Hello and Welcome

Will and Alex recap the first quarter of the regular season and discuss the many positive takeaways from the 6-15 Raptors, whether the idea of tanking is dead, before handing out awards for the team’s most valuable player, most surprising and concerning stats, favorite team-bonding moment, and most entertaining loss. Later, they go around the NBA and hand out first quarter awards for MVP, Most Imp...

Will Lou comes to you live from the second part of the home and home with the Toronto Raptors' 119-116 win over the Miami Heat. He breaks down RJ Barrett's impressive game, Scottie Barnes' contributions in the fourth quarter, and rookie Ja'Kobe Walter showing impressive flashes. Three stars: RJ Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl Gerald Henderson award: Tyler Herro Most Important Guy: Ja'Kobe Wa...

Will Lou is joined by Samson Folk to break down the Toronto Raptors' 121-111 loss to the Miami Heat. They discuss Scottie Barnes' playmaking, how RJ Barrett can improve on defense, and how Ja'Kobe Walter is faring as a rookie. Three stars: Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett Gerald Henderson award: Terry Rozier Most Important Guy: Kevin Love's longevity/Alex Wong flu shot game #raptors #toron...

Will Lou recaps the Toronto Raptors' 119-93 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. He breaks down Ja'Kobe Walter's first career start, Ochai Agbaji responds to Darko Rajakovic's call-out, and Jamison Battle catches fire from 3. Three stars: Jamison Battle, Ochai Agbaji, Ja'Kobe Walter Gerald Henderson award: Yves Missi Most Important Guy: Jack Armstrong #raptors #torontoraptors Reach out to the show b...

Will, Alex, and Jerome recap their 80-46 loss at the TMU Sport vs. Media charity game, discuss their recent trip to Los Angeles, and provide a behind the scenes look at Jerome’s surprise 40th birthday evening. Later, they answer listener questions about best all-time game worn Raptors jerseys, favorite sports movies, sad Christmas memories, Taylor Swift concert tickets, Twitter vs. Bluesky, and Ge...

Will Lou recaps the Toronto Raptors' 102-100 loss against the Detroit Pistons. He breaks down Scottie Barnes' two-way effort, the strength of Toronto's bench, and also the weaknesses in RJ Barrett's game. Three stars: Scottie Barnes, Chris Boucher, Jamal Shead Gerald Henderson award: Jaden Ivey Most Important Guy: Whoever fixed the broken scoreboard Reach out to the show by leaving a voicemail at...

Will Lou comes live after the Toronto Raptors' 122-108 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and then is joined by Alex Wong for questions. #raptors #torontoraptors Three stars: Jonathan Mogbo, Jamal Shead, Scottie Barnes (second half) Gerald Henderson award: Ty Jerome Most Important Guy: Anthony and Lucy (congrats!) Reach out to the show by leaving a voicemail at hellowelcome.show or email the guys in...

Will, Alex, and Jerome get stuck in traffic in Los Angeles and use icebreaker questions to get to know each other better. Later, they discuss the greatest Raptors of all-time in several categories including: most underrated, best role player, greatest three-point shooter, and more. And big shout outs to Turo for providing the rental! https://turo.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor...

Will Lou comes live after Scottie Barnes' return to the line up in the Toronto Raptors' 110-105 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. He discusses Barnes' performance, Darko Rajakovic's defensive adjustments, and RJ Barrett's continued success. Three stars: RJ Barrett, Chris Boucher, Davion Mitchell Gerald Henderson award: Jaden McDaniels Most Important Guy (presented by Greta Bar YYZ): Scottie Bar...

Will and Alex go around the NBA and discuss whether the Cavs are legit contenders, bring out the worry meter for the Knicks, Bucks, and Sixers, before heading to the West to chat about the Warriors’ rebound season and if Phoenix could be a trade destination for Jakob Poeltl. Reach out to the show by leaving a voicemail at hellowelcome.show or email the guys info@hellowelcome.show Check out our mer...

Will Lou breaks down the Toronto Raptors' 130-119 win over the Indiana Pacers. He discusses RJ Barrett's season-high 39 points, Darko Rajakovic's timeouts to snap runs, and Jakob Poeltl's underrated importance to the Raptors. Three stars: RJ Barrett, Jakob Poeltl, Garrett Temple Gerald Henderson award: Quenton Jackson Most Important Guy: Garrett Temple Reach out to the show by leaving a voicemail...

Will Lou talks to draft expert Sam Vecenie about the loaded 2025 NBA draft class, which includes blue chippers Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey. They also discuss other potential top-5 picks and hand out early grades on Toronto Raptors rookies. Reach out to the show by leaving a voicemail at hellowelcome.show or email the guys info@hellowelcome.show Check out our merch! Visit hellowelcome.show and clic...

Will Lou and Samson Folk recaps the Toronto Raptors' 126-123 OT loss to the Boston Celtics. They discuss RJ Barrett's stellar passing performance, Jakob Poeltl's career-high of 35 points, and how Gradey Dick can counter aggressive defenses. Three stars: Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett, Davion Mitchell Gerald Henderson award: Sam Hauser Most Important Guy: Whoever designed the Raptors VC city edition jers...

Will Lou recaps the Toronto Raptors'99-85 loss against the Detroit Pistons. He breaks down Jakob Poeltl's two-way performance, RJ Barrett's improved offense, and how the Raptors blew another fourth quarter lead. Three stars: Jakob Poeltl, RJ Barrett, Jamison Battle Gerald Henderson award: Malik Beasley Most Important Guy: Alvin Williams RR feedback survey: https://www.raptorsrepublic.com/contests/...

Will and Alex are joined by Ben Golliver of the Washington Post to discuss how the NBA can improve the present-day product and chat about: the attention span of fans, the lack of rivalries, how the sport is discussed in mainstream media, the volume of three-point shooting, the marketability of today’s stars, and more. Reach out to the show by leaving a voicemail at hellowelcome.show or email the g...

Host William Lou breaks down the Toronto Raptors' 99-85 loss against the Milwaukee Bucks from Greta Bar YYZ after the sold-out Hello and Welcome watch party. He breaks down Gradey Dick's 32-point effort, RJ Barrett's struggles, and a general outlook on the team. Three stars: Gradey Dick, Bruno Fernando dunking on Giannis, crowd favorite Jamison Battle Gerald Henderson award: Brook Lopez Most Impor...

Will and Alex are joined by Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer to chat about Joel Embiid’s suspension, Nick Nurse and Kyle Lowry’s role on the Sixers, and the direction of the franchise. Later, Keith provides behind-the-scenes stories about Bryan Colangelo, Markelle Fultz, Ben Simmons, James Harden, and the craziest moments from covering the Sixers over the past decade. Reach out to the sho...

Will Lou recaps the Toronto Raptors' 123-103 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. He discusses how RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley are performing post-injuries, Chris Boucher's importance, and sets the record on how he stands with Darko Rajakovic. Three stars: Chris Boucher, Ochai Agbaji, Gradey Dick Gerald Henderson award: Austin Reaves Most Important Guy: Laker fan who helped LeBron get a triple-d...

Will Lou recaps the Toronto Raptors' 105-103 loss to the LA Clippers. He discusses Darko Rajakovic's strange play call at the end, Immanuel Quickley's return, and gives a review of the Clippers' newly opened Inuit Dome.  Three stars: Ochai Agbaji, Immanuel Quickley, Gradey Dick Gerald Henderson award: Norman Powell Most Important Guy: Jerome Cheng and Alex Wong Reach out to the show by leavin...

Will and Alex are live from Los Angeles and joined by The Ringer senior staff writer Mirin Fader to chat about her new book “Dream: The Life and Legacy of Hakeem Olajuwon,” and specifically: the impact Olajuwon left on the Muslim community in Toronto after 9/11, inspiring Masai Ujiri and Giants of Africa, how he was covered by the American media during his playing career, and more. Reach out to th...

Will Lou recaps the Toronto Raptors' rematch against the Sacramento Kings. He breaks down Gradey Dick and RJ Barrett seeing new defensive coverages, Davion Mitchell's promising effort, and how this team can close out fourth quarters. Three stars: Davion Mitchell, RJ Barrett, Chris Boucher Gerald Henderson award: Keegan Murray Most Important Guy: Camera man who spotted Vivek Ranadive's corny shirt...

Will Lou comes live after the Raptors visit the Nikola Jokic in the Mile High City. He breaks down why RJ Barrett struggled, Gradey Dick's continued excellence, and Darko Rajakovic's late-game management. Three stars: Jakob Poeltl, Gradey Dick, Davion Mitchell Gerald Henderson award: Russell Westbrook Most Important Gal: Kianna (H&W hat seen on broadcast) Reach out to the show by leaving a voi...

Will and Alex discuss takeaways from the first two weeks of the season including Gradey Dick’s year two leap, RJ Barrett as the number one option, defensive struggles, the lack of three-point shooting, and big picture questions about the Raptors this season. Later, they chat about the annual team Halloween party and whether the Milwaukee Bucks are in serious trouble. Reach out to the show by leavi...

Will Lou breaks down the Toronto Raptors' 131-128 OT win over the Sacramento Kings, and then is joined by co-host Alex Wong to discuss Vince Carter's emotional jersey retirement and complicated legacy. Three stars: Chris Boucher, Ochai Agbaji, RJ Barrett Gerald Henderson award: Malik Monk Most Important Guy: Vincent Lamar Carter (bonus: Jordan Hayles and Michael Grange) Reach out to the show by le...

Will Lou is joined by Samson Folk to react to the Raptors' 131-125 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. They discuss Gradey Dick's third career-high in four games, RJ Barrett thriving in a lead role, and take questions from listeners. Three stars: RJ Barrett, Gradey Dick, Jakob Poeltl Gerald Henderson award: D'Angelo Russell Most Important Guy: Masai Ujiri Reach out to the show by leaving a voicemail a...