Sean Woodley here, the host of the daily Locked On Raptors podcast, with your daily Locked On Raptors newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Raptors and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
How can I worry about a 30-point loss when Jamal Shead is a Toronto Raptor?
Oct 23, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) battles for the ball with Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead (23) during the third quarter at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images|Nick Turchiaro/Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
I don’t know how much there really is to take away from the Raptors’ opener, other than it’s really hard to beat a good team when an interesting small-ball lineup’s worth of rotation players is sidelined before the end of the first half.
Toronto was already in tough against Cleveland with RJ Barrett, Kelly Olynyk, Bruce Brown and Ja’Kobe Walter — the 3rd, 6th, 7th and potentially 9th guys in the rotation — on the shelf. When Immanuel Quickley crashed to the floor in the second quarter, it more or less iced an already teetering result. Darko Rajakovic said they’d do all the requisite imaging on IQ’s contused pelvis on Wednesday night into Thursday, and you really hope the fall was louder than it was injurious. Quickley was the best Raptor on the floor in his 14 minutes of action. Slick handles, eager on the pull-up, and the type of guard play that brings shape to a team. It’ll be a shame if he’s sidelined again so soon after shaking the thumb injury he carried into camp.
One thing that might help dull the sting if Quickley does need to sit out some games: Jamal Shead is a G.D. boss.
With Quickley unavailable for the second half, Shead took turns with Davion Mitchell running point as the Raptors mustered what they could to cut into a steady 20-to-30-point Cavs cushion. The best moments of that March 2024-like stretch came with the second-round rookie at the controls.
This is the type of stuff that’s gonna make this season palatable even if the losses pile up. Shead dropped a composed 10 points, 4 assists, a board and 2 steals on 3/7 shooting and 3/3 from the line. A rookie, in his first game, deftly handling the job he figures to occupy here for a while — that rocks no matter how badly you’re getting crunched by a very good Cavs team.
If Quickley misses time, there’s a real case for Shead to start. It’s just the preseason plus one game, of course, but it seems clear when you bake in his resumé of prolific college team guidance that Shead is the best backup point guard on this team. Davion Mitchell may be Quickley’s direct understudy for now, but trying him as a cutting, slashing, defense-first off guard once the backcourt rotation is whole again might be the way to best optimize him. He’s a great at-rim scorer for a guy his size, which doesn’t matter when defenders go 10,000 leagues under every screen set for him as a pick-and-roll operator.
That Shead looks this ready this soon feels like a real have your cake and eat it too scenario, if the Raptors are hungry: an important rookie gets plenty of developmental run, while your second-draft flier gets moved to a role he’s more likely to pop within. Everybody wins, especially card-carrying members of the Jamal Cabal, who can’t get enough of the rookie’s burst and punch and maniacal defensive work rate.
In the joyful silver linings department at least, Shead has the Raptors off to a rollicking start.
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Today on the podcast, I go solo with more on Shead, Mitchell, Scottie Barnes’s struggles and more from the Raptors’ season-opening loss to Cleveland. Enjoy!
Oct 23, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) reacts with guard Trae Young (11) after making a three point basket for his first points in the NBA against the Brooklyn Nets during the first half at State Farm Arena.|Dale Zanine/Imagn Images
Hello! I’m Mike Shearer, and I’ll be filling in for Katie every Thursday. A brief introduction: I write Basketball Poetry, an NBA blog with very little actual poetry but plenty of long-form analysis and bad wordplay. I’m excited to have this space to share whatever I’ve seen happening around the league, and hopefully, you’ll be informed and entertained in equal measure. I’ll also include a Mildly Interesting Stat (or Play) of the Week at the end, something to make you purse your lips and tilt your head for a brief second as you consider whether it’s meaningful or not (that’s my enticement to get you to click through!).
Right now, we obviously don’t have a sample size to speak of; we’re not deep-diving so much as puddle-skipping. So instead of overreactions, here are a handful of measured reactions, things I’ll be tracking as the season progresses.
Rookies living up to their billing
Analysts were not high on the 2024 rookie class, and for one game, at least, the rookies did little to prove them wrong.
The number-one pick, Zaccharie Risacher, came off the bench. Popular Rookie of the Year choice Reed Sheppard scored four points. Fifth pick Ron Holland did some fun defensive stuff but was a clear offensive liability, and top-10 picks Tidjane Salaun and Rob Dillingham never left the cedar. Zach Edey made history.
Sure, plenty of guys showed a few flashes, but only two rookies really shined. In Toronto, Jamal Shead is a ballhandler’s boogeyman, duct tape stuck to their jersey. If his offense can be enough to keep him on the court, he’ll be a dark horse All-Rookie team candidate. Yves Missi had the other debut worth highlighting, and we’ll discuss him more below.
Mike Shearer (@bballispoetry) has written about the NBA full-time since 2021 at various and sundry places. For more from Mike, check out his Substack bestseller, Basketball Poetry, where he uses unnecessary metaphors and the occasional haiku to discuss the NBA’s happenings with an analytical lens.
Home and Away
Analysis
The Cavs topped the Raptors 136-106 in the season opener. The Raptors didn’t have an answer for Evan Mobley, who led the way with 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. (Fear The Sword)
Ranked
ESPN put Scotiabank Arena at No. 5 in its NBA arena rankings. It was praised for its atmosphere with lively in-game entertainment and fan experience.
Watch
John Schuhmann of NBA.com discusses five under-discussed players with pleasing aesthetic games and loads of on-court potential, from the rookie Donovan Clingan to defensive menace Jalen Suggs, with his usual stats-heavy focus.
Analysis
Colin Ward-Henninger of CBS Sports writes 30 paragraphs on players poised for a leap. There are some fun deep cuts in here, too, like Tre Mann (perhaps not that deep a cut after his performance last night!) and personal favorite Amir Coffey.
Awards
Staff at the Ringer choose their awards winners. Most Improved Player and Rookie of the Year are particularly interesting, with many different candidates nominated.
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Basketball Takeaways From Dejounte Murray’s Broken Hand
New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) guards Chicago Bulls guard Coby White (0) during the second half at Smoothie King Center.
|Photo by Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
The NBA’s real opening night on Wednesday delivered a packed schedule with 10 games, offering a wealth of insights for fantasy basketball enthusiasts. Here’s a closer look at the standout performances and critical developments that could impact your fantasy strategy.
Joel Embiid and Kawhi Leonard: Injury Concerns
Joel Embiid’s knee issues have sidelined him for the rest of the week, raising significant concerns for fantasy managers. Despite his participation in the Olympics, Embiid’s health remains a major question mark. Meanwhile, Kawhi Leonard’s situation with the Clippers continues to be uncertain. Reports suggest he might be out for weeks, and the team’s history of vague injury updates doesn’t inspire confidence. Fantasy managers should brace for a potentially extended absence.
Dejounte Murray’s Injury: A Setback for the Pelicans
Dejounte Murray’s broken hand is a significant blow to the New Orleans Pelicans, sidelining him for four to six weeks. This injury complicates the Pelicans’ lineup, especially with Zion Williamson also missing the game. In Murray’s absence, Jordan Hawkins saw increased minutes, but this was more due to Zion’s absence than a direct replacement for Murray. Fantasy managers should monitor the Pelicans’ lineup adjustments and look for opportunities where other players might step up.
Click below to see key performances and insights on other notable games from last night.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Raptors podcasts.
Wednesday — Bold Predictions for the 2024-25 Toronto Raptors Sean is joined by The Score’s Joseph Casciaro to lay down some bold predictions about the Raptors this season. Will IQ break a Fred VanVleet record? Will the offense be actually good? And more!
Tuesday — The 8th Annual Locked On Raptors Over/Unders & Props Spectacular! Sean is joined by long-time combatants Vivek Jacob (Raptors in 7, Sportsnet) and Sahal Abdi (formerly Raptors Republic) to make their picks on 18 over/under and prop bets about the upcoming Raptors season crafted by yours truly. One of my favourite episodes of the whole year. And don’t forget to make your picks in the listener contest. The most accurate entry wins a pair of tickets to a game next season.
Monday — Final Preseason Takeaways; Scottie looks ready, final roster spots & Ochai’s outlook Sean goes solo to run through his biggest takeaways from the preseason, why he’s buying — to an extent — what the Raptors were selling in their five tune-up games, the final roster decisions, Ochai Agbaji’s strong preseason, Davion Mitchell’s offensive struggles and much more.
