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.
Starting Lineup Watch: A losing formula you can live with, for now
Jan 8, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley (5) brings the ball up court against New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner/Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Like it or not, we’re in baby steps season with these Toronto Raptors. That’s life in a designed rebuild, where hinging your emotions on the final result of every game is a surefire recipe to drive yourself insane. Right now, as this team eases back into its refreshingly healthy reality, flashes of hope are the currency anyone watching has to peddle in.
This team may not win many games, especially against the league’s true heavies. But now with its full compliment of guys, they can start laying pavement. Even in losses like Wednesday’s in New York, happy takeaways can be had if you know where to look (hint: it’s not the bench).
Toronto’s recent reserve struggles have been a killer, albeit pretty explainable. Rookies are bad and lose minutes almost universally, and the Raptors have two of ‘em getting heavy second unit run right now. Jamal Shead was a -21 against the Knicks. Ja’Kobe Walter shot 0-for-5. That happens. Better days surely lie ahead for both.
Flanking them, you’ve got under-performing veterans in Kelly Olynyk and Bruce Brown, neither of whom figure to be on the next good Raptors team. You hope they can turn it around and offer some stability around the youths; if not, their minutes are tank fuel. Not ideal, but whatever.
It’s a different story with the starting five. Apart from a brutal spell in the third quarter against Milwaukee on Monday, the early returns on Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick, RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl as a unit have been pretty promising when coupled with the medium-sample success last year’s starters had (with Gary Trent Jr. in Dick’s place), even with some individual struggles going on within the group.
The tale of the tape from Wednesday’s game: 17 minutes played, +5 overall, a 105.9 offensive rating and a 96.9 per-100 mark on the defensive end. Super tiny sample caveats all apply, of course. But the starters performed well, particularly on defense, in a game against a lights out offensive team. That’s good. It’s progress, no matter how you slice it.
In the minutes the Raptors’ leading five played together, the team’s defense looked as sharp and connected as it has in eons. Crisp, pointed rotations, elite mess-cleaning by Barnes around the rim, and even some flourishes of stout on-ball work by Barrett — including one of his better individual stops as a Raptor against muscle man OG Anunoby — all marked a stark improvement over Monday’s wet noodle defending.
Offensively, things still weren’t as flow-some as they’ll need to be on nights where the defense is performing more true to the on-floor talent, and they probably won’t be until Gradey Dick, still a valuable agent of movement and space even when his jimmy is bricks, starts canning some of his open looks. Dick is the release valve for this five-man configuration, and the team can’t afford malfunction if it wants to reach the heights this complementary set of skillsets should be capable of.
Still, that the starters turned out a +5 largely going toe-to-toe with the Knicks’ starters — a +5.5 NET Rating group with by far the most shared floor time of any unit in the league this year — as arguably all but Quickley played below standard individual games, is one of those positive notes that looks especially good when grading on a friendly bell curve in comparison to the events of the past month.
Isolating positive starters minutes can’t be the only gauge by which success from here on out can be measured. Eventually, we’re gonna need to see a little more punch from transitional lineups, instances of a couple starters lifting up lesser bench guys. That’s gonna be tough to achieve if Olynyk continues to be a hobbled turnstile, if Brown can’t find little pockets in which to affect winning, or if Ochai Agbaji misses meaningful time with his hip pointer. To truly turn this feel-bad season into one with genuine silver linings, this can’t be a situation where only one lineup works and the remaining 30 minutes are a disaster each night.
But for now, you’ll take some incremental signs of life from a starting group that carries much of the hope for the future of this franchise on its shoulders. Walk before you run, and all that.
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Today on the podcast I went solo to talk about the loss to the Knicks, the success of the starters, the struggles of the bench and more. Enjoy the show!
The Cavs, the Thunder, and the joy of a job well done
Jan 8, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert (3) during the first half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. | Ken Blaze/Imagn Images
The ESPN broadcast had its usual coach interview at the start of the fourth quarter, but the dialogue was far from typical. Instead of anodyne coach-speak, a smiling Kenny Atkinson marveled at the basketball being played before him.
“What a great basketball game,” the Cavaliers coach gushed. “I wish I could just sit back and watch it.”
As someone who did precisely that, I can say that Atkinson sure wasn’t wrong.
Cleveland/OKC had something for everyone. There were loud dunks, post moves, occasional but far from overwhelming flurries of three-pointers, high-level shotmaking, ping-pong ball movement, and great all-around defense (despite what the final score might indicate).
The major players exerted maximum effort on both sides and played more than their usual share of minutes. Coaches unveiled tactical adjustments at a lightning pace, counters to counters at a rate you usually only see in the playoffs. There was even a lot of zone defense (which, if you read Basketball Poetry, you would’ve been prepared for!). The refs were largely inobtrusive and inconsequential.
Frankly, if you didn’t like this game, there’s not much hope for you.
Something that struck me halfway through an exquisite third quarter: everyone on the court was simply doing their job. I don’t love how that sentence reads on paper; it makes it sound like a dull affair, people clocking in and clocking out before going to a chain bar with flashing neon signs instead of character for their preferred domestic light pilsner of choice.
That couldn’t be further from the truth. What is an NBA player’s job if not to entertain?
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
Replay Toronto Raptors faced a tough start to their road trip, falling to the New York Knicks 112-98. Catch the highlights of the intense game and see key plays that defined the match. Relive the action and analyze what went wrong for the Raptors. (Raptors HQ)
Watch The Toronto Raptors are set to take on the NBA-leading Cleveland Cavaliers. Discover where to watch the game and what highlights to look out for. Tune in for the showdown between these top teams. (Sports Illustrated)
Signing The Toronto Raptors have signed Eugene Omoruyi to a 10-day contract, adding depth and versatility to their roster. Learn more about what Omoruyi brings to the team. (Sports Illustrated)
Preview The Raptors will battle the Cavaliers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse at 7:00 PM ET. Read the preview.(NBA)
Analysis A look at the state of zone defense in the NBA. Who’s running it, and who isn’t? (Basketball Poetry)
Must Read NBA greats think this D-II coach is a basketball genius. So why don’t you know who Jim Crutchfield is? (The Athletic)
Analysis Is this the worst rookie class in modern NBA history? Jared Dubin examines box-score production to compare this year’s rookies to the past. (Last Night in Basketball)
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Must-Add Players and Surprising Drops
Jan 7, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) is defended by Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins (22) during the first quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-Imagn Images | John Hefti/John Hefti-Imagn Images
As we approach the NBA trade deadline, it’s crucial to stay on top of the fantasy basketball waiver wire. Let’s dive into the most added and dropped players over the last 48 hours, and discuss some must-roster options for your fantasy teams.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. tops the list of most added players on Basketball Monster. While he’s had two solid games recently, I’m cautious about his long-term value, especially if Jimmy Butler is traded. Remember, any incoming player in a Butler trade could easily take over his role and minutes.
Ryan Dunn is another popular add, likely due to the Suns’ five-game week. However, he’s not a long-term hold for 12-team leagues. Use him for the extra games this week, but be prepared to move on quickly.
Kelly Oubre Jr. is seeing increased opportunities with Paul George out, making him a solid short-term add. Naji Marshall has also been playing well and is worth considering, despite a recent poor shooting night.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Raptors podcasts.
Tuesday — Raptors win sixth game in seven, defense shines again vs. Pelicans Sean goes solo to talk about the Raptors’ 113-104 win over the Pelicans, the defense’s continued success, the offense’s struggles & more!
Monday — Raptors complete sweep of Atlanta Hawks on the road Sean and Vivek Jacob recap a Raptors win over the Hawks on Saturday, talk about Scottie Barnes turning in another two-way master class, and debate a red hot Would You Rather conundrum.
Friday — Raptors hang on to topple Hawks for second road win of season Sean goes solo to talk about the Raptors taking the Hawks, Scottie Barnes’ two-way excellence (again) and why, no, the Raptors aren’t winning too much.
