905 drop season finale to Dowtin, McCaw, Bluecoats
A G League team has two primary objectives: Develop and prepare players for the NBA, and compete. It would be fair to argue that these two goals are inherently connected, however they are also not necessarily mutually inclusive. Competition helps development and vice versa, yet one can be accomplished in the development league context without the other.
The Raptors 905 have, at least in part, accomplished the more important of the two aspects this season. Prior to tearing his MCL, Ulrich Chomche showed both marked growth and astonishing glimpses that make his future easy to dream on. AJ Lawson’s prolific scoring prowess wowed and got him a spot in the G League Next Up game. Jared Rhoden’s all-around play could not be ignored, earning him a two-way spot for both this season and next.
Rhoden continued to display the talent and gumption that caused the organization to show faith in him during the 905’s final game of the season on Saturday, yet the high point of his ascendant season wasn’t enough to raise the group, as they fell 122-111 to the Delaware Bluecoats and finished the season 13-21.
The 905’s regular season had a promising start – they were first in Eastern Conference at 11-4 on Feb. 2 – yet strong individual develop stories ultimately couldn’t coalesce in collective results as injuries and call ups sapped the team of its talent and cohesion.
Individually, Rhoden went bonkers. A career-high 40 points on 15-of-23 shooting, 6-of-9 from 3, 12 boards, four assists, three steals. A “too good for the G League” kind of game.
Despite going beast mode, Rhoden started slow, with three consecutive bad offensive possessions – all out of the pick n’ roll. First an ill-advised take into a crowd was blocked by former 905 great Jeff Dowtin Jr. Rhoden threw an ill-advised attempted pass to Quincy Guerrier on the roll that was picked off. He snaked to the free throw line and bricked a jumper. It looked rough while the Bluecoats jumped out to a 14-4 lead off a Dowtin mid-range make and a couple triples.
The 905 settled for a tough selection of shots early, while the Bluecoats feasted off open 3s and layups. Through the first half, the 905 were down 10 despite winning the possession battle and taking eight more shots. This was largely due to some remarkably hot shooting by Delaware – they shot 72 percent from the floor and 58 percent from 3 – and some lethargic halfcourt possessions by the 905. Their inability to generate advantages, causing a need to create against set defences from a standstill, has been a consistent theme.
Tyreke Key and Kennedy Chandler injected life into the 905 off the bench, combining for 17 first quarter points. The usually perimeter-oriented Key led the way with 11, mostly off uncharacteristically forceful takes to the rim. His off-ball cuts to the basket were one of the only ways the 905 scored easy halfcourt points, nearly everything else came the hard way.
After starting to put it together later in the first quarter, Rhoden scored a quick seven points to start the second. One rhythm dribble into a 3, an easy transition dunk, and a hard, contested drive to the hoop in the halfcourt.
The five-foot-11 Chandler flew around to snatch rebounds and, at one point, grab his own offensive board. It was a tremendous display of effort from the undersized guard. He did a good job setting up his teammates in this game too, using his burst to jet by defenders and draw help before making solid, albeit rote, passes. Chandler finished with 10 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
The 905 looked for Rhoden on a couple post-ups in the quarter, but it failed to generate any quality shots. Coach Drew Jones has spoken about Rhoden’s ability to bully mismatches on post-ups as a strength, but we didn’t see that here. Instead, it was his fierce drives that were most effective. The two-way wing threw down a nasty poster to conclude the first half. The 905 then proceeded to open the third with a flurry of tough pull-up jumpers. A pull-up step back 3 by Rhoden, a turnaround post fade by Guerrier, a middy over a larger defender by breakout guard Evan Gilyard, yet another tough mid-ranger by Rhoden. It was an extended “that boy nice” sequence.
With the score even, it was time for a showdown between current and former Raptors cult heroes. First Rhoden and Dowtin squared off. As the Bluecoats guard attempted to make a second straight 3 from the top of the floor, Rhoden closed out aggressively (he appeared to foul Dowtin but there was no call). Off the ensuing miss Rhoden ran out in transition and finished over Dowtin. Seconds later Rhoden picked Dowtin up at halfcourt, picked his pocket, and broke for another layup. At this point he was up to 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 steals midway through the third quarter. That slow start? A distant and muddled memory.
But Delaware’s duo of former Raptors retook the lead. Patrick McCaw made a turnaround J in the lane and swiped a lazy DJ Jeffries pass for a runout. Dowtin got Rhoden back, poking the ball free and throwing down a transition hammer. McCaw, the three-time NBA Champion, up-faked Key and canned a corner 3, cherry picked a transition layup. Dowtin led Delaware with 27 points and McCaw had 21 to go along with four assists and four steals.
Down the stretch, Guerrier scored back-to-back to buckets, a wing 3 and a nice drop step and spin for a goaltended layup. The French-Canadian forward finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Rhoden was inexplicably left open at the top of the floor and stepped into his sixth 3 of the game to set a new career-high in points. But the Bluecoats just had more. Jarron Cumberland stuck some step-backs, McCaw took it to the hoop for a reverse, for free throws. With a little more than 3 minutes remaining Dowtin hit a 3 to extend the Bluecoats lead to 14; that was essentially the dagger.
After plenty of optimism and a first placed start, the rug was pulled out from underneath the 905 as they struggled to a 2-17 record the rest of the way. But after Jared Rhoden’s 40-point performance, he still has seven games of NBA eligibility remaining on his two-way contract this season. And the full 50 next season. In the end the 905 were both a disappointment and a success.
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