Raptors second unit needs to perform
By Brian Boake
The Raptors haven’t shaken up their roster to the degree many teams have, and that stability applies to the rotation players.
The success of last season’s Toronto Raptors was due to many factors, and one of the most important was the team’s ability to rotate nine effective players. In the wake of Bismack Biyombo’s departure to the Magic Kingdom (i.e., Orlando, where the Magic re-invent themselves annually yet don’t make the playoffs – how does their GM keep his job?), we’re going to consider whether the Raptors’ second unit can remain a giant plus.
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We must consider who the second unit constitutes. I think we can safely assume the return of Terrence Ross, Cory Joseph and Patrick Patterson (I am defaulting the Power Forward starter’s job to newcomer Jared Sullinger. Pascal Siakam is a dark horse, but is sidelined with a knee strain and as a consequence isn’t able to assert himself in Summer League.)
After those three incumbents, I expect a committee.
Jakob Poeltl needs to get his feet wet in the NBA, but not drenching. If I were coach Dwane Casey, I’d tell Jakob right now that he’s earmarked for the Raptors 905, where he’ll get unlimited minutes. But, he can stay with the big team until the 905 season tips off, which is usually around two weeks after the NBA does. If Jakob knows in advance what the plan is, he won’t feel like a failure when he’s sent down.
Bruno Caboclo is making haste slowly. His Summer League performance to date has been respectable, if not eye-popping. I think he’s neither ahead of nor behind the schedule our Peerless Leader, Masai Ujiri, had in mind when Bruno was drafted in 2014. I don’t expect him to make the big team, and there’s no harm in that. Bruno needs all the playing time he can get, and he won’t get a bunch of minutes as a Raptor.
Norman Powell surely will be in the mix. Last season Kyle Lowry often played at shooting guard with Cory at the point. I’d be happier seeing Norman take those minutes to keep Kyle fresh. Powell will get consideration as the Summer League MVP if he keeps up his act. It’s a huge relief to know last season wasn’t a fluke; the guy is a player.
We aren’t big enough yet. I’d give Lucas Nogueira the first chance to replace Jonas Valanciunas at centre. If Bebe bombs out, there are lots of options, including going small. That’s where Delon Wright could enter the picture, or he might do so as a long defender against a small yet gifted point guard.
Dwane Casey will enjoy mixing and matching this young and eager group. I expect the minutes for our starters to decrease slightly, a topic we’ll discuss in greater detail in the future.
You probably know this, but for the record: James Johnson is now in Miami, while Luis Scola has caught on with the Brooklyn Nets. Good luck to them both, but our second unit is better now than ever.