Raptors 905 Win D-League Title, Siakam Named MVP

The Raptors 905 managed to make history on Thursday night by becoming the first pro basketball team from the GTA to capture their league championship.

The Raptors 905 managed to battle back from a 1-0 series deficit versus the RGV Vipers in the best of three final, and capped it off with a 122-96 win on Thursday night at the Hershey Center in Mississauga.

The Vipers managed to make it a game in the second quarter with the score tied at 45, but following a run to close out the half, this game was never really in question.

Bruno Caboclo picked the perfect time to have a career night, dropping 31 en route to a title.

Caboclo’s best scoring came from behind the arc, a number of wide open threes the Vipers were willing to let him have.

Meanwhile, the “effort” factor on defence that has been a main criticism of coaches and fans alike was nowhere to be found, as Caboclo was all over the place blocking shots and creating turnovers.

This is the finals after all, but if Caboclo can show that level of energy and consistency from behind the arc, he may very well become a factor on the big roster, or a valuable trade piece, very closely down the road.

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No one managed to make a bigger impact for the 905 throughout the series, however, than finals MVP Pascal Siakam.

After starting out on the main roster as the defacto replacement for departed Bismack Biyombo, Siakam struggled in the early part of the season.

As time went on, Siakam’s production continued to dip, and change was needed for both him and the main roster.

Siakam could have taken this as a slight by being sent down to the D-League, as a few players before him on this team have, and maybe he did for the first little bit, but his energy never dropped.

Just Thursday night alone, both he and Caboclo were counted on by their head coach to deliver, and every time they were on the floor, they did just that on both ends.

Which now brings us to head coach (not for long), and NBA D-League Coach of the Year, Jerry Stackhouse.

What. A. Season.

In his first year ever being a professional head coach, Stackhouse got everything and more out of this young, talented bunch.

Throughout the year, I heard many players on this roster discuss just how hard he worked them, just how high his standards were, and how he’d let them know about it during every drill, play, and scrimmage.

His goal was to get them ready for “the show”, to remind them that all of their talent is relatively equal, and it was effort that was going to get them minutes.

Being a former All-Star himself, Stackhouse brought a certain pedigree to the position no one on this roster could challenge, a factor that plays a considerable role when used wisely.

But it hasn’t just been that alone. Stackhouse managed to create a fast-paced offence that still focused on finding the open man, something the Raptors 905 abused maliciously in the second half, when the Vipers’ legs began to give out from under them.

So what’s next for these three?

For Siakam and Caboclo, the lessons taken from this season should linger throughout their careers. Both of them would rather be in the NBA, but learning how to win, and to understand the amount of effort it takes on any level, has turned out to be their blessing during this time in the minors.

Do not expect both of these guys on the 905 roster next season. One way or another, they’ve proven they can hang after such a dominating season with this team.

Stackhouse will likely not return as head coach either. Between team officials and players themselves raving about the work he did this season, just about any struggling NBA franchise would love to have him, and they’re plenty of those at this time.

For now, Raptors fans should rejoice and feel proud of this moment. To clinch a championship is hard for any team, but to come back from being down in the series, and to win it in only your second year of existence, is almost unheard of at any pro level.

Next: Raptors Hang Tight to Beat Bucks and Advance to 2nd Round

It’s not an NBA title, but it’s a sign that the future of Raptors basketball just might be the brightest in the NBA.