Hoops Habit
Fansided

Midseason Grades For The Toronto Raptors

By Justin Rowan

facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 11
Next
Dec 29, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Cory Joseph (6), guard Kyle Lowry (7) and guard Norman Powell (24) talk on the court during the second half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns won 99-91. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 29, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Toronto Raptors guard Cory Joseph (6), guard Kyle Lowry (7) and guard Norman Powell (24) talk on the court during the second half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns won 99-91. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports /

Cory Joseph

Grade: C+
Stats: 9.4 points, 2.9 assists per game. 45.8 FG%, 41.1 3P%.

It feels funny giving Joseph such a harsh grade after arguably his best performance as a Raptor. Cory Joseph scored 33 points on 15-of-22 shooting Tuesday against the Brooklyn Nets in relief of Kyle Lowry.

While the performance was impressive, it also showed an assertiveness that has been missing thus far.

Coming into this season, it wouldn’t have been controversial to say Joseph is the best backup point guard in the league. His reliability as a ball handler and defender makes him a valuable commodity. The issue is that his defense has trailed off considerably this season.

While not a perfect metric, Cory Joseph ranks 431st out of 438 players in the league in defensive real plus minus. That puts him at fifth last out of the league’s point guards. Last season, Joseph was ranked 16th in DRPM among point guards, 210th overall.

Joseph’s has improved his three point percentage by 13.8 percent this season. While his efficiency is up, he frequently appears passive most offensive possessions.

He doesn’t take bad shots, but can kill a significant portion of the clock only to give the ball up to a teammate for a desperation heave. He’s still been a net positive for the Raptors, but is capable of far more than he’s shown this year.

With Delon Wright returning to the lineup, it may help Joseph to bring the same intensity that’s made him one of the league’s most valuable reserve players.

Home/Toronto Raptors