Dial 905: College Park Skyhawks Series, Ulrich Chomche unleashed, and Branden Carlson’s call-up

Recap of the recent College Park Skyhawks 2-game series, plus thoughts on Ulrich Chomche’s breakout game and Branden Carlson’s call-up.

The Raptors 905’s trip to Georgia didn’t go as well as planned, dropping both of their two-game series against the College Park Skyhawks. Both games went down the line, but the Skyhawks’ experience and shotmaking got it done for the hosts, as the Raptors 905 lost the first game, 117-122, and couldn’t sustain playing “catch up” in the second, eventually losing, 95-101.

Toronto’s Two-Way player DJ Carton missed the back end of the series due to an ankle injury. Charlie Brown Jr. finally made his Raptors 905 debut, but he looked rusty, averaging 11 points on 24.8% shooting, 3 assists, and four steals. He’s probably off his rhythm, as he uncharacteristically coughed up the ball 3.5 times per game.

The Skyhawks’ experience was on display, bringing back at least five players from their last season. That’s a rare feat since the NBA G League doesn’t pay these guys enough, so the non-NBA contract players would find greener pasture elsewhere. The Skyhawks showed much more cohesion on both ends of the floor and ran through the Raptors 905 on the first game of their series despite not having any assignees for that game. The Atlanta Hawks assigned Dominick Barlow and Mo Gueye (the other Gueye) for the second game of the series, and they did not disappoint. Gueye, the Hawks’ 2nd round pick last year, contributed 10 points, including 2-for-3 from behind the arc. Barlow, one of the Hawks’ Two-Way contract players, punched 22 points, 13 boards, and three blocks.

Despite the series sweep, the Raptors 905 found some silver lining from these games. Kennedy Chandler is a much better player in the half-court when he’s mixing his game by setting up his teammates more often. If anything, Chandler’s probably the best playmaker on this team, leveraging his threat as a scorer and having a good vision of his teammates’ position and movement, as evidenced by his dimes to Brown Jr., Guerrier, and Ulrich Chomche.

Ulirch Chomche Unleashed

Speaking of Ulrich Chomche. Chomche spent the first two games in limited minutes, averaging 14 minutes of cardio. He was barely, if ever, involved in the half-court offence. Unfortunately, his shifts on those games often had those pick-up ball paces where everyone’s gunning for transition opportunities. It also didn’t help that Chomche’s often out of position, and it’s actually amazing to see him recover defensively whenever he’s out of position.

Enter the second game of the series, where Chomche was unleashed for 24 minutes. The team settled for more half-court possessions when he was on the floor, and he was involved in basic situations, like post-ups and PnR. It’s like there was a mandate to get Chomche more involved, but hey, shouldn’t this be a given? Chomche rewarded the trust by putting up 12 points, nine boards, and four blocks — with his presence heavily contributing to the Skyhawks’ shooting a dismal 42% when he was on the floor. With the Oklahoma City Thunder poaching Branden Carlson from the Raptors 905, expect Chomche to get more reps.

Branden Carlson, The One That Got Away

It was just a matter of time before a team picked up Branden Carlson. All it takes is for him to show that he can make his perimeter shots and be a neutral defender for the most part. Carlson did just that, putting up 14.3 points, 8.7 boards, three dimes, and 1.7 blocks. He also shot 42.9% from the perimeter on 4.7 attempts per game. He was decent defensively but not as much of a threat around the rim as Chomche. Still, given the space and some runway, he’ll block lazy shots and intimidate more than enough.

Carlson has some limitations; otherwise, he would’ve been drafted despite being on the older side of the NBA draft. He’s gonna need to get stronger, as demonstrated by former NBA player Tony Bradley, who abused him down the block when they went head-to-head. He’s also a Kelly Olynyk rebounding all-star, essentially a Luke Kornet starter pack before Kornet reinvented himself as a gimmicky rim fence.

However, in today’s NBA game, Carlson’s skill set is much more critical than having a bruiser like Tony Bradley, or heck, even Bruno Fernando, who’s an undersized beefy centre that struggles to shoot without his hand touching the rim. Even at 25 years old, there’s a case for the Raptors to continue investing in Carlson’s development, given how hard it is to find someone like him in his position. A developed rotational player version of Carlson would make Scottie Barnes’ life much easier, as the team suffers from spacing issues for the entire game. The Raptors currently don’t have any prospect depth at the centre position outside of Chomche that’s expected to be part of the team’s future, so either this loss was a miscalculation, or otherwise, the Raptors have a much “grander” plan.

Game #2 Final Score: Raptors 905 117, College Park Skyhawks 122

Assignee(s)

Raptors 905: DJ Carton (TW),Ulrich Chomche (TW)

College Park Skyhawks: N/A

Starters

Raptors 905: DJ Carton (TW), Kennedy Chandler, Charlie Brown Jr., Quincy Guerrier, Branden Carlson

College Park Skyhawks: Jarkel Joiner, Jordan Bowden, Kevon Harris, Daeqwon Plowden, Tony Bradley

The Raptors 905 played against the College Park Skyhawks last Monday in a fast-paced game, but self-inflicted mistakes prevented them from winning, resulting in a loss of 117-122 in their series opener.

Kennedy Chandler had another strong scoring game, finishing with 25 points and four dimes, while his backcourt partner, DJ Carton finished with 17 points, 10 dimes, and nine boards. Carton nearly pulled off a come from behind win, but had a couple of unforced turnovers late in the game. Quincy Guerrier had another strong game, finishing with 23 points and eight boards. Branden Carlson scored 14 of his 20 points in the second half.

Skyhawks’ Jarkel Joiner led all scorers with 30 points, including five three-pointers. Tony Bradley was a load in the paint, putting up 21 points, 15 boards, and three blocks. Kevon Harris finished with 17 points, nine boards, and nine dimes.

It was a game of cat and mouse for the most part, with the Skyhawks playing keep-away, while the 905ers mounting comeback attempts after another. The visitors could’ve won this game — should have won this game, really, but self-inflicted wounds cost them the game. The Raptors 905 may have won the turnover battle, with the Skyhawks committing five more giveaways, but they could not capitalize on converting these opportunities into buckets. The Skyhawks even outscored them in points off turnovers. The Raptors 905’s pourous perimeter defense cost them early, and late in the game — the Skyhawks drilled 13 trifectas in the first half, and Joiner’s clutch three-pointer was as wide as any Summer League garbage time three-pointer could get. What makes it worse is that the Raptors 905 missed nine freebies, and in the G League, those nine freebies could easily be 22 points.

NBA vet Tony Bradley opened the game by showing his perimeter game, but Branden Carlson won’t be outdone as he hits his back-to-back trifectas. The Raptors 905 had several opportunities in transition but failed to capitalize, as Charlie Brown Jr. started the game ice cold, allowing the Skyhawks to take an early 17-8 lead. Chandler tried to will his team to a 6-0 run, but Kevon Harris went into attack mode, and the Skyhawks couldn’t miss from the perimeter. A late push by the 905ers cut the lead to 31-35 after the first period.

It was a sloppy start for both teams in the 2nd quarter, but the Skyhawks can’t miss from the perimeter, as Joiner nailed two trifectas in a row. Brown Jr. finally found the bottom of the basket, but the 905ers can’t get enough momentum as they keep blowing opportunities like missing freebies and transition opportunities. The Raptors 905 tied the game at 42 apiece via Brown Jr.’s 2nd three-pointer. Still, the 905ers’ proclivity to call for their own number and the poor overall defense allowed the Skyhawks to go on a 20-7 run. Quincy Guerrier was the consistent 905er, putting up a fight on both ends of the floor, scoring seven points in this period, but the Skyhawks finished the half with a 68-54 lead.

Raptors 905 rode on Carlson’s hot hand to start the 2nd half, scoring 10 quick points, including two trifectas. Coach Drew Jones convinced the 905ers to play tougher defense to go on a 21-6 run to cut the lead to 78-75. both teams push the pace in transition, but the 905ers cut the lead to 81-82. However, sloppy plays, poor defense, and ISO ball reared their ugly heads again, which allowed the Skyhawks to end the quarter on a 14-5 run, leading the Raptors 905 96-86 heading into the final frame.

The Raptors 905 got off to a slow start, but Kennedy and Guerrier combined for eight quick points to cut the Skyhawks’ lead to 98-96. Sloppy plays and poor transition defence allowed the Skyhawks to give them some breathing space, but the Raptors 905 won’t let the home team get more than a two-possession lead. Bradley’s layup pushed the Skyhawks’ lead to seven with less than four minutes to go, but Carton scored or assisted on all nine points they scored to tie the game at 115 with 100 seconds to go. The 905ers had a chance to take the lead, but Carton forced the issue in transition, turning the ball over and killing their momentum. Brown Jr.’s two bricked trifectas sandwiched Joiner’s three-pointer, and the visitors had to play a futile fouling game to end the game.

Game #3 Final Score: Raptors 905 95, College Park Skyhawks 101

Assignee(s)

Raptors 905: Ulrich Chomche (TW)

College Park Skyhawks: Dominick Barlow (TW), Mo Gueye (NBA – the other Gueye)

Starters

Raptors 905: Kennedy Chandler, Tyreke Key, Charlie Brown Jr., Quincy Guerrier, Branden Carlson

College Park Skyhawks: Jarkel Joiner, Jordan Bowden, Dominick Barlow, Mo Gueye, Daeqwon Plowden

The Raptors 905 dug themselves a hole that they could not overcome, losing to the College Park Skyhawks, 95-101.

Coach Drew Jones probably did not enjoy how the first quarter went down, as they got outclassed by the Skyhawks in every facet. The hosts drilled five straight trifectas to start the game. The Raptors 905 had more turnovers than assists in the first period (9 vs 6) and, just like the previous game, had six steals that they could not convert.

Coach Jones got the 905ers to play better in the second period, thanks to Ulrich Chomche, an Agent of Chaos on both ends. Kennedy Chandler led the Raptors 905 for the third straight game with 16 points and nine dimes, with some of them going Chomche’s way. Ulrich Chomche had his best game as a 905er with 12 points, nine boards, and four blocked shots. Oh, he also fouled out, as expected, with extended minutes.

Dominick Barlow, Atlanta Hawks’ Two-Way contract player, started in place of Tony Bradley for this game and did not disappoint. He led all scorers with 22 points, 13 boards, and three blocks. Jarkel Joiner had another strong game with 22 points, 7 boards, and five dimes.

The Raptors 905 had a disastrous first quarter, letting the Skyhawks rattle in several three-pointers to jump to an early 13-2 lead, with Plowden scoring eight points. The visitors made some solid defensive plays (six steals in the quarter), leading to transition opportunities, but they got no points to show for it. Worse, sloppy plays led to nine turnovers, compounded by selfish plays and atrocious defense, especially in the perimeter. Coach Drew Jones unleashed Ulrich Chomch like a Kraken midway through the quarter, and he was as wild as it got, looking out of control at times while showing great promise defensively. Luckily, the Skyhawks’ bench cooled off, and with Chomche’s paint protection, they managed to keep the Skyhawks from blowing this game with an 18-32 deficit.

The Skyhawks opened the quarter like they started — hitting their trifectas. Not to be outdone, the 905ers were just as consistent: calling for their own numbers, turnovers, and poor defense. Chomche got his second shift back, and we were indulged by a Chomche post-up with the clock running out, and he gracefully navigated the baseline with a scoop layup for an and-1 (he missed the freebie). The Raptors 905’s perimeter shots started to fall a bit, and Brown Jr.’s back-to-back corner threes cut the Skyhawks’ lead to 39-49. Luckily for coach Jones, the Skyhawks went cold, missing their last nine three-point attempts. Unfortunately, the visitors could not capitalize enough. Still, with Tylor Perry’s second trifecta, the 905ers could close the gap, trailing the Skyhawks 50-57 at the half.

905ers came out with a solid defensive start in the 2nd half, and they’re much more patient in the offense, cutting the lead to 54-59 on Chandler’s emphatic dunk, Tyreke Key’s corner three forced the Skyhawks to call for time, with their lead dwindled to two points. The visitors got their 1st lead of the game, 63-62, with Chandler playing unselfish basketball. Chomche’s minutes, and he’s doing a much better job looking more comfortable on the floor, but he missed an easy putback. The Skyhawks tightened up their defense, and they went on a 15-8 run to build their lead back and take a 77-70 lead heading into the final frame.

The start of the 4th gave the Raptors 905 a view of the future. Chomche was all over the floor, but he’s shown better movement within the structure of the offense and defense. He was featured in several pick-and-roll actions and could roll to the basket and produce! Sadly, he picked up his fourth foul but was probably gassed with the activity and attention. But before going to the bench, he met Plowden at the summit, who tried to dunk in vain. However, it’s still a four-point deficit. Brown Jr. exited the game with a head injury, and the Raptors 905 could not get their offense going. At the same time, their defense had some slippage, allowing the Skyhawks to go on a 14-6 run to take a 97-85 lead with less than five minutes to go. Chomche got back in the game, and another well executed PnR with Chandler spurred an 8-0 run to cut the lead to 93-97.

Unfortunately, Chomche picked up his sixth foul setting a screen, and he fouled out with 70 seconds remaining with the Raptors 905 trailing 93-99. 905ers got the ball back, but Chandler opted for an early three-point attempt, which bricked, and with around 30 seconds left, that’s essentially the game.