Dalano Banton working to become a spark off the bench for Raptors

Back in the NBA from the G-League, Dalano Banton has embraced the difference in his roles between the Raptors and the 905. And he’s ready for whatever his team needs of him.

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Video Transcript

- Hey, Dalano. What's it like when you come into a game like that? I know you haven't played, at least at this level, in a little while, and you're obviously just trying to do a lot in a short amount of time. How do you make sure that you simplify things for yourself and not try to do to much?

DALANO BANTON: Like I said in the past, playing in the G League is not too far fetched from playing up here. Down there, we preach the same pillars and preach the same things on defense. So I kind of just come in and playing to our pillars and playing with energy, trying to let everything else fall in place. Games like this, it's kind of guys off the bench.

We just need energy to get these guys going, get the guys who started off the game going. When we come in and pick it up, then you see their intensity start going up too. So kind of just bringing energy off the bench and be where I can to help just running around, flying around, and trying to do as much of those things as I can.

- How much does it help going down there to get those reps? Nick mentioned that you wanted to go. You asked to go the other day. Do you feel a big difference when you're here and on the bench for a few weeks and not playing versus when you go down there and get the kind of [INAUDIBLE] that you do?

DALANO BANTON: Definitely. Like I said, I'll never take an opportunity off to play for Coach Mutombo in the 905. Like I said, it keeps me sharp. It keeps me ready to go, and when I get opportunities to play like yesterday and come in today, I feel like I haven't missed a beat, coming in and running the same actions, trying to get guys involved and just do the little things.

It's definitely a big role change not having the ball in my hand as much and not playing with as much freedom, but when you play at this level and you're a young guy, you're a rookie, you have to learn how to gel with other talented players, and that's what I feel like I'm trying to do right now.

So just going out there, playing to where I can, and just having these guys out there like Fred. He doesn't ever fail to share his advice and drop his knowledge on me, him, as well as all the other guys. It's good, and I have the guys behind me to support me and keep me going.

- Dalano, who's vocally pushing the [INAUDIBLE]? I mean, you're down 30 at the half. Is it the coaching staff, or is it within the group yourselves?

DALANO BANTON: It's everyone. It's everyone, from the coaching staff to the players. We feel like we're never out of a game until the game is over. Just like how they can go up, we can catch back up. So they went up in the half, and we felt like if we just do what we have to do and come out strong, and play with a little more desperation, play with a little more pace, that you know we could cut it down, which we did, and we actually gave ourselves a chance to win the game.

So we never feel like we're ever going to be out of it, whether it's 20, 30, we're going to go to the final buzzer, like we did today, and I'm happy that we showed that we're going to do that. Just looking to bounce back next game and continue to do what we've got to do to win.

- Is all that trapping fun, or is it just tiring?

DALANO BANTON: Pardon me?

- Is all that trapping fun, or is it just tiring?

DALANO BANTON: Man, like I said, whatever we need to do, guys are all for it. We're all flying around today. So it's good, and we're going to learn from it and bounce back.

- Thanks very much, Dalano.

- Thanks, Dalano.