Sorry for the recent lack of action here at Raptors Rapture guys, the internet at my house has been out of commision for almost a week now. Not only could I not write anything, but I had no internet for 4 days which is torture in it’s own right. I come back at a perfect time though, the Raptors have just finished up all of their Summer League games and it seems assured now that Jarrett Jack will be a Toronto Raptor.
Since the Summer League just ended lets take a look at who might make the Raptors roster, and those that do, which will make an actual impact in the pros:
Locks
DeMar DeRozan: DeRozan showed why he was the Raptors first round pick this year averaging 17.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.2 apg, and 0.8 spg in 32.6 minutes a game. DeRozan struggled from beyond the arc but the Raptors knew that when they drafted him. On the other hand it seemed like he could get to the rim whenever he wanted and looked every bit the high flying guard that we thought we were getting. DeRozan should be the 6th man for the Raptors for the majority of his first year in the league, developing on the bench while providing a scoring boost when he’s on the court.
Quincy Douby: Douby was probably the Raptors best player in the Summer League. Not only did he lead the team in scoring, 18 ppg, but he showed signs of being a great combo guard. Douby lead the team with 3.8 apg and had an assist-turnover ratio of 2.11/1. With his added versatility Douby is a great asset for the Raptors, who crave ball handling as well as scoring from the guard positions. On top of that Douby was the only guard on the team to average 70%+ from the FT line (71.4%). Next year Douby will be the 4th or 5th guard in the Raptors rotation, unless there is an injury Douby will likely be playing 10-15 minutes.
Patrick O’Bryant: The Raptors are desperate for size in the front court. Chris Bosh is 6′10 but is skinny at just 225 and Andrea Bargnani is a true 7 footer but likes to play on the perimeter and only brought down 5.8 rpg last season. Reggie Evans is the Raptors new tough guy but with such a lack of size on the team they can’t keep O’Bryant at 7 feet and 250 lbs off the team. In the Summer League O’Bryant showed a scoring touch averaging 11.2 ppg and showed off a nice 15 footer with okay consistency. O’Bryant did average 6.8 rebounds but the centers that he faced when he grabbed more than 7 rebounds were Ben McCauley (6′8), Trent Plaisted (6′11), and Will MacDonald (6′10), so he still needs to work on his positioning and not rely so much on the fact that he is 7 feet tall. O’Bryant will see 10-15 minutes as the 11th or 12th man on the bench, the time he gets will be purely for his height and size.
Training Camp Invite
Roko Ukic: At the beginning of the Summer League Ukic was our primary backup at the point guard position. Well in the last week a lot has changed. Jarrett Jack is days away from officially being a Raptor next year and Quincy Douby outplayed Ukic in every aspect of the game in Summer League play. Now Ukic runs the risk of not even making the roster next season. Ukic needs to work on his turnovers (3.5 a game in summer league) and his knowledge of the offense. Last year and in the summer he looked like he didn’t know what to do at times and dribbled far too much. It will be a battle between Parker and Ukic for the 3rd PG spot.
Smush Parker: Parker was great on defense during Summer League play but was average on the offensive end. Still Parker matched Ukic’s 2.8 assists a game and had 0.5 less turnovers a game even though he played 6 less minutes a game. Parker was solid on the Lakers a few years back and was their starting PG for a long stretch, if he can show that skill in training camp he will beat out Ukic for one of the final roster spots.
Shawn Taggart: Taggart left Memphis before he was ready for the NBA, but who could blam him with all that happened there in the last few months. Taggart showed signs the ability necessary for the NBA but needs a year or two in Europe or in the D-league to further develop and add some necessary bulk to his lanky frame. I would love it if the Raptors could sign him to a minimum contract and put him in the D-league until he develops, but that seems unlikely.
Brent Petway: Petway showed once again why he won’t play in the NBA anytime soon, he has all the athleticism in the world but doesn’t have the basketball skills to play in the NBA. Petway is good for a couple jaw dropping dunks but he can’t really do much more than that. Until he develops a consistent 15 footer and improves his rebounding Petway will be a D-league highlight reel.
Maybe Next Year
Paul Davis: Another tall white Tom Izzo guy. He should go to Europe where his size and offensive abilities would be effective. He should have a good career in Europe but an NBA career is unlikely.
Ekene Ibekwe: I liked what I saw from Ibekwe, he shot a high percentage, moved the ball well, and rebounded extremely well. He just needs a little more grooming and pro experience before he gets an NBA contract.
Demetris Nichols: I always liked Nichols when he played at Syracuse, but in the Summer League he was inefficient. Nichols needs to spend a few years in Europe before he has a shot at making an NBA team.
No Chance:
David Doblas: Stay in Spain.
Carl English: Didn’t play a single minute.
- KC Roberts
FanSided
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