Quick Reaction: Kings 101, Raptors 124

This was a casual stroll in the park where one could afford what one wanted, and Siakam got what he wanted. Discriminating on the shot selection and good interplay with his teammates make for efficient statistical nights. Sometimes he hangs on to the ball too long making what should’ve been an early swing to move the ball, into a must-shoot situation.

How many games in a row now that he’s upped his trade value? Just when you thought the improvement was hitting logarithmic peaks, we see a burst towards the exponential. Got a couple in transition and the finishes that usually trickle out were blessed with the right spin. This is his first game with two threes since October 30th. That’s like when Omicron wasn’t even a thing.

We should just play him with the “weakest” lineups so he has no option just to take over. We kind of did that by pairing him with Banton, Yuta and Co., and Barnes was assertive and dominant. He relished the opportunity like a man freed from the shackles of a system that he inherited, not designed. His blocks are so well-timed that he has time to waste before he swats them. All this while still carrying the element of surprise. Best rookie year since Vince and looks likely to surpass it.

A good bench game means Fred doesn’t look like he’s about to burst a nerve trying to keep this crew afloat – the 26 minutes played is a season low (previous low was 32). Having a reliable lineup not featuring Fred that consistently holds their own has been elusive, and hopefully Barnes saw that just for Fred’s sake. Like with Siakam, not much was asked so it’s nice to see him step off the pedal a little bit.

True Trent game. Good efficiency from mid-range and zero FTs.

I like Yuta when he’s being fed on the back-end of the action, because he knows which way to cut, roll or flare to finish the play. Worked some good combinations with Siakam and Banton, and was part of the second unit that created some distance.

Got some in garbage time, and had a little battle going with Tristan Thompson. His 7-day rolling average is still trending up.

Good news: dominated the early fourth quarter after coming into the game in the third. Bad news: it was garbage time. Maybe that trip to the 905 was a wakeup call of how quickly life can change. Still, it was great to see his face as his shots were going in. It looked like relief, pride, joy and maybe even a little bit of hope.

Had six assists with three of them going to Svi for three in that first/second quarter period where the Raptors bench came together (more on that in the next blurb). Did also have a nice drive to finish, but most important of all, two of his shots were in the paint, and a third just outside. Stick to that range until the outside game shows some promise in practice.

I know I got done praising Banton, but man, Svi bailed him out on a couple of those threes when the possession wasn’t going anywhere. The resiliency in his game has returned, and that can only be a positive correlation for bench play.

Hello there, when’d you get here? Earlier? Came in from the back? I must’ve missed it, my apologies. How’s Bertha? Oh, I’m so sorry to hear.

I don’t think I saw him on TV today. Nice surprise 1-3-1 zone in the third caught everyone off-guard and added to the confusion of the already confused Kings. Nice job bringing on that bench lineup in a little earlier.