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Throughout the season we’ll break down some interesting topics concerning the Toronto Raptors. Sometimes the questions will come from submitted queries (like a mini-mailbag to complement the full mailbags), other times it will be what’s on our minds. Here’s what we’re thinking right now with the latest edition of Three Hot Topics …
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We’ll start with Topic 1: “With Kelly Olynyk back and Bruce Brown not far behind, how does Darko Rajakovic get them minutes while also developing the youngsters?”
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It was nice to see the Canadian veteran Olynyk back on Saturday (and he looked great, considering it was his season debut, collecting 13 points on three three-point makes and four free throws without a miss from anywhere). It came at the expense of fellow Canuck Chris Boucher, who head coach Darko Rajakovic said afterward he had already told he’d be in and out of the rotation as the team gets healthy. Rajakovic has said all along this is a building season and far more players than usual will get a chance. Toronto needs to find time for Jonathan Mogbo, particularly in the middle, as he’s looked promising there, despite being undersized. Luckily Olynyk’s shooting allows him to work as a stretch four (power forward) or five (centre) so he can play with Mogbo if needed. Plus, Jakob Poeltl has had a huge workload, so it’s OK if he gets a bit more time to rest.
Brown isn’t far behind Olynyk and there’s quite a log-jam on the wing, with Ja’Kobe Walter and Gradey Dick needing plenty of minutes and Ochai Agbaji having a breakout year. When Immanuel Quickley’s back how does Jamal Shead factor in with Davion Mitchell entrenched as Quickley’s backup? I could see the rookies getting some more Raptors 905 run if Toronto is ever 100% healthy.
Topic 2: With OG Anunoby back in town Monday, what’s his Raptors legacy and are the Knicks for real?
Anunoby will go down as an Amir Johnson/Morris Peterson/Alvin Williams-type — one of the top role players and defenders in franchise history and one of the shrewdest draft picks too (the Raptors promised Anunoby’s camp they’d draft him if he was still there post-lottery and he was, largely thanks to the knee injury he was coming off of). That’s pretty good, but it’s too bad that’s it, as he would have made more of a mark had he not been hurt for the championship run or if the post-title makeup had not been bad fits together. His classic moment has to be the playoff three-pointer against Boston off Kyle Lowry’s insane pass.
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Anunoby was always a popular Raptor with the fans, but he’s become a cult hero amongst the Madison Square Garden faithful because he’s been unreal as a member of the Knicks, particularly defensively. Should he lead New York deep into the playoffs could see OG becoming a Charles Oakley-like figure there for years to come (hopefully he isn’t wronged by Knicks ownership the way Oakley has been though).
New York acquired Anunoby and Mikal Bridges in large part to have players capable of slowing Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in the second or third round of the playoffs. Bridges has not been the same player he once was, while Anunoby has been even better. If they can get Bridges back to his old self, they could give the Celtics a fight.
Topic 3: This will be about the quietest week of the season for the Raptors with just two games. What do they need to get done with rare practice time?
Assuming this is the week Brown rejoins them, they’ll need to work on that rotation we referenced above and extra practices will be a good chance for some spirited scrimmages. Getting up as many three-pointers as possible would be helpful too. Toronto ranks 29th in makes and attempts and 23rd in accuracy this season. If you’re barely taking any three-pointers you need to be awesome defensively like Orlando (last in accuracy) or Houston (26th).
They also need to be more cohesive. Only five teams turn the ball over at a higher rate and as Rajakovic has said repeatedly, must defend without fouling. No team allows a higher opponent’s free throw rate than the Raptors.
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