Locked On Raptors

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,

In Episode 1594, Sean Woodley is joined by Katie Heindl (Basketball Feelings, DIME) to break down the Toronto Raptors narrow loss to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets before taking a look at the ways in which the Raptors have reconnected with their roots as a development-first franchise. Off the top, they chat about Gradey Dick and RJ Barrett's big nights against the Nuggets, and why the blown second half lead isn't really much to get upset or excited about. Next, they dig into the ways in which the Raptors have gotten back to their developmental ways this season, and how the fractured natured of this year's team has helped guys progress in unexpected ways. Lastly, Sean and Katie discuss how the individual strides made this season can be parlayed into cohesive team success in 2024-25 and discuss the single individual skill improvement on the team that could most unlock them next year. Join us on the Locked On Raptors Discord server! https://discord.gg/884S6G8WSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Stitch Fix

In Episode 1593, Sean Woodley is joined by Vivek Jacob (Sportsnet, Raptors in 7) to talk about the Toronto Raptors falling 128-118 to the Portland Trail Blazers in overtime on Saturday night in a game that featured many of the same plot points as Thursday loss to Phoenix: tough start, second-half surge, Immanuel Quickley going off, and Chris Boucher showing out well in a losing effort. Off the top, Sean and Vivek chat about Quickley, who's avergaing 22-6-8 on 60% True Shooting since the All-Star break, giving a glimpse at how tantalizingly high his ceiling as an offensive engine for the Raptors might be. Next, they chat about Chris Boucher logging 31 effective minutes against the Blazers, Darko Rajakovic's comments about him being a center first and foremost, and his future with the Raptors. Lastly, they run through The Good (Boucher, Kelly Olnyk's 15-6-8-2-2 night), The Bad (Defensive rebounding, Ochai Agbaji's decision-making) and The Hmmm (the need for defensive juice on the wings, Gradey Dick's passing) b

In Episode 1592, Sean Woodley is joined by Katie Heindl (DIME, Basketball Feelings) to chat about a spritely, 120-113 Toronto Raptors loss to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night in a game that saw Immanuel Quickley (21-9-18) turn his best overall performance as a Toronto Raptor. Off the top, they chat about Quickley's mastery in the pick-and-roll against Phoenix, his outstanding playmaking mixed with scoring touch, and why he remains the most interesting guy to watch for the Raptors down the stretch. Next, Sean and Katie chat about some of the guys they're finding themselves rooting far hardest to make good on the opportunity being granted by the team's circumstanes, including Ochai Agbaji, Bruce Brown, and Javon Freeman-Liberty. Lastly, they run through The Good (Gradey Dick bombing threes, Gary Trent Jr.'s 30-point outing), The Bad (the strange Chris Boucher saga, Grayson Allen hitting 8 threes on the Raps' head tops) and The Hmmm (The Suns being meh, GTJ's future) to round out the show. Join us on the Locke

In Episode 1591, Sean Woodley goes solo to dig into the worst of the worst from the Locked On Raptors Discord mailbag to dig into questions about the Toronto Raptors, Gradey Dick, the team's uniform design scheme and more! Off the top, Sean digs into where Gradey Dick would go in a 2023 re-draft. Of course, re-drafts this soon after a draft are ridiculous, but Sean is here to please. Does Gradey sneak into the Top-10? Next, Sean fields questions from a consumerism afflicted listener who simply can't get enough Gillette or Subway in their life. Are the Gilette execs stressing the potential loss of Gary Trent Jr. from Team Style? And could another fast food tie-in work as well as Scottie Barnes' Subway crossover does? Plus, what five words would best describe the NBA to aliens visiting to watch their friend Victor Wembanyama? Lastly, Sean fields a question about the Raptors uniforms, which obviously should not be blue and white, and which retired ex-Raptors could suit up for this shorthanded version of the tea,

In Episode 1590, Sean Woodley goes solo to pick up the pieces after the Toronto Raptors found themselves on the receiving end of a 41-point blowout loss to the New Orleans Pelicans that exposed how hard life is going to be with Scottie Barnes and now Jakob Poeltl sidelined most likely for the remainder of the season. Off the top, Sean digs into what a stark physical mismatch this game represented, and how the Pelicans solved the Raptors' one potential advantage with a single substitution choice in the first quarter to put the game away for good. Next, Sean digs into why the news of Jakob Poeltl having surgery on his dislocated pinky finger spells the end of any kind of information gathering or foundation laying for next year's version of the team down the stretch. Without Jak and Barnes, the Raptors identity just isn't achievable anymore. It's purgatory time, baby. Lastly, Sean runs through The Good (The Pelicans), The Bad (Jordan Nwora's spectacularly bad defense) and The Hmmm (Javon Freeman-Liberty) to roun

In Episode 1589, Sean Woodley is joined by Chelsea Leite (Raptors HQ, Winsidr) to chat about the a very busy news day in Toronto basketball, as the Toronto Raptors signed Kelly Olynyk to a 2-year, $26.25 million extension, Scottie Barnes had surgery on his fractured hand, and Shireen Ahmed reported that the WNBA-to-Toronto dream is very much still alive. Off the top, Sean and Chelsea chat about the Olynyk extension, why it makes a lot of sense for the Raptors, and why it validates the decision to trade for the previously pending UFA at the NBA Trade Deadline. Next, they discuss Scottie Barnes' undergoing hand surgery in Los Angeles and why it almost surely spells the end of his season. Plus, how irritating is it that he finished the year averaging 19.9 points per game? Lastly, Sean and Chelsea dig into the reporting on Larry Tanenbaum reviving the bid for a Toronto expansion franchise in the WNBA via his non-MLSE-affiliated Kilmer Group, and why the reports are so darn exciting. Eat it, Ed Rogers. Join us ove

In Episode 1588, Sean Woodley is joined by Vivek Jacob (Sportsnet, Raptors in 7) to chat about the Toronto Raptors weekend split against the Golden State Warriors and Charlotte Hornets and the loss of Scottie Barnes to a fractured third metacarpal in his left hand that could spell the end of his breakout season. Off the top, Sean and Vivek chat about what a bummer the Barnes injury is, especially considering the identity the team seemed to be finding with Barnes as the clear leading man coming out of the All-Star break. Should the loss of Barnes affect the Raptors' approach to the last stretch of the season as it related to keeping their draft pick? And is there anything left for Raptors fan to excited about night to night over the next month and a half? Next, Sean and Vivek chat about Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett now becoming the engines of the Raptors, the strides they've each made since coming to Toronto, and their efforts in a 111-106 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Lastly, they run through The Good (

In Episode 1587, Sean Woodley goes solo to discuss the ways in which the Toronto Raptors new-look roster shares some commonalities with tonight's opponent, the Golden State Warriors -- and more specifically the early Steph-Klay-Draymond Warriors who took the league by storm back in 2014-15. Off the top, Sean digs into the ways in which the Raptors current roster and skillsets resemble those of the early stage dynastic Warriors, with Immanuel Quickley's shooting gravity, Gradey Dick's shooting and off-ball movement and Scottie Barnes' playmaking from the forward position somewhat mirroring the dynamic between Curry, Thompson and Green, while Jakob Poeltl and RJ Barrett in their own ways resemble what Andrew Bogut and Harrison Barnes brought to the table. Of course, the Raptors are not the Warriors, and will almost certaintly never be the Warriors, but considering where Darko Rajakovic has drawn influence from, and the players the Raptors now have, why not try to replicate them stylistically? Next, Sean dives i

In Episode 1586, Sean Woodley is joined by Jamar Hinds (Raptors Republic) to chat about a 136-125 loss to Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks in which the Raptors fell short, but absolutely looked the part of a modern NBA team capable of hanging with the best offenses in the league. Off the top, they chat about how the Raptors' offense helped them keep pace despite a 30-11-16 triple-double by Dončić, and how their recent run of offensive performances has them finally fitting into the league's offensive revolution after years of feeling like they were behind the curve. Plus, some thoughts on how the Raptors' varied defensive looks gave Luka some trouble early, only for the dam to burst in the second half as the MVP candidate settled into a groove. Next, Sean and Jamar chat about an excellent night for Scottie Barnes, Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett. To close out the show, they run through The Good (Quickley, Jakob Poeltl's rim protection), The Bad (Bruce Brown's weird fit, the Raptors' Scottie + bench lineup

In Episode 1585, Sean Woodley is joined by Katie Heindl (DIME, Basketball Feelings) to play a round of everyone's favourite Toronto Raptors parlour game: What's More Likely?!, with questions about Scottie Barnes' shooting, Gradey Dick's job in 2024-25  and the Raptors' push for the NBA Play-in Tournament. Off the top, Sean and Katie chat about whether it's more likely that Barnes shoots better than 38% from three for the rest of the season, or worse than 25%. Next, they discuss whether it's more likely that Gradey Dick starts every game in his second season, or comes off the bench for the entire season.  Lastly, they look at whether a run through the Play-in and into the NBA Playoffs is  more likely for the Raptors than falling back down in the bottom-6 of the NBA standings. Join us over on the Locked On Raptors Discord server! https://discord.gg/ZtkQ34YMSupport Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Stitch FixStyle that makes you feel as good as you look—get started today at StitchFix.com/LOCKEDONGrammarlyWhen it com

In Episode 1584, Sean Woodley is joined by Vivek Jacob (Raptors in 7, Sportsnet) to chat about the Toronto Raptors securing their first 3-game winning streak of the season with a 130-122 victory on the road over Pascal Siakam's Indiana Pacers, powered by Scottie Barnes' fourth triple-double of the season. Off the top, they chat about how the Raptors' roster is now conducive to Scottie Barnes becoming the best version of himself, and how that was put on display in the win over Indy, as every key member of the rotation flashed the ways in which they compliment the 22-year-old All-Star. Next, they give some flowers to Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic, who like Barnes, now has a roster suited to what he wants to do. Lastly, they run through The Good (Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick), The Bad (Bruce Brown, Jakob Poeltl tweaking his ankle) and The Mmmmmmmm (favourite pizza toppings) to round out the show! Join our Locked On Raptors listener community over on Discord! https://discord.gg/9JCxeG9jSupport Us By Supporting

In Episode 1583, Sean Woodley breaks down the Toronto Raptors 123-121 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night in which the Raptors' bench looked as good as it has in years. Off the top, Sean digs into the excellent play of the Scottie Barnes / Gradey Dick / Ochai Agbaji / Bruce Brown / Kelly Olynyk lineup that was a +11 in its minutes, and why the complimentary skillsets of the players involved should portend good things as they get more time together. Next, Sean chats about what a wonderful thing it is to have 48 minutes of center play, as both Jakob Poeltl and Kelly Olynyk flashed the ways in which they can help the Raptors sustain positive play over the course of full games with their similar and yet very different skillets. Lastly, Sean runs through The Good (Immanuel Quickley's audaciousness), The Bad (Jordan Nwora) and The Hmmm (Trae Young's injury and its impact on the play-in race) to round out the show. Join us over on the Locked On Raptors Discord server! https://discord.gg/uyWNvB7kSupport Us By

In Episode 1582, Sean Woodley goes solo to break down the Toronto Raptors' 121-93 blowout win over the flailing Brooklyn Nets in their first game back from the All-Star break. Off the top, Sean digs into why this game was as good a tone-setter for the Raptors as they embark on the final third of the season, and why even though making the play-in is a little bit farfetched, the carrot of getting back into the race can be very valuable for a team looking to lay a foundation for next season. A win against the Hawks tonight, and the play-in race gets a little more interesting. Sean digs into Scottie Barnes' out-of-the-gate energy and powerful transition scoring, the Raptors getting back to their roots by demolishing the Nets in the open court, and the defense showing some signs of connectivity at long last. Of course, it's just the Nets, so let's not get too ahead of ourselves. Next, Sean talks about Immanuel Quickley and Gary Trent Jr. combining for 49 points on efficient shooting and their different stations wi