Locked On Raptors

In Episode 1529, Sean Woodley is joined by Katie Heindl (DIME, Basketball Feelings) to chat about what's at stake for the Toronto Raptors as the second quarter of their schedule gets rolling tonight against Kyle Lowry and the Miami Heat. Off the top, Sean and Katie chat about why these next 20 or so games are so important for a team that feels different in tone, but is very similar in record to the 2022-23 team that fell short of expectations. Ultimately, this mostly comes down to the decisions on Pascal Siakam and O.G. Anunoby's futures and how they fit in with the burgeoning Scottie Barnes era of the franchise, and with the hard deadline imposed by their expiring serving as something of a deadline to decided with one, both or neither of them are part of the long term vision. Next, they dig into why Precious Achiuwa and Pascal Siakam are two players they've got their eyes fixed on during this upcoming stretch, with Precious still fighting to carve out a steady role with more reliable night-to-night play, and

In Episode 1528, Sean Woodley is joined by Vivek Jacob (Sportsnet) to play a Toronto Raptor themed version of the beloved sleepover game, Would You Rather? First off, Sean and Vivek discuss and debate whether Dennis Schröder or Jakob Poeltl should get moved to the bench in the event head coach Darko Rajakovic shakes up his starting group on the heels of some recent struggles to open games. Next, they discuss whether they'd rather be the Raptors or Golden State Warriors over the next 3 to 5 years based on the different but equally confusing conundrums both franchises seem to be faced with as they each sit at 9-11 through 20 games. How does the Toronto Blue Jays pursuit of superstar Shohei Ohtani play into the answer? You'll have to tune in to find out! Lastly, with the official retirement of Raptors legend and Sean favourite Terrence Ross over the weekend, Sean lays out a not-at-all biased case for why he'd rather have Ross' NBA career, complete with memorable moments and a Dunk Contest win over the career of

In Episode 1527, Sean Woodley is joined by Oren Weisfeld (Sportsnet, Complex, The Internet) to chat about the Toronto Raptors' 119-106 loss to the New York Knicks on Friday night despite a strong showing from Scottie Barnes (29-9-4-5-1 on 13/19 and 3/7 from three). Off the top, Sean and Oren discuss why the Knicks' overwhelming depth and noted lack of bad players was a big differentiator between the two teams on Friday, while also diving into how the Raptors' aggressive coverages on Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson left the Raptors' exposed on the back end of some pretty lifeless defensive rotations. Next, they chat about the Raptors now that they've surpassed the 20-game mark on the season and whether this group has any capacity for growth, and what they've been surprised by so far through a quarter of the season. Can the bench get better? And is there room for the Raptors' defense to regain no-doubt Top-10 status? Lastly, Sean and Oren run through the Good (Jalen Brunson being very Kyle Lowry-like, Chris Bou

WOOPS! This show was meant to go out on Friday and was in drafts all weekend. Still good stuff, though! In Episode 1526, Sean Woodley goes solo to take stock of the 9-10 Toronto Raptors as they get set to play their 20th game of the season tonight. Off the top, Sean dives into the tale of the tape on the first 19 games, which includes some unsurprising outcomes for both their offense and defense compared to preseason expectations. Of course, though, Scottie Barnes' leap is the story of the season so far, which changes the context of the team in a pretty significant way while also making this year's version of the team significantly more watchable than the 2022-23 Raptors were. Next, Sean digs into what the first quarter of the year has told us about the Barnes-Pascal Siakam-OG Anunoby trio and its viability going forward. The path of least resistance may be to move on from Pascal at the deadline, but is that really the way to optimize the talent around Barnes for the long haul? The data is telling us those th

In Episode 1525, Sean Woodley goes solo to break down the Toronto Raptors' 112-105 win over Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns to snap the Suns' 7-game winning streak. Off the top, Sean digs into an impressive effort from Scottie Barnes who put the brakes on his recent slump with a killer second half, taking the baton from Pascal Siakam after his strong first half. This was the first option / second option dynamic you're looknig for as Barnes ascends to his station atop the team's hierarchy. Next, Sean chats about the other Raptors who chipped in lunch bucket efforts, from Dennis Schroder embodying the point guard role beautifully, to O.G. Anunoby going toe-to-toe with Kevin Durant, Jakob Poeltl simply never missing while providing a sturdy backbone for the defense, and Precious Achiuwa with a truly grimy effort on the boards. Lastly, Sean runs through the Good (a glorious sequence from the second quarter), the Bad (the Scottie with bench lineups, until they turned out to be Good), and the Hmmmm

In Episode 1524, Sean Woodley is joined by Katie Heindl (DIME, Basketball Feelings) to chat about the Toronto Raptors dropping their final In-Season Tournament game to the Brooklyn Nets 115-103 on Tuesday night. Off the top, they chat about a really poor performance from a starting unit that the Raptors simply can't afford to get poor performances from, and dig into how the Nets defense felt specifically designed to prevent the Raptors from getting to the spots they need to get to. Next, they chat about the Raptors' defensive slippage of late, especially in transition, and how the defense came entirely unspooled in the late going against Brooklyn when they went to Scottie Barnes at the five in the final four minutes. Plus, some Napoleon talk? Lastly, they dig into The Good (OG Anunoby's game-ending three, Chris Boucher's performance in not enough minutes), the Bad (washing out of the In-Season Tournament, bad gold quarter zips) and the Hmmmm (Scottie Barnes' recent slump, the Raptors never feeling part of the

In Episode 1523, Sean Woodley is joined by Vivek Jacob (Yahoo Sports Canada, Sportsnet) to chat about Toronto Raptors rookie Gradey Dick getting assigned to play some games with Raptors 905 in the G-League, and discuss the bigger picture work that still needs to be done to get the Raptors development pipeline back to its former glory, if it is at all possible. Off the top, Sean and Vivek chat about Gradey Dick's first couple 905 games, whether it was the right call to send him down to the G-League, and what he can stand to gain from playing for the team. Next, they chat about whether any progress has been made on repairing the pipeline between the G-League and the Raptors' big club, Eric Khoury's work as the team's head coach, and why some tempering of expectations needs to exercised by Raptors fans expecting the 905 to return to its former heights, during which they churned out and/or refined the games of all sorts of NBA talent at a time when they were one of the first teams really tapping into the G-League

In Episode 1522, Sean Woodley goes solo to recap the Toronto Raptors' 1-1 weekend against the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. Off the top, Sean digs into where things went wrong for the Raptors against the Cavaliers in the second half and in particular down the stretch as Scottie Barnes struggled to contain the dribble penetration of the wildly dynamic Darius Garland. Next, Sean digs into his overarching takeaway from the weekend that the Raptors, while still straddling the .500 line, are starting coalesce into a team capable of playing some pretty good basketball as they figure out the best ways to deploy each of their most important players. Plus, are the Raptors carving out an identity as a team that lives at the rim? Lastly, Sean digs into the Good (Gary Trent Jr. settling in) the Bad (free-throws, omg) and the Hmmm (a fleeting glimpse of an interesting lineup) to round out the show.Join us on the Discord server! https://discord.gg/pGez24q9Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!eBay MotorsFor parts

In Episode 1521, Sean Woodley is joined by Katie Heindl (DIME, Basketball Feelings) to chat about what we've learned about the Toronto Raptors so far through 15 games, whether we've gotten closer to knowing what sort of resolution we're heading towards with the Pascal Siakam contract situation, and why this team feels much different from last year's in tone and tenor despite the Raptors' still being a 500ish team. Off the top, they chat about what we've learned so far, and the unfortunate truth that Jakob Poeltl's long-term fit on this team might not be super tenable if Siakam, Scottie Barnes and O.G. Anunoby are retained long term. Next, they chat about whether Pascal Siakam's start to the season has given us any more clarity on what the Raptors might be planning to do with their long-time star player. Has he done enough to answer the questions Masai Ujiri posed about him at Media Day? Plus, some thoughts on what a joy Siakam still is to watch, even if there's a chance his time in Toronto is winding down. Ap

In Episode 1520, Sean Woodley is joined by Jamar Hinds (Raptors Republic) to react to the Toronto Raptors wildly entertaining 132-131 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night as Pascal Siakam scored 36 points and Scottie Barnes' threw down a massive game-tilting dunk late in the game. Off the top, Sean and Jamar dig into how the Raptors were able to keep pace with the league's best offense, and take advantage of Indiana's utter lack of defensive integrity while doing just enough on defense to get by. Pascal Siakam was incredible, O.G. Anunoby did all he could to make Tyrese Halburton work for his 33 & 16 line, and Dennis Schroder bailed the offense out just enough times to get the Raptors over the finish line. Next, they chat about the impressive performance by Malachi Flynn, who scored 14 points on 6/8 shooting and chipped in a handful of critical plays. Is Flynn becoming a real player? And what does his long-term outlook next to Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam look like? It's pretty clear that th

In Episode 1519, Sean Woodley and Vivek Jacob (Sportsnet, Yahoo Sports) react to the Toronto Raptors' 126-107 loss to the Orlando Magic in In-Season Tournament action on Tuesday night. Off the top, Sean and Vivek dig into their biggest takeaways from the game, including some thoughts on an extremely poor defensive performance by Toronto that saw Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs and the rest of the Magic parade to the rim throughout the night. Next, they take stock of where the Raptors and Magic differ from one another in terms of their team build and trajectory. Lastly, they run through the Good, the Bad & the Hmmmmm from the disappointing loss to round out the show.Sean is coaching for Team Media at this Saturday's Sports vs Media Charity Basketball Game at Mattamy Athletic Centre. Get your tickets here: https://linktr.ee/sportvsmediaLink for the Discord: https://discord.gg/NTvAcVmTSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!eBay MotorsFor parts that fit, head to eBay Motors and look for the green check. Stay in th

In Episode 1518, Sean Woodley is joined by Esfandiar Baraheni (SDPN) to talk about the strong performances of Scottie Barnes, Dennis Schröder and Malachi Flynn over the first 13 games of the season and try to determine whether their starts are legit harbingers of more good to come, or 13-game blips that will be forgotten to history much like Andrea Bargnani's All-Star level start to the 2011-12 NBA season. Off the top, they dig into Scottie Barnes, who for the most part seems to be putting up pretty sustainable numbers outside of his incredible 39% clip from outside. Will that hold up? And if it doesn't, could Barnes' efficiency still maintain at or above where it is right now with some upticks in two-point and free-throw shooting? Next, they chat about the starts of Schröder and Flynn, both of whom are surpassing expectations through 13 games. Are their performances al dente aka going to stick? Or are they a little undercooked and not going to hold up against the Bargs test? Lastly, they take a look at an es

In Episode 1517, Sean Woodley goes solo to react to the Toronto Raptors' 1-1 weekend that featured a narrow In-Season Tournament loss to the Boston Celtics and an absolute spanking of the very bad Detroit Pistons. Off the top, Sean digs into the most important takeaway from the weekend, which is that Scottie Barnes and Pascal Siakam seem to be figure out how to work in tandem without infringing upon the areas of the floor in which they can each do damage. As Barnes has leveled up as a shooter and pick-and-roll operate, Siakam is settling in nicely to his niche as a post-up wizard, all the while the Raptors' leading trio of Barnes, Siakam and O.G. Anunoby continue to post super impressive on-off metrics. Next, Sean outlines a really nice weekend from Jakob Poeltl, whose shooting at the rim has been lights out despite a seemingly rocky start to the year. He's an imperfect fit, but this weekend showed off why the Raptors are clearly better with him on the roster than without. Plus, some quick thoughts on nice we

In Episode 1516, Sean Woodley is joined by Katie Heindl (DIME, Basketball Feelings) to play a round of everyone's favourite Toronto Raptors parlour game,' What's More Likely?' as they run through three either-or scenarios related to the current state of the team. Off the top, they discuss whether it's more likely that the Raptors finish the season with the league's worst offense, or that they finish in the Top-20 on that end of the floor. Next, they chat about the In-Season Tournament ahead of the Raptors' tourney debut against the Boston Celtics on Friday night, and whether it's more likely that the Raptors make it to the Vegas-hosted semi-finals of the tournament, or go 0-4 in the group stage and wash out quickly. Lastly, they discuss whether it's more likely that the Raptors make zero in-season trades this season, or go wild and make at least three in-season trades.Come and join our growing listener community over on Discord! https://discord.gg/A28HTYpJSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!BetterhelpThis e

In Episode 1515, Sean Woodley goes solo to break down the Toronto Raptors' no good 128-112 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night, in which Damian Lillard went off in Giannis Antetokounmpo's absence, while Scottie Barnes was among the only bright spots for Toronto. Off the top, Sean digs into how the absences of O.G. Anunoby and Gary Trent Jr. were absolutely devastating to the team's offense once again, as the Raptors were severely outgunned by the shooting of Lillard and Malik Beasley. Next, Sean offers an update on the fun bits -- Scottie Barnes' 29-9-7 night on 11/19 shooting and 3/3 from downtown, and Gradey Dick getting immersed in many NBA lessons as a 19-year-old. Lastly, Sean run through the Good (Jalen McDaniels finally showing some life), the Bad (dreadful point guard play) and the Hmmmmm (Some interesting rotation decisions by Darko Rajakovic).Come and be a part of our listener community over on Discord, for free! https://discord.gg/3vdaSFDzSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!BetterhelpT

In Episode 1514, Sean Woodley is joined by Dan Devine (Yahoo! Sports, Devine Intervention) to talk about a great many Toronto Raptors-related topics after the first 10 games of the NBA season. Off the top, Sean and Dan chat about what has brough Dan joy about his time spent watching the Raptors this season, and whether it is possible for a team that is bad on offense and dependent on defense and transition to be a League Pass darling among the broader NBA fandom. Next, Sean taps into Dan's skills as a basketbal self-help non-professional for a discussion of Pascal Siakam, his uncertain future in Toronto, and why the encroaching potential end of a beloved player's tenure with your team is one of the more challenging things for any fan to grapple with, complete with examples from Dan's own New York Knicks fandom. Lastly, they chat about the In-Season Tournament ahead of the Raptors' first tourney game this Friday against Boston, and why it is time for the Raptors to fully embrace their roots and rebrand the tea

In Episode 1514, Sean Woodley and Vivek Jacob (Sportsnet, Yahoo Sports Canada) react to and break down the Toronto Raptors' wild 111-107 win over the dreadful Washington Wizards, powered by Pascal Siakam's incredible 39-11-7 performance and a 22-1 run to close the game in the final moments. Off the top, Sean and Vivek discuss Siakam's masterpiece, what made it so impressive, and why it's fitting that he nailed the game-winning shot in the clutch to cap it all off. Next, they attempt to answer the question: Was this a good or bad game for the Toronto Raptors? Plus, some thoughts on Scottie Barnes' late surge after a pretty lifeless start to the game. Lastly, Sean and Vivek run through The Good (Gradey Dick, Chris Boucher), the Bad (Otto Porter Jr., the perimeter defense) and The Hmmmm (Scottie racking up steals, whether or not the Wizards are doing this on purpose) to round out the show.Come join our listener community on Discord! It's the place to be on nights when the Raptors are a roller coaster of emotion

In Episode 1512, Sean Woodley goes solo to recap the Toronto Raptors' 117-94 loss to the Boston Celtics on Saturday night in which Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown got loose to create all kinds of havoc against the Raptors' perimeter defenders. Off the top, Sean digs into how the Celtics picked apart the Raptors defense by playing the exact style of basketball the Raptors clearly want to be playing, but simply don't have the personnel to do. Next, Sean looks at where things went wrong for the Raptors on offense, Scottie Barnes' taking nine threes, the transition attack getting neutralized by the Celtics, and how Jakob Poeltl's spacing troubles were very much pronounced in this game. Lastly, Sean runs through the Good (Malachi Flynn), the Bad (Pascal Siakam's three-point slump) and the Hmmm (Jayson Tatum looking comfortable against the Raptors for the first time in years) to round out the show.Become part of our Locked On Raptors listener community by joining at this link, for free! https://discord.gg/wM4ckZM9Sup

In Episode 1511, Sean Woodley is joined by Joe Wolfond (The Score, Pound the Rock) to chat about some of the biggest key storylines surrounding the Toronto Raptors with 10% of the schedule now in the books, with discussions on Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes, Dennis Schröder and more. Off the top, Sean and Joe chat about whether anything the team's 4-4 start to the year has altered their thinking compared to their preseason expectations, and examine how Scottie Barnes' leap has changed the entire context of the team. Next, they chat about the concept of fitting Pascal Siakam and Scottie Barnes together in a complementary way, whether it's achievable, and how Siakam's dominance in the post can be an avenue to them achieving some form of on-court symobiosis. Plus, could the Raptors stand to have Siakam run more pick-and-roll, especially in smaller looks with Scottie at the five? Lastly, Sean and Joe do a deep dive on Dennis Schröder's impressive start to the season, what they've liked the most about his game, whe

In Episode 1510, Sean Woodley is joined by Jamar Hinds (Raptors Republic) to break down the Toronto Raptors' 127-116 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night in Pascal Siakam, Scottie Barnes and O.G. Anunoby were all extremely studly. Off the top, they dig into how the Raptors' leading trio complimented one another the way to bothering Luka Doncic on the defensive end, while marauding their way to the rim all night long against a Mavs team without its best rim protector in the lineup. Score this one as a data point in favour of the Raptors' big three's long-term viability. Next, they dig into a strong showing from the Raptors bench, including notes on Malachi Flynn, Gary Trent Jr., Chris Boucher and Otto Porter Jr., all of whom contributed to the victory. Lastly, Sean and Jamar run through the Good, the Bad & the Hmmmm, with an emphasis on the Good and the Hmmm because outside of Ben Taylor being a walking ref show, there wasn't much to complain about from this game!Join our Discord server! It's a