The Raptors Summer League team completed the event’s Round-Robin with a disappointing 0-3 record, however, they have come alive during tournament play with two consecutive victories, including an impressive overtime win over the Charlotte Hornets. Today, they tip-off against the Cleveland Cavaliers at 6:00 PM EST. It’s not quite the same as doing it against King James, but it would be nice to feel what eliminating a team with Cleveland on their jerseys is like.
The Raptors Summer League roster is all over the place, so RaptorsCage put together a five-part series introducing fans to the roster. In honor of the Raps’ success, here are all five parts combined, covering the roster from top-to-bottom:
Here is the first of our Summer League Primer series. Where we take a quick look at some of the new faces joining the Toronto Raptors/Raptors 905 in Las Vegas – and hopefully in the future. First up, two athletic guards who joined the Raptors mere hours after the NBA Draft.
With eight guards being brought the the Summer League, saying the Raps have a logjam at the position is an understatement. However in this tournament format, everyone will have a chance to shine so it’s unlikely it’ll be much of a problem. Teague, Miller-McIntyre, and Rowsey each bring interesting skills for the new guard-led NBA.
If you follow the Toronto Raptors or Canada Basketball religiously (like the writers here at Raptors Cage), you’ll be seeing some familiar names and faces on the Summer League squad. Canadian giant Chris Boucher and returning combo guard Jordan Lloyd come in to show the Raptors why they deserve a second look.
Over the past decade the Raptors seemed to have become a safe haven for a number of internationally trained and experienced players. By drafting Andrea Bargnani first overall in 2006, the Raptors signaled to teams abroad that they were open to their global business. After sporting an entirely international front court last year, the Raps brought in two giants from Brazil and Iceland to fight for a spot.
Raptors 905 may have had a disappointing end to their season, but that didn’t stop a number of players from having very interesting years. Shevon Thompson led the G-League in defensive rating off the bench, while Fuquan Edwin blossomed as a defensive pest and catch-and-shoot option from three. These two hope to continue their G-League success and finally latch on to an NBA roster with success in Summer League.
