Jun 23, 2016; New York, NY, USA; Jakob Poeltl (Utah) is interviewed after being selected as the number nine overall pick to the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
With the Toronto Raptors' 2016-17 NBA season now over, it's time to look back on the performances of each player. Moving from the youngsters, to the bench, to the starters, we'll grade each player's 2016-17 season and evaluate his future with the franchise.
Our first batch of exit interviews comprises the youngsters who flitted between the NBA and the D-League.
Toronto Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri filled in his roster with recent draft picks rather than veteran free agents. As a result, Toronto came into the season with a young bench. In total, six of Toronto's 15 players were rookies or second-year players.
Five of those six saw less than 1,000 minutes this season, and they all showed differing levels of potential and progress. Today, we'll be taking a look back on their 2016-17 NBA seasons with player grades for Bruno Caboclo, Fred VanVleet, Delon Wright, Jakob Poeltl and Pascal Siakam.
Each of them will get an admittedly arbitrary grade that represents their progress and performances in 2016-17. These grades – and I cannot stress this enough – are relative to preseason expectations.
Bruno Caboclo
Did anyone really think Bruno Caboclo would play significant minutes for the Raptors this season?
Fran Fraschilla called Bruno "two years away from being two years away" after he was taken 20th overall in the 2014 NBA Draft. All arms and legs at 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, Bruno was and remains a project.
His progression this season, however, has been underwhelming. While Bruno was unlikely to feature heavily for Toronto, it was reasonable to expect a leap in production for the Raptors 905, Toronto's D-League affiliate.
After averaging 14.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks for 905 a season ago, Bruno played fewer minutes in 2016-17, and saw his per-minute production stagnate. When called up to the big league, he appeared in just nine games for a total of 40 minutes.
That said, Bruno did contribute when it mattered most, pouring in 31 points to seal the D-League title for Raptors 905. His tantalizing skillset was on full display that game – straight-line drives, spot-up threes, above-the-rim athleticism and defensive playmaking.
If Fraschilla was correct, Bruno is still one year away. That seems about right. According to those privy to D-League basketball, Bruno projects as a stretch-4 with high defensive upside.
Before he reaches that level, he'll need to improve his 34.6 percent shooting from deep and get more experience guarding NBA-level players. Maybe after his ho-hum third year in the D-League, Toronto's front office will decide that Bruno needs to develop alongside the big boys.
Grade: C
May 5, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet (23) tries to knock the ball away from Cleveland Cavaliers guard Deron Williams (31) during game three of the second round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Fred VanVleet
We now move from a virtual unknown who was drafted for his upside to a college star who wasn't drafted at all.
Unlike Bruno, VanVleet mostly stuck around in Toronto. After appearing in 37 games for the Raptors during the regular season, VanVleet saw meaningful minutes in the Eastern Conference semifinals against Cleveland. For any young player – let alone an unheralded rookie – that's excellent.
The 23-year-old point guard can't really be judged off his statistics. He played just 294 minutes and shot the ball just 111 times. But it was critical for VanVleet to show a three-point shot. Standing at six feet and lacking elite athleticism out of college, per DraftExpress, VanVleet needs to shoot well to stick in the league.
He canned 13 of his 34 three-point attempts with Toronto, and went a sizzling 22-for-56 with Raptors 905. Toronto head coach Dwane Casey played VanVleet over Delon Wright against Cleveland for exactly that reason.
VanVleet may only top out as a third point guard or a low-end backup. But that's fine. He came in with a measly salary and no expectations, and he emerged as one of Raptors 905's best players and as a fringe bench guy for Casey.
Barring the acquisition of a new point guard in the upcoming draft, expect a similar role next season for VanVleet.
Grade: B-
Apr 20, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Delon Wright (55) drives for the basket against Milwaukee Bucks forward Michael Beasley (9) in the second quarter in game three of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Delon Wright
One year better but one year older.
This is why teams prefer not to draft 23-year-old prospects. At 25, Wright is already the same age as Cory Joseph, who has four more years of NBA experience. Due to a labral tear suffered in Summer League, Wright played just 446 regular season minutes for Toronto this season, not nearly enough for a player his age.
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It's tough. Kyle Lowry is a top-10 point guard in the entire league, and Joseph is a high-end backup capable of logging big minutes.
That said, Lowry's midseason wrist injury gave Wright a chance, and he put in okay performances throughout the second half of the year. Offensively, Wright posted a steady 2.26 assist-to-turnover ratio, and at least matched Joseph's three-point shooting (that isn't saying much, though).
Defensively, Wright used his 6'5" frame to great effect. He held his marks to 40.3 percent shooting and swiped 2.2 steals per 36 minutes. Wright is atypically reliable on defense for a second-year player, and his solid play on that end is pretty universally recognized as his calling card.
Right now, the young guard is probably good enough to serve as a low-end backup for Lowry. Joseph has a tradable contract that may need to be moved so Toronto can duck the luxury tax. Wright's improvement over the summer will determine whether Joseph is expendable.
Grade: B-
Feb 15, 2017; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors center Jakob Poeltl (facing camera) and guard Kyle Lowry (7) celebrate a 90-85 win over the Charlotte Hornets at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Jakob Poeltl
Having pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to six games in the 2016 Eastern Conference Finals, the Raptors were playing with house money when they selected Jakob Poeltl with the ninth pick in the draft.
Joining a winning team as a 20-year-old rookie is rough, and Poeltl did about as well as expected. A natural center, Poeltl had to contend with Lucas Nogueira for backup minutes behind Jonas Valanciunas.
While Poeltl is younger than Nogueira and had a sparkling college career, Nogueira has cut his teeth the past few years for a chance to play. As a result, Poeltl earned only 626 regular season minutes.
In that time, the big Austrian barely ever touched the ball, finishing with a usage rate of just 12.1 percent. After serving as Utah's go-to scorer in college, Poeltl put up just 9.5 points per 36 minutes during his rookie year.
But like VanVleet, Poeltl flashed a couple of key skills. First, he was a merciless offensive rebounder, gobbling up 14.1 percent of available offensive boards. For reference, that's a higher number than that of Tristan Thompson, who is a savant on the offensive glass.
Second, Poeltl had little difficulty finishing over pro defenders on the interior. Unless he develops a jump shot, Poeltl will be limited to dump-offs and rim-running at the NBA level. In that role, he shot an efficient 58.3 percent from the floor. At 7-foot-1 with a 9-foot-3 standing reach, Poeltl welcomes contact and has legitimate NBA athleticism.
Big bodies are valuable in the NBA, and Poeltl has one. How he uses it will determine whether he eventually becomes starter or a backup. Next season, expect Poeltl to once again compete with Nogueira for reserve center minutes; this time, maybe Poeltl will win out.
Grade: B
Dec 2, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam (43) goes up to dunk against the Los Angeles Lakers at Air Canada Centre. The Raptors beat the Lakers 113-80. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Pascal Siakam
The Raptors started who for the first half of the season? Pascal Siakam was a no-name rookie out of New Mexico State who somehow made 38 starts at power forward for Toronto.
Let's be clear, Siakam did not play well. He played like the 27th overall pick in the draft, which is to say he played pretty poorly. Toronto's early-season starting lineup with Siakam was outscored by 8.8 points per 100 possessions. That's putrid.
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Siakam did little to help the Raptors this season. But in return, the Raptors did everything to help Siakam. The 23-year-old received a baptism of fire against the best basketball players in the world. He may only have played 859 minutes, but that time is more valuable than 1,500 garbage time minutes.
And Siakam did show flashes of a credible, perhaps even intriguing NBA big man. He made just 35.7 percent of his catch-and-shoot jumpers, but he has the framework of a reliable jump shot. He'll continue to refine his stroke, with the goal of eventually developing a corner three.
Siakam's greatest strengths lie on the other end of the floor. The Cameroon native blocked 1.9 shots per 36 minutes, an elite number for a rookie with middling size. He also displayed decent lateral quickness when forced to guard the perimeter.
With a 7-foot-3 wingspan, Siakam has the potential to be a plus-defender all across the floor. Few players are capable for protecting the rim and switching onto wings.
Siakam isn't there yet. He rebounded like a wing, didn't shoot well enough, and isn't much of a passer. The Raptors also played better defense with the rookie on the bench. But Siakam dominated the 12 games he played for Raptors 905, and got invaluable experience at the NBA level. Siakam is too good for the D-League, and he may be good enough to cement a place in the Raptors' rotation next season.
Grade: A-
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