Did Raptors Get Better By Trading Cory Joseph?
During his time in Toronto Cory Joseph became beloved by Raptors fans and for good reason. For just the second time in franchise history a Canadian was a member of the roster. Jamaal Magloire became the first Canadian to play for the Raptors in 2012. What made things even better, was that Joseph carried the “six” on his back each and every time he took the court.
In San Antonio Joseph became an NBA Champion. He got to learn from coach Gregg Popovich, and applied his lessons by playing with stars such as Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan.
Singing Cory Joseph made almost too much sense. Here was one of the best reserve point guards in the league and he was Canadian. With Delon Wright developing and Fred VanVleet still an unknown, Joseph would become the secondary point guard the Raptors had longed for.
Joseph got better and better as time passed during his tenure with Toronto. In 2015-2016 he averaged 8.5 points and 2.6 assists. However, Joseph’s second season with the Raptors was the best in his young career.
The 26-year old set career highs across the board in the 2016-2017 season. He averaged 9.3 points per game, started in 22 games and was arguably one of the best players off the bench in the NBA. When Masai Ujiri stated that the Raptors needed a “culture reset” after an early Playoff loss, suddenly everything became uncertain.
Shock In The 6ix
On July 14th 2017 the landscape of the Toronto Raptors changed. It was announced that Cory Joseph had been traded to Indiana. The deal was to make room for the signing of CJ Miles. After inking Kyle Lowry to a lucrative extension, shedding CoJo’s contract became necessary in order to sign Miles.
This was not the ending to Cory Jospeh’s time in Toronto anyone would have expected. He was supposed to be a member of the Raptors for years to come. Moving Joseph was a brutal reminder that at the end of the day, the NBA is still a business.
Trading CoJo broke the hearts of Raptors fans everywhere. However, nobody could have predicted the success that would come as a result of the deal. In the long run, trading Joseph was a risk that looks to already be paying off.
Opportunities Arise & The Future Gets Brighter
With one point guard off the roster, someone had to step up. Delon Wright had been waiting in both Joseph and Lowry’s shadow. Fred VanVleet was coming off an impressive showing during Raptors 905’s run to the D League Championship.
Thus far both point guards have taken the increase in minutes and never looked back. Wright continues to develop into a strong defender and his shot has become more efficient. One year ago Wright was shooting 42% from the field. This season he is shooting at a 46% clip. The former Utah product is averaging a career-high 8 points and 2.8 assists per game.
Fred VanVleet on the other hand, has silenced all the critics. Previously VanVleet was playing in only 7.9 minutes per game over 37 total games. The 2017-2018 season has been a completely different story for the young point guard.
VanVleet has appeared in a career high 60 games and counting. He may only be averaging 8.3 points per game but he does so much more than score. VanVleet has become a leader on the Raptors second unit. He plays with tremendous poise and is no longer afraid to shoot the ball or, attack the rim.
For a player who used to be just another body to warm the bench, VanVleet has come a long way. He has watched and certainly has learned. What makes the 24-year old so special is that he does all the little things and remains humble along the way, never basking in his own individual success.
Shooter Acquired
Toronto acquired another key piece of their present day success as a result of trading Cory Joseph. Backup point guard woes aside, the Raptors lacked a true three-and-d threat. Terrence Ross was traded in the Serge Ibaka Deal and the DeMarre Carroll experiment did not work.
Through 52 games this season Miles seems to be the piece the Raptors had been missing for quite some time. Miles will not be the be all and end all of Toronto’s success. However, he is playing a strong part in it.
The 30-year old has made an impact in every role so far. Whether it is as a starter or off the bench, Miles has done a tremendous job of being able to knock down shots when needed. Having a guy who can automatically make a big three will do wonders for team morale. During his time with the Raptors, he has looked like arguably one of the best catch-and-shoot gunners in the league.
Miles is the type of player who can get hot and stay hot. He does not need five minutes of action to get going. Dwayne Casey can put him in the game for 20 minutes and he will score 24 points. If the Raptors ever find themselves on the wrong end of a scoring run, their coaching staff can trust its sharp-shooter to go in the game, knock down a shot and get the team going.
Conclusion
Cory Joseph’s tenure in Toronto was not bad. He was not a bust, he was not overpaid, and he was certainly not expected to be traded.The CoJo “era” in Toronto did not last as long as many would have liked. However, it helped build the future.
When Masai Ujiri set out to make a “culture reset” this past summer he was not joking. How do you turn around an underachieving team? How do you change a culture? You do so by making a statement. Ujiri made the statement and the 2017-2018 Raptors have heard it loud and clear.
In the short term, dealing the Canadian-born Joseph broke the hearts of Raptors fans everywhere. In the long term picture, trading Joseph brought in a new sharpshooter and made way for two young starts to cement themselves among the Raptors’ core. One player was dealt but from this deal came three important contributors on perhaps the greatest Raptors team we have ever seen.