4-1
Raptors beat Magic in true Raptors fashion | Raptors HQ embarks on worthy jersey ranking trip | Lowry shaping up | VanVleet and Siakam raise the ceiling
10 things: Kyle Lowry comes up clutch in gritty win over Magic – Yahoo!
Seven — Thriving: OG Anunoby continues to be the breakout player of the season, as he’s coming into his own as a 3-and-D wing. Anunoby is Toronto’s best and most active defender, and it was reflected in the boxscore tonight as he finished with five steals and two blocks along with eight defensive rebounds. Anunoby made two excellent plays in the fourth — once to strip Al Farouq-Aminu on the perimeter before taking it in for a dunk, and again to deny an easy basket as Anunoby hustled back to guard the rim, before switching out to the perimeter to force a miss. Anunoby is hardly a standout on offense, but he consistently makes the right reads, and he’s shown an improved ability in attacking on the catch and making a play for either himself or the next man.
Raptors beat Magic old-fashioned way on throwback night – Sportsnet.ca
Lowry was a bit of a mystery during the pre-season as he didn’t play 5-on-5 until the Raptors’ final exhibition after missing time due to off-season thumb surgery and (according to sources) delaying his return until his contract extension was finalized.
He claims he’s still a few weeks away from being in peak form but through four games he looks like he’s gunning for sixth straight all-star appearance, with averages of 22.8 points, 6.8 assists and 5.3 rebounds through four games.
He flashed his trademark basketball smarts at the end of the first half when the Magic had cut what had been an 11-point second-quarter lead to two with 31.5 seconds left to play before intermission. Lowry let the ball roll up the floor so the clock wouldn’t start and when he did grab the ball he attacked the paint, drew a foul and converted the three-point play, all while using just 2.7 seconds of running time. The result was the Raptors were guaranteed one more possession before the half and Lowry used the 5.3 seconds left after the Magic scored to rush the length of the floor and score again. The Raptors went into the half up five and feeling like they had some momentum.
“Nothing really surprises me about him, to be honest with you,” said Raptors head coach Nick Nurse. “He’s just such an experienced guy and such a gamer, man.”
But Lowry saved the best for last, scoring, assisting or engineering 13 straight points in just over two minutes with the game on the line, working with Siakam in the pick-and-roll to move the Magic defence like a yo-yo on a string.
“You’ve got two good basketball players. And I got great spacing,” was Lowry’s assessment of the set. “You can’t help off of Marc, OG, and Fred. So, you’ve got to pick your poison with that one. And Pascal made a jump shot, made another one, I got a three, couple free throws, couple free throws. And we just kind of pick and chose the spots where we needed to get on the floor. Kept it simple.”
Was it fun having the ball in your hands down the stretch like that?
“It’s always fun to win games,” he said.
It’s also fortunate the Raptors are captained by ageless wonder Kyle Lowry, a player able to run-and-gun with ease and not one to shy away from ugly basketball when the need arises. When the game got out of control tonight, when the Magic climbed out of a 14-point hole to take a 2-point lead with just over four minutes to play, there was Lowry, ready to do what had to be done. “Nothing surprises me about [Kyle],” said coach Nick Nurse of his star guard, acknowledging the long layoff he had this offseason while recovering from wrist surgery. “He’s just such an experienced guy. And he’s such a gamer, man.”
Lowry led the Raptors with 26 points (on 7-of-18 shooting), to go with six assists and five rebounds. Yes, it was another high-minute night (38 this time), but it was obvious most times Lowry sat that the Raptors’ offense was not quite as sharp in his absence. It also lacked his specific style of derring-do — Lowry drew another charge in this one, and finished both the first and second quarters with 2-for-1 possession attempts, the second of which saw him put in five straight points for Toronto to maintain their slim 5-point lead at the half.
In his efforts, Lowry was supported by his fellow starters once again, specifically Pascal Siakam. Toronto’s star power forward accumulated his usual numbers, scoring 24 points on 9-of-16 shooting, to go with nine rebounds and three assists. In those final four minutes, with the game suddenly close after a 13-0 run for Orlando, it was Siakam running 1-4 pick-and-rolls with Lowry that helped produce open shots nearly every time down the floor. Once again Siakam also had moments where he found cutting teammates upon drawing a double-team; in another instance, he hit a mid-range one legged jumper to help seal the contest for Toronto. It was another small step in the further expansion of Siakam’s all-around game.
Magic can’t complete late rally, fall to Raptors – Orlando Sentinel
The closing minutes looked all too familiar to Magic coach Steve Clifford, who said an opposing point guard once again took advantage of his team’s defensive miscues.
“They scored six points off two pick-and-roll mistakes,” he said. “Actually, the same thing happened the other night. Our defense was good. The other night [Hawks guard] Trae Young scored five points on mistakes late. Tonight, Lowry scored six points on mistakes late. So that was it.”
Free throws also proved a factor as the Raptors made 28-of-30 attempts. The Magic were 15-of-18.
Magic center Nikola Vucevic’s nightmarish shooting struggles continued against the Raptors. Vucevic, who shot just 36.2% in last year’s playoff series against Toronto, was 1-for-13 from the field and finished with just five points. He did not have a two-point field goal.
Things clicked on for the Orlando Magic so quickly and suddenly.
Three-and-a-half quarters of frustration and false starts finally seemed to kick into overdrive. Coach Steve Clifford found the right combinations and the Magic were finally able to make that final push over the top.
Jonathan Isaac was a key part of the 13-0 run that gave the Magic a brief lead. He hit a 3-pointer and then erased a Serge Ibaka shot, injecting some needed energy into the team. Terrence Ross would complete the run with a 3-pointer.
As much as Orlando struggled offensively, the team had its chance to win once again. No one could fault the Magic for staying in the fight and grinding their way to a chance at a win.
Just as quickly as the offense turned on, it turned off again.
Kyle Lowry answered a Markelle Fultz layup with a 3-pointer, working his way around a screen to get the space to fire. The Toronto Raptors were in the lead for good. The Magic were unable to respond.
Lowry responded with a three that sparked a 7-0 Raptors run and opened a 97-91 lead. A putback dunk by Fultz later pulled the Magic within 100-95 with 1:06 to go, but on the ensuing possession, Fultz lost the ball while driving to the basket. The Raptors sealed it from there.
Valiant effort by the Magic, who managed to nearly steal a win on a night where they shot 38.6 percent and Vucevic and Gordon combined for seven points on 2-for-19 shooting. Vooch finished 1-for-13 from the field and will probably pretend to have the flu the next time the Magic play the Raptors. Isaac finished with a career-high 24 points, connecting on 5 of 7 attempts from deep, and also adding seven rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Fournier added 18 points. Fultz had 13 points on 6-for-11 shooting (1 of 4 from three, with five assists and three turnovers. The Magic (1-2) have failed to reach 100 points in each of their first three games.
Lowry led all scorers with 26, Siakam added 24, and Marc Gasol (aka the Vucevic Silencer) added 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors (3-1).
Raps improve to 3-1 with hard-fought win over Magic | Toronto Sun
Rather than crumble when the Magic finally took a lead, the Raptors responded with textbook execution offensively and plenty of that stifling defence that was the team’s trademark last spring.
The majority of the offensive execution down the stretch was confined to Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam, who ran the same pick and roll to success after success ending any hopes of an Orlando comeback.
Lowry had another solid game leading the Raptors with 26 points along with five boards and six assists as the point guard re-establishes himself as a force at both ends of the court after taking a backseat offensively to Kawhi Leonard a year ago.
Off-season surgery on his thumb put Lowry a month behind his normal pace to begin the season and, despite solid numbers across the board, he says he’s basically two weeks away from catching up.
You wouldn’t know it by watching him.
Lowry did struggle from the three-point line where he was just 3-of-11 but he more than made up for that with his all-around game. And with the game hanging in the balance he was the man leading the charge to make sure this win didn’t get away.
“Nothing really surprises me about him, to be honest with you,” head coach Nick Nurse said when asked about Lowry’s quick start to the year. “He’s just such an experienced guy and such a gamer. I like it. His shot volume is up and (we) say, ‘keep shooting them.’ He took 11 threes tonight. Ten is the number we’re going for so he’s getting there.”
OG Anunoby showing he can be integral part of Raptors’ core – Yahoo!
Anunoby has always been looked upon as someone with all the tools needed to be a dominant defensive player, but what’s making him stand out on that end of the floor so early this season is how he’s using exactly the tools he needs for each matchup. A quick, smaller guard? Get low in the stance and show active hands to disturb the dribble. Neutralize the speed with strength when needed. A long, lanky forward? Use strength early to deny them the opportunity to get to their spot, and then trust the lateral quicks to stick with them, and the length to contest without being overzealous.
With the way the game is played today and the prevalence of guard play, Anunoby presenting himself as a rim protector in addition to all that he offers as an on-ball defender further increases the ceiling. If he can steadily improve his ability to clean up the glass, you’re looking at all-world ability on that end of the floor. By the end of the game, he splashed in three 3-pointers as well to finish with 17 points, six rebounds, four(!) blocks, two assists and a steal. After the game, he provided the most OG response when Jack Armstrong asked about his efforts.
“Yeah, it was cool.”
Through three games now, Anunoby is averaging 12.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while making five of his 12 3-point attempts. He has shot 11-for-16 inside the arc, and each and every single one of those twos has either been a dunk, layup or hook shot. A three, paint-two, and D player can give the Raptors exactly the complementary piece that needs to be flanked alongside what looks more and more with each passing day an All-NBA player in Pascal Siakam and a steady head-of-the-snake in VanVleet.
Above all, it’s just heartwarming to see Anunoby start this season off on the right foot after a nightmare previous year off the court. After losing his father around this time last year, the 22-year-old finished the season by missing the entire championship run due to an appendectomy. He had to learn to walk again, before slowly ramping up his physical activity and steadily progressing to the point he’s at now.
“It’s so great to have OG back,” Serge Ibaka said before the season began. “He deserves the best, especially what he went through last year. I’ve been talking to him all summer, and I still talk with him. I tried to help him a little bit. He’s a great kid. He works very hard. He always wants to get better. That’s the good thing about him.
Life’s half-grand for Kyle Lowry at Raptors milestone | The Star
It was expected that Lowry would have to handle a greater offensive role than he did last season in the presence of Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green, and that’s precisely what’s happened. Afforded more spot-up shooting opportunities while playing off the ball with VanVleet on the court, the Raptors still run an offence predicated on ball movement, reading and reacting more than running a series of set plays. Lowry is always encouraged to pull up and take a three-pointer in transition whenever it strikes his fancy.
“I think he’s finding some stuff a little easier for some reason,” coach Nick Nurse said before Monday’s game. “He’s got a little bit more in transition. There’s some throw-aheads and things like that, that we don’t normally see from him. It’s good.”
Lowry has also fit in seamlessly with a relatively new defensive assignment, too. He and VanVleet are not the biggest of backcourt defenders by any stretch of the imagination, but they are strong and smart enough to avoid getting dominated in the post.
There are statistical studies that suggest two small guards might be a defensively liability. Nurse doesn’t really think about them.
“I think it’s so much more like what the eye sees in the game, or what it feels like before you start doing something (to change assignments),” he said. “I’m not sending for any analytical reports in the middle of the game saying: What do the numbers say? You can feel whether you’re getting stuffed in the basket or not, usually.”
Lowry downplays any disadvantage the lack of size might create, and he does play a lot bigger and stronger than he is. If he baits an opponent or two into taking a low-percentage shot, that’s not a bad thing.
“If you can make guys shoot turnarounds outside the paint, you’re probably in good shape on any position, mismatch or not, as far as the data goes,” Nurse said. “You can’t get planted right under the basket and turned in and laid in and dunked on and stuff. It’s so much more what the eye sees in the game, or what it feels like before you start doing something (with defensive schemes).”
NBA Power Rankings Week 2 – Opening-week thoughts for all 30 teams – ESPN
11. Toronto Raptors
Record: 2-1
Week 1 ranking: 13The defending champs have started the season by winning two of their first three games, led by reigning NBA Most Improved Player Pascal Siakam. Siakam is looking to make another leap, and is averaging just under 29 points and 11 rebounds for the first week of the season. Sporting a deep and veteran cast, the Raptors could be poised for a stronger-than-predicted defense of their championship this season.
The Athletic’s NBA Power Rankings, Week 1: Rank and overreact – The Athletic
9. Toronto Raptors (Previously 11th), 2-1 (+7.4 net rating)
If you were wondering whether Pascal Siakam would be able to handle the attention of a defense treating him as the number one guy (a fair question), it looks pretty manageable for him so far. Through three games, Siakam is averaging 28.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He’s also posting a 59.5 true shooting percentage. Now, I’m not sure how likely any of these averages and percentages are to hold up throughout the course of the entire season. Maybe he’ll put up 28-10-3.5 all season long. It’s only happened 19 times in NBA history, so an overreaction to the early production does seem a little hasty. But the Raptors are counting on him to lead them in dramatic fashion each night.
As for the team, its going to need Fred VanVleet every single night. In the two games he’s been good, the Raptors have won. In the one game he was awful, they got edged out by Boston. Between VanVleet and Lowry, that second guy on the hierarchy is so key for them. It just allows everybody else to settle into a very manageable role, which is where this offense needs defined duties. Defensively, expect them to keep stifling plenty of teams. But the two point guards need to produce for Nick Nurse.
Power Rankings, Week 2: Sixers on top after week full of surprises | NBA.com
11
Last week:8
Toronto Raptors
Record: 2-1
Pace: 104.4 (15) OffRtg: 105.8 (14) DefRtg: 98.5 (6) NetRtg: +7.4 (7)Though the champs blew out the Bulls on Saturday, 33-year-old Kyle Lowry ranks second in the league at 39.7 minutes per game. Part of that is the need for overtime (after iso-Norm didn’t work at the end of regulation) against New Orleans on Tuesday, and part of it is coach Nick Nurse’s start-of-the-season lack of trust in anybody beyond his top seven guys. He incrementally expanded his rotation over the weekend and was rewarded by 25-year-old rookie Matt Thomas (2-for-3 from 3-point range, plus-18 in 20 minutes) on Saturday. The starting group held its own (plus-4 in 22 minutes) against the Celtics (who started Jaylen Brown at the two) on Friday, but starting all three of his playmakers — Lowry, Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet — together makes it a little tougher for Nurse to manage the second-unit rotation.
15 Raptors The Raptors won an overtime thriller on ring night against the Pelicans, then lost to the Celtics before destroying the Bulls. As most predicted, the Raptors look like an incredibly solid team, whose ceiling goes significantly higher if Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet can continue to progress. They both look great so far, but it’s a long season.
The 25 greatest Raptors in franchise history | TSN
16. Fred VanVleet
PG – 6’0, 195 lbs.
Raptor from 2016-17 to PresentToronto Career Stats: 180 GP, 8.5 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 3.4 APG
He hasn’t been in Toronto long, relative to others on this list, but what VanVleet has already accomplished in three NBA seasons – all of them as a Raptor – is remarkable.
Famously, VanVleet bet on himself after going undrafted in 2016, and you can see why he had to – there weren’t many teams lining up to take a chance on an undersized, four-year college player.
The rest is history. He fought his way onto the Raptors’ roster, won a championship with the G League club in his rookie year, broke out and finished as a Sixth Man finalist as a sophomore, then became a national hero with a string of clutch performances en route to an NBA title (and a Finals MVP vote).
Fred just gets it. He’s bright, mature beyond his years, balances confidence and humility as well as any professional athlete you’ll come across, and has won at every level.
Bet against him at your own peril.
Super stat: The Raptors have gone 25-6 with VanVleet in the starting lineup since the start of the 2018-19 season.
Super stat 2: Through four seasons, only seven of the 60 players drafted in 2016 – the year he went unselected – have more win shares than VanVleet (9.7), including two Raptors picks, Siakam (16.0, second) and Jakob Poeltl (12.5, fifth). The other five are Ben Simmons (17.7, first), Malcolm Brogdon (13.9, third), Domantas Sabonis (13.2, fourth), Canadian Jamal Murray (12.2, sixth), and Buddy Hield (9.9, seventh).
Ranking every Toronto Raptors jersey in team franchise history – Raptors HQ
Jersey Rank No. 1 — Inaugural Home Jersey
Finally, we arrive upon our favourite Raptors jerseys of all time. What sets this jersey apart from its away alternative is the subtle yet effective purple trim. On top of that, the white font on the back contrasts beautifully with the black box beneath it. There is no other jersey we’d rather the team bring back, and luckily our wish came to fruition this year.
Aesthetic: Dylan – 10, Sully – 10
Uniqueness: Dylan – 8, Sully – 10
Memorability: Dylan – 9, Sully – 9
Jersey score: 56
First impressions from the Toronto Raptors opening week performances | NBA.com Canada
Siakam’s ready for the spotlight
OK, this one falls into the bucket of “thank you, Captain Obvious.”
But let’s be real… is there truly anywhere else to begin but with Pascal Siakam?
After months of speculation about whether or not Siakam would be ready to step into the spotlight as Toronto’s franchise player and on the heels of a max extension that will certainly play him like a franchise player, early returns indicate that Siakam is not merely the future of the franchise. He’s Mr. Right Now.
And this isn’t a case of playing the results. Far more important than WHAT Siakam accomplished in the first week of the season is HOW he was able to do it.
Big games from Siakam last season were mostly a product letting the game come to him and of doing everything within the confines of the system: splashing corner 3s, filling lanes in transition, making timely cuts, crashing the offensive glass… all certainly important and valuable, but not necessarily indicative of a player dictating everything on his terms.
That’s no longer the case.
Let’s consider his 3-point shooting.
Last season, Siakam became serviceable as a spacer mostly by standing in the corner and feasting on kick-outs when left alone. Almost 80% of his made 3s came from the corners while 77 of his 79 makes on the season were assisted. Through the first week of the season, he’s already made more unassisted 3s than he did in all of 2018-19 while it took him three games to hit as many from above the break than he did in the first three months of last year.
There’s obviously far more that goes into making grand statements about someone’s ability to carry the day than how someone fires off shots from downtown. But judging from Toronto’s opening week, Siakam is hinting at a new-found ability and showcasing a skillset indicative of a player ready to send a message to the rest of the league.
Armstrong on Raptors’ back-to-back weekend, life without Kawhi and more – TSN.ca
TSN Raptors broadcaster Jack Armstrong joins First Up to discuss the Raptors’ weekend with a loss in Boston and win in Chicago, OG Anunoby’s development and more.
The Raptors went 2-1 through their first week of the season, defeating the Pelicans and Bulls, and losing a close one to the Celtics. The constant among those three games, however, was the extraordinary play of Pascal Siakam, who has exceeded all expectations we had for him coming into the season.
Through those three games, the fourth year forward is averaging 29 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists with shooting splits of 46/47/95. Those numbers are sure to revert back to the mean, but to come storming out of the gates like this has to be a great sign and a major relief for fans worrying about where the Raptors’ offensive production would come from. He’s been nothing less than stellar — a true superstar.
On his heels is Fred VanVleet. VanVleet began the year in a battle with Norman Powell for the starter spot at shooting guard. After three games, the battle is over. VanVleet is averaging 19/5/6 while making 3.3 three pointers a game at 50 percent. These two have provided the Raptors with a duo worth keeping for the future of this team.
Not to be outdone, Kyle Lowry looks like his old self, returning to the 20 point per game mark for the first time in two seasons. Many questioned his age and wear and tear being a factor in his ability to still put up points, and Lowry responded with a 29 point performance against the Celtics on Friday.
Send me any Raptors related content: rapsfan@raptorsrepublic.com
