Toronto Raptors: A few takeaways from the start of preseason

Matt Thomas

There were two standouts in terms of players brand new to the team. The first I’ve mentioned before and have been excited to see play since I heard the Raptors had signed him; sharpshooter Matt Thomas.

In the two games, he combined for 12 points, two assists and five rebounds in 12 minutes of play. Not too shabby, right? On his very first touch, with 1:35 left to play in the first half of the first of the two games, he sunk his first 3 as an NBA player. It was a shot on the move that he got off almost the instant the ball was in his hands. It was quick, easy and confident. It’s absolutely no wonder that he shoots at a high rate of accuracy

With 6:40 to play in the half, he found himself wide open from 3 and already it’s abundantly clear that he’s not someone opposing defenses can afford to leave open from range. I’d already concluded that his shooting would fit perfectly into the style of share the ball offense that I expect to see the Raptors carry over from last season. Now I’ve seen it in action.

My only question when it comes to his shooting is how quickly and easily will he be able to adapt to the way he will be guarded in the NBA? He’s the kind of player that teams will be willing to use up a lot of energy to chase him off the line.

I didn’t see him do a sidestep to avoid a defender flying out at him and he doesn’t seem like the type of shooter that has made a habit of employing a pump fake to bait a defender. In fact, his shooting mechanics are so smooth that I would be concerned that a pump fake would be a liability as often as not. Not all questions can be answered in the preseason and this is definitely one that will require much more playtime before it can be satisfied.

I also noticed that his shot didn’t seem to be as accurate from the baseline as other places. My guess is that he might still have some concern about where his feet are with the difference between the 3-point lines from the Euro league to the NBA. I imagine that’s something that will correct itself over time.

I’ve never been a fan of players that are one dimensional and I know that the Raptors front office is always looking for versatility in their players. With that in mind, I was looking for what else Matt Thomas’ game brings to the team outside of a long-range shot. And I wasn’t disappointed.

Thomas moves really quickly with an without the ball. And while his handles are nothing fancy, they seem to be solid. He’s not a player that would cause me concern when bringing the ball up the court or if due to the way the play develops he finds it in his hands when he’s not ready to shoot. I was also happy to see that he has a solid runner in the paint and isn’t afraid to use it.