Talk about heating up. Shooting slumps don’t get much worse than what the Raptors have been going through for the past month or so. The team was connecting on 25% or so of its three-point attempts on many nights, on 30% during better ones, all the while, continuing to launch a ton of outside attempts, confident that things would turn around. Dwane Casey had said most of the shots were good looks and told his charges to keep firing away. They did, and everything turned on Wednesday against Sacramento. Suddenly, the Raptors couldn’t miss from deep. They had five (on eight attempts in the first quarter) after averaging about six makes over the previous 14 games), cooled down in a 2-for-8 second quarter, before nailing 8-of-10 in a ridiculous third quarter explosion. By the end, Toronto had made 17 threes, tied for the second-most in franchise history for one game, on 50% shooting. That kind of shooting is never going to be sustainable and it covered up some at times poor defence, but it will do wonders for a team that wasn’t feeling as confident as usual on offence lately because shots simply weren’t falling.
- Covered the job Chuck Hayes did on DeMarcus Cousins in great detail in the game story, but one more note on it from Patrick Patterson, if you don’t mind:
“It’s hard for anyone to guard that guy. He’s hands down one of the best big men in the league. He’s extremely talented. He’s pretty much a guard in a big’s body. For what Chuck did tonight on him, I throw my hat off. Chuck was with him in Sacramento, we all have a great relationship with DeMarcus. Chuck knows him better than anybody and did a great job with him tonight as far as forcing him to turn over the ball,” Patterson said.
- Patterson said it is “night-and-day” when Cousins is on the floor for the Kings, versus when he is on the bench. Hayes said he’d put him on the West’s all-star team, despite Sacramento’s record.
- Casey had a lot to say about James Johnson pre-game, saying he has handled his demotion well and has been a true professional. Someone had to lose their minutes with DeRozan back, Vasquez starting and Terrence Ross needing to get his confidence restored (which seems to have happened, judging by recent results) and Johnson was the guy, despite how well he has played. You can argue about it, and I have, but there is nothing more to it than that.
- Was interesting to see Casey leave Valanciunas out on the floor for a longer stretch again and against different type of big men, including ones fleeter of foot like Carl Landry and Jason Thompson. He was chasing them out to the three-point line at times, and doing a decent job of it. He told me he was happy to get the chance and hopes it is a sign that the coaching stuff has more trust in him now.
-Nik Stauskas seems to be finding his game a bit lately and that’s a good sign. He has struggled to adjust to the NBA, but is extremely talented. It just takes time for almost all rookies, something Kings head coach Tyrone Corbin was quick to point out.
” He’s a rookie, he’s a rookie,” Corbin repeated. “He’s learning what’s going to give him a chance in this league. He’s a shooter. . .to find his shots, be ready for his shots, when you get the double teams on the weak side, to come off and be ready when the shot’s there, if not read and take things that are available for him quickly. On defence, his body has to get stronger to be able to defend guys in this league. But he’s working hard, he’s a rookie in this league so he’s trying to find his way.”
- Stauskas said he has been in touch with Steve Nash and Rowan Barrett, Canada Basketball’s senior men’s grand poobahs, and is looking forward to the team Canada can put together this summer. “Having (Nash) now as a mentor and a friend, I couldn’t be more happy,” Stauskas said, adding there will be more serious talks about playing for Canada closer to the summer. “It’s crazy to see, especially from the Toronto area, how many guys have come out of here. We’re all happy for each other, we’re all proud of each other and hopefully we can put a good team together this summer and show people what Canada is all about.
- One more thing, I agree with DeRozan that the booing of Rudy Gay is stupid. Why boo him? He didn’t leave under bad circumstances like others or say anything bad about the franchise or the city. He was a model citizen who just didn’t fit here. Save the booing for those who deserve it.