How are the Toronto Raptors doing in Summer League? In a word, great! They are currently have three wins with no losses and have the best point differential of any team after three games. The team is in first place at the Las Vegas Summer League which is a position they have not been in a long time. Why are they are doing so well? It is mostly because of the tenacious defense they play. They guard aggressively and from 94 feet. As a result, teams are getting worn out by the Raptors defensive intensity. Coach Darko recently said that this is the way the team wants to play and wants this to be their identity. Well, I am all for it! I love defense and I am a firm believer that defense wins championship. Look no further than this year’s champions, the OKC Thunder.
Of course, summer league in most cases can be taken with a grain of salt as most teams are just giving some of their young players some NBA experience and wins are not necessarily the goal. However, for the Raptors, they actually want to win as they are trying to establish winning habits after missing the playoffs the last couple of years. More importantly, they are trying to see if they have any players with star or all star potential. So how have some of the players look on that front? Let’s discuss.
How Are the Toronto Raptors Doing in Summer League? Chomche Jump?
The player who has jumped out the most for me is Ulrich Chomche. He is still very raw and still has a lot to learn about basketball but he has improved greatly from last year. He doesn’t look lost out there and he works hard to set good screens, get his hands in the passing lanes and hedge out on the perimeter. His offensive game needs a lot of work but he provides something the team needs which is a shot blocking rim protecting big. Also, he has put on some muscle and he looks really big out there. And his impact was felt every time he was out there.
For example, for the past three games, Colin Castleton has started at center as he has a lot more experience. However, the defense seems to be weaker with him on the floor. Teams do not fear him and attack him. He is also slow to react to plays and his lack of strength means he gets pushed around. As a result, the Raptors seem to start off slow. However, once Chomche enters the game, the defense immediately improves. With him on the floor, teams are more weary of attacking the rim and his size and wingspan covers a lot of ground. No more was this apparent as in the last game where he had a game high plus/minus of plus 15!
As he is still young (19 years) and has only been playing basketball for about six years, they want to bring him up slow and have him in the G league a lot this year. However, he is already a lot better than Colin Castleton and I really think he needs to be with the big club as the third center sometime this year. The experience will help accelerate his growth. There was a reason that the Raptors did not draft a center in this year’s draft and his name is Ulrich Chomche. Keep it up young fella!
How Are the Toronto Raptors Doing in Summer League? Walter and Murray-Boyle Flashes
Ja’Kobe Walter has been having a so so summer (besides his defense) until last game where he erupted for 26 points, 7 steals, 4 rebounds and one block. Wow! She was shooting from deep but his defense was tenacious! I loved how he played and showed his potential as an elite two way player. His point of attack defense is probably the best on the team. If he can keep playing this way, in particular keep improving his offensive game, he will force the Raptors to make some difficult decisions. At 20 years old, the second year player has a lot of room to grow but he has put on some muscle and it is showing in his defense . I will be watching him closely the rest of summer league.
Colin Murray-Boyles the Raptors 1st round draft pick this year had an injury prior to summer league and has only played in two games so far. He has not jumped off the page but he seems to be picking his spots which is perfectly fine as I do not want him to injure himself again. However, some things have caught my eye. First, his defensive awareness and anticipation is off the charts. He knows where to be on defense and he can anticipate what his opponent is going to do. As a result he is in the right place at the right time. He gets his hands on a lot of balls for deflections. He is going to be a great defender.
On offense, his shooting leaves a lot to be desired but he did hit his first 3 point shot which was great! However, basketball IQ is off the charts as he can anticipate plays developing and making the right pass or getting to the right spot to receive a pass. He is going to be a good player. Will he be an all start, not sure but he should be able to contribute right away and that is a win for a team trying to make the playoffs.
Conclusion
I am liking what I am seeing from Ulrich Chomche, Ja’Kobe Walter and Colin Murray-Boyles. All of them play defense and like playing it. That in itself is a formula for success for them and will help them get minutes on the team. Also, they seem to be all getting better with each passing game and because the team is playing to win, it is helping them to grow. I look forward to tonight’s game and hopefully they get into the summer league playoffs as that would help them immensely in their development. It is obvious that they are putting the work in and if they keep it up, training camp is going to be very, very interesting. Go Raptors!