Road To The Six

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Raptors 905’s inaugural season has been a roller-coaster ride, we saw the team come out of the gate losing nine of the first 14 games followed by a nine-game losing streak starting at the end of December. It was after the D-League showcase hit in mid-January, when fortunes would change. Axel Toupane took his game to the next level while new acquisition, Greg Smith provided a solid presence down low for the club. Raptors 905 would snap the losing streak and go on to win seven of their next eight games before losing the squad’s All-Star and leading rebounder Ronald Roberts for the season due to injury.

Raptors 905 had a rocky month of February without the All-Star forward, going 3-4. To start the final month of the season, Toupane was signed by the Denver Nuggets and Greg Smith was signed to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Raptors 905 would drop the first two games of the month before adding E.J. Singler from the Idaho Stampede and Davion Berry from the Maine Red Claws on to the roster. With the two new additions, Raptors 905 would click on a new level and close out the season with a stellar 8-2 record. For the season, Raptors 905 would finish with a 23-27 record, which ended up being the best record in NBA D-League history for an expansion team.

Raptors 905 had a great year off the court also, tipping off the season in front of a sea of white in a sold-out crowd at the Hershey Centre. The club would go on to have multiple other big games in the year, including a loud crowd for Bollywood night, three-straight sell-outs for all January home games and a March Break game at Air Canada Centre with almost 7500 in attendance.

With a mandate to give back to the community, the players, coaches and staff also spent countless hours in the 905 area inspiring, motivating and teaching:

Give credit to coach Mermuys on developing the players and fostering an environment for growth. We saw some huge leaps in terms of playing ability for almost every player in the rotation. Let’s take a look at some of the bigger successes this season.

Bruno Caboclo struggled with many things early on, the Raptors draft pick had troubles with turnovers, shot selection, and fouls which limited his overall productivity and minutes on the floor. Caboclo’s minutes reached a high of 38 per game in March and his fouls dropped to just 3.5 per game compared to his 5 per game average in January. We saw Caboclo’s shot selection improve, settling for fewer mid-range jumpers late in the season and opting to drive all the way to the basket instead. The Brazilian’s numbers were up across the board, going from 13.4 points per game from November-January up to 16.5 to close out the season. Caboclo’s all-around averages in March of 18.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.8 blocks and 1.4 steals per game on a very solid 45% from the field gave us a glimpse into the versatility of the forward.

Norman Powell is arguably the greatest success for Raptors 905 thus far. The first year guard didn’t see much run with the Raptors early on and saw more minutes with Raptors 905. From his very first game in the D-League, Powell was a force and showed that he belonged at the next level. Powell averaged 24.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 2.1 steals in his time with the Raptors affiliate. By the time early March hit, Powell had played his last game of the season with Raptors 905 and would become a starter with the main club. Powell did an admirable job filling in for DeMarre Carroll, including a string of six straight double figure games and a career-high 27 points against the Indiana Pacers.

Delon Wright didn’t see huge levels of improvement like his other counterparts in the D-League but the rookie point guard appears to have benefitted from having significant play time with Raptors 905. Wright appeared in 15 games and averaged 17.7 points, 5 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. After spending extended time with the D-League affiliate, Wright appeared more confident and comfortable on an NBA floor, capping off his rookie campaign with back-to-back double digit scoring games.

Scott Suggs was the only player to appear in every game this season. Suggs is a flat out scorer and managed to increase his scoring average every month since December. Suggs peaked in March with averages of 21.2 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. The guard has demonstrated an ability to finish with a variety of nifty moves in the paint and knock down threes at a very high rate. We look forward to seeing more improvement from Suggs next season.

Shannon Scott is another player who improved every month of the season. Scott went from averaging 4.6 points and 4.8 assists per game in November all the way up to 14.4 points and 6.9 assists per game in March. Scott showed his all-around ability at the end of the season, consistently finding open teammates, finishing on drives and knocking down open threes. Scott capped off his season with the first triple-double in franchise history as he recorded 24 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in a late March match-up.

Sim Bhullar started the season not playing road games and was limited to just 13 minutes a game due to his conditioning. By the time February hit, the 7’5 centre became a full-time starter, playing 32 minutes a game while averaging 16 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. Bhullar put up seven straight double doubles in February before regressing slightly in March. If Sim can improve his conditioning this off-season and play to his full potential, another NBA call-up could very well be in his future.

The last success this season comes from the two call-ups at the end of February. Axel Toupane and Greg Smith played spectacularly in their 905 stints and were rewarded with call-ups to the NBA. Raptors 905 replaced the two players with Davion Berry and E.J. Singler and both players were essential to the late season run.

Singler came in and averaged 14.7 points, 7 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. Berry provided a scoring punch with his 17.9 points per game and 3.7 assists per game. Both players are knock down three point shooters and took the offense to the next level for Raptors 905. It will be interesting to see if the two players can keep up this level of play over the grind of an entire season.

The Raptors 905 inaugural season may have just ended but season tickets for next season are already on sale! Be the first to show your support for the team and get tickets for the 2016-17 season by contacting tickets@raptors905.com

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Road To The Six: Season Recap

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.

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.

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.

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

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Road To The Six: Week 19 Recap

Raptors 905 closed out the season at home this week, going 2-0 and wrapping up the inaugural campaign by winning seven of the last eight. Though the club failed to make the playoffs, they finished with a 23-27 record, good for sixth in the Eastern Conference and the best record for an expansion team in NBA D-League history.

Scott Suggs has been the most consistent player for Raptors 905 all season. The franchise-leading scorer was on fire this week, taking it to the next level to close out the season with averages of 28.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Suggs began the season as more of a spot-up three-point shooter, but has since evolved into an all-around offensive player. Suggs has been using a variety of step back moves and flip shots in the paint to get himself open shots. He’s shot great percentages from everywhere on the floor, shooting 13-for-19 on his two-point attempts and 8-for-19 on his three pointers. His driving ability has also caused defences to collapse on him, enabling him to lob up easy alley-oops or find open shooters.

The two newcomers, E.J. Singler and Davion Berry made a huge impact since their acquisition. Scoring comes easy for Davion Berry. Since arriving from Maine, Berry has scored double figures in every game and put up a total of 44 points in two games this week. Berry is a knock-down three-point shooter, closing out the season by making 14 of his last 18 attempts. There’s much more to Berry than just three-point shooting though, he’s attempted no more than three triples in his last four games and finds his baskets by slicing into the paint and finishing lay-ups. Berry has a versatile arsenal of dribble moves such as this hesitation move that got him wide open for a jam:

E.J. Singler has shown that he’s so much more than just a dead-eye three-point specialist. Singler’s hustle and defensive attitude have been invaluable to the late run by Raptors 905. Singler once again put up well-rounded numbers this week with 19 points, 11 rebounds and five assists per game. Coming off the bench, Singler has been the type of player to provide instant offence as well as making the right play to find open teammates and pull down key rebounds that he has no business being able to grab. Of course, we still have to mention his exceptional three-point shooting, knocking down seven of his 12 three-point attempts in the two games this week.

As it’s been all season, Bruno Caboclo saw two different types of games this week, but there were many positive takeaways. In the first game in Grand Rapids, Caboclo had arguably one of his most well rounded games of the season. The Raptors sophomore put up 27 points to go with 11 rebounds and three blocked shots. Caboclo played a season-high 46 minutes and was very much the key factor in the victory. He shot nine for 14 from the field and made three of his seven three-point attempts, but what was more impressive was his ability to finish consistently in the paint, often with a thunderous dunk. Caboclo was able to take advantage of his huge wingspan all night to grab rebounds and finish over any defenders in the paint. Caboclo struggled with his three-point shot in the season finale, making only one of his eight three-point attempts. As with the previous game, he saw the most success when he was driving in, capping off the night with a huge baseline dunk and putting together a solid performance with nine rebounds and six blocks despite only scoring 11 points.
Caboclo has taken strides from what we’ve seen early in the season and we could even argue he’s ready to see some minutes in the NBA.

Next week on the Road to the Six, we’ll be recapping the Raptors 905 season, taking a look at some of the best moments, plays and the development of the assigned players.

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Road To The Six: Week 20 Recap

A big congrats goes out to two of our Raptors 905 players. Axel Toupane and Greg Smith have been signed to the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves respectively. Not only have they been called up, but the two players have earned double-digit minutes and played well enough to earn a second 10-day contract with their squads.

Three home games this week for Raptors 905 with three very different results. A wire-to-wire victory against Iowa followed by a blowout defeat at the hands of the same team the very next day. The club then were on the opposite end of a blowout in a 17-point victory in front of one of the largest crowds in NBA D-League history at Air Canada Centre.

Shannon Scott has turned a corner, starting all three games this week and playing stellar. Scott has been more aggressive looking for his shot, with double-digits attempts in all games and averaged 14.6 points per game. Scott’s aggression getting into the paint and finding his own shot didn’t affect his ability to set up his teammates, as he continued to average 5.6 assists and 6.3 rebounds per game this week from the two guard position. Despite being undersized at the two, Scott has done a great job starting alongside Delon Wright this week in a small lineup and has been one of the key contributing players in the wins.

After the trade deadline, two new faces came in to lessen the loss of Toupane and Smith. Raptors 905 acquired Davion Berry from Maine and E.J. Singler from Idaho.

Davion Berry has been slowly easing his way into the rotation and has made it a point not to force anything. Berry has improved with each of his games and has clearly been getting more comfortable in the flow of the offense. Berry went scoreless in his debut but played great defense while adding three assists and three rebounds. He then followed up the performance with 10 points and three rebounds as a starter against Idaho. He finally topped it all off with a well-rounded game of 11 points, six rebounds and eight assists in the win against Fort Wayne. We can expect Berry to only head up from here and seems to be the best candidate to replace Toupane’s production.

E.J. Singler has been solid from day one and has played big minutes. The former Oregon product has averaged 10 points, 5.6 rebounds and three assists per game in three games with Raptors 905. He’s also lived up to his reputation as a three-point shooter, knocking down six of his 12 attempts in a 905 uniform. Singler has shown to be a gritty defender and has drawn charges and pulled down key rebounds, even getting a double-double with 11 rebounds in the game against the Mad Ants this week.

Former Raptors draft pick, DeAndre Daniels finally made his return to the court against Iowa this week. Daniels did a good job using his length to pull down six rebounds in 13 minutes and made a long two pointer for his first basket for Raptors 905. He has shown rust however, turning the ball over twice and not scoring again in his limited minutes. Expect Daniels to be eased into the rotation as he did not play in the following game against the Mad Ants.

Delon Wright played two games this week. The rookie had a monster game against the Energy and was a key contributor in the win. Wright had his fingerprints all over the game and put up a monster stat line, narrowly missing a triple double with 17 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, three blocks and two steals. Wright also did a much better job controlling the ball, committing only three turnovers for the night. Wright did a great job getting to the rim and consistently finishing or finding teammates. His ability to get into the paint is what makes him a valuable piece for the Raptors. In the next game, Wright played just 14 minutes but still managed to put up nine points on a solid 4-for-6 from the field.

Similar to Wright, Lucas Nogueira had a quiet outing in low minutes followed by a huge game. Bebe came off the bench for Sim Bhullar and converted on two shots within a minute of each other but would not have much of an impact the rest of the way, playing just 16 minutes and contributing eight points with two rebounds in the game against Iowa. The Raptors big man played 31 minutes against his former D-League team in his next game and showed what he can do. Nogueira led the team with a double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds and was an absurd +25 for the game. The Brazilian was throwing down dunks all night and even extended his range on a straight away three pointer.

Some positive and negative takeaways for Bruno Caboclo this week, as consistency continues to be a challenge. The former Raptors first-round pick has managed to stay out of foul trouble, which was an issue that plagued him early on in the season and has was able to play 35 or more minutes in all three of his appearances this week. Caboclo has started at the power forward position as Raptors 905 look to play small ball and has been able to use his length to block shots, averaging 2.3 per game. He’s also done a good job rebounding, with a double-double against the Mad Ants and averaging 7.6 rebounds per game. The forward’s scoring has been up and down however, going from 20 points down to seven and then back up to 14. 24 of his 43 shots have been from beyond the arc in the three games this week and we’d like to see him take it to the basket more to improve his scoring consistency and field-goal percentage. He’s shown lately that he’s a capable finisher when he gets to the rim.

Just seven games left in the season, with three of the games at home. Raptors 905 will play at home this Saturday, March 19th against the BayHawks for a 7pm tip-off (GET TICKETS) before heading off on a two-game road trip in Maine (March 20, 5pm) and Westchester (March 24, 7pm). Follow along and stream all the upcoming games on Raptors905.com

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Road To The Six: Week 17 Recap

Raptors 905 began the home stand with two close games but ended up going 0-2 this week, dropping their overall record to 15-25. The club was up by as much as 15 against Fort Wayne before being outscored in the remaining three quarters. In the following game against Maine, Raptors 905 was trailing by 14 points at halftime but managed to take the lead in the third before once again being outscored by 16 in the fourth quarter. Head coach Jesse Mermuys thought the squad did a great job holding Maine to just 14 points in the third quarter but felt the team’s overall execution in the half-court was below average:

The assigned players played big minutes this week, not leaving much playing time available for the affiliate players. Despite this, Shannon Scott put up two solid (but different) games. Scott started at the point against Fort Wayne, playing 34 minutes and putting up 12 assists. He didn’t have a great shooting night, shooting just 3-for-10 and finishing with six points before fouling out. Scott did have the highest plus/minus rating on the team on the night with a +8 thanks to his ability to find his teammates and defence. In the next game, Scott came off the bench and looked for his own shot more. He scored 19 points on 7-for-15 shooting along with a season-high three field goals from beyond the arc.

Sim Bhullar’s double-double streak ended at seven games but not before he put up 20 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks against the Mad Ants. Sim’s minutes continue to go up and Coach Mermuys has credited him with guarding more mobile big men in the D-League who can shoot threes. Bhullar just missed a double-double with eight points and nine rebound against Maine. He was able to stay with Coty Clarke for the most part but ultimately only played 23 minutes due to spacing issues.

Michale Kyser started just his third game of the season and played a career-high 34 minutes. Kyser was active around the basket, finishing the game with career highs of 15 points and 10 rebounds. Despite this, Kyser felt like he could have contributed more and hopes to play better and help the team win:

Big minutes for Bruno Caboclo this week as he played back to back 40+ minute games. Caboclo had one of his best scoring outings of the season with 29 points on 10-for-17 shooting against the Mad Ants. The Raptors sophomore also converted on five of his seven shots from beyond the arc and was on fire all night. He was also active on the glass, pulling down 11 rebounds. Consistency remains a problem for Caboclo, as he  cooled off in the second game with just nine points. What the Brazilian is doing well however, is continuing to contribute in other ways when his shot isn’t dropping. Caboclo added eight rebounds, two assists, two blocked shots and one steal for a solid stat line. Caboclo also continues to drive to the rim with more confidence as opposed to settling for three pointers like he did early in the season.

Lucas Nogueira has huge potential with his length and continues to improve in the D-League. Nogueira was everywhere against the Mad Ants and found himself open for easy dunks and alley-oops. Bebe put up 18 points with nine rebounds, two steals and one blocked shot. Nogueira played limited minutes against Maine for the same reason as Bhullar as their three point shooting big men gave Nogueira trouble. The big man played just 19 minutes and put up five points with three rebounds. Being able to defend stretch fours and three-point-shooting centres will be something he will need to add to his arsenal if he is to play minutes in the NBA.

Norman Powell must’ve gained some confidence playing up with the big squad as he showed up on a whole other level against the Mad Ants. Powell was displaying the full repertoire with jump shots, drives and passes. Powell had his way with the game notching a franchise high 36 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and two steals. Whether it was converting on alley-oops, taking it all the way to the basket himself or driving in and finding the open shooter, it looked like Powell had the game completely under his control before he fouled out late in the fourth quarter.

Like Powell, Delon Wright seems to have gained confidence after getting minutes with the Raptors. Wright did a great job penetrating and dishing throughout the night and effortlessly converted nine of his 15 shot attempts. The rookie put up 24 points to go with seven assists and six rebounds. One sore spot for the night was that he committed seven turnovers, including a couple of costly ones down the stretch. Despite this, Wright is still a rookie learning the game and has played brilliantly with the D-league affiliate.

Three more games at home this week. Raptors 905 will have six days off before playing the Iowa Energy back to back on Friday at 7:30pm (GET TICKETS) and Saturday at 7pm (GET TICKETS).

Tip-off your March Break with Raptors 905 when the team hosts a March Break game against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants at Air Canada Centre on March 14th at noon. Get 4 tickets for the price of 3 when you use promo code: MARCH905. First 1000 fans in the arena will receive free foam fingers!

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Road To The Six: Week 16 Recap

Raptors 905 hit the road with three games this week, going 2-1 and staying in playoff contention. The affiliate players for the squad have really stepped up, with at least six players scoring in double figures in all three games, showing that they are really gelling as a unit.

Sim Bhullar stayed hot and we continue to ride his double-double streak up to six games now. Bhullar has shot 72% this week, slightly up from his league leading 69%. Bhullar has looked significantly more agile in the post and as a result, teams have not found any way to even slow down the big man once he catches the ball from five feet in. Also of note, Bhullar has shown a surprising ability to pass the ball out of the post, averaging three assists per game this week.

Bhullar isn’t the only player on a double-double tear. Greg Smith has filled in at the starting power forward spot since the injury of Ronald Roberts and has five straight double-doubles. Smith has scored in double figures every game since the beginning of February and has averaged 15 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. He’s also had two big scoring games this week with 21 against Erie and 24 in Delaware. Smith has been a reliable scorer in the post and has even developed a steady 10-15 foot jump shot to keep defenders honest.

Scott Suggs has been on fire this week. Shooting is what Suggs does best and he’s shot 11-19 from beyond the arc in three games. Suggs poured in 15 points in the first quarter of the game in Erie this week en route to a career high 29 points. Raptors 905 are 7-5 when Suggs scores 20 or more points.

Bruno Caboclo has been inconsistent scoring the ball but has consistently found other ways to contribute, which arguably is more important for his long-term growth. Caboclo has stuffed the stat sheet with averages of 12.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2 steals per game. Despite his scoring troubles, Caboclo has looked more comfortable dribbling the ball and scoring at the basket instead of settling for three pointers. The former Raptors first-round pick also remains a consistent threat defensively with his ability to get in the passing lane and block shots.

Raptors 905 begin a six-game home stand with two games this week. Raptors 905 will host the Fort Wayne Mad Ants at home for the first time season on March 3rd at 7:30pm (Get Tix).
The Maine Red Claws will then head to town on March 5th for a 2pm tip-off (Get Tix). Gates open at the Hershey Centre one hour before tip-off.

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Road To The Six: Week 15 Recap

Raptors 905 got back in action this week after NBA D-League All-Star with three games. The club tipped things off in Westchester with a win over All-Star game MVP Jimmer Fredette and the Knicks followed by back to back games against Canton – one in Canton and the other back home in Mississauga for the first time in 24 days. Coach Mermuys was disappointed after the back-to-back losses, feeling like the team had regressed and missed the energy of Ronald Roberts, who was absent from all three games this week due to a patellar strain.

The Sim rules the paint… The Sim rules the paint.  Sim Bhullar has logged some huge minutes in the absence of Ronald Roberts. The 7’4 centre has averaged 32 minutes per game this week, which eclipses his previous career high of 28 minutes in a game. Not only is Bhullar logging big minutes, he’s producing by putting up three consecutive double doubles. He hit his season high of 15 rebounds in Canton before logging a season high 21 points against Canton back at home the next day. The Canadian has looked near unstoppable in the paint with his sheer size, bulldozing defenders out of the way and shooting 70% from the field.

Bhullar feels that his time off to work on his conditioning earlier in the season has paid off in a big way and that’s why he’s now looking agile and logging career highs in minutes and production:

Greg Smith has averaged 13.6 points and 10.6 rebounds per game this week and has been a reliable option in the paint. Smith brings poise and leadership as a former NBA player. His game doesn’t have much flash but he’s been very consistent and is continuing to improve. Smith hasn’t been happy with his effort or the team’s performance this week and believes there is much more of an upside that we can look forward to

Bruno Caboclo played in the loss at home against Canton but had a great showing. The forward stuffed the stat sheet with 21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 blocked shot. What was notable about Caboclo’s performance was that despite shooting 3-10 from beyond the arc, he found much success driving and finishing strong in the paint, something he had not had great success doing in previous games. Consistency remains the key for Caboclo and we would love to continue to see performances like this from him.

Two games on the road this week as Raptors 905 head to Iowa on February 23rd for a 8pm tip-off and then to Delaware on February 26th for a 7pm tip-off. Both games will be streamed live on Raptors 905.com. The squad will return home for a six game home stand to begin March beginning with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants on March 3rd. Purchase Tickets Here

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Road To The Six: Week 14 Recap

We have a special All-Star edition of the Road to the Six blog this week. The home team Raptors 905 had great representation this weekend, with at least one player in every event. Scott Suggs participated in both the three-point contest and the All-Star Game, John Jordan in the slam dunk contest and Ronald Roberts in the All-Star Game.

Scott Suggs showed up with a valiant effort in the three-point contest. The hometown guard made at least three out five of his shots in every rack en route to a score of 14 heading to his final money ball rack in the corner. Suggs would put on a show and make all five of his money ball shots to total 24 points but would have two points removed for stepping on the line. Suggs finished with 22 points which put him just short of the final two spots with Jimmer Fredette putting up 24 points and eventual champion Andre Ingram putting up 26 points in the first round.

With the Raptors’ own Patrick Patterson and DeMar DeRozan looking on, John Jordan needed to put on a show. The 5’10 guard didn’t disappoint, bringing the ball down to his ankles off of a lob and getting a perfect 50 on his first attempt.

John Jordan wasn’t done yet, pulling out a two handed windmill dunk for another perfect 50:

Jordan would take on D.J. Stephens in the final round and the crowd was getting into it for the electric guard. Chants of “905” began to fill the building as Jordan enlisted the help of Quinn Cook for his first dunk in the finals. Quinn lobbed the ball off of the glass and Jordan finished it in style with a pretty 180 two handed windmill for yet another perfect 50:

Jordan opted for the 360 dunk to put the cherry on top and be crowed the 2016 NBA D-League Slam Dunk Champion.

Both Ronald Roberts and Scott Suggs didn’t see much action in the first half, as both players didn’t check into the game until halfway through. Roberts unfortunately suffered a minor jammed finger and would sit out the rest of the game for precautionary reasons after playing just seven minutes. Roberts did manage to show off his repertoire and knock down a three point shot from the top of the key before checking out of the game.

Suggs started off the second half on fire after going scoreless in the first. The home team representative got things going by laying in an alley-oop before converting on three triples. Suggs capped off his evening with a fast break dunk en route to 13 points for the victorious East squad.

We’re back to business this week with three games on the schedule. Raptors 905 get back to action in Westchester Wednesday night against Westchester at 7pm and will then head to Canton to take on the charge on February 20th for a 7pm tip-off. Both road games can be watched live at Raptors905.com.

Raptors 905 will return home to the Hershey Centre on February 21st for the only February home game when they take on the Canton Charge at 6pm (Purchase Tickets).

We’ll leave on a fun note, as Scott Suggs’ mom crashes his post All-Star interview: