught by profitable as effectively.”
Tip Sam Holako
Morning Espresso – Wed, Oct 27 originated on Raptors Republic.
