Raptors add offence, they hope
Former Celtic Pietrus should help on wings
If nothing else, perhaps Mickael Pietrus can help improve the dark mood that’s hovering over a struggling Raptors team.
“I always keep a smile on my face no matter what the situation is,” the newest Raptor said Friday morning after signing a one-year deal with Toronto.
But despite Pietrus’s self-professed permanent happiness, the Raptors wouldn’t care if he was grumpy and surly as long as he can provide some offence to the weakest spot on the roster.
Pietrus played 32 mostly solid minutes against the Phoenix Suns Friday night at the ACC, chipping in with six points, two rebounds, a steal and a blocked shot.
The 30-year-old will indeed make his teammates and coaches smile if he can match his career 35 per cent efficiency from three-point range for a Toronto team that gets no consistent scoring from the small forward spot.
“It’s been one of our Achilles heel since Alan (Anderson) and Landry (Fields) went down (with injuries),” said coach Dwane Casey. “Points were at a deficit at that position.
“Mickael has played a lot of basketball . . . he’s an experienced wing player that gives us what we need.”
Pietrus, listed at 6-6, 215 pounds, has been idle since finishing last season with the Boston Celtics. He’s been at home in France working with his former European league team Pau Orthez and waiting to find NBA employment. Teams weren’t beating down the doors to sign him — Indiana had some recent interest — and when the Raptors offered a chance to play right away, he jumped at it. “I’ve always wanted to be a Raptor,” Pietrus said. “I came here last year.” The Raptors were intent on bringing in the nine-year veteran a year ago but shied away because of issues with Pietrus’s knee. He rehabbed it right after the lockout, signed with the Celtics but didn’t draw any interest from Boston this summer. He’ll play on a one-year, veteranminimum contract worth just over $1 million for Toronto, which waived Dominic McGuire to create a roster spot.