07-18-2025, 05:08 AM
(This post was last modified: 07-18-2025, 05:10 AM by HoosierDaddyKid.)
A.J. Lawson makes a case
One of the standouts of the Summer League for the Raptors through the first three games was A.J. Lawson.
He looked as assertive as ever on offense, provided a big boost of scoring off the bench, and seemed to fit well into the team’s aggressive defensive style. He’s averaging 20.7 points in 23.7 minutes on 56.7 per cent field goal shooting (57.1 per cent from three) before Thursday’s game against the Golden State Warriors.
What I’m hearing from around the NBA at Summer League: Masai, Giannis, and a Flavor Flav shoutout
Raptors Insider
What I’m hearing from around the NBA at Summer League: Masai, Giannis, and a Flavor Flav shoutout
It would lead many to think the native of Mississauga would have a leg up on the final vacant roster spot Toronto has for the coming season.
But as many mentioned during a week of games in Las Vegas, a three-year NBA veteran is supposed to have a big impact on Summer League games; if he didn’t, that’d be a cause for concern.
So as good as Lawson has been, it’s unwise to even pencil him in for a roster spot — “lots of basketball between now and training camp cuts,” one executive warned.
The same point is being made about the entire Raptors roster. They’ve certainly played well and the team’s defense was outstanding through the first three games, but as a handful of executives pointed out, it’s a team that includes seven players who spent time in the NBA last season, and if they weren’t successful, that’d also be a cause for concern.
One of the standouts of the Summer League for the Raptors through the first three games was A.J. Lawson.
He looked as assertive as ever on offense, provided a big boost of scoring off the bench, and seemed to fit well into the team’s aggressive defensive style. He’s averaging 20.7 points in 23.7 minutes on 56.7 per cent field goal shooting (57.1 per cent from three) before Thursday’s game against the Golden State Warriors.
What I’m hearing from around the NBA at Summer League: Masai, Giannis, and a Flavor Flav shoutout
Raptors Insider
What I’m hearing from around the NBA at Summer League: Masai, Giannis, and a Flavor Flav shoutout
It would lead many to think the native of Mississauga would have a leg up on the final vacant roster spot Toronto has for the coming season.
But as many mentioned during a week of games in Las Vegas, a three-year NBA veteran is supposed to have a big impact on Summer League games; if he didn’t, that’d be a cause for concern.
So as good as Lawson has been, it’s unwise to even pencil him in for a roster spot — “lots of basketball between now and training camp cuts,” one executive warned.
The same point is being made about the entire Raptors roster. They’ve certainly played well and the team’s defense was outstanding through the first three games, but as a handful of executives pointed out, it’s a team that includes seven players who spent time in the NBA last season, and if they weren’t successful, that’d also be a cause for concern.