Caboclo improving, bound for D League
Coaches like growth in game but still a long ways away from cracking Raps rotation
It’s easy to forget when you see Bruno Caboclo on the court, just inches between his outstretched arms and the 10-foot rim at the Air Canada Centre, that there’s still much more room for him to grow.
The 20-year-old Brazilian is on the cusp of his second season with the Toronto Raptors, and while the rawness he showed on court as a rookie is still evident in this pre-season, the growth he’s shown over the last 12 months is obvious to the coaching staff.
“I think the game has slowed down for him,” said Raptors assistant Jama Mahlalela, who has worked closely with Caboclo since Toronto took him 20th overall in last year’s draft.
Caboclo’s pre-season numbers are low — 2.8 points and 1.8 rebounds in 15.9 minutes through five games so far — but the six-foot-nine forward with a seven-foot-two wingspan is a long-term investment.
“What happened in the summer is he got to a point where it started to click and the game started to slow down, his decision making was much calmer and slower, much more relaxed,” Mahlalela said. “Last season everything was coming at him 1,000 miles an hour so he needed the time. Now, his decisions are becoming easier. The things we coached him on last year he can understand more and do because the game is slower.”
Understanding applies to more than just on-court concepts. Caboclo came to the Raptors from Sao Paulo last year not knowing any English. Imagine coming into pro sports and dealing with the varying dialects and personalities that are on the court, in the stands and holding microphones and TV cameras.
“It was so hard,” Caboclo said Friday of that first year, after coach Dwane Casey ran the team through an extra hour of practice.
“This year, I know the plays and I’m stronger too. I have a better relationship with the team.”
On the court, Caboclo is progressing. He hustled back after his turnover Monday night against the Min- nesota Timberwolves and redeemed himself with a firm hand at the rim, sending a Karl-Anthony Towns dunk attempt back at him. The mention of the play brought a big smile to Caboclo’s face and it’s the kind of thing that will endear him to his teammates and to his coach.
“Bruno has made huge strides since last year,” Casey said. “He’s playing with a tremendous amount of confidence and things don’t bother him as much as they used to. He’s right on pace as far as his growth. With his size . . . he can get a corner three off as well as anybody and he’s probably one of our best corner three-point shooters on the team.”
Before Caboclo can begin to truly earn a spot on Casey’s team, he’ll become a fixture this season on Toronto’s D-League team, the Raptors 905. When the Raptors secured the Mississauga-based franchise, Casey said he immediately thought of what it could do for Caboclo, who languished last year in two brief stints with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.
“He needs those minutes,” Casey said. “Last year I think he got screwed a little bit in the fact that he only played three, four minutes (a game).
“This year . . . as long as he can stand up he’s going to play. He’s a big part, all of those young guys it’ll be good for them to go around and play and get good minutes. It’s a huge, huge plus for our organization.”