Dial 905: Lorenzo Brown returns for a strong week, and more

The Raptors 905 season is winding down. With that, the 905 are hoping to head into the playoffs fairly healthy, and with their rotation set. This week the 905 had two home games against the Canton Charge and the Greensboro Swarm. Both hopes were satisfied — as one key player returned to the team, and the 905 went 2-0.

Saturday, Mar. 10th — vs. Canton Charge

Final Score: 106-97 for the 905

The 905 had an all-time high five — yes, five — NBA players in the lineup, with Lorenzo Brown, Malcolm Miller, Nigel Hayes, Malachi Richardson, and Alfonzo McKinnie. As such, the 905 were supposed to dominate this game. Instead, the Charge led 24-18 after the first and they were up 80-72 after the third. Ultimately, the 905 had a huge fourth quarter which propelled them to victory. Ironically, none of the NBA players except for Brown really made that much of an impact.

Lorenzo Brown Returns!

Brown is finally back playing after missing time with a sprained ankle. Fortunately, he did not look out of place at all. Brown went right back to being a dominant scorer, and really turned this game around. Brown also came up with a few huge defensive plays, really showcasing his ability to be effective on both ends of the court. All in all, it was quite a return for Brown as he went off for 30 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in 34 minutes.

Shevon Thompson Makes An Impact

He comes off the bench, but it seems like after every 905 game it bears mentioning the play of Shevon Thompson. Against the Charge, the story was the same. Thompson actually played so well that he ended up getting more minutes than starter Kennedy Meeks.

Thompson had some huge offensive put-backs and made some big plays on the defensive end, proving once again his reliability off the bench. Thompson recorded 14 points and 7 rebounds in 24 minutes.

Notes

• Fuquan Edwin is really providing a nice spark off the bench, as he had 12 points and 5 rebounds in 21 minutes.
• Kaza Keane saw his minutes shrink with all the NBA players down with the 905. He played just 12 minutes, yet still managed 11 points and 3 assists.
• Aaron Best, the Ryerson alumni, still got the start and showed his worth on both ends of the floor. He chipped in with 10 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists.
• Meanwhile, here are the statlines of the other NBA-ready Raptors: Malachi Richardson finished with 0 points and 1 rebound in just 6 minutes. Malcolm Miller had 5 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds in 26 minutes. Alfonzo McKinnie chipped in with 4 points and 2 rebounds in 18 minutes. Nigel Hayes made his 905 debut and recorded 7 points, 3 assists, and 2 rebounds in 24 minutes.
• Kethan Savage and Roger Moute a Bidas were inactive as they are dealing with minor injuries, while Andre Washington and Negus Webster-Chan were hit with a DNP-CD.

Tuesday, Mar. 13 — vs. Greensboro Swarm

Final Score: 110-92 for the 905

The Raptors 905 welcomed the Greensboro Swarm to the Hershey Centre for an afternoon tip-off game. This favoured the 905 who got off to a nice seven-point lead after the first, and coasted to the fourth with the lead still in hand. Once there, the 905 outscored the Swarm by 12 in the final frame for the easy win.

Kennedy Meeks Plays Big Again

Meeks continues to just change the game on both ends of the floor, something coach Jerry Stackhouse has said multiple times. Against the Swarm, Meeks was up against L.G. Gill, and just dominated that matchup, as Gill couldn’t handle Meeks on the offensive end, while Meeks controlled Gill on the defensive end, out-rebounding Gill, and making his every shot a difficult one. Meeks ended up with 23 points, 15 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 assists, and 2 blocks in 28 minutes for another huge game.

Fuquan Edwin Gets the Start

Edwin has been playing well as of late, and Stackhouse rewarded him with the start in this one. Fortunately for the 905, Edwin provided the team with the same spark as a starter that he’s been bringing off the bench. It’s worth mentioning that Edwin’s defense in this contest was quite solid — which explains why Stackhouse would want him out there. Edwin had 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists in 29 minutes.

Notes

• Davion Berry provided some nice scoring off the bench with 12 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in 20 minutes.
• Lorenzo Brown had an all-around solid performance as he chipped in with 10 points, 9 assists, and 2 rebounds in 33 minutes.
• Kaza Keane’s defense must drive players crazy. He is always up in the opponent's face, making life hard for the opposing point guard. On top of that, in Keane’s 18 minutes, he had 8 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals.
• Kethan Savage and Negus Webster-Chan were hit with the DNP-CDs in this one.

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