Final Score | Raptors 905 124, Erie BayHawks 114 | Box Score
Two Ways: Oshae Brissett (905), Josh Gray (BayHawks), Zylan Cheatham (BayHawks)
Out: Shamorie Ponds (905), Tony Carr (BayHawks)
NBA Assignments: Matt Thomas (Raptors), Stanley Johnson (Raptors), Malcolm Miller (Raptors)
Until this morning, the Raptors 905 were once again barely a full team. Though all healthy, Toronto had lost two of its highest scorers to NBA call-ups. Without Justin Anderson and Paul Watson Jr., the 905 would have just 9 players, 2 of whom were on minutes restrictions after returning from various injuries. But 3 phone calls and 3 NBA players later, the Raptors 905 had a full roster. Coach Jama Mahlalela, who spent the 48 hours since losing Paul Watson Jr. to the Atlanta Hawks, received 3 separate phone calls informing him that his locker room would be a temporary home to two new faces; Matt Thomas and Stanley Johnson, and a familiar one, Malcolm Miller. Though the starting line-up of Miller, Johnson, Thomas, Devin Robinson, and Tyler Ennis was comprised entirely of NBA talent, a slow start with lackluster effort had Toronto down by as many as 17. It was when the bench unit entered that the tides began to turn, with the Raptors finding rhythm in the unfamiliarity and ultimately defeating the BayHawks 124-114.
The Good:
Matt Morgan and Jawun Evans Connection: What Morgan and Evans lack in size, they more than make up for in skill, hustle, and heart. It wasn’t the NBA starters that willed Toronto to the win, it was their two undersized guards. Down 17 in the first quarter, the 905 appeared to be headed full-speed towards a blowout. Every single starter had a +/- in the double digits. Stanley Johnson was 1 of 8 from the field, and both Malcolm Miller and Tyler Ennis only attempted 1 field goal. When Evans and Morgan checked in, the energy they brought with them immediately infected their teammates, and the two of them turned the game around with the intensity of a Kyle Lowry and Fred Van Vleet backcourt. Defensively, Jawun and Matt ensured that the BayHawks were no longer left wide open from 3, where they had been shooting 50%. Vitto Brown, who until then had been making 100% of his shots, primarily on pump fakes that the starters had fallen for each time, was locked up by both guards, and for the remainder of the game shot 9/15. When Johnson was supposed to cut baseline and didn’t, it was Morgan who picked up the slack, hitting a buzzer-beating 3 from the elbow and demonstrating exactly what the 905 would have to do in the second quarter in order to get ahead. Jawun Evans had 5 steals and 10 assists, while shooting 100% from 3. Evans, like Lowry, doesn’t simply throw the ball up and hope for the best. Each of his shots were carefully calculated to yield team-positive results. Devin Robinson and Tyler Ennis may be slated as the next men to be called up to the big leagues, but Evans is not far behind.
Bench Punch: Outside of Morgan and Evans, the rest of the 905 bench put on a spectacular performance. Having Oshae Brissett come off of the bench as he had been during his time with the parent team proved more than beneficial. He finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 steals. Prior to tip-off, Jama Mahlalela stressed the importance of “punching back” when the team was down. This is how they won their previous game against the Grand Rapids Drive, and how they would win this one as well. Sagaba Konate, in just his third game with the team after an injury sustained in preseason, is quickly finding his footing. His 13 points and 6 rebounds were impressive, but it was the way he was able to use his body without fear that served as a reminder of everything he is capable of. On one play, Konate dove head-first into the court to successfully save a ball heading out of bounds, leading to the first made 3-pointer for Matt Thomas. Coach Jama took notice of the contributions of all of his players, it was Duane Notice that he spoke on post-game, crediting Notice with the “punch back” that he had asked for from his team. Notice played the second-fewest minutes of active players, but it was his 15 and a half minutes that had the greatest impact on the game. Vitto Brown did not take kindly to having someone guard him as effectively as Notice did, and used a few tactics that would have been fouls had they been the primary focus, to try and push Notice off of him. Duane, completely unbothered by Brown’s physicality, did not react mentally or physically. There could have been 5 Vitto Brown’s doing the exact same thing and Notice would not have taken the bait. Instead, he waited calmly, reading every play and finding every way to get his teammates in the best position to succeed. Notice’s roll as a facilitator is proof that his skill and basketball IQ far exceed his experience.
The Bad:
Play Time: The downside to NBA players coming down to the G League to shake off their rust is that they take the position of active G League players. Both Nicholas Baer and Justin Reyes were DNPs tonight. Neither Baer nor Reyes were disappointed or upset. They both know the game, and are both calm in nature. But at the time of year when G League players are fighting for 10-day contracts, any playing time and exposure is crucial.
Stanley Johnson: He wasn’t bad, but I think we found the problem with Stanley Johnson. While players like Norman Powell stay ready to be inserted into any line-up at any moment, Johnson takes a different approach. Stanley’s first-half performance wasn’t what you would expect from an NBA player with 4 years of experience. To be completely honest, it wasn’t even what you would expect from a G League player with like 40 minutes of experience. He shot 2 of 12 in the first half while accumulating 3 personal fouls. He was completely absent on defence, and all of his mistakes were undone by the rookie, Matt Morgan. But when Stanley got hot, something clicked. Suddenly, he was making his shots. He was passing, he was rebounding, he was even defending. He looked like he belonged in the league. The problem with Stanley Johnson taking half of a game to find his way is that when he is with the Raptors, he is not awarded the luxury of 24 minutes of in-game practice. Though he’s been in the NBA since 2015, Stanley Johnson could benefit greatly from more time in the G League, if only to teach him how to figure out his game more quickly than halfway through, and how to stay ready. If the G League assignments aren’t feasible, it could be in the best interest of both Johnson and the Raptors to find a team where Johnson is allowed a few minutes of freedom to find his steps. He has all of the tools, but he needs to use them the second his shoes hit the hardwood.
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