Game Day

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After dropping a close 108-106 decision to the Denver Nuggets on Monday in Calgary, the Raptors look to get back on track against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center.

In the aftermath of Saturday’s loss to the Nuggets, Dwane Casey had plenty of praise for his rookies and second unit, but he wasn’t particularly pleased with the way his team started the game. Of course in preseason, starting lineups are shuffled game-to-game, and the Raptors were also without regular starters DeMarre Carroll (rest) and Jared Sullinger (sore foot), but Casey felt the team could have got off to a better, tougher start.

Look for the team to try to set a tone early in Los Angeles. After a week of intense training sessions, it can be easy to let up with the end of training camp creeping closer. After digging a hole earlier against Denver, Casey hopes his entire roster, top to bottom, will be better prepared come game time Wednesday night.

One of the rules of preseason is never buy into too much too quick. Someone can have a bad preseason and a perfectly fine regular season. A player that looks fantastic in the early goings of October can fade into obscurity before Christmas. All of that being said, backup point guard Fred VanVleet is making the most out of every opportunity he has been given in the preseason. The Wichita State graduate has performed well in his preseason appearances, showing a steady calmness that belies his inexperience at the NBA level.

VanVleet went undrafted in June, but has moved past that disappointment to focus cleanly on the opportunity ahead. “It’s a motivational thing for me, but I don’t dwell on it,” he told Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun. “I’m in a great position here and I’m a firm believer that things fall the way they are supposed to.”

With Raptors sophomore point guard Delon Wright injuring his shoulder in July, VanVleet’s audition becomes that much more important. Toronto has 10 players on the roster that are under 25 years old. Four-year senior VanVleet is  22 years-old, but comes to the Raptors with a maturity that can be traced to his four years of college experience.

Applying the same caveat as above — yes it’s early, yes it is preseason, but yes— Terrence Ross is looking good to start the preseason. After a solid debut against the Golden State Warriors, Ross led all scorers on Saturday, scoring 23 points off the bench against the Nuggets. Ross did his damage in 20 minutes of play, making 8-of-12 shots, including 4-of-7 three-pointers.

He’s playing with the kind of aggressiveness Casey wants to see from him, but Casey stressed that he needs to keep up the same focus and approach moving forward.

“It’s early,” Casey said. “He has to be consistent. The key word is consistency. I like what I see. I like his approach. He has a seriousness about his approach.”

After being disappointed with the way his starters began the game in Calgary, seeing Ross come into the game ready to go was a welcomed sight that the Raptors coach hopes will continue.

“The closer we get to the regular season, everyone has got to have that type of seriousness to their approach,” he said. “Terrence [has had] a serious approach.”

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Preseason Game Preview: Raptors @ Clippers

The Raptors look to build upon Saturday’s victory against the Golden State Warriors when they take on the Denver Nuggets on Monday at the Scotiabank Saddledome. The game will mark Canadian rookie Jamal Murray’s NBA preseason debut, with his first NBA action taking place in Calgary.

In Toronto’s 97-93 victory over the Warriors, rookie duo Pascal Siakam and Jakob Poeltl held off Golden State and secured the win. With starters resting for the entirety of the fourth quarter, Raptors head coach Dwane Casey got a chance to give his bench extended play. They didn’t disappoint.

“I think it went pretty good,” Siakam said. “It was very intense, but I had a lot of fun, too. The first minutes on the court against another team [after scrimmaging against teammates all week], it was fun.”

While Siakam had Raptors teammates raving about his motor and athleticism, Poeltl impressed with his understanding and feel for the game. Despite strong debuts, both acknowledged that the jump from college to the NBA will take time to become normal.

“It’s kind of crazy,” Poeltl said. “No matter how many times they tell you, you’ve got to experience it to actually get used to it and learn from it.”

Sharing the court with players like two-time reigning MVP Steph Curry is also a thing that feels new.

“You just go out there and you think it’s a regular game, and all of a sudden, you look around and you’ve got all of these guys you watched on TV in the finals,” Poeltl said. “It’s a crazy feeling, but you’ve got to get over that and look at it like it’s just a regular basketball game.”

Although the duo is getting comfortable with their Raptors teammates now, it took some time to settle in after training camp kicked off.

“It was a similar feeling the first practice when [DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry] stepped on the court,” Siakam said. “It was like, ‘Whoa, these guys just played at the Olympics.’ It’s a little crazy.”

If Terrence Ross looks a bit different this preseason, it’s not your eyes playing tricks on you. During a halftime interview with Leo Rautins on Saturday night, Ross revealed that he had lost “about 15 pounds” over the summer after feeling as though he was a little heavy last season. He said the weight has him feeling lighter, which was apparent from watching him move around the court against the Warriors.

New Raptors assistant coach Patrick Mutombo comes to Toronto after spending last season working with the D-League’s Austin Spurs. Prior to his stint with the Spurs, Mutombo spent four seasons with the Denver Nuggets. During his time in Denver, he became quite close with Masai Ujiri, and the decision to join Casey’s staff and reunite was an easy one.

“The connection from the front office to the coaching staff, you feel like one big family [here],” Mutombo said. ”In terms of basketball, you kind of look at these guys from afar and you scout against them and you watch them, but you get to know them as people. A lot of them are very responsible young men who love their families, who invest tremendously in the wealth of their families. You see when you come to barbecues and things like that, all of the kids running around. It’s amazing to see that spirit. Maybe it’s premature for me to say that,  but I really think you feel that same spirit in the locker room.”

Although it’s early in the preseason, Mutombo is already impressed with what he’s seen from the organization. A believer in nurturing bonds when things are positive so the foundation is there when things get tough, Mutombo is happy to be in a situation where relationships are valued so highly.

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Preseason Game Preview: Raptors vs. Nuggets

Kevin Durant’s first on-court NBA action in a Golden State Warriors uniform will take place in Vancouver on Saturday against the Toronto Raptors. After a week of practice sessions, the Raptors are anxious to get out and compete against different competition and facing off against Durant, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will provide a nice change of pace from the usual training camp scrimmages.

Although coaches and players alike all want to win every time they step into an arena, wins are never what really matters in the preseason. Similar to summer league, what is important in the preseason is reps for younger players as well as the recognition of what is working and what needs improving. The opportunity to face different competition and run through offensive and defensive schemes against opponents who haven’t been training alongside you all week is where the importance of preseason really comes into play.

“It’s always fun,” DeMar DeRozan said. “To get all the kinks out during this whole training camp process, and use these preseason games to do the same against other guys. I’m looking forward to it. It should be fun and the crowd is going to be amazing. I think it’s going be great.”

Much will be made of facing a Warriors team that was the talk of the offseason after signing Durant in free agency, but Raptors head coach Dwane Casey’s attention will be focused firmly on his own roster.

“It doesn’t matter,” Casey said. “Golden State’s one of the 30 [teams], they’re a very good team. We’re at a place now where whoever is in front of us, we’re excited to go out and play. I don't know what their rotation is going to be, how many minutes the starters are going too play. I assume a lot, usually the first game you’re together, but it’s about us. It’s about us, exhibition season, getting ready and seeing what we need to work on.”

Powell, DeRozan working to find the right pace

Norman Powell had the kind of rookie season that NBA players dream about. From the second round, to the Raptors bench, to Raptors 905, to being a rotation player in the postseason, Powell impressed everyone in his first year as a pro. The strong play continued in his second summer league appearance as he was dominant throughout the team’s time in Las Vegas this past July. With the season around the corner, Casey has been working with his talented sophomore on how to pick his spots — and speed— to find the right pace.

“I’ve been on him a lot this month about turning the ball over,” Casey said. “He’s doing a better job of it but can be better. That’s the main thing. He’s so powerful and strong he feels like he’s invincible when he goes in amongst the trees.”

Although Powell is still learning how his strength translates to the NBA level, Casey appreciates the fearlessness in his game.

“I love the way he competes,” Casey said. “He’s one of our toughest guys offensively and defensively. Like all young players, [now it’s about] understanding when to put your foot on the pedal and when to put the foot on the brakes.”

DeRozan showed up to camp fresh off winning a gold medal with the U.S. National Team in the Rio Olympics. Along with the a new piece of hardware and the birth of his second daughter, DeRozan brought a patience and renewed commitment to defence with him that had his coach raving.

“Right now DeMar DeRozan is a beauty to watch because he’s playing at an old man’s speed,” Casey said. “But when it’s time to put his foot on the gas he just takes off. I’m really impressed with DeMar, the way he’s playing, not only on the offensive end of the floor, he’s playing the best defence I've seen him.”

That defensive intensity was born during DeRozan’s time with Team USA in Rio.

“we had a lot of fun on the Olympic team,” DeRozan said. “The second group we dubbed ourselves complete defensive stoppers. That was our whole mindset. We all knew everyone on that team could score, but five, six of us said whenever we’re in the game we’re going to play defence, crazy defence as long a we can. I’m just trying to carry that over.”

While the Raptors have been in Vancouver all week, younger players on the roster have been together for much of September, electing voluntarily to get a head start on training. After days of working out alongside and scrimmaging against one another, Casey is ready to kick off the preseason schedule and see his squad in action.

“It’s great,” he said. “This part of the week, guys are sore and we’ve gone pretty hard. Really, the young guys have been working hard, voluntarily the whole month of September. They’ve been going a long time. It’s good to have difference faces, different bodies, different situations because right now we’re trying to guess where our issues are defensively and offensively. That’s what exhibition season is about.”

Lowry said it feels as though this year’s team is a step ahead from this time a year ago with respect to work on the offensive end of the floor. He pointed to the continuity of the roster as a reason why things are clicking in place quicker than a season before.. Still, it’s one thing to make things look easy during scrimmages and practice sessions. It’s another to see how it translates against actual opposition and this is why the point guard is ready for Saturday’s contest against Golden State.

“It’ll be a good competition,” he said. “They’re trying to figure things out just as well as we are. They’re trying to implement a superstar into their team. It’s a fun game. It’s only the first preseason game, you know you’ve got the first-game jitters, but I’m sure it’ll be a fun game. The atmosphere will be great. Everybody is looking forward to having a game of basketball to play again.”

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Preseason Game Preview: Raptors vs. Warriors

tormtierney

Toronto (55-26) wraps up their regular season tonight in Brooklyn (21-60) at the Barclays Center. The Raptors have a chance to finish 30-games above .500 after defeating Philadelphia at home last night. The Nets have lost nine straight and will be hoping to close out their season on a positive note in front of their home fans.

Bojan Bogdanovich – The 31st pick in the 2011 draft has only played two seasons in the NBA but has provided Brooklyn with a reliable wing option and three-point threat. Bogdanovich also showed what he is capable of on offence, exploding for 44 points against the Sixers on March 15th. He enters tonight averaging 11 points and three rebounds on the year.

Terrence Ross&lt;/strong –  While you know what you’re going to get on a nightly basis from players such as Lowry and DeRozan, a key component to Toronto’s playoff success will hinge on the play of the bench, specifically Ross. Alongside Patrick Patterson, Ross is relied upon to score the basketball and lately has done just that. He is averaging 12 points on 48% shooting over his past 10 games and seems to be in good form with the postseason just days away.

It has been a memorable regular season filled with both good and challenging moments.

The challenging: Extended injury layoffs for both Jonas Valanciunas &amp; DeMarre Carroll. The good: Where to begin...

23 road wins and 55 overall wins, both franchise records. NBA All-Star Weekend for the first time ever North of the Border. Two Raptors All-Stars. A win in London, England for the NBA Global Games. A successful inaugural season for D-League affiliate Raptors 905. The second overall seed in the East and a top 5 record in the NBA.

There were also some memorable personal achievements throughout the way. Bismack Biyombo hauled in a personal and franchise best 25 rebounds in Indiana. DeMar DeRozan passed Vince Carter for second all-time in the team’s scoring list and Dwane Casey became the winningest coach in franchise history.

Despite all these achievements there is still plenty of hard work to be done and once the playoffs commence this weekend, the coaching staff and players will know it’s a whole new ball game.

"We have one more game and then we really get locked in.” Kyle Lowry is ready.

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Game Day: Raptors @ Nets

Toronto (54-26) will suit up in front of their home fans tonight for the final time this regular season when they welcome Philadelphia (10-70) to Air Canada Centre. The Raptors recorded a franchise-best 23rd road victory Sunday after holding off a determined Knicks team at Madison Square Garden. Despite another disappointing season, the Sixers continue to battle till the end, losing a hard-fought overtime game to Milwaukee two days ago.

Ish Smith – Smith has given this 76ers team a spark in his second go round in Philadelphia. After being acquired midseason from New Orleans, the 6’0” point guard is putting up 15 points, seven assists and four rebounds a game. He has also played well against the Raptors, averaging 17 points in their two matchups this season.

Jonas Valanciunas&lt;/strong –  JV is rounding into form just in time for the playoffs. He is averaging a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds over his last 10 games while also chipping in defensively with just fewer than three blocks a night. Expect Valanciunas to get a lot of touches tonight against a Philadelphia team who is thin in the frontcourt and are missing the services of starting centre Jahlil Okafor.

Chalk up another record in a remarkable season for the Toronto Raptors.

In Toronto’s 93-89 victory over the Knicks on Sunday, DeMar DeRozan recorded 27 points, making him the second-highest scorer in franchise history.

The milestone had extra significance for the 26-year old who overtook Vince Carter in the process. “It’s hard to believe honestly. He (Carter) was someone I grew up watching and idolizing. To pass him on the all-time scoring list, words can’t describe it,” said DeRozan postgame Sunday.

The achievement also struck a chord with Dwane Casey who began coaching DeRozan when he took over in 2011.

“He is a young player in this league but he is a student of the game. He represents everything you want. He understands the moment for this team. He doesn’t get caught up in things. I am happy for him."

Of course, All-Star teammate Kyle Lowry, took the opportunity to poke fun at his friend when asked his thoughts on DeRozan’s accomplishment.

“That means he is a gunner. He shoots too much. He doesn’t pass enough."

Growing up admiring Carter, DeRozan now has the opportunity to match another achievement by the former Raptor. Win a playoff series.

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Game Day: Raptors vs. 76ers

Toronto (53-26) is in the Big Apple tonight to take on the Knicks (32-48) at Madison Square Garden. The Raptors managed to bounce back Friday night, recording a win over Indiana at Air Canada Centre. New York returns home after defeating the last-place Sixers to snap a mini two-game losing streak.

Jerian Grant – New York’s rookie point guard has gotten an opportunity in the starting lineup recently with Jose Calderon having missed four in a row due to a quad injury. Over those four games, Grant has averaged 13 points including a most recent 16 point, six assist, five rebound performance in a win over Philadelphia. If Calderon is unable to go again tonight, look for Grant to continue his run as a starter.

Delon Wright&lt;/strong – Not only is Joseph’s recent play noteworthy, but so is his new look as he sports a protective face mask compliments of an errant Jonas Valanciunas elbow a few games ago. The head gear seemed to not affect the Pickering native when he filled in admirably Friday night for a resting Kyle Lowry. Joseph recorded 18 points and finished one assist shy of a double-double.

Another back-to-back, another opportunity for others to impress.

With DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, DeMarre Carroll and Luis Scola all resting Friday, many expected a tough night for Toronto up against a Pacers team fighting to secure one of the final playoff spots in the East.

The rest of the Raptors apparently didn’t get the memo as they put in a gritty performance en route to a 111-98 victory led by the rookie duo of Norman Powell and Delon Wright.

"They came out and played. That’s one thing you don’t have to worry about and that’s effort and intensity. I thought our young guys came out and played with a lot of effort and intensity,” said Dwane Casey postgame.

The 20th pick in last year’s draft, Delon Wright has found playing time limited with the Raptors, but has kept ready playing steadily for their D-League affiliate Raptors 905.

Always a quiet and humble kid, Wright was just appreciative at the chance to step on the court for some meaningful minutes. “When I first get out there I feel more comfortable. Everybody tells me to just attack and try and make the right play. I try to do that and try to do my best.”

Career highs from both rookies, recording a combined 46 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, plus key contributions from Terrence Ross and Joseph showed not only Indiana, but the rest of the league that the Raptors are not just a two-man team.

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Game Day: Raptors @ Knicks

Toronto (52-26) finishes up a back-to-back at home tonight versus Indiana (42-36). The Raptors returned to TO last night after a defeat in Atlanta, while the Pacers are in town trying to prolong their three-game winning streak as they fight to secure a playoff spot.

Paul George – George enters tonight’s game fresh off a 29 point, five rebound performance in a win over the Cavaliers two days ago. Despite his recent strong play, the Raptors have done a solid job defending the Pacers All-Star forward this season, holding  him to 30% shooting in the teams’ previous three matchups.

Delon Wright&lt;/strong – With two games in less then 24 hours, Dwane Casey may look to hand the fringe players and rookies some minutes in an attempt to avoid burnout. Wright’s name was called when the Raps faced the Spurs in San Antonio last weekend and responded with a sound performance, recording 12 points, four rebounds and three assists.

The silver lining in last night’s loss to the Hawks was the return of offseason acquistion, DeMarre Carroll.

Raps fans have been eagerly awaiting seeing Carroll back in the lineup ever since he was sidelined after knee surgery at the beginning of 2016.

With only four games remaining in the regular season, the hope was to get Carroll back integrated into the lineup and as close to game shape as possible ahead of the playoffs.

Casey brought his small-forward off the bench last night and gave him 14 minutes to try and shake off the cobwebs. Carroll was his typical self, recording a team-high 4 steals, and expressed his relief at being back, to the media after the game.

“It felt good. I got out there and did what I’m supposed to do and that’s to be active, do the dirty work and try to get steals and play good defence.”

His Raptors teammates were just as happy to have their running mate back on the court battling alongside them.

“That’s a big lift. That’s one of our key players on this team and just to have him back in the rotation is nothing but a positive for us,” said DeMar DeRozan.

The coaching staff has coped without their starting small forward for the majority of the season yet Casey says they will remain patient and free of expectations until Carroll is back up to speed.

“It’s just going to take some time. We don’t expect him to come in and change the world right off the bat."

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Game Day: Raptors vs. Pacers

Another back-to-back begins tonight when Toronto (52-25) takes on the Hawks (46-32) for an 8pm start in Atlanta. The Raptors were back to full strength Tuesday and bounced back with a victory over the visiting Hornets. The Hawks also got back in the winning column at the expense of the Phoenix Suns.

Dennis Shroder – Despite a couple of off nights recently, Schroder has been a consistent playmaker off the bench for Atlanta this year. The 22-year old is contributing 11 points, four assists and three rebounds a game, backing up starting point guard Jeff Teague. A first-round pick in 2013, Schroder looks to be a key piece in the Hawks long-term plans.

DeMar DeRozan&lt;/strong – Atlanta is likely tired of the sight of Toronto's All-Star shooting-guard after he's torched them for 24 points, five rebounds and three assists in their three meetings this season. DeRozan was solid again Tuesday night, recording a game-high 26 points to go along with seven rebounds and six assists in the Raptors win over Charlotte.

In a year highlighted by the All-Star play of guards DeRozan and Lowry, the progression of Raptors centre Jonas Valanciunas continues.

As we approach the completion of year four, the Raptors are starting to see what they envisioned when drafting JV fifth overall in the 2011 NBA draft.

The 23-year old has steadily progressed, improving his offensive production each year in the league. He is averaging career highs of 13 points and nine rebounds and leads the team in double-doubles (21) with five games remaining.

Early on in his career, Dwane Casey was hesitant to have Valanciunas on the court late in games but admitted yesterday at practice that is no longer the case.

“Offensively he’s going to be out there. He is our best (frontcourt) free-throw shooter,” said Casey.

In an ever-changing NBA, the frontcourt position is transitioning further away from the paint and big men are now expected to be able to defend as far out as the three-point line.

JV was asked yesterday about what type of player he prefers to defend against. “I like to have a traditional big man to guard because he’s around the basket and I don’t need to get out on the three-point line or guard the perimeter."

Despite his preference, the Raptors centre has managed to significantly improve his perimeter defence and reiterated that he is willing to do whatever the coaching staff asks of him. “I’m not going to stop growing and I’m not going to stop getting better.”

Valanciunas knows tonight is an example of where he will have to defend outside of the paint. “Al Horford likes to pop out on the three and shoot three-point shots so you gotta adjust your game”

The native of Lithuania wrapped up his practice scrum with a tongue-in-cheek response when asked when he will start shooting the three ball.