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.
What we learned this weekend: The youths might be Guys; New Ochai & the need for calm
Oct 25, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Jonathan Mogbo (2) dunks for a basket against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images|Dan Hamilton/Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
The 2023-24 Raptors were a sad husk of a team that lost a lot of games, and didn’t offer much of a pitch to stick it out for two and half hours three to four times a week, even on the nights where they won.
My how far we’ve come in just a few short months.
Despite a prolific night of flow-sapping by Tony Brothers and crew, this spritely bunch that doesn’t know any better made Friday’s 3-hour marathon with Philly that featured 99 total free throws into can’t-miss TV.
Even in a scheduled loss to the Wolves on the back-to-back the next night, we saw punch and resilience and the kinds of evolving young guy performances that’ll make this season well worth the time investment should they hold up. And all that happened with some key figures still on the shelf. For a team still putting its shoes on with the starting gun having already been fired, it’s been a wildly encouraging start.
Here’s what we learned about the Raptors over the first weekend of the new season.
The kids might be more than alright
It’s early, and we’ve still yet to see the highest drafted guy in the bunch, and one of them still isn’t of legal Ontario drinking age, but the 2024 rookie crew has all the makings of a vintage Ujiri-Webster class.
Expected rookie point guard turnover issues aside, Jamal Shead is a full-on gamer who may already be ensconcing himself into a much healthier version of this team’s rotation. Jonathan Mogbo barely seems aware of what he’s capable of yet, but the athleticism and feel pop off the screen every time he hits the floor. I’m having a hard time thinking of a first week Raptors rookie performance that stoked the imagination quite like his electric 12-point, 9-board, 5-assist, 2-steal, 3-block, +21 line against the Sixers.
Jamison Battle has the look and feel of a rock-steady, triple-bombing reserve. Raptors bench guys just don’t hit shots like the end-of-clock possession-saver he drilled over Kyle Lowry in the fourth on Friday. What a story his rise has been.
By some measures, this season is already looking like a success. Finding one or two rotation players without a lottery pick in 2024 would have been an achievement. What if they’ve found four or more?
It seems Darko Rajakovic’s magical development pixie dust is at work again, this time transforming Agbaji from a three-point dependent wing who can’t hit threes into an absolute titan of rim scoring. Agbaji’s taken just 27% of his shots from deep to start the year; with Utah, more than half of his looks came from downtown. With this profile, his threes — like the trio he nailed on Saturday — are the gravy and not the meat of his game.
The fat’s been trimmed, the finishing’s been honed (69.2% on his twos, all taken from inside 10 feet), and Agbaji looks like a rotation-level NBA player just days before the deadline for the Raptors to pick up his 4th-year option.
Turnover trouble
Youthful exuberance is, for the most part, a feature and not a bug of this team. Where their greenness is killing them right now, though, is in the turnover department. Toronto leads by several percentage points as the league’s most turnover-prone squad; 21.7% of all Raptors possessions have resulted in a giveaway. That’s bad.
If they can curb it just a bit, and some other early season indicators hold up, there’s a possession battle monster of a team lying in wait. No team has been better on the glass through the first week than the Raptors. They rank 2nd in offensive rebounding rate (40.1%), 6th on the defensive glass and number one in total rebounding by a mile (56.9 REB%, 2nd place is at 54.3).
Immanuel Quickley and his José Calderón-like assist-to-turnover ratio should return soon, and RJ Barrett’s another sure hand. This group playing this offense will never be a ball security giant, but a little organization could go a long way toward channeling this team’s chaotic energy into something more dependable.
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Today on the podcast Vivek Jacob joined me to talk about the Raptors’ 1-1 weekend, our biggest takeaways, and The Good, The Bad & The Hmmm from this weekend in Raptors ball. Enjoy the show, and enjoy watching Jonathan Mogbo cement himself as a Jokic stopper tonight.
Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) shoots the ball over Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) during the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.|Photo by Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
At this moment, there are plenty of fanbases who will tell you three games into the NBA season is a perfect time to panic. Personally, I tend to enjoy the early and often wonky machinations of the season — young or written-off teams coming in hot, the Goliaths of the league taking some time to get on their feet again, and decisive, stand-out performances that hint at an athlete’s season to come.
Tyrese Maxey had one of those last night, putting up 45 points for the Sixers in an everywhere-at-once game against the Pacers. Sixers fans were one of the fanbases I was alluding to earlier, after the team’s 2-0 start to the season and being without Joel Embiid and Paul George, but the game in Indiana should bring hope.
Early on, the Pacers put pressure on Maxey. Without Embiid and George, Maxey and Kelly Oubre are the Sixers best scoring options and Indiana wanted to shut them down. Maxey looked tentative, with very little of the free-ranging, freneticism that serves him so well. That shifted in the second half, aided by Maxey’s shots starting to fall but more in his movement returning. He hunted looks and when he didn’t find them, he barrelled down through traffic and finished in balletic layups and off-balance put-backs.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
The Struggles Of Tyrese Haliburton In Fantasy Basketball
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) reacts to a call during the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.|Photo by Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
Tyrese Haliburton’s Struggles and Steph Curry’s Injury
The first week of the NBA season has brought unexpected challenges for some top players. Tyrese Haliburton, a consistent performer over the past two seasons, is off to a puzzling start. Despite playing significant minutes, his assist numbers and shooting percentages have dipped, raising concerns among fantasy managers. Haliburton himself admitted post-game that something feels off, though the specifics remain unclear. Patience is advised, as his track record suggests improvement is likely.
Meanwhile, Steph Curry’s ankle injury has sent shockwaves through the fantasy community. After spraining his ankle twice in a game against the Clippers, Curry’s status for the upcoming week is uncertain. This development could lead to increased roles for players like De’Anthony Melton and Brandin Podziemski, who may take on more ball-handling duties in Curry’s absence. Fantasy managers should monitor updates closely and consider potential replacements if Curry misses extended time.
Ja Morant’s Status and Fantasy Implications
Ja Morant’s status for Memphis is now questionable, suggesting a potential minutes restriction if he plays. This situation opens up opportunities for Scotty Pippen Jr., who could see increased playing time. While Pippen’s long-term viability remains uncertain, his current form makes him a valuable addition to your roster. Meanwhile, Josh Hart and Bradley Beal are also questionable, with Hart’s potential absence leaving the team thin on forwards. This could lead to streaming opportunities, though with 11 games on Monday, the timing might not be ideal.
Click the button below for more fantasy insights, including why Jordan Hawkins deserves a look and what Grayson Allen’s return means for Phoenix and your lineup.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Raptors podcasts.
Friday — The Debut of Toxic Positivity Friday with Esfandiar Baraheni Sean is joined by Es Baraheni of the Athletic NBA Daily to debut a new weekly feature of the show: Toxic Positivity Friday, where we put up the blinders to all the bad and talk only about the things in Toronto Raptors basketball that are making us feel good. Really excited for this one each week.
Thursday — Raptors get bludgeoned on opening night vs. Cavs; Scottie Barnes’ struggles, IQ’s injury & JAMAL SHEAD! Sean goes solo to chat about the Raptors’ ugly season opening loss, the injuries that left Toronto outgunned against the Cavs, Scottie Barnes’ rough night and guard play before wrapping with the The Good, The Bad & the Hmm from the 136-106 loss.
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!
