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Raptors reward OG Anunoby for his ability to fill any role – Sportsnet.ca

Published

4 years ago

December 21, 2020

Teams that win titles have superstars; NBA tradition would tell you.

But they also have players that are superstars in their roles, which is how Tristan Thompson used to characterize himself when he was doing the dirty work on behalf of LeBron James as the Cleveland Cavaliers advanced to four straight NBA Finals and won a championship in 2016.

Without the right kind of role player in the right positions, you aren’t winning anything either.

Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby probably won’t end up being a superstar — the kind of player that teams run their offences through and build their franchises around.

Stranger things have happened but the chances of the 23-year-old suddenly — or even gradually — more than doubling the sparse amount of time he spends with the ball in his hands seems unlikely, even if his skills are clearly progressing.

But that doesn’t make the news that Anunoby and the Raptors reached an agreement on a four-year extension — with a player option for the 2024-25 season — for $72 million any less significant than any of the other deals the team has reached with its key figures in recent years.

It might even end up being more important. He’s already a superstar in his role, the kind of player that can be plugged into any winning rotation in the league and make a positive — and often critical — impact.

At six-foot-eight and 230 pounds he’s proven to be a defensive unicorn — big and strong enough to credibly guard most NBA big men and nimble enough to discourage point guards. And in between, he has shown himself to be as formidable a defender against the league’s alphas that dominate the game from the wings.

No single player stops LeBron James or makes Kawhi Leonard disappear or holds down James Harden — it always takes a team approach.

But without someone that can do enough damage on the ball against the league’s most dangerous players, even the best-laid defensive schemes get blown up.

But what makes Anunoby special was that even while switching through every position on the floor he was still one of the league’s stingiest defenders in isolation situations — just him along against a ball-handler.

According to NBA player tracking data Anunoby ranked 12th in the league in points per possession given up as an isolation defender while holding opponents to just 27 per cent shooting, good for sixth in the NBA.

It’s the kind of play that all-defence team selections are based on.

The eye test is pretty revealing too, as the long-armed Anunoby increasingly showed signs of being able to bully teams defensively, such as when he made six and then seven steals in back-to-back games against Charlotte and Denver, the latter coming while posting a career-high 32 points.

Both outings came during an 11-game stretch before the restart when Anunoby averaged 13.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.5 steals a game while shooting 56.9 per cent from the floor and 44.7 per cent from deep. He then went 8-of-9 from the floor against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Raptors’ first game of the restart and provided one of the franchise’s all-time highlights with his catch-and-shoot game-winning triple to win Game 3 in the second-round against the Boston Celtics. Down 0-2 at the time, the Raptors were able to push Boston to a seventh game.

Did he think the shot was going in?

“I don’t shoot to miss,” he said, in his trademark less-is-more manner of speaking.

For all of those reasons Anunoby’s deal already can be described as team-friendly, particularly given some comparables.

The Detroit Pistons gave 26-year-old Jerami Grant $20 million a year as a free agent in the off-season and fellow class of 2017 draftees Jonathan Isaac got $80 million over four years in Orlando while the San Antonio Spurs rewarded Derrick White with a four-year deal for $73 million.

The Raptors wouldn’t trade Anunoby for any of them.

Not that it’s bad business for Anunoby. He missed most of his last college season at Indiana with an ACL tear and missed the Raptors championship run after complications from appendicitis in a year marred by the sudden passing of his father.

There is never a bad time to accept millions of guaranteed dollars and Anunoby can be a free agent at 27 years old when the league’s revenues will have (presumably) rebounded after the pandemic.

But the Raptors can look ahead confident that even if Anunoby provides two-way production mirroring what he did in his third season they’ll have a key role filled on a decent contract.

And they did it without significantly eating into the cap space they are determined to preserve for the summer of 2021 so they can add talent in free agency or by way of a trade. Anunoby’s cap hold was on the books for $11.6 million and the first year of his deal clocks in at $16.1 million meaning they only cost themselves about $4.5 million in cap space.

They should still be a player in the market, in other words.

Meanwhile, they can dream on Anunoby’s upside — both as a smarter and more experienced defender and as an offensive player who has shown flashes of being more than simply a catch-and-shoot option. If Anunoby makes progress on both ends the Raptors will have a steal of a deal and Anunoby will be setting himself up for an even bigger payday down the road.

The Raptors may not have the A-List superstar that drives championship teams, but in Anunoby they have the kind of role player that superstars can’t win without.

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Sports

Champions Trophy host Pakistan says it’s not been told India wants to play cricket games elsewhere

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.

“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”

Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.

The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.

Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.

“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”

Pakistan hosted last year’s Asia Cup but all India games were played in Sri Lanka under a hybrid model for the tournament. Only months later Pakistan did travel to India for the 50-over World Cup.

Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.

“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”

The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.

“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”

Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.

“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.

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AP cricket:

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Sports

Dabrowski, Routlife into WTA doubles final with win over Melichar-Martinez, Perez

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.

Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.

The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.

The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.

Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.

Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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Sports

Winger Tajon Buchanan back with Canada after recovering from broken leg

Published

1 day ago

November 8, 2024

Anne Joseph

Inter Milan winger Tajon Buchanan, recovered from a broken leg suffered in training at this summer’s Copa America, is back in Jesse Marsch’s Canada squad for the CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal against Suriname.

The 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., underwent surgery July 3 to repair a fractured tibia in Texas.

Canada, ranked 35th in the world, plays No. 136 Suriname on Nov. 15 in Paramaribo. The second leg of the aggregate series is four days later at Toronto’s BMO Field.

There is also a return for veteran winger Junior Hoilett, who last played for Canada in June in a 4-0 loss to the Netherlands in Marsch’s debut at the Canadian helm. The 34-year-old from Brampton, now with Scotland’s Hibernian, has 15 goals in 63 senior appearances for Canada.

Midfielder Ismael Kone, recovered from an ankle injury sustained on club duty with France’s Marseille, also returns. He missed Canada’s last three matches since the fourth-place Copa America loss to Uruguay in July.

But Canada will be without centre back Derek Cornelius, who exited Marseille’s win Sunday over Nantes on a stretcher after suffering an apparent rib injury.

The Canadian men will prepare for Suriname next week at a camp in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

“We are looking forward to getting the group together again with the mindset that there is a trophy on the line,” Marsch said in a statement. “We want to end 2024 the right way with two excellent performances against a competitive Suriname squad and continue building on our tremendous growth this past summer.”

The quarterfinal winners advance to the Nations League Finals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., with the two semifinals scheduled for March 20 and the final and third-place playoff March 23, and qualify for the 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Thirteen of the 23 players on the Canadian roster are 25 or younger, with 19-year-old defender Jamie Knight-Lebel, currently playing for England’s Crewe Alexandra on loan from Bristol City, the youngest.

Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies captains the side with Stephen Eustaquio, Jonathan Osorio, Richie Laryea, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller adding veteran support.

Jonathan David, Cyle Larin and Theo Bair are joined in attack by Minnesota United’s Tani Oluwaseyi.

Niko Sigur, a 21-year-old midfielder with Croatia’s Hadjuk Split, continues in the squad after making his debut in the September friendly against Mexico.

Suriname made it to the Nations League quarterfinals by finishing second to Costa Rica in Group A of the Nations League, ahead of No. 104 Guatemala, No. 161 Guyana and unranked Martinique and Guadeloupe.

“A good team,” Osorio said of Suriname. “These games are always tricky and they’re not easy at all … Suriname is a (former) Dutch colony and they’ll have Dutch players playing at high levels.”

“They won’t be someone we overlook at all,” added the Toronto FC captain, who has 81 Canada caps to his credit.

Located on the northeast coast of South America between Guyana and French Guiana, Suriname was granted independence in 1975 by the Netherlands.

Canada has faced Suriname twice before, both in World Cup qualifying play, winning 4-0 in suburban Chicago in June 2021 and 2-1 in Mexico City in October 1977.

The Canadian men, along with Mexico, the United States and Panama, received a bye into the final eight of the CONCACAF Nations League.

Canada, No. 2 in the CONCACAF rankings, drew Suriname as the best-placed runner-up from League A play.

Canada lost to Jamaica in last year’s Nations League quarterfinal, ousted on the away-goals rule after the series ended in a 4-4 draw. The Canadians lost 2-0 to the U.S. in the final of the 2022-23 tournament and finished fifth in 2019-20.

Canada defeated Panama 2-1 last time out, in an Oct. 15 friendly in Toronto.

Goalkeepers Maxime Crepeau and Jonathan Sirois, defenders Joel Waterman, Laryea and Miller and Osorio took part in a pre-camp this week in Toronto for North America-based players.

Canada Roster

Goalkeepers: Maxime Crepeau, Portland Timbers (MLS); Jonathan Sirois, CF Montreal (MLS); Dayne St. Clair, Minnesota United FC (MLS).

Defenders: Moise Bombito, OGC Nice (France); Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich (Germany); Richie Laryea, Toronto FC (MLS); Alistair Johnston, Celtic (Scotland); Jamie Knight-Lebel. Crewe Alexandra, on loan from Bristol City (England); Kamal Miller, Portland Timbers (MLS); Joel Waterman, CF Montreal (MLS).

Midfielders: Ali Ahmed. Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS); Tajon Buchanan, Inter Milan (Italy); Mathieu Choiniere, Grasshopper Zurich (Switzerland); Stephen Eustaquio, FC Porto (Portugal); Junior Hoilett, Hibernian FC (Scotland); Ismael Kone, Olympique Marseille (France); Jonathan Osorio, Toronto FC (MLS); Jacob Shaffelburg, Nashville SC (MLS); Niko Sigur, Hadjuk Split (Croatia).

Forwards: Theo Bair, AJ Auxerre (France); Jonathan David, LOSC Lille (France); Cyle Larin, RCD Mallorca (Spain); Tani Oluwaseyi, Minnesota United (MLS).

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.

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