Veteran C.J. Miles a calming force on Raptors’ young second unit
TORONTO — Early in the fourth quarter Tuesday night, C.J. Miles pounced on a loose ball, raced down court and finished with a behind-the-back dribble and pass to Delon Wright for a dunk. Wright could barely stifle his grin.
While Dwane Casey has yet to determine his rotations for the NBA regular season — or at least divulge them — the Toronto Raptors coach inserted the 30-year-old Miles into the second unit in his team’s 116-94 exhibition win over Detroit.
Miles, who had five three-pointers en route to a team-high 19 points, provided a veteran presence among Toronto’s young bench. At 25, Wright is its senior member.
“(Miles brought) a sense of calm. . . just his poise that he goes out there and plays with,” Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan said after the win. “You can tell he’s been around the block a few times and that’s great for the young guys.”