The Toronto Raptors started their preseason game on Sunday night against Australia’s Cairns Taipans in a sprint.
On their second position, Scottie Barnes grabbed a rebound, turned the other way and eventually pumped a pass out to O.G. Anunoby for a 3-pointer. The next time down the floor, it was Pascal Siakam doing the running and creating, and Dennis Schröder hitting the shot. Cairns has been beset by injuries on their trip to North America, and it was no match for the Raptors.
👌👌👌 https://t.co/e7hry878RH pic.twitter.com/IWx6Tszedm
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) October 15, 2023
There are some things to sort out, like Scottie Barnes’ five turnovers in 18 minutes in the 134-93 win, but they are the expected hurdles of the Raptors changing their offensive identity. Then again, there isn’t much drama in what the Raptors’ starters are doing. While it seemed like there might be a battle between Schröder and Gary Trent Jr. to begin the game alongside the four other assumed starters, it looks like that spot will go to Schröder. The real interest is what is going on behind them.
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Barnes, Anunoby, Siakam, Schröder, Trent and Jakob Poeltl are guaranteed minutes. Head coach Darko Rajaković wants to play 10 players per night, which leaves four spots up for grabs. Through two of the Raptors’ four preseason games, here is what has stood out in the battle for minutes.
Stock up
With the top three options at centre — Poeltl (illness), Christian Koloko (respiratory issue) and Precious Achiuwa (groin strain) out of the lineup — Boucher got the start. It was a bit of a surprise, as the passing of Thaddeus Young is a far better offensive simulation of Poeltl than Boucher.
Coach Darko Rajaković went with Boucher, though, which at least is a sign he expects him to be a regular part of the rotation. Given how many long forward/swingman types the Raptors have — if Boucher wasn’t in the plans — he probably wouldn’t have slid into that spot. Safe to say, if he does start the occasional game at centre, it will require some offensive alterations with Boucher just not used to slinging the ball around and getting everyone involved. (How Achiuwa fares in that role is also an open question).
“I learned that he is skinny,” Rajaković said of his first few weeks coaching Boucher. “Chris just brings so much energy. He is really good with roaming on defence. He can protect the rim. He runs (on) offence, transition, really well. … Now, I want him to be even more aggressive on the offensive end in the sense that he makes good decisions.”
This isn’t a new version of Boucher, but that’s OK. He remains great at running the floor, which is still the Raptors’ best offensive option, and is a very good cutter, which is important in the new offensive system.
.@DS17_FG ➡️ @ScottBarnes561 ➡️ @chrisboucher pic.twitter.com/qDoGDBzTcy
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) October 15, 2023
Boucher had 12 points and eight rebounds in 13 minutes. He knows how to play with his teammates.
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Shooting will be the free-agent signing’s swing skill. McDaniels has defensive versatility and plenty of length, but they’re going to need him to hit at a decent rate from deep to create dangerous units.
A lot of players fit that description, though. McDaniels has looked adept in the offence, making quick decisions, even if they are not setting up prime opportunities, and then moving to a new spot. Constant movement is key for Rajaković’s system to work with this roster, and McDaniels appears to be picking that up quickly.
“I really like his defence, his ability to get deflections, ability to get over the screens, to change shots,” Rajaković said earlier in the week. “And offensively, I think there is another layer to his game. I think that he can be a very good cutter, especially inside of our system. … I think he’s already a really good player, but I expect him to take it to another level.”
Thaddeus Young/Precious Achiuwa
Achiuwa hasn’t played yet due to a groin injury, but Rajaković keeps mentioning him in his scrums with the media. So long as Koloko is unavailable, the plan appears to be putting Achiuwa in behind Poeltl.
In the meantime, Young is connecting with his teammates, as he has done for the back half of his career. If he is your centre, you are going to have issues protecting the rim, making the Raptors’ switching and individual perimeter defence crucial. He is as good as there is on the roster with his ability to find his teammates, though.
“He likes playing at the elbows,” Rajaković said. “He’s good in (dribble handoffs). He’s also good at keepers, turning the corner, attacking the rim. Those situations fit him really well.”
Stock down
Last season’s cause celebre has not played a minute in the first half through the first two games. That is to say, he hasn’t been playing with the guys who will be on the court when the games start to count.
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Malachi Flynn has received most of the point guard minutes behind Schröder. That makes sense even if he is in the last year of his rookie contract. Flynn still has not received an extended look at regular minutes with the Raptors. That was a point of contention with Nick Nurse, so Flynn will get a look, especially in the preseason.
Dowtin is on a non-guaranteed deal, meaning the Raptors would have to waive somebody to keep him on the roster. That won’t be Young or Otto Porter Jr., as they could be useful in trades given their above-minute contracts. It won’t be Garrett Temple, as you do not bring in a veteran on a guaranteed contract unless you intend to keep him. That doesn’t leave many options, and the Raptors don’t seem too invested in keeping the 26-year-old guard around.
Garrett Temple
It appears that Temple is largely here to be a trusted veteran example for his teammates. He shared minutes with the fourth-quarter lineup of Javon Freeman-Liberty, Mouhamadou Gueye, Ron Harper Jr. and Markquis Nowell. In case you’re keeping track, that is three players on two-way contracts and one on an Exhibit 10.
Temple played just 25 games with the Pelicans last season. He shot the ball well, but it was not much of a sample. The Raptors will trust him to be ready when injuries force him into the lineup, but it appears playing priority will go to several other players.
Otto Porter Jr.
After playing eight games last season, Porter hasn’t played in any preseason games or the intrasquad scrimmage two weekends ago at Simon Fraser University.
This is beginning to smell fishy. Rajaković said Porter went through an entire practice early in training camp, but said last week that he just played 3-on-3 against younger players. There has been no word about him exacerbating his surgically repaired toe, but it’s weird that the Raptors wouldn’t make sure he was getting some run now. He has not played in 11 months.
Masai Ujiri mentioned Porter on media day, so it does not feel as if he is out of the team’s plans for good. However, the longer he is out, the more ground he loses on Boucher and McDaniels in the reserve forward department.
(Photo: Bob Frid / USA Today)
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