Locked On Raptors

In Episode 1494, Sean Woodley is joined by Katie Heindl (DIME, Basketball Feelings) to chat about the Toronto Raptors' 106-102 preseason win over the Chicago Bulls in a contest that looked more or less like a dress rehearsal for the regular season. Off the top, Sean and Katie dig into Scottie Barnes' 22-6-3-2-4 outing on 8/14 shooting that saw him dominate as the nominal center in most lineups in which he played. His ability to score or playmake as a dive man is notable, his defense as the team's anchor was disruptive, and it's encouraging to see the Raptors use him in a way that amplifies his strengths, but how often will that look be in use when Jakob Poeltl is available? Next, they dive into Katie's thoughts on the Raptors' increased commitment to ball movement, and why it only portends good things to see the Raptors deviating from last years' ISO-heavy script, even if there are surely going to be growing pains along the way. Lastly, the run through the Good (Gary Trent Jr.'s playmaking, Jalen McDaniels' g