Ross holds court in return to ACC
Ex-Raptor reconnects (and dunks a little) in Magic defeat
Terrence Ross wasn’t a stranger to highlight-reel moments during his near-five seasons with the Raptors.
January 2014 was a particularly good month for the young forward, thanks to a franchise-record-tying 51-point game against the Los Angeles Clippers and an instant classic dunk on the Denver Nuggets’ Kenneth Faried.
But those moments aren’t what tugged at Ross’ heartstrings as he returned to his adopted home on Monday, his first time in town since the trade for Serge Ibaka sent him and a 2017 first-round draft pick to the Orlando Magic in mid-February.
“Just the team, really, the staff, all the people that I’ve grown to know over the years, everybody you kind of connect with over the years. That’s more what I’ll look back on more so than the highlights in my career and the accomplishments. It’s just the people,” Ross said before racking up 17 points — including a pair of signature dunks — in the Magic’s 131-112 loss to the Raptors. Those people, too, consider Ross family. To Patrick Patterson, he’s a brother. To coach Dwane Casey, he’s like a son. Delivering the news of the trade to Ross last month was admittedly a tough task for the Raptors’ leader, who remains confident the one-time eighth overall draft pick has a successful future ahead of him.
“You watch a young man come into the NBA, he’s wet behind the ears, learning the league and growing up right in front of you, it’s difficult,” Casey said. “But like I told him, it’s a business. As much as I’d love him to stay here for ever it’s not going to happen.”
It’s not like the Raptors “got a bag of doughnuts” for Ross, Casey said. Acquiring Ibaka has been key to Toronto’s defensive resurgence, an important factor when it comes to surviving — and thriving — without the injured Kyle Lowry.
That didn’t make the move easier for Ross, who had never before known the NBA outside of Toronto.
“It’s always just that you’re kind of wondering what’s next, what’s the next step, what’s to come,” he said. “I think that’s the part I was looking forward to. I didn’t know what happens next when you’re traded. It was all a learning experience for me. I just take it step by step.”
He’s still getting adjusted to life with Orlando, but has started all 16 games he’s dressed for. He’s averaging more than 31 minutes and knocked down more than 20 points on two occasions.
Magic coach Frank Vogel has asked him to take on a bigger role than he played behind DeMar DeRozan and Lowry. So far, the boss likes what he sees.
“Like him more than even I thought I was going to like him. He was one of those guys that tortured us when I was in Indiana, big threes and bring a solid defence,” Vogel said.
“To me, the way the league is playing now, the more three-point shooting, ballhandling wings that can guard multiple positions, the more of those guys you can have, the better. He certainly has brought that to the table for us, given us a big lift.”