Portland, OR – As the Toronto Raptors ready themselves for a playoff run and the Portland Trailblazers inch their way closer to a play-in spot, their respective G-League teams faced off in the Rose City for a two-game weekend series. The Raptors 905 (Toronto affiliate) sit comfortably among the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference and should be a lock to make the postseason beginning later this month. The Rip City Remix (Portland affiliate) remain in contention but need to finish the regular season strong to earn a playoff berth. They entered the weekend homestand riding high after a thrilling overtime win against the league leading South Bay Lakers.
Unfortunately for Remix fans, the 905 jumped to a lead in the first game with easy transition buckets and sharpshooting from Alijah Martin and Tyreke Key. Offensively, the Remix looked disjointed and early foul trouble for 7’2” Yang Hansen didn’t help. Hansen not only provides the Remix with rim protection but also serves as a screener and hub at the high post. With the Remix struggling, the 905 extended a 20-point lead at the end of the first quarter to 27-points at the break and to as many as 30-points deep into the third quarter. But the Remix battled back, cutting the lead to as few as five points before falling Friday night 126-117. Caleb Love led all scorers with 33 points (9-21 FG, 4-12 3PT, 7-9 FT) to go along with 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal in 37 minutes.
Love is on a two-way contract with the Trailblazers and has found some playing time with the parent team while putting up big numbers with the Remix. The 6’3” guard has a scorer’s mentality and does most of his damage driving downhill. He’s got all the finishing moves and plays through contact. Unfortunately, he also has a tendency to shoot step back threes and other questionable perimeter shots at key moments–he’s shooting 23% on eight 3-point attempts per game for the Remix. His handle can be a little loose when running the point which is not his natural position. To his credit he moves to the next play quickly after making a mistake. In this game, with the outcome still in the balance, he threw the ball away on a jump pass. A minute later he nailed a heavily contested three-pointer from the right slot and was fouled for a four-point play. Earlier in the week, Love scored the final seven points to lead the Remix to an overtime win against the South Bay Lakers.
Saturday’s afternoon game was a must-win for the Remix. A loss here would end any chance of a playoff bid. The Remix kept it close through the first half but the 905 started to pull away in the third with hustle plays and hunger that the Remix couldn’t match. Once again, Alijah Martin came up big. He was supported by AJ Lawson. The 6’6” guard out of South Carolina sat out the Friday night game but displayed impressive athleticism on both ends of the floor during the Saturday afternoon game. Lawson, another player on a two-way contract, finished with 20 points (6-13 FG, 3-8 3PT, 2-2 FT), 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 assist in 30 minutes. He’s seen action in 15 games with the Toronto Raptors where he’s contributed 0.96 points per possession.
The Remix seemingly out of this game, once again battled back and this time took a one-point lead with nine minutes remaining. The game seesawed until Hansen had a huge putback off a long Love miss in the closing minutes. The Remix held on for a 115-107 win.
Hansen had his second double-double in as many days, registering 17 points (6-9 FG, 0-2 3PT, 0-0 FT), 11 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 3 assists in 31 minutes. In addition to filling the stat sheet, Hansen also showed good ball handling skills for a big man, leading the fast break on a few occasions including one sequence where he made a terrific give and go pass to Javonte Cook cutting to the basket. Hansen’s footwork and finishing off the block remain raw, but he shows promise. He’ll benefit by hitting the weights in the off season.
The 6’2” Martin finished the weekend with 40 points (15-29 FG, 4-12 3PT, 3-4 FT), 15 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 steals, and 2 blocks in 67 total minutes played in the two games. Built like a middle linebacker, Martin initiates and absorbs contact on his way to the rim or to the mid-range pullup. Martin’s long-range shooting has improved. Last season at the University of Florida he made 34% of his three-point attempts. This season, he’s shooting 42%. He’s a pesky defender on the ball and gets his hands in the passing lanes.
Also, having a solid weekend was the Remix’s Andrew Carr. The 6’11” stretch forward from Kentucky contributed 23 points (8-10 FG, 3-4 3PT, 2-2 FT), 9 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block in 45 minutes. Carr not only played efficient basketball but also smart basketball. He set excellent screens, made the right reads, and spaced the court. Carr consistently boxed out and was first to the floor for the loose ball several times. He also roots for his teammates whether it’s during the pre-game shootaround or from the bench. Carr seems like a glue guy who could stick particularly if he can improve upon his 34% 3-point shooting.
The Rip City Remix fly to Texas to face the Austin Spurs for the final two games of their regular season while the Raptors 905 play a Monday morning game in Salt Lake City before heading home to fight the Wisconsin Herd.
This article was written by Justin Pallari, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Instagram, or on twitter.
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