Francis Chow - Raptors905.com
Hot starts followed by a poor second half have been the story this week. Raptors 905 were blazing hot from downtown, knocking down nine three pointers in just the first half in both the games against Westchester, shooting 50% and 45% from the land beyond in each. The club was finally able to turn it around in Grand Rapids, making 15 first-half threes and only slightly edged by one point in the third before closing out the game with a franchise-best 20 three pointers in a 31-point win.
Player Watch
Shannon Scott has been much more aggressive of late, looking more for his own shot. Scott was one of the main contributors in the three-point barrages against the Knicks, knocking down eight of his 17 attempts in two games. Scott has also taken advantage of having more shooters around him, efficiently swinging the ball around and racking up his assist numbers. The guard recorded the first triple-double in franchise history in the first game in Westchester this week, tallying 24 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists.
Standing at just 6’1, the former Ohio State Buckeye has shown an uncanny ability to rebound the ball, even effectively boxing out 7’2 Jordan Bachynski in one game. Scott rounded out the week with another all-around performance with 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in the blowout victory against Grand Rapids.
Davion Berry continues to impress. Just one game after a career-high 28 points in Maine, Berry knocked down 10 of his 15 shot attempts to set another career high of 31 points in Westchester. The newly-acquired guard from Maine has been an offensive juggernaut, converting on drives and three pointers alike. For the week, Berry has shot a ridiculous 10-for-12 from three-point range and averaged 21.3 points and 4.6 assists per game.
E.J. Singler has put together a string of solid performances. Singler brings a deadly three-point touch but also contributes in multiple other areas, impacting the game on both ends of the floor. At 6’6, he isn’t the tallest player on the floor but he has shown a knack for rebounding. Singler has averaged 20.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game, great numbers for a player still getting accustomed to the Raptors 905 system. Singler has been putting up three pointers at a staggering rate, shooting 21-for-40 in just three games. He capped off his week by scorching Grand Rapids with a ridiculous seven three pointers in a single quarter.
The Assignees
Bruno Caboclo was assigned to play in one game in Grand Rapids this week and did he make the most of it. The Raptors rookie scored a season-high 31 points on 12-for-20 shooting and added seven rebounds and five steals. Caboclo opted to drive in and crash the glass as opposed to settling for jump shots and used his length to finish tough lay-ups and dunks all night long. Caboclo also kept the defence honest by knocking down three triples. Grand Rapids had no answer for Caboclo, who found himself open the entire game.
Looking Ahead
Just two games left in the season as we stay in Grand Rapids for one more game on March 30th followed by Fan Appreciation Night on April 1st at 7:30pm to wrap up the inaugural campaign. Get tickets to the finale at: Raptors905.com/ticketpass and use promo code: FINALE905