Note: ESPN’s box scores weren’t working tonight, and that’s where the Quick Reaction normally pulls from. So forgive the hand-made notes and grades for tonight, and for any delay in getting them up.
Kyle Lowry – DNP (rest)
Norman Powell – DNP (ankle)
OG Anunoby – DNP (knee)
Malcolm Miller – DNP (ankle)
DeMar DeRozan – 15 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 6/11 FGA, 1/2 3PA, 2/4 FTA – A+
In a game where not much seemed to go right for the Raptors, this was a great performance from DeMar. He’s really embraced the new offensive philosophies through two preseason games, and has been a willing passer letting the game come to him at that end of the floor, and creating for his teammates frequently. This not only makes the guys around him better, but also makes him a more dangerous scorer by forcing the defense to respect the pass to a greater degree.
Serge Ibaka – 7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 4 turnovers, 3/9 FGA, 1/5 3PA – D
Serge did have some nice individual moments, including two big blocks and a nice driving dunk early in the game, but overall the team simply needs more from him. His shooting was once again off, and he looked like he was forcing his offense while also having trouble with not turning it over when he passed. Despite the blocks, he wasn’t really a force on the defensive end either.
Jonas Valanciunas- 11 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 turnover, 5/7 FGA, 1/1 FTA – A
Next to DeRozan, Valanciunas was the best Raptor for large stretches. The team made a concerted effort once again to put him in a position to succeed on the offensive end, and he converted those opportunities. He didn’t have the four assists he gave the team in the first preseason game, but he does look to be committed to the changes the team wants in their offense.
C.J. Miles – 3 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 1/8 FGA, 1/6 3PA – C-
Miles was acquired this summer to be a sharpshooter to complement the team’s offensive stars, and he hasn’t shown that through two games of the preseason. He once again struggled with his shot despite some good looks, and he didn’t really seem to bring much else to the table.
Delon Wright – 6 points, 3 rebounds, 3 rebounds, 1 turnover, 3/6 FGA, 0/3 3PA – C
I’m grading on a curve here with Delon a little bit, because Kyle Lowry sitting out the game left some awfully big shoes for him to fill. He worked admirably on the defensive end, but he’s clearly not ready for running the show offensively, and despite working hard throughout the game, this wasn’t his best game.
Fred VanVleet – 13 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 3 steals, 2 turnovers, 3/7 FGA, 1/4 3PA, 6/7 FTA – A
Where Delon struggled to run the offense without one of the team’s stars, Fred has continued to look extremely comfortable. He brought an intensity to the game that helped the end score look much closer than the game actually was, and he might get a look at being the team’s backup point guard if he can sustain this intensity for the remainder of the preseason.
K.J. McDaniels – 2 points, 2 rebounds, 3 turnovers, 1/4 FGA, 0/2 3PA, 0/2 FTA – D
McDaniels was the first camp invite off the bench, and he looked like he was trying too hard to make a big play to make his splash. He was really forcing his game and it just wasn’t working in this game. Needs to let things come to him more and work within the team concepts.
Pascal Siakam – 9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, 5 turnovers, 4/8 FGA, 1/2 3PA, 0/2 FTA – B+
Overall a nice game for Siakam, with him showing some nice touch in the first half finishing an awkward alley-oop with a nice layup, and also hitting a three during the late rally to keep the game close. He provided offense on a night when not many guys did. He struggled guarding Blake Griffin in the second half, where he gives up a lot of strength in that matchup and it showed.
Jakob Poeltl – 3 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 1/2 FGA, 1/4 FTA – C-
Tough night for Jakob, who got the first call at center off the bench. He picked up several offensive fouls trying to barge his way inside against savvy defenders. Poeltl managed to still show his savvy on the offensive boards and had some positive moments, but for the most part just failed to have much of an impact when he was in the game.
Bruno Caboclo – 0 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal, 3 turnovers, 0/3 FGA, 0/3 3PA – D+
Bruno’s first half was a mess, he looked out of place and seemed once again like the game was just moving too fast for him to keep up. In the second half, however, he managed a couple of nice moments including some great positional defense and a nice drive and dish for a bucket from Poeltl. Still a big project, but he did give us a couple moments that showed why the team drafted him. Needs to show more of those moments as the preseason progresses.
Lorenzo Brown – 4 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 2/8 FGA, 0/3 3PA – B
As the Raptors closed the score in the fourth quarter, Brown played a big role, bringing energy and aggressiveness. Definitely would’ve been nice to see him hit a few more shots, but he looked comfortable on the floor and had a team-high +14. One of the brightest spots of the camp invites tonight.
Alfonzo McKinnie – 5 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1/5 FGA, 1/3 3PA, 2/2 FTA – C+
McKinnie also gave the team some good minutes late, with a nice put-back dunk and a three during the fourth quarter rally. Showed off his athleticism and played some good defense as well.
Kyle Wiltjer – 0 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0/1 FGA – C
He played just the last three minutes of the game, and didn’t really have any noticeable impact aside from picking up a foul and missing a three-point attempt.
Andy Rautins – 2 points, 1 rebound, 1/2 FGA, 0/1 3PA – C+
Rautins didn’t make much of a mark on the box score, but his activity was noticeable and he was working hard while he was on the court.
Lucas Nogueira – 2 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 blocks, 1/3 FGA, 0/1 3PA – B
Bebe got all of his minutes late in this game, and showed the rim protection that had him playing in the rotation for portions of last season. It wasn’t the most impressive game from him, but through the first two preseason games, he’s shown more than Jakob Poeltl has and may have the upper hand on the backup center position at this point.
Dwane Casey – B+
With Kyle Lowry and Norman Powell sitting out the night, Casey was trying some different things rotationally. Some of it worked, some didn’t, but he gets credit for DeRozan and Valanciunas once again looking in synergy on the offensive end. If he can keep those guys bought in, it should help the offense this year. The team needs to find some defensive solutions though, as they’ve struggled there through these two games.
Things We Saw
- Milos Teodosic is a lot of fun. He put on a show dissecting the Raptors defense, and had a gorgeous full-court underhanded pass for a transition bucket. He’s a special passer, and will make the Clippers an entertaining team this year.
- The Raptors shooting has been a storyline so far in the preseason, and not for good reasons. After struggling on Sunday, they went 6/36 from deep in this one. It’s just preseason, but there’s only three games to go and they need to find someone who can hit from downtown.
- The bench is a concern right now. During the season they’ll likely have DeRozan or Lowry on the court with them as much as possible, but it’ll be hard to keep their minutes from getting out of hand if the team can’t find a way to get minutes where they can sit.
