Holly MacKenzie - Raptors.com
If Dwane Casey’s most commonly used phrase is “defence first mentality” second on the list could be “next man up.” Through the course of every NBA season there are injuries, illness, and unexpected circumstances that pop up. When this happens, the importance of a team’s depth comes to light. After Thursday’s practice, Cory Joseph spoke about the importance of bench depth for successful teams. Three days later, it was Joseph who was sidelined for Toronto’s 109-79 victory against the Orlando Magic because of flu-like symptoms.
Enter rookie Fred VanVleet. The back-up point guard logged nearly 23 minutes against the Magic.