Raptors hand Dalano Banton the reins in pre-season loss to Bulls
Banton #Banton
Dalano Banton ran the offence and he ran the floor, calling plays one moment and finishing on the break the next.
Exactly the kind of all-around outing Raptors coach Nick Nurse wanted as Toronto played its lone home pre-season game on Sunday night.
“Mixing it up for him is the ideal thing,” Nurse said before the Raptors dropped a 115-98 decision to the Chicago Bulls at Scotiabank Arena, leaving Toronto 2-2 on the pre-season.
“To just give him the ball all the time — time after time after time — I think lessens one of his big strengths, which is cutting and receiving at the end of (the cuts) and getting out and running a little bit … Mixing it up for him is what we’re trying to get to.”
Figuring out where Banton fits best is one of the ongoing stories of the pre-season, but he does usually energize the Raptors whenever he’s on the court. The six-foot-nine native of Rexdale played 17 minutes on Sunday and had 11 points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal.
But the key was the variety of ways he scored. He had a pretty finish in transition off a Thad Young pass, tipped in a Pascal Siakam miss with an offensive rebound, and ran the team as a more traditional point guard for a few minutes.
Champagnie returns
After missing the first three pre-season games with hip soreness, Justin Champagnie made his pre-season debut. And given he’s in a fight with a couple of others for the last roster spot, it was not a minute too soon.
“I think that’s really important for him (to get into games) because it’s not like the other guys haven’t piqued some interest,” Nurse said.
Josh Jackson and D.J. Wilson are seen as Champagnie’s biggest competitors. All played a chunk of the fourth quarter Sunday, but none made any significant impact that would give them an edge.
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