Bruno Caboclo

Bruno Caboclo goes to Mississauga - again

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

The Raptors have sent former first-round selection Bruno Caboclo to the D-League again. Will he ever enjoy an NBA career?

Guess who made the latest roster update for the Raptors 905? To no one’s surprise, Bruno Caboclo has been assigned to the Toronto Raptors Development League affiliate team which plays out of the Toronto suburb of Mississauga. In other words, Bruno has been sent down to the minors once more.

Bruno is at this point the Raptors’ equivalent of Kim Kardashian. He’s famous and a subject of much scrutiny, despite producing nothing of value to his organization. How long the Raptors will keep the faith with him remains an open question. I know Masai Ujiri extended Bruno’s rookie contract in October through 2017-18, so he has fans inside the organization. But those of us outside it would like to see some progress.

Bruno was tagged the “Brazilian Kevin Durant” as a teenager. Whoever came up with that tagline must have been smoking happy tobaccy. In the exceedingly few minutes we’ve seen him on the floor in a real NBA game, he’s borne no resemblance, other than height and build, to the Slim Reaper.

Powerless to improve at Power Forward?

The question now turns to this: how close are the Raptors to serious difficulty at the power forward slot? Um, very. The team is depth-free, so if and when Patrick Patterson or Pascal Siakam grab a rebound, land badly, and turn an ankle, look out below. Jared Sullinger won’t be ready until January at the earliest, and I wouldn’t be shocked if he doesn’t see any floor time until February.

The times I’ve seen Bruno play with the 905 have not been encouraging. He should dominate, but he’s just a guy. That was also the case with Anthony Bennett, whom the Raptors washed their hands of. He’s now trying to re-establish himself with the NBA’s equivalent of the Last Chance Saloon, the Brooklyn Nets. [20-second timeout: I doubt Bruno will end up there via trade. The Nets have the fewest deal-worthy assets in the league: no draft picks and a roster of misfits.]

Oct 19, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) gets defended by Toronto Raptors center Lucas Nogueira (92) during the fourth quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Raptors won 103-92. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s not be too bleak. Lucas Nogueira has rewarded the Raptors’ patience, and looks to be a serviceable backup center. 2-Pat and Pascal might miss the injury train. That said, I’m really hopeful someone from the 905, say, Jarrod Uthoff or CJ Leslie, can emerge as an emergency power forward.

Of course, the ideal solution would be for Bruno to find himself. Norman Powell turned the corner last season with the 905. Can Bruno do the same?