905ers battle to get back to the 416
Raptors D-League affiliate helps Nogueira and Caboclo work on their game
“I think you guys saw my interview yesterday,” Lucas Nogueira said on Wednesday, before the questions came to the seven-foot centre from Brazil.
The 23-year-old is in his second season with the Toronto Raptors and has eight games to his name. Over the weekend, he put in a quarter of that with Raptors 905, the team’s D-League affiliate, as it dropped a pair of games in Fort Wayne, Ind., against the Mad Ants.
He’s averaging 9.5 points, nine rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 24 minutes per night, minutes that weren’t available to him with the Raptors, who are in the middle of a five-game Westcoast road swing this week.
Nogueira’s point, referencing the previous day’s interview, is to say that he’s not happy to be here, not happy that he’s missing the Raptors trip. He means it in the best possible way.
“Honestly, it feels strange. I feel strange, I’m not going to lie to you,” he said. “I like to tell the truth and say whatever I want and I feel strange because I played as a pro for a long time (his pro career started in Spain in 2009, his NBA journey started in 2013) and now I’m going to use the D-League to work on (my game). I’m going to try to do the best I can and see if I have a chance to play on the first team again.”
These aren’t the words of a malcontent, or of a player on an NBA contract playing in a league that’s beneath him. As honest as Nogueira is, he’s doing the right things.
As much as Raptors 905 was created this past year to help a player such as Nogueira and, more specifically, his fellow Brazilian and Raptor teammate Bruno Caboclo, these stays are meant to be short-lived.
Raptors 905 is their team for now, but you never want to come to be known as Mr. 905.
“A lot of people . . . come to talk to me after (Tuesday’s) interview,” Nogueira said. “I am (happy to be here) but . . .” he trails off and shrugs. “You know? I want to work on my game, all of those things. I’m here. Happy? Smiling? No. Right now, no, I’m regular.”
Minor-league teams always have a different feel. They’re transient in their construction, the ‘D’ in Development League always serving as that reminder.
The 905 team and their opponent in their Thursday home opener at Hershey Centre, the Maine Red Claws, are just two of 19 teams full of people eying their next professional move.
“I’m going to try to develop my game, is the most important thing and help (coach) Jesse (Mermuys) have the best season ever and help my teammates have a better chance to play in the NBA and get better contracts,” Nogueira said. “This is my goal: help everybody get better, (personally) and as a player.”
Nogueira is in a unique position. While Caboclo has a green light offensively and will have plays run for him as long as he’s on this team (he scored 25 in Sunday’s loss and is averaging 20.5 and 9.5 rebounds in 34 minutes so far), Nogueira works more as a freelancer.
“I came to the NBA because I grab offensive rebounds and dunk,” he said, noting that it’s hard to run a play for that.
He’s happy to watch Caboclo fire away — learning what good and bad shots are in the process, Mermuys will tell you — and try to dunk what his teammate can’t finish.
“He needs that,” Nogueira said of Caboclo. “He needs to play 30-plus minutes, shoot how many balls he wants.
“I think the D-League is a great opportunity to show the coach and the GM the potential he has.”
One of the many challenges for Mermuys this year will be to develop Caboclo and Nogueira, while keeping Raptors coach Dwane Casey’s eventual roles for them in mind.
“As the season goes on, with all the guys that come down and go back and forth, we’ll be able to figure that out and just find the sweet spot where we’re giving them some leash but it’s not getting out of control,” Mermuys said.