Who would win a Raptors-only track-and-field day? How good is Amir Johnson’s Celine Dion impression? When was the last time Dwane Casey cried at the movies? Every day until the season starts, we throw a Raptor in front of a green screen and ask him the tough questions. Today, Lucas “Bebe” Nogueira sounds off on his love of Brazilian hip hop.
Know Your Raptors: Lou Williams | Kyle Lowry | Bruno Caboclo | Chuck Hayes | Jonas Valanciunas | Amir Johnson | Tyler Hansbrough | Landry Fields | Terrence Ross | James Johnson | Patrick Patterson | Lucas Nogueira | DeMar DeRozan | Greivis Vasquez | Dwane Casey
He may not leave the bench much this season, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a whole lot to like about Lucas Nogueira.
The Brazilian giant known as “Bebe” came to Toronto as part of the trade that brought in Lou Williams and sent John Salmons to the Atlanta Hawks. Far from a throw-in, Nogueira, the 16th pick of the 2013 draft who spent last season stashed away in Europe, is a promising young centre with a coveted skill-set. The only question is: Will he have a chance to prove it?
At just 22, Bebe stands at a legitimate seven feet tall, and is a natural shot blocker and rim protector—skills that were on display during the last two summer leagues, where Nogueira looked more than comfortable against the competition. Problem is, the Raptors will need him to bring that level of play to the big leagues if he’s going to make any impact on the club. Fortunately for Nogueira, he already has experience in arguably the best league outside the NBA, Spain’s Liga ACB.
So what does this all mean for the Raptors?
Not a whole lot—yet. Nogueira is a long shot to see the court this season due to his lack of experience and still-slight frame, unless that court happens to be located in one of the wonderful cities that house a D-League franchise. For the time being he’s a good teammate and a genuinely fun kid to have around (not to mention a natural compadre for fellow young Brazilian Bruno Caboclo), but you can bet the Raptors will be asking for a whole lot more out of Nogueira in short order.
2013–14 Stats (in 18 games with CB Estudiantes in Liga ACB): 6.3 Pts/G, 4.1 Reb/G, 0.5 Ast/G, 1.6 Blk/G, 70.8 FG%, 16.0 Min/G