NOGUEIRA BRINGS IT WHEN RAPS NEED HIM
Centre continues to tease NBA club with potential that could earn him big minutes
Lucas Nogueira had one of those games again.
One of those games where you look up and Nogueira is at the rim either protecting it and forcing drivers away from the hoop or slapping away scoring attempts with regularity.
On the other end, he’s setting screens and effortlessly flowing to the rim in time to throw down a dunk off a rainbow lob from Kyle Lowry.
When you see that Nogueira, you think of the endless possibilities for the player and the team when he is this engaged. You see seven feet and 241 pounds of endless arms and legs and you wonder how he has not already established himself as a full-time rotation player.
Nogueira, coming off a two-game absence due to a sprained ankle, gave the Raptors exactly what they needed Monday night in a gratifying win against a fully healthy Portland Trail Blazers side. The Raptors may have limped into Portland with injuries that kept starting centre Jonas Valanciunas and starting power forward Serge Ibaka out of action, but they left with heads held high after a defensive tour de force that included a six-point, one-field-goal second quarter by one of the elite scoring teams in the league. Nogueira was a big part of that. But when it comes to Nogueira, we’ve been here before.
At times in his Raptors existence, he has come to the rescue in periods of injury with big performances only to turn around at his next opportunity and come up small.
It’s called consistency and it is one of the toughest aspects of being a professional athlete. Those who have it dress every night. Those who don’t have their moments, but never appear to reach their full potential.
This isn’t news when it comes to Nogueira. His combination of size, athleticism and quickness are the stuff of which NBA general manager’s dream.
But his inability to bring that on a steady basis is what can also turn a GM’s hair grey. Toronto GM Bobby Webster, for the record, has not begun greying — yet.
This is not an indictment of Nogueira the player. Every player matures at his own pace. There is no template for that.
But it is also true that professional sport is an impatient and somewhat unforgiving business.
Nogueira is 25 years old. He has been in the league for four years and has a total of 95 games under his belt.
Some of that is opportunity, but some of that is his own inability to turn the opportunities he has had into more something longer lasting.
“When Lucas’ head is right, he is unbelievable,” point guard Lowry said following Monday’s win. “When he’s engaged and he’s into it, we know what he can do. He just has to do it consistently. That’s the biggest thing I challenge him with. Be a shot-blocker, be dominant on the defensive end every night.”
Head coach Dwane Casey liked what he saw from his centre on this occasion.
“I thought Lucas came in and did a good job protecting the rim, discouraging drives,” Casey said. “People forget how active he is around the rim.”
Lowry didn’t say it, nor did Casey, but another part of that next step for Nogueira is being available every night.
Warranted or not, Nogueira has developed a reputation for being hit and miss when it comes to being available on a nightly basis. Nicks and bruises that others might play through have prevented Nogueira in the past from being available to answer the call.
Nogueira needs to overcome that. The Raptors need Nogueira to overcome that.
Monday’s game could be the start of that for Nogueira.
When Lucas head is right, he is unbelievable. When he’s engaged and he’s into it, we know what he can do.