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.
Toxic Positivity Friday: These Toronto Raptors are a win-win enterprise
Nov 21, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) reacts after scoring a basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images|Dan Hamilton/Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
For the first time all year, I’m struggling to write this blog. Is it really toxic positivity if the team is on a 2-game win streak, just got its best player back, and is an unstoppable vibes train? I’m just feeling regular old, run-of-the-mill positive about the basketball team that’s fun and maybe less bad than we all thought.
Apart from winning a championship, this is about as good as it gets as a fan. These Raptors are where low expectations and high quality entertainment meet. Losses are part of the deal we all signed coming into the year; they’re lessons, and help juice the lotto odds, if that’s a thing you care about. Wins feel novel, hard-earned, like glimpses of better days ahead. When all your team’s results can be spun into silver linings, watching hoop is bliss.
Let me propose one guiding principle for the rest of the year: whatever happens from here on out, let yourself enjoy it. Don’t let the lust for a 14% chance at Cooper Flagg dampen the thrill of a young team getting better and parlaying it into wins in the here and now. There was a Raptors team not so long ago that looked built to tank before accidentally kick-starting the best era in franchise history. If you can’t hoot and holler through a run of winning by a team testing its bounds, what are you doing here?
And, if you’re one of those died in the wool win-enjoyers, staunchly opposed to the anti-competitive underbelly of trying to stink out loud, you’ve no need to sweat the Ls. Things will stay groovy as long as this team stays trying — which this crew sure seems wired to do. If this a true gutter year, rest easy knowing it’s probably the last one for a while.
The reality is, even with 12 losses banked, this team might just be too good to outright sink to the bottom without some careful engineering. Newfound functional depth has been the antibody warding off the injury bug. Now, with Scottie Barnes back and some other pals returning (hopefully) soon, you look around and see nine, ten, maybe eleven dudes worthy of regular rotation run, who’ll now get to occupy roles more suited to their talents.
Look at Davion Mitchell, for example. Miscast as the starting point guard with Barnes and Immanuel Quickley out, Darko Rajakovic moved him to the bench against the Wolves, rolling out the beefy starting five I pitched in yesterday’s newsletter. In a reserve (and closing) role as a ball-guarding hellion, Mitchell was only additive to the 110-105 win.
“I think he pretty much changed the game,” said Darko Rajakovic of Mitchell, who was +20 despite not hitting a single shot from the field — a death blow were he tasked with running the offense as a starter. “I think he got into Anthony Edwards really well, he was really physical against him, and he just takes a lot of pride when he’s guarding guys like that.”
Mitchell locking into a more skill-appropriate role repeated itself the roster over with Barnes’ return. RJ Barrett’s lanes opened, Gradey Dick and Ochai Agbaji’s contributions were complimentary, not necessity. Jakob Poeltl still needs to do a lot, but not everything.
You can feel this team finding its footing, this past week marking their most balanced yet.
Before last Friday’s narrow NBA Cup loss to Detroit, Darko Rajakovic talked about the progress he thought the team’s defense was making (they’re up to 24th on the year, 21st if you repress the memory of the opener vs. Cleveland like a good positivity fiend should). He struck a tone normally reserved for Masai Ujiri, issuer of this season’s rebuilding edict.
“Everything is a part of the process. You know, every game this season, we gotta take it one game at a time and really focus on that and really focus what we can learn and how we can get better. And if you continue doing that and improving, wins are coming. Wins are coming. The Toronto Raptors are going to win.”
Who is anyone to stop them if they’re gonna start doing that ahead of schedule?
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Today on the podcast I dig into the Raptors’ win over the Wolves in Scottie Barnes’ return! Enjoy the show, and have a great weekend.
They’ve had close wins, technical wins, nail-biters and blow-outs; they’ve (reportedly) turned down superstars and and currently sit third in the west with a record of 11-5 — In a Western Conference finally coming alive, can the Houston Rockets keep this up?
The Rockets are on pace to tie or surpass the franchise’s win record of 64, set by a team led by James Harden in 2017-2018. It was Harden’s — and all the failed years of being in the running for title contention — ghost that still hung over the franchise as recently as last season, no matter that Harden himself has been part of three different rosters since he sulked his way out of Houston. Everything from the Rockets brand of basketball to the team’s waylaid trajectory back into competition had been set and then upended by him.
It was something of an exorcism then, that Houston handily beat Harden’s current team, the Clippers, in back-to-back games this week.
What feels especially lasting about the winning pace the Rockets have set is that there’s plenty room for the team to improve. Houston’s sitting at 25th overall in field goal percentage, 27th in three-point percentage, and is still claiming the ninth overall offensive ranking in the league. Their starters have all been shooting well below their career bests, and yet, nothing about the Rockets’ wins have looked harried.
For a team that has an average of just four years NBA experience between them, there’s a wealth of patience. When the Rockets have been pressed this season, or teams like the Pacers and Bulls have tried to rush them with pace, they fall back on snapping passes and sinking into ball movement. There are still sequences of ISO ball and flubbed defensive rotations, but Houston has leaned into their transitions as opportunities to reset. No doubt in part to having the always unflappable Fred VanVleet driving this thing, plus the veteran offensive ballasts of Jeff Green and Dillon Brooks.
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.
Home and Away
Analysis The Toronto Raptors secured a significant upset victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, marking Scottie Barnes’ return to the court. Barnes played a crucial role in this unexpected triumph. Key takeaways highlight the team’s impressive performance and strategic execution. (Sports Illustrated)
Analysis Toronto Raptors coach made a bold comparison between Anthony Edwards and Michael Jordan, emphasizing Edwards’ potential and impact on the court. Coach’s comparison offers a deeper understanding of Edwards’ prowess. (Sports Illustrated)
Legacy Will NBA expansion bring the SuperSonics back to Seattle? Find out. (The Athletic)
Biz Amid their early-season tank, the Sixers expected to scour the trade market for power forwards. (Real GM)
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Franz Wagner A First Round Fantasy Basketball Player?
Nov 21, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) celebrates with guard Jalen Suggs (4) after defeating the Los Angeles Lakers with a 3-point basket with 2.5 seconds left in the game at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images|Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The Orlando Magic edged out the LA Lakers with a 119-118 victory. The game was a showcase of talent and strategy, with the Magic overcoming a deficit to secure the win. Franz Wagner was the standout performer, continuing his impressive form with a stellar 37 points, six rebounds, and 11 assists. His all-around game, including four steals and four threes, solidified his status as a top fantasy asset. Wagner’s recent performances have elevated him to first-round value in fantasy leagues, making him a potential sell-high candidate, though his current form might make holding onto him equally appealing.
Dalton Knecht’s Role and Performance
Dalton Knecht played a significant role for the Lakers, logging the most minutes on the team. While his 17 points, four rebounds, and one assist were solid, they highlighted the limitations in his fantasy profile. Knecht’s reliance on scoring and shooting efficiency means that while he’s a valuable asset, his contributions in other categories remain limited. Fantasy managers should monitor his role closely, especially as the Lakers adjust their rotations.
Anthony Black’s Consistency Concerns
Anthony Black’s performance was less consistent, with 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists on 25% shooting. While his recent games have shown flashes of potential, this outing underscores the volatility in his production. Fantasy managers who picked up Black for his upside should consider holding him through the Magic’s favourable schedule but remain cautious about his long-term consistency.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Raptors podcasts.
Thursday — Would you rather be the Raptors or Sixers for the next 5 years? w/ Trill Bro Dude Sean is joined by Trill Bro Dude from the You Know Ball podcast to talk about the Raptors and Sixers, both near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, but with very different outlooks both now and in the future.
Wednesday — What’s More Likely?! featuring Hot Take Heindl Sean is joined by Katie Heindl (Locked On Newsletters) to play a few rounds of our favourite parlour game: What’s More Likely?! We get into either-or questions about Jakob Poeltl’s future in Toronto, how the Raptors stack up with the Bucks and Sixers, and who will start more games to close the season between Ochai Agbaji and Gradey Dick. This episode also features the debut of Hot Take Heindl, the greatest take artist to ever live.
Tuesday — RJ Barrett plays closer vs. Pacers; Raptors snap 7-game losing stream Sean and Vivek Jacob (Raptors in 7, Sportsnet) talk about the Raptors’ 130-119 win over the Pacers, RJ Barrett’s masterful work on the ball and where it fits into the team when Scottie Barnes comes back, Jakob Poeltl’s heater and The Good, The Bad & The Hmm from Monday’s game.
