Final Score: Cavaliers 104, Raptors 116
Box Score | Quick Reaction | Reaction Podcast
Scotiabank Arena sure does has a different ring to it. And that wasn’t all that was different about last night’s home opener for the Raptors. From a different coach, and of course, a different lineup featuring the one of the most prized off-season acquisitions in Kawhi Leonard … the Raptors could finally show the NBA world that this time around, things really are different in Toronto. After 5 years of consistency, stability and continuity, the Raptors were slated to start the first year of true change under the watchful guidance of Masai Ujiri. And, interestingly enough, that era of change began last night against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the team that’s eliminated Toronto in 3 of the past 4 post-seasons.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR3bUCT9NX4
And yet, with all that seemed different about the game last night, just a few minutes into it, some similar characteristics from last season seemed to surface – team depth…and a whole lot of Kyle Lowry. Kyle was his usual self making the most of every opportunity. From opportunistic drives to the basket, to buzzer-beating layups, to his patented pull-up 3-pointers, Lowry had all weapons in his arsenal looking like they were in mid-season form. Lowry’s 5 of 6 from deep helped the Raptors gain a significant advantage over the Cavaliers from beyond the arc (14 to 7), which was all the separation Toronto needed.
What was also different was of course… not having DeMar DeRozan. Scoring seemed to come in bunches throughout the night, and even when it was Kawhi who would get plays run for him at the elbow or logo area, it felt much different than when DeMar got the ball in those same situations. The most glaring difference stylistically was the perimeter-oriented game that didn’t yield as many free throw attempts (Toronto attempted 33 3’s, and only got to the line 20 times, as compared to Cleveland’s 39 trips). And despite Nick Nurse’s reputation as a passing-oriented offensive coach, the Raptors seemed to even sprinkle in a few ISOs for their new superstar, to get him accustomed to his new role.
Kawhi struggled initially however, going 1 for his first 4 from the field, and it was evident that his jumper will need a little bit more time. A short fade-away, and a few missed mid-range jumpers showed that while he’s well on his way to being healthy, some rust persists. But Leonard seemed to settle in nicely in the second quarter onward, capitalizing on a few dashes to the rim, and nailing a few jumpers in the second half to net a total of 24 points, second only to Lowry’s 27. Kawhi’s 13 rebounds was also stellar, meaning he finished with a double double in just his first regular season game for a new team. And sure … 9 of 22 from the field may not be on par with his usual efficiency metrics, but overall…not bad at all.
After that, it was usual suspects in Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet who added the necessary scoring punch to hold off the pesky Cavaliers, who refused to let the Raptors blow the game open until midway through the third quarter. VanVleet’s ability to finish through contact at the rim (14 points), along with Pascal’s length and speed in the open court (13 points) were the supplementary highlights in a typical, balanced Raptors offensive attack.
The only real weak spot in the offense was Serge Ibaka, who was 0 for his first 7 and didn’t seem like he could hit anything. Ibaka’s missed bunnies close to the rim, and even a missed dunk in the first half were the kinds of buckets the Raptors needed badly in the first half to break the game open. However, Serge made his impact felt on the defensive end, with 3 mean blocks, and a few points down the stretch to finish with a respectable 9 points in 27 minutes.
While the bench had their moments, another difference we saw last night, as compared to what we saw on most nights last season, was that the starters were the clearly better lineup. All starters finished at a minimum of +13, with Leonard (+13) and Lowry (+12) leading the team in minutes and overall production. The overall impact of Lowry and Leonard together was palpable, as the Raptors seemed to let up every time both of them sat down. And on the flip side, when both were in the game, the Raptors defense seemed to kick into high gear, forcing the Cavaliers into turnovers (they had 16 turnovers in total), and fueling offense on the other side. An especially awesome moment was at the 6.5 minute mark of the second quarter when Leonard came off a dribble hand-off and JV screen, attracted multiple defenders, and kicked it out to the corner for a wide-open Lowry 3 that was nothing but net. The Raptors followed up that possession with a Lowry fast-break pass to Danny Green for another successful wide-open 3. It was that moment when it really felt like the new Raptors had arrived.
Another bright spot for the Raptors was the play of Jonas Valanciunas, who, despite finishing the night with only 6 points, had 12 rebounds and 3 nifty assists. It was clear that the JV from the second half of last season was back once again. His alertness on offense, and being wary of his teammates was evident once again as he continued to find slashers to the hoop, whether it be off post action or off a screen-and-roll.
Kevin Love led all Cleveland players with 21 points to go along with 8 boards. He was terrible shooting the ball however, going 5 for 18, but valuable contributions from Cedi Osman (17 points and 10 rebounds), and George Hill (15 points and 7 assists) kept Cleveland within striking distance in the first half, and in the late stages of the fourth quarter. Collin Sexton, the 8th overall pick in this year’s NBA draft, struggled for most of the night, going 2 for 7 for 9 points.
All in all, last night was pretty much exactly what we’d expect to see from the new Raptors in their first game. Some guys looked rusty, some guys looked ready. But overall, it was the value generated by Lowry and Leonard that was the difference. And while the bench play wasn’t as great as we saw throughout last season, the fact that the Raptors won 3 of 4 quarters, shot better from the field, attempted and hit more 3’s, and out-assisted the Cavaliers, were all pretty impressive. But, as the saying goes, it’s just one game. And the Raptors will have 81 more to get even better.
