Veteran Scola left his mark on Raps
‘Old man still has it going’ as reserve for Nets
TORONTO For the second time in as many games, the Toronto Raptors faced one of their own.
On Sunday in Orlando, it was Bismack Biyombo. On Tuesday in Toronto, it was Luis Scola.
Scola arrived in Toronto in 2015-16 looking like a depth guy, but wound up starting all 76 games he played, allowing the Raptors to bring Patrick Patterson off the bench where he has traditionally been more effective. In the playoffs, Scola started nine of the 11 games he appeared in.
More importantly, he took a young team and helped it grow, as much by example as anything he put into words.
“First of all, he’s a great dude, a great person,” Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan said. “He’s one of those teammates whose whole aura, his vibe on the court, is great and it brings the best out of you.
“For a guy like that that’s been in the league and been around the block a few times, he brings so much to a team, especially a young team. It’s a cool thing to see him still playing — the old man still has it going.”
Moving to a team that is willing to suffer the mistakes of youth in exchange for development, Scola is no longer a starter now that he’s with the Nets. He has come off the bench in all 23 games he has played and is averaging 13 minutes a night — down from 21-plus in Toronto.
The Nets are his fifth team in 10 seasons after coming over to the NBA as a 27-year-old. His experience both internationally and within the NBA give him a wealth of knowledge that would make any team smarter.
“Just a good dude,” said DeRozan, who counts Scola among his all-time favourite teammates. “He’s the same way every day. It was great when he had his kids around, always in the locker-room, always that family-oriented … type of vibe from him.”