 | Luis Scola, PF 22 MIN | 3-8 FG | 0-2 3FG | 2-2 FT | 1 REB | 1 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 8 PTS | +10 +/- I really have no earthly idea why he was on the floor late. Patterson provides more spacing and the Nuggets had Arthur at center, so size wasn’t important. Lost easy and monumental O-Reb off hands out of bounds. |  |
 | DeMarre Carroll, SF 31 MIN | 3-12 FG | 2-5 3FG | 2-2 FT | 6 REB | 1 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 10 PTS | -8 +/- Looks as if something’s off. Poor first half followed bad Hawks game, but defense picked up in the second half, at least. Shooting woefully at the rim. |  |
 | Bismack Biyombo, C 25 MIN | 2-4 FG | 0-0 3FG | 2-2 FT | 7 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 0 TO | 6 PTS | -17 +/- Fouled Will Barton in help on a key late possession as defensive side of offense-defense sub. Poor night, handled by King Joffrey, missed a lob read from Carroll. The honeymoon is over. |  |
 | Kyle Lowry, PG 37 MIN | 4-16 FG | 3-10 3FG | 5-7 FT | 6 REB | 8 AST | 4 STL | 2 BLK | 3 TO | 16 PTS | -3 +/- Second night of a back-to-back while sick and playing 37 insane minutes the night before. This one’s understandable but disappointing. Respect for the effort and distributing in light of the poor shooting. |  |
 | DeMar DeRozan, SG 38 MIN | 14-26 FG | 0-2 3FG | 6-6 FT | 5 REB | 5 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 34 PTS | +1 +/- One of his better offensive games, even with the high usage. He was very good. Gave far too much of that back by proving incapable of guarding Barton. |  |
 | James Johnson, PF 4 MIN | 2-2 FG | 0-0 3FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 4 PTS | -2 +/- Thought he looked great but, as usual, one small defensive miscue (confusion on a screen leading to an open Barton three) made for a quick hook. |  |
 | Patrick Patterson, PF 22 MIN | 1-3 FG | 1-3 3FG | 0-0 FT | 4 REB | 3 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 3 PTS | +1 +/- Thought he should have been the center late given additional spacing and ability to stay with Arthur. Fairly quiet showing, needed to hit the boards better, but passed well. | |
 | Terrence Ross, SF 17 MIN | 1-9 FG | 1-4 3FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 3 PTS | +2 +/- Lol, K. |  |
 | Lucas Nogueira, C 16 MIN | 3-3 FG | 0-0 3FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 6 PTS | +3 +/- Another stellar showing from Bebe. Nothing jumped off the page but he was once again solid setting screens and mostly made the right pick-and-roll reads (one exception on a short Nelson pull-up). Had a terrific touch pass to the corner off a lob that Ross turned to bricks. |  |
 | Cory Joseph, PG 28 MIN | 6-9 FG | 1-1 3FG | 2-3 FT | 4 REB | 2 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 15 PTS | +8 +/- Was mostly at his best, taking advantage of a quickness edge against Randy Foye and Jameer Nelson. The Nuggets really should employ Raymond Felton, too. Joseph wasn’t tasked with much on defense, would have liked to see him take Barton challenge. | |
 | Dwane Casey It’s hard to hang the starts on him, but it’s a problem that needs fixing. Disagreed with late Scola-Biyombo strategy but the team didn’t sink into pure iso-ball (there were a few but they were getting DeRozan and Lowry the ball out of dribble hand-offs and forcing switches, at least). Not sure what he should do about Ross. | |
Five Things We Saw
- These starts, good god. The Raptors are 6-12-2 in first quarters. Whatever the cause, it needs fixing. “If you figure it out Blake, let me know, we’ll go into business together” – Casey on the slow starts a few weeks back.
- Will Barton is a lot of fun but he has no business dropping a 22-4-4 against a team that ostensibly has quality perimeter defenders. Ditto for Darrell Arthur’s 19-and-6.
- With that said, both of them made some ridiculous shots.
- Credit the Raptors for never saying die, but the tough starts are putting an enormous tax on guys. Lowry, DeRozan, and Carroll are all averaging way too many minutes, and it looks like fatigue is beginning to set in.
- Not the best way to satrt a six-game home-stand. Hardly looking like “The One in 20-1” right now.
