Here’s 10 takeaways from the Raptors’ 119-117 victory over the Blazers.
One – Kawhi comes up clutch, again: I have watched just about every Raptors game since 2004, and regardless of the specific circumstance, or the particular players wearing the jersey, I have always felt uneasy during close games. This is a franchise with an unfortunate history of lacking “it”, especially during difficult moments, but that’s changing. I remained unphased when the Blazers continued to splash unlikely threes down the stretch, and I was level-headed when the referees boned the Raptors for the entirety of the fourth quarter (including rewarding Damian Lillard for a shameless flop that tied the game) because I knew that we had the best player on the floor in Kawhi Leonard. I trusted that he would deliver, and that’s exactly what he did, by going baseline for a short jumper that eventually bounced in to give the Raptors a deserved result. There’s a certain comfort, a peace of mind, in knowing that a true superstar like Leonard would perform in the clutch – just as he did against Atlanta, Brooklyn, and San Antonio – and it’s making even the most guarded and cynical Raptors fans believe that this franchise can escape its history. We’re no longer doomed to fail, because for once we have the best player on the floor.
Two – A managed load: After a few weeks of rustiness, Leonard finally looked to be in peak condition again as he finished with 38 points while looking entirely confident in his skill set. His mid-range game was money, he took smaller players into the post, he elevated and finished through contact over 7-footers, and most of all, Leonard regained his air of omnipotence. Nobody on the Blazers could stop him, and Leonard operated accordingly. Strangely enough, the Blazers stubbornly refused to double Leonard, and instead tried to limit his drives by switching. The Raptors took advantage of this on the final possession as Kyle Lowry finally got the step-up screen to work, as he forced a switch with Lamian Dillard guarding Leonard, and he was able to easily rise up and sink the final dagger. When he is fresh and rested, Leonard is as good as any player in the league.
Three – A strategic start: Marc Gasol was much better in his second start as a Raptor. Jusuf Nurkic battled foul trouble all night as he was repeatedly outwitted by Gasol, and it exposed a weakness on the Blazers’ roster as Enes Kanter remained in the United States for fear of the Turkish government. Meyers Leonard and Zach Collins were complete duds, and so Gasol feasted to the tune of 19-8-6. The downside to Gasol’s starts is that Serge Ibaka’s production falls off a cliff when he’s separated from Lowry, but it definitely worked for the starting unit as Gasol was a plus-23 in 32 minutes.
Four – Synergy: I’ve already noted this in previous columns, but the synergy between Gasol and Lowry is just beautiful to watch. On a granular level, Gasol’s passing and screening has activated Lowry’s scoring, as he can either pop out for threes, curl around Gasol’s heft and see daylight on the pull-up, or input the ball into the post before cutting backdoor for a layup. But in the bigger picture, Lowry has always been the brains behind the operation, only he never had a sidekick who was on his wavelength until Gasol came along. Lowry was always there to help his teammates, and finally someone can help him. If revitalizing Lowry was ultimately the intent behind trading for Gasol, then I must admit it was an ingenious move by the front office. Bringing this level of production out of Lowry will be vital in the playoffs.
Five – A stylistic shift: Not to belabor this point on Gasol, but he brings a certain connectivity. Every set is much more fluid because Gasol is always providing options as the fulcrum of the offense. He’s dragging bigs out of the paint so wings can flash freely in the lane, he makes instant decisions with his passing to give his teammates a beat on their man, and his bruising screens consistently allow the likes of Lowry and Leonard to get downhill toward the rim. The starting unit with Ibaka works fine because Lowry has four finishers to feed, but Gasol gives this team another dimension, and dare I say it resembles those egalitarian Spurs offenses from their last two Finals runs.
Six – A drop of Canadian: Jeremy Lin is a master at keeping his dribble alive as he weaves his way across the paint, and his teammates are starting to take notice. Lowry smartly darted to the basket after Lin scrambled the defense, and Lin hit him on the money for the layup. This is one thing Delon Wright and Fred VanVleet both struggled with, as they lacked the awareness to stretch and manipulate the defense on their drives. It was almost always a kickout to a wing or corner shooter with Wright, whereas VanVleet just likes to play it safe and reset.
Seven – More experimentation: Nurse has stumbled upon a little something with this Norman Powell – OG Anunoby – Pat McCaw trio. No, they can’t score at all, but there’s definitely some chemistry when it comes to defense. All three players can switch interchangeably, and they’re all plus athletes at their respective positions. Powell got his hands on at least two deflections, OG took a charge and blocked a three, and McCaw hustled so hard on defense that Nurse gave him a shot in crunch time to guard C.J. McCollum. Don’t ask me how VanVleet fits into the mix when he returns, because I have no idea.
Eight – Appreciating the service: The best part of Danny Green – of which there are many – is that he always hits the important threes. As Stephen A. Smith enthusiast @ThePersianGuy put it: Green is the anti-Patrick Patterson. He will always knock down the threes you need, and he did so tonight in the final minute as he switched a corner three to tie the game. For the bandwagon fans out there: The Raptors used to close games with Patterson and DeMarre Carroll, who were supposedly shooters, but defenses would always leave them open knowing they would miss. And to make matters worse, Matt Devlin would also tease, “they need this”, in this almost condescending tone, which made every brick feel even heavier. Bless you, Danny. We didn’t need this, we needed you.
Nine – A budding star: Pascal Siakam only took eight shots but finished with 16 points, which is impressive because I don’t think the Raptors ran a single play for him tonight. Siakam is undeniably enjoying a breakout year, and he absolutely deserves a chance to see out his full potential, but I appreciate that he’s an unselfish player who is more than happy to take a step back when needed. Gasol, Lowry, and Leonard all had it going, so Siakam got by with his corner threes and transition buckets. That shows a commitment to winning that most young players simply lack.
Ten – Through the looking glass: The Blazers always make me appreciate the Raptors’ progress over the past six seasons. Both teams were built around two star guards who were good enough to secure home court and keep the seats filled, but yet they weren’t great enough to seriously contend. Toronto took steps to develop a young core, revamped their playing style, and eventually overhauled the bulk of the roster by swinging for the fences on Green, Leonard, and Gasol. Meanwhile, the Blazers whiffed on their picks, retained the same coach, extended bloated contracts to their middling role players, and never came close to acquiring another top-flight talent. In doing so, the Blazers have imprisoned themselves – and Lillard and McCollum – in this treadmill of good but not great, whereas the Raptors worked at every turn to create upward mobility. Or in short, one team has Meyers Leonard and the other has Kawhi Leonard. Thank you, Masai Ujiri.
