Gameday: Suns @ Raptors, March 26

Hollllyyyy Schnikes! That was something else.

I’m still decompressing. Wooosh. Man. Okay, I have to write a Preview now.

So.

Who are we playing again?

The Skinny

The Toronto Raptors commence their Playoff pursuit a less different team than we thought.

There it is. Kyle stays.
Raptors turn Powell, Thomas, Davis into Trent, Hood, and two 2021 2nds. https://t.co/Ua9P7waEZb
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) March 25, 2021

Norman Powell departing the Raptors ranks was inevitable. Sending him to Portland a bit surprising, but maybe Gary Trent Jr. was indeed the best offer out there. (Rodney Hood is there for salary, but is a serviceable rotation guy in the regular season at least).

I also wonder if Masai, wanting to be competitive post-deadline, ruled out Eastern Conference teams thereby limiting the grab bags available. Hard to say.

Masai then, masterfully, scythed away some excess by bundling Matt Thomas and Terrence Davis II into two second-round picks, which, I may add, is what the Celtics gave up for Evan Fournier. More Rumplestiltskinning by the Maestro himself.

Losing Norman Powell – a guy we’ve watched mature for six years now – hurts my heart. It’s the sentimental side of me. I know NBA Franchises operate more as corporate entity than community team; I should expect nothing less.

But when these transactions occur, I am suddenly reminded of the paradox of fandom: how serious yet superfluous it, and the bonds we create with these players, are. In six months, my arms-length love for a guy who I’ve never met and who has no freaking idea who I am will disappear as unimportantly as that love once came. And, yet, it’s sad. That – to those who don’t understand – is the wonderful absurdity of sports.

Too philosophical, sorry.

In basketball terms, losing Normy also hurts. He was a Meteor entering the atmosphere of Planet Cheese. Nothing was slowing him down; he melted everything in his way. Up until Wednesday, when, apparently, the Toronto Raptors suddenly had the gusto of a championship team, Norman was the only reliable scorer around.

Over the last fifteen games, Norm was responsible for a little more than 1/5 of the Raptors points at a usage rate as high as Kawhi Leonard’s and at a clip as accurate as guys like Zach Lavine and Zion Williamson. A serious efficiency void to fill.

Gary Trent Jr., though an excellent three-point shooter (40%), is not going to get you buckets as creatively. He can attack, and will, but it is in the motion of things, more linear than how Norman hunts, less frequent, and less silky. This year Norman is in the 71st percentile of frequency at the rim; Gary, the 21st, according to Cleaningtheglass.com. (Check out this dope GTJ shooting compilation by Evin Gualberto).

Gary Trent Jr. Shot Chart (cleaningtheglass.com)

Norman Powell Shot Chart (cleaningtheglass.com)

I think Nurse tries Rodney Hood out, but he’s not the same since coming off an Achilles tear last year – he’s in the first (that’s bad, real bad) percentile for points scored per 100 attempts (including free throws) – he was in the 92nd percentile last year.

The new guys are in Tampa, but it’s unclear if they’re good-to-go today.

My understanding: With Portland in Miami today, Trent could conceivably drive to Tampa and join the Raps more or less right away. If he's been following protocols/testing, and if a doctor and the league sign off, he could play Friday.
A lot of IFs there, but possible.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) March 25, 2021

📍 Tampa pic.twitter.com/JpmLW1yMDw
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) March 26, 2021

Major trade deadline silver lining: we were supposed to be entering the post-Kyle Lowry era. A scary notion that I spent all day preparing for with breathing exercises and too many bowls of Cinnamon Toast Crunch while feverishly updating Twitter.

Now, with the Triangle Match between Masai, Pat Riley, and Darryl Morey (Rob Pelinka was somewhere under the ring waiting with a chair) ending in a no-contest, the second half of the season IS A GO.

Of course, it has to start with the second-best team in the Western Conference.

Refs must do a lot of preparatory psychological work prior to a game with both Chris Paul and Kyle Lowry in it. That’s a whollllleee lot of chuntering.

The Phoenix “flying-too-close-to-the” Suns are burning up with a 19-6 record since the beginning of February. Icarus they may be, though, having lost three of their last six.

Metaphorical myths aside, the Suns are, what they call in the biz, balanced.

You watch a set or two, and you begin to see how Devin Booker and Chris Paul pair so well together. Often, speaking of planetary forces, Booker orbits Chris Paul as he safe-breaks defenders efforts to stop the pick and roll. There’s Booker streaming off pindowns and back screens. Or there he is leaking out for a fastbreak three. No dice for CP3, swing to Book to try the same on his side.

When neither get to the rim, they are gifted with a surrounding cast of ready scorers. Deandre Ayton will finish emphatically around the rim and has improved as a passer in traffic. Awaiting passes are a plethora of strong-shooting wings: Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, and Cameron Johnson – they’re also all worthy defenders. Even big men Dario Saric and Frank Kaminsky shoot 35% from the three. The Suns are celestially aligned and primed for a Western Conference playoff run.

All that said, the Raptors match nicely with the Suns. They’re more towards sizeless, like Toronto, than other traditional lineups. When the two teams played earlier this season – during the Raptors’ wretched 2-6 start – everyone, but, ironically, Norm, played well. Pascal, especially, had one of those “our Saviour has returned” games. The problem – no surprise here – the Suns shot 21/40 on threes.

It’s difficult to know what Raptors team we’ll get now.

Last game, the Raptors set a franchise record in made threes and attempts blasting the Denver Nuggets. The nine games prior, well, you know. If they come out in the same blazing fashion to avenge their traded brother, then we have ourselves an excellent ball game ahead of us.