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What promised to at least be a competitive affair ended up being somewhat of a dud, as the Raptors never looked back after opening a double digit lead at the end of the 2nd quarter. There were a few notable occurrences this game.
Firstly, Bruno Caboclo can ball. The unfortunate part about the NBA Draft coverage is that our knowledge about certain players is often shaped by singular opinions. When Fran Fraschilla expressed that he felt Bruno was "two years away from being two years away," one couldn't help but expect the rawest of basketball players. Well, Bruno might not be ready to contribute this year, but he flashes some skills that have me thinking he'll crack the roster sooner than first advertised.
Bruno Caboclo doing things! https://t.co/tx73BdLNS0
— Kevin Rashidi (@KevinRashidi) October 18, 2014
Also of note, Jordan Hamilton is making a serious case for a roster spot. For the second straight game, he was a dynamic shot creator on the wing, and appears to be a willing passer as well. He shot 5-9 for 13 points in 23 minutes, and was a +16 on the night. With the Raptors seemingly loaded at the wing, the nod for the 15th spot still inches towards Greg Stiemsma. If only the Raptors could find a way to unload someone like Landry Fields and find room for them both.
Another promising sign was that Terrence Ross seems to be relishing having the reins handed to him this preseason. It took a few games, but he finally looks to have found his range from 3 point land, connecting on 4 of 10 attempts. He dropped a cool 22 points in 3 quarters, and like most of us, appears to be ready for the regular season.
Jonas Valanciunas was very solid against the tough and hilarious Steven Adams. I was looking forward to seeing Jonas tested against the big Kiwi and he didn't disappoint, picking up 12 points in the first half.
On a less thrilling note, Amir Johnson was held out of the 2nd half after picking up a foot injury. Hopefully that doesn't become a recurring problem.
Well, only 2 more pre-season contests left now. Next up is Maccabi Haifa on Wednesday at the ACC.
Thoughts on today's game?