Grading the Toronto Raptors’ offseason pickups
By Staff
Dec 6, 2014; San Antonio, TX, USA; San Antonio Spurs point guard Cory Joseph (5) shoots the ball over Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Zach LaVine (8) during the first half at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
Cory Joseph (PG 4 year/30 mil): A-
We got someone coming back to Canada, eh? Josh Eberley put it best in his tweet:
7.5 mill a year to play 15-20 minutes of basketball 82x a year, in your home town... Cory Joseph hit the jack pot. https://t.co/ivRumT4IA3
— Josh Eberley 🇨🇦 (@JoshEberley) July 6, 2015
As only the second Canadian to ever play for the Raptors (Jamal Magloire was the first), bringing Joseph home is huge. Not only does it entice fans to come watch a Canadian play, he’s also a really solid pickup.
Last year, the Canadian averaged 6.8 points per game on 50.4% shooting in 18.3 minutes. Coming from a very solid point guard situation in San Antonio, Joseph was always in the shadows and only just recently began to hold his own as a backup guard.
While his shooting numbers are impressive, his main strength is defence.
Joseph is only the start of the Raptors’ shift back to their defensive roots. A hustle player, who’s main strengths are the ability to lockdown on defence and penetrate the opposition offensively is a good pickup for the Raps, even if it means overpaying a little.
Next: DeMarre Carroll