Originally posted November 18, 2017
On a overcast Saturday afternoon, the Raptors 905 found themselves in a hole early as the Lakeland Magic shot a blistering 87% from the field for a 40-18 lead after the first quarter. While the Magic's shooting percentage eventually regressed closer to the mean, the 905 could not overcome the Magic's defence and remained behind by 20 points or more for the majority of the game. On a day like today, there was no bright spot for the 905. Bruno Caboclo lead the 905 in scoring with 23 points (on 9-19 shooting) while Kaza Kean probably had the team's best boxscore with 15 points (4-7 from the field & 6-7 from the line) and 7 assists.
Following the new "3on3" format for NBA G-League game recaps this season, here's my take on what happened both "on the court" and "off the court".
On the court
Finding their way: The 905 roster has been anything but consistent so far this season. With Lorenzo Brown with the Raptors and new big man Andre Washington starting at centre, the 905 were out of sync from the get go. The team was so out of sync with the newly acquire Washington on the floor, he only played 6 minutes for the entire game.
The Alfonzo McKinnie question mark: I'm not sure what to make of McKinnie who finished with 18 points on 7-16 shooting. For stretches of the game he was passive and one could not tell if he was even on the court. During other stretches he was aggressive and taking the ball hard to rim (whether he always finished when he go there is another question). McKinnie also seems to be overly dependent on a spin move rather than attacking the rim directly. While McKinnie is clearly one the more talented players on team, the 905 are waiting for him to step up and take control.
D-Fence: The Magic's defence was stifling inside. Lead by Canadian National Team member Khem Birch, the 905 were held to 40% shooting for the game and a paltry 36.6% in the first half. While Birch was only credited with three blocks he was a beast on the inside. At one point in the second quarter, Caboclo had Birch posted up about two feet from the basketball and Bruno didn't even try to make a move towards the rim. The G League Power Rankings by 2 Ways & 10 Days were dead on for having the Magic at number 5 on the list and shining a light on their league leading defence.
Off the court
Mississauga: The NBA G League shooting shirts have the name of the city down the left side (Mississauga for the 905 and Lakeland for the Magic). I will try to get a good photo of this next time to share. If the NBA G League and/or Nike put these up for sale, I may have to track one down.
Get Ready for this: Right before tip-off the 905 in game crew dropped Unbelievable by EMF over the speakers, followed by Get Ready for This by 2 Unlimited - this made my day and was easily the highlight of the game!
In the house: Both DeMar DeRozan and Lucas Nogueira were courtside to take in the action at the Hersey Centre. To bad the 905 couldn't put on a better show.
Once we get healthy and get a couple of more reinforcements in here, I think we're going to be fine.
Coach Stackhouse on the current state of the Raptors 905
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