Getting quality minutes from unlikely source
On Wednesday, the Toronto Raptors failed to hang on to their narrow lead going into Q4, and lost to the Brooklyn Nets by a 106-102 count. Given how threadbare the roster was, again, this result was respectable, or a bit better than that. Gradey Dick buried 6 long balls on his way to 24 points. Yes, he missed his last try at the buzzer, but he was given the opportunity. The young man is a keeper. As a lottery pick in the 2023 draft, he was expected to be.
Anyway, the fellow I want to zero in on is Javon Freeman-Liberty, who wasn’t drafted at all. JFL has been promoted to a rest-of-season and next-year deal with the big team after being a successful addition to the 905. His hit on the salary cap is minimal, which is important to my assessment of him. So is his age; he’ll turn 25 as next season opens.
While the Raptors aren’t in salary cap hell (can you imagine being the Nets, who pay Ben Simmons over $50 million a season to watch most of their games in street clothes?), Toronto management does need to be financially careful as they rebuild. Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster know they are going to have to open the wallet to entice the return of Immanuel Quickley. FWIW, I’m sold on IQ as the starting point guard – he’s not Kyle Lowry, the GROAT, but who is? – though he won’t come cheap. Therefore, an inexpensive backup like JFL would be most welcome. But can he handle the gig?
Let’s consider what I like and don’t about JFL, positives first. He’s an athlete; he’s able to dribble at top speed. He doesn’t turn over the ball, with 2 in his last 4 games. While his early attempts at distance shooting were dreadful, he’s improved greatly, hitting 6 for 12 in his last 5 games.
On the down side, he’s averaged 1.6 assists PG. That’s an unacceptable number. His defense is a work in progress. JFL is smallish by today’s standards, so will need to improve his ‘handsy’ numbers (steals, deflections, blocks…just kidding on that one) defensively. He certainly has the wheels to stay in front of his man. Can he read the play like Lowry, and draw charges? That would help greatly.
Next on the agenda
As we know, the Raptors have been auditioning a string of young players ever since they fell out of the playoff race. JFL has established himself as a serious contender for next season’s roster as a cheap backup at either guard position. I’d put him ahead of Ochai Agbaji [this guy drives me up a wall…as if his inability to finish bunnies isn’t bad enough, how can you receive a 3-second defensive violation when there’s no opponent in the key? Step out, step back in, reset the timer – c’mon, man. It’s hard to forgive mental mistakes.] at the moment.
Hopefully JFL won’t grumble about being too old for Summer League, and enjoy a positive experience. He must improve his playmaking and D, while refining his high-arcing (love it!) jump shot into a reliable weapon. Should he do so, JFL will make our team next season, even with an influx of rookies from the Raptors’ wealth of draft picks.
