Oren, Adon and Zarar on Rap Up:
 | Raptors | 113 | Final Box Score | 108 | Wizards |  |
 B+ | P. Achiuwa19 MIN, 9 PTS, 10 REB, 0 AST, 1 STL, 3-9 FG, 0-1 3FG, 4- FT, 0 BLK, 2 TO, -17 +/- I was immediately invested in Precious’ development the moment he became the centrepiece of the Kyle Lowry trade. Take him later in your fantasy basketball drafts! Whether he starts or not, his switchability is going to make it difficult to keep him on the bench. | ||||||||
 B+ | S. Barnes25 MIN, 9 PTS, 3 REB, 7 AST, 0 STL, 4-10 FG, 0-1 3FG, 1- FT, 1 BLK, 0 TO, -9 +/- The fanboy in me would like to see him initiate every offensive set, but it’s impressive knowing he can impact the game in various ways. That stretch in the second quarter during which he hit a few midrange jumpers – inject that into my veins. Also, Scottie is quickly working on his “no-look pass” mix. | ||||||||
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 B+ | G. Dragic22 MIN, 16 PTS, 4 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 5-9 FG, 4-5 3FG, 2- FT, 0 BLK, 2 TO, -10 +/- Our favourite Raptor Goran Dragic played with some of that juice Nick occasionally refers to. Above average shooting from deep, someone to occasionally handle the ball, and a knack for collapsing defenses. That’s all we need from him. If he can provide that even at 80 percent of the time, it’ll be a win-win scenario for Goran and the Raptors. | ||||||||
 B- | G. Trent Jr.24 MIN, 12 PTS, 6 REB, 0 AST, 3 STL, 4-14 FG, 1-7 3FG, 3- FT, 0 BLK, 1 TO, -9 +/- We got some good energy from GTJ tonight, particularly on the defensive end. There has also been an increased effort to get to the rim lately. It’s going to be a wild ride for both his supporters and doubters. He could drop an electric 40 points and just as easily go 0 for 10. | ||||||||
 C+ | I. Bonga14 MIN, 3 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 1-2 FG, 0-0 3FG, 2- FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, -13 +/- Those who have followed along know that I find Isaac a fascinating prospect. While he didn’t get many opportunities and his enthusiasm led to foul trouble, he continued to tease a tantalizing skillset, particularly when he attacked the basket in the first quarter. | ||||||||
 C+ | I. Wainright18 MIN, 7 PTS, 4 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 2-4 FG, 2-3 3FG, 2- FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, +20 +/- He didn’t pop on the screen to the degree of some of his counterparts, but he was steady. Wainright got on the glass and knocked down some shots while throwing his body around. | ||||||||
 A | S. Dekker16 MIN, 18 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 7-10 FG, 4-5 3FG, 1- FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, +13 +/- The return of Big Shot Sam! That’s how you fight for your career! He didn’t guarantee his spot, but he at least did what he is best at, and that’s letting it fly from deep. And he got up on that dunk too! Some of you have gotten on me for being hard on the players with my grades, which is fair. But this grade is due to Sam performing in what was a high pressure game for him. | ||||||||
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 B | F. Gillespie12 MIN, 3 PTS, 7 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 1-2 FG, 0-0 3FG, 2- FT, 1 BLK, 0 TO, +13 +/- This was the best performance we’ve seen from Freddie and it’s a shame it took him until the final game to amp up his sense of urgency. Freddie and Khem are technically the only “big bodies” we have on the roster, so let’s see what happens. | ||||||||
 B+ | J. Champagnie15 MIN, 4 PTS, 10 REB, 3 AST, 0 STL, 2-5 FG, 0-1 3FG, 0- FT, 0 BLK, 3 TO, +6 +/- Champagnie has struggled to find opportunities to contribute offensively since the first two preseason games. There’s a fun and energetic chemistry there with Banton. | ||||||||
 B | K. Birch17 MIN, 6 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST, 0 STL, 2-6 FG, 1-1 3FG, 2- FT, 1 BLK, 2 TO, +9 +/- Both Nick’s gameplan and Pascal’s playstyle thrive when there’s a big that can threaten the defense from the perimeter. Seeing Birch’s three transfer from last year, especially after almost never shooting them in Orlando, is a good sign. | ||||||||
 A- | M. Flynn26 MIN, 22 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 6-15 FG, 3-9 3FG, 8- FT, 1 BLK, 0 TO, +17 +/- Malachi’s strength may be as an initiator in the pick-and-roll, but the recipe to him holding off Dalano and preventing Dragic from taking his playing time will be his ability to consistently knock down shots. He has silenced doubters during this back-to-back. | ||||||||
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 B- | D. Banton16 MIN, 2 PTS, 1 REB, 5 AST, 0 STL, 1-6 FG, 0-1 3FG, 0- FT, 1 BLK, 1 TO, +9 +/- I don’t think Banton has done enough to warrant not being put through the Raptors 905 experience. However, it’ll only be a matter of time before he’s asked to lead the second unit. | ||||||||
 C+ | S. Mykhailiuk17 MIN, 2 PTS, 1 REB, 2 AST, 0 STL, 1-3 FG, 0-1 3FG, 0- FT, 1 BLK, 0 TO, -4 +/- Svi was outplayed by Gary but he’s been one of the more impressive players during these five preseason games. It’s going to be fun watching him battle for minutes. | ||||||||
 B+ | Nick Nurse I liked the combinations he went with today. He gave each of the players fighting for a roster spot a chance to show what they could do. | ||||||||
Things We Saw
- Alvin Williams struggled a bit today, but he’ll get better as the season progresses. He’s still a legend. We DO need more of those fun anecdotes like the Master P story.
- The Scottie to Gary combination is an unexpected but pleasant plot twist.
- I’m not sure Sam gets the last roster spot, but I just know we’re going to need him for that trip to Miami during a stretch we’re conveniently dealing with injuries. We know Miami is going to throw that zone at us, and any trip to Miami this year is a must-win. 3D chess?
