Quick Reaction: Raptors 103, Wizards 101

Oren and Sahal:

The shot:

Land Ho, you scallywags! Just as we’d begun to take on water!

WSH Wizards

101

Final
Box Score

103

TOR Raptors

C. Boucher20 MIN, 8 PTS, 5 REB, 1 AST, 2 STL, 3-12 FG, 1-7 3FG, 1-2 FT, 3 BLK, 1 TO, -14 +/-

One of his worst defensive games of the year. Had a lot of trouble navigating the space in the pick n’ roll, and didn’t offer the typical offensive punch that we’ve come to expect from him.

A+

G. Trent31 MIN, 16 PTS, 2 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 7-15 FG, 2-6 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, -17 +/-

I hope someone wrote a big piece about him today on this website. That would be cool. Shooters gonna shoot. Defensive lapses are still pretty common. Offensively, he added danger to a lot of the Raptors rote actions, and when they needed a shot the most he went the length of the court, got away with a bit of a stiff-arm, and stepped-back for a game winning triple.

A-

O. Anunoby38 MIN, 14 PTS, 6 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 6-17 FG, 1-6 3FG, 1-2 FT, 0 BLK, 2 TO, 4 +/-

Lots and lots of stuff happening for him in this one. Had a couple really impressive drives, but those were juxtaposed with absolute trainwrecks. Harnessing all of his strength is still out of his depth at times. Defensively, he’s still a dynamo, and he plugged into the Malachi minutes better than any other starter. Tough shooting night, but a good game.

D. Bembry30 MIN, 15 PTS, 7 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL, 7-10 FG, 0-1 3FG, 1-2 FT, 1 BLK, 0 TO, 1 +/-

If this game had ended at halftime, this grade would be pretty ugly. I’ve long been against ‘primary initiator Bembry’ and the stagnation of the offense came when the ball was in his hands a large percentage of the time. Not his fault, he’s not a primary initiator. But, in the second half he ripped off some impressive passes, and some contortionist finishes at the rim – with a little defensive pop as well. Really turned it around.

P. Siakam36 MIN, 22 PTS, 5 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 10-16 FG, 0-4 3FG, 2-2 FT, 1 BLK, 3 TO, -20 +/-

Strong first half, quiet second one. The Wizards didn’t seem to have any intention of guarding his right to left crossover or his post ups, and that’s largely where he feasted in this one. Would have liked to see more playmaking, but this game was a mess anyway.

A+

M. Flynn33 MIN, 16 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST, 4 STL, 6-13 FG, 2-4 3FG, 2-2 FT, 3 BLK, 3 TO, 11 +/-

Star of the game, if you’re into that stuff. Dig downs on defense, quality lead guard play – Flynn really brought it tonight. A very mature mix of looking for his own shots and providing for others. He’s heady on-ball and knows what lanes he’s creating vertically and horizontally for his teammates. I’d expect this is what was imagined of him when they picked him in the draft.

A-

A. Baynes20 MIN, 10 PTS, 8 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 4-9 FG, 1-4 3FG, 1-1 FT, 0 BLK, 3 TO, 20 +/-

Was a calming presence defensively, and carved out a lot of space for Flynn when screening. It doesn’t take much for the Raptors to be appreciative of the Center position, so this game was a healthy tonic for the fanbase. The platonic ideal of backup center minutes.

B-

Y. Watanabe17 MIN, 2 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 1-2 FG, 0-1 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 18 +/-

Defensive range is a hell of a thing. I’ll never stop marveling at his ability to beat offensive players to their own spots. Got a haircut, had a dunk, made a few nice defensive plays. He’s still too hesitant to pull the trigger on his own shots, but hopefully that comes.

C+

S. Johnson12 MIN, 0 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3FG, 0-0 FT, 1 BLK, 1 TO, 7 +/-

A very erratic performance. A couple wild offensive plays, some nice defensive ones, and all that paired with the Raptors new and dynamic bench unit haha.

A-

Nick Nurse

Thought it was a mistake to leave Flynn on the bench (and I still do), but he had the smarts to ride Flynn’s and Baynes minutes to victory even though they weren’t starters. That’s a tough call to make as a coach, but he said he doesn’t like tanking, and he pulled the right strings to get the win.