Locked On Raptors

The Toronto Raptors fell to the Miami Heat 114-104 in Scottie Barnes' first game on the sidelines with an ankle injury -- but they absolutely cooked in the first 14:23 of the game. In Episode 1769, Sean Woodley goes solo to react to the Raptors falling to 7-19 with their loss in Miami, why they missed Scottie Barnes so dearly, how they won the first 14:23 so decidedly, DUNKS, shot creation issues and Jakob Poeltl's weird bout with back spasms that saw him miss a grand total of two minutes. First, Sean talks about how the absence of Scottie Barnes was felt on both the offensive and defensive end, the Raptors' issues with porous on-ball defense and RJ Barrett's struggles as the offense's leading man. Next, it's Toxic Positivity Friday, and we'll leave it at that. Lastly, Sean runs through The Good (DUNKS, BABY!!!), The Bad (a general lack of shot creation without Scottie Barnes) and The Hmmm (was Jakob Poeltl on the can?) to wrap up the show. Join us on the Locked On Raptors Discord server: https://discord.gg/2

The Toronto Raptors, despite being third in shots at the rim, are 27th in the NBA in dunks -- which is very bad for people who like dunks! In Episode 1768, Sean Woodley is joined by Katie Heindl (Locked On NBA Newsletters, Basketball Feelings) to talk about the Toronto Raptors issues with dunking the basketball, why Jonathan Mogbo is the best hope the team has to save them from this dunkless doom, and how their lack of dunks is actually hurting them on the basketball court. Next, Sean and Katie prepare for another stretch of life without Scottie Barnes, talk about why his injury is such a bummer, the silver linings of him being out of the lineup and The Colosseum before Hot Take Heindl makes a triumphant return to the show. Lastly, they build off of Katie's League at Large column in the newsletter with a look at Jimmy Butler and the Heat on track for a split and the envy we've had watching teams succeed in the NBA Cup. Join the Locked On Raptors Discord server! https://discord.gg/2kSCzfPnSubscribe FOR FREE to

What is the ceiling of Toronto Raptors rookie Ja'Kobe Walter? In Episode 1767, Sean Woodley goes solo to field mailbag questions about Walter's upside, the Raptors' team build and how close they are to having the nucleus of a contending team on hand, new 2-way signing AJ Lawson and Jonathan Mogbo. Off the top, Sean digs into Walter's play so far, why his two-way potential makes him a really enticing archetype of player if he can hit his ceiling, and why he has the profile of an elite sixth man who closes games for you if all breaks right. Next, Sean fields a question about the Raptors' assemblage of talent, and what they still need to add to inch towards contender status. Do they have all the pieces to be at least a perennial playoff team with Scottie Barnes at the center of it all? Lastly, Sean answers a question about new Raptors two-way signing AJ Lawson, who Sean got to see up close during his one season spent in the CEBL. Plus, Mogbo? Yes. Mogbo! Discord: https://discord.gg/2kSCzfPnFREE Daily Locked On R

The Toronto Raptors lost Scottie Barnes to an ankle injury in third quarter of Monday's loss to the New York Knicks, and the Raps fell short despite RJ Barrett's 30-point night. In Episode 1766, Sean Woodley goes solo to talk about the Barnes injury and the course forward if Barnes is set to miss extended time, RJ Barrett's awesome revenge game against his old team, react to Ja'Kobe Walter's career-high 19 points and, yes, get a little mad about officiating. Off the top, Sean digs into Barnes injury, why it's such a huge bummer considering how nicely the team has been rounding into form around him and why this season is not over when it comes to gleaning important info about this group, even if Barnes is out until the New Year. Next, Sean talks about RJ Barrett dropping 30-8-4 on 13/24 shooting against his old team, the give take of his powerful offense and lackluster off-ball defense, and whether he can scale back up to leading man duty with Barnes out. Lastly, Sean runs through The Good (Ja'Kobe Walter), Th

The Toronto Raptors fell to the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night to fall to 7-17 on the season, but Scottie Barnes' 19-point, 14-assist outing continued to lay out the case that he's making the leap the Raptors are banking on him making.  In Episode 1765, Sean Woodley is joined by Vivek Jacob (Raptors in 7, Sportsnet) to chat about the Raptors' 125-118 loss to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving's Mavericks on Saturday night, in which Scottie Barnes was a +10, continuing the trend of him driving positive minutes for the team since his return from injury. Off the top, Sean and Vivek dig into Barnes' play-driving, his improved playmaking, and whether he needs to be a big time scorer to truly ascend to the heights the Raptors are hoping he can achieve. Next, they talk about RJ Barrett being on the sidelines for the best Raptors stretch of the Mavs game, his rough numbers as the sole creator with the bench, and why the return of Immanuel Quickley is going to do him some good. Lastly, they run through The Good (Kelly O

The Toronto Raptors, down Jakob Poeltl, got it handed to them by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexanders' team stomped the Raps 129-92 to snap Toronto's two-game winning streak. In Episode 1764, Sean Woodley goes solo to recap the loss and where the absence of Poeltl was most felt, review Jonathan Mogbo's career-high 17-point night in another round of Toxic Positivity Friday, Chris Boucher's struggles, hard lessons and more. Off the top, Sean digs into the Raptors' struggles adapting to live without Jakob Poeltl, who missed the game with an illness, and without whom Toronto's offense had very little chance of getting much going against a suffocating Thunder defense. Next, Sean keeps Toxic Positivity Friday rolling with a look at Jonathan Mogbo's 17-point night in which he flashed all kinds if micro-skills that make it easy to let your imagination run wild. Lastly, Sean runs through The Good (the importance of getting smoked once in a while), The Bad (Chris Boucher's magic wani

Toronto Raptors sharpshooter Gradey Dick is nearing a return, the Eastern Conference teams around the Raptors are a disaster, and the Toronto Tempo are coming to the WNBA. In Episode 1763 of Locked On Raptors, Sean Woodley goes solo to discuss the Raptors' incoming rotation crunch, their level of mobility within the East, and his first impressions of the WNBA team's name announcement. Off the top, Sean digs into the potential return of Gradey Dick tonight against the OKC Thunder to kick off a three-game run of measuring stick games against contenders, what his return to the lineup will mean for the rotation, and the greater rotation crunch coming once Bruce Brown and eventually Kelly Olynyk and Immanuel Quickley are available to play. Next, Sean takes stock of the Eastern Conference landscape and tries to nail down just how high this team can climb. Lastly, Sean offers his initial thoughts on the announcement of the Toronto Tempo's name, logo and colour scheme. The name and logo are a bit underwhelming, the c

Scottie Barnes dropped a career-high 35 points to go along with six rebound and nine assists as the Toronto Raptors held off an attempted Indiana Pacers comeback to win their second-straight game and improve to 7-15 on the season. In Episode 1762, Sean Woodley goes solo to talk about how Barnes very much walked the superstar walk, Davion Mitchell's contributions to the closing lineup, the end of Toronto's NBA Cup run and more. Off the top, Sean talks about Barnes' career night, where he found the perfect balance of hunting is own and setting the table for others and looked every bit the superstar the Raptors are banking on him becoming. Next, Sean talks about the baffling and yet once again effective Davion Mitchell, who was 3/9 on the night, but was essential to slowing down Tyrese Haliburton late and chipped in a couple huge late buckets. We don't need to understand why he's so effective, we just need to enjoy it. Lastly, Sean digs into The Good (The Pascal Siakam trade), The Bad (another NBA Cup run withou

A quarter of the way into the NBA season, the Toronto Raptors are 6-15 and yet still feel like overachievers -- its' a wonderful thing! In Episode 1761, Sean Woodley is joined by Vivek Jacob (Raptors in 7, Sportsnet) to take stop of The Good, The Bad & the Hmm from the Raptors' first 21 games, with thoughts on player development, battling through the injury bug and much more. Off the top, Sean details why the discovery of some legitimate depth on the roster has been the best thing about the early stretch of the season, especially considering that depth looked like the single greatest weakness of the team before the year. Vivek piggy backs on that and talks about how player development has been the stand-out item from the first portion of the year. Next, Sean outlines why the team's inability to grab the low-hanging fruit in transition, at the rim, and in the ball security department has been his biggest bugaboo to start the year, while Vivek gets into why it's a problem that we still haven't seen Scottie

The Toronto Raptors split a home-and-home against the Miami Heat on Friday and Sunday, with RJ Barrett scoring with his familiar ruthless efficiency, Scottie Barnes pulling the strings on both ends, and Ja'Kobe Walter showing flashes in his first steady run of minutes as a rookie. In Episode 1760, Sean Woodley goes solo to break down the Raptors' split with the Heat, why this team is proving to be too good to tank, and why their current level of play should yield a far better record in the second quarter of the season than their 6-15 record through Q1. Toronto's trending up while a lot of teams around them are very much not. Next, Sean details how the issues that hurt Toronto most over the weekend -- sloppy bench minutes and rough crunch time offense -- should be helped significantly by the returns of Gradey Dick and Immanuel Quickley, whenever that may come. Lastly, Sean runs through The Good (Ja'Kobe Walter), The Bad (another dud of an NBA Cup showing) and The Hmmm (the encouraging numbers behind the Raptor

The Toronto Raptors could see injured guard Bruce Brown return to the lineup as early as Sunday against the Miami Heat, and that's rad! In Episode 1759, it's another Toxic Positivity Friday where Sean Woodley is joined by Katie Heindl (Locked On NBA Newsletters, Basketball Feelings) to run through this week in good feelings surrounding the 5-14 Toronto Raptors. Off the top, Sean and Katie chat about the impending return of Bruce Brown, what his addition to the lineup might mean for the team, why they're excited to see him play at full steam, and the end of his sideline fits. Next, they chat about what is looking like a franchise-changing rookie class for the Raptors, with thoughts on Jamison Battle, Jamal Shead, Jonathan Mogbo and Ja'Kobe Walter all looking the part well ahead of schedule. Lastly, Sean pitches Katie on a very simple, perhaps toxically positive proposal regarding the return of a Raptors legend in the twilight of his career. Join us on the Locked On Raptors Discord server: https://discord.gg/jZ

The Toronto Raptors picked up their first road win of the season on Wednesday night, taking down the New Orleans Pelicans with their most prolific three-point shooting night of the season, with Ochai Agbaji and Jamison Battle leading the way. In Episode 1758, Sean Woodley goes solo to break down the Toronto Raptors' 119-93 win over a very injured New Orleans Pelicans team, the 21-of-52 three-point shooting night that powered them to a win, Ja'Kobe Walters' all around effort in his first career start, Jamison Battle's lights-out shooting and more. Off the top, Sean digs into how bombing a bunch of threes Boston Celtics-style won this game for Toronto as it helped soften up a Pelicans defense that was densely packed in the paint in the early going. Scottie Barnes took 12 threes and only made 2 -- and that's fine. Next, Sean digs into Walters' first career start, and how he was able to affect the game with playmaking, rebounding and defense even though his three-point shot (2-of-10) wasn't falling. Lastly, Sean

Eighteen games into the NBA season, the Toronto Raptors have a strange statistical profile, but which numbers have a chance to hold up all season long? In Episode 1757, Sean Woodley is joined by the Stats Queen of Raptors internet, Keerthika Uthayakumar, to run through some Toronto Raptors small sample numbers and discuss whether or not they have a chance to sustain all season, from their league-best offensive rebounding, their struggles in close games. RJ Barrett's home-road splits and more. Off the top, they chat about the Raptors' playing  a league-leading number of close games, and whether or not it's likely they continue to hang in games and fall short more often than they win them. Plus, can they sustain being the number on offensive rebounding team in basketball? Next, they get into RJ Barrett's bizarre home/road splits and what exactly is going on with his bizarre statistical season, and whether the team's awful transition offense is going to stay awful all year. Lastly, they discuss Chris Boucher: th

The Toronto Raptors fell 102-100 to the Detroit Pistons on Monday night, with Jaden Ivey hitting a buzzer-beating game-winner to undo a great performance by Scottie Barnes and the Raptors' second unit. In Episode 1756, Sean Woodley goes solo to recap the loss to the Pistons, discuss why offensive rebounds were not enough to save the Raptors' offense on a night where the absence of Gradey Dick was really felt, how Barnes fared in a 31-14-7 effort, porous transition defense and more. Off the top, Sean dives into how the Raptors' failed to make it work on offense without Dick, the bench's offensive rebounding party and how the late-game offense dried up as the o-boards dwindled. Next, Sean gets into Scottie Barnes looking like the player we all want him to be, giving the Raptors' all he had on the offensive end considering the difficult spacing context he was operating within. Lastly, Sean runs through The Good (Jamison Battle, not just a shooter!!), The Bad (crunch time transition defense) and The Hmmm (Darko R

The Toronto Raptors dropped the first game of a four-game road trip on Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, 122-108, as Cleveland's lead guard trio of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Ty Jerome too much for the Raptors to hang with. In Episode 1755, Sean Woodley and Vivek Jacob (Raptors in 7, Sportsnet) to talk about the Toronto Raptors' 122-108 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday night, why guard play was the story of the night going both ways, how the Raptors can change the dynamic in the matchup with Cleveland, Jonathan Mogbo, Jonathan Mogbo and more Jonathan Mogbo. Off the top, they get into how the Raptors starting lineup, armed with no traditional lead guards, got outgunned by the Cavs' three-headed guard monster, why the Raptors lost this game in the half court, and the early returns on the Scottie Barnes-RJ Barrett-Gradey Dick-Ochai Agbaji-Jakob Poeltl starting five. Next, Sean and Vivek chat about why small ball might be the Raptors' counter to a Cavs team that gives tem all kinds of mat

Scottie Barnes returned to the lineup and the Toronto Raptors took down Anthony Edwards, Rudy Gobert and the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-105 to earn their second straight win and move to 4-12 on the season. In Episode 1754, Sean Woodley goes solo to break down the Raptors win, share some thoughts on the blissful stage this team is at in its life cycle, discuss Scottie Barnes' return to the lineup, the power of functional depth, Jonathan Mogbo playing beyond his years and much more! Off the top, Sean digs into why this team is a win-win enterprise right now, with wins and losses provided equal reason for optimism. His advice: enjoy the ride. Then, Sean talks about what he noticed from Barnes' return, his whip-smart defense, and how he makes life easier for everyone else. Next, Sean talks about the Raptors' new starting five of Barnes, RJ Barrett, Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick and Jakob Poeltl, why better runs than they had last night lie ahead, and how Davion Mitchell and Chris Boucher are now better equipped to su

Who would you rather be for the next 5 years: the 3-12 rebuilding Toronto Raptors, or the 2-12, should-be contending Philadelphia 76ers? In Episode 1753, Sean Woodley is joined by Trill Bro Dude (You Know Ball) to talk about the Toronto Raptors and Philadelphia 76ers, buddies at the bottom of the Eastern Conference, who are there for very  different reasons. Off the top, Sean and Trill get into the Sixers' struggles and life under Nick Nurse for Sixers fans, and why it's maybe already resembling the last couple years of Nurse's time in Toronto. Next, they chat about whether the Raptors or Sixers are better set up for the next five years. For the Sixers, the argument is obvious, they have Joel Embiid, who while maybe in physical decline is still the best player between either team, and Tyrese Maxey, who's already a borderline All-NBA guard despite a rough start to this season. The Raptors meanwhile boast youth, growing functional depth and some avenues to acquiring an Embiid-level stud in the draft, or through

Jakob Poeltl is incredibly important to the Toronto Raptors -- is he too important to trade despite where the Raptors find themselves in the standings? In Episode 1752, Sean Woodley is joined by Katie Heindl (Locked On NBA Newsletters, Basketball Feelings) to play a few rounds of 'What's More Likely?', with questions about Jakob Poeltl's future in Toronto, where the Raptors stack up next to a pair of struggling presumed contenders in the Eastern Conference, and which vastly improved Raptors wing is in line to start more games from here on out. Off the top, they chat about whether it's more likely that the Raptors trade surging big man Jakob Poeltl before the deadline, or extend him and keep him around deep into his thirties. Next, they discuss whether it's more like that the Philadelphia 76ers or the Milwaukee Bucks finish behind Toronto in the standings by season's end. Lastly, a brand new character named Hot Take Heindl appears on the show to debate whether it's more likely that the Gradey Dick or Ochai Agb

The Toronto Raptors moved to 3-12 with a win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night on the back of RJ Barrett's 39-point, 9-rebound, 5-assist masterpiece and Jakob Poeltl's 30-point, 16-rebound effort to continue his recent hot streak. In Episode 1751, Sean Woodley is joined by Vivek Jacob (Raptors in 7, Sportsnet) to talk about the Raptors win over the Pacers, how RJ Barrett closed it out when thing started to get hairy, Jak's recent run, Garrett Temple, the Pacers laying an egg and more. Off the top, they chat about Barrett, who closed things out as it got a bit hairy for the Raptors in the fourth. Where does he and his newfound craft as a pick-and-roll playmaker fit into the team once Scottie Barnes get healthy? Next, they chat about Jakob Poeltl going nuts once again, posting 30-15-2-2-2 on 13-of-18 shooting to continue his absolute heater over his last three games. Plus, where does Jak rank so far among centers in the Eastern Conference? Lastly, Sean and Vivek run through The Good (Garrett Temple turnin

The Toronto Raptors fell to  the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics in a pair of heartbreakers over the weekend, made all the more heartbreaking by the fact that the shorthanded Raptors are leaving everything they can on the floor right now with Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and more out of the lineup. In Episode 1750, Sean Woodley goes solo to break down how the Raptors kept touch against both the Pistons and Celtics, and why their best efforts were ultimately undone by the razor thin margins they're operating with before  a look at the Raptors' steady improvements on the defensive end, RJ Barrett's masterful work as a pick-and-roll playmaker and more. Off the top, Sean digs into the Raptors doing all the right things against Boston and Detroit, from their late-game execution, to the performances of Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett and a very exhausted Gradey Dick, only to fall short the way undertalented teams often do. Next, Sean examines the incremental steps the Raptors' defense is taking as a unit, and some