The Return of a Dynamic Duo | Raptors Today – April 1, 2024

The Return of a Dynamic Duo | Raptors Today – April 1, 2024

What’s going on Raptors fans back inside Raptor the Keel Austine Javon Shepard Randy Urban and good news for the Toronto Raptors and their fans as RJ and IQ have been upgraded to probable so it looks like they might be available for some of these games to close out the

Season so let’s start with the two with with IQ CU I think the Raptors haven’t had a real point guard for a long time so even if this group um you know really wanted to show out what they could do they haven’t had the head of the snake

In the traditional sense RJ how does that change things not just for the team’s chances of winning but also for them finding out what these other guys can do playing with the point guard of the future for this group well for one I I think you get back to watching a fun

Team right I think we can all agree watching IQ play basketball out there and how Shifty he is you know shooting the basketball getting to the rack and you know the ability to pass as well they were playing some good basketball with him and it was fun to watch the

Team was competing um you and if you’re probable like there’s some light at the end of the tunnel with both of those guys and you’re probably in you know these these last eight games a bit more but I think when you have a point guard now it drops everybody back to some of

Their natural positions and we’ve had Gary handle the basketball some and we’ve had a number of guys step up and have Bruce Brown have to handle the point guard responsib guys like Kobe Simmons right so it’s it’s a completely different look when you get IQ that can

Handle the Rock and then continue to hone his craft at the point guard position because he’s learning it as well right he’s generally a guy that can just put the ball in the hole so just watching his growth is Big Time too yeah he’s learning it really well you know

When when I watched him when he first got here I thought wow this kid’s good he’s got lots of skills uh I felt like his decision making was sometimes he didn’t know whether or not he should shoot drive or pass uh just was but now

He’s kind of not not not in a negative way I’m just saying like put in that position of power you have all these you know options at your disposal and now he’s really understood the game really uh figured out when to get guys involved when to you know explode to the net take

That shot um but it’s funny like of course the NBA is going this one way all these big guys that can drive and and and and you still need a point guard you still need a guy a guy that can you know orchestrate the offense get people in

And make things easier for other people just set the table right direct some traffic a bit get guys in a position a lot of times you come down and guys are out you know out of position and you’re not even thinking like you’re just trying to run get to the Baseline run

The wing hard you know get an easy layup and then you’re all out of source you’re trying to run a set and there’s nobody to set it up right so now you get back a point guard that can do that and then RJ I I think it’s it’s fun to watch him

Because he’s going left yeah he’s going left he’s going left and then he’s going left and nobody can stop him yeah but but okay but what what what are the right-handed players going they’re going right there’s no problem with that that’s why it’s F but but you think is

What 80 to 90% of basketball players are right-handed so so they’re going right but how you understand defense and how you default to playing defense the other the other part to this is it was fun watching RJ develop because he be he was becoming more of a

A playmaker for his team he was becoming a passer he was understanding I don’t always have to be in attack mode I my offense will actually open up when I’m making some these pocket passes and forcing the defenses to play a bit more honest so for him to jump back in I

Think it’s going to be special he’s leveled up some of the limitations that maybe tibs and people in New York thought were his game like he’s expanded and shown different things no all his percentages are up y if you look at from from the New York Nicks to the to the

Raptors his shooting percentage is around 55 he’s shooting I think close to 40 from three and that’s hard to do on a team that isn’t winning as much right more expected how come nobody says he’s right-handed oh just force him right like why does nobody ever say that

Force RJ right no Force right-handed guys or left left yeah why does nobody say that like it’s it’s a it’s a like you think that I mean that’s what that’s all I ever heard when I was dribbling if you see a left-handed guy you see a left-handed guy force him right but if

He’s right-handed you can’t force him left like is it just right-handed guys are better going both ways no all right we we’ll look for the answer to that in the in the YouTube comment section but right now we hand you off to who we going to producer Jake we’re going to IQ

Check this out what’s been like getting back and getting into the Rhythm you must be pretty eager to play yeah man um can never take basketball for granted um anytime you get a chance to even come to the gym and just work on your game

And um be around the game that you love is is you don’t take that opportunity for granted so um just good to be back in the gym good to be back in uh Toronto um so I’m excited how supportive has the organization been during this time your

Teammates and what’s it been like being back around the guys oh it’s helped out a lot um this organization has been nothing but great since I’ve been here um the support the love um that they show me over the past 10 to two weeks 10 days to two weeks has been you know

Unbelievable and I’m really grateful for them Understand want to share um uh he was like uh my dad very much in my life but he was just like another father figured to me uh been there every step of the way um college visits first basketball ever picked up he was he was right there with me um and he’s been

With me every step everywhere everywhere of the journey so uh he was somebody that was really close to me all stuff to scout around this team it’s just got to wait till L going to be over soon like with all the people people die and just been a hard hard

Year yeah through all that um God has been nothing short of magnificent you know this whole year uh he’s been with me every step of the way I appreciate him um and just the love that people have shown uh the love I’m going to continue to show even through my loss I

Hope can be an example uh to people that there’s hope still uh as long as you have Jesus so um you know that’s what I try to live by something you want to to Really lock in as you get to transition to the summer I think just the mindset

Of you know the consistent mindset of uh you know just having the the mindset to just come out and be myself every single night I’ve tried to do that but just continuing to um build on that uh every night coming with the approach that I’m going to make

Something happen in the game that I’m going to do something great uh and just continue that every time that I st on the floor thanks for watching the Toronto Raptor YouTube channel check out our latest videos and subscribe for More Trent answers back G Gary side step break got it

Akil Augustine, Jevohn Shepherd and Randy Urban are back in studio to talk about the positive news out of practice that RJ and IQ are on their way back to the court.

0:00 Introduction
0:41 Immanuel Quickley
2:50 RJ Barrett
4:31 IQ from Practice
6:57 Thanks for watching!
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