Anunoby a pleasant problem
Raptors coach must find role for forward rounding into form
LOS ANGELES — Of all the problems that could possibly be troubling Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse these days, none might be better than one posed by the mere presence of OG Anunoby.
The second-year forward, the kind of multidimensional player coaches crave, must be giving Nurse fits as Anunoby rounds completely into NBA game shape.
Is Anunoby a starter? A finisher? A shooter? A scorer? A defender?
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
Is Pascal Siakam, the same kind of Swiss Army knife of a player as Anunoby, a starter? A finisher? A shooter? A scorer? A defender?
Yes, yes, sort of, yes, yes.
Both can lay claim to starting roles and both can lay claim to being on the court at crunch time in close games, but it’s hard to see how that works when Nurse has his full team to work with.
Kyle Lowry, Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard are locks — only injury or foul trouble with stop them from being starters or finishers. Toss in either Serge Ibaka or Jonas Valanciunas to anchor the front court and you can see there’s no room for both Siakam and Anunoby.
There’s Nurse’s quandary. “Let’s say they’re both starters for now,” the coach said during the Phoenix stop on the continuing four-game Raptors road trip. The easy way out.
Nurse can see a time when Anunoby, who missed basically the entire pre-season and three regular-season games while dealing with a personal issues, forces himself back into the starting lineup.
“I think eventually, with his defence and perimeter shooting, he probably ends up in our closing lineup and then probably works his way back into the starting lineup, too,” Nurse said of Anunoby.
But Siakam has been a revelation through 10 games. His ballhandling skills are unique and most welcome, he’s a passable rebounder and a long, springy defender who can guard multiple positions.
Nurse has unquestionably thought of what could be a crazy good defensive unit that comprises Lowry, Green, Leonard, Anunoby and Siakam. The versatility in that group would be boundless.
“We’re trying to create a versatile, versatile team so we can compete against the other really versatile teams in this league,” the coach said. “We’re still a work in progress, but that’s what we’re shooting for.”
Anunoby got his second start of the season Sunday against the Lakers, filling in for the ailing Leonard. He had seven points despite missing 4-of-5 five threepointers he tried, and grabbed one rebound while guarding LeBron James about as well as James can be guarded.
It gave the coach more reason to think the 21-year-old will be a major contributor sooner rather than later.
“I thought he gave a tremendous effort on defence and his offence is just a little rusty,” Nurse said. “He took good shots, he made one really good drive for a dunk, that was about it. And other than that, I thought he did a great job on James and we’ll just wait. I think his offence will come; it’ll be there.”
What’s there already is a basketball IQ unusual for a secondyear player. And the ability Anunoby has for lifting up his teammates just by his actions.
“His defensive — what’s a good word? — yeah, his acumen,” Nurse said.
“It just feels like he’s out there and guys are picking off his energy a little bit and playing a little bit harder, and then you have him and Kawhi both doing it. He’s involved in a lot of those streaks, those multiple (stop) streaks. It’s good and his shooting is really, really solid, going to keep getting better and then you’re going to see a little bit more of his game start to shine. His skill work has really improved, he’s just been in and out a little bit too much to let that show.”