thank you!!
nba stats, raptors | not all fun facts are fun, some are red flags | email: uthayakumar.keerthika@gmail.com
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thank you!!
I'm working on a few projects & have been doing a ton of research. I had to start putting "cage" as a keyword instead of basketball!!
Fun fact: many (many) years ago, newspapers called basketball players "cagers" and the sport was called the "cage game"
The Raptors have waived Colin Castleton, who is coming off a rough Summer League showing in Vegas and was on a non-guaranteed deal.
My good deed for the day: if you subscribe to Office 365, check your plan because they probably upgraded it to one that costs more to force AI down your throat.
wow I feel old
That's former Ryerson Rams assistant Dipesh Mistry coaching the baby Kings!! Mistry was on the bench for the first basketball championship I covered, way back in 2015-16
praying I never have to see a "Colin-Colin" frontcourt during the season
The baby Raptors are 3-0 in Las Vegas, have a +17.0 point differential & are holding opponents to a 0.45 AST/TO rate. That's 39 assists to 87 turnovers in 3 games!
so the baby Raptors have an opponent turnover rate of 33.7% through 2 games in Vegas. that's 63 opponent turnovers in 187 possessions. a turnover every 76 seconds of game time.
The baby Raptors are 2-0 in Vegas! Through 2 games, they've: - forced opponents into 63 turnovers - scored 84 points off those turnovers - combined for 51 points on the break
Hi hello, the Summer League Raptors have scored 57 points off turnovers in six 10-minute quarters.
Fred VanVleet the new NBPA president, per Shams. Hard to find a smarter player.
Double bagel to win a Grand Slam is diabolical
Need @keerthikau.bsky.social to tell us if this is a record for letters on the back of a raptors jersey.
A truly wild reconstruction/recounting of New Orleans' draft night decision-making, via @fearthebrown.bsky.social: intheno.substack.com/p/queens-gam...
Masai Ujiri shared a goodbye/thank you message for Toronto through his Giants of Africa organization
Someone tried to tell me that I was “falling behind” because I don’t use AI to write my game notes or for my stats. I cannot stop laughing hahaha
Blue Jays win an 8th in a row. Haven’t had a longer streak since 2015. Rolling.
Underrated part of going to Summer League this week: skipping a week of rain in Toronto!!
Game 7 of the NBA Finals was 9 days ago!!
FROM SHAMS: BREAKING: The Denver Nuggets are trading Michael Porter Jr. and an unprotected 2032 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets for Cam Johnson, sources tell ESPN.
From Jun 23rd to 5:59pm today: ~$847.8M handed out across 22 deals, including extensions. First hour of free agency: ~$397M handed out across 7 deals, including extensions.
Ran home in the rain because I was scared to miss everything... this is what happens when all the deals get announced way in advance
Will Riley (from Kitchener, ON) is the 22nd Canadian to be drafted in the first round of the NBA draft since 2011. He's the sixth Canadian taken in the first round over the last four drafts, joining Sharpe & Mathurin in 2022, Prosper in 2023 and Edey & George in 2024.
last name comes first with Chinese names!
www.nba.com/stats/draft/...
Yang Hansen is the fourth player in NBA Draft history to be drafted in the first round out of the Chinese Basketball Association. He joins Yao Ming (2002), Yi Jianlian (2007) & Emmanuel Mudiay (2015). HT: NBA dot com
Pelicans in the last week: - gave Indiana their 2026 FRP back in exchange for 23rd pick in this draft - traded for Jordan Poole & Saddiq Bey - gave up the 23rd pick & an *unprotected* 2026 first to Atlanta to take Derik Queen at 13 A 2026 first that's the better of their own or Milwaukee's...
Fun facts about Collin Murray-Boyles: - Led South Carolina with 16.8 PTS. Combined for 90 stocks in 32 games. - During the pandemic, his dad built him a gym so he could practice & workout. - One of his NBA career goals is to win DPOY.
The Raptors don't have to rush into their next big transaction, and they probably shouldn't.
Inside the Celtics' (first?) big trade, Boston's next major move and LOTS more trade talk and NBA Draft Intel ... all packed into the @jakelfischer.bsky.social latest: tinyurl.com/a7wym5va
thank you, I appreciate that!!
thank you so much!!!
Appreciate it!!
Thank you!! I appreciate it!
damn, missed my chance to sell the pic
My 10th season working in the NBA officially wrapped in April but this one felt more special than the rest. It was my first year on my own, where storytelling through stats was my only job. Started a business a year ago, learned some code & got to work with the best people. I’m so thankful.
This is so kind, thank you!!
An elated Alex Caruso on winning his second ring: “Now I got a real one! Now nobody can say anything!” Caruso was on the 2020 Lakers, who won the title in the bubble.
:(
need one immediately haha
Lu Dort wrapped in a Canadian flag with the Larry O’Brien is a vibe
Canadians to win an NBA championship: Mike Smrek Bill Wennington Rick Fox Joel Anthony Cory Joseph Tristan Thompson Chris Boucher Andrew Wiggins Jamal Murray Oshae Brissett Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Luguentz Dort
I'm very annoyed at myself right now!!!
Made an error on the fifth Canadian on an NBA championship stat wrong, got the Justin Jackson's mixed up!!!
OKC is the youngest team to win an NBA title since the Blazers in 1977. They could have as many as THIRTEEN first-round picks over the next seven drafts (7 of their own, 6 additional).
THANK YOU for your incredible season!!!
Portland in 1977
OKC Thunder this season: - 2nd-youngest NBA champion in the last 70 years - 4th team to record 84 wins in a season (reg. season & playoffs) - 12.9 reg. season PPG differential, largest in NBA history - 16-game lead for the one-seed
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the first Canadian to win Finals MVP in NBA history. Hamilton's own.
Michael Jordan (x4)***
The NBA has seven different champions in seven seasons for the first time in league history. 2019 - Raptors 2020 - Lakers 2021 - Bucks 2022 - Warriors 2023 - Nuggets 2024 - Celtics 2025 - Thunder
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 29.9 points this playoffs, the most by a Canadian in a championship run in NBA history.
Only four players have won MVP, the scoring title & an NBA Championship in the same season. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971 Michael Jordan (x3) Shaquille O'Neal in 2000 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander this season
Pacers haven't scored since there was 1:46 left in the third quarter. A non-TJ McConnell Pacer hasn't scored in 12 minutes & 5 seconds of game time.
Questioning the 5:17 that Siakam spent on the bench in the third quarter of a Game 7 IN THE NBA FINALS.
He also spent 5 minutes of the quarter on the bench!!
TJ McConnell scored the Pacers' last 12 points of the quarter. As in, McConnell was the only Pacer to score points over an 8.5-minute span.
Non-SGA Thunder players have scored all 9 of OKC's points to start the third quarter.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored or assisted on 34 of OKC's 47 points in the first half. SGA: 16 PTS on 5-for-12 FG Rest of OKC: 31 point on 12-for-30 FG
It's 32-29 Pacers since Haliburton subbed out with 4:55 left in the first. They're holding OKC to 10-for-31 shooting since then, 32.3%
10 lead changes in the first half, the most in any game this series. It's the most in a Game 7 since Sixers/Celtics in 2023.
If that's what we all hope it isn't, Haliburton is the THIRD PLAYER to suffer the injury IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS.
please, please, please.
no no no
This is very late of me but watching Nembhard guard SGA in Game 7 of the NBA FINALS (!!) makes me even more excited for the future of Canadian basketball.
My prediction is I have no idea and I don't think any of us really do, either.
Sunday will be the first Game 7 in the NBA Finals since Cavs/Warriors in 2016.
brb gonna check for the last time a team was held to 1 made shot in a Finals quarter
Given the circumstances, that's about as impressive a half as you could ask for from Tyrese Haliburton. 12 points, 4 assists, 0 turnovers; gets a couple of 3s to go down, which opens up the drives for floaters; injecting pace with hit-aheads; etc. IND +25 in his 16 minutes, and it's felt like it.
In the first half, Indiana outscored the Thunder: - by 24 from three - by 14 in points off turnovers - by 16 in points off the bench
Pacers hadn't led by more than 10 through the first five games of the Finals. They're up 22 at half tonight & outscored the OKC 36-17 in the second quarter.
How it started: Indy goes 0-for-8 from the field in the first 3:58, down 8. How it's going: Pacers are on a 22-7 run, have made 8 of their last 10 FGA over the last 3:47. 5-for-7 from three.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & Jalen Williams scored or assisted on 103 of the Thunder's 120 points in Game 5. 85.8% of their scoring.
Oklahoma City has scored 476 points off turnovers this playoffs, the most by a team in a single postseason since play-by-play tracking began in 1997. The 2008 Celtics held the previous record (461).
Pacers have lost back-to-back games for the first time since March 10th - 99 days ago. They're down in a series for the first time this playoffs.
SGA is the fourth player in NBA history to score 30+ points in 15+ games over a playoff run, joining Michael Jordan, Hakeem Olajuwon & Kobe Bryant.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has his 15th 30-point game of the playoffs, the most by a player in a single postseason since Kobe Bryant in 2009.
Very silly of me to think I could wrap up a move in the middle of the NBA Finals
Pacers are now 5-4 when trailing by 15 or more this postseason.
T.J. McConnell (undrafted, 6'1) is leading the Pacers with 18 points through three quarters. McConnell scored or assisted on 18 of the Pacers' 34 points in the third quarter.
After making 5 of their first 6 FGA to start the game, Indiana shot 25.6% from the field & committed as many turnovers (10) as they made shots (10).
OKC made more threes in the first quarter (4) than they did in all of Game 4 (3).
First quarter Tony Bradley minutes in Game 5 of the NBA Finals after 5 straight DNP-CDs
11 assists! I remembered 10 but scorekeepers added an assist post-Game 4
We're barely 4 minutes into Game 5, OKC's scored 17 points on 10 possessions. 6 assists on 7 made shots after recording 10 assists in all of Game 4.
Desmond Bane shot 39.2% from three this season & made 164 threes in 69 games. An Orlando Magic player hasn't reached 160+ threes in a season since Terrence Ross in 2019-20.
ok I meant the Mavs got one first***
Lakers got one first for Luka Doncic & the Grizzlies are getting FOUR unprotected firsts AND a swap for *checks notes* Desmond Bane??
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander recorded his 14 thirty-point game of the playoffs, the most by a player in a single postseason since Kawhi Leonard in 2019.
OKC's 10 assists tonight were the fewest in a Finals win since the Bullets had 5 in 1948. OKC recorded 211 passes tonight, compared to the Pacers' 357 passes.
Pascal Siakam scored 20 points on 14 shots through the first three quarters of Game 4. He was held to 0 points & 1 FGA in the fourth.
Pacers made ONE field goal in the last 5 minutes of the game, scored 1 point in the last 3 minutes. They've lost a clutch game for the second time this postseason.
Indiana is up double digits for the first time this series.
Pacers have hit 25 corner threes through 3.7 games this series. They hit 18 corner threes combined in 6 games against the Knicks.
Indy went 2:52 with both Haliburton & Siakam on the bench. OKC only won those minutes by 1.
Mathurin's 27 points were the most off the bench in the Finals since Jason Terry in 2011. It's also the most points a Canadian has scored off the bench in NBA playoff history.
had to retweet because I left the after three games part out the first time & did not phrase well smh
The Pacers are just the third team seeded No. 4 or lower to take a lead in the NBA Finals after three games … and the first to do so since the sixth-seeded (and eventual champion) Houston Rockets in 1995.