The Quick Reaction is back and we start off with a Raptors road win against the Lakers.
 | Patrick Patterson, PF 16 MIN | 0-0 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 0 PTS | +4 +/-Passing up shots he should take, not making rotations he should make. Poor footwork on D on the perimeter, and posing zero threat offensively. Maybe he’s coasting like Ross last year knowing there’s a starter job waiting for him. Maybe it shouldn’t be. |  |
 | DeMarre Carroll, SF 23 MIN | 6-10 FG | 3-3 FT | 6 REB | 1 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 18 PTS | +9 +/-Ready to start the season and prove he’s worth the money. The D is there, the three is there, and he even scaled a couple rows diving for a loose ball he had no chance getting. The guy appears to have much more in his game than what we saw in Atlanta, the most noticeable is his drive and how good his ball-control and finishing is when he’s slashing. |  |
 | Jonas Valanciunas, C 24 MIN | 4-7 FG | 2-4 FT | 4 REB | 1 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 10 PTS | +8 +/-This guy still hasn’t figured out that when the defense isn’t biting on your pump fake, they’re daring you to shoot, so you best take the 10-foot jumper with no hesitation rather than force a drive that makes everyone cringe. His finishing has the elegance of two guys moving a giant couch up a narrow stairway – you’re just waiting for something bad to happen. Forget about putting a spin on the ball, let’s start with getting the glass angle halfway right from within three feet. |  |
 | Kyle Lowry, PG 25 MIN | 8-13 FG | 5-6 FT | 2 REB | 6 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 25 PTS | +10 +/-Unstoppable, really. He’s got the full package ready to go, the jumper’s there, the drive’s there, and his hesitation moves look twice as better from a year ago. At this rate, he’s going back to the All-Star game with ease. I almost don’t want to “waste” his play by playing him pre-season. | |
 | DeMar DeRozan, SG 23 MIN | 1-7 FG | 6-6 FT | 1 REB | 3 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 8 PTS | +6 +/-Ladies and gentleman, this year you’ll be seeing the exact same DeMar DeRozan as last year, except that even fewer people will bite on his perimeter fakes. I’m losing hope that he’ll ever figure out how to shoot, and part of the problem is his form. It’s too much like a catapult with way too much East-West movement, instead of a predictable and automatic release. He’s still figuring out how to get his offense without having the ball for 18 seconds. Disappointing on defense too as evidenced by some way too aggressive clearouts on guys who hadn’t hit a jumper. |  |
 | Bismack Biyombo, PF 19 MIN | 1-3 FG | 4-6 FT | 4 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 6 PTS | +2 +/-He’s alright. Set some screens, hit a FT, was big when he was in there. |  |
 | Luis Scola, PF 17 MIN | 4-6 FG | 0-0 FT | 7 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 2 TO | 9 PTS | +4 +/-The vet was in full effect again. Keeps finding a seam to crash the boards on offense, and then he also got the craftiness inside, which was supplemented nicely by the three. Surprisingly, he’s even ahead of Patterson defensively at this point. |  |
 | James Johnson, PF 8 MIN | 0-0 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 1 TO | 0 PTS | +6 +/-Got in the game in the first half and guarded Randle while playing the four. Played well on offense, got lit up a little by Randle in the block. Didn’t see the court much after that. Same old. |  |
 | Ronald Roberts Jr., PF 5 MIN | 0-0 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 0 PTS | -2 +/-Waiting to be cut. |  |
 | Anthony Bennett, PF 7 MIN | 2-5 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 4 PTS | -6 +/-Doesn’t make enough hustle plays out there for me. He’s got to realize he’s not a scorer or playmaker, and he’s got to influence the game without having the ball, which he doesn’t do enough of. This is an opportunity for him to stay in the NBA, and he’s got to act like it and do anything to help the team, not what he’s supposed to do as a #1 pick. Not sure if that made sense, but it is 1 AM. Did have a highlight, before tweaking his ankle. |  |
 | Terrence Ross, SF 20 MIN | 2-7 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 3 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 1 TO | 5 PTS | +5 +/-My God. Kobe manhandled him easily, after which he went into his shell and was a non-factor. Wasn’t nearly as active on D as the last game, and his shot-selection remains poor unless it’s being setup for him. He also traveled on the break. |  |
 | Bruno Caboclo, SF 9 MIN | 0-1 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 0 PTS | -2 +/-This guy is not a basketball player. Did have a moment against Kobe. | |
 | Cory Joseph, PG 23 MIN | 8-13 FG | 1-3 FT | 3 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 18 PTS | -2 +/-Really liked his approach all game. Controlled dribbling, head up and looking at options, always a threat to drive, and has a burst of speed in him that gets him by his man who he lulls to sleep, and most of all, is stable on defense not letting penetration through. Had a mini-battle going with Lou Williams and did well while not making it an iso-thing. Him and Lowry have given us a great 1-2 punch at the point. |  |
 | Delon Wright, PG 6 MIN | 0-1 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 0 PTS | -2 +/-Played in the end a little, didn’t really get to see him much. | |
 | Norman Powell, SG 14 MIN | 1-3 FG | 0-2 FT | 0 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 1 TO | 2 PTS | 0 +/-Had a normal Norman game. Shot when he had the opportunity, kept his center of gravity low when guarding bigger players, and tried to use his arms to poke balls away and intercept passing lanes. Didn’t have the same results as against GSW, but the approach is consistent and correct. His play off the inbound for a left-handed finish with a second on the clock was huge. |  |
 | Dwane Casey We’re not seeing isolation ball, so that’s good. We’re also not seeing Patterson and DeRozan be productive. The latter’s struggling to operate without having possessions dedicated to him, and the former just doesn’t know where to be on the court. He’s got to address that. Defensive effort was good, offense is a work in progress. | |
Three Things We Saw
- The Raptors hit a ton of threes in this game. There was good ball movement in the first half and there was very little over-dribbling. The Raptors relied on quick, crisp passing to get theirs, and Kyle Lowry was at the heart of it.
- Casey had a bench unit of Wright, Powell, Bennett, Roberts, and Joseph play a ton of minutes down the stretch. That unit was held together entirely by Cory Joseph.
- Good signs on both ends of the court. You have to be pleased with the offense overall, even though some key guys are struggling. There’s better use of the pick ‘n roll, much more screening, and plays seem to have multiple options rather than a single, predictable one. Liking the defense too.
