Toronto Raptors Heat Check Vol.1: The marathon continues

The new OG Anunoby has arrived

OG Anunoby will be the first to tell you he’s spent countless hours over the past few years working on his ball-handling skills. It appears as though the practice is beginning to pay off.

When the Toronto Raptors took on the Portland Trailblazers in their second scrimmage game one thing was clear, Anunoby had a refined handle.

Look at this clip here, he uses a dribble-move to draw not one, but three defenders to get the pass off leading to a secondary assist. This is an area of Anunoby’s game which could be huge for the Raptors going forward.

Throughout Anuunoby’s young career, he’s been mostly viewed as a Three-and-D threat from the wing. However, with his newfound handle, the 23-year-old will become more of a threat on the court.

Being able to diversify your game is paramount in the NBA. If Anunoby can constantly attack the rim, especially when he gets to run off the three-point line, it’ll help him find more ways to score.

The important thing here is to not get too excited over a small sample size. It’s certainly exciting to see Anunoby’s development kick into its next gear however, only time will tell if this new and improved version will last.

While his scrimmage numbers may not jump out at you, it’s all about the little things. Watching the former Indiana Hoosier morph into more of a slasher than just a stationary wing has the potential to be extremely satisfying.