Welcome to the Weekly Rap, a resource for getting you caught up on what went down and what’s on the docket in Raptorland.
As you’ve no doubt already heard, Toronto Raptors GM Masai Ujiri opted to stand pat at the trade deadline, sticking with the roster he constructed at the beginning of the season.
Whether you agree with GM’s decision is a moot point: This is the roster going forward.
A more interesting discussion is how the moves made by the Raptors’ Eastern Conference rivals could effect Toronto down the stretch and in the post-season.
Teams like the Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons, though near the bottom of the playoff picture, emerged from the deadline looking like winners. The acquisitions of Goran Dragic and Reggie Jackson could propel either team further up the standings or—particularly in Miami’s case—turn them into a nightmare first-round opponent for a team like the Raptors.
On the flip side, the Milwaukee Bucks—who appeared to get hit hard with their moves—could plummet down the standings and end up as the more attractive first-round matchup for the Raptors (assuming Toronto stays in second place). There’s also the creeping possibility of the Boston Celtics sneaking into the post-season with their acquisition of Isaiah Thomas—a move that made them better, but don’t elevate them to the Raptors’ level just yet.
There are still so many games and post-season possibilities in play that getting wrapped up in the moves the Raptors didn’t make at the deadline is a foolhardy exercise. After all, there hasn’t been much criticism around the Atlanta Hawks’ lack of deadline activity, despite the fact that their roster still leaves things to be desired—chiefly, a little extra rim protection and bench depth.
These are the playoff-bound 2014-15 Raptors. Feel free to hop off the bandwagon if you don’t like what you see.
Record
37-18 (1st in Atlantic Division, 2nd in Eastern Conference)
What happened?
What was learned?
Lowry looking rusty: Maybe he got too much rest; maybe he was run ragged in the world’s greatest pickup game. Either way, Kyle Lowry has looked rusty coming back from the all-star break. In two games back, the Raptors all-star has only scored 21 points on a combined 6-for-23 shooting—including a dreadful 2-for-13 on Saturday. Given Lowry’s overall level of play this season, these past two games are anomalies, but they can be a little worrying when considered alongside his drop in production right before the break.
Bruno is back in the D-League: Raptors rookie Bruno Caboclo was sent back down to the D-League, where he has played a grand total of 13:58 in a pair of games with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, shooting 4-of-7 for 11 points in that span.
It’s been noted before, but it still seems a little pointless for the Raptors to have Caboclo down in the D-League when they share the Mad Ants with 12 other NBA teams. No matter what kind of mandate the Raptors send with him, it seems as if Caboclo’s developmental path will be stunted—he won’t get enough floor time and won’t be learning Toronto-specific concepts.
Until the Raptors get a D-League affiliate of their own, they should keep Caboclo with the big club.
Upcoming slate
- Monday 8:00 p.m., TOR at NOP
- Tuesday 8:30 p.m., TOR at DAL
- Friday 7:30 p.m., TOR vs GS
- Saturday 7:30 p.m., TOR at NY
Storylines to follow
More back-to-backs: The Raptors’ grueling schedule continues with two more back-to-backs this week, starting Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans. This season the Raptors are 6-4 on the second night of a back-to-back—a very good record.
Still, just because they’ve found success doesn’t mean it’s always going to be that easy. Particularly this week as Toronto heads to Dallas to take on the Mavericks on Tuesday, and then squares off against the New York Knicks on Saturday—a contest that has “trap game” written all over it—after hosting the league-leading Golden State Warriors the night before.
Lou Williams’ ankle: Lou Williams missed Saturday’s tilt with an ankle injury and is listed as probable for Monday. Williams has been a godsend for a Raptors’ second unit that often struggles to score. Hopefully the injury isn’t anything serious, because without him the team has a massive hole that it likely won’t be able to fill until he returns.