Here are some gameday essentials:
Wow. I’m starting to think the Raptors are going to exceed expectations that have been set for them. I don’t want to speak too soon but after four straight wins, how can you not love the fight and resiliency that’s on display every night from this squad?
I’d be crazy if I didn’t mention OG Anunoby putting up a career-high 36 points and breaking out of a slump that has him shooting 40.4% from the field – well below his career average of 47.5%. He accompanied that with six boards and two assists. So while the playmaking left a lot to be desired, OG’s confidence should only continue to rise from here on out.
Also, can we talk about how Gary Trent Jr. has stepped the f*** up? He played 42 minutes last night, which was more than anyone. He’s currently leading the league in deflections (tied with Freddy) and had four steals last night. We already know what he’s capable of on offence, but he’s also driving to the rim a lot more and attacking the paint. I don’t know how you take him out of the starting lineup when Pascal returns.
Toronto already looks like a much more cohesive unit than the one that opened the season against the Wizards. Keep in mind, I’m writing this after they left the Big Apple, with a big victory over one of the best offensive teams in the league. If there’s one thing that brings a group together, it’s adversity. American media doesn’t discuss the Raps because it’s just not sexy to do so. Why would anyone south of the border want to talk about the lone Canadian team surpassing expectations? They’d rather talk about LeBron’s Lakers jogging on the treadmill of mediocrity, or talk about the odds of New York winning a championship six games into the season. Toronto is often lost in conversation unless the topic concerns a blockbuster trade or something of a high magnitude. As a result, Toronto regularly surprises the NBA. In other words: THE DISRESPECT IS REAL.
But even here in Canada, the team wasn’t expected to accumulate a multiple-game winning streak at any point during the 2021-22 campaign.
Anyway. That game, eh?
I thought the Knicks were about to have their way with the Raptors for two reasons:
- Saviour Scottie was out and has played a gargantuan-sized role for Toronto thus far.
- The Knicks have been performing like a well-oiled offensive machine, averaging 115 ppg – second highest in the league.
It looked to be that way for much of the first half as New York established a 34-26 lead to end the first quarter and a 57-53 advantage to end the first half. Julius Randle had worked his way to the basket on multiple occasions, while Mitchell Robinson was a vacuum on the boards for the Knicks. The game wasn’t out of hand, but given New Yorks shooting splits of 47.6% from the field, an absurd 52.6% from three, and an acceptable 75% from the charity stripe, it looked as though the Raptors were toast.
But then something very unorthodox (I guess, orthodox if you’re Nick Nurse?) happened. Toronto didn’t make a single substitution in the third quarter. Nurse saw that a five-man unit of Fred VanVleet, Gary Trent Jr., Svi Mykhailiuk, OG Anunoby, and Khem Birch was working well together on both ends of the court. With this lineup on the floor, the net seemed to shrink for New York and their offence wasn’t executing the way it had been throughout the first two quarters.
We’ve seen Nurses anxiousness when discussing lineup possibilities, along with the woes that OG and Fred had been experiencing, so yeah. Him not making any subs this entire quarter was a curve ball. But then again, these are the players that directly contributed to the W.
Here are a couple of things that stood out to me from last nights game…
Fast break dominance
In my pregame, The Lineup, I listed New Yorks fast break as a weakness, as they only averaged 11-12 points coming into last nights contest. If you take a look at how they fair this morning, that average has been adjusted to 10.4 as of this morning. Now take that into account and factor in that Toronto outscored the Knicks 21-3 in fast break points. This was a game where Toronto’s half court defense was absolutely critical. New York has been on fire, scoring around 115 a game and connecting on the most made three’s, at the highest rate as well. Fast break points were Toronto’s best chance to win and that’s reflective of how adaptable this roster is and how capable it is of defending multiple situations.
O-boards & turnovers
Toronto is the number one team when it comes to cleaning the offensive glass. No other team is as aggressive in this area and the Raptors proved that once again last night, conjuring up 13 of them against New York. In The Lineup, I listed New Yorks low steal numbers as a great opportunity for the Raps to take care of the ball and it definitely went well for them. The Knicks committed 16 turnovers and an undisturbed three steals, while Toronto swiped the ball 12 times and only gave it up 8. How does that TikTok go? The Raptors understood the assignment.
Raptors take on the Wizards in DC on Wednesday and I expect that one to go much differently from what we saw on opening night.
