Raptors delighted with ‘Huancho effect’: ‘He’s always joking and rapping…’

No chemistry, no happiness on the track.Whatever your talents are, the first thing when you walk into the locker room is to be liked. Juancho, Apart from play, there are pitches and there are hooks. Also in Toronto. “I didn’t know him very well,” admits Raptors teammate Gary Trent Jr. However, the middle of the Hernangomez family wanted to see him in a prominent escort, so he did it at once. “It’s his personality and how he acts. He’s always joking around in the locker room. funny, annoyingHe always listens to his Spanish rap on the loudspeaker when he does treatments. It’s fun. I’m happy to be with him and have the opportunity to learn more about him,” Trent Jr. explains to MD with a laugh.

“I don’t remember the joke he made me now, but he’s always joking about something,” he claims. Gary Trent Jr. But the day came when Juancho, an easy target for jokes, had to put up with the joke the day Spain were eliminated by Morocco in the Round of 16 of the World Cup.laugh from Christian Coloco Precious Achiuwa, Scotty Burns, and Gary Trent Jr. himself watch the penalty shootout in the pool, as shown in a video released by the franchise itself.

Ultimately, the forward had to submerge in water. Because once the elimination was complete, the decibels of “Bakares” rose. “I was very nervous. I hope he’s okay.” Nick Nurse, the next day. “We had a lot of laughs with him,” Scotty Barnes stressed earlier in the season. MVP of the EuroBasket final.

“He’s the perfect group boy and his contribution is huge and that’s one of the reasons we played so well. That’s a big part of that.” The Raptors and their entire wardrobe banner Fred VanVleet Seven years with the franchise, 2019 NBA Champion, All-Star, and more. And that Juancho Hernangomez permeates both his human side and, of course, what he does on the track. From his role, from his “anonymity” at the beginning of the season, from being mostly absent to being integral to Nurse.gave him ownership 7 consecutive battles before taking him off the bench in the final game against the Phoenix Suns.

“He’s the perfect group boy. He’s one of the reasons we played so well.”

Fred VanVleet

“He brings a lot and understands the game well. His basketball IQ is very high. He’s a good shooter, he handles well, he rebounds, he passes short… He has a lot of defensive versatility so he can change defenses. His rebounding ability blew us away. He’s the only player on the team right now,” Nurse said of Juancho, who only appeared on the court in four of his first 10 games. 5.7 minutes average“The season is long and we need him. He’ll be in the rotation,” the Raptors coach said.

Needless to say, from the thirteenth game Oklahoma As the forward scored nine goals in 17 minutes, the Hernangomez midfielder has played in every match, missing just four due to injury.His average on the field in the 19 games played since has been nearly 22 minutes He won 10 titles and added seven straight appearances to the fifth-place starter. His record is 4 points and 3.7 rebounds, but his offensive impact far exceeds his scoring, so Nurse, who also values ​​his defensive impact, trusts him a lot. Coming back from injury, he hasn’t lost his relevance.

Juancho Hernangomez told the MD after Friday’s game against the Suns, “I’m happy to continue playing, trying to contribute to what the team needs. ‘What’s the key to playing more now? The NBA is an opportunity. is a league with many Always be prepared, training when they call you, there are always injuries, players who play, players who play. It’s not the first time it’s happened (he started playing after he didn’t have any minutes), but he has a winning streak that he hasn’t played yet, and he has to push harder,” added Juancho. I was.Forward seems to be another convinced believer in the motto “Not too high, not too low” (not too high, not too low) It was also built by Ricky Rubio and his brother Willie. For he did not despair then, nor does he now allow himself to indulge in the gratification of the moment. “Nurse asks me to play organized, put all my effort into defense and open up the field,” adds the European champion.

Juancho has not been assigned a scorer role with the Raptors despite being a good shooter with a triple storm in the Eurobasket final as a paradigm. It’s the one who paves the way for the whoops. Less noticeable, but the Canadian team’s offense suffers when the Spaniards aren’t on the track. aggressive rating From 113.5 without him to 114.2 on the floor. His ball usage (USG) – the percentage of team his actions completed by the player – is 14th lowest in the NBA, This further clarifies his role in the “Raptor” attack.

“His basketball IQ is very high.”

Nick Nurseraptors coach

“He plays very well off-the-ball with the screen and is good defensively…he can do a lot, helps us a lot and makes everything easier,” said VanVleet. points out.An integral part of the network of Toronto blocks to achieve the most interesting individual duels – especially Pascal Siakam-, Juancho opens up space with those screens, his cuts, and his mere presence in corners with outside threats. I am also adding from . rebound. He is the third-leading Raptors with 17% offensive sacks behind Chris Boucher (19.7%) and Pascal Siakam (19.3%). Also, it is he who cuts to end the play.

But more than anything else, there is an aspect that has to do with rebounding offense from Juancho. nba elite, the number of points scored after rebounding. The Hernangomez midfielder is his 19th in the world’s best league in the field, with him scoring 1.46 points per possession and Luca he tops the Doncic or Center category. Nikola Jokic, Anthony Davis, Domantas Sabonis Also Karl Anthony Towns. The only thing the forward has to improve on is his success from the three shots he chooses well, 28% on two shots per game.

Last year he averaged almost 44% on 2.8 shots with the Jazz, and 42% on 5 shots with the Timberwolves in the 19/20 season. Nurses also ask to be more aggressive from their surroundings. “We have to be more aggressive. He’s a good shooter and we know we trust him. “ Raptors coaches also appreciate Juancho’s influence on the other side of the court. Not surprisingly, he’s the Raptors’ best plus-minus multiple-time player. A good example is the +17 they added without actually scoring in Toronto’s win over the Heat.

The 27-year-old has shown Nurses that he can trust any type of player to defend. The Madrid man leaves a diverse player profile with shots like him at 33% or less. Klay Thompson, Jarrett Allen Also Joe Harris, his defense against the best demonstrations of Kevin Durant and Jimmy Butler. On the night the Nets won in Toronto, Durant shot 66% from the field and he scored 28 points, while Juancho dropped to his 50%, defending 18 possessions to just 2 of 4 (4 points). point) only allowed. And Butler wasn’t allowed to shoot on his seven possessions he covered on heat day, and his guard scored 13 points that night.

“We lack consistency. We have to win two, three, four games to encourage ourselves.”

Juancho Hernangomez

His guaranteed contract through June established that he could be transferred as of December 15, but nothing can be taken for granted in the NBA market, but it seems so. increase. Very difficult. His contract – expired in June and he signed on a minimum contract $2.3 million-, Adding other possible pieces to a team looking to make the playoffs doesn’t matter, but most importantly, Juancho gives the Raptors what others don’t give his team. Reporters follow the daily life of the conspicuous Toronto unanimous The active role of the man from Madrid sees a very low transfer potential.

The eaves are now much heavier as a fulcrum to support it. reaction Among Canadian franchises, they are 3-7 in their last 10 games and rank 11th in the East with a 16-20 record, 6th to the Pacers and 4 wins away from direct playoff access, the same record as the Bulls. Occupy, as the last tenth to qualify for play-in.

“The game lacks consistency,” warns Juancho Hernangomez. He needs to play as a team, win his four-game streak from 2, and keep encouraging himself,” points out the forward. Juancho Hernangomez’s versatility, flair and humor will bring the Raptors closer to their goals. The Juancho effect has come to stay in Toronto.