It’s been about two weeks since Raptors 905 took their first steps, and after seven games played the team finds itself sitting fourth-place standing in the Atlantic Division with a 2-5 record.
The 905 have been playing excellent defence, boasting the fourth-best defensive rating in the D-League (95.1 points allowed per 100 possessions), but the team’s offence has laboured.
Despite playing at the fourth-fastest pace in the league (103.7 possessions per game) the 905 are only scoring 90 points per 100 possessions, the second-worst mark in the league, fuelled by the club’s awful 21.3 turnovers per game.
So, obviously, from a team perspective, there’s a lot for coach Jesse Mermuys and his staff to clean up.
But then again the actual team results ultimately don’t matter for the 905, and every other D-League team with an NBA affiliate for that matter. True progress can only be measured by how the team’s prospects are doing and whether tangible improvement is being made.
Two weeks and seven games isn’t nearly a large enough sample size to make a full assessment, but here’s what stood out with the Toronto Raptors’ prospects in November.
Bruno Caboclo
Stats: 30.7 MPG | 14.3 PPG | 7.1 RPG | 1.4 APG | 37.3 FG% | 25.5 3P%
Needs to improve shot selection
Caboclo has played in all seven 905 games and the first thing that stands out is his shot selection, or lack thereof. On the season, he’s averaging almost as many field goal attempts as he does points and half of the shots he’s taking are from three.
Looking at his mechanics, him taking lots of outside shots shouldn’t really be a problem. His form looks fluid, the ball has nice rotation on it and he’s so long that virtually no one can actually bother his shot. Unfortunately, he’s shown a tendency to shoot too often off the dribble (step-back triples, in particular), and, probably because no one can bother his shot, with a hand right in his face.
The solution to this problem is pretty simple: Take smarter shots. However, as he’s still learning, this is a growing pain that will likely persist.
“I think for somebody who hasn’t played a lot, when you’re coming down from the NBA team to here, there’s a mindset sometimes that he’s got to take more shots and, in the bigger picture, he has to have a better understanding of good shots and bad shots,” 905 assistant Tim Lewis said. “That’s his growth: The rhythm of the game, the tempo of the game, the time and score.”
Groomed to play both forward spots
The modern NBA doesn’t necessarily need fours to be the big bruisers anymore, as having more perimeter shooting from that position is more favourable.
Standing at six-foot-nine and blessed with the kind of length and athleticism that he has it makes sense to see 905 play Caboclo at both the small and power forward positions.
“I think with Bruno playing some four, it’s a good experience for him and it’s something that we kind of wanted to mix in before the season started, anyway,” Mermuys said. “You see Kevin Durant, [Carmelo Anthony], LeBron [James], Paul Pierce, all these guys with his size and length. It’s a valuable weapon for a coach to be able to utilize that guy as a four-three and be able to go back and forth. It’s hard for teams to guard.”
At the moment it’s a bit of a stretch to compare the 20-year-old to established NBA stars, but the point is well taken. Right now, he seems more comfortable as a swingman, but having him learn both skill sets appears to be part of the Raptors’ future plans for him.
“Part of his development is him being able to know the schemes defensively and the plays offensively at two positions, that’s hard to do,” Mermuys said. “I think we’re kind of throwing him in the fire a little bit on that and I think it’ll be good in the long term of his development.”
Foul trouble
Caboclo’s greatest asset is his length, and that’s especially the case on the defensive end where he can just stick his arms out to disrupt his man.
That length can be a double-edge sword, however, as it also can be relied upon too much on the defensive end, leading to both right and wrong whistles as the Brazilian has been finding out quite a bit.
“That’s something that’s part of his development,” Mermuys said. “He’s got to be able to learn how to play defence without fouling, and that’s a challenge. We want him to use his length, we want him to be active, and sometimes that causes some fouling and some foul trouble.”
Learning how to play defence properly is one of the toughest things a young player can go through, so this is another problem that will likely continue.
Lucas Nogueira
Stats: 22.1 MPG | 9.0 PPG | 7.7 RPG | 3.7 APG | 2.7 BPG | 45.2 FG%
Versatility
Nogueira has played in four 905 games this season and as his stat line shows, he’s a whole lot more than just the shot-blocking prospect he was pegged to be.
Highlighted by a 13-point, nine-rebound, nine-assist, four-block game in the 905’s home opener, Nogueira has really opened eyes with how varied his skill set actually is.
“Lucas has a pretty high basketball IQ,” Lewis said. “He understands the game, he’s a pretty good passer of the ball, his level of understanding, his knowledge is higher than Bruno’s — he’s a little bit older and played in Spain, so he’s been through an environment where he’s learned.”
Nogueira’s up with Raptors right now, so he likely isn’t going to be showing off all he can do with the big club, but the unconventional skills he’s developed are bound to make an appearance sooner than later.
He just needs to play
It’s possible with the Raptors thin at centre, Nogueira will remain in Toronto even when Jonas Valanciunas returns. However, that wouldn’t do him much favour as similar to Caboclo, Nogueira needs to be on the court playing consistent minutes.
“These guys just haven’t had the opportunity to play,” Lewis said. “They’ve developed numerous skills, but they’ve never been able to implement them in game situations. So the biggest growth for him is getting into games and being able to do everything that he’s been working on.”
It’s a tricky dilemma for the Raptors. Nogueira is a spry, athletic big man that could help bolster Toronto’s bench, but he’d be chained to it for the most part, unlike the freedom he’s afforded with the 905.
Delon Wright
Stats: 37.2 MPG | 22.0 PPG | 5.0 RPG | 5.5 APG | 73.9 FG% | 75.0 3P%
Big for his position
Joining the 905 a little later, Wright’s played two games and what’s most apparent is how big he is for a point guard.
Standing six-foot-five, Wright is oftentimes dwarfing his defender and is capable of surveying the floor by just looking over top.
He’s also demonstrated an understanding of how he can use his taller frame to more easily get to the basket, get his jump shot off and body up his man and get deflections while playing defence.
“He’s long, he’s pretty athletic, he’s got pace,” Lewis said. “So he’s capable of deflections and pressuring people. He uses his height and length and size to get an advantage.”
More advanced offensively than advertised
Wright was touted as defensive stopper when the Raptors drafted him 20th overall in June and so far his defensive instincts and positioning have been impressive, but even more noteworthy is what he’s shown on offence.
First of all, Wright made his 905 debut by shooting a perfect 9-for-9 from the field for 24 points and then followed that up with a 20-point, eight-assist outing.
The 23-year-old was brought up to learn how to play the point guard position, but it already looks like he knows how to do it. He’s shown a tight handle, is deceptively quick and looks very comfortable in the pick-and-roll.
Just a defensive specialist, he certainly is not.
Sim Bhullar
Stats: 13.2 MPG | 6.0 PPG | 3.7 RPG | 0.7 APG | 1.0 BPG | 66.7 FG%
Conditioning
The seven-foot-five Bhullar has technically been with the team from the start, but has only gotten into three games.
This is because he’s under a strict conditioning program that won’t allow him to go on the road and travel with the team.
“Canada Basketball and the Raptors made a decision that he’s got a lot to drop,” Lewis said. “That would definitely help him because it would help him become a little bit more mobile.”
It’ll also help him remain in games for longer periods of time. Basketball is a very cardio-heavy sport, now more so than ever with the NBA’s shift to smaller more skill-based lineups, so getting up and down the floor will always prove difficult for a man of Bhullar’s size.
