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.
Eleven months after the OG for RJ & Quickley trade, how are we feeling?
Jan 20, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett (9) controls the ball with guard Immanuel Quickley (5) against New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports | Brad Penner/Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
This week as our neighbors to the south give thanks, I want to extend a heartfelt thank you, to the wonderful folks who help me scrummage together a newsletter post on days where my brain is fresh out of ideas.
That’s right, it’s a mailbag! I put out the call on Bluesky and in the Sicko Den (aka, the Locked On Raptors Discord, which is fun, come hang out), and as promised, I’ve compiled the best 3 or 4 questions that came in. Here’s what you came up with today.
Andy, a smart ass on Bluesky, asks — Would you prefer 3 or 4? Looking forward to your answer.
I bet Andy, a dear internet pal who loves to cause a ruckus, didn’t think I could churn out a Raptors-related answer to his smarmy reply. Wrong!
In the spirit of the 30th anniversary celebrations of this year, let’s go for a walk down guy memory lane, and compile starting fives of Raptors who’ve worn the numbers 3 and 4 in franchise history. I’m spoiled for choice here, with 16 guys having worn the former, 10 the latter. Here are, in my estimation, the five best/coolest in each bucket.
#3: Kyle Lowry (way back in his first season in Toronto), Juan Dixon, Tracy Murray (in his second, less productive Raps stint), OG Anunoby & Loren Woods.
#4: Lorenzo Brown, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Scottie Barnes, Luis Scola & Chris Bosh
Because we’re not getting the full prime version Lowry, or the inaugural season version of Murray, who led the team in win shares, it feels like Team 4, led by a Hall-of-Famer and an All-Star, is the pick here. I think the fit of Team 3 might make up for the talent gap, though, and Team 4’s spacing could be rough. Ultimately, I don’t think I can really bet against Lowry at any stage of his Raptors career. While he wasn’t at his best in year one with the team, he was at his thickest, which has to count for something.
So to answer your question, Andy. I prefer 3.
GFalk86 in the Discord asks — Almost a year on from the RJ/IQ and OG/Precious trade, and following OG’s 40 point haul. Who do you think got the better deal?
What a roller coaster this has been throughout the year. At first, when OG was missing heavy time and about to get a gigantic bag, Barrett wasn’t missing and Quickley was adapting just fine to lead-guard duties, this felt like an absolute home run for Toronto.
At the present moment, however, it seems pretty inarguable that New York got the most impactful player in the deal. OG’s a veritable two-way monster, Barrett’s efficiency is waning, and Quickley’s barely played under his new pricey deal (which I still think is fine, by the way).
I still think in the long run this still goes down as a classic win-win for both teams. I remain a big believer in what a healthy IQ can do to unlock new horizons for this team, and Barrett’s play will even out once he’s back in the third option role he probably needs to occupy. Factor in the Raptors getting my prince Jonathan Mogbo with the pick the Knicks tossed in, and Precious Achiuwa still being Precious Achiuwa, and there’s no need to get up in arms about how things have worked out for the Raptors to this point.
It was a trade that needed to happen. The fit, the vibes, the everything was off with the team last year, and dealing OG, as much as they may spend the next 20 years trying to find a guy like that, was a necessary evil to kick start this new, exciting era of Raptors ball.
PK Lawton on Bluesky asks — I saw some dumb aggregator rank Toronto’s rookies “one month in” collectively as a C-. What would your class average be for our rookies, acknowledging that it is dumb to rank rookies one month into a season.
First off, stop reading aggregator sites! They’re a blight on the online NBA ecosystem and exist largely to elicit these kinds of reactions. Our question-asker has been duped!
If you’re ranking the Raptors’ rookies in the grand scheme of all rookies in the history of time, a C / C- maybe makes sense, because this rookie class on the whole is quite bad. Of course, that’s a silly way to do it, devoid of the context click-bait makers love to skip over.
Compared to the expectation tied to their draft slots, I don’t know how Jonathan Mogbo, Jamal Shead and Jamison Battle don’t end up somewhere in the B+ / A- range, especially Mogbo, who is a legit good NBA defender well before any 22-year-old has a right to be. Ja’Kobe Walter is more of an incomplete, and Ulrich Chomche’s flashed all you could want as a teen playing against men with the 905. Tally it all up, and this rookie class is no worse than a B, and probably closer to an A- considering the Raptors may have found up to four rotation-level players without a pick in the Top-18.
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Today on the podcast, I’m joined by the Stats Queen of Raptors internet, Keerthika Uthayakumar, to run through some small sample numbers from the Raptors’ first 18 games and sort out what’s sustainable, and what isn’t. Enjoy the show!
Nov 26, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier (2) shoots the basketball over Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) during the fourth quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro/Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Here’s the thing, Scary Terry has hops. At 30-years-old and with a decade of play under his belt, Terry Rozier can cut like a knife, shake loose defenders, deflect, drive, and kick the ball out to the wing on a layup with the court vision still 20/20. He shoots, too. Tidy jumpers, deep and swooning corner threes, tricky little one-handed layups, fastbreak two-handed deliveries, Rozier runs through them like a personal rolodex.
Perhaps it’s a good reminder, for you as much as me, that age really doesn’t have anything to do with it. For one, despite what we’re led to believe by watching NBA basketball and listening to people talk about it, 30 isn’t old. Besides age, there’s a more important personal factor: whether an athlete keeps up. NBA basketball gets pushed in new directions every season as competitive teams break the mold and not yet competitive teams try to keep up.
Optimization is an unfortunate word in our modern and decidedly capitalist lexicon, but it’s what good athletes do. If there’s a skill to develop, they figure out what it is. Giannis Antetokounmpo in the mid-range this season is a perfect and very successful example. The bigger thing these smaller improvements add up to are teams with a depth of different weapons to pull out against the seemingly unbeatable juggernauts at the top. Occasionally, front offices identify what their unique skillset or style of play can be — think the decidedly big Cleveland Cavaliers, or the micro, play-every-position, Thunder — and build toward it.
For an athlete like Rozier, who many were quick to call a Kyle Lowry 2.0 when he arrived in Miami, the improvisation he’s shown with the Heat was born out of necessity but also an aptitude for reading the room. The Heat are a workaholic organization with a next-man-up mentality they don’t just talk about as an inspirational soundbite, but is twined through the fibre of all that they do.
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
Preview The Raptors face a shorthanded Pelicans team next. Key points to watch include how Toronto’s depth will handle New Orleans’ depleted roster. (Sports Illustrated)
Preview The Raptors will challenge the Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center at 8:00 PM ET. Read the preview.(NBA)
Analysis The point guard position is in good hands. Shaun Powell takes stock of the position and what the future looks like. (NBA)
Opinion The NBA can tinker with the All-Star Game format all it wants, but there’s only one fix. (The Athletic, subscription required)
Feel Good What happens with the money collected from fines? How the league turns bad moments into good deeds. (SB Nation)
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Another Lauri Markkanen Injury For Fantasy Basketball Managers To Digest
Nov 26, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz forward/center Lauri Markkanen (23) on the floor after a collision with San Antonio Spurs forward/center Victor Wembanyama (1) during the second half at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images | Christopher Creveling/Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images
Injury Concerns and Player Updates
Joel Embiid’s ongoing knee issues are another significant concern. With a history of multiple meniscus surgeries, Embiid’s situation remains precarious. His recent absences highlight the risks associated with drafting him early in fantasy leagues. The high failure rate of such surgeries suggests that Embiid’s availability might be limited, making him a risky trade target.
Donovan Clingan’s grade 2 MCL sprain is also noteworthy. The Portland Trail Blazers plan to reevaluate him in two weeks, but this type of injury typically requires a longer recovery period. With Clingan sidelined, players like Ayton and Rob Williams are expected to see increased playing time, making Williams a valuable addition to fantasy rosters.
Lauri Markkanen’s Injury Impact
Lauri Markkanen’s recent knee injury adds another layer of complexity to fantasy basketball strategies. Markkanen, who has been dealing with back and knee issues, was helped off the court after a knee knock. While the injury doesn’t appear to be a severe ACL or MCL tear, it could sideline him for at least a week, if not longer. This development opens up opportunities for players like John Collins to step up and fill the void, potentially increasing their fantasy value.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Raptors podcasts.
Tuesday — Raptors lose to Pistons on Jaden Ivey buzzer-beater Sean goes solo to react to the Raptors falling 102-100 on a Jaden Ivey buzzer beater in a game that proved offensive rebounds can’t be your entire offense! Plus, Scottie Barnes’ big night, catastrophic transition defense in crunch time and more!
Monday — Raptors come up short in 122-108 loss to Cavaliers Sean is joined by Vivek Jacob (Raptors in 7, Sportsnet) to break down the Raptors’ loss to the Cavaliers, dig into how the Raptors can best tackle a very tough matchup with Cleveland in the future, and run through The Good, The Bad & The Hmm.
Friday — Raptors take down Wolves in Scottie Barnes’ return Sean goes solo to recap the Toronto Raptors taking down the Wolves 110-105 on Thursday night and talk about how Raptors fans are currently in the No Lose stage of fandom with this young and burgeoning team. Enjoy it.
