Raptors’ rookie quick study

Oin Houston G Anunoby isn’t the type to share his thoughts with just anybody.

His media scrums have become almost must-see spectacles as earnest reporters try to engage the Raptors’ likable rookie in conversation, only to be stymied by one- or two-word answers. It’s comical at times as long as you don’t happen to be the one trying to build a full-length feature around a bunch of yes or no responses.

But even before Norm Powell went down with a hip pointer, potentially opening up a spot in the starting five, there was plenty of interest in the 2017 first-round pick.

And now that interest is likely to double as the young man is thrust into a bigger role perhaps as early as Tuesday when the Raptors take on the Western Conferenceleading Rockets in Houston.

For head coach Dwane Casey, Anunoby isn’t the only option available to fill Powell’s minutes, but he does appear to be the most likely candidate.

Like Powell, Anunoby is a capable defender, a willing driver and a threat from three-point range. He brings a physical presence to the starting five that already has a good dose of that in centre Jonas Valanciunas and power forward Serge Ibaka.

“The young man has been playing well defensively,” Casey said following Monday’s practice in Houston. “Offensively, he’s making the right reads, good cuts.

But he’s still growing, Casey said.

“Is he making mistakes? Yes,” Casey said. “He missed a couple of switches. They’re all hard. That’s what this year is all about, those guys growing up and developing an NBA game. That’s what he’s doing right before our eyes. He played well (Sunday) night.”

Casey wasn’t willing to cede Powell’s minutes (assuming Powell doesn’t play), but going to Anunoby seems like a good option.

C.J. Miles is another option Casey could go with in the starting five. But Miles seems to be making the case for Anunoby as a good fit with the starting cast.

“I think the thing that helps him is his strengths don’t take away from their strengths,” Miles said of Anunoby relative to the other starters. “He’s good off the ball. He makes plays and uses his athleticism and length as a big part of the plays he does make. His cutting and getting his hands on deflections and getting out and running is a strength. Other teams might not be as aware of him. I don’t want to say they forget about him, but defences tend to rotate away from him and he’s able to play within space and pick and choose.”

The key for Anunoby is going to be finding a balance between being a floor spacer for the likes of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan and an offensive option when teams put the clamps down on his all-star teammates.