Early within the fourth quarter on Saturday, Javon Freeman-Liberty corralled his personal miss, surveyed the ground, and located Jahmi’us Ramsey open above the break for a 3. Ramsey sank the triple, extending the Raptors’ result in 4 factors and sending the Washington Wizards calling for a timeout to regroup.
Some 20 days in the past, the plan was for this sort of factor to happen with Raptors 905.
Freeman-Liberty’s two-way contract had been exchanged for a full-time NBA contract, and Ramsey was added on a 10-day contract. The Raptors group is spending the ultimate weeks of the season specializing in growth and determining who must be part of their summer time (and probably 2024-25) plans, and securing a participant they know they like in Freeman-Liberty, whereas taking a flier on a bodily, toolsy participant like Ramsey, is par for the course.
Whereas NBA reps are extremely precious, the preliminary thought was that Freeman-Liberty and Ramsey may share a backcourt within the G League for some time, seeing what chemistry they’ll construct and which reveals extra capability for increasing their level guard tasks. At the same time as not too long ago as Tuesday, they had been slated to begin collectively for the 905 earlier than Ramsey was pulled as a late scratch in case the Raptors wanted him Wednesday.
Issues modified rapidly. Along with numerous accidents and private conditions for key NBA rotation items, D.J. Carton — signed on a 10-day and subsequently on a two-way deal — was additionally harm, leaving the dad or mum membership with out a level guard. And so earlier than they may get quite a lot of reps collectively in Mississauga, Freeman-Liberty and Ramsey noticed themselves sharing the NBA backcourt for heavy minutes this week.
On Saturday in opposition to the Wizards, the outcomes had been blended. The Raptors misplaced, 112-109, however Ramsey was a game-high plus-9 and continued to point out the kind of toughness and physicality that makes him an intriguing defensive prospect. Freeman-Liberty, in the meantime, shot the ball poorly however was second on the staff with 4 assists, trying like the one participant outdoors of point-centre Kelly Olynyk able to finishing a go undeflected.
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No one will likely be hanging the Raptors’ success and failures on a pair of G League guards, nor ought to they. Not solely is that not pragmatic, it will additionally fail to acknowledge that the duo are being requested to play outdoors of their regular function and skillset. Each gamers received a begin this weekend, the primary of their respective NBA careers and positively not one thing that was on the radar for both this time final yr.
Proper now, they’re taking part in a type of combo-guard that leans nearer to level guard, with numerous the offence working by Olynyk (and to some extent Bruce Brown) however a share of the standard lead-guard duties falling to them. This can be a huge change for Ramsey, who was by no means a lot of some extent guard prospect by faculty and the G League and whose developmental soar has centred on his capturing development and his defence. Freeman-Liberty, in the meantime, has practically doubled his help charge in his second G League season however was coming off the bench within the G League a yr in the past as a slashing two-guard, so the soar right here is critical.
Gamers on the fringes of the league can’t be choosy about their alternatives.
“I’m grateful for it,” Ramsey stated Friday. “I’m making an attempt to benefit from it. Yeah, it was in all probability greater than in all probability you count on for a 10-day, however I’m completely satisfied, I’m able to play.”
Garrett Temple, who turned a sequence of 10-day contracts, a season in Italy, and standout G League play right into a 14-year NBA profession, has been within the ear of younger gamers about taking advantage of these probabilities and, if they’ll, specializing in what they’ll management.
“I’ve been in your place, brother,” Temple stated of his message. “There aren’t many individuals that may look in you within the eye and say, ‘I do know precisely what you’re going by.’ So for me to have the ability to have the chance to speak to guys like Jahmi’us and D.J., when he got here on earlier than he received the two-way contract, and inform him it’s not about you capturing the ball, you understand, Jahmi’us was upset, he’s not making as many photographs. I’m like, ‘Bro, it’s not about that. You’re affecting the sport in a approach the place all people can see it, together with your defensive tenacity, your potential on that finish of the courtroom. The photographs are gonna fall.’”
Temple’s profession is instructive for Ramsey. He shot 38 per cent on threes over three G League seasons however simply 31 per cent in his call-ups. Ramsey was capturing 40.4 per cent on threes within the G League this yr — a pleasant soar for him, and virtually fully on harder above-the-break makes an attempt — however is 6-for-22 (27 per cent) throughout his two 10-day offers.
One of many hardest challenges with an NBA call-up is discovering the correct stability between taking part in a small, typically modest function and exhibiting out to be sure to benefit from the prospect you’ve been given. Some gamers get too passive, others too aggressive. Some shoot arrows on the bench of their former staff.
Ramsey has struck the center floor successfully. He has not been extremely environment friendly, however every thing he’s executed besides the chilly 3-point capturing affirms what the Raptors favored about him: He can clearly defend on the subsequent degree, he performs a lot greater than his six-foot-three peak on each ends, and he’s in a position to at the very least get a foot within the paint throughout the circulation of an offence. He’s not some extent guard — no person wholesome on the staff proper now’s — however he’s a gifted participant who might match higher because the staff will get extra wholesome and he strikes again off-ball extra.
Saturday was the ultimate day of Ramsey’s second 10-day contract, which implies the Raptors now need to decide on him. They will signal him for the rest of the season, they’ll signal him to a two-year deal (often with a small assure for the second season, like Freeman-Liberty’s has) to verify he’s within the system for the summer time, or they’ll return him to his former G League staff and take a look at another person on a 10-day.
In a vacuum, Ramsey has proven sufficient for an prolonged look. If there’s a consider his approach, it’s that the Raptors may need to strive a extra conventional level guard for 10 days to see how that appears, particularly since Freeman-Liberty is already signed by subsequent yr and is in the same off-guard tweener spot. Nevertheless it shakes out, Ramsey’s made essentially the most of an unexpectedly giant window of on-court alternative.
Participant quick-hits
Along with offering nice management, Temple has performed extra the final two video games than he had within the two months prior. He was fairly good Friday, and had two blocks for the primary time since December of 2021 on Saturday. … Gary Trent Jr. returned from a minor again damage to match a season-high with 31 factors. He aggravated the again late, getting stuffed by the rim however stayed within the recreation. It took him 26 photographs to get to 31, however they had been all needed, as he stays the one non-cutting supply of Toronto offence proper now. … Ochai Agbaji accomplished a stable back-to-back with a very nice recreation as a defender and with some stable ending within the paint. The three-point shot stays a piece in progress. … Gradey Dick had a wonderful block on the rim late, scored 17 factors on 13 photographs, and usually regarded stable at each ends. … Mo Gueye received a couple of minutes with Jontay Porter out for private causes. He had an superior dunk and a block, but in any other case seems a bit sped up and out-muscled, as you’d count on for a rookie in his first few NBA reps.
10-game dropping streak
This marks the tenth loss in a row for Toronto, simply the eighth time in franchise historical past that has occurred. The final time the Raptors misplaced 10 or extra in a row was 2010-11, after they misplaced 13 straight on their option to a 22-60 document and a No. 5 total choose that turned Jonas Valanciunas.
The longest dropping streak in staff historical past is 17 video games, which was early within the 16-win 1997-98 season. The prolonged dropping within the franchise’s infancy resulted in Damon Stoudamire asking for a commerce and head coach Darrell Walker resigning mid-season. The lesson right here: It may possibly all the time be worse.
Double tank
For these trying on the reverse standings, tonight’s recreation counted double. Not solely did the Raptors lose, placing them a full recreation “forward” of Memphis for the sixth-worst document within the league, Washington successful additionally helps. Detroit has now as soon as once more handed the Wizards for final place, that means Toronto’s second-round choose (initially Detroit’s) is again to thirty first.
Raptors 905 with two video games to go
The 905 misplaced, 105-85, on Saturday, dropping them to 11-21 within the “common season” portion of the season and 15-33 total. They’ve residence video games remaining Wednesday and Friday to conclude their season.
It’s been a troublesome season all-around for the 905. Numerous that has to do with a horrible run of well being, together with two of the staff’s three preliminary two-way contracts being injured and changed, and a half-dozen video games the place they had been taking part in with emergency call-up gamers. The NBA Raptors have additionally been closely injured, leaving the 905 with only a few appearances from task gamers and two-way contracts.
A few of that is simply life within the G League, the place rosters are all the time in flux. And the 905 may argue that they’ve had a profitable season on the particular person degree, as they’re close to the highest of the G League in gamers promoted to the NBA this season. Having acknowledged that, the Raptors have lengthy believed that studying in a successful setting is a key part of growth, and so they’ll absolutely need to get again to their observe document of G League success subsequent yr.
There are two components probably working of their favour to that finish. First, the Raptors may have a number of draft picks within the 2024 draft. Past that, Mo Gueye and Carton are each on two-year, two-way offers, and Freeman-Liberty’s contract is a two-year pact. This implies numerous this yr’s developmental gamers will likely be within the pipeline all summer time and heading into camp subsequent fall.
I need to word, too, that regardless of the on-court challenges, the 905 game-day expertise stays a really enjoyable one. I despatched some pals and their younger daughters to Saturday’s recreation and so they had a blast. The 905 present an intimate and family-oriented manufacturing, nearer to the motion than you may often get on the NBA degree, and issues like Stripes the mascot serving to youngsters ship the sport ball earlier than tip-off is a good contact to assist develop life-long followers.
Programming Word
The Raptors Present with Will Lou (and me) is altering time slots this week. We’ll nonetheless be 2-4pm on Monday, however from Tuesday onward we’ll be 11am-12pm, obtainable on all the identical platforms as typical.
I’ll even be relaunching Jays Speak Plus this week — What’s My Ainge Once more? — with podcast-only episodes Monday and Tuesday and a stay 11am-12pm present Thursday. The complete-time launch date for JT+ is April 18.
