Locked On Raptors

In Episode 1614, Sean Woodley is joined by Joseph Casciaro (The Score, Pound the Rock) to revisit their preseason bold predictions about the Toronto Raptors made the day the 2023-24 season began to check in on just how right or wrong they were. Off the top, they chat about Sean's prediction that the Raptors would be the league's leading transition frequency team -- which they were! -- as well as Cash's prediction that Scottie Barnes would win Most Improved Player. Next, they dig into Sean's proclamation that if Pascal Siakam was traded, it would be to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Chris Paul, Jonathan Kuminga and Trayce Jackson-Davis (whoops), as well as Joe picking Dennis Schroder to finish the season with more assists per game than Fred VanVleet. Lastly, Sean eats a gigantic bowl of crow after reviewing his prediction that Gradey Dick and Jalen McDaniels would be the Raptors' best on/off-driving two-man lineup, while Joe accepts his culpability for picking the Raptors to finish 3rd in the Atlant

In Episode 1613, Sean Woodley is joined by Jamar Hinds (Raptors Republic) to talk about the Toronto Raptors falling 106-102 to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night in a game that featured more exciting flashes from Immanuel Quickley and Gradey Dick, and not a whole much else worth noting from the Raptors end of things. Off the top, they chat about Quickley's 32-7-9 effort that saw him nearly power the Raptors to a win with some late-game shot making, and discuss how the version of Quickley we've seen over the last month and a half will blend with Scottie Barnes once the team is healthy again next season. Next, Sean and Jamar chat about Gradey Dick pouring in 24 points on 6/14 from three, and what might happen next season to help his overall impact metrics fall more in line with the promising eye test evaluation we've seen from Dick in his rookie season. Lastly, they run through The Good (Ochai Agbaji bodying Dennis Schroder, the overall bench vibes), The Bad (at-rim shooting, going 1-15 against the Atlantic D

In Episode 1612, Sean Woodley and Katie Heindl (DIME, Basketball Feelings) chat about the Toronto Raptors falling 140-123 to Pascal Siakam and the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night in the Raptors' final home game of the season. Off the top, Sean and Katie chat about Javon Freeman-Liberty's career-high 20 points, the craft he plays with on offense, and why he remains the fringe guy getting late season run who is most likely to be a part of the big club next season. In fact, he could be the best Raptors G-League success story of the last 5 years. Next, Sean and Katie spend some time doing some Veteran Appreciation for Kelly Olynyk and Bruce Brown, who have been two of the more constant faces on the team over the tumultuous last month and a half, and both figure to be rock solid rotation players for the team next season, assuming Brown is kept around through the summer, which might just be their best course of action with him. Lastly, they run through The Good (JFL, Malik Williams' first NBA points), The Bad (Ocha

In Episode 1611, Sean Woodley goes solo to look back on three memorable games from a mostly dreary Toronto Raptors season that help tell the tell of what went wrong this season and what could go right once the team hits the ground running in 2024-25. Off the top, Sean digs into the Raptors' spanking of the Milwaukee Bucks on November 1st, in which the Dennis Schroder-led starting five demolished the Bucks in transition and turned in one of the few strong defensive efforts that group turned out in two-plus months playing together. Next, Sean discusses the January 7th beatdown of the Golden State Warriors on the road that featured a very early RJ Barrett "holy crap" game and plenty of flashes that the Scottie Barnes-Pascal Siakam-RJ Barreett-Immanuel Quickley-Jakob Poeltl starting lineup might have had The Juice, only for Jak's ankle injury sustained in the game to derail any possiblity of those guys getting time to play together. Lastly, Sean takes a look at the Febuary 26th win over the Indiana Pacers, otherw

In Episode 1610, Sean Woodley goes solo to react uproariously to the Toronto Raptors winning two-straight games over the weekend, first against the Milwaukee Bucks to snap a 15-game losing skid, and then against the lowly Washington Wizards, all the while Immanuel Quickley was freaking awesome. Off the top, Sean digs into Quickley being the standout of the weekend as he continues to show he's not just a scoring guard, but is very much a lead guard  who stands a chance of being one of the best guards in he entire Eastern Conference. Next, Sean chats about Gary Trent Jr.'s outstanding weekend and why he's making case that the best course for the Raptors this offseason is to keep GTJ around as opposed to going and splurging in a so-so free agent market. Lastly, Sean runs through The Good (free-throw shooting!!!), The Bad (the bench guys) and The Hmmmm (the Vince Carter themed dunking Raptor logo that should ABSOLUTELY be the team's main logo going into next season) to close out the show. Join us over on the Lock

In Episode 1609, Sean Woodley is joined by Vivek Jacob (Sportsnet, Raptors in 7) to chat about Toronto Raptors icon Vince Carter getting the call to the Basketball Hall-of-Fame and his substantial legacy in Toronto and Canadian basketball history. Off the top, they discuss their reactions to the announcment, his importance to the history of the Raptors, and how their feelings on his departure from Toronto have evolved over the time. Next, they dig into the question of whether or not, in line with his HoF induction and the 30th anniversary of the Raptors, Carter should become the first Raptor to get his number to retired some time during the 2024-25 season. Lastly, they answer a couple listener questions about Carter's status as the greatest dunker of all time, and some of the stand-out game from his career that newer fans should prioritize watching to get a grasp of Carter's immmense impact at his peak. Join us over on the Discord! https://discord.gg/x988hnuPSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Amazon Fire T

In Episode 1608, Sean Woodley goes off on the Toronto Raptors' suffering their worst loss in franchise history, a 133-85 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves with a depleted 8-man roster to push the Raptors' losing streak to 15 games, a result for which the seeds were planted all the way back at the start of the Raptors when the team's front office opted to waste the first half of its season with indirection and uncertainty. Off the top, Sean chats about how things did not have to be this way for the Raptors, and why even though the losses of Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl may have been unavoidable and out of the front office's control, so many things could have been done to avoid those players going out being the death knell for any kind of competitiveness for the Raptors this season. It's a joke! Next, Sean chats about some of the stand-out performances against the Wolves, both good and bad. Lastly, Sean runs through The Good (the comedy of Malachi Flynn scoring 50 points on Wednesday night), The Bad (30 dif

In Episode 1607, Sean Woodley is joined by Katie Heindl (DIME, Basketball Feelings) to break down the Toronto Raptors' 128-111 loss to LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers which featured dazzling returns to the lineup by RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley. Off the top, Sean and Katie chat about how nice it was to have Quickley and Barrett's dynamism back in the lineup, how they should help the Raptors pick up at least a win or two down the stretch to avoid a 21-game losing streak to end the season, and how those two guys are key reasons why next season should mark a significant step forward for the Raptors. Next, they chat about the vibes of the team not at all matching the 14-game losing streak and overall dourness of the season, with Darko Rajakovic' coaching staff and vets like Garrett Temple deserving a ton of credit for keeping the mood light and positive despite all of the bad stuff that's gone on this season. Lastly, they run through The Good (Barrett & IQ, Barrett's enormous second half dunk), Th

In Episode 1606, Sean Woodley is joined by Vivek Jacob (Sportsnet, Raptors in 7) to chat about Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett both being on track to the return to the Toronto Raptors lineup on Tuesday night against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, as well as the decision to hold out Gary Trent Jr. for rest. Off the top, Sean and Vivek chat about IQ and RJ's returns, and what they're hoping to see them bring to the lineup after they both missed extended time grieving the losses of loved ones. Next, they get into the decision to rest Gary Trent Jr. on Tuesday against the Lakers, unethical tanking, and the Raptors' seemingly leaning into the hopes of keeping their first-round pick this season. Lastly, Sean and Vivek revisit the Convey or Don't Convey debate and reiterate why they think it's healthier for the franchise as a whole to convey their pick to the Spurs this summer and wipe their outgoing pick slate clean going into this summer, as well as the potential ramifications if they do in fact keep th

In Episode 1605, Sean Woodley goes solo to recap the Toronto Raptors' 13th-consecutive loss, a 135-120 defeat at the hands of the Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers in which the Raptors' defense was as lifeless as it's been at any time during this dire late season stretch. Off the top, Sean rejects the notion that this was some sort of moral victory for the Raptors, who to their credit managed one of their better offensive showings in a while, but completely failed to offer any resistance against a Sixers team without its two best players -- a troubling item considering how badly this Raptors team could use a couple of guys popping on the defensive stretch during this phase of end-of-roster evaluation. Next, Sean talks about a strong effort from Bruce Brown, and lays out the case for just keeping Brown around if they can't find a deal for an upgrade on the wing involving his salary before his deal becomes guaranteed for next year. Lastly, Sean runs through The Good (Kyle Lowry, still doing i

In Episode 1604, Sean Woodley is joined by Jamar Hinds (Raptors Republic) to talk about the Toronto Raptors' historically bad 145-101 home loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night. Off the top, they discuss the one bright spot: Gradey Dick's 23 points on 10/18 shooting and the ever-increasing variety with which he's getting his buckets. Plus, how does this current Raptors roster stack up with some of the very worst in Raptors history? Next, they chat about Precious Achiuwa's 19-12-3-1-2 effort in his return to Toronto, and  discuss whether the Raptors should feel any sellers remorse after sending Precious to New York in the OG Anunoby trade. Lastly, they run through The Good (Garrett Temple, Javon Freeman-Liberty), The Bad (Ochai Agbaji's injury, Jalen McDaniels) and The Hmmm (IQ and RJ's pending returns, when the Raptors next win will come) to round out the show. Discord link: https://discord.gg/43sEp9jaSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Amazon Fire TVFire TV recently created Fire TV Channels to del

In Episode 1603, Sean Woodley is joined by Gavin Schall of Locked On Knicks to revisit the Toronto Raptors trade with the New York Knicks from earlier this year that sent O.G. Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn to the Knicks in exchange for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a 2nd-round pick. Off the top, they chat about Anunoby's immeasurable impact on the Knicks, his unfortunate run of elbow injuries, and how his injury history could play into the Knicks' offseason negotiations with him as he hits free agency. Next, they dig into Immanuel Quickley's evolution as a lead guard since the trade, and whether the prolific playmaking flashes he's shown were something Gavin foresaw when IQ was lighting it up as a scorer off the Knicks' bench. Lastly, they take a look at RJ Barrett's incredibly consistent and efficient start to his Raptors career and why his breakout was far less predictable than IQ's. Plus, a quick look at tonight's game, which should be an easy Knicks win, right? Come and join us over on t

In Episode 1602, Sean Woodley goes solo to talk about the Toronto Raptors falling 96-88 to the Brooklyn Nets in a game that saw them break their franchise record for assists in a season, which is pretty cool!  Off the top, Sean digs into the Raptors' breaking their own single season assist mark in year on under Darko Rajakovic, and why it's a pretty amazing thing that the Raptors have maintained the integrity of their play style on offense throughout a season with so much upheaval and variable personnel. It can only bode well going forward, one would think. Next, Sean talks about a strong night from Javon Freeman-Liberty, and why he should be getting heavy run down the stretch of the season as the fringe NBA guy on the roster with the best shot of sticking as a real rotation piece on the Raptors next season. Lastly, Sean runs through The Good (The Wizards winning streak), The Bad (Jontay Porter's gambling investigation) and The Hmmmm (will the Raptors win another game this year?) to round out the show. Join t

In Episode 1601, Sean Woodley is joined by Vivek Jacob (Raptors in 7, Sportsnet) to break down the Toronto Raptors' losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Washington Wizards that pushed the team's losing streak to 10 games, revisit the Norman Powell for Gary Trent Jr. trade 3 years later, and more. Off the top, Sean and Vivek chat about Gradey Dick and Ochai Agbaji serving as the bright spots during the Raptors' 0-2 weekend against the Thunder and Wizards. Next, they chat about Gary Trent Jr.'s return to the lineup on Saturday, and reflect upon the GTJ for Norman Powell trade three years since it went down. Lastly, they run through The Good (Agbaji, Garrett Temple getting run), The Bad (refs taking a night off, losing 10-games in a row and the dread of staring down a lotto coin flip) and The Hmmmm (Can Kelly Olynyk's defense develop? Jahmi'us Ramsey's replaced on a 10-day by Kobi Simmons) to round out the show. Join us over on the Locked On Raptors Discord server! https://discord.gg/RHG8TrNpSupport Us By Sup

In Episode 1600, Sean Woodley goes solo to highlight some of the most hilarious and upsetting stats from the Toronto Raptors' 1-9 start to the month of March, which has seen Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley all miss significant time. Off the top, Sean digs into the Raptors' most-used starting lineup this month, and it's unfortunate distinction as the worst lineup in all of basketball among lineups playing 50+ minutes this season. Next, Sean digs into the many stat categories that the Raptors rank dead last in in March, including win percentage, NET Rating and rebounding rate, as well as Kelly Olynyk's status as one of the single worst players in the league at driving rebounding when he's on the floor. Are there any concerns about Olynyk to be drawn from this month, during which he inked a 2-year extension with the team? Or is this simply a byproduct of being the most important player on the team right now? Lastly, Sean takes a look at how the Raptors have fallen off a cliff in th

In Episode 1599, Sean Woodley goes solo to chat about the Toronto Raptors falling 123-89 to the Sacramento Kings in yet another flat performance for a totally depleted team. Off the top, Sean digs into the recent struggles of Gradey Dick, who finished just 1/8 against the Kings, and has really been hit hard by the losses of the Raptors' top players, perhaps more than anyone else on the team. Next, Sean chats about Kings guard Malik Monk and his potential fit as a free agent target for the Raptors this summer. Could Monk's offensive juice help the Raptors become one of the league's best offensive teams? Or would his lack of size and defense make him perhaps not the best use of the Raptors salary cap flexibility this summer. Lastly, Sean runs through The Good (dunks), The Bad (the bottom third of the NBA just not even trying anymore) and The Hmmm (Tristan da Silva's big night for Colorado) to round out the show. Join us over on the Locked On Raptors Discord server! https://discord.gg/554uxYYqSupport Us By Suppo

In Episode 1598, Sean Woodley goes solo to field listener questions about the flailing Toronto Raptors, the NBA Draft and Team Canada's Men's Olympic roster. Off the top, Sean digs into a question about the Raptors' pursuit of wing additions to their roster this summer. Is it possible to get an OG Anunoby level guy to slot into this team between the Quickley-Barrett backcourt and the Barnes-Poeltl front court? Could they make a big swing trade? Or are stop gap options like Patrick Williams, Naji Marshall or Caleb Martin more realistic wing upgrades in the short team? Next, Sean answers a question about the roots of his general draft skepticism, and why the experience of being a Raptors fan over the last 25 years as surely informed his feeling that going out and trading for established players is a more viable way to build a surefire good team than hoping the luck of the draft is in your favour. Lastly, Sean runs through rapid fire questions on whether the Raptors or Spurs will make the playoffs first, two-big

In Episode 1597, Sean Woodley is joined by Matthew Winick (The Score) to chat about the college prospects Toronto Raptors fans should be keeping an eye on as they watch the 2024 NCAA Men's March Madness Tournament, which begins with the First Four games tonight. Off the top, Sean and Matthew discuss the somewhat underwhelming crop of college prospects this year, as well as why Kentucky is a team Raptors fans should be keeping a close eye due to the sheer volume of prospects on their roster that could be available when the Raptors pick either in the Top-6, with Indiana's pick brought back for Pascal Siakam, or in the early second-round with the Pistons pick acquired in the OG Anunoby trade. Next, Sean and Matthew discuss the key guys at UConn -- Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan - -as well as the two potential Raptors selections at Baylor -- Yves Missi and Ja'Kobe Walter -- and where each of their skillsets would fit on the Raptors roster. Lastly, they run through some prospects rapid fire style, with quick t

In Episode 1596, Sean Woodley is joined by Vivek Jacob (Sportsnet, Raptors in 7) to break down the Toronto Raptors' 0-2 home-and-home weekend against the Orlando Magic in which Gary Trent Jr. played well, but not a whole lot else went right for the freefalling Raptors. Off the top, they chat about Gary Trent Jr.'s back-to-back strong showings, and whether we are any closer to getting clarity on GTJ's role with the Raptors going forward as his free agency draws nearer. Is his shooting worth keeping him in the fold on its own? Can he perform in any context outside of being a starter? And how much could GTJ be worth on the open market this summer? Next, Sean and Vivek chat about a rough weekend for Immanuel Quickley, who up against the length and nastiness of the Magic's defense, showed off some of the areas where he'll still need to improve in order to fully tap into his ample potential as a lead guard. Lastly, Sean and Vivek run through The Good (Jordan Nwora's 3rd quarter on Sunday, Bruce Brown settling in),

In Episode 1595, Sean Woodley is joined by Jamar Hinds (Raptors Republic) to chat about the depleted Toronto Raptors falling to the very bad Detroit Pistons 113-104 on Wednesday night. Off the top, Sean and Jamar dig into why these losses to terrible opponents simply cannot hurt them anymore, as the Raptors are rolling out a roster that is not at all representative of the team they are going to have to work with going forward. The nice part is that they're still sticking to the Darko Ball principles, even if they're not talented enough to really execute it. Plus, is this sad end to the season more or less depressing than the finish to the Tampa season in 2020-21? Next, Sean and Jamar dig into the fringe guys on the roster, and determine where or not they are A Guy for next year's team, with thoughts on Jontay Porter, Javon Freeman-Liberty, Jordan Nwora, Jahmi'us Ramsey and more. Lastly, they run through The Good (Ramsey's windmill dunk), The Bad (defensive rebounding, Ochai Agbaji) and The Hmmm (more IQ talk,