RSS Raptors Team Notes

[Toronto Raptors]

Raptors on Film: Tracking the captivating Ulrich Chomche

Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images

The Toronto Raptors’ youngest player has an enticing ceiling and a developmental path worth taking note of.

The NBA’s annual Summer League in Las Vegas isn’t always about the fun overreactions on social media.

Somewhere in these games are compelling stories that foreshadow the future of basketball.

Several players stood out in the Toronto Raptors’ 116-72 win over the Chicago Bulls. But Raptors centre Ulrich Chomche might demand further attention, especially with the team’s lack of length beyond Jakob Poeltl.

Chomche finished with nine points, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks in 19 minutes off the bench.

Let’s take a look at what the Raptors teenager did on opening night.

Defence​

As inexperienced as Chomche is, he’s always drawn interest from scouts due to his defensive potential. Chomche was visibly slow to track action last season. And while he still has a long way to go, there’s evidence of his improved processing speed.

In the first clip, Chomche switches onto the ball after it is inbounded. With Jonathan Mogbo’s help, Chomche hands off his man and switches into the pick-and-roll (PnR) action. He’s athletic enough to back peddle into drop coverage and has the reflexes to steal the bounce pass.

A similar switch happens in the second play, and Chomche shows off his hand-eye coordination. It’s a great display of his athleticism and balance, especially at six-foot-11.

Designed sets​

Mapping out play calls and sets during Summer League can be an adventure. It’s difficult to decipher what was properly executed or intentionally designed. But it’s worth highlighting two similar-looking sets that involved Chomche.

The first clip is designed to get A.J. Lawson the ball but it begins with a Jamison Battle ghost screen followed by a “half” ghost screen by Chomche. Lawson follows up with one of his own before getting the ball in motion on the right wing. Chomche looks like he’s about to set an off-ball pin down screen for Battle before pivoting into a right-wing PnR. With Lawson already going downhill, the Bulls have no choice but to respect the drive, which opens up a small window for Chomche to get the pass.

In the second clip, there’s a similar 1.5 ghost set-up but the Raptors don’t have an empty side to execute it. Instead, they run it to the bunched area with Ja’Kobe Walter and Lawson. The Bulls defence prepares for an off-ball screen with either Lawson or Alijah Martin. Instead, the Raptors use it as misdirection, Walter sneaks into the play and goes into a PnR with Jamal Shead. Shead rejects the screen, penetrates and dumps it off to Chomche for an easy bucket.

Room for growth​

Although Chomche is more involved this summer, he has plenty of room to improve. There are instances where it takes him a few seconds too long to assess what’s happening around him, especially when defences throw curveball adjustments.

A budding skill set​

Chomche is only one year and nine days older than this year’s No.1-pick Cooper Flagg, and just seven months older than the top centre prospect Khaman Maluach. His developmental path will be long and winding, but it’s encouraging to see the Raptors give him more responsibilities.

In the first clip, Chomche is the designated trigger man for the backdoor Walter cut. And in the second highlight, Chomche is put in a fun 45 PnR with bruiser Mogbo. The second-year Cameroonian has an inherent ability to make plays that most others can’t due to his measurements. It’ll be up to Chomche to string those moments together consistently.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/2025/7/12/24466213/raptors-on-film-tracking-the-captivating-ulrich-chomche

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Toronto Raptors dominate in first Summer League matchup

Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images

The sophomores Shead, Mogbo, Battle, and Walter all stepped up to help create an insurmountable lead in the Raptors’ first game in Las Vegas

Stepping onto the court in Las Vegas for the first time in this year’s Summer League, the Raptors came to dominate. By the time the buzzer sounded, their advantage was 116-72. They put the Bulls away easily, showing aggression, energy and a sense of togetherness that will be fun to watch over the next week, and undoubtedly into next season.

Often the fact that some of the youngest players in the league are setting foot on the court means mistakes, throwaways, and airballs. The Raptors showed poise tonight despite their youth, largely due to the play of their sophomores. Both teams had a strong presence of prior NBA experience that helped right the ship, but it was Toronto’s who had a bigger impact.

.@UlrichChomche14 IN TRANSITION pic.twitter.com/pOFHhQdPFr

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 12, 2025​

For Chicago, their first round pick from last year, Matas Buzelis found ways to score and steady some of the play on the court. Two-way player Yuki Kawamura also played substantial minutes, playing tough defence and helping facilitate. Their strongest performer was former Raptor Javon Freeman-Liberty, who finished with 21 points to lead the bulls in scoring.

For the Raptors, last year’s rookies played phenomenally. Each one played to their strengths and showed off-season growth that is promising for next year. AJ Lawson, a player with almost 60 games of NBA experience is one of the most mature players here in Summer League, but seems to have no issue. His energy was tone-setting for the team, and allowed him to rack up 22 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals in only 20 minutes.

AJ is on FIRE

Leads all scorers with 21 points pic.twitter.com/g444XPimJP

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 12, 2025​

While this game highlighted some of the sophomore players, the rookies weren’t on display as much. Chicago’s draft picks Noa Essengue and Lachlan Olbrich both struggled, scoring a combined 7 points. For Raptors fans, the disappointing scratch of Collin Murray-Boyles just before the game meant a delay in watching his debut, but second-rounder Alijah Martin played solid defence and scored 16 points. The highlight of the night for him was this poster that left an excellent first impression:

ALIJAH MARTIN ON YOUR HEADTOP https://t.co/thI5fgvhTL pic.twitter.com/EpUSWNMFHp

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 12, 2025​

Overall, it was a dominant game by the Raptors from start to finish and by virtually every measure. More rebounds, steals, assists, 3-pointers, and so on. About halfway through the final quarter, it was bench-clearing time, and the Raptors were able to find minutes for everyone available tonight. So, other than the fact that owned the Bulls tonight, we have three main takeaways from this game:

• Defence first. The aggression and effort on that end of the floor was stifling. The Bulls undoubtedly felt it from the opening tip to the final buzzer. Shead, Martin, Lawson, and Hepburn all stood out, but everyone who checked into the game matched that energy. The defensive plays seemed to draw almost more applause from the bench and crowd, with a charge drawn, a steal, or an 8-second call generating a ton of noise from the crowd. This is going to be a big part of their identity moving forward, and if they can get this level of buy-in night in and night out, it will certainly elevate the Raptors’ season.

"Does everyone on the Raptors pick up full court?"

yessir we certainly do

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 12, 2025​

• Last years’ rookies have all made massive leaps. Jamal Shead’s passing and defensive edge haven’t gone anywhere, now paired with his confidence and improved decision making that come with another year. Jonathan Mogbo demonstrated some genuinely remarkable court vision, showing potential for more triple-doubles in his future. Battle’s shooting continues, but he also made some excellent plays around the rim and has seemingly improved defensively as well. Ja’Kobe’s physical growth allowed him to improve finishing, and he made it evident early on, scoring from all over the floor.

MOGBO DOWN THERE SOMEWHERE pic.twitter.com/ydR04wO8YR

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 12, 2025​

• Alijah Martin is probably already a fan favourite. For the first few moments of the game, it was mostly a defensive effort, but his dunk elicited even more energy from him. It’s hard not to put too much into a single Summer League game, but he stuffed the stat sheet, adding 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals alongside his 16 points. He also boasted the highest plus/minus of the game at +36. His age and maturity increase the probability that this isn’t a one-off performance. He’s going to be one to watch for the rest of Summer League for sure.

… if this happened. pic.twitter.com/YJ6z1UPMnw

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 12, 2025​

The next challenge the Raptors will face will be on Sunday, July 13 at 6:00 PM where they matchup against the Orlando Magic.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/2025/7/11/24466153/toronto-raptors-dominate-in-first-summer-league-matchup

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Raptors hold out to win second Summer League matchup

Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images

The debut of Collin Murray-Boyles didn’t disappoint as he joins the Raptors’ suffocating defence to deliver a victory

The Toronto Raptors continue to roll through Summer League with another win, this time dispatching the Orlando Magic 89-86. For the second time in a row, their defensive pressure won them the game, combined with strong scoring performances from A.J. Lawson, Ja’Kobe Walter, Jamal Shead, Jonathan Mogbo, and Ulrich Chomche who all scored in double figures. Orlando put up a fight, but ultimately they weren’t able to overcome Toronto’s aggression.

WE ALWAYS TURNING DEFENCE INTO OFFENCE https://t.co/U5Hk8dIoOw pic.twitter.com/rKi0TfpsWH

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 13, 2025​

Despite being down early, the Raptors were able to work their way back into contention and then build a lead, one play after another. Each possession was fought for and earned, with bodies flying across the floor in an effort to get the ball. Orlando struggled to find an answer. Their offence looked disjointed, leading to turnovers, scoring droughts, and a visible frustration.

D-WHAT, DEFENCE pic.twitter.com/d6htkUQgyF

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 13, 2025​

Although they fall to 0-2 with this loss, the Magic had strong performances from a number of their players. Jase Richardson, their first round pick, finished with 19-2-4 and 2 blocks. He showed a lot of versatility and strength, and will undoubtedly find a role within Orlando’s organization. Noah Penda, a second round pick that the Magic traded up for also had a solid performance, especially on the boards. He ended with 9 points, 14 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and a block. Wendell Moore Jr. and Tristan Da Silva also had a solid game, but boast previous NBA experience.

Toronto will keep their Summer League playoff dreams alive, especially with their ability to navigate a tight game where every point matters. Defence is obviously important, but needing to score in late game situations has been a struggle for Toronto over the last couple years and it was nice to see the young guys hold out for the win.

#9 pick Collin Murray-Boyles is making PLAYS on both ends for the @Raptors #NBA2KSummerLeague on ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/fuJ5qhYC07

— NBA (@NBA) July 13, 2025​

While there was plenty of solid takeaways from this game, there’s three major ones we get from this one:

• Defence is everything to this team. I’ve said it before, but it’s impossible to undersell the importance of engagement, especially from the bench. Lockdown defence had everyone on their feet and cheering. The buy-in from the players on the floor as a result was palpable. It created so many extra opportunities and drove their offence, as Orlando committed 29 turnovers. Toronto was able to capitalize and score in transition as a result. In a game that was determined by a single possession, those extra opportunities were crucial for the Raptors.

There's no such thing as a 50/50 ball vs us pic.twitter.com/CccEVNkugw

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 13, 2025​

• Ja’Kobe’s ceiling seems to be getting even higher. His rookie year was shortened due to injury so we weren’t able to get a full picture of his abilities during the season, but his midrange game and 3-point shooting were the first hints. Already he’s shown comfort attacking closeouts and taking the ball to the rim. He’s said to have gained 12 pounds of muscle in the offseason already, and that seems to have helped him with both of those things. What hasn’t changed is his willingness to take tough shots, even at the buzzer. Late in the game he showed a lot of grit defensively and then the certainty in his scoring ability to take shots. While it was a team effort, it’s hard not to feel like he kept them in this game. His confidence and diversified skill set on offence is going to be crucial for the Raptors moving forward.

Ja'Kobe knows a thing or two about buzzer beaters vs. Orlando pic.twitter.com/zHPHES9dbM

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 13, 2025​

• Collin Murray-Boyles finally made his debut and it didn’t disappoint. It’s tough not to have really high expectations, especially for a lottery pick, but overall he put together a solid performance. Yes, there were mistakes. He struggled with turnovers, committing 5, but made up for it with a big block, 3 steals, 8 points, and 7 rebounds. He showed a lot of activity off the ball, moving to get open and create space. He is big, physical, and strong, and fits the defensive mold of Toronto. He has fast hands and is fearless at that end of the floor. Already he seems to be exactly what the Raptors were looking for.

YEEEAH ROOK THAT'S WHAT HE DOES @boyles_murray pic.twitter.com/yQoj2FW9f5

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 13, 2025​

The Raptors will try to keep the winning streak going as they face the Denver Nuggets at 8pm ET on Tuesday, July 15.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/2025/7/13/24467195/raptors-hold-out-to-win-second-summer-league-matchup

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Raptors on Film: Marking Collin Murray-Boyles’ origin story

Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images

The rookie forward had an up-and-down debut, but it was a fun glimpse into what he can contribute this season.

The Toronto Raptors struggled to find themselves last season.

That much was obvious after the team utilized 39 different starting lineups, a franchise record.

This year’s Summer League Raptors know who they are. A defence-first team that morphs the court’s dimensions and compresses passing lanes, a philosophy that harkens back to the mentality of the beloved 2019 championship roster.

Collin Murray-Boyles was finally added to that mix and made his debut in the Raptors’ 89-86 win over the Orlando Magic.

Let’s take a closer look at the rookie’s debut and where he left an impression.

Full court pressure​

Although the game occasionally felt sped up for Murray-Boyles, he still found ways to impact the final result. The No.9-overall pick looked most comfortable when he didn’t have to overthink, like when he was asked to pressure 2025 second-rounder Noah Penda.

Penda, 20, was praised by scouts for his handle at six-foot-six. But the French forward was visibly uncomfortable with Murray-Bolyes’ relentless ball-pressure. The first clip potentially highlights what the Raptors’ front office envisioned: a labyrinth of defenders that makes switch-hunting nearly impossible.

Cleaning the glass​

Murray-Boyles finished with a game-high five offensive rebounds. It was an encouraging sign to those who questioned his undersized stature.

The first clip captures what Murray-Boyles means as a connector. He assists with the press-break and the launches himself at the offensive rebound. Before Murray-Boyles fully lands, he throws a pass to Jamison Battle. Even though it doesn’t result in a clean look, it demonstrates his active vision.

Murray-Boyles can carve out an early reputation for creating advantages in scenarios that opposing teams choose to live with. For example, in the second clip, the Magic hide rookie Jase Richardson after the Raptors get him switched onto Jonathan Mogbo. Penda points him to Murray-Boyles’ corner, something that could happen often as teams pre-plan for the drive-and-kick, banking on the Raptors youngster to miss from deep. When teams hide smaller players or try to give star guards a breather on defence, Murray-Boyles must make them pay on the glass like he does against the Magic.

Designing a playbook​

Early signs indicate that this year’s Raptors may experiment more with 45 pick-and-rolls (PnR), which feature the power forward and centre in the action. The first two clips showcase Mogbo as the ball handler and Murray-Boyles as the screener. It’s an optimal way to keep the team’s shooters off-ball, and maximizes the Raptors’ playmaking at the four and five positions.

Like Scottie Barnes, Brandon Ingram, and Mogbo, Murray-Boyles can also take off after grabbing rebounds, creating mismatches against a disorganized defence.

Room for improvement​

Murray-Boyles also finished with a team-worst five turnovers. His ability to take care of possessions will affect his playing time. The Raptors’ rookie also badly missed both of his three-point attempts.

Defence wins championships​

Even if the jumper doesn’t materialize in a meaningful way this season, Murray-Boyles can help the Raptors return to the playoffs with his defence. Murray-Boyles has an uncanny ability to snare passes at point-blank range, even when he’s simultaneously defending two players like in the first clip.

Fans will also enjoy how engaged he is off-ball. Between Barnes, Mogbo and Murray-Boyles, the Raptors can deploy a free safety for all 48 minutes.

One thing to keep track of during Murray-Boyles’ rookie season will be how he holds up against smaller players. The Raptors still don’t have a proper point-of-attack perimeter defender, and Murray-Boyles may not fit that archetype.

Interior defence​

The Raptors’ interior defence is flimsy past Jakob Poeltl. Any injury to Poeltl has often meant disaster for the Raptors in past seasons. In the first clip, Murray-Boyles shows fans where those Draymond Green comparisons originate from. He understands how to leverage his lower centre-of-gravity against post-scorers, negating his shorter wingspan and weaker standstill vertical.

Murray-Boyles shines off-ball as a weak side defender and is explosive when he gets a small running start.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/2025/7/15...ilm-marking-collin-murray-boyles-origin-story

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Raptors’ late game execution leads to third straight Summer League win

Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

Toronto remains in the running for the championship as they pull off another victory, with Ja’Kobe Walter and Jamal Shead at the helm

The Toronto Raptors stepped on the court for their third Summer League contest, this time facing the Denver Nuggets. Despite a slow start, a myriad of fouls, and a chippy they emerged with their third straight win, 101-97.

ULRICH BLOCK CMB SLAM pic.twitter.com/H5bgjw4dib

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 16, 2025​

Initially, this felt like the most challenging game for this squad so far. The whistle didn’t go their way and visible frustration was written all over the Raptors’ faces after some of the calls. In the first half, Denver got 18 free throws to Toronto’s 5. The discrepancy was largely due to the aggression of the Raptors’ defence, but the frequency of the whistle discouraged a lot of what has been working for them so far in Summer League.

Off balance and unable to do what they excel at, they started to make mistakes on the offensive end as well, taking ill-advised shots and stalling instead of making the right pass.

Basketball is a game of adjustments though, and coming out of the locker room that’s exactly what Toronto did. Their defensive effort, now more disciplined, allowed them to go on a 19-0 scoring run, building a comfortable lead. Their ability to force turnovers and get out and run in transition wreaked havoc for Denver. The whole tone of the game had changed.

JA'KOBE WITH THE STEAL & SLAM pic.twitter.com/PHUY0USpQ7

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 16, 2025​

A significant shift in momentum to start the fourth quarter was the final challenge for this Summer League squad, but they took that in stride as well, sticking to their game plan and maintaining their lead until the final buzzer.

Denver falls to 0-3 in Vegas, but had strong 3-point shooting in the first half, especially from Boo Buie III. In the final minutes it picked up again, with their corner 3-point shooting getting them back into the game. Overall, Curtis Jones was their best performer, who made a variety of tough and well-timed shots. He finished with 20 points and 7 rebounds. Spencer Jones and Tamar Bates also chipped in, with 13 and 14 respectively.

Toronto had excellent performances from almost everyone who checked into the game. Ja’Kobe Walter had another phenomenal offensive performance, leading all scorers with 26 points. His mix of long range, pull-up, and at-the-rim shots exhibited his developing abilities as a three-level scorer. He also had 7 steals in this game, a component of his solid defensive performance as well. Late in the game he also was able to make solid shots, being a big part of the victory tonight. Rookie Collin Murray-Boyles finished with 10 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. A.J. Lawson also had an excellent birthday performance, with 19 points and 7 rebounds.

JA'KOBE WALTER NOW HAS 18 PTS

THE RAPTORS ARE ON A 19-0 RUN ON ESPN3 pic.twitter.com/X6d29FqBsG

— NBA (@NBA) July 16, 2025​

While there is a silver lining for every player and the team’s performance as a whole, I’ve narrowed it down to three major ones:

• Jamal Shead’s basketball IQ and ability to facilitate were on full display in his minutes tonight. He struggled to score on his own in the first half, especially from long range, but was able to get everyone else their shots with some extremely well timed passes. The way he was able to navigate pick-and-roll situations was also encouraging, especially as his floater game continues to develop. In the second half, his scoring opened up, dropping 16 points tonight to go with his 8 assists. His defence was just as important, and it was nice to hear rookie Chucky Hepburn shout him out during a timeout for his mentorship. Shead’s ability to defend on all levels should easily become tone-setting for the team. Steals, deflections, forced turnovers, drawn fouls, and just his presence at times changes the tone of the game. Denver certainly felt his presence, as his plus/minus for this game was +11.

YEAHHH JAMAL pic.twitter.com/HCv22OhRJj

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) July 16, 2025​

• While their defence has been the biggest talking point of Summer League so far, just as vital to their game has been their effort. Any 50-50 or loose ball leads to bodies flying, quick hands, and an unwillingness to be denied the ball. Darko joined the broadcast, speaking of the character of the team that Toronto is constructing. He talked about how connected they are and their desire to win. Effort is an important part of that and to see this from the rookies can help set the blueprint for the rest of the team. No possession is lost, no clock is too late to heave a shot and hit (yet another) buzzer beater.

JAMISON BATTLE WITH THE 3Q BUZZER BEATER pic.twitter.com/xlGcGO1iUe

— NBA (@NBA) July 16, 2025​

• The late-game scoring struggles and decision making errors have been a plague for the Raptors over the last couple of years. As the year went on, they made improvements, but for a young team it’s such a challenge to execute under the high-stress conditions of the final minutes of a close game. Now, in back-to-back games this has been the situation for the Raptors youngest players, and yet they have risen to the challenge. There were still missed free-throws, unfortunate fouls, and defensive miscommunications, but they persevered, and they held onto the lead.

The fourth and final prescheduled game for the Raptors in Summer League will be Thursday, July 17 at 10pm ET on Sportsnet. Tune in to see if they can remain undefeated and play for a spot in the Summer League Championship.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/2025/7/15...ion-leads-to-third-straight-summer-league-win

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Bobby Webster named Head of Basketball Operations

After 52 days of searching and speculation, the Toronto Raptors have ultimately landed back where they started. General Manager, Bobby Webster, will succeed the recently dismissed, Masai Ujiri, as Head of Basketball Operations for the Toronto Raptors.

ESPN story on the Toronto Raptors landing on GM Bobby Webster as the franchise’s new head of basketball operations, succeeding Masai Ujiri: https://t.co/t8a1woiKIB

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 18, 2025

Webster will maintain his current title of General Manager, while assuming full team leadership responsibility, as per Raptors PR.

“I’m grateful to Keith (Pelley, MLSE President and CEO), to the board, and to our ownership for this opportunity — the chance to continue the work that I love, for a team, a city, and country that’s become home,” said Webster. “The things that are important to me — a deep love for basketball, thoughtful and empowering leadership, and a competitive fire — are the pillars of who I am as a leader. That’s what you’ll see from me every day. This is a new chapter in Raptors basketball, but one thing that will not change is our passion for winning, and our goal to bring another championship to Toronto.”

Ujiri was dismissed on June 27th, after 12 seasons leading basketball operations for the Toronto Raptors. The front office enlisted CAA Executive Search to help with finding Masai’s successor. While many names were floated around — Dwane Casey, Bob Myers, Marc Eversley, and Kevin Pritchard to name a few — MLSE chose who many Raptors fans believed was the right choice all along.

“Going through this comprehensive process this summer and meeting with external candidates played a critical role in arriving at this decision as it made clear that we already have the right person leading the Raptors in-house. When we weighed the many considerations, including roster construction, team culture and competitive landscape, it made perfect sense to officially hand the team to Bobby and give him the time and support to allow his plan to develop.” said Pelley. “After spending time together this summer in Las Vegas, I was very impressed by Bobby’s leadership style, his rapport with the players and staff, his reputation with his peers across the league and — especially and importantly — his vision for the Raptors. This team is his, now, to lead and I know we all look forward to what comes next.”

Webster has been with the Raptors since 2013, working his way up from VP of Strategy to Assistant GM, to his current title. At 40 years of age, and with a newly signed contract extension as a product of this move, Bobby has the runway and organizational support to lead the Raptors into the next era of competitive basketball.

The final years of Ujiri’s tenure — one playoff appearance over five seasons — will never diminish the run of excellence, which included the 2019 championship, that defined Masai’s legacy.

Bobby Webster on a conference all with the Toronto media: "There’s 30 of these jobs in the NBA but, to me, this is 1 of 1… There’s not a more unique basketball job in the world… I grew up playing basketball as a small kid and to have it lead all the way here is unbelievable"

— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) August 18, 2025

Toronto will enter the 2025-26 season with a starting lineup that boasts 2 All-Stars (Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes), a top-10 Center (Jakob Poeltl), and 2 young guards entering their prime (Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett). The bench is stocked with young, rising stars who have built a reputation as a feisty, defensive group, and fresh off a dominant Summer League run.

Webster’s challenge will be returning this team to the hallowed grounds that defined his predecessor’s tenure — sustained regular season success, yearly playoff trips, and, eventually, another championship!

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-news/47726/bobby-webster-named-head-of-basketball-operations

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Does “No Dogs” in Toronto still ring true?

The Toronto Raptors have had a long history of facing star guards in big moments for the team. Whether that was Allen Iverson in the 2001 Eastern Conference Semi’s or Steph Curry in the 2019 Finals, Toronto has had its fair share of contending with dangerous backcourts. Yet, in the past five years, one of the most notable guard confrontations with the Raptors did not take place on the basketball court: rather, on the podcasting circuit.

Patrick Beverly, the defensive specialist who most recently played for the Israeli team Hapoel Tel Aviv, had a viral moment in 2023, drawing attention with his claim that the Raptors had “no dogs” on their team, specifically referring to a lack of fear he felt about Pascal Siakam or OG Anunoby.

Are there no dogs in the ? pic.twitter.com/sB9r2TBW0h

— Pat Bev Pod (@PatBevPod) October 23, 2023

He would go on to reiterate this point after his then-team, the Philadelphia 76ers, defeated the Raptors on October 28th, 2023, where Beverly put up two points. However, the state of the league is almost two years removed from that incident, and almost everything about the situation of all parties involved has changed. So, with the value of hindsight, an examination of the current state of affairs is in order to determine the validity of such a statement in 2025.

In the months that followed the comments, the two maligned Raptors, Siakam and Anunoby, would leave Toronto, traded respectively to the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks, while Beverly would join the Milwaukee Bucks the next year for his final season of NBA basketball before leaving to play overseas. In the time since then, Siakam became the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals MVP while helping lead the Pacers to the Finals, holding out for 7 games against eventual champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Anunoby has reached similar heights this year, helping guide the New York Knicks to their first Eastern Conference Finals since 2000, where he and the Knicks would eventually fall to Siakam and the Pacers.

Beverly would meanwhile average 9.4 points and 3.1 rebounds in Israel before leaving his Tel Aviv club to resume status as a free agent. He is currently not signed to an NBA roster.

---

Trying to define what a “dog” is in the world of basketball cannot be done by any one metric. Does being a dog playing gritty defence? Does it mean having a dangerous personality, one that you’d hate to cross paths with on the basketball court, or in that metaphorical dark alley? Does it mean putting up great numbers, or having the killer mentality so many superstars are famed for?

Well, if you consider all of those things together, and consider Anunoby having put up his highest points per game in New York while grabbing a steal and a half, alongside Siakam becoming an All-Star and an NBA finalist this year, you’d be hard pressed to find a “dogish” quality that they don’t have, other than the nasty personalities.

But yet, the question remains: do the Raptors currently have any dogs on their roster? This season will be the real test of that. The Raptors went on to miss the playoffs with an injury-riddled roster in 2024-25, winning 30 games in their first full season without Siakam and Anunoby. However, going into the 2025-26 season, having bolstered their roster with former Most Improved Player Brandon Ingram, and entering the pre-season with a largely healthy roster, this year will be the real test to see if the Raptors, as currently constructed, have a chance to make noise in the Eastern Conference.

The notion that the Raptors did not have any “dogs” on their team in 2023 has been thoroughly disproven by the success of those former Raptors in this year’s playoffs, but the nature of this coming year’s team is still yet to be determined on the hardwood. Meanwhile, Patrick Beverly’s time apart from professional basketball may allow for him to turn either to introspection (or his podcast) to further deliberate on what it means to be a dog in the NBA. Perhaps the examples of Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby may prove good cases to study.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/2025/7/31...roster-2025-barnes-barrett-ingram-dick-poeltl

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Raptors on Film: Analyzing what makes Brandon Ingram an underrated passer

When the Toronto Raptors traded for Brandon Ingram last season, it was clear the team missed the ‘break-glass-in-case-of-emergency’ type of skillset that defences fear.

DeMar DeRozan supercharged an unexpected We The North movement with his dizzying array of counters. Pascal Siakam blossomed into a mismatch nightmare during his last five years in Toronto. Kawhi Leonard showed fans what it looked like in all its perfection before he bolted for Los Angeles. Brandon Ingram is cut from a similar cloth. The six-foot-eight forward is gifted when it comes to shot creation.

There’s something else there that deserves attention. The Raptors, as mentioned earlier, had it too, and that’s Ingram’s passing ability. Since entering the league in 2016, Ingram has steadily improved as a facilitator. Over the last four seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans, Ingram averaged 5.6 assists per game. As his game matured, Ingram figured out how to weaponize his shot-creation to open up passing lanes. The advanced numbers show it, too.

Assist percentage measures the percentage of a player’s teammates’ made shots that the player assisted on. Assist-to-usage ratio details how often a player recorded an assist, given how frequently he has the ball.

Ingram finished around the 97th percentile in assist percentage and comfortably in the top quartile for assist-to-usage ratio for all forwards in his final four seasons with the Pelicans.

Here’s a closer look at how Ingram dissects opposing defenders.

Midrange double teams​

For all the questions that surround this year’s team, the one certainty may be Ingram’s astonishing midrange bag. Defences have graduated past the ‘hope he misses’ approach and occasionally send a second pair of arms to deter Ingram. The iteration of Ingram that the Raptors are getting understands where the soft spots are in the help coverage. He’s also demonstrated an ability to dissect double teams from this crowded area without four shooters on the court, something that bodes well for this Raptors team.

Pick-and-roll​

Ingram’s otherworldly combination of scoring ability and length makes him an exhausting cover in the pick-and-roll. He’s a maestro with the ball in his hands, and it pops on film with his creative bounce passes that always seem to be in rhythm. Like Scottie Barnes, he can also make passes that others can’t because of his wingspan and height. Ingram is more of a perimeter threat than Barnes, and defences appropriately blitz him hard, which is when his length truly comes into play.

A feature-length film​

There’s an exhaustive list of players with wingspans that front offices covet. But only a handful of those players have the vision to pair it up with. Ingram has an extensive portfolio of dimes that make fans wonder if he’s viewing the game through an ‘eye-in-the-sky’ 2K-type of camera. Even when Ingram leaves his feet – by choice or unintentionally – he’s still able to throw strikes from angles that shouldn’t be possible.

Break starter​

Ingram is a fairly active weak-side defender and rebounder, which subsequently puts him in a position to ignite fast breaks. The film above is reminiscent of Barnes and Pascal Siakam teaming up for easy points in transition. When defences stifle the initial look in transition, Ingram’s ability to score from anywhere on the court eventually reveals secondary windows.

One skip away​

Defenders respect Ingram’s scoring prowess off the dribble. Teams often ask their bigs to meet Ingram at near screen-depth, and have an off-ball defender tag the roller. This leaves the weak side corner susceptible to open looks. Ingram is an expert at getting the ball to the corner shooter with accuracy and velocity. We know Ochai Agbaji is elite in the corner role. Gradey Dick is above average when he’s confident. But can RJ Barrett and Scottie Barnes – when he’s not in the screen action – be efficient in this spot, with the expectation that they’ll be on the court during crunch time with Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl?

Reviving dead-ball scenarios​

Like many of the midrange greats, Ingram enjoys a good pump fake or two, but sometimes it leaves him stuck on an island. But even when Ingram picks up his dribble or jumps in the air, he’s still very much a problem for defences.

Five-out​

It won’t be common this season, but there will be opportunities for the Raptors to showcase Ingram’s passing in five-out lineups. A unit that includes Quickly, Agbaji, Dick, and Mamukelashvili would be a fun group that unlocks additional spacing for Ingram, especially when Barnes and Barrett need a breather.

Set up shop​

Ingram also enjoys operating out of the corner where opposing defences must cope with limited coverage options. Ingram still has access to his arsenal of midrange counters, but defences can only do so much when a clear-out cut is used or a screener gets involved.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/2025/8/1/...ysis-brandon-ingram-passing-assists-playmaker

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Welcome to the new Raptors HQ: A fresh look, fewer ads and a new feature

Things will look a little different around here today.

A few weeks ago we told you something new was coming to Raptors HQ and today it’s here. Things are cleaner, faster and easier to use. There are the same writers, coverage, comments, and community you’ve come to rely on, now with less clutter and clunkiness.

Let’s dive in. If you scroll down the page on your phone or computer, it’s smoother. You’ll notice that the most talked-about stories have a bigger font displaying the number of comments. You’ll also see a section called Active Conversations to point you to the busiest conversations right now.

But there’s two changes we’re most excited to tell you about:

Fewer ads for logged-in users​

Our loyal readers and commenters are the heartbeat of our communities, and with this new design we’re excited to offer them fewer ads when they’re logged in. Specifically:

• Video players will no longer chase you down the page. Just scroll past one and it will be gone.
• Full page pop-ups that would sometimes interrupt your commenting experience have been disabled.

You can log in or sign up here and check it out.

A new feature by the community, for the community: The Feed​

Today we’re launching a brand new space for you to come together. The Feed is a running stream of posts and updates from you, the community, mixed in with links and updates from the team and our staff. Think of it as our community’s group text where you can easily grab your phone and share a link to a story, post a question or write your own post on the day’s news.

You can find it in two places:

• On the homepage, adjacent to the top stories. Community participation is core to who we are, so we want it right on the front page to share your stuff.
• A devoted homepage for The Feed where you can see the full stream of posts coming in from the community. You might want to bookmark that.

Log in or sign up here and you can start posting on The Feed and seeing fewer ads immediately.

Today’s launch is a big deal for our community, and it’s also a kickoff of broader efforts to build around the community we have here. Soon you’ll get alerts when someone replies to your comment or your post on The Feed, with more to come thereafter. We want to put the community in the driver’s seat, so let us know what you want in the comments below or in The Feed.

If you want to dig into more of this updated experience, head over to this post on sbnation.com from SB Nation’s Head of Product Ed Clinton, where he expands on the changes in our ads and design. Ed will be responding to questions in the comments. If you have any questions about how to log in to our new system, check out this article from last week.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-n...s-hq-a-fresh-look-fewer-ads-and-a-new-feature

 

[Toronto Raptors]

The Toronto Raptors officially enter a new era

*tap* *tap* Is this thing on? It’s been a while! Apologies for that, our entire network just migrated to a new writing software. You may be able to tell by our makeover

Welcome to the new but also same Raptors HQ. Thanks for being patient with us as our team figures out this new system, but by the time we get rolling with preseason, we should be smooth sailing. I hope our new features, such as The Feed, help connect all of us for fun conversations about the Toronto Raptors.

So, what have we missed during the dark 48 hours the technology forces were switching our website? Probably the biggest news was that Chris Boucher signed with the Boston Celtics, leaving Toronto. With his departure, the Toronto Raptors no longer have a single piece from their 2019 Championship Team, and the longest tenured player is Scottie Barnes. Pretty wild. It’s a new era (officially) for the Raptors, just like it is for us!

Other than that, the summer has been pretty quiet. The Raptors have made a few transactions, including waiving Colin Castleton, but otherwise, it seems we are truly getting a real offseason. Unless you write about the WNBA, like I do… then we are hours from the trade deadline! “How do you do it, Chelsea?” Coffee. I seem to be doing fine, though, judging by the fact that I impulsively entered myself into a half-marathon and started training about a month ago. That’s the real burden right now… lol

I guess August was a great time to switch operating systems over here, since it’s pretty quiet. We will continue with our regularly scheduled programming very soon, as we figure out how to get the rest of the team logged in. I feel like that Will Smith meme of him in the empty room right now.

We will be back with dramatic way-too-soon predictions about the upcoming NBA season, WNBA news, and guessing how many games the Raptors will win very soon. Until then, join me in The Feed and let me know what you’re looking forward to seeing this season from the Toronto Raptors.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-n...-chris-boucher-championship-updates-offseason

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Don’t miss out on GLOBL JAM

We all know that basketball is a year-round sport these days — the NBA feeds us from October to June, the WNBA from May to October, and college hoops peak in March. Yet, other than the Toronto Raptors, and soon to be the Toronto Tempo, the city gets left out of a lot of in-person hoops action. Especially when it comes to our Canadian Basketball programs.

That’s changing this week, as GLOBL JAM returns to Toronto. A four-team men’s and women’s U23 tournament whose mission is to introduce Toronto to its next generation of basketball stars, the event is a must-see. On the men’s side, players like Xaivian Lee will be hooping in your backyard, and on the women’s side, Delaney Gibb, Avery Howell, and more will be repping the red and white. Both Canadian teams will face off against American college programs (Texas for the women, Georgetown for the men) as well as teams from Brazil, Puerto Rico (women’s), and Japan (men’s) starting Wednesday at Mattamy Athletic Centre in Toronto.

Unfortunately for fans of Canada’s Syla Swords, Agot Makeer, and Jasmine Bascoe, the trio has been ruled out of play at the tournament. Swords has already played in the Women’s AmeriCup and U19 World Cup tournaments, all while being in her NCAA offseason before her sophomore season at Michigan. Makeer is preparing to start her freshman season at South Carolina under Dawn Staley, having played with the U19 World Cup roster and returning from injury. Bascoe was another piece of Canada’s 4th-place U19 team and will be heading into her sophomore season at Villanova this fall. Despite not playing, Swords and Bascoe will be in attendance at GLOBL JAM as ambassadors.

On top of the hoops itself, Canada Basketball is hosting programming all week long. It started over the weekend with the 3×3 National Championships at The Bentway. Other programming includes Homecoming Night, a celebration of Canadian players having the rare chance to be in Canada, given their busy international playing schedules.

All roads lead home. Don’t miss it.

Tickets on sale now at https://t.co/WhXL37Mjhs

—

Tous les chemins mènent à la maison. Manque pas ça.

Les billets sont en vente maintenant sur https://t.co/WhXL37Mjhs #GLOBLJAM #SeeTheRise #SMNT pic.twitter.com/cjnD0jGwXO

— Canada Basketball (@CanBball) July 24, 2025

This is a special opportunity for both fans and players. The Canadian National teams very rarely get to play games on home soil, and many Canadian players don’t get to play professionally in Canada. The chance for fans to connect with the next generation of Canadian basketball players, who will go on to play in the NBA and WNBA as well as leagues in Europe, Australia and more, all while continuing to represent Canada at Olympic and World Championship tournaments, is here.

Each team in the tournament will participate in a round robin schedule to open GLOBL JAM, with the semi-final and finals happening on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.globljam.ca/

Here are the rosters for Team Canada:

Women:

Keira Daly – Hamilton, Ont.
Kyrah Daniels – Highlands Ranch, Colo.
Shy Day-Wilson – Toronto, Ont.
Yvonne Ejim – Calgary, Alta.
Izzi Fust – Winnipeg, Man.
Delaney Gibb – Raymond, Alta.
Avery Howell – Boise, Idaho
Phillipina Kyei – Calgary, Alta.
Latasha Lattimore – Toronto, Ont.
Merissah Russell – Ottawa, Ont.
Tara Wallack – Surrey, B.C.
Madalyn Weinert – St. Catharines, Ont.
Jordyn Wheeler – Niagara Falls, Ont.

Men:

Vasean Allette – Toronto, Ont.
Bubu Benjamin – Medicine Hat, Alta.
Enoch Boakye – Brampton, Ont.
KC Ibekwe – Coquitlam, B.C.
Dylan Grant – Mississauga, Ont.
Aden Holloway – Charlotte, North Carolina
TJ Hurley – Pelham, Ont.
Owen Kenney – Barrie, Ont.
Felix Kossaras – Montreal, Que.
Xaivian Lee – Toronto, Ont.
Elijah Mahi – Scarborough, Ont.
Michael Nwoko – Milton, Ont.
Elias Ralph – Okotoks, Alta.
Justin Rochelin – Encino, California
David Simon – Windsor, Ont.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/general/4...ball-xaivian-lee-delaney-gibb-yvonne-ejim-sga

 

[Toronto Raptors]

The whole CEBL season has led to this

The Canadian Elite Basketball League regular season has wrapped, full of record setting performances, epic comebacks, and some of the best fans in professional basketball. Now, teams are gearing up for the playoffs with the top four teams from each conference qualifying.

Unique to some extent, the playoff structure creates an intense week and a half of basketball. The format is single-elimination, with preliminary playoff games held this week, followed by a Championship Weekend that will see the top two teams in each conference compete for the 2025 CEBL Championship.

It’s not about the regular season records anymore, or individual player performances. Jermaine Small, the head coach of the Montreal Alliance said it best: “To me, what happened in the regular season doesn’t matter… Who wants it more?”. It will come down to a single game, who is better prepared, and who wants to win.

The brackets are now set:

It’s win or go home

The #CEBLPlayoffs are here — get all the details you need

https://t.co/b7kc4wAvtM
https://t.co/LUniHtfEn2#PullUp | #CEBLSeasonVII pic.twitter.com/uldMqpB1lW

— CEBL (@CEBLeague) August 11, 2025

On Thursday, the play-in games will tip off. In the East, the Scarborough Shooting Stars will host the Montreal Alliance at 7:00pm ET. On the opposite side of the country, the Edmonton Stingers will travel to face the Calgary Surge at 9:30 pm ET. The winners of these games will then travel to face the 2-seed in their respective conferences, with both of those matchups being held on Saturday. The Ottawa BlackJacks wait to see who they will host at 1:00 pm ET, followed by the Vancouver Bandits at 3:30 pm. The winners of these semifinal games will then travel to Winnipeg for the Championship Weekend.

Unfortunately, with various international competitions beginning and some players being required to report to their next team, some significant roster shakeups are coming. Teams won’t be at full strength and that means the outcome of these games could be unexpected. This hasn’t been an issue in previous years, but with the extension of this season this year it will limit players’ availability for playoff games.

Although anything could happen over the next couple of days, it wouldn’t be any fun if we didn’t take a minute to look at the bracket and make a few predictions.

Round 1 –​

East: Montreal vs. Scarborough

I’m giving Scarborough the edge here. Donovan Williams and Terquavion Smith have been excellent for Scarborough this year and the addition of Michael Foster Jr. was great. Although their record against Montreal is 2-2 this year, Montreal’s Quincy Guerrier has been named to Canada Basketball’s Americup Roster, and without him, they lose significant scoring and rebounding. Sascha Kappos will also be notably absent as he represents Puerto Rico. A lot of the scoring pressure will fall to Tavian Dunn-Martin, but Scarborough’s size will give them the advantage.

West: Edmonton vs. Calgary

Edmonton had a great season, with Sean East II and Scottie Lindsey both having record-setting years. The Stingers went 2-1 against the Surge this year, but they haven’t seen each other in over a month and Calgary has really started to find momentum, ending the season on a 4-game winning streak, all by double-digit margins.The combination of Greg Brown III, Sean Miller-Moore, Jameer Nelson Jr., Evan Gilyard II, makes them the frontrunner in my mind.

Round 2 –​

East: Scarborough vs. Ottawa

Ottawa toughed out a 2-1 tiebreaker lead this season and they should have most of their roster for this playoff game. Everyone who’s there is finally healthy and they’ll have the advantage of rest, preparation time, and home court. They’ve made a couple of late additions too. Scarborough will be tough to put away, but Ottawa has been just on the outside of making the playoffs for a couple years and they’re due.

West: Calgary vs. Vancouver

This should be the Western conference finals, but with Winnipeg hosting we get this matchup a round early. Vancouver is the favourite in a lot of ways with Mitch Creek’s MVP level season and Tyrese Samuel in contention for Canadian Player of the Year. They’re a phenomenally well-coached team with a mix of athleticism, IQ, and chemistry that is hard to beat. Except Calgary did it three times this year. Sweeping Vancouver couldn’t have been easy but they’ve had the Bandits’ number all season and I have a hard time thinking that will change.

Championship Weekend​

East: Ottawa vs. Niagara

At this point, Ottawa won’t have most of their starters and it will hit them hard. They won’t go down without a fight, but the combination of Khalil Ahmad, Ahmed Hill and their bench of returning players have the chemistry to overcome what’s left of the BlackJacks. Niagara are the reigning champs for a reason, and they will come to Winnipeg ready to make a statement. As much as I’d like to see Ottawa reach the championship game after a series of tough losses over the last couple of years (usually to the eventual champion), with their roster changes it probably won’t be this year.

West: Calgary vs. Winnipeg

Homecourt can only do so much, and despite how excellent the crowd is in Winnipeg, Calgary will probably be able to overcome that. The matchups throughout the season have favoured the Surge. Calgary opened by beating the Sea Bears by 12, followed by a 32 point victory two days later. Their third matchup was a 4-point victory for the Surge, before dropping their fourth matchup by a single point.

Final: Niagara vs. Calgary

I’ve maintained most of the season that whoever comes out of the West will win the championship. Not much that I’ve seen recently has changed my mind. In their recent matchup on August 10, Calgary handed Niagara an 18-point loss. It wouldn’t surprise me if we got a repeat performance as the final game of the season.

The fight for the championship starts NOW

The #CEBLPlayoffs are here – watch live on TSN

https://t.co/LUniHtfEn2#PullUp | #CEBLSeasonVII pic.twitter.com/z83RVkEQWj

— CEBL (@CEBLeague) August 11, 2025

Of course, there’s a lot of basketball between now and then and tuning into these matchups is an absolute must.

Besides just the high level of basketball being played, the CEBL’s championship weekend is four days of all kinds of activities, including a street festival, ceremonies, a coaching clinic, and a luncheon with the commissioner. All of that is surrounded with conference finals on Friday evening and the Championship final on Sunday, August 24.

To kick off the weekend, the CEBL will host the annual Awards Ceremony that recognizes the top performers of the regular season.There are eight major honours to be awarded, along with the First, Second, and All-Canadian Teams. Per the CEBL, “Award nominees, winners and All-CEBL First, Second, and All-Canadian Teams are determined by votes cast by the league’s head coaches, general managers, assistant coaches, select league broadcasters, and internal media personnel.”

Of course, the decision to select winners can’t be an easy one with so many talented players in the league putting up excellent numbers and helping contribute to their team’s success. That said, it wouldn’t be much fun if we didn’t take a minute to predicate where some of the major hardware is going.

Most Valuable Player – Sean East II

One of the most challenging things for some teams is the availability of players. Not the case here, with East suiting up and starting all 24 of the Stingers’ games. This allowed him to also score 546 points in total this season, the most in any CEBL season thus far. Averaging almost 23 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals per game on 50-40-90 shooting, he led the way for an Edmonton team that finished 15-9 in a stacked Western conference and ended the season on a 3-game win streak. He was able to help the Stingers battle back on a number of occasions, especially during target time. In just one example during a game in Ottawa, he managed 7 of the 9 points needed to clinch the victory. After the game, Stingers’ coach Jordan Baker noted his importance to the team, saying “When the lights are the brightest he’s going to be a guy that we turn to”. All things considered, he seems like the obvious choice here.

CASH IT

Sean East II buries the triple and he’s up to 16 points on the evening as we near the end of the third

Watch live on TSN+, NLSE, and CEBL+ powered by Tonybet: https://t.co/NVk3EPx257#PullUp | #CEBLSeasonVII | #WPGvsEDM pic.twitter.com/FaAt9G3kP8

— CEBL (@CEBLeague) May 17, 2025

(Honourable Mention – Mitch Creek)

Canadian Player of the Year – Sean Miller-Moore

A four year veteran of the league, this has been Sean “Rugsy” Miller-Moore’s best season by far. Averaging over 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists per game in 23 appearances, he helped lead a strong Calgary team that went 17-7 and ended the season on a 4 game winning streak. In his final game of the season, he capped things off with a 30-point performance showcasing his athleticism and savvy on the court. Target time brought out the best in him as well, with countless scoring and game-winners to add to his resume from this season.

Rugzy calls game — again

Sean Miller-Moore delivers another Target Score dagger to seal the W for the Surge.

Watch highlights and more for free on CEBL+ powered by @tonybet_canada – https://t.co/NVk3EPxzUF#PullUp | #CEBLSeasonVII | #CGYvsMTL pic.twitter.com/dArwtRmy0K

— CEBL (@CEBLeague) August 5, 2025

(Honourable Mention – Tyrese Samuel)

Defensive Player of the Year – Jameer Nelson Jr.

It’s hard to look past a record-setting performance when it comes to DPOY, and Jameer Nelson Jr. did just that. Averaging an astonishing 3 steals per game, he managed 57 on the season to go along with 5 blocks. His energy and effort on the defensive end made things complicated for the opposing team. He helped anchor a Surge defence that allowed the fewest points against on the season. In his best performance, he managed 7 against the Winnipeg Sea Bears, one of eight games with four or more on the season. Despite his rather small comparative stature, he also managed almost 5 rebounds per game as well.

Jameer Nelson Jr. might not measure 6’5”, but his impact sure does

Watch live on TSN+, RDS, and for free on CEBL+ powered by @tonybet_canada – https://t.co/NVk3EPx257#PullUp | #CEBLSeasonVII | #CGYvsMTL pic.twitter.com/j8QEOrcoPa

— CEBL (@CEBLeague) August 5, 2025

(Honourable Mention – Simi Shittu)

Coach of the Year – Kyle Julius

Finishing the season 19-5 despite roster turnover and guys coming in and out of the lineup due to NBA Summer League commitments is remarkable in and of itself. Add to that the fact that Vancouver ends the season with the best offence, second best defence, highest plus/minus, highest field goal and 3-point percentages, most assists per game, third-fewest turnovers per game, and second-most steals, it’s hard to deny their dominance. Julius and his coaching staff have helped create an environment for their players to thrive in, building on the skills and competitive nature they brought into the season. After already clinching the top seed in the West several games earlier, they dropped 130 points against the BlackJacks in Ottawa. Afterwards, he said that he doesn’t “think there’s any game in the world to that group that wouldn’t mean anything. They want to play”, a mindset that he has encouraged from day one. This would be his second year in a row, but no less deserving.

(Honourable Mention – Kaleb Canales)

Sixth Man of the Year – Zane Waterman

Coming off the bench for the majority of his 14 contests, Zane dropped 15 ppg on an astonishing (and league-leading) 52.9% from long range on 5 attempts per game. Along with that, he averaged 4.6 rebounds and an assist in only 23 minutes of action. Despite arriving late to the season due to prior commitments and missing some time due to injury, he was a game changer for Ottawa, routinely bringing momentum and energy onto the court that altered the outcome of games. After his first contest back from a head injury, he missed the franchise scoring record by a single point, scoring 36 off the bench. “I was out for a while… I had a lot of energy” indicative of the spark he was in his first season in Ottawa on both ends of the court, helping anchor their defence as well.

Montreal with the lay–NEVER MIND, @Zane_Waterman SAID NO #PullUp | #TheCapital pic.twitter.com/L349VcNyxV

— Ottawa BlackJacks (@ott_blackjacks) August 9, 2025

(Honourable Mention – Olumide Adelodun)

Developmental Player of the Year – Isaac Simon

Appearing in all of Edmonton’s games this season and even starting 6 of them, Isaac is the clear favourite. This is his third year as a developmental player in the league, but his best statistically. Up to almost 14 minutes per game, Simon averaged 4.7 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists on 40% three-point shooting. He was drafted out of the University of Alberta once again, and has undoubtedly made the Golden Bears proud with this performance.

Regina’s very own, Isaac Simon hits a big three to close out the quarter!
⁣⁣#YearOfTheSnake | #PullUp pic.twitter.com/ufW0B14Reg

— Saskatchewan Rattlers (@sskrattlers) August 7, 2025

(Honourable Mention – Gatluak James)

Clutch Player of the Year – Javonte Smart

This is the one I probably had the most trouble with. Looking around the league, there are a lot of really strong players who thrive in target time. Winnipeg has Jalen Harris, Niagara has Khalil Ahmad, Scarborough has Donovan Williams and Terquavion Smith. While all of those (and others) are probably deserving, it’s hard not to recognize the impact Javonte had on the BlackJacks. Starting the season 2-6, they struggled in target time. Upon joining the team, he led them to three straight wins, often scoring or facilitating the majority of their target time points. Ottawa’s season drastically changed as a result of his addition to the team, and they ended as the 2nd seed, undeniably as a result of his presence. In a tie-breaking matchup against Scarborough, Javonte scored 7 of the 10 needed target time points to lift Ottawa over the Shooting Stars. When asked about it afterwards all he said was “it was winning time and I wanted to win”. His confidence and skill in target time were exactly what the BlackJacks needed, and he delivered.

SMART CLOSED THE SHOW

Javonte Smart scored 7 points in target score, taking over when it counts.

Watch highlights and more for free on CEBL+ powered by @tonybet_canada – https://t.co/NVk3EPxzUF#PullUp | #CEBLSeasonVII | #SSSvsOTT pic.twitter.com/hy4VhIg8JF

— CEBL (@CEBLeague) July 30, 2025

First Team – Mitch Creek, Sean East II, Greg Brown III, Javonte Smart, Terquavion Smith

Second Team – Tavian Dunn-Martin, Khalil Ahmad, Jameer Nelson Jr., Donovan Williams, Isaih Moore

All-Canadian Team – Tyrese Samuel, Sean Miller-Moore, Simi Shittu, Quincy Guerrier, Keon Ambrose-Hylton

Now we play the waiting game, with the first set of playoff games tomorrow, and the regular season awards being announced a week later. It’s never too late to start following the CEBL and all of the incredible talent that is developing there.

Be sure to catch all of the action on TSN and watch the 2025 CEBL Champions be crowned.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/general/47656/cebl-playoffs

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Save the dates! The 2025-26 Toronto Raptors schedule has released

Nothing fires up the NBA news cycle in August like the schedule release! Well, at least until a superstar requests a trade (and a side of spankopita!).

With the NBA’s release of the 2025-26 schedule, we can all start saving dates and setting aside large sums of money to watch the Toronto Raptors climb back to basketball relevance.

Raptors will open their season on Oct. 22 against the Hawks.

Home opener Oct. 24 against the Bucks pic.twitter.com/enpBBn2DdX

— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) August 14, 2025

Grand Opening, Grand Closing​

Similar to last season, the Raptors have a difficult opening schedule and relatively light slate to end the season. For the first time in 14 years(!), Toronto starts the season on the road (excluding the Tampa season, of course) with a trip to Atlanta. The Hawks had one of the more eventful offseasons: capitalizing on Boston’s fire sale and nabbing Kristaps Porzingis; participating in the historic 7-team trade that landed Kevin Durant in Houston (they offloaded Clint Capela to the Rockets and received cash plus a 2031 2nd-rounder); and signing Nickeil Alexander-Walker.

The rest of the first week is nothing short of jaw-dropping matchups. Toronto’s home opener has the potential to be an all-timer if Bobby Webster can complete the Greek Freak pursuit that Masai Ujiri started. Regardless, Giannis Antetokounmpo at Scotiabank Arena is always one of the loudest games of the season.

The drama doesn’t stop there as the Raptors face the Texas triangle over a 4-day span. The Raptors’ first back-to-back of the season is a juicy set against Cooper Flagg and the Dallas Mavericks, followed by a visit to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs. Toronto heads back home for a first look at Kevin Durant in a Houston Rockets uniform. Talk about an eventful first week!

On the flip side of the coin, the Raptors end its season with a bunch of winnable games. The final 10 games of season include 3 against lottery teams (Brooklyn, Sacramento, New Orleans), 3 more against fringe play-in teams (Boston, and Miami x 2), 3 against playoff teams with slim title hopes (Orlando, Memphis, and Detroit), and a game in New York when the Knicks are likely locked into a high seed and resting players.

u don’t wanna mess with this dino pic.twitter.com/1QSoKMI7SV

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) August 14, 2025

Marquee Games​

December 4 — Los Angeles Lakers: Luka Doncic and Lebron James roll into town for their only visit to Scotiabank Arena. This will easily be the most expensive ticket of the season. Here’s hoping your loved ones surprise you with an early Christmas gift!

December 28 — Golden State Warriors: Steph Curry and Draymond Green aren’t getting any younger. So, these once-a-year visits carry a heavier weight. With Jimmy Butler in the fold, the hope is that Steve Kerr’s squad has one more title run in them.

December 31 — Denver Nuggets: While the previous two matchups listed stars at the tail ends of their careers, Nikola Jokic is knee-deep into his prime. The front office did a masterful job of building around the 3-time MVP’s unique skillset and are ready for another title run. Oh, and Bruce Brown makes his return to Toronto as well.

January 16 — Los Angeles Clippers: I should probably use this space to highlight Kawhi Leonard or James Harden and their pursuit to bring the franchise to the promised land. Or maybe I should write about the additions of Bradley Beal, Brook Lopez, and John Collins. Or the (re-)addition of Chris Paul. Instead, I’m fascinated that Los Angeles has, not one, but TWO Kobes on the roster. Kobe Sanders is rookie on a two-way deal, while Kobe Brown has the cool factor of being born on January 1st, 2000. (Well, I think that’s pretty neat)

January 28 — New York Knicks: Leon Rose replaced Tom Thibodeau with Mike Brown, shored up the bench by signing Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson, and locked in Mikal Bridges with a 4-year extension. With Boston, Indiana, and Milwaukee tumbling out of contender status, New York is one of the favourites to emerge in the East.

February 24 — Oklahoma City Thunder: The Raptors play in Oklahoma City a month earlier, but the defending champs come to town right after the All-Star break. I’m not sure what Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s key to the city of Hamilton opens, but the reigning MVP has opened all kinds of doors to Canadian basketball fans. It’s still mind-blowing to me that Canada has produced one of the best basketball players on the planet!

Just for the North pic.twitter.com/hzMY5wlLRW

— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) August 14, 2025

Returning Raptors​

November 26 — Indiana Pacers: Whenever Pascal Siakam returns to Toronto, his infectious smile and jovial attitude makes watching him as an opponent a very difficult task. The Scotiabank Arena crowd may not be draped in Siakam jerseys, but you will see a lot of ‘43’ in the stands.

December 7 — Boston Celtics: It’s always a big deal when Toronto’s arch-nemesis is on the other side of the court. In the rarest of rare situations, Raptors fans will stand and applaud a player in green. Chris Boucher makes his first visit to Toronto as an opponent and will undoubtedly be celebrated throughout the evening.

January 11 & 12 — Philadelphia 76ers: With a roster full of young players and a front office hell-bent on cleaning house to build around Scottie Barnes, there aren’t many Raptors making buzz-worthy returns to Toronto. So, as long as he’s playing, Kyle Lowry will always be feted when he steps into Scotiabank Arena.

Stay tuned next week as I dive into the schedule deeper and highlight some games worth splurging for tickets!

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-schedule/47668/toronto-raptors-2025-2026-schedule-release

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Canada ends GLOBL JAM with win vs. Japan, misses finals on tie-breaker

With seconds winding down in the opening quarter, Canada’s Aden Holloway surveyed Japan’s transition defence as he sprinted up the court and attacked the basket.

His layup would touch every part of the rim before rolling out. That’s when teammate David Simon appeared out of nowhere for the two-point offensive putback just in time before the buzzer, cutting Japan’s lead to one.

Timing is everything in basketball, and while the Canadians had it perfected in the latter portion of an 89-74 win over Japan, they ultimately ran out of time in their chase of a GLOBL JAM gold medal on Saturday.

With Georgetown defeating Brazil 76-74 earlier in the day, Canada (2-1) was eliminated from the championship game before they even took the court at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.

The Canadians looked sharper as the U23 tournament went on, but with only three games to decide the gold medal game, early miscues in their 85-78 loss to Brazil on Wednesday decided their fate.

Canada wouldn’t let another slow start determine an outcome as the home team overcame a 23-14 lead Japan built in the first quarter, a deficit that may have been a byproduct of the events earlier in the day.

“Your intensity level probably drops and it shouldn’t, but it does,” said Canadian head coach David Smart. “It shouldn’t, I’ll say that 20 times, but it probably does because you know you’re not playing in the gold medal game.”

The comeback began when Holloway came off the bench and knocked down the team’s first three-pointer at the 1:49 mark of the first. Holloway would score 12 of his game-high 18 points in the first half.

Holloway, who holds dual citizenship between Canada and the United States, and whose grandfather played in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns, had been a reliable source for points off the bench throughout the tournament. He previously led all bench players with 15 points against Brazil on Aug. 13 and scored eight in the contest against Georgetown the following day.

Canada steadied the ship offensively early in the second half with threes from Elijah Mahi and Xaivian Lee. The latter scored six third-quarter points, doubling his total from halftime.

Lee finished the tournament averaging 14.3 points, 7.3 assists, and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 46.8 per cent from the field. Like his team throughout GLOBL JAM, Lee required time before he found his rhythm. Despite struggling from the perimeter in his first two games (five-for-14), Lee made two of his five three-point attempts against Japan.

The Toronto-native’s progression from deep matches his output at Princeton, where he steadily improved during each of his three seasons, before reaching a personal best 36.6 per cent in his final season. Lee has committed to the Florida Gators for the 2025-26 NCAA season.

Canada held Japan to 30 points between the second and third quarters, a stark improvement after conceding 25 in the opening period.

“We got into it defensively and did some good things,” said Smart.

Canada also outrebounded Japan 61-35, capping the team’s dominance on the glass throughout the tournament. The Canadians won the rebounding battle in each of their three games.

A look ahead

GLOBL JAM concludes the men’s tournament with a gold medal matchup between Georgetown and Brazil on Sunday. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT.

The rematch is the second time these two teams will clash in just over 24 hours. The final 60 seconds of their matchup, which ultimately knocked Canada out of the tournament, were a thrilling collection of sequences that highlight the potential classic Georgetown and Brazil could put together for a sequel.

Tied at 71 with under a minute remaining, Jayden Fort scored on a backdoor cut to give Georgetown a two-point lead. On the following possession, Brazil’s Gabriel Landeira answered by hitting a fall-away contested three-pointer to reclaim the lead.

Georgetown drew a foul on the next trip up the court and hit the first free throw before Brazil intentionally committed basket interference. This strategically triggered a technical foul to avoid overtime and potentially risk losing their three-way head-to-head point-differential advantage over Canada.

Gabriel Landeira sinks an incredible three that gave Brazil a 74-73 lead with seconds left.

Georgetown draws a foul on the other end that leads to two free throws pic.twitter.com/KO7nv2vy7j

— Kristian Cuaresma (@kriscuaresma_) August 16, 2025

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/general/4...ith-win-vs-japan-misses-finals-on-tie-breaker

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Canada wins GLOBL JAM gold vs. Texas Longhorns

Everything is supposedly bigger in Texas, so it came as a surprise when the defining moment of the entire GLOBL JAM tournament proved to be too big for the previously undefeated Texas Longhorns.

For Canadian Avery Howell, the moment, the stage, and the bright lights were perfect.

Avery scored a game-high 24 points and was six-of-six from three to help Canada capture gold in their 72-65 win over the Longhorns in the final game of the U23 tournament on Sunday.

Like in many tales that finish with a storybook ending, this story first required twists, turns, and obstacles.

There was a nervous energy in the air during the opening minutes of the game, and it translated to the play on the court, with Canada and Texas exchanging early turnovers. To their credit, neither Canada nor Texas let it burn them on the other side of the court. Canada finished the first quarter with zero points off turnovers, only four shy of what the Longhorns were able to manufacture.

Howell, an alternate for Canada’s 2024 Olympic team, carried the offence with a legendary performance, scoring 13 points by halftime. Canada desperately required Howell’s shooting prowess on a night when the team struggled, with her teammates going a combined one-for-15 from three.

“I feel I was just letting it fly,” said Howell. “I put in a lot of work on that, so it feels good to see it pay off…I know that’s what my team needed from me tonight.”

Howell’s first six points came from the corners, where she often parked early in the contest as Canada ran sets on the opposite wing. The six-foot guard entered the gold medal game having made 14 threes on 63.6 per cent. To the surprise of the raucous crowd at the Mattamy Athletic Centre, she finished the night improving on her gaudy efficiency.

“You feel the energy from the fans after each shot,” said Howell. “The energy was great today, and we really fed off that.”

Howell, 19, is committed to the Washington Huskies for the 2025-26 season. During last year’s NCAA tournament, Howell went 11-for-26 from three (42.3 per cent). Howell finished GLOBL JAM averaging 21.5 points while shooting 57.8 per cent from the field and 71.4 per cent from beyond the arc.

In a contest where every possession carried high stakes, Canada needed its three-point shooting to be an equalizer against a Longhorns team that played mostly mistake-free basketball, but didn’t shoot the ball well.

Entering the game, the Longhorns shot 16-for-58 (27.5 per cent) from deep, while Canada was 37-for-95 (38 per cent).

But just like in their previous meeting, which Texas won 70-61, the Longhorns planned to limit Canada’s reliance and effectiveness from the perimeter. Canada was held to 33 per cent on 21 attempts in the gold medal game. In matchups that didn’t include Texas, Canada averaged 44.7 per cent on 38 attempts.

The Americans turned to their bench early in the third quarter to help push their lead to 44-33 at the 8:12 mark, the largest deficit of the game up to that point. The Longhorns’ bench proved to be a strength through the entirety of the tournament, and they once again leaned on their depth to keep the score close.

Texas’ bench outscored Canada 26-10 during their first meeting, and would replicate that success to a lesser degree in the gold medal game, outclassing the Canadian bench 19-9.

Two of the Longhorns’ bench options, Jordan Lee and Aaliyah Crump, saw early action in the second half. Both players alternated shadowing Howell in hopes of containing the Canadian sniper. While the duo managed to keep Howell away from the action, miscues in transition sprung the Canadian free for a three to tie the game at 48-48. After Texas reclaimed the lead, Howell would again seize the moment with a turnaround three from the right corner, drawing Canada within one.

Latasha Lattimore’s two points with 19 seconds remaining in the third gave Canada a 54-52 lead, its first advantage since the opening minutes of the game.

One of the prevailing narratives leading into the night’s rematch was Texas’ balanced scoring. A different player finished as the team’s two highest scorers in each of the Longhorns’ three group play victories.

But when Howell was called for her fourth foul just 19 seconds into the final frame, Canada was forced to send her to the bench to avoid fouling out, and ultimately asked its other leaders to step up.

With everything on the line, they answered the call.

In the 5:21 that Howell was on the bench, Canada outscored Texas 10-8. They also limited the Longhorns to 37.8 per cent shooting while maintaining a neutral turnover margin at 1-1.

By the time Howell re-entered the game, Canada had a 64-60 lead, giving the team the confidence it needed for a strong push towards the finish line.

There was arguably no other Canadian who benefited more from that confidence boost than Shayeann Day-Wilson, who scored 11 of her 18 points in the final quarter.

“That’s just confidence, that’s just believing in my craft. I’m in the gym every day,” said Day-Wilson of her performance in the fourth. “Things are not always going to go your way, so I’m usually doing the little things that my team needed and staying composed.”

While Canada only held two leads in the game and trailed by 11 in the third quarter, the team never felt like a gold medal was out of reach.

“We got back to the drawing board and we stayed together when it mattered,” said Day-Wilson. “We didn’t let the bad possessions get to us.”

Moments after the buzzer, Howell was named tournament MVP. It was an ending whose perfection was only rivalled by the setting and its people.

“It feels good to win on home soil, a lot of the girls are from around here,” said Howell. “I think it’s cool, we’re able to bring attention to our program and what we’re trying to grow.”

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/general/47711/canada-wins-globl-jam-gold-vs-texas-longhorns

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Grading every CEBL team’s Season

The last of the confetti has fallen on the conclusion of the 2025 Canadian Elite Basketball League’s seventh and longest season yet. The Niagara River Lions emerged victorious from the Championship Weekend once again, this time in Winnipeg, now back-to-back champions.

The Niagara River Lions are your 2025 CEBL Champions #PullUp | #CEBLSeasonVII | #CEBLPlayoffs | #NRLvsCGY pic.twitter.com/72qbtyo3FW

— CEBL (@CEBLeague) August 25, 2025

With the season wrapping, this is the perfect opportunity to rate each club’s season, considering what was good, bad, and ugly for each team and what needs to be done next year (and for a little bonus, I included one of my favourite dunks from each team).

Brampton Honey Badgers: D-

Spending the season at the bottom of the standings, they managed only 5 wins the entire summer. Their relocation seems to continue to hamper the fan attendance as well, where they also sit at the bottom of the league. They struggled to score, struggled defensively, and managed to be blown out repeatedly.

The only reason the season wasn’t an F was the signing of former NBA champion Quinndary Weatherspoon and the solid play of Canadians Koby McEwen and David Muenkat.

The Honey Badgers’ roster needs a complete overhaul and more support from the community and fans.

Get open, he'll find you
Weatherspoon dishes to Williams for our DUNK OF THE GAME
Presented by @goodlifefitness#WeAreBrampton pic.twitter.com/bf5tEMB6FQ

— Brampton Honey Badgers (@HoneyBadgersCAN) July 7, 2025

Calgary Surge: A

Since becoming a team, they’ve earned their way to the championship weekend all three years. Making their way back to the finals this year after a tough loss in the semi-finals last year showed their improvement and resilience as a team. Going up against the reigning champs was a challenge, and although they weren’t able to win, they still managed to overcome the West, an achievement in itself.

They ended the season as the second seed, boasting various accolades from their team, with Jameer Nelson Jr. winning Defensive Player of the Year and CEBL Second-Team honours, Greg Brown III being named to the CEBL First-Team, and Sean Miller-Moore named as CEBL All-Canadian team while being runner-up for the Canadian Player of the Year.

The Surge finished the year with the league-best defence, including most rebounds and steals per game. They were one of the few teams that beat the Bandits this year, managing to sweep them in all three contests. They were a fun team to watch, with fluid offence, an aggressive defence, and all of the important building blocks for a championship team.

For next season, the most important part will be retaining their core. Greg Brown III, Jameer Nelson Jr., Sean Miller-Moore, and Evan Gilyard II developed immense chemistry on both ends of the floor. Retaining them and helping develop the bench around them will mean at a minimum, a return to the conference finals.

ELEVATE

Greg Brown III skies for a massive one-handed jam

Watch live on TSN, TSN+ and CEBL+ – https://t.co/NVk3EPx257#PullUp | #CEBLSeasonVII | #NRLvsCGY pic.twitter.com/O8je0uijDH

— CEBL (@CEBLeague) August 11, 2025

Edmonton Stingers: B-

Finishing the season 15-9, the Stingers wrapped a somewhat underwhelming summer. They had strong individual performances, and held the third place in the league, but were unable to deliver more. The play of Sean East II helped elevate them and earn him a CEBL First-Team award. Scottie Lindsey was an excellent Robin to Sean’s Batman, along with help from Keon Ambrose-Hilton, Nick Horsnby, and Chris Smith.

Unfortunately, stuck in the Western conference they couldn’t hold their own, falling to Calgary in the play-in and missing the Championship weekend once again, for the fourth straight year.

It’s not to say the team didn’t have its moments this season. Sean East II set a scoring record for the league this year with the most points in a single season. Keon Ambrose-Hilton had an 18-rebound game against Vancouver, another impressive feat.

Moving forward, the dynamic backcourt of Lindsey and East II can help deliver wins, but shoring up their bench and improving defensively (especially in the paint) will be the big needs of the offseason. With the second-worst team defence in the league, their offence can only do so much for them.

KAH puts the man on a POSTER pic.twitter.com/8lZhOhzRyv

— Edmonton Stingers (@ED_Stingers) June 20, 2025

Montreal Alliance: D

Ending with a 9-15 record, third last in the league, the expectations for Montreal were higher. Since its inception, they have made the playoffs only once, and by default as they hosted last year. They have struggled to sign and retain talent over the years, leading to a roster with more turnover in comparison to the rest of the league.

Signing Raptors 905 and Canada Basketball mainstay Quincy Guerrier was a win for them, as well as Tavian Dunn-Martin, but they struggled for support on both ends of the floor. In the end, they were easily eliminated by Scarborough in the play-in.

From a statistical standpoint, the Alliance were in the upper half of the league by most of the common analytics. This didn’t translate to wins though, especially in close games and in target time.

For next season, the return of Montreal native Guerrier is the first step, although with his continued rise in the G-League and on the international stage, it’s unclear if he would be willing to come back. The next task will be building a roster that can support guys like Guerrier and Dunn-Martin.

Niagara River Lions: A+

It’s hard to give anything less than an A+ to the champs. With the majority of their roster from last year returning, they were primed to repeat. Despite struggles throughout the season and a record of only 14-10, they brought it together when it mattered.

Khalil Ahmad put on a number of remarkable performances for the River Lions, earning himself the nickname “The Lion King”. Despite often being the one they rely on in target situations, he continued to deliver, winning his second Finals MVP and being named to the CEBL Second Team.

Alongside Ahmad, Ron Curry, Kimbal Mackenzie, Ahmed Hill, Edward Ekiyor, Nathan Cayo, and Elijah Lufile all contributed throughout the season, ultimately helping to deliver their second championship in as many years. Their grit, aggression, and energy were the keys for them. They already knew what it took, and went all in.

The keys to three-peating (and being the first CEBL team to do so) will be to retain Ahmad above all else, and bring back their core of champions.

Eli took flight on this monster dunk!

Thank you @loveSTC_ for presenting our highlight of the night. #RunItBack | #PullUp pic.twitter.com/j4Fsxb704o

— Niagara River Lions (@RiverLions) June 7, 2025

Ottawa BlackJacks: B

This was a brutal season for Ottawa, who struggled with repeated injuries up and down the roster, late arrivals, and early departures. Despite starting 2-6, they ended 12-12, good for second in the East.

Their effort wavered sometimes, leading them to a number of frustrating single-possession losses throughout the season. Their signing of Javonte Smart partway through the season was their best addition and addressed this issue, allowing Isaih Moore, Zane Waterman, and Deng Adel to all elevate as well. Smart was named to the CEBL First Team and led the league in points per game while setting a franchise record for points in a single game.

They were primed to make it to the Championship weekend, handily defeating Scarborough just before the playoffs kicked off. Alas, the absence of their entire starting lineup for the Eastern Conference semifinal for a variety of reasons meant they fell to Scarborough handily.

If they can recreate this roster and amp up their effort next year, they will be contenders. They do need to get a bit more rebounding as well.

A Deng dime a Za slam #PullUp | #TheCapital pic.twitter.com/raEhNARIgI

— Ottawa BlackJacks (@ott_blackjacks) July 26, 2025

Saskatchewan Rattlers: D+

Second-last in the league, this season was about building culture more than it was about generating wins. They didn’t have any First or Second-Team players, missed the playoffs, and won only 7 games. But the players who are there have learned a lot about their city and fans and put together some fun basketball.

Isaac Simon did win Development Player of the Year after some solid play. Bediako, Ifejeh, Simon, and Anticevich were the most consistent for the team. Pierre-Louis, Jones, John, Bowden and Bandoo had solid scoring performances but missed time.

Saskatchewan needs to continue to develop and build a winning culture, and find a few guys with hometown pride and players that want to win for the city. The return of guys like Jones, Bediako, and Bowden couldn’t hurt either.

ANT!
⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
⁣⁣#YearOfTheSnake | #PullUp pic.twitter.com/CBtPkWMHmE

— Saskatchewan Rattlers (@sskrattlers) August 10, 2025

Scarborough Shooting Stars: B

With some of the biggest signings in the league over the years, the expectations for Scarborough will always be really high. After their championship in 2023, they were eliminated by the eventual champions the last two years. Not a bad way to go, but definitely disappointing.

One of their issues is roster turnover. They had 18 different guys suit up for them this season alone, with Donovan Williams and Terquavion Smith, their premier guys playing only 16 and 15 games respectively. Kat Barber, Aaron Best, Hason Ward, and Kalif Young all came and went, meaning a lack of consistency was part of their struggle that saw them fall to the 3-seed in the East. An easy pathway through the weakened Alliance and BlackJacks rosters were the only thing that gave them such an easy berth to the playoffs.

Roster consistency and the return of some of the guys like Walker or Best that know the program would be good first steps for next year. Free-throw shooting also needs a drastic improvement where they were the worst in the league. Also focusing on not being too top-heavy and working to improve the bench will also help them as they seek their second championship.

Starting off his CEBL career in style

Smith hits the superman celebration after this electrifying dunk, capping of his 26 point CEBL debut against the Alliance. He’s gonna be a problem

Watch more on CEBL+ powered by @tonybet_ca – https://t.co/NVk3EPx257#PullUp |… pic.twitter.com/xug9fmmxkV

— CEBL (@CEBLeague) June 19, 2025

Vancouver Bandits: A-

Coming into the playoffs as the best team in the league with a 19-5 record, the league MVP and First-Team recipient in Mitch Creek, the Canadian Player of the Year, Second-Team, All-Canadian team, and Clutch Player of the Year in Tyrese Samuel, and Coach of the Year in Kyle Julius they were the heavy favourite.

Despite the accolades and their record, Calgary had their number all year and came out victorious in a single-possession play-in game that prevented the Bandits from travelling to Winnipeg for the playoffs.

A disappointing twist of fate, but Vancouver’s roster and coaching structure is phenomenal. There is no way that they won’t be right back in the mix next year. Their priorities should be to maintain the tandem of Creek and Samuel, along with Givance to shore up the backcourt. Building around those guys with similarly-minded tough and energetic players should be just enough to push them over the edge.

Slammin’ Samuel with the altitude adjustment

Samuel takes flight and throws down a poster-worthy dunk that lit up the Bandits’ home opener.

Watch live on TSN+, NLSE and CEBL+ powered by Tonybet#PullUp | #CEBLSeasonVII | #VANvsNRL pic.twitter.com/VaQJJYKXPS

— CEBL (@CEBLeague) May 23, 2025

Winnipeg Sea Bears: C

It’s always hard for the host team to earn respect based on their automatic entrance into the playoff weekend. They lost in the semifinals to Calgary, but as the four seed in the West, shouldn’t really have been there to begin with.

Simi Shittu had an excellent season, earning Second-Team and All-Canadian honours. Former Raptor Jalen Harris also had an excellent season, but didn’t earn recognition for it. Later additions Trevon Scott and Will Richardson were both helpful, but it wasn’t enough to help them.

They took care of the ball well, averaging the fewest turnovers in the league. The biggest issue for them to address will be scoring. While they had a strong tandem in Shittu and Harris, they needed help around them to take on some of that load. Bringing in a couple of solid and efficient scorers next year could be a game changer for the Sea Bears.

It’s showtime @TheJalenHarris throws down the reverse dunk as the Sea Bears lead 89-85 late in the 4th

Watch live on TSN, TSN+, and CEBL+ https://t.co/NVk3EPxzUF#PullUp | #CEBLSeasonVII | #WPGvsSSK pic.twitter.com/9gnDNOiOBZ

— CEBL (@CEBLeague) August 2, 2025

Now most of the players will head off to their next team, with some heading overseas to Europe, Australia, and China, while others travel south to compete in the NBA G-League. While we will have to wait another 9 months for the next season that will tip off in May, it’s always fun to keep up with the guys as they play abroad and think about what next season will look like.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/general/47749/rating-every-cebl-teams-season

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Ujiri-produced film set to make TIFF premiere

Origin: The Story of the Basketball Africa League is a new documentary executive-produced by Masai Ujiri. It is an in-depth look at the power of sport, as told by the story of the creation of the Basketball League of Africa, set to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8th, 2025.

Featuring the voices of people like J. Cole, Steph Curry, Barack Obama, and more, the film celebrates the endeavours of those who made the BAL possible. The film highlights the diversity of Africa, the passion the players and everyone involved with BAL have for the game, and the universal language of basketball.

We are teaming with Giants of Africa to give away 15 pairs of tickets to the premiere of Origin on September 8th. After the screening of the film at 2:30 pm, there will be a live Q&A with Masai Ujiri, BAL President Amadou Gallo Fall, NBA All-Star and BAL Investor Joakim Noah, Origin’s Executive Producer, Writer and co-director Richard Brown, and Origin Executive Producer Akin Omotoso.

To enter the giveaway, all YOU need to do is head to Raptors HQ’s FEED and make a post about your favourite basketball movie and WHY it’s your favourite. 15 people will be selected to receive a FREE pair of tickets for the screening and Q&A on September 8th at TIFF Lightbox in downtown Toronto, courtesy of Giants of Africa.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/general/47765/origin-film-tiff-masai-ujiri-bal-africa-basketball

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Beyond Basketball: Masai Ujiri Becomes United Nations Sustainability Advocate

It’s been a busy off-season for Masai Ujiri, and for the first time in a long time, it’s not because of the Toronto Raptors. With his executive produced film, Origin: The Story of the Basketball Africa League, premiering at TIFF on September 8th, the former Raptors president is set for a public splash in the entertainment industry. But, that’s not the only area into which Masai is deepening his reach.

Ujiri has recently been appointed a Sustainable Development Goal Advocate by the United Nations, acting as an ambassador for the UN’s SDG program. There are 17 total goals, including the ending of poverty and hunger worldwide, as well as a number of commitments to environmental justice and social equality. Masai called his appointment “a tremendous honor,” as he enters a star-studded group of ambassadors including the Queen of Belgium and the President of Microsoft, as well as Toronto’s own, content creator Lilly Singh. The former president’s qualifications stem from his place as the head of Giants of Africa, a non-profit group centred around basketball, hosting camps, building courts, and providing support to young people throughout Africa.

Since his July 27th departure from the Toronto Raptors, Masai Ujiri has shown no interest in leaving the world of sports, doubling down on his role as a figure in African basketball in the short term. However, the beginning of his role at the United Nations suggests a potential future as a part of the wider international community, beyond an exclusive focus on athletics.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/raptors-n...-nba-masai-ujiri-basketball-un-united-nations

 

[Toronto Raptors]

Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. Sheds New Light On Brother’s Sports Betting Scandal

During his tenure on the Denver Nuggets, Michael Porter Jr. was known as the team’s pure scorer, dropping in buckets to help lead his team to the 2023 NBA Championship. Since 2021, Porter Jr. had also maintained a podcast called “Curious Mike,” demonstrating his interest in media creation as a part of the NBA’s player/podcaster landscape. Porter Jr. had, of course, been far better known for his basketball career, but in recent weeks, it have been his words rather than his jumpshots that have been making headlines.

Since being traded to the Brooklyn Nets in June, Michael Porter Jr. has been making a series of public appearances in which he has made a number of attention-grabbing statements, ranging from descriptions of his use of Andrew Tate videos to screen potential female partners, to crass comments about homosexuality and promiscuity. However, some of his public musings have connected themselves to the broader conversation about gambling in sports, and more specifically the gambling scandal centred around his brother, former Raptor Jontay Porter.

Porter, who was on a two-way contract with the Raptors in 2024, was banned from the NBA on April 14th, 2024, after he was found guilty of a number of violation of league gambling regulations, including intentionally performing worse in games to allow for gamblers to profit, as well as placing personal bets on NBA games. Jontay Porter has not played a game since that date, and the story had largely faded into obscurity, until his brother, MPJ, renewed the discussion around gambling, and the family’s relationship with vice at large.

In a video published on August 8th on his podcast’s YouTube channel, Porter commented on the connection between his Christian faith and his, and his family’s, respective difficulties in managing different behaviours.

“My brother for example, struggled with gambling. My vice has always come in the form of women, and when I’m far from God, and I’m not in my word, I’m not praying, I’m not prioritizing him, that seems to be the place that the devil gets me… My brother, Jontay, he never seemed to struggle with that vice. I never struggle with a gambling addiction.”

A few days later, his appearance on the One Night with Steiny podcast hit the internet, where he spoke more about the pressures of gambling within the NBA.

“Think about it. You get mad at these dudes, like… that do the sports betting, but think about if you could get all your homies rich by telling them, ‘yo, bet 10,000 dollars on my under, you know, this one game, Imma act like I got an injury, and Imma, Imma sit out. Imma come out after three minutes, and they all get a little bag ‘cause you did a one game…’ That is so not okay, but some people probably think like that; they come from nothing, and all their homies have nothing… obviously my brother went through his situation… but the whole sport gambling entity, bro, it’s bad and it’s only gonna get worse… like, we, we really do get death threats.”

“Crazy part is you can’t win anymore… if I do too good, I’m messing up the people that bet on the under, and if they bet on my over… You’re messing up some people’s money.”

Despite the silliness of some of his other comments, Porter Jr. clearly has strong feelings about the realities of gambling in the modern NBA. He has a unique viewpoint on the matter, having experienced the destructive nature of sports betting not only as a player who is bet upon, but as the family member of Jontay Porter, whose professional career was derailed by his involvement in sports gambling. These dangers are not new, and were discussed in Raptors HQ’s previous coverage of the Jontay Poter incident back in 2024. There are clear drawbacks to the integration of gambling into the modern-day professional sports landscapes, and amongst Michael Porter Jr.’s waves of outlandish statements, he raises genuine concerns about sports betting that have impacted both him and his family, as well as the league at large.

While Jontay Porter is no longer in the NBA, his story serves as a reminder of the dangers of gambling and the precarious situation in which the world of professional sports has found itself, with continued association with betting and the allure of fast cash for players and those close to then that it spawns.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/general/4...rs-gambling-odds-jontay-porter-sports-betting

 

[Toronto Raptors]

5 Upcoming WNBA Draft Prospects to Watch

It’s a little early, I know, but with the 2025 WNBA season dwindling, Toronto fans can’t help but look ahead to 2026, when the Tempo will finally enter the league. There is still a lot to do before that, with an upcoming expansion draft to plan for, what will be a historic free agency, oh and of course, signing a new Collective Bargaining Agreement and hopefully avoiding a strike or lockout. Still, the crispness in the air is making it feel like college basketball season, and that just means we are closer to the Draft.

Toronto will likely have the No. 6 pick in the WNBA Draft’s first round. I say “likely” because it hasn’t been set in stone, but there is precedent. It’s common practice in the WNBA and NBA for expansion teams not to have lottery picks in their first year in the league. In the WNBA, it likely would have only been the first year, but the Golden State Valkyries won’t get a lottery pick this year simply because they made the playoffs. In 2025, the Valkryies got the No. 5 pick for their first draft (the first pick after the lottery). In 2026, there will be five lottery teams (eight WNBA playoff teams, which leaves five remaining teams that won’t make it), meaning the No. 6 and No. 7 teams would logically go to the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire. Since Toronto was announced first, it makes sense they’d get No. 6, and Portland would be given No. 7.

With all of that explained, let’s get to the draft prospects themselves. Unlike 2025, there isn’t (yet) a clear No. 1 pick, and we will get a clearer picture of what the potential order of these picks will be as the college season develops. Still, there is a ton of exciting talent on the board, even as you get down to the No. 6 pick in the draft. For now, let’s just get introduced to some general talent, and as the potential order becomes clearer in a few months, we can analyze who may still be available at No. 6.

Also, before you yell at me, Juju Watkins isn’t draft eligible until 2027.

Azzi Fudd (G) UConn​

Azzi Fudd is coming off her National Championship run to play one last season at the University of Connecticut, poised to be a top pick in the 2026 Draft. After suffering with injury for a lot of her college career, including missing over a year recovering from ACL surgery, Fudd had a great redshirt junior year in 2024-2025, ultimately ending in a Championship. She is using her redshirt year to come back as a 5th-year senior for the upcoming college season.

While we haven’t seen Fudd play to her full potential for an entire season during her tenure at UConn, she has a way of stepping up when the team needs her most. She was a huge part of crucial games last season, including UConn’s big regular-season win against South Carolina and again when they played South Carolina for the championship. Finally fully back from ACL recovery, Fudd seems to be getting more and more comfortable back on the court as time goes on, and her postseason run this spring proved that. There is a ton of excitement for her potential this season.

Fudd is a sharpshooter, known for her clean shooting form and fast clip — often getting her shot up before the defence even notices she has the ball. She’s also become more aggressive on the drive in recent years, and her physicality has improved as she has increased her strength. If she plays like she did at the end of the 2025 season, she will be a top pick in the 2026 draft.

Lauren Betts (C) UCLA​

When you’re a 6-foot-7-inch post-player in women’s college basketball, you’re a little inevitable, which is a great way to describe Betts. After starting her college career at Stanford, Betts transferred to UCLA, and she’s thrived. Her team spent most of last season undefeated, finally meeting their match when faced with cross-city rivals USC. They went on to win the Big-10 Tournament and then made it all the way to the Final Four at the NCAA Tournament as a No. 1-seed.

Betts herself is a traditional center who can put the ball into the hoop, defend the rim, block, rebound, and has a high motor for her height. It’s hard to pass up on a prospect like her, given her size and ability to be a mismatch in the post, but Betts performs in a way that boosts her potential beyond just being tall.

While she was draft eligible this past season, Betts was vocal about wanting to use her final year of eligibility at UCLA. After her sister Sienna Betts committed to the school as well, the older Betts knew she wanted to play one year of college together with her younger sister. The two will be a dynamic duo for the Bruins, who are returning a good portion of their core next season.

Olivia Miles (G) TCU​

Olivia Miles provided the women’s college basketball world with the shock of the year when she decided not only to skip the 2025 WNBA Draft and stay in college one more year, but also to transfer schools. Miles was a prospective No.2-No.3 pick in this year’s draft, and had played 4 years at Notre Dame along with phenom rising junior Hannah Hidalgo and now WNBA rookie phenom Sonia Citron. After missing a year of college with an ACL injury, Miles committed to coming back to Notre Dame for last season. It was expected she’d play this year and then enter the draft, beginning her WNBA career as a top prospect.

Then she dropped the news: she wasn’t entering the draft, but she also wasn’t staying at Notre Dame. In what would be the beginning of a mass exodus of transfers out of Notre Dame, Miles entered the transfer portal. Eventually, she landed at TCU, where Hailey Van Lith had just graduated from the program and become the Chicago Sky’s first-round draft pick.

Miles brings a playmaking IQ to the court, able to pass the ball but also get her own when it comes to scoring ability. While she wasn’t the No. 1 perimeter defender at Notre Dame, since Hidalgo locks up that title pretty easily, Miles can still get it done on both ends of the court. She is a solid point guard option who can score, shoot, defend, and pass at a high level. It will be interesting to see if her draft stock stays on par through her year at TCU, or if the decision to stay in college costs her that top-3 pick status.

Flau’Jae Johnson (G) LSU​

Another player who could have gone pro this year, but opted to stay in college, is Flau’Jae Johnson. I’ve said for years that Johnson would be a great player for the Tempo to draft in their first year. She is not only an incredible player, but her personality is just what you’d want from the young star of a brand-new franchise.

Looking back on that infamous game between Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes and the Van Lith/Angel Reese/Johnson-led LSU Tigers in the 2024 NCAA tournament, Johnson was the only player who really figured out how to defend Clark. To this day, I don’t understand why Coach Mulkey continuously went back to assigning Van Lith to Clark when Johnson was shutting her down more effectively.

So, Johnson can defend, and that’s as much proof as any of that fact. When it comes to offence, Johnson’s height and wingspan make her an automatic mismatch on smaller guards at her position. She can shoot, and her one-legged fadeaway jumper is just as pretty as it is effective. When it comes to players on the board, Johnson is the beginning of the group that the Tempo could actually take at the No. 6 pick.

Ta’Niya Latson (G) South Carolina​

Ta’Niya Latson was the top scorer in the country last season, consistently upsetting various ACC teams with her Florida State team. In a conference that thrives on guard play, Latson was the diamond of the season last year, breaking through from fringe star to full-on national treasure. It was clear she had outgrown what Florida State could offer in terms of championship potential, and when she transferred to South Carolina in the portal, the match made perfect sense.

Now, Latson will play her final season of college on a championship-calibre team that is known for pumping out long-lasting WNBA prospects. She is reunited with her high-school teammate in Raven Johnson and will be coached by Dawn Staley. South Carolina is a Final Four stalwart, continuously making it back to the end of the tournament and rarely dropping more than a few games every season. It’s a great chance for her to raise her game to the next level.

Latson can score, averaging over 30 points per game last season while also dishing it out at a high volume. Those numbers may decrease a little this year, given the change from the ACC to the post-player dominant SEC, but having Latson when going up against perimeter offence teams like UConn, USC, and more will be helpful. She is also someone (currently) in range for the Tempo to potentially grab at No. 6.

Source: https://www.raptorshq.com/wnba-cont...ospects-ncaa-college-uconn-south-carolina-lsu