The Toronto Raptors have now finished their 5 games in the NBA summer League with a 2-3 record, winning the first 2 games and losing the final 3. What did we learn? Let’s have a look.
The Raptors bought young vets in Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, Javon Freeman-Liberty, D.J. Carton. Both Dick and Agbaji got time on the floor with the Raptors last season while JFL and Carton spent most of last year with the 905 and will be fighting for roster spots this year.
They also brought their 4 picks and their undrafted pick: Ja’Kobe Walter, pick 19, Jonathan Mogbo, pick 31, Jamal Shead pick 45, Ulrich Chomche pick 57 and undrafted Branden Carlson.
Lastly, they brought an intriguing set of prospects in Jamison Battle, Dylan Disu, Joseph Girard III, Quincy Guerrier, Omari Moore, Tylor Perry and Drew Timme.
All in all, a whole bunch of stuff to throw up against the wall. Given the Raptors performance last year, they’re hoping a whole lot of that stuff sticks. Understanding that Summer League tells us more about who can’t play rather than who can play, let’s see who made impressions at summer league.
The Vets
Gradey Dick: Didn’t get much burn due to an injury half way through the second game. Looked good in game one, putting up good stats, but couldn’t hit any of his 3 pointers. For a guy that was supposed to be a 3 point specialist, he still has a lot of work to do. Prognosis: Likely to spend much time with the 905 again this year with a few call ups here and there.
Ochai Agbaji: His defense is good to very good but at 24 and struggling to get shots in Summer League suggest his offense capabilities are severely limited. Prognosis: Unlikely to be a rotation player for the Raptors. A 3rd year lottery pick, it speaks volumes to his lack of progression that he remains a Summer League player. With his experience and draft position, he should be the top dog on the court but isn’t. If he can’t make something happen offensively this year, it’s unlikely the Raptors will retain him beyond the season.
Javon Freeman-Liberty: The Raptors top scorer through the first 3 games including 24 points against the Jazz, JFL looked like one of the best Raptors at Summer League. However, the Raptors brass saw something they didn’t like in the 24 year old and released him.
DJ Carton: Played some strong minutes and looks like the replacement for JFL.Prognosis: Will get some end of the bench minutes with the big club but expect most of his time to be with the 905 this year. At 23, his ‘prospect’ time is coming to an end. He’ll need to have more good games if he’s to hang around beyond this year.
So no one here in the vets that would appear to be making the big club any better this year. Hopefully Dick and Carton will see solid improvements throughout the year but JFL is gone and Ochai doesn’t appear to have the right stuff.
Let’s have a look at how the draft picks fared.
Ja’Kobe Walter: Although the 19 year old did not impress with his 3 point shot, he was active enough to cause the other team problems every time he was on the floor. He didn’t look great every game, but when he was good he was very good. Expect him to spend more time with the big club rather than the 905.
Jonathan Mogbo: Only played in 2 games because of a back contusion, but in those 2 games he showed nothing to suggest he has any real opportunity with the big club. Perhaps his greatest upside is being best friends with the Raptors main man, Scottie Barnes. Prognosis: Unless Scotty can sprinkle some magic talent dust over him, he’s more likely to end up as an assistant coach, keeping Scottie happy.
Jamal Shead: After some questionable minutes to start Summer League, Jamal Shead, he certainly ended things with a bang. In a starting lineup stripped of its high-usage players he was given room to run, and he responded with a game-high 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting. In the contest between Shead and Davion Mitchell for the backup point guard spot, Shead notched himself a point.
Ulrich Chomche: Destined to be a crowd favorite, the young 18 year old is raw but with really intriguing potential and skills for a 6’11” kid. Has the potential to be the steal of the draft. Expect him to spend time developing with the 905 but know he’ll be given several years to live up to his potential.
Brandon Carlson: The 7’0″ center was a monster in the paint, the best big man on the team by a country mile and through the Raptors’ first two games he destroyed opponents who tried to get to the rim. His shot-blocking instincts are fantastic and he has the size and footwork to wall off the basket. On offense he showed that he is comfortable shooting from 3-point range, and while he will need to improve his accuracy that confidence will translate well to real NBA games.
As with the Vets, we’ve got some winners and one likely loser here. Chomche, Carlson, Shead and Walters will be around the big club throughout the year, but Mogbo isn’t likely to be a contributor unless something incredible happens.
Jamison Battle: Strong defensively, which goes a long way with the Raptors front office, Battle showed well enough to be awarded with a contract.
None of the rest of the invitees, Dylan Disu, Joseph Girard III, Quincy Guerrier, Omari Moore, Tyler Perry or Drew Timme showed well enough to deserve more than a mention here. Expect to see a couple of these guys hang around with the 905, but it is unlikely any of them will see any court time with the Raptors.
Overall, there doesn’t seem to be any immediate impact players and it’s unlikely more than just 2-3 of these players will be solid rotation players any time soon. It does mean we are likely to see more Raptor losses than wins again this year, but hopefully they play hard and are a fun watch.