VIDEO: Bruno Caboclo rejects Karl-Anthony Towns at the rim
A 7-foot-7 wingspan can turn a small forward into a center really quickly.
Bruno Caboclo proved just that in preseason action on Monday, rising up to reject Karl-Anthony Towns on a dunk attempt at the rim.
The Toronto Raptors sophomore showed some nice awareness on the help defense, and his ability to extend upward and reject a near-7-footer's shot - Towns has a 7-foot-3.5 wingspan himself - is a key reason the Raptors see potential in him. While still extremely raw, Caboclo's length affords him extra time to close out on shooters, plus a greater ability to corral ballhandlers, and, as the Minnesota Timberwolves No. 1 pick just found out, contest shots in close.
Despite the defensive instincts coming along, the 20-year-old Caboclo is likely tabbed for more D-League duty than NBA action this season. He only has 23 minutes of NBA experience, and the Raptors' lack of an exclusive D-League affiliate last year held him to 62 minutes played there, too. Including both of those totals and summer league and preseason, Caboclo is still only at 476 minutes played since he was picked 20th overall last summer.
Through three preseason games, the Brazilian is averaging two points and one rebound in 15 minutes and is 1-of-7 from the floor.