Last Friday, I had the pleasure of attending the Raptors' coaches open house at Scotiabank Arena. Several key members of Toronto's staff led sessions that provided a better understanding of how the organization approaches coaching strategies and player development.
I remember assistant coach Pat Delany mentioning during his session the importance of making defense messy. He stressed that players should keep their arms moving, working on hand activity, staying focused and getting their chin on the ball. While this might sound like a chaotic, spazzy style of defense, Delany offered a key analogy: players need to have a "cobra mentality" instead of a "woodpecker mentality," waiting patiently for the right moment to strike.
After watching the preseason, I immediately noticed that Ochai Agbaji has embraced this defensive style. He was locked in every time he was on the court and seemed to embody the defense that Delany emphasized as a priority for the Raptors. This wasn't a huge surprise to me since Agbaji has already shown he can be a solid point-of-attack defender. However, most of the recent attention on him has been on his impressive jump in three-point shooting, which was one of the largest statistical surges in modern NBA history.
Playing hard on a nightly basis could carve a long-term Raptors path for Ochai Agbaji
But I believe this year brings a different situation for Ochai Agbaji. I’m not sure if he can exactly replicate his success from last year, and although he wasn't a high-usage player with the Raptors, that opportunity seems even more limited now with a deeper roster. Assistant coach James Wade said during his seminar that the Raptors have players like Gradey Dick, Ja’Kobe Walter, and Ochai Agbaji who might not get many shots each night. These players need to be ready to switch from the wing to the corner for a three or to cut to the basket, as the system often demands.
But before they get there, are those players willing to do the dirty work and engage their defender? Delany emphasized that playing hard is just as important a skill as being an effective scorer or shooting threat. Although Agbaji's preseason was marred by some inefficient shooting — going 4-for-15 on his threes (26.7%) — his effort to still play hard was evident, which is likely why he averaged around 19 minutes of action in those exhibition games.
That defensive intensity has even caught the attention of Agbaji's new teammate Brandon Ingram. After Raptors training camp in Calgary earlier this month, Ingram spoke to the media and said: "Really strong. Can move his feet. Smart on the defensive end. He makes plays. He can guard on the ball, off the basketball, and he's been pushing me since summertime."
Agbaji's future in Toronto remains uncertain since he's due for a contract extension, which might not be the wisest financial move for the Raptors given the rising salary sheets. Whether short-term or long-term, the key is for Agbaji to buy into that defensive side of the ball and consistently exhibit the intensity worth earning minutes. Ultimately, this will benefit his career by either impressing Toronto's brass or attracting rival teams that could offer solid assets in exchange for Ochai Agbaji.