Bruno Caboclo Puts His Potential On Display In D-League Debut
Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
The Toronto Raptors announced on Wednesday that they had assigned Bruno Caboclo to the NBA Development League. The 20th pick in the 2014 draft finds himself in Fort Wayne after having appeared in only three games with the Raptors this season, accumulating eight points and two rebounds in 15 minutes worth of garbage time. Famously known as being “two years away from being two years away,” playing with the Mad Ants gives the young forward an opportunity to find his feet in the pros.
On Saturday, Caboclo made his D-League debut against the Iowa Energy. In 17 minutes, the rookie finished with 13 points, seven rebounds, four turnovers, and two blocks. He shot 5-for-14 from the field and 1-for-5 from three-point range.
Caboclo checked into the game in the closing minutes of the first quarter. The Mad Ants immediately ran a play for him on an out-of-bounds — a backdoor cut from the wing, set up by a screen from Chris Porter. Caboclo caught an errant lob from Gary Talton, only to turn the ball over in the process. On the ensuing possession, he left his man on the perimeter to challenge Chris Allen at the rim, getting his fingertips on the ball to record his first block on the night.
It wasn’t until the start of the second quarter that Caboclo scored his first points in a Mad Ants uniform, which came off of a smooth drive from the perimeter. He finished with two more baskets in the frame, one in similar fashion — a drive from the left wing, using his long strides to get by his defender — and the other from beyond the arc. He fired up 10 shots in total in the second quarter.
Caboclo was limited in the second half due to foul trouble. He picked up four fouls in the opening 45 seconds of the fourth quarter. NBA veteran Damien Wilkins was responsible for causing two of those by getting Coboclo off balance and baiting him into leaving his feet on back-to-back possessions. Caboclo returned to the game to score four points in the final two minutes of the quarter.
Although Saturday only gave a teaser of Caboclo’s potential, it’s easy to see why the Raptors were fixated on him leading up to the draft. He still has a lot of developing to do before he can be thrusted into a complementary role but his raw tools mirror those of the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has cemented his place as one of the NBA’s rising stars this season. Caboclo’s 7-foot-7 wingspan serves him well on the defensive end by being able to wreak havoc in passing lanes and isolation. His long strides help him weave his way around defenders, and his lanky arms allow him to finish over the outstretched arms of the opposing team. Combine that will guard-like fluidity and he makes for a tantalising prospect.
Caboclo certainly needs to develop a better feel for the game and grow into his wiry frame to tap into his potential. He appeared lost at times on both ends of the court against the Energy, settling for questionable shots and picking up reckless fouls by getting too close to his assignment on defense. Much of that can be chalked up to inexperience, which is to be expected given his youth.
With the regular season now being in full swing, it’s unlikely that the Raptors practice with the frequency Caboclo needs at this stage of his career. Nevertheless, being one the elite teams in the Eastern Conference this season, they can afford to be patient with his development. If Caboclo continues to get game time with the Mad Ants, it shouldn’t be long until he irons out some of those creases.