Raptors Share Next Step For Guard Prospect Who Shows Inconsistencies vs Nets

The Toronto Raptors view Javon Freeman-Liberty as a developmental point guard for the future who still needs to work out some kinks that showed up vs the Brooklyn Nets

Mar 25, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Javon Freeman-Liberty (0) dribbles Dennis Schröder / Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Javon Freeman-Liberty should have known better.

The 24-year-old combo guard found himself with the ball in his hands last in the first quarter. The read was obvious: Hold for the final shot. Even a mediocre shot in the dying seconds of the quarter is OK if it stops the other team from getting up one more attempt.

But Freeman-Liberty isn’t quite there yet.

The Toronto Raptors rookie pulled up for a 31-footer with six seconds to go and missed. What he didn’t miss was the scolding he got from Raptors coach Darko Rajaković and veteran guard Garrett Temple that awaited him moments later.

This is part of the process for Freeman-Liberty as he tries to get accustomed to playing the point for Toronto who fell 106-102 to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night. A more veteran or experienced point guard would have known the situation, but Freeman-Liberty has been a scorer his whole life, tasked almost exclusively with putting the ball in the hoop.

“It’s definitely going to be a process, probably a long process,” Freeman-Liberty admitted Tuesday. “Just coming out of college, just being a scorer and having a scoring mentality, but I also think it’s a great challenge for me.”

At lower levels, Freeman-Liberty could be that type of scorer, working off-the-ball and being a catch-and-go player. But the NBA is just a different beast and being 6-foot-3, 190 pounds doesn’t lend itself to playing on the wings.

The transition has been a process for Freeman-Liberty who is trying to navigate balancing his own aggressiveness with getting his teammates involved. He saw his assists per game jump by 1.8 in the G League this season but his turnovers more than doubled to 2.5 per game.

“That’s not an easy one,” Rajaković said of Freeman-Liberty’s transition to playing the point. “You gotta learn how to manage your team, how to run offense, how to communicate with your teammates. It's a long process, but he's showing really good signs of willingness to be exposed, to be vulnerable, to learn, to fail, and to grow through the process.”

It's going to take some time for Freeman-Liberty who couldn’t quite keep Toronto’s offense ticking early in the fourth quarter with Immanuel Quickley resting. The Raptors opened the final frame shooting 2-for-11 from the field before Quickley checked back in for Freeman-Liberty who mustered 12 points on 4-for-8 shooting Wednesday.

Quickley's return kept Toronto around, first with a floater through contact to give Toronto a two-point lead. He followed it up moments later with a three-pointer over Cam Thomas to recapture the lead for the Raptors again in the final seconds. He was masterful all night, leading the Raptors with a season-high 32 points, nine assists, and seven rebounds.

But it wasn't enough. Dennis Schröder converted an and-1 through contact from Quickley and a Noah Clowney block on Temple saved Toronto from what could have been a costly victory in terms of lottery odds.

Moving forward, Toronto has signed Freeman-Liberty to a partially guaranteed deal for next season, meaning he’ll be with the organization over the summer with a chance to earn a spot on the roster next season.

The hope is he can continue to develop into a depth guard for the organization and someone who can back up Quickley on a Raptors team that doesn’t really have a backup point guard on the roster.

Gradey Dick Shines

What a turnaround it’s been for Gradey Dick who showed just how far he’s come Wednesday night with a season-high 24-point showing against Brooklyn. He made a season-high six three-pointers on 14 attempts and looked totally comfortable sliding back into the starting lineup for Toronto.

Up Next: Miami Heat

The Raptors will head to Miami to open a two-game set against the Heat on Friday at 8 p.m. ET.