Catch. Fake. Shoot. Repeat.
In the ongoing search for the shooting range that’s lately been elusive to members of the Toronto Raptors, Serge Ibaka spent a good part of Friday afternoon throwing up game-simulated practice reps like so many sacrifices to the basketball gods. Low-block bank shots. Thick-of-the-paint mini hooks. Mid-range pull-up jumpers. Catch. Fake. Shoot. Repeat. With occasional doubled-over breaks for oxygen.
To give you an idea of the organizational importance of the endeavour, no less than two members of the coaching staff — Canadians Jamaal Magloire and Jon Goodwillie — rode along to inject rebounding and passing and token defence to this most urgent of individual workouts.