Final Score | Raptors 905 106, Delaware Blue Coats 115 | Box Score
Two Ways: Shamorie Ponds (905), Oshae Brissett (905), Dewan Hernandez (905), Norvel Pelle (Blue Coats), Marial Shayok (Blue Coats)
Out: Sagaba Konate (905), Devin Robinson (905), Paul Watson Jr. (905), Terry Harris (Blue Coats), Isaiah Miles (Blue Coats), Jonah Bolden (Blue Coats)
The Raptors 905 ended their three-game win streak on Tuesday, losing to the Delaware Blue Coats 106-115. The loss was not due to a mismatch in skill, but rather to a lack of effort and cohesion on the part of the 905. Shooting woes, ball movement, and defence were the major issues for Toronto, who only lead once throughout all four quarters.
The Good:
Second Unit: Basketball is weird. Stats are weird. But sometimes they show exactly what went right, and what went wrong. Despite Duane Notice and Justin Reyes putting up donuts in the scoring category, they were the only two players on the entire team with a positive +/- , with Notice at 6 and Reyes at 7. On a single possession in the first quarter, Notice was able to poke the ball away from Xavier Munford without fouling him. His defensive skillset is what sets Notice apart from the majority of his teammates, and other players in the G-League. Reyes, who is returning from injury, is not shying away from playing defence. While his effort may not show up in shots or assists, his positive +/- in a game with such poor team shooting is a good indicator of the type of game he plays. The only other players with a +/- even close to positive were Nicholas Baer and Matt Morgan, who both finished at -1. Baer finished with 0 points, but did accumulate 4 total rebounds. Morgan, the only shooter even remotely hot from beyond the arch, shot 2/5, and was able to get the ball to Tyler Ennis partway through the second quarter to give the 905 their only lead of the game.
Lob City: Too late in the game, Dewan Hernandez and Jawun Evans figured out a system that would allow the ball to actually go into the net (that’s how you get points in basketball). Evans would throw the ball ahead to a waiting Hernandez, who would put the ball immediately in the net, almost always uncontested. This gave Evans 5 assists on Hernandez’ 22 points.
The Bad:
Shoot Your Shot (Or Don’t): If your shot is not falling, finding other ways to get your teammates involved may be the only difference between a win and a loss. Shooting 7/25 or 6/15 should be a sign to regroup. Instead, these players chose to attempt to shoot through their off nights rather than passing, awarding them each a single assist.
Defence: Did you ever hear the saying “defence wins championships” before? Well defence wins regular season games too. The funny thing about it though, is that you have to play it. When Tyler Ennis, the primary ball handler, is being double teamed on every single offensive possession, setting a screen for him would allow him to slip through the defenders with ease, getting closer to the basket, and ultimately, scoring. But the 905 didn’t do that. Instead, they hung back, waiting for Tyler to pass through the Blue Coats to them, resulting in 15 turnovers. Ennis leads the entire G-League in assists, so even if they were to allow him to get to the basket, there is a pretty good chance he would still be able to get the ball back to them for the shot.
Superstition: I did not bring cookies. The 905 lost. Do what you will with this information.
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