NBA Summer League

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The Toronto Raptors announced Friday their 15-man roster for MGM Resorts NBA Summer League 2019 in Las Vegas. Raptors video coordinator Jon Goodwillie will serve as the team’s head coach for the tournament.               

            NBA Summer League will feature 32 teams for the first time, all 30 NBA clubs and two national teams from China and Croatia. All 32 teams will play four preliminary games each. The top eight teams are then seeded in a tournament, which culminates with a Championship Game on July 15. Teams that do not qualify for the tournament will each play a consolation game. Every team will play at least five games and as many as seven.

            This year marks Toronto’s 12th appearance at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas (2006, 2008-10, 2012-19). The Raptors finished NBA Summer League 2018 with a 2-4 record and reached the quarterfinals of the tournament. Toronto holds an overall mark of 29-27 (.518) at the event.

            The Raptors open the preliminary round Saturday, July 6 vs. Golden State at Thomas &amp; Mack Center (9 p.m. PT / 12 a.m. ET).

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Raptors Announce NBA Summer League Roster

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It was another close one as the Raptors closed out NBA Summer League on the losing side of a 78-75 overtime decision against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The loss moved Toronto to 3-2 in Las Vegas play and came as four of the main rotation players were resting. Kennedy Meeks led Toronto with 18 points and nine rebounds while Jordan Loyd had 12 points and Will Sheehey and Jalen Reynolds added 12 points apiece in the loss. T.J. Williams led the Cavaliers with 21 points.

Though these two loses meant the team didn’t get a real shot at chasing the NBA Summer League tournament championship after earning the first overall seed following their first three games, the last two weeks have been important for Toronto. Getting to practice — or play — every day, getting younger guys reps, as well as more familiar with the system, and also allowing players not on contracts the opportunity to show what they can do is invaluable. The impact cannot be measured in wins or losses.  

With their chance at winning the NBA Summer League Tournament out of reach, the team rested newly signed Alfonzo McKinnie along with their sophomore trio of Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet and Jakob Poeltl.

One day after the team announced a deal with the Brooklyn Nets to send DeMarre Carroll to Brooklyn in exchange for Justin Hamilton, the team announced that it had acquired the draft rights to forward Emir Preldzic from the Indiana Pacers in exchange for guard Cory Joseph. Toronto also announced it has waived Hamilton. 

Though the team was disappointed that their loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday ended their NBA Summer League championship quest, the time in Las Vegas was a positive for Toronto. The Raptors on hand showed improvements from regular season’s end, as well as a glimpse into what could be on hand moving forward.

For Summer League head coach Jama Mahlalela, the name of the game in Vegas is improvement and that’s what he saw from his team.

“Overall I really am [pleased],” Mahlalela said. “I think ur guys worked hard. Wins and losses are one thing, but I think the growth, especially of our young players is really important. You saw Fred got to another level, you saw Pascal got to another level and Jakob as well. That was first and foremost, that’s what Summer League is about. For those three players, I think they irmproved and for me that’s a success.”

In four games, VanVleet was the team’s leading scorer, averaging 18.8 points on 55 percent shooting. VanVleet also averaged a team-best 5.0 assists per game to go with 4.0 rebounds and 1.5 steals in 28.3 minutes per game.

Siakam was next on the scoring list, averaging 14.3 points on 45 percent shooting. He played 26.8 minutes per contest, also averaging 4.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks.

Jakob Poeltl had three double-doubles in four games, finishing with averages of 13.5 points and 9.0 rebounds. He averaged 27 minutes per game, while shooting a ridiculous 71 percent from the floor. 

“Then you look at our second-tier guys, we saw a lot of good things from Alfonzo McKinnie and what he can be to our organization,” Mahlalela said. “A real good training grounds for them. And then these younger guys like Kennedy Meeks as well. To me it was a success. Would have liked to get more wins, but that’s how it goes and we’ll have to get them next year.”

Newly signed Mckinnie also appeared in four games, playing 24.5 minutes and averaging 9.3 points on 34 percent shooting. He added eight rebounds, a steal and 0.8 blocks per contest as well.

Meeks impressed the coaching staff throughout the week, but gave all of the praise back when asked about his experience suiting up on Toronto’s Summer League squad.

“I think we definitely did a great job in practice,” he said. “I think that’s where it started. I think Coach Jama and [Coach] Motumbo definitely got us going. I think they brought the energy first and they followed them right away and that’s all you can ask for. We didn't know each other before this, I think that we really got after it right away and that’s all that matters.”

Though players are who most often get graded in Vegas, it’s also an opportunity for assistant coaches to step into the main coaching seat. Raptors 905 head coach Jerry Stackhouse shared coaching duties with Mahlalela a season ago before taking the reins with 905. This season, Mahlalela and Patrick Mutombo shared coaching duties on the sideline.

Matt Tierney and Randy Urban provided final thoughts on Toronto’s NBA Summer League in their final recap from Vegas:

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2017 LV Summer League Recap - Raptors 75, Cavaliers 78

Despite owning the top seed in the NBA Summer League tournament, the Raptors fell to the 16th-seeded Portland Trail Blazers, 91-85 on Thursday night. Fred VanVleet led all scorers in the loss scoring 31 points, but his 10-point fourth quarter effort wasn’t enough to help Toronto come back from a 10-point deficit to get the win. After getting off to a slow start, the teams were tied at the half, and the Raptors held a one-point advantage heading in the the fourth. Things fell apart defensively for Toronto in the final frame as the Blazers shot 53 percent from the floor and outscored the Raptors 24-17 to earn the upset victory.

Though his team lost, Fred VanVleet continued to show off his offensive game, scoring a game-high 31 points on Thursday. VanVleet played 30 minutes, shooting 10-of-17 from the floor, 2-of-4 from beyond the arc and a percent 8-for-8 from the free throw line. He added six rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot. Through four games, VanVleet has been spectacular for the Raptors.

Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam both dealt with foul trouble in the loss. Siakam eventually fouled out with 11.8 seconds remaining, while VanVleet finished the game with five fouls. Heading into the final quarter, Siakam had four fouls (in 17 minutes) while VanVleet had three. Another area the team struggled on Thursday was from beyond the arc. The Raptors shot just 20 percent from deep, making just 7-of-35 attempts from three, while the Blazers made eight of 17 attempts.

RAPS TO BE WELL-REPRESENTED IN 2ND NBA GAME IN AFRICA

On Thursday the NBA and NBPA announced full rosters for the NBA Africa game that will be held in Johannesburg, South Africa on August 5. This will be the league’s second NBA game in Africa. It will take place following the 15th edition of Basketball without Borders Africa, featuring a Team Africa vs. Team World format.

The Toronto Raptors will be well represented in the game with Serge Ibaka playing for Team Africa and Kyle Lowry playing for Team World. Raptors assistant coach Patrick Mutombo and Raptors president Masai Ujiri will also be participating.

Raptors president Masai Ujiri took some time away from the gym on Tuesday evening for a private screening of his Giants of Africa documentary. The screening was held at the Strip View Pavilion at the Thomas and Mack Centre. Following the screening, Ujiri and Hubert Davis, the director of the film, held a Q&amp;A with the audience.

Randy Urban provided a recap of the evening here:

“We never really played with a grit that we’ve displayed in other games. We kind of not were in sync in what we were going. Guys were playing hard, but you work hard for three or four passes, then all of a sudden they get open right under the basket. Some of it also was mental focus, a little bit.”- Patrick Mutombo on his team’s first loss in NBA Summer League

“I’ve felt good every game. I told these guys before, I’m not particularly worried about the stats. Obviously I want to have a good showing, but its the way I'm playing, making the right reads and right plays. I was a little bit more aggressive scoring tonight, just the way the game was going, but I still feel like I had a couple of nice plays where I was passing and dishing, just setting up the offence. Could have been better defensively, obviously, that’s too many fouls for me to put my team in that position. Overall it felt good, but it doesn’t matter how good you play. When you lose it doesn’t feel good.” - Fred VanVleet on a solid showing in NBA Summer League despite a frustrating tournament loss

“It’s been a big learning experience for me. I’ve been trying to be a sponge and learn from all of these players and coaches that have been here before. I was glad to be able to showcase a few more things that I could do tonight. At first I wanted to come in, get acclimated to everybody and see how goes. I was excited to be able to show what I could do.” 
- Jordan Loyd on his experience in Vegas

“Like I always say, this kid works. He works. He has grit, good mentality. He has a quiet force about him. He gets the paint and tries to finish. He’s not very tall so he’s got to be skilled in there. He puts in a lot of work.” - Patrick Mutombo on Fred VanVleet’s ability to finish at the rim

Up next: The Raptors will close out their 2017 NBA Summer League   journey when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at 10:30 P.M. ET on Friday.

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2017 LV Summer League Recap - Raptors 85, Trail Blazers 91

The Toronto Raptors announced Tuesday their 17-man roster for NBA Summer League 2017 in Las Vegas. Current Raptors Jakob Poeltl, Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet will headline this year’s squad. First- round draft pick OG Anunoby will not participate in the tournament while he recovers from a right knee injury. Raptors assistant coaches Jama Mahlalela and Patrick Mutombo will serve as the team’s coaches.

Poeltl returns to NBA Summer League after averaging 6.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 blocks and 25.1 minutes in five games last summer. He averaged 3.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 11.6 minutes in 54 games (four starts) during his rookie campaign with the Raptors. Poeltl scored in double digits three times and led the team in rebounds twice. He also appeared in six playoff contests.

Siakam played one game with the Raptors’ entry in NBA Summer League 2016. During his rookie season, he averaged 4.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 15.6 minutes in 55 games (38 starts). Siakam scored in double figures four times and grabbed 10-or-more rebounds twice. He started the first 34 games of the season, averaging 4.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 18.5 minutes. Siakam appeared in two playoff games.

VanVleet averaged 6.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 16.0 minutes in five games with the Raptors’ Summer League squad last year. He posted averages of 2.9 points and 7.9 minutes in 37 games during his rookie season. VanVleet scored in double figures three times and played in seven postseason games.

NBA Summer League 2017 in Las Vegas will feature a record 24 NBA teams in a tournament-style schedule which concludes with a championship game for the fifth consecutive year. Teams will compete in three preliminary round games from July 7-11, before being seeded in a tournament that starts July 12 and culminates with the championship game July 17. Each team will play at least five games.

This year marks Toronto’s 10th appearance at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas (2006, 2008-10, 2012-17). The Raptors finished NBA Summer League 2016 with a 4-1 record after reaching the quarterfinals of the tournament. Toronto holds an overall mark of 24-21 (.533) at the event.

The Raptors open the preliminary round Friday, July 7 versus the New Orleans Pelicans at Cox Pavilion (3 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. ET). All games will be played on the University of Nevada Las Vegas campus.

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With a leg kick and the blow of a whistle, it was over. As officials awarded Minnesota’s Tyus Jones a pair of free throws in a game tied at 79 with 0.4 seconds remaining on the clock, Toronto’s hope of remaining undefeated as they chased the summer league title were dashed.

The Toronto Raptors didn’t fulfill their goal of winning a summer league championship this summer, but they had a successful session in Las Vegas all the same. For the second consecutive season, Norman Powell was the talk of the Thomas &amp; Mack Center, from media row to front row, as writers, coaches and players alike marvelled over the 46th pick in the 2015 draft.

Powell — the lone rookie to be named to the All-NBA First Team a summer ago — immediately picked up where he left off last year. He had a solid case for MVP of the entire tournament had Toronto advanced beyond the quarterfinals. In five games in Vegas, Powell finished averaging 19.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and one steal per contest. He shot 43 percent from the floor, 46 percent from beyond the arc, and attempted 35 free throws. He looked like a veteran, both in play, and leadership, and his time on the floor during Toronto’s postseason run certainly helped to speed up his NBA education.

Fellow sophomore Delon Wright also had a strong showing in summer league, but it ended painfully as the point guard left the floor during Saturday’s game against Minnesota with a dislocated shoulder. Luckily for Wright — and Toronto —  x-rays were negative and he was able to have his shoulder popped back into place, but it was a painful way to close out the summer session. In addition to showing off his ability to lead a team and find his teammates, Wright also spent his time in Vegas finishing difficult shots around the rim and sneaking in for rebounds. Poised and composed, Wright showed he’s a natural floor leader with the ability to control pace and tempo and settle his squad when needed. Through five games, Wright averaged 8.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game.

Rookie big man Jakob Poeltl had a solid outing in his first experience playing in a Raptors uniform. Although his numbers don’t immediately jump off the page, they show a player who played within the role that was given to him, made the most of all of his opportunities, and showed a nice touch around the rim. Poeltl averaged 6.8 points, seven rebounds, an assist, a steal and two blocks to just 1.2 turnovers per contest in five games. He also converted 67 percent of his field goals.

Pascal Siakam, Toronto’s 27th pick in the draft, was limited to just 15 minutes in Vegas after suffering a sore left knee and then having to tend to visa issues before making the move to Toronto later this summer. Despite the shortened window, Siakam’s first-half stint was enough to get Raptors fans excited about his potential as he ran the floor, stole the ball, skied high for rebounds and dunked the ball. Most importantly, Mahlalela and Stackhouse were impressed with what both rookies showed in daily practice sessions with their new teammates.

Bruno Caboclo continued to show glimpses into his improvement as he is taking strides to growing into a potential that seems limitless. While there are still turnovers and moments of indecisiveness, Mahlalela stressed how easy things are for Caboclo when he keeps them simple. Caboclo averaged 11 points, four rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.2 steals and nearly a block per contest in 24 minutes per game.

For the second year straight, Toronto remained undefeated heading into the tournament. Jama Mahlalela and Jerry Sackhouse split head coaching duties, with Stackhouse manning the sideline during Saturday’s game. Despite the result, it was a wild finish with Toronto leading by six with under three minutes to play, then Minnesota raring back to take a three-point lead before Powell tied the game with a 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds to go. With everyone in the arena assuming overtime was a lock, the foul call came as a surprise, but Jones calmly sank both free throws to close out the victory and help the 24-seeded Timberwolves get the 81-79 upset victory.

With the team going its separate ways following Vegas, the work continues. Rookies Siakam and Poeltl will get their first taste of Vancouver to work with Raptors director of sports science Alex McKechnie. Most of the young Raptors players will also end up spending time training in Los Angeles, getting in daily basketball runs with assistant coaches and veterans like DeMar DeRozan and Terrence Ross.

The biggest goal of summer league, despite the competition of players and coaching staff, isn’t to win the championship. That would have be nice, surely, but the aim of two weeks together in Vegas is to evaluate, educate, and introduce players into the Raptors system while showing them organization’s identity.

With general manager Masai Ujiri, head coach Dwane Casey and nearly the entire coaching, scouting and front office staff on hand to observe the action, the opportunity is there to make an impression. Most crucially, players wearing a Raptors uniform in Vegas come away with a good taste of what it is that the Raptors are building in Toronto and why it has fans and players so excited.

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Raptors Have Successful Showing At LVSL Despite Results

Drew Crawford calmly sank two free throws with 23.8 seconds remaining to put Toronto ahead by six after a hectic push by the Warriors. A close game throughout, the Raptors took control late when they reeled off a 14-1 run before the Golden State flurry. Crawford’s free throws closed out the scoring and Toronto held on for the 75-69 victory. The win moves the Raptors to 4-0 in Vegas.

While the Raptors summer league team was waiting around for their 7 P.M. PT tip off time, back in Toronto DeMar DeRozan signed his five-year extension and met with with the media to discuss his decision to stay with the only professional team he’s ever played for.

The Raptors also announced the signing of former Celtics forward Jared Sullinger. Drafted 21st overall in 2012, Sullinger averaged 10.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 23.6 minutes last season.

The Warriors kept the pace with Toronto in the first half, keeping things close as the Raptors went into the half with a four-point lead. Norman Powell was limited to just 8:27 minutes in the half after picking up three quick fouls.

Pascal Siakam did not suit up for Thursday’s game, but he was back with his teammates on the bench after missing Monday’s win against the Dallas Mavericks. Siakam was absent during Monday’s contest because he was attending to visa issues before traveling to Toronto for his introductory press conference.

It was a scary moment for Raptors fans when Norman Powell went down awkwardly after taking a knee to the thigh early in the third quarter. Powell remained on the ground for a few minutes before slowly getting helped up and off the floor. Powell was assessed a left thigh contusion and returned to the game without incident, but it didn’t look very fun.

Jakob Poeltl had a seven-point, seven-rebound effort against the Warriors. He added an assist, a steal and a blocked shot in 24 minutes of action, and shot 2-for-4 from the floor and 3-for-4 from the free throw line.

Another game, another standout performance from Norman Powell. Despite the thigh contusion in the third, Powell returned to the floor to score a team-high 17 points on 4-for-9 field goals. He added two rebounds and two steals, and had another busy night at the free throw line, making 8-of-10 attempts. Though four summer league games, Powell has attempted 31 free throws.

“I couldn’t have imagined it. I honestly couldn’t have imagined it. Even when I think about it now, I didn't have a passport until I came here and worked out. I’d never been in snow. I still was wearing Chuck Taylors in the wintertime. Just to look at how far I’ve came. It’s crazy.”- DeMar DeRozan reflecting on arriving in Toronto as a 19-year-old rookie

“What a great day for us. You look at this young man herring to me I get emotional because there’s nobody that has done it with more class. More dignity. More passion. I spend every day with this kid here and this is a blessed day for the Raptors.”- Masai Ujiri on DeMar DeRozan

“I talked to Amir while I was in vegas. Amir said it’s a beautiful city. He didn’t want to leave. He said the fans are unbelievable. He said Toronto made him who he is today. When you hear stuff like that, especially from Amir, being able to know Amir, everything he’s done, everything he’s been through, it means everything coming from Amir.”- Jared Sullinger on asking former Celtics teammate Amir Johnson about his time in Toronto

13…Points on 3-for-7 field goals, 6-for-6 free throws for Drew Crawford off the bench.

40…Free throw attempts for Toronto compared to just 12 for the Warriors.

17…Turnovers for Golden State. 13 for Toronto.

12…Points, two rebounds, an assist, and a spectacular blocked shot for Bruno Caboclo

20…The Raptors were a +20 with Delon Wright on the floor. Wright played 30 minutes and finished with 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and a steal.

The Raptors will face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday afternoon at 4 P.M. ET.

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LVSL Round 2: Raptors 75, Warriors 69

Norman Powell drilled a 3-pointer with 31.6 seconds remaining to put the Raptors ahead by 11 points. The Mavericks would not score again as Toronto collected the 80-69 victory and moved to 3-0 in summer league play.

The Raptors were without Pascal Siakam for the second consecutive game on Monday. After missing Sunday’s win against the Timberwolves because of a sore knee, Siakam was missing in action on Monday because he was working out visa issues in preparation of his impending move to Toronto.

Jakob Poeltl had another efficient showing against Dallas, finishing with nine points (4-for-5 field goals), seven rebounds, two assists, a steal and a blocked shot in 27 minutes of action. Through three games in Vegas, Poeltl is 9-for-10 from the floor, and has been diligently working the offensive glass despite not getting a lot of offensive touches.

For the third consecutive game, Norman Powell came up big for the Raptors, and for the second, he was there in the fourth when the team needed him. After scoring nine fourth-quarter points in Sunday’s victory, Powell scored or assisted on Toronto’s final 10 points of the game on Monday.

Norman Powell scored a game-high 23 points on 7-for-15 field goals, including 3-for-5 from beyond the arc and 6-for-7 from the free throw line. Powell played 27 minutes while adding three rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Powell showed an all-around game on Monday, playing both ends of the floor, while also dishing a gorgeous no-look pass to Jakob Poeltl for an easy dunk, as well as finding Bruno Caboclo on an alley oop late in the fourth. Media and broadcasters alike raved about the play of the second-year Raptor.

“I’m a very competitive person so when I see things going wrong I try to do anything possible to turn it around and give my team the best opportunity to win and to compete. Whether that’s me having to score, whether that’s me having to set guys up, I try to do that. I think collectively as a whole this team has really bought in to continuing to fight, continuing to work, no matter the adversity. This wasn’t the first time [we faced adversity]. Last game against Minnesota we had a little adversity too, and we had to fight back. I feel like it’s the motto for being a Raptor. We always had to fight through adversity, continue to push, understand that it’s a long game and to continue to do the right things, grind it out, and good things will happen."- Norman Powell on coming up big when his team needs him

12…Points, five rebounds, an assist, and three steals for Bruno Caboclo.

23…Turnovers for the Raptors in a sloppy game with plenty of miscues. Dallas wasn’t much better, racking up 18 turnovers.

48…Percent shooting for Toronto, compared with 35 percent shooting for the Mavericks.

10…Made 3-pointers for the Raptors who shot 40 percent from deep. In comparison, Dallas made six 3-pointers, shooting 23 percent from beyond the arc.

17…Assists for Toronto, 14 for the Mavericks. Delon Wright registered a game-high five assists to go along with eight points (4-for-8 field goals), two rebounds and a steal.

“I think he has a really good feel for the game, but I had a conscious effort wanting to post him up little more today because I think not only can he score in the post, but he can be a playmaker out of the post for us, too. As this tournament goes on we’re going to try to utilize him a little more on the block, let him be a playmaker. He has a great feel, obviously has a knack for blocking shots and being in the right place defensively so we love that.”- Jerry Stackhouse on Jakob Poeltl’s skill set

“It definitely is more physical. I kind of expected that. Everybody told me that it was going to be more physical at this level. It’s something you’ve got to get used to. Just because people tell you, you try to go into the game with the best attitude possible, but it’s still a different experience. It’s something that over time and with more time in the weight room will get better and easier, but I think it takes a little bit of time.”- Jakob Poeltl on the physicality of the NBA compared to the college game

“Just try to stay within myself. Continue to work on things that need to improve on and be there when my team needs me to be a leader. Control the pace, control everybody’s emotions, talk to guys if I see something they can improve on, or if they’re doing something well, tell them they’re doing a great job. Keeping that spirit up and leading guys the best way I can.”- Norman Powell on his focus through the first three games

“Big-time players make big-time plays. Glad to have him. He bailed us out a lot. They did a little to junk up the game, coming out of the third quarter, they started hitting us a little bit. It’s hard to prepare for that type of pressure when you only have a couple of days to prepare before we got here, but I thought the guys handled it pretty well. Norm came back and did some of the ball handling and took some of the pressure off Delon. I’m proud of him. I thought the guys shared the ball, they played together and we held this team, who had been killing people in transition, to three baskets in transition so we’re proud of that.”- Jerry Stackhouse on the consistency of Norman Powell and a strong defensive effort from the team

“I’ve been impressed with both the rookies. Pascal only pooled the one game, but they’re really active on the boards, really able to run the floor. Jakob’s a big body down low, you see him battling, fighting for rebounds, getting touches down low, he’s really effective down there. I like that. He’s willing to learn. He’s really coachable. You can talk to him about adjustments, what we see, he’s really picking up on the plays. I just love his activity and his work ethic.”-  Norman Powell on the play of rookies Pascal Siakam and Jakob Poeltl

The annual summer league tournament will begin on Wednesday. Toronto’s schedule is TBA.

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LVSL Game 3: Raptors 80, Mavericks 69

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Delon Wright put Toronto ahead by four on a pretty bank shot with 5.2 seconds remaining. Adreian Payne would score on a tip in to bring Minnesota within two with 1.6 on the clock, but the Raptors were able to hold on for the 82-80 victory. The win moves Toronto to 2-0 in summer league play.

After a solid first-half debut on Friday against the Sacramento Kings, Pascal Siakam sat out Sunday’s game with a sore knee. Jakob Poeltl played nearly 25 minutes and finished with six points (2-for-2 field goals), five rebounds, a steal and three blocked shots.

For the second consecutive game, Norman Powell showed why he earned the trust of Toronto’s coaching staff in this year’s postseason run. Powell looked fantastic against the Timberwolves, getting to the line at will and coming up with nine big points in a close fourth quarter as the Raptors came back from an eight-point deficit after three quarters.

Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri joined the TV broadcast for a chat during the game and discussed (among other things) Norman Powell's work ethic and Jakob Poeltl's love of the game. Ujiri also praised head coach Dwane Casey for his work on the floor, as well as for the person he is away from it, saying he's helped to give the Raptors their identity.

Norman Powell scored his 29 points on 7-for-15 field goals. He shot 4-for-8 from beyond the arc and 11-for-12 from the free throw line. Powell added a team-high eight rebounds to go with three assists in 28 minutes.

“Composure. That’s what you’re trying to teach at the end of the game. How can we be composed and execute like we need to. I thought Norman stepped up big time, but Delon was the real key for us. Delon settled the game down and allowed us to do what we wanted to do. For both of them to be in those situations it’s tremendous growth and learning. As a coach you never want close games, but for their growth and development, it’s great for us."- Jama Mahlalela on Delon Wright and Norman Powell leading the way

9…Made 3-pointers for Toronto (9-for-26). Minnesota shot 5-for-18 from beyond the arc.

15…Points for Bruno Caboclo who shot 5-for-13 from the floor, 3-for-7 from deep, and 2-for-4 from the free throw line. Caboclo also added two rebounds, an assist and two blocked shots.

16…Turnovers for the Raptors, compared to 12 for the Wolves.

9…Blocked shots for the Raptors, compared to three for Minnesota.

13…Points for Delon Wright. Wright had some beautiful finishes around the basket and continued to show poise leading the team as he added four rebounds, three assists, and a steal in 30 minutes of action.

“I think just the comfort level, you can see it with the pick-and-roll, they’ve done it a million times already. The NBA is a lot about nuances between players. Finding those synergies. Point guards to centers. They already have it. It makes it easier for me. I know I can run a pick-and-roll and they’ll be pretty effective in it because they have experience. They know where they like the ball and Jakob knows how far to roll, how far not to roll. It’s good. It helps us.”- Jama Mahlalela on the connection between former college teammates Delon Wright and Jakob Poeltl

“I think he handled it real well. Controlled the team, controlled the pace of the game. Picking his spots, he had that big layup at the end of the game that really closed it. He’s done a great job doing that. He’s the leader of the team. He’s smart. He knows the game. His IQ level is high. That’s what we need him to do.”- Norman Powell on the play of backcourt mate Delon Wright

“Real comfortable. He sets good screens. Today I didn't really hit him on the roll as much as I would like to, but he set some good screens and I tried to get other guys involved…It’s been really good. He’s a real high-energy type player. He’s been getting a lot of rebounds for us, just doing the dirty work for us. He hasn’t been getting a lot of touches, but he’s been doing the dirty work and that’s where he’s getting his points and rebounds.”- Delon Wright on his familiarity with Jakob Poeltl and how he's fared so far

“I think he tried to diversify his game a little bit more. There are still some decisions where he’s not quite feeling comfortable, the game [tonight] wasn’t quite as slow as the first game, so we’re still going to work on slowing it down and keeping the game simple. He’s such a talented player when the game is simple. When it becomes too much maybe [he has] a turnover here, a turnover there, but overall putting him in these situations, close games, the teaching and the learning, he really thrives in that, too. He wanted to be there. You could see in the timeout he was excited about what was happening. That’s all you can ask for. He’s got to grow, but so does the whole team.”- Jama Mahlalela on Bruno Caboclo expanding his game

NBA Summer League

Raptors Announce NBA Summer League Roster

2017 LV Summer League Recap - Raptors 75, Cavaliers 78

2017 LV Summer League Recap - Raptors 85, Trail Blazers 91

Raptors Announce NBA Summer League Roster

Raptors Have Successful Showing At LVSL Despite Results

LVSL Round 2: Raptors 75, Warriors 69

LVSL Game 3: Raptors 80, Mavericks 69

LVSL Game 2: Raptors 82, Timberwolves 80