The Toronto Raptors Confuse Me
From the continued excellence of Cade Cunningham to the confusing Toronto Raptors, here is everything I noticed from last night’s set of action.
I Can’t Stop Watching Cade Cunningham
This year’s rookie class might top the charts of weird. From the herky-jerky movements of Josh Giddey to the alien-like force that is Evan Mobley, this class is an enigma. Cade Cunningham fits into that description perfectly.
After a slow start, the #1 overall pick has been on a tear. With Jerami Grant out, Cade is shouldering the load for the Pistons. Last night against the Rockets was another reason not to worry about such a problem.
Let’s take a trip to the Motor City and see what exactly Cade Cunningham has been cooking up.
Playmaking
Cade set a career-high with 11 assists to just three turnovers last night. Now, his assists weren’t anything special. They weren’t Chris Paul-like. But they did show me one thing about Cade Cunningham.
He isn’t trying to make things too hard for himself. If there’s an open guy to his right, he gets him the ball. No questions asked. Some rookie guards have that problem, but Cade doesn’t, for the most part.
Again, the Pistons are asking him to do a lot. He has the ball in his hands constantly. He understands he has to share the wealth, get everybody involved.
This transition play, in particular, showed me that Cade Cunningham understands how to play basketball. He understands what so many of his predecessors didn’t. He understands how to be a point guard.
Scoring
Cade has averaged 20 points on 44% shooting over the past 10 games. While it’s easy to say that Cade has been making more shots (he has), the answer is deeper than that.
After being hesitant in the lane, Cade is realizing something. He’s 6’8″ with 220 pounds to throw at defenders. Instead of awkward floaters, he’s bullying people right to the rim.
For the season, Cade has averaged 3.7 attempts in the restricted area. Over the past 10 games, that figure is up to 5.5 shot attempts. Cade has been more aggressive in getting to the rim, and he’s scoring more because of it.
That combo of vision, hesitation, and handle is lethal. Cade is talented enough to punish defenses while getting to the rim. It’s just a matter of doing so.
A majority of Cade’s shooting has come off the catch this season. Cunningham isn’t running many isolations this season (2.4 possessions per game), but I think that’s a good thing. Unlike most perimeter stars today, Cade is learning a great habit.
That habit is the ability to move off-ball. Other than Steph Curry, the anomaly in most things, most superstars aren’t good at playing off-ball. When they don’t have the ball, they’re useless. Guys like Luka Doncic, Damian Lillard, and James Harden are great examples of this.
Learning to play without the ball is something that takes years for superstars to learn. Cade getting a headstart in this department is excellent. Not to mention that he’s gotten pretty good at it, too.
*Chefs Kisses*
Defense
When the Pistons drafted Cade, defense wasn’t on the agenda. They were drafting a generational offensive talent, not a defender. Well, now I’m not so sure anymore.
Cade’s demeanor won’t allow him to be a poor defender, but are we sure he isn’t a good defender? He’s playing tough, hard defense every single possession. He’s stayed in front of guys pretty well, his size helping him out there.
I never expected Cade to be a liability on that end, but he could end up being a good defender.
Great anticipation, easy reads, and a cool dunk to top it all off.
This registers as a foul on Cade, but it’s so much more than that. He makes a great closeout + contest on the shooter. Then, he fights for the rebound, rare for some rookies who are lackadaisical on the boards.
Certainly didn’t expect Cade to be doing this as a rookie, but here we are.
Kemba Walker Is The Quintessential NBA Player
Kemba Walker’s tenure with the Knicks was over before it started. After signing a two-year contract this offseason to come home, Walker was benched due to poor performance. The Knicks were struggling on defense, Walker being a scapegoat for their numerous problems.
Instead of moping, complaining, and being a pain in the ass, Walker did the opposite. While he was sitting out games, he was a cheerleader on the sideline. He wasn’t dragging the rest of the team down with him just because he wasn’t playing.
Last night, against the Celtics, Walker played for the first time in 3 weeks. Can you guess how he played?
29 points – 6 rebounds – 45% 3-PT – 8/10 FT – +5 plus/minus
That’s impressive on so many levels. It’s hard to do anything after 3 weeks, much less play a professional sport. Sure, the Knicks lost this game. They still have numerous problems they have to sort out.
But I think we can all agree, that Kemba Walker is a good guy.
Covid Sucks
Is it sad that these 10 basketball players shared the floor, or that I know all 10 of these players? Probably the latter.
Christmas, the best day on the NBA calendar, is going to suck. This Nets vs Lakers game is shaping up to be especially bad. Anthony Davis is out for multiple weeks with a knee injury. The Nets’ entire team, including their big 3, are all in health and safety protocols.
It’s safe to say that we’re all getting coal this year from Adam Silver.
Not now, Kirk.
The Cavs now have an outbreak. The Nets & Bulls are dead. The Lakers and 76ers have had numerous players enter protocols. When will it end?
The Toronto Raptors Confuse Me
The Toronto Raptors flexed their might against the short-handed Warriors last night. With OG Anunoby back after missing weeks with injury, it was a good night for the Raptors. Currently sitting at 14-15 in the East, it got me thinking.
The Raptors are a team I haven’t talked about at length in a while, for some reason. They are easily one of the weirdest teams in the NBA, and I need to talk about them.
The No Positions Player Thing Is Weird
So many teams nowadays are looking for versatility. The Raptors really lean into that thinking. You’re not going to find many other teams with as many swiss army knives as the Raptors. Just look at their roster.
Delano Banton – 6’7″ forward who can shoot and handle – tenacious defender – first Canadian drafted by the Raptors
Scottie Barnes – versatile weapon – great perimeter defender – shooting coming along – solid ball-handler
Precious Achiuwa – 6’8″ athletic freak – long wingspan – great athleticism – did this;
Pascal Siakam – a lot of spin moves – 52% of minutes at center this season – great nickname
Chris Boucher – 7’4″ wingspan – shoots 3’s like Manute Bol
The Raptors have so many unique athletes on their team. So many players who can do different things. It’s a great thing to have, but there’s a fine line there. Sometimes, you don’t know where to put certain players because of this abundance of versatility.
I’m not saying this is what the Raptors have, but it could be a problem down the line.
Weird Shooting Splits
The Raptors, for all their versatile wings, are unable to score at the rim. They are 27th in FG% in the restricted area (60.6%).
In an attempt to make up for this, they shoot the 6th most shots in the paint that aren’t in the RA. Toronto shoots just 41.2% in that area of the floor.
The Raptors shoot just 32% on above-the-break 3-pointers, a figure that ranks 24th in the NBA. Yet, Toronto is the best corner 3-PT shooting team in the NBA (42%).
WEIRD
What Are Your Thoughts From Last Night’s Games? Leave A Comment Down Below!
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