How the Raptors' pull-up shooting is supercharging their offence

"You've just gotten a new puppy. He's the cutest thing you've ever seen, and he's running around your apartment exploring every corner with an investigative sniff. He chases a ball across the room and prances back towards you with it in his mouth. This is the wide-open corner 3 of dog ownership. Later he settles in on the couch and his eyes flutter as he stretches and settles in to fall asleep. You would freeze time if you could. This is a layup."

"Amidst their hot streak, the Toronto Raptors have become a team that increasingly takes and makes hard shots. This is important for two reasons: because shots going in the basket scores the Raptors points and because making those difficult attempts opens up the floor for others. In other words, they do what's necessary in order to unlock the sacred spaces of the floor. Making tough shots is one of the keys to meaningful success."

"Ingram and Quickley were both vaunted shot makers in their respective areas of the floor before this season started, but their ability to bang spectacular jumpers had yet to be utilized to its full potential. Ingram made an All-Star team and got eliminated in a couple first-round playoff series. Quickley was a gunner off the bench for some good New York Knicks teams. But the pair's abilities have the potential for so much more."

A mix of tender, everyday moments and basketball imagery opens the narrative, then shifts to on-court performance. The Toronto Raptors have increasingly attempted and converted difficult shots, which both scores points and creates space for teammates. The Raptors' halfcourt offense sits +6.4 relative to league average, the best such full-season mark after filtering out garbage time by Cleaning the Glass. Brandon Ingram and Immanuel Quickley supply the shot-making: Ingram made an All-Star team and suffered early playoff exits, while Quickley proved an effective bench gunner for the New York Knicks. The duo's jumper ability now carries greater team impact.

Read at Raptors Republic