Positional Battles - Training Camp Cometh Edition

[thead]

So I thought I would take this chance to talk about positional battles

PG – KYLE LOWRY - CORY JOSEPH - DELON WRIGHT


There is currently no battle here. Kyle Lowry is in the best shape of his life
Delon Wright as a rookie is likely not going to usurp Cory Jo for minutes.

LONG TERM

This has all the makings of a succession lined up
Cory Joseph has 4 years at super reasonable rate and Delon Wright can be controlled for 5
I think it is safe to assume that Lowry may wane in the coming years
But as of this year I do not see a battle

SG – DEMAR DEROZAN - TERRENCE ROSS - NORMAN POWELL


The battle here is not actually for the starting spot but rather the backup minutes and could very well be split between three guys. If Norman Powell’s defense translates from Summer League, how do you not play him? If you really need floor spacing, you couldn’t do much worse than planting Ross in a corner and having him run corner to corner. Cory Jo would provide a nice balance of offense and defense in 2 PG lineups, which I expect to see from Casey as well. Ross has not been offered an extension and I think that is very telling. He has NBA skills, he has NBA athleticism. His problem remains the space between his ears. I can see him being moved near the trade deadline if Cojo proves more effective or if Powell’s skills translate to the next level

SF – DEMARRE CARROLL - JAMES JOHNSON - BRUNO CABOLCO

There is no battle for the starting role here. You don’t pay a guy 15 million and not start him.
At the backup position I think it would be incredibly naïve to think that Bruno has any shot at minutes this year. The only scenario I see that happening in is if we get wracked with injuries, or he sets the D-League on fire. Either way, I don’t think that tree bears fruit for another year or two. Sadly the two years away from being two years away was accurate.

Will Dwayne let James Johnson play? I hope so because he is really the only person you can play in those backup minutes that can stay in front of bigger threes and fours. Otherwise you are playing SGs out of position. I’d like to see us make people play up to our size instead of them forcing us to go small.


PF – PATRICK PATTERSON, LUIS SCOLA, ANTHONY BENNETT see also SF

This is where the shit show begins. Patrick Patterson thinks the starting position is his to lose. Those are his words and not mine. There has been talk of Demarre playing stretch 4 in certain situations. I don’t like it but I’d have to see in a Toronto context to make a firm judgment.
James Johnson has the size and strength for the position. He can rebound and actually has a decent post game. He is my dark horse for stealing minutesLuis Scola is a 4. Not a stretch 4, not power 4. He is all finesse and skill. He is also a year or two from retirement. I don’t have a direct link but I know he expects to play. He did not sign up to be our next Chuck Hayes. Which brings me to Anthony Bennett. He is at an interesting crux. He has only the length of whatever deal he signs to prove he belongs in this league. If he comes here and is buried behind Scola, Patterson, Johnson and Carroll, he is only going to see garbage time. He could play for 905 but that is a huge slap in the face to a former number 1 pick. It would say a lot about his character if he went down and actually played himself into relevance. I think a lot of people around here and in the league would find that to be a good story. At the minimum other teams would have gambled. Perhaps they would even have more PT for him. I really want him to succeed. I see that frame, that stroke, and that speed and I think this guy could be a special player. I just think that he won’t reach that until 2020. I don’t see how he reaches that by signing up for another year or two of no PT. Either way. Someone at this position will not be happy come trade deadline and luckily we have more options than ever before to make some kind of deadline magic happen.

sidenote: Biyombo can also play some 4 as can BeBe, even Bruno has been mentioned as playing some 4. So with 8 potential power forwards (granted it is increasingly unlikely as you drift towards number 8) you can see that this is the position to watch.

C - JONAS VALANCIUNAS, BISMACK BIYOMBO, LUCAS NOGUEIRA

JV will start

Biyombo will back him up
Not a whole lot to talk about here unless BeBe shows up and plays Biyombo out of town. Which to me is a dark horse scenario.

[SkywalkerAC]

I think the point with AB2.0 could or should be to make developing and showcasing your game in your backyard with the other young Raptor studs is something you, and every young player, should want to do.

I've got a pretty good feeling that he will play for the 905 more than once or twice, and it will be a celebration more than it is an embarrassment. That's the power of investment in well-planned infrastructure and culture change my friends.

[SkywalkerAC]

That said, I think Bennett could sneak into the rotation as the 10-11th man - basically playing when Scola is on back-to-backs or Casey wants to experiment with matchups. He looked to be in plenty good shape a few weeks ago so I wouldn't be surprised if he earned a stripe or two in camp.

But again, the Raptors are going to rotate their Youth Brigade through the 905s and he should volunteer to partake in that - for the good of his team and the good of his career.

He's got an extra mill to work with but him and his agent gotta be thinking big bucks in '16. That means you buy in and bust your ass, or at least that's what you'd expect, especially returning home to friends, family, and fans - you want to get out there and play.

[CalgaryRapsFan]

One of the things that I liked most about MU, going back to his time in Denver, was his stated preference for stacking 3-deep at each position with young players/prospects filling the 3rd string. I don't think I remember a better 3rd string unit in the history of the Raptors, in terms of both skill and potential.

PG: Wright
SG: Powell
SF: Bruno
PF: Bennett
C: Bebe

[golden]

One of the things that I liked most about MU, going back to his time in Denver, was his stated preference for stacking 3-deep at each position with young players/prospects filling the 3rd string. I don't think I remember a better 3rd string unit in the history of the Raptors, in terms of both skill and potential.

PG: Wright
SG: Powell
SF: Bruno
PF: Bennett
C: Bebe

This could have been our starting 5 in previous years. lol.

But, yes, this is awesome and perhaps we're starting to get a glimpse into the long-term team building strategies of Masai. Eventually, we could see some quantity-for-quality consolidation trades but there appears to be a framework of how that deficit would be re-stocked, beyond simply acquiring below market wingspan with upside.

[Bonus Jonas]

Bennett-Bebe is a perfect match up in the frontcourt. They complement each other almost perfectly

[SkywalkerAC]

We've got tons of depth, but more than anything it's the developmental intrigue that blows me away. Like these meaningless pre-season games, fans of most teams might be groaning when their starters aren't played big minutes, or they don't get to see their marquee rookie. For us, fans want to see our 3rd string out there, Biyombo, Cory, Ross, JJ, and so on.

Remember that last year our 3rd line had Steimer, Fields, and Chuck, basically blocking out the two rookies Bebe and Bruno. Now we've got what could be a great mix of youth that I could really see gelling because they actually get to play together - in practice and Mississauga.

[SkywalkerAC]

Bennett-Bebe is a perfect match up in the frontcourt. They complement each other almost perfectly

Then your perimeter trio aint so shabby a fit either - you've got your two dribble-attack guards and a deadeye 3-point gunner, all of whom can defend (in theory).

[charlesnba23]

I'm eager to see the battle at the 4 spot. I think that we will see grrat things from PP, but also from the others.

I would not write Bennett off too quick. We already talked about him going with the 905, but I would not be surprised to see him earning some meaningful minutes from day 1.

I love this team.

[Wild-ling#1]

I'm eager to see the battle at the 4 spot. I think that we will see grrat things from PP, but also from the others.

I would not write Bennett off too quick. We already talked about him going with the 905, but I would not be surprised to see him earning some meaningful minutes from day 1.

I love this team.

A good day. A good summer. Now let us pray ...

[northwinnetka]

bennett becomes starter within first 10 games, you can take that to the bank.

[draps]

bennett becomes starter within first 10 games, you can take that to the bank.

Patterson showed today that he really wanted that starting spot, so I assume he has worked his ass off this offseason to get better and prove he deserves it. I don't think AB can touch him yet.
Trying to improve his rebounding, body and defence, he looked the part today imo

[draps]

bennett becomes starter within first 10 games, you can take that to the bank.

Patterson showed today that he really wanted that starting spot, so I assume he has worked his ass off this offseason to get better and prove he deserves it. I don't think AB can touch him yet.
Trying to improve his rebounding, body and defence, he looked the part today imo
And Casey talked about fit with jv, offensively that is without a doubt pat, it just comes down to the rebounding and help defence.

[DogeLover1234]

Patterson showed today that he really wanted that starting spot, so I assume he has worked his ass off this offseason to get better and prove he deserves it. I don't think AB can touch him yet.
Trying to improve his rebounding, body and defence, he looked the part today imo
And Casey talked about fit with jv, offensively that is without a doubt pat, it just comes down to the rebounding and help defence.

I agree, ppat fits with the starters and scola fits with the bench. I wonder if we plan on playing scola as much as he can take, or if we want to preserve him at all for later in the year. Id like to see the young guys get some run, but scilas bench scoring could be too vital. The substitution patterns could be very interesting, cause i imagine that even with scola the bench has trouble scoring.

[Puffer]

...i imagine that even with scola the bench has trouble scoring.

This should not be the case. Joseph, Scola, Ross and Johnson are all capable scorers; able to get to the rim and hit the 3 pter. They are also pretty good defenders. I can see transition baskets like crazy.