Toronto Raptors: 5 Things Learned From Summer League
By Demar Grant
3. Bruno Caboclo is More Trevor Ariza Than Kevin Durant
Mr. Two years away from being two years away looks like he may only be one more year away from being a real contributor to the Raptors. When he was drafted, Bruno Caboclo was touted as a very raw prospect, but also ‘the Brazillian Kevin Durant‘.
Those standards are proving too lofty to achieve, but that doesn’t mean Coboclo doesn’t look like an NBA player. He averaged 11 points, four rebounds and a steal in summer league this year, while shooting 35.5 percent from behind the three-point line on 6.2 attempts per game.
The 2014 first round draft pick lacks an NBA guards’ handle, but he’s been able to use his speed and length very effectively in summer league. Being 6’11” and very long, he can guard 3’s and 4’s.
Caboclo’s game mostly focuses around the perimeter, where he can spot up for three’s at a decent rate, and he’s beginning to recognize when he should cut and screen while in the flow of unstructured offense. He is smooth running in transition, but still shows questionable decision-making in transition, not knowing when to fan out for a three or crash the rim for an alley-oop.
In about a year or two, the 20-year old looks like he’ll transform into a very versatile wing player, who can play small-ball 4 when you need him to in a pinch. You really have to question whether that calliber of player was really worth spending four years on developing though?
Next: Delon Wright