#but the wings are turned inside out and upside down and overall not functional
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That one scene from mlp:fim where angel bunny is a fucking snitch but it’s bill possessing Ford
“I study anomalies! I wanna marry Fiddleford!”
Meanwhile, Ford is in the mindscape absolutely freaking out
#I’d draw this but I’m lazy#is this too niche#ahhh whatever it’s tumblr#bill ci the triangle guy#He’s trying his best to be a wingman#but the wings are turned inside out and upside down and overall not functional#gravity falls#mlp fim#text post#fiddauthor#billford#billfiddlesford
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𝖜𝖔𝖑𝖋 𝖎𝖓 𝖘𝖍𝖊𝖊𝖕'𝖘 𝖈𝖑𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖓𝖌 ⇢ griffin beck
hello !! i’m lava... 18, mst, any pronouns, you know the deal. here’s a bit about miss griffin, our local wolf sheep! i’m banking on plotting with every single one of ya’ll and i’m easiest to reach via discord so... enjoy the read it’s way too long sorry
first and foremost, here are the basics about griffin: 20, cis female, she/her, fourth year criminal justice student, client coordinator at foxglove florists, guitarist, closeted lesbian, and melanie’s roommate (before she croaked).
griffin was�� born and raised in manhattan to parents who didn’t know how to function and wore carhartt overalls. they weren’t entirely well off, but were the type of family to always try to keep fresh flowers on the dining table and have game nights with their friends. truly, a young griffin loved her life. she was treated good, her parents were loving, her surprise younger brother was cute.
(tw: drugs, cults) that’s all until she turned nine. the b in beck stood for bankrupt. of course, the quick solution for griffin’s father was to join a cult. classic, right? a man on the subway coerced him into joining, saying that they’d take care of all of the beck family’s financial and spiritual problems. the family stayed in the cult for five years, dabbling in drugs (starting at age twelve for griffin), praying to a god they’d never heard before, and all that jazz. they were pretty content. i mean, they were all brainwashed into believing they were living the life they were supposed to. however, a bad acid trip made mama beck realize that the cult wasn’t so great after all (she was right, finally). days later, she took her two children in a stolen car and floored it to a new apartment in queens that didn’t have dining table flowers or carhartt overalls.
and... then came the blame. griffin was helpless, just a kid who had her childhood flipped upside down and missed her dad. having no other logical reason, mama beck started to blame griffin for everything that happened. the fact her husband wasn’t around, their bankruptcy, the cult, all of it. naturally, griffin got angry. she rebelled against her mom, using high school as her escape. at school, she realized people had normal lives: no cult, nothing like that, and griffin fucking longed for it. she got to know everyone she could (stoners, cheerleaders, nerds, the works) and found comfort in their stories. she learned from them, most importantly.
now in college, griffin feels like the world is in her hands. she finally fled every dark entity in her past and with the help of the info she learned in high school, reinvented herself to become someone she’s finally satisfied with. when asked about her past, she lies. it’s what she has to do to live the life she wants. instead of starting her teenage years off in a cult, others learn that she lived the simpler life in said manhattan apartment up until moving to illinois. there’s no mom or brother in her picture, just a dad who would do anything and everything for his favorite daughter. that’s how it always should�� have been, isn’t it? instead of an actual flesh bottle of hate, griffin comes across as happy and loving, taking others who need help under her wing. while she tries to seem care free, she monitors every single one of her own movements. every choice she makes is meaningful and there’s no way in hell anybody will learn a single thing about her past (or sexuality!) on her watch. she’s a meme queen, really, drawing memes in her planner instead of inspirational quotes. she knows how to play more meme-y songs on her guitar than not, but this side isn’t unlocked until you generally get to know her.
even though griffin presents herself this way, there’s still a much darker side to her: the void. yeah, void. like, it’s a whole different person. of course griffin couldn’t patch herself up entirely. there’s still a hole in her being that she can’t fill with whiskey and lukewarm coffee. even though she generally comes across as happy, there are days when she sincerely can’t take hold of herself and she’s just empty. void of all emotion. all that. it comes out at all the worst times and she tends to be a bit of a… lifeless bitch when it does. rather than void just being an emotion, it’s really a whole different persona for her. she has no control of it, really. picture like… robbie shapiro as griffin and rex as void. some relationship like that. just watch out.
and some extra bits:
pinterest board !!
wanted connections !!
griffin: fun loving and as laid back as you can be. still dressing how your father wants, but throwing in bright colors and shoes that have seen better days. always laughing and smiling, the longing to get to know more people without giving them information in return. plastering memes on your walls to make yourself smile after a long day and making tik toks with friends. wearing fancy perfume to go to the grocery store because you know it’ll make the cashier happy, having one too many white claws and throwing your shoe across a crowded party. picking up the ugliest blazers at the thrift store to give them a home. certain songs bringing up bad memories and not feeling like talking to your friends for the rest of the night. keeping the extra buttons and movie stubs because you know you’ll need them in case you forget yourself.
void: radio static interrupted by an emergency signal. ignoring a hurricane warning and simply bringing in the outdoor furniture. letting the tap run until the bathtub overflows. smoking a pack a day just to feel warm inside. a king not flinching as he watches someone get decapitated. feeling like you’re nothing more than the skeleton inside you. crying. sleeping on the floor instead of your bed because you feel like its what you deserve. burning yourself with a cigarette for the hell of it. wearing clothes from your dirty laundry hamper instead of something from your clean closet. getting on a bus and not knowing which stop you’ll get off at. nosebleeds you just can’t seem to stop.
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land of gods and monsters | chapter one
summary: steve's life gets turned upside-down when he meets a mysterious woman on a dark alley, right after getting beaten up to the ground. after dramatic events, he gets tangled up into a web of criminals, drugs and life-changing events. pre-serum!steve x mob!reader
warnings: language, violence, overall dark stuff. painfully long descriptive writing.
word count: 3.7k
a/n: hey!! the first chapter is finally here; sorry for the wait folks. life has been interesting for a while and i only now could come back to writing like i used to. sorry for bad spelling and spacing, i have no beta reader and i wrote this in a splurge of inspiration. sorry for the lack of action in this chapter; i promise shit is going down in the next one lmao :D well, enjoy my loves!! ps. remember to check out the prequel! u can also ask to be on my taglist!!
PREQUEL
1936
It had been a miracle. The police officers had found him lying in a deep puddle of dirt, white skin vividly purple under the glimmering street lights. Fragile features of the boy had almost made outlookers think he had already passed to the other side, probably for days at a time, if the police officers hadn't found a faint heartbeat from the sickly body that was lying on their hands. Blue-tinted lips, and skin so transparent you could've seen the veins dancing underneath it, almost got the best officer on the team fooled, and no wonder. It was almost impossible for the boy to be alive in such rough conditions, but there was something in him, that wanted desperately to stay alive; a will so strong that not even a higher power could rip it away.
It had taken a good two days in the recovery wing for the blonde boy to finally come back to his senses. The hit on his head was so bad that the nurses had actually expected him not to even remember what happened, nor to be able to function like a normal person for at least a good while. However, the little fighter had proved himself wrong the second he stopped staring at his eyelids, almost jumping up on his feet with a loud gasp that escaped between his blue tinted lips. With a fractured jaw and a broken nose, he looked like an absolute mess, but was more than good to stand up, and get back home after those crucial days inside of the sterilized walls. On the outside, he tried to give all the worried nurses a weak smile, blushing just a bit from all the attention he was getting, but in reality he just desperately wanted to hide from the curious eyes that were assigned to look after him. He really wasn't ready to accept the help -- nor he could actually afford it for that matter. The Great Depression had affected his family, just like every other ol' American household, and after the better half of his parents had died, it was almost impossible to keep up with everything he had to pay for. Being a complete idiot was not a good thing to add on the long list of already existing loans, and he was completely aware of that. However, he couldn't help but to follow his heart, that always led him on to dangerous situations, as he tried to save others from all the evil in the world.
The whole way back to Brooklyn was dreadful at best. A limp and a bunch of broken bones didn't ease his way, and for the first time ever, Steve thought he would get caught while sneaking into the creaking subway of the New York City. Most of the times, he and his best friend, Bucky, were quick enough to run into the cars without being noticed, but this time, a complete wreck of a boy got more curious eyes than he had wished. It took all of his willpower not to wince every step he took, while trying not to lean too much on any of his limbs, just to avoid crashing onto the ground and start crying like a child. It didn't help at all, that he was desperately out of his mind, trying to go through the flashing memories of the night he had passed out on that alley. The warmth that flushed on his pale cheeks every single time he thought about the woman, and her soft gaze, was distracting at best, but still couldn't take away the physical pain that he was enduring the whole subway-ride. After an hour of gruesome traveling, he found himself staring, with relieved eyes, at the tall, wooden, stairs that looked like a passage to heaven. Bright rays of the early morning sun were almost blinding him, as the gaze of his blue irises tried their best to adjust for the dusty air, clearly calculating would climbing up to the apartment be a good idea after all. "Steve! Where the hell have you been?" A familiar voice made the boy turn around automatically, ocean blue eyes instantly locking with the brown orbs of his very best friend. The usual playful smirk, that always was loosely hanging on Bucky's lips, had changed into a worried frown, as he was trying to come up with a collective question to get some information about what had happened. He was clearly stressed, running fingers through his neatly slicked back hair, looking his best friend up and down. "I tried to search for you everywhere," Bucky almost groaned, tilting his head to the side just slightly, as he took another step closer. "You don't even know how stressed out ma has been, when you didn't show up for dinner two days ago." Steve couldn't help but to let out a deep sigh, lowering his gaze to the ground like an abused puppy. His head couldn't comprehend anything, even though he was for sure that nothing was, per say, wrong to begin with. The memories from the night he got beaten up to the curb were blurry, and Steve wasn't even sure how he ended up in a situation like that. It was unusual that the only clear image he had in his mind was of the mysterious woman, who somehow had given him more hope than anyone else before. Maybe he was just starstruck. "Look, there's not too much to say," Steve mumbled under his breath, the sound hitching in his throat from all the dryness. It was almost unnatural to speak, after so long for being silent, and he immediately regretted being weak in front of Bucky. Even when Steve knew that his best friend wouldn't judge, nor pressure, him about anything, he hated to feel pitied and belittled. It had always been like that, no matter what the circumstance. Slightly shaking his head, Steve turned to face the stairs of faith once again, taking a first step away from his best friend with a mind that was running ten laps a second. He could physically feel Bucky's stare burn a hole on his back, but at that point he didn't give a time for the thought, as he kept on climbing up. Bucky, on the other hand, stood on his ground, watching how his best friend tried to play off his weaknesses, almost tripping over on his feet while clearly wincing in pain every step he took. Over the years, he had learnt to know Steve to be pretty stubborn, sometimes painfully so, but the injuries were way too much this time to be unnoticed. Usually Bucky tried his best to let his lifelong friend to be, because he knew that acting out was something he loved to do and even had to do to keep up those high emotional walls. This time, he just couldn't stand to watch him almost fall apart in front of him like that. "C'mon now," Bucky let out a deep sigh, as he decided to catch up on the smaller boy. He had to almost take hold of Steve, as soon they both reached the top of the stairs, since it highly looked like the blonde boy was about to fall backwards and break his neck. "Listen, maybe I could stay the night? I stole one of those magazines with comic strips on them, and I think the new series is something you'd like. We can just have fun and not talk, if that's what you want?" Steve couldn't help but to admire his friend’s determination, but it still felt bad having to be babied like that. It had been extremely hard for Steve to accept help after his mother had passed, even though he knew that the Barnes family just wanted the best for him. Sometimes it was just way too hard to accept that things were going bad -- especially since Steve knew how hard the times were for his best friends' family too. Without a word to his best friend, Steve opened the door to the dim apartment, stepping inside to his own lonely bubble. Right after the door shut with a bang, he allowed his weak body to slide down onto the floor with a soft whimper. The once warm and welcoming apartment had turned into a trap; cold and moldy, old memories hanging dangerously fragile on the peeling wallpaper. A once beautiful atmosphere was ruined and ripped to pieces, and Steve couldn't help but to think how much it would take to build it up again. As those blue orbs of his were covered, once again, by heavy eyelids, he couldn't help but to wonder how could the room around him be so chilly during such a warm spring day. ///// It had taken a long time to get used to living alone. After years of looking after his mother, her passing had left a human-sized void inside of his fragile heart. Maybe he should've anticipated her passing; she was a nurse after all, working in such conditions that were hard for even grown men to comprehend. The woman was a superhero in Steve's eyes, and he had always looked up to his dear mother- she could do no wrong. She had taught Steve everything; how to survive in a big city and how to take care of the house, but most importantly, she had taught him all the morals he needed. It was one of the many reasons why he had the urge to help everyone, and fight for justice, and so many times his late mother had joked that he'd make a good police officer in the future. Except it was physically impossible. His ongoing sickness, and all the weaknesses that came with it, had always been sort of belittled in the Rogers family, since Steve's mother had desperately tried to teach her son that a physical form didn't matter too much. It was the personality that made a person worthy, and it was something to always keep in mind. However, in Steve's case, he was constantly struggling with fever and other illnesses, and most of the doctors had claimed he wouldn't see his twentieth birthday, breaking the spirit of a young man. One of the hardest things that he had to do while getting accustomed to his new lifestyle, had to be getting along with daily tasks. Yes, Steve was helpful and always there for his mother, but she basically ran the household, so he had barely actually learned any practical things. Every single day she had made sure that her son had something to eat, and somehow kept the apartment clean no matter what. Even after getting sick, she still tried to tidy up her surroundings to make the house more presentable, not listening to Steve's complaints about how she should've gotten some rest. After getting used to that kind of treatment, it was hard to manage for himself, and even going to the store was a job on its own. Somehow he needed to mentally prepare himself, counting all the coins just in case he would accidentally live over his limits, going through the shopping list at least ten times just in case he wouldn't forget anything. This time was no exception -- he did all in his willpower to make everything as complicated as possible, only stepping out of his apartment when he had made sure that he would not forget that thin piece of paper on the kitchen counter. The breezy air against his pale skin was refreshing, since after bumping into Bucky, he hadn't gotten much fresh air. Still feeling a bit dizzy and weak from the hospital trip, he had decided that it was best to just stay hidden for a while, and not take any of the pity. At the back of his mind, Steve had decided to avoid his best friend just enough to get some space. Even when he cared about Bucky a lot, he needed to take a step back just every once in a while. Inseparable or not. The dusty morning air made Steve cough just a little, as he stepped down the crowded road towards the market hall. The allergy season was catching up, and he could already feel his asthma starting to act up, once again. The dirty New York air was one of the worst things that he could think about for his condition, but even if he was given the choice, he wouldn't have moved anywhere else. Home was always home. He desperately needed to be surrounded by something familiar, no matter what, as if it was the only thing that gave him some form of stability and safety. Somehow, the dirty streets and noisy people had became part of his life, did he enjoy it or not. Hazy atmosphere of the city had captivated Steve's attention fully, as he squinted to look up at the tall buildings, and all the people he could see hanging around on their balconies. It was something he really loved to do; to study people during their everyday tasks, trying to save the memories on his retinas for later as a reference for his art. Playing with colours and shapes was always something that he loved to do, and art really was close to his beating heart. Even when he knew that all the sketches he had done were not the best ones in the world, he still enjoyed it and considered getting a job on that field some beautiful day. Lost in his daydreams, Steve was completely unaware of the situation around him. He was truly blind to the fact, that people were moving away from something, that was moving quickly amongst the people, trying to shove everyone off their way. The blonde boy didn't seem to hear how a mass of people mutually groaned at this person, who was either running away from something or just really late from an important task. Unfortunately, thanks to Steve's incapability to be aware of his surroundings, he soon felt like bumping into something, or someone, that sent him flying backwards on the pavement. The boy groaned in pain, body still on fire from his recovery process, as he felt someone lean over his very useless body. He tried to squint, as the sun was almost burning his eyes off, but all he could see was a figure that belonged to a woman. Oh god, of course. Steve wasn't known to be good with women; especially when it came down to awkward situations, and to be so close to a girl who literally ran into him, was one of the most embarrassing situations of his life. Yes, he had went on dates when Bucky had literally forced him into doing so, and all of them ended up tragically, but colliding into a girl and falling down? What was he going to do. "Oh my lord, I'm so sorry," an apologizing yelp was let out in the air by the girl, who had kneeled next to the boy with a concerned look on her face. It was still hard to see for Steve, who tried his best to avoid the sunshine that was almost bullying his eyes, but only the sound of her was enough to get Steve baffled. He knew her. For some reason, Steve found her face familiar as ever; like she had appeared in a dream long forgotten somewhere in the past. Even when it was almost impossible to place the pieces together in his spinning head, the soft touch of the girl's hand against his own sparked up a memory that was pushed way back in his head. As the boy dusted himself off and raised his gaze, the realization hit him right across the face like a lightening. He couldn't believe who was standing right in front of him, as Steve took a better look at the girl's delicate features. It was her. After days of wondering was all he saw just a big fever dream, he finally got to understand that it wasn't just some reflection he had seen while lying half-dead with a severe concussion. The situation was so completely out of place, that Steve couldn't help but stare at the girl right in front of him with big eyes, forgetting completely that they were on a public space. It could've been considered rude, but his clear confusion was just way too adorable to count as a stalkerish action. He just couldn't stop himself from studying her clearly strong aura, the soft curve on her lips, and the way her eyes were filled with life. She was radiating with such energy, that Steve couldn't still believe she was true. "Are you okay?" The girl asked, looking fairly concerned, as she gently placed her hands on both of his forearms. Steve couldn't help but to automatically flinch at this action, it being rather an open gesture, and he clearly wasn't used to that. With an apology, the girl quickly retrieved her hands to herself, clearly taken aback of her own actions, as she clearly looked phased. Steve couldn't do much more than to nod at her question, clearly making the girl ease up a little, as she tilted her head to the side with a smirk playing on her painted lips. "Good, amazing. Wonderful," the tone those words slipped out from the girls lips made Steve's eyebrows grow together, as he watched how the lady in front of him was looking over her shoulder. The concerning look on her face was telling a lot, but the boy wasn't really following. He was mesmerized by the girl, who had already stolen his heart and ran away with it a long time ago. "M-ma'am, is there something wrong?" It was hard for Steve to form a courage to let out the words, and he even had to cough a little to get his voice to be heard, but the girl didn't seem to care about it. She looked unphased as ever, giving the boy a slight smile, before peeking over the boy's shoulder, a playful smirk growing more visible on her face. It was like she saw something amusing, but there was something in her eyes that messaged that something wasn't right. "I, uhh.. I'd like to chat, but I really gotta run," she flashed a clear fake smile at the boy, gaze blinking under the blinding rays of the sun, without breaking eye-contact with the skinny boy right in front of her. "Take care."
The last words were left lingering in the air, sweet as honey, and as soft as a blowing wind on a sunkissed meadow. Steve could feel the touch of her fingers still holding onto his shaky arms, as he turned to gaze at her quick disappearance, way too late for her light-speed run. It was like she vanished into thin air, leaving only desperation behind. Heavy voices of all the people on the street almost crawled into his ear, as he realised the world around him had continued to live again, after such disturbance. Before turning around, baffled as ever, he noticed something bulky at the end of his feet; sticking out like it was the seventh wonder of the world. Blue eyes sparkled with curiosity, as he lowered down to pick up a brown suitcase, color already chipping off from the sides of its molded form. It was actually a slight struggle for him to pick up something heavy like that, grunting painfully at the action that caused his old wounds to ache. Squinting his eyes, Steve realised something green peeking between a slot of the case, but before he could realise what was going on, he heard a loud yell behind his small form. "Lower the case and put your hands up!" The sound startled Steve, who turned around, just in time to catch the gun that was firmly pointed at him from a safe distance. Messy, blonde locks, were covering his view just enough, but he could see the officer's strict face eyeing him up and down. The moment felt heavy. A wrong move and he would be cold on the ground. That's when he dropped the case. His whole life slowed down, like a film that was dragging along the player incorrectly. Voices and pictures were blurring together, as he could feel his heart pounding in his chest so hard it could’ve probably physically broke him. The police officers let out a unison indecipherable yell, that Steve couldn't catch up on, as an older officer literally leaped over to him, ready to detain him with clear force. Right before his head came in contact with the ground, Steve could finally realise why he was tackled to the ground, helpless and without a question. Somehow, he didn't register what had happened when he accidentally let go of the luggage in his hands, but it was way worse than he had originally wondered. It was double the times worse. You see, he could have never guessed that he'd find himself standing in a pile of freshly pressed dollars, little to no information whose money it actually was. Steve was framed, and there was nothing he could do about the fact how guilty he looked like, standing there like a deer in the headlights. The police had little to no interest in listening to his soft whimpers, as they pulled back his arms to cuff his thin wrists behind Steve's back. His small form was nothing against the literal force of three separate cops, who casually held him on his stomach, as he tried to squirm away like a worm, only scratching new holes onto his beige coat. Just as his head was being shoved against the rough pavement by one of the police, he realised what was going on. It literally hit him.
#steve rogers imagine#steve rogers x reader#captain america x reader#captain america imagine#mcu reader insert#marvel reader insert#avengers reader insert#steve rogers#captain america#pre serum steve x reader#mcu imagine#jennie writes
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Gta 5 media fire iOS how to download?
What is a game key for gta 5 on a android?
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How to download gta 5 for android ppsspp 17 mb
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Norm Powell, Jakob Poeltl and the Young Raptors Primed for Bigger Roles
This article originally appeared on VICE Sports Canada.
Over the last few seasons, the Toronto Raptors have dedicated the backend of their roster to young, developing players. While other contenders and pseudo-contenders will look for ring-chasers on veteran minimum deals or employ a less top-heavy salary structure, Masai Ujiri and company have opted to keep a handful, and sometimes more, of youthful pieces. This past year, the Raptors took that to the extreme, employing seven players who were on their first contracts.
The logic is strong, assuming the organization's ability to identify and grow talent is as good as it believes. Operating this way accomplishes three main objectives: It increases upside, since at least some of the unproven prospects would ostensibly have higher ceilings than known veteran commodities; it provides an inexpensive source of minutes (the seven youngsters and the No. 23 pick will combine to make just $15.6 million next year, or an estimated 15.5 percent of the salary cap to take up 53.3 percent of the roster spots); and it provides a pivot foot if the Raptors opt to change course entirely and tear things down, creating a base of young talent to begin rebuilding with.
The different purposes the youth could serve can confuse just how important each piece may be in 2017-18. If the Raptors roll things back, most of the youngsters stand to provide inexpensive depth and continue on their individual development paths, some with D-League time with Raptors 905. If the Raptors go the other direction and take a step or two back, all seven—plus the No. 23 pick—could see heavy minutes in the rotation out of the gate. Yes, even Bruno Caboclo. Regardless of direction, this offseason stands to be a big one for the crop of development pieces.
That holds especially true for two who figure to be major pieces in either build-or-break scenario next year.
Watch more from VICE Sports: Raptors' DeMarre Carroll on Defense and Fashion
Norman Powell
The 2015 second-round pick has ascended beyond break-glass-in-case-of-emergency utility player. In whatever the Raptors do this offseason, Powell stands to figure prominently. If the team was to aggressively tear everything down, there's a scenario in which Powell winds up Toronto's best player and offensive focal point. More realistic—and optimistic, if you're inclined—scenarios still see Powell's role expanding.
While the recently-turned 24-year-old struggled at times this year (by his own admission), Powell's long since proven too good to be the fourth wing in a rotation. He struggled to maintain a high level of defensive intensity as his offensive role grew, and a consistent change in role description made finding the right balance tough. By year's end, he began to rediscover the form that made him a popular spot-starter, and for the second year in a row, head coach Dwane Casey turned to Powell to fundamentally swing a playoff series.
Powell is by no means a finished product. The search for offense and defense at the same time will continue, and his offseason will likely focus on sharpening some of the offensive tools he'll need if his usage is going to continue to climb. As a fulcrum of units that don't include DeMar DeRozan, Powell needs to continue to grow as a playmaker off the bounce—his assist percentage actually declined this season, and because he's not an elite passer, opponents try to cut him off on his way to the rim (his finishing improved slightly but is still an area that needs work, too).
Powell is one of Toronto's most fascinating pieces. Photo by Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
The other primary tool Powell could grow that would help open up his driving game is his 3-point shot, something pretty much every Raptor should be focused on this year. Coming out of UCLA having hit just 31.4 percent of 354 total 3-point attempts from the shorter line, Powell worked tirelessly as a rookie to retool his jumper, shortening his ascent and simplifying his mechanics. The returns have been encouraging—across Summer League, preseason, the D-League, NBA regular season, and NBA playoffs, Powell has now shot 405 threes, making 35.8 percent of them. The stabilization point for threes is very high (around 750 attempts), but there's now more evidence that Powell's a more capable NBA 3-point shooter than he is an incapable NCAA 3-point shooter.
That's encouraging, and if that shot continues to improve, Powell will be a more dangerous weapon either leading younger lineups or spotting up alongside the team's stars. Whatever the case, his defense and play as a secondary attacker are such that Powell should be a prominent member of the rotation next year, even if he still comes off the bench. Same goes for...
Jakob Poeltl
Poeltl, the No. 9 pick in the 2016 draft, impressed in a limited audition as a rookie this past season. He was not initially expected to figure into the team's short-term plans, but a late training camp injury to Lucas Nogueira opened the door, and the pair traded the backup center spot from there. Nogueira had a larger impact overall, but Poeltl took advantage of an ill-timed Nogueira slump around the All-Star break and never gave the job back. Given the difference in investment and years of control involved, Poeltl will probably have the inside track on the backup spot entering camp this year.
In fact, Poeltl may figure to play an even bigger role than that if the Raptors move Jonas Valanciunas for salary relief. That's probably only a consideration in the scenario in which Serge Ibaka stays, as Ibaka's better suited at the five at this point, and employing four intriguing centers, two of them with a large salary and one who was a lottery pick, would seem like a poor allocation of resources.
As a rookie, Poeltl protected the rim fairly well despite his slender frame (opponents shot 48.3 percent at the rim when he was defending there), was an elite offensive rebounder, and showed some really nice instincts at both ends of the floor. He reads the game exceptionally well, and depending on the metric you prefer, he graded out pretty well overall (he had the most Win Shares per-48 minutes of any rookie who played at least 500 minutes, though Real Plus-Minus was down on him). Young bigs usually take some time to develop, and if Poeltl can come back as a sophomore having added strength in his lower half and improved his ball skill some, he should at least be able to provide steady-to-good backup minutes.
Lucas Nogueira
The 24-year-old Brazilian remains an incredibly intriguing prospect in his own right. He had some of the best advanced statistics on the team, or of any big man in the league, with his ability to protect the rim, finish on the roll, and pass the ball standing out as unique on this roster. He has some range, too. Nogueira is still young and, if not in Toronto, deserves a longer look somewhere. If he gets it, the biggest thing he'll need to show is consistency, and his focus this offseason will likely be on functional strength and conditioning.
Wright and Nogueira could be in line for more minutes next season. Photo by Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Behind Nogueira and Poeltl is Pascal Siakam, whose role is completely dependent on the team's direction. Retain Ibaka, and it's hard to figure where Siakam may get more than spot minutes around larger and smaller configurations. If Ibaka walks, though, Siakam could find himself starting again. He started 38 games as a rookie, showing some encouraging skills but proving to be overmatched, as one would expect from a somewhat raw rookie thrust into that spot.
The biggest thing Siakam has to improve is his feel for the game, both in terms of pace and space. His rookie errors were crimes of commission, which is encouraging. He's an active rebounder, runs the floor extremely well, and flashed range out to the 3-point line in his time in the D-League. Siakam needs more time and more reps, and he'll probably be the most interesting of the group to watch at Summer League in July.
Like Siakam, Caboclo remains in the "keep improving everything" stage of development. It's been three years, sure, but Caboclo still only has roughly the experience of a college sophomore, and under the radar, he's taken some nice strides. Continuing to fill out a tantalizing frame and turn a pretty 3-point stroke into actual success will be his primary focuses, and he'll likely agree to take a fourth turn at Summer League (teams can only require a player to go three times).
Joining Siakam, Poeltl, and Caboclo in Las Vegas (Powell would seem unlikely to attend) should be point guards Fred VanVleet and Wright, both of whom also have roles up in the air for next year. If Kyle Lowry and Cory Joseph are both back, it will be a disappointing turn for a pair of interesting prospects who have had success in limited opportunity. Whatever happens with the team's two lead guards, Wright and VanVleet will continue fighting for the third-string spot, back-up minutes, or, in a long-shot scenario, the starting spot.
The biggest thing either can do might be to continue to show they can play in two-point guard lineups. VanVleet might be the best non-Lowry shooter on the roster but needs to add strength to improve his finishing and make him more versatile defensively. Wright, meanwhile, needs to continue developing his 3-point shot, while also adding enough size to make the Raptors question whether he could actually slot in as a two-guard regularly, as he did at times down the stretch.
Whichever direction the Raptors go, this figures to be a monumental offseason for some of their development pieces. That's kind of self-evident—every offseason is a big one for young players. But with the Raptors at a serious fork in the road, the back half of the roster needs to approach their work with the mentality that they'll be fighting for scraps in the rotation or fighting for their long-term place as a building block moving forward. In either case, there's too much interesting young talent for there not to be tough competition of some sort.
Norm Powell, Jakob Poeltl and the Young Raptors Primed for Bigger Roles published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv
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