C.J. Miles, Development Watch & Raptors Mailbag! | Raptors Show Full Episode

C.J. Miles, Development Watch & Raptors Mailbag! | Raptors Show Full Episode

Hello and welcome to the Raptor show on the sportset radio network brought to you by Campbell’s new chunky spicy soup it’s time to get fired up by the way we’ll be trying some more soup today stay tuned but make sure you find the Raptor show where we listening to

Podcast subscribe please re interview the program I’m your host Lou big thanks to Samson folk for helping co-host the last two days and the final co-host before Blake Murphy returns next week already seen Blake Murphy’s feet on Instagram which was a strange thing to wake up to this morning is is uh Alit

Man producer co-host of the Raptor show what’s going on Alit doing well man happy to be here thank you so much for welcoming me William as Chris bu likes to say William I was like what is this voice it’s the Chris bu that’s how he

Likes to say it to um I was in the I was in the uh the room when he called you out but he was just like inviting you on the podcast but um it was that’s how he said it it was William yeah I think

William new you know I I think the the issue here is uh is super Bruiser Derek is out uh with the with sickness today so unfortunately he’s not in the studio but we do have a drop where essentially that exact clip of Chris saying my boy Williams but um it’s tough Chris buet

Will come up on this show even though he didn’t come up in the game last night he will come up on the show uh because there’s there’s certainly amount of um curiosity about Chris but there’s a discourse there is there is a Cris buet discourse and we will try to get to that

We’re also going to get to uh speaking of Yahoo sports Canada Alum uh CJ Miles you want to have him on at 2:30 you guys uh had a pod uh you know last year strictly Hoops you guys get to continue that uh at 2:30 and then of course we

Ask four Twitter questions because this is what happens after the Raptors lose uh what happens after the rapt was 139 to 98 as they did last night to the New Orleans Pelicans uh some stats on the loss this is courtesy of KS from the other network although shots the ks for

Sitting in the booth last night uh it was otherwise an empty booth in in the 590 Booth so some stats on this 41o loss the Raptors lose by 40 plus at home for the first time since 1996 they were playing in the Sky Dome uh at that time

Um 1996 they allowed 24 threes to the opponent that is the most threes they have allowed in any game in franchise history to an opposing team and speaking of which Trey Murphy III May t threes which is the most threes made by any Raptor’s opponent al

Man what do you feel what did you feel about last night’s game where again they lost by the most that they’ve ever lost by at home since Skydome Skydome yes um it should have been an indication when Trey Murphy checked in and he shot a 32f

Footer and hit it that would be an indication of how things were going to go for him um look like the Raptors they were under man and it seemed like Darko he was looking for let’s just try and you know crowd the paint make things

Hard on Zion make things hard on on bi and let’s see what they can do from the three-point line unfortunately the Pelicans are one of the best three-point shooting teams in the NBA I believe they’re third on Corner threes as well and so herb Jones he was the guy who

Goes four five from three just in the first quarter now first off credit to him because at one point he was the liability in that pelicon starting lineup as a from a three-point shooting perspective you know teams are going to just sag off of him but he’s shooting

42% this year and he’s up to 58% over the last like 10 games so congrats to him but after that like you just look at it man like you got RJ he’s guarding Zion not great not a great idea and then CJ in his pick and rolls with uh JV with

Whoever the case is like they’re just able to find so many advantages constantly um and between that the Raptors decided they had to give up something and it would have been nice maybe to see a bit more creativity on the defensive end um because once you realize something’s not working maybe

Try something else however it is what it is and uh after that first little stint where the Raptors were okay they were shooting threes Gary hits three of them it’s pretty cool then they went cold and the Pelicans did not at all yeah okay so let me let me ask you this question

Yeah what did the Raptors take away last night they didn’t take any away anything no they didn’t um the goal was to take away um the paint that was their plan but I think they underestimated Zion and I mean at some point like you mean maybe they tried some double big stuff they

Didn’t really do that um RJ had a hell of a time trying to compete with Zion that’s not easy especially for for anyone but I mean Scotty Barnes would have been helpful in that case or even just yaka purle as a weak side Defender sometimes on ball depending on the case

Um but uh they didn’t really take away anything and obviously with any defense you want to do that and unfortunately for them it just didn’t go that way they’re very small right now like extremely small and we can expect that to probably be the case going forward I

Don’t see Yak or Scotty Barnes coming back anytime soon but then you know after that I think this is an opportunity for Darko to get a little bit more experimented with how can you incorporate some small ball lineups some small players and get them running around a little bit more getting them to

Be positionally sound with their fundamentals and instincts and um yeah that’s kind of where things have to go now because this could happen again as the Raptors are going to be heading on on a road trip where they’re going to face the Sun and the nuggets and those

Are two very very good teams yeah this will this will happen quite a few times um including last time the I just played the Pelicans cuz this is remarkably consistent they lost by 40 or actually 39 last time to them s and probably the time before that it was again probably

30 points or something well Raptors I mean certainly it’s a bad matchup for sure that’s one thing I think the reason I asked you that question is because I didn’t think they had a grip on how they could handle Zion I didn’t think that Ingram was on under control

By any means they threw a lot of extra bodies at him he made some really good passes um and he scored whenever he wanted to M herb Jones as you mentioned uh leading the league in three-o percentage since uh what the start of 2024 was left wide open in the corners

All night right Darko stated defensive strategy coming into the season was we’re going to take away the paint we’re going to take away Corner 3es live with the rest so when you know what the what the supposed strategy is or the general idea is and then you see the execution

Of it you can definitely see the lack thereof yeah I think JV they actually did an okay job with um Kelly did good JV they got a good they got away with slapping JV like whenever they wanted to like the referees were like you know what we feel

Bad for you guys that you’re clearly going to get you’re going to lose here on your home court it’s going to be really bad yeah but we you know what the one thing we’ll give you is you could slap JV all you want and I felt a little

Bad for JV because he was just getting hacked all night didn’t get a couple calls still was a plus 21 by the way and actually was moved to the second unit to start the second half with uh uh Larry Nance coming in CJ McCollum didn’t shoot

The ball great but he had wide open looks and then their second unit came in and did whatever they did whatever they wanted to and I think you know big part of this season wins and losses right wins and losses or wins and lessons and you know we can just excuse the fact

That they lose as so long as they’re taking away things from the loss you don’t take away anything from A Loss like that and that is just strictly speaking a wasted performance and honestly like it was an uphill B the entire way but how is that not on the

Players how is that not on the coaching how is that not on management for putting together a group that looks like this and I get it they’ve gone into the season they’ve pivoted four or five times I was just reading Raptors seven the substack by friend of the program of

V Jacob he talked about it early on I thought it was a really good way of saying it the Raptors have moved the goal psts this season six or seven times and I don’t care how much you move the goalpost there is under no circumstances

Is it okay to lose by 41 at home to the point where it was a pretty packed crowd last night and it wasn’t like one of those like 50-50 crowds like when the Warriors came or when Dallas came even there was a lot of Mavs fans who knew

Lots of Mavs fans in Toronto obviously those are Luca and Kyrie fans um that was a pretty universally Raptor crowd last night maybe a couple you know Zion uniforms you see it once here or there but generally speaking they were there to watch the Raptors and it doesn’t

Matter who is suiting up it doesn’t matter what the circumstances are you cannot play like that and that needs to be hammered in like it can’t just be like oh wins and wins and lessons like no lessons from that I’m happy that there were actually a couple fans who

Stuck around late in the game and boo them I’m happy that there was chance of we we want bu now that might be a bit of a tongue and cheek and honestly shouts to quesy who was there from raptor switter last night he was you know helping to lead some of those charges

But overall I think when they say we want bue I think they want to see what bue represents which is a guy who will come in and play hard sure you lose by 41 at home and there’s not a a whisper about hey what did the coach do last

Night what did the players do last night that can’t be it and I get it they’re playing a much better team but that’s unacceptable under any circumstances wins and lessons or no what was the reaction when they turned the ball over twice and two minutes on inbounds they

Inbounded straight to the other team twice yeah yeah D did it once I believe RJ did it the other time right I’m leading to buckets in one case um yeah it’s uh look like I you mentioned like the moveing the goalpost I I do wonder if

The goalpost were in the same spot from the Geto but they had to work through some of the roster uh roster complications you know players who are going to be on the team now who are not on the team any longer um and this was probably the the team that they were

Looking to get I think the players that they brought in so far wait this is the intended end product they wanted to get to this right now this roster closer to that yeah I think they want to Kelly oen I think they like that he’s a he’s a

Stretch five who can pass the ball I think that RJ Barrett his driving ability is important o agbaji you know I I like him as a as a bench piece but I think those two specifically especially IQ as well those three Kelly IQ and RJ those are people that I think they’re

Looking at as long-term pieces within the next few seasons at the very least that can be built around Scotty Barnes now um obviously having not having Scotty is a problem right it’s a huge problem like they are extreme not sympathetic to the fact that they didn’t Scot

Yeah but I hear you with the the effort the attention to detail the focus that to our own team we start with like literally like plan a right yeah can we if if someone’s dribbling a ball up and there’s somebody sneaking from behind which last night Zion did that to Grady

Can some teammates be like hey watch your back somebody yes let the rookie know that a shark a human shark a land shark Z Williamson is going to snatch him from behind like Jaws take it other way for back dunk there yeah right after it’s great it was great for the fans at

Least people that got to see the Pelicans play well yeah um I hear you and I think this is like I mean coming out of the All-Star break the the idea was to we want to see energy we want to see focus on both ends that’s what Darko

Wanted this was a step back there now we can look at hey the disadvantages we don’t have this we don’t have that this is also to your point it’s falling on Darko and the coaching staff too that if you don’t have player X and player B

Scotty and Yak then you have to be more Innovative and this is a wins and lesson seasons for the Darko and his coaching staff as well not not an excuse but a case like last night is where we’re seeing that maybe there could have been a lot more a little more Innovation a

Little more creativity and also just like getting off of a potential scheme that is obviously not working when you’re seeing that your team is falling behind like step by step by step sometimes a timeout just isn’t really going to do isn’t going to do it yeah I

Think I tweeted last night there weren’t enough timeouts in the world for for Darko to turn this game around and look I’m not saying it’s entirely on him but I think you know going into it I thinking was okay you’re you’re wild short-handed you’re you’re you’re huge

Underdogs even at home um opportunity to get creative maybe I just I got too used to watching Nick nurse teams or teams that scrapped and and competed and if they fought uphill because they were short a couple starters well there were a other guys ready to step up a little

Bit not to the same degree but still Step Up still perform and also I can expect like something different something really creative and wacky because you know you’re going to be down so give us something and I was like this is a game where you probably have to

Play some two big lineups probably have to play some Zone probably have to give up honestly maybe do a little bit of what the Warriors did was like all right we’re going to leave one of these guys open well I think they did that’s why I

Heard Jones went four or five why would you leave the one guy that’s leading the three-point percentage in the whole entire league in4 who else would they do someone else CJ bi I don’t know really is an option I mean like I’m not making excuses by any means but um I think the

Biggest problem is that they didn’t adjust their strategies when they when they saw that you know six minutes the game they’re at 21 points and the Pelicans are at 21 points and obviously the Raptors are going to keep up that pace but the Pelicans can and that’s why

They did and these are the things that I think we just need to see Darko and his coaching staff they got to adjust and they got to make these moves and I want to see like also I think last night was a case where we’re seeing the identity

Crisis that this this franchise is going through right now okay I years prior we just knew there was an there was a staple of effort of intensity of uh yeah the details and knowing them with players like Kyle Fred Pascal OG and right now they weren’t aing the ball to

The other team they weren’t doing that twice in a quarter no sir they would never do that right and now um with these guys and I don’t know man like the identity crisis is very real with this team it’s it’s very very real and I I I

Think that they have to take these games down the stretch very seriously despite the fact that they don’t have Scotty and Yak because um these are moments these are phases of of a season where you can establish things going into next season look what the Orlando Magic did last

Season after the allstar break right they went they went crazy they didn’t make the playoffs but look where they are now and I believe it was Cole Anthony said that last season it catapulted us it made us believe that we can be this team if we just Conker down

And uh bring that effort night in night out and also they found their identity as I’m talking about they knew that defensively they have to be great and if they’re not then they’re going to suffer and so they’re bringing that Focus every single night and that’s why they are

Where they are the Raptors right now they got a lot of soul searching it’s a terrible term but it’s it’s kind of like that especially within the the front office too they have to know what they want from these last few games it can’t just be we’re going to bring in some

10day guys and we’re going to see who fits right for next season like you have to establish something right now yeah they are uh they’re lost in the woods a little bit for sure uh a couple notes of feedback from people who were at the game like Steph last night was at the

Game last night this is from Steph how much longer will this torture go on for will we feel Joy again now look it’s a little dramatic I guess at it um even for me I feel like that’s a little dramatic but at the same time I do think

That that’s a very valid question a lot of people are paying to go see the game and maybe you know you can accept that okay they might not win a lot of these close games or whatever but just find a way to compete again the fact that

They’re out of the game by the end of the first quarter what do you want people to do other than Chan for bue or or or even boo a little bit at the end of the game the spread was N9 and a half going into the game and I was

Like quarter yeah yeah I I made some money last night I’m not going to lie yeah there you go another big question so this is something that that came out quite a few times the we want bu chance yeah what did you make on those it’s real it’s absolutely real real yeah and

I think he should be playing personally every player needs to be held accountable right we all need to be held accountable in our careers yours mine whatever we all need to answer to someone and it can’t just be that we want these guys to figure it out on the

Court if there is someone that’s going to bring you what you want and others aren’t doing it they should be playing right and I again this is building the culture that the Raptors are hopefully trying to to to find is we hustle we focus we play hard we work hard we don’t

Like step down to anybody and Chris bue emulates a lot of that now there’s some like things here and there that maybe you want him to do better but at least you know he’s going to bring the effort right and right now the fact that we’re questioning if that’s there every single

Night in the NBA with the team this young I think that is a problem and I think that’s Al also grounds for Chris bue to be on the floor right now it’s a lesson for everyone so again last night you see the Raptors by 41 you see a lot

Of new guys come in and we’ll get to that in a second but the only three players who didn’t get into this game for the Raptors were Chris bu Jaylen McDaniels which I don’t think anyone was they nobody Chan we want McDaniels no we cool man yeah uh and then Garrett Temple

Who we H we understand his role on the team right if he came in a game fine actually actually should play the last game against the Pelicans yeah that’s it was also a blow in that one but in any case you understand why Garrett didn’t play you understand that jayen is a lost

Cause Chris I think for a lot of people their question is what did we see Chris do so wrong for this team that he can’t play even in this kind of situation it does lead to a lot of questions and I don’t have the exact answer for you but

If there’s some sort of even agreement or if there’s even some sort of conversations that have taken place where it’s like you’re out of the rotation and you’re just not going to play in any circumstance and I think it’s not a one-off thing the thing is you didn’t even get to see necessarily

What he didn’t do right because game one of the season going back to the home opener lots of excitement home opener timber wolves are in town Raptors actually win that game which is pretty impressive when you think about it now Timber roll’s number one seed very different team very different team for

The Raptors absolutely but still they win that game and one of the weird curious things was like you know McDaniels was in the was in the rotation and Chris wasn’t and dark talked about it’s like you know some nights he’s going to get it some night he’s not

Going to get it been a lot of some nights he didn’t get it and you can say of course conceptually they’re going younger yeah they’re playing in a different style and you know I think that they definitely tried to move Chris at the deadline if they had gotten things that they would value

Offered they probably would have taken it but in any case do you think that’s fair that they didn’t move him considering where we are now I don’t know about fair or not fair I mean you need two people to make a trade yeah in any case though I don’t think he even

Really even got a chance to contribute towards this and that’s not to say he comes in and he dominates every single time last time he came in um a couple losses ago and it was like yeah okay he didn’t really play well on that one either but having said that though like

It just feels like everyone’s gotten a turn except for him so I understand the chance for sure and I understand why people not only want Chris but want what Chris represents in embodies but I would it have changed the game last night probably not but I guess you could throw

Him a bone last time he played against the Pelicans by the way again 40 point lost that one as well first game in actually did quite a bit 10 points in the fourth quarter now did it change the game no but at least he played better

Than like I don’t know 10 guys who were Raptor uniform last night and we we’re all just like trying to hypothesize what the problem is but in terms of play style right um do you see a fit for Chris bu on this team because if we’re

Talking like a system where it’s a lot of transition it’s a lot of cutting a lot of driving a lot of off ball movement Chris Chris can do that kind of stuff but there are also limitations with you know screen navigation and uh you know being able to get around

Screens in general right so because Chris can’t get around a screen he he’s not gonna get minutes over Muhammad gay that was a puzzling one considering like Muhammad gay is like if I were Chris and I’m hearing this from the coach I’d be like word all right yeah and I hear you that’s

Absolutely true like I don’t think it’s I don’t think it’s fair either um we’re talking we’re talking play style right and uh uh I guess the incentive to to play Chris bue over Muhammed isn’t really there because you could view Muhammad dugay as a cheaper Chris bue

Yeah right so you like that option that’s really nice but uh right now Chris probably they could say that maybe it’s not worth putting those minutes towards him when maybe we could take a look at someone else and also there I don’t know we’re playing guys older than

Him and Kelly but he’s a fit he’s a fit he’s not it’s listen every condition is very convenient towards never playing Chris but I don’t want to talk about last night’s game all that much honestly the only good thing to come out of last

Night’s game is I I got to with some New Orleans fans uh for a little bit in the third quarter nice um and yeah just just chatting talking a little bit about sort of you know what they do and they traveled quite a bit to go see the team

Sometimes and so um then we got to talk about neurons a little bit and got me thinking about gumbo of course one of the most classic things uh and that leads us to another segment where we are going to be eating some soup that’s right the Pelicans beat us so bad New

Orleans beat us so bad we’re going to eat some gumbo on air so I’m going to go retrieve it for the second alet but let me know what your favorite thing is about gumbo first off well um I love the combination of flavors I love the fact

That it has some vegetables it has some meat in there um it has some kick to it depending on how you make it I think that’s really important you need a lot of variety and flavors you need some crunch you need some softness to it and

The gumbo um when made properly and I think Chunky Soup is going to nail it here it can be uh exactly what we need so here we go um warm it’s quite hot yep yep so we got some we got some in here we got some sausage all right I see some

Some chicken as well what happens when the Raptors lose the Pelicans man if honestly every time the Raptors lose the Pelicans and I get some gumball I think I’m actually pretty okay with this so yeah we adopt the city’s food yeah honestly so I’m getting rice in here the sausage getting

Tomatoes honestly this looks this is great this is great have a little bit of this right now M um how do you feel about the kick is there a kick to you honestly it’s a slight kick but I wouldn’t describe this as spicy you know

It’s not quite spicy for me but it might be spicy to other people I see some chicken in here wow okay MH this is generous see this is the thing we had this discussion a couple shows ago me and Blake were talking about it do you

Eat soup or do you drink soup you eat soup this is this is a eat soup type of day yeah like it it’s more and I think soup should always be that way personally really it should always be an eating kind of thing not if it’s soupy

If it’s really watery then I think you don’t have enough stuff in it m stuff being you know potatoes vegetables whatever you want celery celery is a huge component of a good soup and uh they got some in here very good all right wow this actually made me feel a

Little B better about the last last night I’m not going to lie to you food warms the heart food warms the heart man I want to finish the rest of this during the break because we can’t do this all segment although I would love to shout

Out to chunky for this this is awesome um thank you now that I’m in a slightly better mood I’m going to ask you two more questions about this game and then we’re going to go break okay number one I want you to give me three reasons as

To why we should keep watching the Raptors the last 20 games okay uh well we’re talking about building for the future right so uh real quick because we got CJ it’s like the it’s like the Egon rrt 40 points which is actually ready now is it I don’t know I believe so my

Parents live very close to Eglington over on marting Grove and uh it took me quite a while to get home I was on the Allen right and I had a lot of time to observe things because you know when you’re on the Allen you’re not going

Anywhere and uh I thought it was ready but maybe I’m wrong anyways IQ um I want to see him hunt his three-point shots more I think that’s really important we saw him do that a little bit last night in transition um I love when he’s sprinting towards off ball and like

Taking handoffs with uh uh who knows maybe Chris bu maybe it’s a Scotty Barnes maybe it’s a yis chis it’s not gonna be Scotty too he’s for the year whoever it’s gonna be down the season down the stretch jont Porter I guess yeah it’s really important that he

Develops that skill because that is a unique skill and you need unique skills to win the NBA you need players that give some sort of Versatility some sort of pop that other teams don’t have so that’s one I’m going to keep eating superp as you keep telling me these

Reasons please go please I’m gonna spice it up here uh Grady dick um off ball screening I think it’s it’s huge that he develops that part of his game and the Raptors have to incorporate that into his game overall the most the players that screen off ball the most in the NBA

It’s Klay Thompson it’s Steph Curry it’s Lori marinan it’s bogy in Atlanta players like this what do they all have in common they’re all great Shooters movement shooters you need this versatility with your shooting and I think Grady especially after this conditioning stint um it seems like he’s

Kind of found something what it is hopefully CJ CJ can give us an idea but that is something that confuses defense it gets them on their heels and again with the shooting ability he needs to have that in his game and I want to see

It last thing um I I mean is it exciting or not I don’t know but I I need goes to our conversation I got to see Darko help this team find an identity okay and I think that’s really important that goes into night in night out hustle that it

Goes away from you know just giving the chain to a to to a scout who did a really good scouting report right that’s cool that’s great it’s great for you the familiar side of uh this team but we also got to see it on the court and if

They’re able to establish an energy a hustle a motivation despite the fact that you know this is something of a a Lost season at least in terms of the standings oh yeah yeah in terms of the standings but this is what I’m talking about man like you can you can establish

These things going into next season if you with these core players that are going to be here right they’re not going anywhere you’ve already established these are the guys get them to find the groove that the Raptors are supposed to play with yeah no for sure look I don’t

Think it’s a unique challenge for a franchise not a unique challenge for Darko either lots of teams have gone through some similar his former team right now in the Memphis Grizzly are going to something similar right um You have seasons where because of injuries because of you know inseason trades

Because of circumstances that come up things happen and your year gets derailed right of course you still need to find Value and be able to sort of find like together this and identity what I like about the Grizz this year they found a couple other new contributors you know they they still

Maintain the fact that they play defense do they play offense well no they don’t have the talent to play offense well but you know want even when the Grizzlies came to town they beat the Raptors and they beat the Bucks too the Grizzlies yeah right so few those staple wins I

Want to see that during the stretch anyway here I think you can tank you can do whatever you need you can develop you can call it whatever you want there’s just no sugar coating a 41 Point loss no unless you want to have some Chucky suit which was actually quite good but that

Not sugar cating um yeah real quickly tank ofon watch Raptors are currently seventh as in seventh worst in the league in standings that gives them a 32% chance to move up into the top six so that’s a 32% chance of keeping their pick because it’s only top six protected

For this year and Beyond sure so if they stay in the current position right now in the standings they have a 32% chance of actually reaping a reward out of this current season Memphis after mentioned Memphis that’s the team they’re trying to catch or I guess in

This case fall behind yeah uh they’re two games behind the Raptors for six if the Raptors were in the six worth position they would have a 46% chance to keep their pick so still not even 50/50 and then if they somehow managed in the last 20 games here to fall behind

Portland who are five games below the Raptors and the Raptors end up being the fifth worst team in the NBA they have a 64% chance of keeping pick so um yeah it’s really tough my last question to you is how many more games do you would

You think the Raptors would win in the last 20 games um without looking at the schedule um probably should looked at it before we did this oh good man that’s what we do I would say um road trips on the way it’s not a great schedule I think they’re they still play Detroit

They got Detroit coming up yeah that’s actually not even a good thing like Detroit’s actually they hustle like they’re kind of finding their own Groove too um it’s in Detroit style but uh you know it’s not they’re still not a good team but considering where the Raptors

Are right now H um it would be great if I saw them win 5 to S I think that’d be awesome five to seven All Things Considered obviously I would like to see more wins but I think that would be without looking at the what’s going on

Here um that would be really cool and in terms of uh tanon we could use some 2021 magic obviously we could use we could use a little bit of that for sure that could be useful because it’s going to be pretty hard for them to actually go all

The way down too there are teams are taking a lot better too you can’t guarante Portland’s going to win five more games the last 20 games of this season and you need to fall five games below Portland yeah yeah so I think that’s the difficult thing and that’s

Why you know what there’s all this talk now about like or should we convey the pick this year and we got asked that a couple times should we convey the pick this year and then we control our draft again uh or should we get it this year

And then probably try to tank next year as well honestly do you really want to see a two-year tank because that’s what essentially what you need to do to keep the pick um you definitely don’t want to convey it next year when the draft is quite strong yeah okay just before

Coming on here I saw Draft Express post a video of a player who was going to do I forgot his name but I I did remember that he has a 9 foot eight wingspan a 9 foot eight wingspan he’s 72 who is he uh he shoots the three he

Blocks shots um you’ll see him in Duke in a couple years uh those are the type of players Cooper Flags in that draft you know there’s there’s you know there’s there’s a couple players in that draft you really want to keep it for this year maybe not so much but the

Thing is it’s almost out of their hands to disagree because they’ve already given up the pick and it’s such low protection and we’ve gone over this a million times so you don’t have to do it all the time but yeah at best the Raptors have like about a 50-50 chance

Even if they lose the next 20 games in a row yeah which after last night what I saw possible in any case it’s not gonna happen but I I I think that even if they did that it’s still basically 50/50 so I think that’s where you’re in this position where you’re stuck actually

Rooting and just enjoying and just trying to take whatever you can from the young guys showing you what they can do going forward because the last thing you want to do is repeat this season because this is a Lost season and I think last night’s game yeah is just one of the

Many reminders of that but we’re going to take a break here been your host Willow you’ve been listening to the Raptor show on the sports radio network brought to you by Campbell’s new Chucky SP suit when we come back let’s bring in CJ Miles former Raptor from a happier time yes

Sir welcome back to the Raptor show on the sports radio network I’m your host continue me join by co-host Ammon and joining us for Segment two as promised a raptor from a happier age CJ Miles 16-year NBA vet former Raptor of course rapper of course CJ are you in the

Studio right now like where is this man you look uh this this is a cool setting behind you uh yeah this is where I record at home yeah this is where I’ve been doing everything at since since I retired basically this where I did the podcast sa I’m this where I do

Everything at yeah amen you said you knew where this was yeah sorry didn’t turn my mic on still learning the ropes here I was saying that you’ve decked out the space a little more since we were doing our strickly Hoops podcast that unfortunately came to an end unfortunately yeah that unfortunately

Came to an end out of nowhere too kind of but you’re telling me bro you’re telling me yeah we were discussing the show that that week but um but yeah just because I started doing um the live performances of the songs in here so I wanted to give it more character in the

Room and you know just started adding stuff so bro tell me something um I mean we talked a lot about Grady dick uh during our podcast with strictly hoops and uh first off you were extremely complimentary of him from the GetGo you really liked what you’re were seeing

From him out of Kansas and kind of his effort his overall game and also his shooting of course but do you know what happens in a conditioning stint because whatever happened has kind of rejuvenated his game and sort of made it seem like that he’s uh ready to be like

NBA ready and contribute right now yeah I mean he he just just play right like they just prepare you for what they’re it’s kind of like they don’t want to just throw you into it with with no preparation as far as like your body and your conditioning and everything right

Um like that’s the biggest thing I think that’s what he what they do teams do they send guys to the G so they can play games it’s only so many practices we can do and so many drills we can do so many one-on ones and two on twos that don’t

Substitute for you getting hit yeah well I mean we did see for your year you you end up playing with a lot of young guys and I think you know what CJ all Cs on the table I think emotions are a little high after you lose by 41

You know like we we’re a little burnt here in Toronto right now we’re you know like it’s it’s tough like they haven’t lost by 41 at home since they were playing at skyone like we talking like even before Vince Carter this is like Damon stomi era right um and one of the

Questions for someone is Chris Phillips they ask why why was the bench mob so successful young guys being able to buy in and play their roles was a coaching was a personality was a fit because we’re also entering an era now the Raptors have a lot of young guys a lot

Of them come off the bench why can’t they capture the same magic as you guys did that one year um I mean it’s obviously different personalities different coaching different things right but we we we said it before it was true right phys for before it was seen

Physically we said we were the best bench in the league from the jump that was the goal that we set and then after we set the goal we believed it we that’s what we called it like we didn’t wait for anybody else to tell us we were the

Best bench in the league we started the season being that like I think it’s a belief and um and a and a buying in as you will like we talk about what’s what they’re trying to get people to do like you got to walk as if it’s

True yeah I think that’s where the personalities SP coming right because I do Wonder like for this group right now like so they have essentially they’ve extended Kelly and I Kelly in a way almost reminds me of like what you did for that second unit which was you know

What but the game gets tough give it to Kelly give it to vet you know get him a get him a shot in a way that you know where to go and also he’s also directing guys and getting the guys in the right positions I think before that that young

Kind of played a similar role for that second unit before they moved on from him what was that role like when you got a lot of young guys and you you’re the one guy everyone’s looking to to sort of give them a little bit of guidance and a

Little bit of organization when when when games get tough I say this all the time I don’t know why my camera keeps doing that but those guys those guys were those guys were who they were um like I didn’t I didn’t I didn’t turn them into anything they

They I just showed them confidence right like I I didn’t give them game I didn’t give them moves I didn’t give them any of the things that they had I just showed them a person who believed in what what we were doing and when to do

It and how to do it right like that was it I yelled at them to shoot the ball I yelled at them to make plays like I didn’t I didn’t tell them how to just told them to do it the way you do it I

Don’t care how you do it just do it and that’s how we figured it out all right so then considering that did you find something different with that group of of players because we’re seeing where Yak uh Pascal Fred um everyone right like where everyone is now and they’re

All extremely successful right and so was there something different about that mold of players that core that stands out to you considering where we are now um like I know those guys so I know what those guys wanted right like I knew what those guys wanted so I was able to

Give them what they needed like I don’t know these guys that are playing on this thing but I think as a vet that’s the way you got to look at it like talk to those guys understand what they want what kind of player you want you want to

Win games you want to do this you what do you want so now I can talk to you right like I can know what to expect and what to get out of this and how to get everything we can get out of this and that’s what I mean by that’s the

Difference to what I saw in those guys those guys were very clear about what they wanted and who they wanted to be I don’t know these guys but that’s the one that I can say the new the guys that are there now I don’t I don’t personally but

I know if Something’s Gonna Change you need to tell me I’m G ask you what do you want so we can figure this out and that’s what the coaches are asking that’s what when you go through what they going through we ask you like this

Is what we want what do you want do you want to win this is how we gonna do it yeah and if it don’t match then somebody gotta go so I mean talk us through locker room Dynamics in that way right like is that is that up to the vet

To come to the young guys to be like hey you know what I’m going to ask you this question I want to put you on the spot do you wait for them to come to you I know back then of course Kyle and dear were established leaders like everyone

Respected that this is their team they’re the all stars you know whatever they say goes but also at the same time you know just talk us through how those Dynamics work because I think when you hear a lot of former players talk about it there’s a generational Gap and I’m

Always wondering what that means and what that is um I I I personally don’t think there’s a there’s a generational Gap as far as like things that guys are into and language and the way they go about things but I the way those guys told me

I didn’t have to go sit them down at dinner they told me by when I got to the gym they were already there they were working they were they they told me by the actions it wasn’t words so I didn’t have that’s why we messed because when

They got to the gym I was there damn I was there after the practice and shot with I we did everything together as far as work goes that’s what that was it wasn’t no I didn’t I did not have to ask them verbally yeah I didn’t have to ask

Freddy who he wanted to be I didn’t have to ask Pascal yeah I didn’t have to ask them verbally they told me every day I miss those guys yeah we all miss those guys man but you know time moves on you know okay uh CJ so that’s on the player

Side of things but we’re we’re talking the Toronto Raptors now and different coach um different philosophy different style all that kind of stuff how do NBA teams nurture Player Development what are things that as a player at your side you told me stories about your time with

UT Derrick fiser pounding the ball on the court and when you’re going in there on an off day and you that was like an example of what you need to do yourself but how does an NBA team help players reach their potential or is it truly

Just on players to put the work in and be there before the other ones there’s a there’s a there’s a piece to both sides I think the players got to show the in initiative right they got to show the team that what they see in them is is is

There and they and they want to realize that right like um the potential because everybody’s got it when they come in the league no matter what everybody’s got potential to be something somebody saw something in you you got to show us that you know you want to bring that out also

And as a team you just gotta you gotta continue to put them in positions to showcase the things that help the team right you got to figure out how to work your system around what you have and not what you want like I I think or go get what you want don’t

Don’t put guys in situations and expect them to be what they’re not that that that is basketball period like that’s not even just that the Raptors or what they got that’s period where a coaching staff you’re not going to win that way if if you want a team full of

Shooters and you got a guy that can’t shoot don’t put him in the corner right like and then be mad that he’s not making shots in the corner like you you this is like now he’s got to work and if he wants to stay on the floor he’ll continue to get better and

He’ll make shots at some point but there’s a meeting in the middle also with with the group and and how it’s been operated um I I guess my question to you in general is I it feels like the Raptors for a long time had like a defense first identity right the

Year that you guys you know were really really good winning 59 games the year afterwards when they won the championship it’s cuz you guys were really good on defense like you guys were you guys could score no no doubt you know but ultimately came down to defense and I feel like today’s League

There’s a lot of conversations you know even the league was discussing like maybe we got to change a couple rules so that defense come back in the game you know Adam Silver was so salty after that All-Star game too he was like congratulations on scoring 21 points man

Here’s a trophy thanks for ruining the All-Star game but like it feels like this year the Raptors shifted towards you know what we actually really need to build around our offense our offense is really an issue we to bring more Shooters in we need to go smaller which

Typically means you’re going to be worse on defense um I guess my question to you is twofold number one can you still play defense in the league can you still build defense first in the league and number two can you turn guys who are not defense first players into better

Players who I guess play defense because yeah 100% so one let’s not take away anything from how good offensive players have become okay yeah fair fair like they know the rules the skill set one through 15 is as high as it’s ever been in basketball that’s so important that it’s very

Different than it was you know back in the day 10 years ago 20 years ago even even in 2017 it’s different right like from there to now right that’s so let’s not take away that and the rules like we talked about before there are rules that benefit the offensive player but good

Defensive teams are not five lock down Defender great there it’s just effort it’s literally just knowing what we’re doing that’s what good defensive teams are they know we’re sending this guy left him Baseline where the double teams coming they talk they communicate you have to talk because talking makes guys

Accountable I can’t say I’m somewhere I’m not yeah so therefore us talking the whole time I have to be there I can’t tell you I’m on the nail and not be there because everybody knows who was supposed to be there because I was saying I was there so now we don’t now

There’s no now the fingers don’t get pointed because we know MH so let’s work work backwards yeah let’s work backwards so a defensive breakdown happens and a third quarter random third quarter right no one’s at the nail uh you double and there’s no talking about you know

Helping the the low man or whatever the case is what’s the trickle effect from a coaching staff to the player is it uh in the film room and then you go into individual meetings or like how does that done I’m sure it’s different on every single team but at the same time I

Think that’s where accountability happens and we’re talking about giving people opportunity which is so important but I’m finding that right now there is a lack of accountability sometimes where you’re not being put have your foot put to the fire and sometimes that’s what you need to you know show the effort

That’s required to win games and win possessions yeah it goes to the film room I I think as a coach I got to like I’m not gonna hide We’re Not Gonna hide it right we’re gonna look at this as a whole so you can see where you let your

Brothers down at and your brother can see where they let you down at because nobody wants to see that nobody want wants like you can’t we’re not going to hide like I don’t think you should I don’t think we should tiptoe around it and we also got to know you know that

Nobody’s gonna shoot 100% on that end we got to know our Personnel we got to know that there’s gonna be some guys that are gonna get a little more leadway because that two points he gave up he might average 30 so that’s a different thing

Right like you got to know who you are where you are on your team and what gets you minutes also what you provide sometimes it is going to outweigh like we’re not I’m not gonna Pascal plays if I got Pascal on my team just to

Bring up a name and he’s gonna play 39 minutes and he’s going to be my leading score and I’m gonna have him my ISO pick and roll on this stuff him missing an assignment from fatigue I’m not gonna yeah blow my gasket but the young guy

Who’s in there for only effort and plays eight minutes he can he has to gas out yeah he has to know because I have to the only way I earn trust in him is I know that he knows like I know Pascal knows there’s just extra there’s just

Some more things on his plate and sometimes he’s not going to be able to get to it and that’s just the reality of it in the game yeah I think you know pascot was always so interesting in that front because he used to be that guy as

A rookie he was that guy8 minutes 10 minutes 12 minutes they used to start him but he would play the first five minutes come out first five minutes of the third quarter come out that’s it but those 10 minutes he was sprinting you know what rap Raptors got a rebound ky’s

Ky’s got it Pascal’s on the other side of the floor ready for that like touchdown pass you know and and you know I think that’s what gives you the credibility later on when you grow into the next career too in the next phase and he’s obviously been to many

Different phases where it’s like now you understand where everyone else should be when they’re young and they come in a little bit too but you know speaking of young and coming in um last night we saw JV come in and that was actually jv’s first win at scoer Bank Arena since uh

He got traded back in the day I me the Pelicans have beaten the Raptors but they were in Tampa Etc he missed a couple games but was interesting he he made two threes and I want to ask you so this jv3 thing I mean I don’t know how

Much you saw him working on it before and practice and stuff like that used to be a thing on the broadcast all the time they used to say JV with that little JV summer 3 you know it’s almost like a joke almost when he make one uh yeah uh

Death death T what it death and TX what is it what was the saying jv33 yeah and of course you got the lethal pump fake too which I don’t know he doesn’t even do much on the pump thing but guys yeah it’s so crazy I’m just curious like was he

Banging through he’s like that one you were teammates was him because he knocked down two of two last time he was working on him okay yeah he was working on him he had been he had he shot some when when I was there like he wasn’t shooting them like that like obviously

Like but like he was working on them and I think that’s just what players do like you just prepare yourself there going to be time especially in your nights you got it going a little bit and you’re trailing and they’re not guarding it and like you feeling good you should be able

To take that shot and we and that way we can be able to get into the offense we want to get into because people can’t play us a certain way I don’t need you to shoot five of them but yeah honestly in today’s League I JV the percentage

That he shoots I mean if he shot five no one even bad an ey you know yeah but the percentage has to stay the same yeah you’re right you’re right I remember talking to him in his 2017 18 year and that’s when his three-point shooting was slowly emerging right and he shot 40%

That year on one attempt now he’s never been more than 2.1 but he’s always been around you know 34 35 36% I’m talking to him about it yeah it’s good right and at the time Pascal seak in background he’s just like jv’s the best three-point shooter on the Raptors on the team and

Jv’s just like well you know I try my best and [Laughter] everything H yeah we got to talk about old day because the current days they’re struggling a little bit um CJ this is a wild question I gotta ask you but we have you here you know we’re all

Friendly here I you know what I don’t want to go back to lebronto but I do remember in one of those games I think coach Casey won small and I think he infamously put you on and Kevin talk to me about that that that was a good stretch right there boy listen listen

This this is so far in the past but that’s all I got to ask you about it what was going through your mind when that happened nothing nothing like you’re like it’s cool I don’t yeah I don’t I don’t that’s all right like you know I mean like what it was like that’s

That’s but I had but I had been that guy before I got to Toronto I had been the guy was like look ask CJ to do it like I had been that guy right like so like and we trying things right we looking for space we we doing we like it’s it’s

Just you know I I’m I’m in right like if I say I’m in you can’t ask me to do something and I say no right that means I’m not in so like I’m in we trying to win if you think this is the best way to go about

This right now you gonna get all I got that’s my job as a player I gotta trust the coach and he got to trust me I respect that man oh yeah that’s a competitor right there cuz no offense that was also a mismatch you you know

Like Kevin Love was at that time too like man yeah he was still Kevin Love too I know exactly it was a I’m not I can’t talk about it it was not a easy few minutes it was not a easy run right but it was what I had to do I wrestled

With him and I a couple times I just fouled him just to let him know I was gon you know what I mean just let him know I was theread right like let him know it wasn’t just gonna be no roll over but like yeah the only bad part is

That you got to let me take advantage of him on the other end that’s right like that was the only thing that kind of like got me some of those situations when I had to play small even before Toronto was like let me take advantage of my strengths like don’t just let him

Beat me up and then make me wait waiting the corner for somebody to throw it to me I want to get my lick back appreciate you yeah no honestly man salute to you that was that was a tough time but I mean I get it though you know what I

Mean they were in a tough position but CJ it ain’t tough that’s basketball man yeah counter exactly that’s the competitor way tougher things than than fighting Kevin Love on the post in the world for yo CJ I appreciate you thanks for your time man you’re always making

Time for us uh making time for Amit as well we got to go to a break live radio is not like podcast man we got to break at specific time so gotta do what you gota do we got to call you a different time but uh we’re going to take that

Break I’ve been your host will you’ve been listening to the Raptor show on the sports radio network brought to you by Campbell’s new chy Spicy suit welcome back to the Raptor show on the sports center radio network your host way L continue to be joined by Phil

And co-host I’m man uh we are going to take some Twitter questions but first off i’ got to say thank you to CJ Miles friend of the program well was like doing a pod all the time with CJ man amazing you learned so much about basketball from someone like him and I

Went into it thinking that I was going to learn more about the ex nose and I did but I think you learn more about um what it’s like to be a player um off court on court the kind of things that go into a meeting with a coach um a

Group meeting within a team what kind of Dynamics contribute to winning and also the other side of things where the kind of culture that you have that contribute to a lot of losing like are players bought into a plan um along with the team and are they bought into the coach

Are they bought into each other are they willing to take a step back for someone else these kinds of things are kind of what the podcast uh became and forever grateful I mean being able to say that I hosted a podcast with an NBA player um that’s a bucket list thing absolutely

Man no different than you and Dennis yeah yeah you’re right actually um so one thing you were actually going to get to and we we ran out of time unfortunately but there was one thing you’re gonna ask CJ about because he had a hot take about Grady yeah man first

Time him and I talked about Grady um I asked him like what’s the peak version of of him when it all comes down to it you he’s just out of Kansas at the point and he said that he could be again we’re talking like Peaks right he could be at

Pete Gordon Hayward now a Pete Gordon Hayward that was in probably 2016 2017 the final season before he was traded to the Celtics yeah he avered 22 points five rebounds 3.5 assists on 40% from three and nearly 50% from the field so um very different players of course

Right like you could probably say that you know Gordon was more athletic a better dribbler but they both have terrific instincts both have great fundamentals both see the game and read the game extremely well Grady is probably a better shooter um the height I believe is isn’t that different either

But I think that’s a pretty great comp or at least something for Grady to strive for because if he’s able to harness a driving game like his shooting gravity is always going to be there and that’s always going to open up things for him but if he’s able to get downhill

And create off that off the bounce that’s going to be where he becomes a really special player yeah so for the context there um they were teammates back in Utah for the first two years um CJ was was in Utah when uh Gordon was drafted obviously to Utah and um you

Know I think I mean look putting out side of the fact that they’re both white which I think that comes up quite a lot in these player comparisons let’s be completely honest about it um I think the things with Gordon is like like he can handle it he was more athletic than

Gredy is yeah and I think over the course of his career he got a lot stronger like when you see Gordon H now too like he’s you know I would say he’s jacked but like he’s noticeably much bigger than than what he was when he first came in the league that’s all

That’s natural that’s something that I think you know Grady will go through that process he became a man you know basically yeah um one from uh Team smooth to team style do you know what I mean uh and we go yeah so for for him

Like that that will come but I think the ball handling I think that’s that’s the question I think that yeah me Gordon yeah that’s huge Gordon Hayward was was quite nice man All-Star game one time as well in that year made the max yeah eventually so um if that’s if that’s the

Best outcome I would love to see that but I do think that like I I think there’s more off ball skills and I think largely speaking grd’s going be more of an off ball player than than Gordon was but I don’t want to put a stealing on it

Last night two points another part of why last night was so upsetting to watch was like you know we’ve been banking at least Grady and he’s been playing well and every time he come into the game he would do well and yeah one to seven last

Night I was like damn yeah putting the run down that uh I was going to ask CJ about you know what contributes to his hot play of recent of recently and at least in 2024 and also having to put in the disclaimer disclaimer that uh although he didn’t shoot very well last

Time unfortunately I mean it happens man it happens he had a really good stretch of consistency and now we we hope to move into the next stretch of consistency but anyway for us um I was looking at our rundown for today and I was like it’s quite light it’s time to

Ask for help so I put the bat signal out we’re taking questions on today’s episode of the Raptor show we need this LMAO yeah the we need this was was supposed to be read in the Matt delin we need this it was like it’s usually when

The Raptors are down 12 and there’s two minutes left yeah and like Patrick Patterson’s wide open for three and the ball swings to him and it doesn’t go in and it goes we need this and yeah um Clank in any case yeah we needed this so I appreciate all the questions that were

Sent in this is we really did absolutely need this so tomorrow’s show is busier tomorrow’s show is busier we have more guests but I think most importantly like today is just like how many times do we want to harp on the fact that they lost

Buy a blowout last night so we as always we got a ton of questions I broke them down a little bit we got Raptor’s questions we got you know just general basketball questions maybe not Raptor specific we have questions about the show and then we have assorted miscellaneous Lucy whatever you want to

Call these things so Alit where do you want to go first who’s more likely to start next season Grady Gary or o that’s fun from Rory this is Raptor questions okay cool uh yeah I think who’s most likely to start next season that’s a good question I wow it’s not o it shouldn’t

Be at least why not why’ you say that because he’s a shooting guard and the other two players I would think are better better options I think I don’t think o is going to be able to be a small forward he’s just like he’s got some great wingspan like 69ine I believe

But he 65 doesn’t have the weight necessarily and uh I think they still need like a a three and D like a true 3 and D player but I don’t think I mean like hey prove me wrong right but I don’t think he’s right there assuming that there aren’t like super major moves

In offseason which honestly there may be there might not be who knows but we have obviously quickly is going to be resigned he’s going to be at Point orange a is going to be retained he’s small forward Scotty is going to be four in this case you know the one guarantee

Is Scotty bar is not going anywhere yeah and then yaka Perle most likely going anywhere as well you playing Center so that makes you just need a shooting guard so essentially which one of those three guys would you want to start a shooting guard for you next year I still

Like Grady coming off the bench okay and I’m saying that because I think um it’s good for him to develop into a specific role so he’s able to get that Rhythm night in night out and uh kind of feeding him out to the wolves in a way

Is is good sometimes depending on the player but sometimes I mean you need some reliability you need someone who’s kind of been there before and hey watch Gary watch How Gary works like I mean some people like to quibble about some of the things that Gary does but he’s a

Terrific shooter he’s amazing he’s always ready to go right and sometimes they go in sometimes they don’t that’s part of the game but uh how quickly he gets a shot off and how he moves without the ball his shot Readiness is excellent and I think these are things that Grady

Can can learn from and uh yeah I just I don’t like the like he’s he’s already made this big stride this season and that’s awesome um let’s just let him continue nurturing this path that he’s on because there is no rush like he what he’s 20 years old yeah let chill okay um

I think for me it comes down to to if you want to be competitive the next year you know and if that’s the case you probably want to go with the best defender of the group because what the starting lineup really needs is another a Defender somebody who can really lock

Down the perimeter we know quickly is not really the guy for it RJ you can hold his own in certain match ups but not the guy you want to throw on opposing you know Scotty can do a lot so he’s probably going to have to deal with

The wings and then yaku’s going to deal with the bigs someone’s got to deal with the guards so whoever the best defender in this group and it’s probably oi um now of course if they resign Gary which is another question coming up then you’re probably resigning with the

Pretense that he’s going to start for you at least to start with I mean who knows they also told Dennis we’re signing you to be the starting point guard and then changes away from that and then you know whatever but like I mean in any case yeah if if if Gary is

Retained I think Gary if not then I honestly think oai gets a better chance at it because that starting group really does need somebody to guard on the perimeter um next question this one from ex uh Sports intern and also hype Squad member Jake shout outs to you Jake

Always love seeing you at the arena uh um he asked how confident are you that quickley will be able to make further strides as a playmaker um yeah I I’m fairly confident because I think one he desires that desires that I think probably when he

Came to the Raptors he was so focused on showing off his passing chops that he kind of neglected what he’s best at which is his shooting which is his uh his gravity as a shooter and is able to put the ball in the net right and I think we’re slowly finding that he’s

Getting away from that but no different than some of the best shooters in the NBA currently they use their their shooting gravity their shooting prowess to feed their playmaking and I think it’s going to come naturally but in the same time you know the way he operates

In the pick and roll the way he snakes the way he’s able to read defenses um when he gets Blitz that’s been a topic right he gets Blitz uh darko’s been talking about it you know what are the reads he’s making out of that there’s some development there but um I like

Iq’s mentality right now I think he desires to get better um he’s mentioned that too that he’s said you know it’s been a bit of a position for me but I wanted this fire I wanted this pressure because this is how I’m going to get better and that’s a great thing for a

Player to say yeah he’s focused he’s serious um I think you’re already seeing a couple of new things he’s adding to his game one of the weird new things will Qui is adding to his game is on defense he’ll often leave his man and try to come in for a Blindside steel

He’s done it a couple times he tried it last night as well didn’t get the steal yeah um but he did get back to his man in time so no harm no foul on the gamble but that was third quarter right he had a bit of a he had a good possession

There yeah so I I think for for quickly like uh um you know Finding various ways to be effective defensively I think that’s that’s more important to me right now than the playmaking the playmaking will come I think part of the system especially the way the Darko has right

Now you know the reads are going to be there for almost not preset for you but in a way like you understand sort of where the reads are going to be I think some of the new things for him are like you know like very few players coming

Off the bench or getting blitzed yeah right so that’s going to be new for him handling that at the NBA level I’m sure he handled it previously in college or aou whatever but like obviously different level when you’re talking about the pros um seeing how he adjusts

To that uh like you mentioned is going to be a thing but most importantly he’s got to maintain the aggressiveness of score and we’re seeing more and more of that obviously that’s got to extend into the paint as well we see sometimes he does it sometimes he doesn’t finding

More ways to be effective and then just defensively too I do feel like his onal defense just like the overall strength and like especially when you’re undersized and you’re small like just finding a couple different things that you can do again going back back to the previous point guards we had in Toronto

Fred heavy hands right deflections leading league in deflections like you know that’s something he was able to do really well Kyle taking charges like you when you’re small and your guard you got you got that one thing you need to do otherwise you know you do become a bit

Of a liability defensively so next question no context Raptors ask we talk about wins and lessons a lot with this team so what’s the biggest thing you’ve learned about this team on it well I’ve already mentioned the identity thing so I’ll go somewhere else okay um I think

Uh we’ve learned that the value of a backup center I’ll put it that way okay interesting I think that’s really important especially one like Kelly linic I think I saw some people that are kind of questioning why they decided to give Kelly that contract and at the

Money which is I mean he was making $12 million on his previous contract he like 13 right now over two years it’s not that bad um but uh having someone that they can run offense through is been extremely beneficial for last night he had like seven assists a lot of those

Are him just like finding players on on the roll he’s telling guys where to go yeah exctly I’m passing the ball and you need to go catch this pass it’s like he’s playing point guard essentially right um as a quarterback in a weird way sure yeah he’s in the pocket there’s

Somebody carding him and he’s just like Bing over the top go get it doing that to RJ a couple times it was beautiful yeah so uh yeah the backup center thing and also just having two competent centers we haven’t had that in quite some time unfortunately you know things

Went the way they went with Christian Koko hope he’s good but we’re seeing what it uh what how it helps um the team uh the players if they get have that stability at that position um we saw last night man like if you just don’t have size in the NBA you are going

To have problems and uh some of the janky funky lineups we’ve seen the Raptors play over the years um without a center it can work sometimes but in a lot of cases you need that big dog not that Kelly is but I mean at least he’s 611 he played better than any other

Raptor last night sure yeah yeah man and even if it’s a blowout I still recognize people who play their very best in the Raptor’s uniform form um what did I learn about the Raptors this year they’re still better than the Hornets that’s what I learned because yeah they beat the Hornets when they

Came in barely yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah I’m trying to be confident too but I’m actually not sure like this version of the Raptors this current version this version like how many teams are they actually better than I don’t I don’t know um they’re banged

Up right they could be missing like two of their most important players on defense for the rest of the season yeah uh I guess what I’ve learned for the Raptors this year is they need two Scotty Barnes how about three he he does he does more than one person’s job on the

Team let’s just say that much uh next one from Habibi going the other direction should the Raptors explore trading yakob this summer and acquire floor spacing big in addition to Kelly who okay that’s a fair question I think that’s the thing where I would most teams are giving you a floor spacing

Center for yakob most times you know but at the same time do you like that idea because I I do feel like we’ve seen this year the Raptors pretty much it’s impossible to win for this group without yakob in in the game yep um so yakob I

What does he do on the court right now he’s uh he’s been tremendous since the All-Star break or at least since 2024 um his blocking has been like probably the best rate he’s had uh as a tronto raptor it’s around 3.5 which is among the the

Best uh in the in the NBA in terms of centers which is awesome um wait he’s blocking 3.5 shots a game or is that block block percentage percentage percentage at The Rim so that’s a it’s a great rate I mean that’s like up there with some of the other best Rim

Protectors in the league um but yeah I mean floor spacing like that’s the name of the game right now man um so if you have someone that can do that for you then it is obviously a skill that you need but you also need room protection

Too on the other end so yeah if we can clone we can build someone in the a robot of some sort we can find some with Miles Turner’s uh three-point shooting and also you know yaka P’s Rim protection and instincts and passing then hey we got our the center but uh I

Mean we’ have to look at some of the free agents and stuff like that but it’s hard to find that person because everyone wants to play five out right now yeah I think um porzingis with with with what his introduction has done for the Celtics look what he’s done it’s

Probably the most ideal version of sort of the type of player you could have gone ironically rappers could have gone in porzingis conversation it wasn’t like porz was this Untouchable player man got moved twice um in the last few years but in any case like that type of role now

Of course that requires a lot of other things to make it work right I mean poras never sees a double team for example because of how much shooting the the Celtics have etc etc but I think that was a lot of the discussion especially for the previous group when

They had pasc when they had OG when they had Dennis I guess even at point guard or even Fred at point guard was like well you know the center that they need probably needs to space to floor so that Scotty has more room to to play yeah now

I think a couple things with that um number one especially now that theyve required quickly especially because quickly is a little more smaller a little more slender and not always beating unless he’s matched up against bigs not always beating his man one-on-one you need the physicality in the screener to actually create that

Space for him on the ball right and so I think that’s something that I think both yakob and even RJ to an extent although RJ can really like you know tuck the ball and then get his way to the basket anyway but still both of those guys

Really benefit from the space created at the top of the floor off of those screens so that they can then drive into the paint they’re not just natural they’re not always getting those advantages one-on-one yeah in fact they’re rarely doing that right so I think is something to be said about

Yak’s particular style with more traditional Center more of a size um having said that though of course you would ideally like to play five out all over place that’s why you do have the other option which is to go with Kelly for that second unit and honestly I do

Think that there are times where you might want to go with Scotty as as the small ball five in certain moments too and that’s why the flexibility of Kelly being to play small ball four for that second unit really does help now of course they weren’t defending well even

Before they all the injuries but nevertheless I I saw the identity and I kind of liked it but I do I don’t mind I don’t I don’t mind having this variety and of course yakob I think has played a really important role again because they

Never win when he’s not in the game I think it’s it’s a fair like a fair question but also I think it’s important to keep in mind that what he does for this team and how he elevates everyone else is really important too like we talk about five out and that’s huge but

There is a sabonis in the world right sabonis isn’t a great three-point shooter but they make like their offense is awesome it’s because of the pieces they have around them and the way they’re able to penetrate the way they to work off off a ball and I think

That’s probably a better area to to and you know figure out rather than looking for yaka to extend his range like let’s get the other players doing the things that we’re hoping they should be able to do um at the Peak form of the Toronto Raptors with the previous group though

Man a FL spacing file would have been so ideal with the previous group but again that’s all moved on you know we it would have unlocked so much man it would have changed it could have changed so much about what the Toronto Raptors are right

Now yeah yeah um okay we’ve taken a lot of raptors questions can I throw you a I don’t know an assorted a show question NBA question whatever you want you pick man come on you’re I’m still trying to figure out where you’re where the NBA questions are so don’t worry what what

Do you want what do you want what do you want next uh let’s go NBA NBA let’s go let’s go with the NBA question all right yeah this one’s pretty pretty simple from designer Savage um who do you oh is this yeah picks to come out of the East and the West right

Now who’s your pick to win the East who’s the your pick to win the West Boston and Denver all right y I think that’s yeah I know it is you’re wear the green right now I knew you going to say on the show look look I wanted to look good for my

First uh on camera performance here you like but I knew I was going to say I’m going to say I’m wearing St Patrick’s green you’re going to say it’s Celtics I’m going to say shut up I got no comeback the same thing is that actually not the same leave me

Alone it’s close though yeah it is close uh it boring yeah it is boring but I mean just like the way the Celtics are firing all cylinders right now um it’s uh it’s eye opening and if you look at the rest of the Eastern Conference like if Philly was healthy different story

And we’re going to see what J and be looks like right but Miami is finding a Groove if the Knicks can get healthy I’m curious to see what they look like when they’re completely healthy but other than I guess like the Milwaukee Bucks which could be some competition and

They’re kind of figuring things out playing a lot better man yeah man and uh that’s something to keep in mind but uh that was a great comeback win that they had against the Clippers all the weekend huge man that’s another problem too the Clippers are having some issues yeah

Yeah they got some some real issues on their end especially when they face top 10 defenses I believe like they’re Rec is below 500 when they’re facing those teams they just take a lot of jumpers they which isine operate in isolation and they live and die by it and they’re

Going to are they going to be able to win like 16 games playing like that in the playoffs it’s a hard thing to say yes to considering the depth in the Western Conference and also I mean the Celtics are in the East and I think they’re they’re pretty good this could

Be their year to at least get to the the finals but uh I mean between those two teams Denver and and and Boston like that’s a that’s a tough one got Tota think about that one that one is is Pretty Tough what do you think

Um it’s more fun to back to Miami he to come out the the Mi heat are just like you know what I might adop he culture again yeah just for fun honestly they’re not are they the best team in the east no are they the toughest team in the East when

It comes time for playoffs I don’t know it’s coming to that Time of the Season where Jimmy buler turns it on still got B out of Bio there’s an under theme happening on NBA that dun Robinson made on the Baseline I was not familiar with your game sir yeah so obviously everyone

Knows douan Robinson you know uh floor spacer guy who can knock down threes you know incredible story and drafted I think he played like D3 basketball or something like that really low level basketball in college and he’s really made his way and become his own man and

He’s had up his downs but in the last couple years he’s been really good the move Duncan did was he drove along the Baseline got cut off by assar Thompson who’s you know a really really good Defender mhm uh even as a rookie Super athletic and then Duncan faked it as he

Was going to go back out but then put the ball between behind his back Jamal Crawford saw I’m not even kidding when I say that faked it and then actually continued his drive along the basine after faking going back out and then finish with a reverse La that was such a

Beautiful move and no one expected that from Duncan Robinson but yeah I mean five assists a game since the allar break I’m going back to heat again I you know until I see the Celtics definitively beat the heat in something that isn’t seven games that doesn’t like

Drag them out bloody them all over the place like yeah I I’m going to you know I still go with the heat there’s I do know that the Celtics are clearly the best team in the East I just don’t want to pick them especially now that you’re wearing Celtic green shut up you

Are there’s an underlying theme I’m seeing on NBA Twitter where it’s like um with the Boston playing the way they are it’s like Miami we need you Jimmy we need you no want I don’t have confidence in Milwaukee beating them Philadelphia beating them they got the best coach in

The NBA that means something to me I think Soul are best uh best coach in the NBA there you go you got that versus uh whoever I mean you got a fighting chance I also like Denver coming out the West too it’s hard to go against them Denver

Was playing really badly last night suns were really hot and they were up like huge and then they just decided to take it so seriously push it all the way and it’s weird because they actually took the lead and then they gave up a kd3 and then that forced overtime and then

Denver actually just completely folded in overtime you know Fenix rolled over them but just that ability to just like you know what we’re down 20 we’re not playing well and then they just like like forced our way back in and when you go back and watch so many Miss

Opportunities for them to just like completely blow them apart yeah I don’t know man Denver’s highest level to me is just higher than other people’s gears that’s all you know and I would I would back them once again so I guess I’m saying a repeat of last year’s finals

Which means I guess Denver is winning because there’s no way myami is beating Denver is there a team in the Western Conference that you could see beating Denver like we’re talking we’re giving all their praises but like between the Clippers we talked about them Pelicans

Suns um OKC of course you a lot of size so I don’t know Minnesota I guess last year came some trouble with their size they said that too Bruce Brown was on a podcast and he said that that was their toughest match up that’s fair I mean

They have a lot of size you you need a lot of size um I would say even the Lakers to a degree I don’t know but there’s a clear not the I’m just saying like guys teams with with that kind of size to maybe bot maybe the Pelicans to

A slight degree I don’t know I haven’t seen a lot of pelicans nuggets this year to give a strong opinion on this but Zion versus Aaron Gordon see at least they got someone right for for that kind of matchup the rap didn’t have that and

We see what happens but uh we gave him RJ Barrett man we were like hey this is your former college teammate go out there and guard him I was like want this match up RJ okay Coach yeah all right let me hit you a couple

More before we go to a break this one for Raptor going back to Raptor’s question what Raptor’s role player from any period in team’s history would raise this team’s floor the most you got your person yeah go first I want to see if you had about it but

Marcusa was a role player for the Raptors oh see this is kind of a vague question you could look at this a few different ways like coming off the bench or is it just a role player that’s all yeah role player starters Canna be role players yeah yeah dude mark on this team

I default to the championship team um and so I you go with Serge Serge was a role player for this team too he was too um but I think IID go with Mark yeah just to be different I’m going to say I’ll say Norm Powell they could do a

Shot making yeah he has a lot of the the B that Darko is looking for you know cutting getting to The Rim finishing at The Rim being able to run and transition the pullup shooting um roll acceptance that’s another one too I’ll say Norm because I also stand him for a long time

I was going to say for a long time one of your go-to sweaters was the understand the grind I still have it at home wear it tomorrow if you want I you honestly maybe you should no more Celtic green on the show right all right this green screen green

Next one from Peter yeah cast the Celtics Jersey on him um Peter says admittedly I still don’t fully understand the draft pick trade stuff but am I crazy we still wanting the Raptors to sneak into the plane and not worrying about where the draft pick conveys o I think it’s I think it’s

Valid to ask the question yeah so is it is it crazy that Peter still wants to playing right now uh no no no no cuz I was also on that side too when they were healthy I thought they should go for it um this goes back to our conversation in

Segment one that um regardless of where your pick is whether it’s next year or the year after um obviously mean next year’s draft class is much better it seems like um but at the same time I think this franchise is in a state of where are we

Who are we what are we trying to do and I would much rather see them find that in the this last stretch of the game uh stretch of the season um if that meant that they were going to get into the play in tournament and just have that

Experience and show that look we were out of the plan race and we got in because we won games and like I think that’s very valuable to what this team’s going to be a few years down the road but that could be just me like I

Understand the other side of it too but uh yeah that’s that’s my look on it that’s fair uh here’s the other side of that as well because we’re on this topic of the pick and of course if they had The Pick of course you could just take the season and you feel comfortable

Whatever um but we’ve gone over this a lot but the last time we go over this is Jeff Hazard who asked if we give San Antonio a seventh pick which Ron the Raptors most likely are going to do that’s where they’re in position right now you understand there’s like a

60 5% chance for the Raptors to get that up right now um so Jeff asks if we give San Antonio a seventh pick where would you rank the yakob trade on the worst trades in Raptor history remember the Vince Carter trade so nothing will ever unseat that sure yeah go ahead um I

Think that’s that’s up there um that will never be topped I’m sorry the the Vince the Vince trade is the worst Raptor trade of all time nothing will come close 100% I get that didn’t help himself get the value up whatever but no what they got back was was was was was

Not right we’re in that sort of ballpark though um it’s not as bad because I agree with you um but it’s it’s kind of there and uh I mean I’m not sure like how real like going back to what we were saying before I’m not sure how real those Miles Turner conversations were

When they’re kind of at their Tipping Point it felt like but uh I do wonder I I still think about it what would this team look like if they had Miles Turner um with you know Fred OG Pascal back core of players what how different would they look because that’s kind of what

They needed and like damn man Pascal was clamoring for a stretch five what did he say on the podium with the Pacers he’s like I’ve wanted Miles Turner for years yeah and M said you can have him in Indianapolis dot I’m curious to see where that Pascal trade ends up going

Too yeah you know um y’all en join Bruce Brown has to return crickets that’s a long silence crickets um yeah I mean look it’s funny because yakob is both simultaneously so important to this group and such an effective player for this group but also at the same time I think it was about

The direction at that time and we’re going to go back and argue with this all the time I think Messi did tell us though he felt like that group needed a chance and he chose to believe in that group and that group didn’t do enough with it and now I don’t think that

Messiah could maybe could have acted earlier all that what if but I think the general idea was he still believed in that group and it burned him yeah that’s that’s all you got to sit with really you know believing in people and believing in skills that are two

Different things I think he believed in the people but roster construction is extremely important to winning games in the NBA and uh all of them are great players but I’m I can’t say that that was the right person that they needed at the time right but right now this team

They need Jaa P makes perfect sense um but that team they needed someone else I guess the other way I’ve looked at it too is now of course this is independent because I think part of the idea was you trade react and then you would have pivoted for a rebuild back then whatever

But what you know um but right now could you still get the same pick back for yakob not not not from San Antonio just in general could you still get a first round pick back of yak right now I think so okay if anything his value’s gone up

As he’s been with the Raptors over the past little while I we’re seeing like why the Raptors wanted to bring him in he’s a great Center he is like I think that was M’s other point was like look if you can trade a first round pick for

A starting level Center uh in in this Prime you would do that that’s he’s like that’s that’s a good trade now of course we can argue that context around the trade but I think I don’t know I’m not it’s it’s it it already happened you know and now we’re in this position

Where we’re heading into a really really interesting offseason because the Raptors have options and they love their options and what they do I mean they can sit on their hands or they could start firing yeah yesterday I’m not going to lie to you the Raptors left at 41 and on

The subway right home and I’m like you know what man let me look at these random little French prospects that that that they might have a chance at because I mean with all due respect I mean I’m I’m not trying to discredit the prospects I was just like this the first

Time I was like let me tune in yeah let me tune in to the draft searching trade machine right now we have more questions on Twitter including this one which I thought was spicy and we’ll leave this on a cliffhanger now that Nick and pascow are both gone can you spill the

Tea on the locker room altercation that’s that’s a fun one we’ll come back to that one but before we go actually want to let you know that we’re giving away some tickets all right Grammy awardwinning rock bands the national and the war on drugs are touring for the first time together

Coming to Budweiser stage on September 20th with special guest Lucius it’s part of their Zen diagram tour and we have tickets to give away to enter all you have to do is text this daily code word to 59590 today’s code word is war w what

Is it good for text War to 590590 right now for your chance to win again the code word is war today yeah well I mean I would love to see Jackie Jan and uh Chris Tucker up here on this too uh just add to this tour but anyway today’s the last day

We’re giving away tickets for this event if you don’t win with us tickets are on sale at ticketmaster.ca so uh there you go we’re going to give some tickets away so we are going to take our last break of the day I’ve been your host will you’ve been

Listening to the Raptor show on the sports radio network brought to you by Campbell’s new chunky spicy soup welcome back to the Raptor show on the sportsite radio network I’m your host wiml I’m man co-host how you feeling man well um you enjoy the heat I’m feeling the heat a

Little bit after that Celtic comment that you made um but no it’s all good man uh this isn’t fun um fun doing this uh cool to be here happy to be here happy to be beside you T to dude been doing it for years wow thank you everyone coming on just complimenting me

Is hilarious because you’re good at this bro all right thank you yeah all right you know what thank you I thank you to everyone for doing that um appreciate that most importantly though how are you feeling man I’m good um this this is uh

Fun to do this it was great to see CJ again it was great to see CJ like legit the day that uh things ended at my previous job uh we were talking about our next show when it happened and uh we just had to end it up or wrap it up

Unfortunately but it’s nice to be back doing this it’s been a little while I do like the odd podcast here or there when people invite me but uh I feel there’s a little bit of rust still but you can get those cobwebs off pretty quickly no don’t worry man tomorrow show is going

To be super smooth um and we’re not going to be taking Twitter questions for that one unfortunately but we do have a lot more to answer here so let’s empty out that mailbag as we met sir this question from RJ barani which I do not appreciate RJ being lumped in there with

Barani okay change that name change that name RJ barani is not right um anyway now that Nick and pascar are both gone can you spill the tea on the locker room altercation brother you got tea I got no tea I don’t really have much tea on this

Either I mean I’ve asked about this multiple times um and the only answer I’ve ever gone was that it was verbal but not physical but it was like you know it was cutting it was more verbal than usual and probably for Pascal too it was so of his character that you’re

Probably going to take that on a little bit differently than someone who may have some of those reactions every once in a while right but it was Pascal right beloved one listen did I get it from Nick’s side of things Noh so but in any case yeah I’ve asked

This question many times because I’m also endlessly curious and I there wasn’t as much tea as I thought there would be I again you know if there was maybe people take this kind of thing to their grave I know there’s aot lot of other things where people talked about

Like you know put hands on I don’t I don’t think it was like that man I just I just don’t I think what happened again going back to the context of that one Raptors are in Tampa a terrible season miserable all that kind of stuff right and then fourth quarter pass wasn’t

Playing well they played Stanley Johnson and Patrick Mall ahead of him and they made a little bit of a comeback but then they ultimately failed and lost to a cast team that I think that year was like 20 some odd wins like it was Colin seon was leading that group you know

What I mean and um he never came back in the game and it’s like you can try to do that if you win with some of those second unit third unit guys but if you don’t it’s a little tough you know so again frustrations in a l season I

Wonder what stories you hear out of this one this year although there hasn’t been as many I’m not going to lie to you you haven’t you haven’t heard as much Discord NOP nope uh people just like yeah we’re losing whatever yeah it’s okay we’re gonna get him next season

Right all kumay here it’s okay to lose they got one two three wins and losses or wins and wins and lessons all right uh that’s one lazy dunker yeah nice name I like that one better than RJ Mark barani for sure um do you think the next future All-Star not Scotty on the

Raptors is more likely to be on the current roster or a player that we acquire in the future by draft trade lazy dunker that’s no lazy question that’s a good one so obviously Scotty is the main star who is the second star to join Scotty and they are they already on the

Roster my gut says they’re not um however if it’s going to be someone I think probably IQ has a path to it so IQ has a second highest upside yeah um but mean we’re Eastern Conference man like it’s really really really hard to be an All-Star look at the guards who were in

The All-Star Game and again Trey young averaged 27 and 11 and didn’t make a toal replacement yeah well we’ll see I mean honestly it’s even harder to make it out West at least you’re in the easier conference but the quotequote easier conference is like is he gonna

Beat out Maxi is he gonna beat out Donovan Mitchell yeah man like uh Jaylen Brunson Tyrese halber um Damen Lillard yeah I’m looking at it from a tal perspective however I mean I think it’s really hard to see anyone um becoming an All-Star in the near future

On this current roster outside of Scotty because that’s how special you got to be like we just talked to CJ about uh the level of talent that we’re seeing in the NBA now how it’s different than we’ve ever seen before so within that it’s going to be hard to be an Allstar you

Got to be like extremely extremely special and uh the guys that are selected they’re all specials Scotty is special as well not to say that RJ and IQ are not but you’re going to need some sort of star in that realm for them to be uh on that stage right you know what

If I’m going to back one person for this say RJ on the theme I think I might go with R.J number one I think the forward positions is a little bit easier to make Allstar in and I think like there’s like three or four things that RJ can do

Attaina that can get him to a higher level number one being free throws I can’t believe how many times he’s missing the free throw bizar bro very are but I think he’s already got a really good basis for it he’s already really consistent with the scoring puts

Up numbers that I think that you know gets you into that All-Star conversation or he’s not that far out of and again we’re just I wouldn’t say it was like more likely than not he’s going to make Allstar but in terms of guys on the team

I mean if they acquire another one of course that would be that’ be ideal as well but uh yeah at least on the team I think RJ actually might be the closest one and I hear that not that close right now but again I’m answering a question

That was asked to me yeah so uh JC next one from the Raptors JC asks uh the Raptors have chosen a lane and that’s provided a lot of clarity and losses I see a plan moving forward for everyone except for Gary what do we do with him

So um what are you doing with Gary I guess I gotta answer this question because you don’t want to damage your relationship with Gary Tren I would never do that man that’s that’s Gary and all four of his Gary Sons yeah lit named Gary son yeah yeah in my family all the

Uh all the kids on one side of the family they’re all named Blair I’m not even kidding now they they have other names that they actually use but like on their birth certificate their first name is Blair which is the name of their father so everyone’s name

Is like Blair Matthew in a case and then it’s their last name but it you know could very well be like a case where someone says hey this is my name Blair and this is my son Blair my other son Blair and the other person Blair because technically their first name is Blair

But they go by another name um okay all right fun fact very fun fact yeah yeah very very fun all right cool anyway back to the question uh Gary Trent Jr um I I I could see them potentially Moving on but it’s like either he’s a starter or they’re

Going to move on and they got to decide how they value him um I think his his skill set as Bobby had mentioned in some availability 25-year-old who shoots 40% from three pretty good pretty rare skill set um but I think as we talk about Roser construction and yaka perto didn’t

Exactly fit with the other team um the previous team the previous core uh they got to decide if Gary is the person that they need a shooting guard or I mean I’m spitballing here but like what if RJ is your shooting guard and what if Scotty

Is your four and what if you’re finding someone else to be your three in D type of player so Scotty doesn’t have to take on those reps and also you just have a person who’s dedicated to taking on some of the Wings in the NBA that’s another

Thing I thought about too so you’re trying to recite OG o OG oh yeah yeah you’re descri I know I know I know I am it doesn’t be that level like a royce O’Neal right like it could be a player like that n no Ry I mean first off I don’t think veterans

Are going to be clamoring to come to this situation when they’re not competitive but I think the second thing too is just like I just I don’t see him as that type of player but I do understand what you’re saying getting in the three and D type on that in that

Fifth spotter fifth starter role so either o grows into it in the last 20 games or you resign Gary and kind of roll this idea over maybe Gary can grow into it a little bit but we all know that like that we’re kind of like hopeful for that rather than expecting

It um or you go out and get somebody else but uh yeah I mean it the starting group is a little bit small now but I we did just move from Vision 69 so I know MSI is listening to being like what do you want man you ride around on a

Scooter and demand me to change the team every five games and honestly Messiah that’s true so I hope you’re enjoying your scouting trips because uh yeah man we not in the building these days they’re they’re they’re scouting scouting area of time you know what I mean yeah he’s still listening though I

I doubt it but uh shouts sh shouts to them if they are do you like o though like do you like what he could I mean have you seen I don’t know enough about him so I just need to see more of it right so this is a big big chance here

To come in and and and win the opportunity you know and hopefully he’s he’s healthy too because he also left yesterday’s game my God how bad could yesterday’s game be we had a lot of Health uh luck earlier in the season but um it’s kind of going away now I’m going

To Pivot off to a a slightly non-basketball question or somewhat basketball question this one from Sophia sh a Sophia um somewhat basketball question do you ever get fatigued following the Raptor basketball 247 I know it’s your job but do you ever feel the need to pull away

And reset if yes then how do you do that well that’s a beautiful question I think you’re yeah you’re better off that one why we live the same life man yeah I used to but not anymore I used to that was what I was doing for a little while but I think

Especially for you because you’ve gone through so many waves of this franchise the UPS the downs and and so forth you’re talking to me like I’m Doug Smith man hold on hold on I’m not I’m not a in this game like that think about it though since the 2019 or since 2018 or

2019 Championship how many waves have we seen of this of this franchise Tampa Championship um Vision 69 Vision 69 not working retooling rebuilding like that’s a that’s like five different phases in like five years that’s crazy yeah so I think that’s what people that’s why you

Get this like um variance in sort of opinion and experiences because people come into it with different baggages and it depends on when you sort of check in the first place you know what I mean and I think that um do I get tired I mean honestly not

Really like I’m pretty obsessive about this thing and it’s like it’s a hobby for me regardless yeah but do I have the need to reset from basketball not really I think what I just end up doing is like rediscovering my love for it by playing a basketball or by watching other

Teams do you know what I mean so I need to reset away from the Raptors like losing my 41 at home sometimes but I think yeah just go home like I did last night and I watched nuggets versus Suns and it was very fun you know or you know

If I regular Tuesday night when the Raptors aren’t playing I’m going to go hoop and or if the weather’s nice enough I’ll go outside and just shoot yeah so there’s always other ways to sort of re-engage for me at least my love for the game but I I get the question though

I totally understand yeah you know if you listen to the rackpot enough you’re like is Will okay and that’s my question as well which is why I got therapy at 4:30 all right next one from Jonathan just one one more thing one more thing just sorry go ahead go ahead go ahead go

Ahead go ahead go ahead slip that in there right there no no no no no no seriously go ahead Justin holiday uh after the previous game he had said that he’s not with the Nuggets right yeah he said it kind of makes me believe in the NBA again that’s what the transaction

Moving to the Nuggets has done for him he actually said that I love that it’s invigorated him in a way like you go through so where you play before this man Indiana like I bro it’s it’s he’s gone through a lot of losing in his life

Justin Hol um but I I understand that too like you you love something so much sometimes you want it to be reciprocated you want the love to be reciprocated in anything you do right you go through so many years of things not going your way um you need something to elevate you

Again so uh it’s it’s cool that uh he’s gotten that and actually he’s kind of an interesting piece for them in the playoffs because they could use some more depth for sure for sure um yeah I just love it man yeah if if you find yourself a little bit down on basketball

Just watch some niol yic I think that’s what he’s saying he’s that’s that’s exactly what he’s saying all right we got to go a little quicker now J Assad Muse so funny that’s an actual account name um why did the Raptors give up on pressure so

Early I don’t think they gave up a prees I think you know what a little bit like they wanted to extend prees and and talk contract extension off the rookie scale and I don’t think they were close and then they moved them yeah it’s kind of similar to the Knicks actually moving on

From quickly yeah um but i’ always liked precious as a prospect that’s why it was so frustrating sometimes when he didn’t play to that level but I also think that the Raptors moving and playing in this style definitely does not fit precious a skill set versus when you play a more

Isolation type of game you would really love Precious for his rebounding in his hustle on his defense that’s kind of what I’m getting at too is that and we keep on talking about it but like they’re finding certain players to fit Darko system this is like him getting a

Chance to kind of orchestrate the roster that he really wants and he’s going to live and die by it it doesn’t work out it’s going to be on his head um but precious the prospect I still remember that pullup or that uh that pullup three hit against the 76ers in that that uh

That game um late in the season before the series against the 76ers I still remember that uh that stretch he had it was incredible and I still think that still there yeah man that player is still there and if he can harness it if he can find it I hope he does because

That person is a very valuable player in the NBA a stretch five who can play three four hit threes uh drive to the basket like that’s a skill that uh is pretty rare all things consider as MSI once said finally you are mine yeah I love it man MSI turned into he turned

Into G when he saw precious it’s precious um Assad my my actual friend Assad not not Jonathan Assad okay this is different this is assd um acid 81 as I know you’re listening and you’re getting kick out of that um he asked in Tampa the Raptors had a ton of random

30o scores how many this season and who are your Best Bets to get there so for for reference the rappers haven’t been down this bad since a couple years ago when they were in Tamp but yeah they had some 30-point scorers in there they had guys who really popped off Jaylen Harris

Had some really big moments malach Flynn was having huge double doubles um Gary had a 44-point game stole his career high uh Paul Watson had some 20-point games which I think is probably let’s just Round Up um even Utah had some 20o games let’s round up so yeah out of

These guys that we saw last night I mean you see a 30p pointer in there somewhere if Javon Freeman Liberty gets the minutes he will get there at some point I think he’ll get there if we’re talking like a game that where we’re just like straight up the Third third rotation is

Getting a lot of minutes I could see him getting there because he’s that talented uh after that I mean is Grady dick random probably not right it’d be a little random this you get 30 for me at least because I I don’t think it’s skill set right now because he’s not getting

His own shot in that same way it’s a little harder to get 30 but you can actually get it like in the flow of the off 30 catch and like 10 catch he’s making 10 catch and shoot threes and I’ll few layups I I guess if they’re playing against the Raptors and you’re

Murphy the third oh jeez man Trey was amazing yesterday remember when uh the OG rumors were happening last season and uh was a name that all Raptor fans wanted I wanted Trey Murphy too everyone wanted him and Pelicans were like nope well we’re seeing why um outside of that

I mean I guess Jordan noara right yeah that’s a great pick I like that one I’m G to go with Jordan War as well yeah um another one this is somewhat badketball from El Train silver Adam Silver says you have to reverse one of the trades

From this season which one would you do and I the season I have one no I’m not talking about the yakob thing man that’s so lame um I’m ring the trade oh no that there’s no way it’s not fair for the SS to have that yeah what did they give up

For that like it was like uh marus smart and I think they might have even more like pick positive in that as in they might have received picks no they shouldn’t have Chris izz I’m reversing that trade you you used to have Marcus Smart on your team yeah instead of Chris

Porzingis the Drew Holiday trade really bothered me the Drew Holiday trade yeah okay fine you can reverse that too but it’s just because we’re talking the same thing it’s like it’s the embarrassment of riches you you traded Marcus Smart and then you gained just drew holiday that’s that’s ridiculous you didn’t lose

Much really and then like I mean that’s why we’re saying that they’re maybe the the favorite out of the East is that they’re that good fair enough um I got two more for you this one from adcon writer what’s a better scene Snoop buying the nail gun or Bodie buying the

Funeral flowers did you watch the wire I did yes okay so these two iconic scenes yeah Snoop buying the nail gun to begin season 4 yep and bod buying funeral flowers in season too which one is uh most iconic it’s Sno it’s pretty great that one oh man yeah the the home at

Depot employee VI like so detailed in explaining the powdered yeah activated gun and everything like that and then what it became used for is actually kind of terrifying it was actually really good villain writing 100% by the by the wire and she wasn’t a trained uh actor

Either no but that’s what made it feel so real yeah serly that’s the beauty of it is that you’re seeing some applicable I a little autobiographical seems like someone actually did go to Home Depot for that Express purpose but yeah obviously great scenes great question man that’s a scene

And then the last question here this also from designer Savage who will be your summer co-host while Blake covers the Jay’s it’s a question that we all have right now what are we going to do rap discover one the Jay’s coming back around but uh I know what Blake will be

Doing and he’ll be doing both Blake when you come back buddy and you’ll be back next week you’re ready to do both so um yeah omit appreciate you all right this is one in the books we got another one tomorrow we got a lot of great guests

Tomorrow as well yeah man Mark Stein had to cancel on us today cuz he’s literally watching Champions League that’s how much of a true who Petty is and so we’ll talk to him tomorrow we got other guests tomorrow but that does it for us today I’ve been your host will you’ve been

Listening to the Raptor show on the sports radio network brought to you by Campbell’s new chunky spicy soup it’s time to get fired up big thanks to our producer al man you’re right here buddy you you also wear both also do both our board producer Derrik rendale who was

Unfortunately away sick today so shouts to Tristan for holding down Jennifer roll Davis say J manatad and we’ll talk to you tomorrow

William Lou is joined by guest host & Raptors Show producer Amit Mann to discuss the Raptors’ loss to the Pelicans on Tuesday, the team’s current defensive flaws and Immanuel Quickley’s continued offensive development. Afterwards, the guys are joined by former Raptors G/F C.J. Miles to discuss his impressions of Gradey Dick, his experience being a member of the “Bench Mob,” and the biggest challenges facing first-year head coach Darko Rajaković.

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0:00 – Raptors/Pelicans Recap
30:22 – C.J. Miles on Gradey Dick & His Experience with the “Bench Mob”
49:16 – Raptors Mailbag!

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