5 things: Raptors record season-low eight assists in nightmare loss to Pelicans – Sportsnet
1. This game was a disaster from start to finish: The Raptors started slow, which isn’t unusual, but it spiraled out of control. The Raptors could not find any semblance of rhythm on offence, and it bled over into their defensive play. Coach Nick Nurse reached into his bag of tricks of zone and pressure defences to try and jolt the team into a response, but there was nothing there to spark. The Raptors got to the point where even stringing together three solid possessions in a row became a challenge, as most of their offence came down to desperate attempts at heroball against a Pelicans defence that was locked in with five defenders waiting in and around the paint. What’s worse is that they took the same approach towards defence, where players constantly gambled for steals rather than nailing the basics like keeping their man in front or making the extra rotation to help each other after getting beat. The end result was their worst showing in more than two months, and given how comprehensively bad the Raptors were from start to finish, it’s more of an anomaly than anything else. Attempting to take anything significant from this game is silly, and it is best to be forgotten.
There was no dramatic finish, but the feeling was similar in the 120-90 loss. The Pelicans had more ways of escaping poor possessions than the Raptors. That has been the reality for the Raptors against the majority of their opponents this season, and they’re just coming off an eight-game winning streak. However, their main weaknesses have been obvious: half-court offence and defensive rebounding. As logical as the trade for Thaddeus Young was, given the Raptors’ desires to maintain a manageable cap sheet and retain some draft capital for June, they used the only pieces they could dangle on stylistic duplication as opposed to searching for a little more of what they lack. Meanwhile, McCollum, the Pelicans’ big deadline pickup, bailed out his new team in the few possessions when it was necessary against a listless Toronto defence.
The Raptors came into the game 25th in half-court offence, per Synergy Sports. They have stayed in games by attempting far more shots than their opponents on an almost game-by-game basis, via turnovers and offensive rebounds. Toronto attempted 18 more field goals and 15 more free throws than New Orleans thanks to those twin strengths. But playing catch off the backboard will be the only option some nights because of how many missed shots the Raptors can pile up. (Thanks to my old pal in the research department.)
The Raptors have two above-average creators: Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam, who came into the game first and second, respectively, in minutes played. Their backup point guard, Dalano Banton, is more useful for his pace-pushing than his offensive orchestration. OG Anunoby has made steps as a playmaker but usually just uses his brute strength in mismatches. Gary Trent Jr. creates more for himself, but both, in their idealized roles in the present, would be used as spot-up shooters more frequently than not. Barnes is not there yet with his dribbling to turn his passing into more than an occasional weapon.
The Raptors had the seventh-ranked offence from the start of 2022 through the end of their streak on Saturday, but that was largely built on the team shooting 37.9 percent from deep, which was the second best in the league during that span. That in itself was the result of VanVleet and Trent shooting 41.7 percent on their combined 21 attempts from beyond the arc per game. With the difficulty of those shots, that is likely unsustainable. Trent is 3-for-13 from deep and 7-for-27 overall in the previous two games. Barnes is shooting just 27.5 percent from deep in the new year and only 43.6 percent from the field. You can feel the spacing disappearing in real time.
Raptors struggle to get anything going vs. long, lanky Pelicans – Sportsnet
It wasn’t like Toronto wasn’t trying to attack the paint, it was just they either had a hard time getting there or when they did, they couldn’t see the rim.
Siakam — who has been lethal in the paint for the past six weeks — came out with good intentions to start the second half. He put the ball on the floor, got his feet below the free-throw line, went into one of his trademark spins only to run directly into Valanciunas’s chest. A moment later he managed to get past Ingram on the bounce but ran into a thicket of help and missed that one, too.
He wasn’t attributing it to the Pelicans’ size or length though.
“I think I missed a couple easy shots I usually make,” said Siakam, who was 7-of-19 from the floor. “Just continue to attack, almost took my eye out but I’m still here. I think it was OK, I think I could’ve still got to my spots and do what I do, just didn’t make some of the shots I usually make and I live with that.”
The only thing the Raptors had going, seemingly, was VanVleet from deep. He stepped into a pair of deep threes early in the third — sore knee and all — that briefly cut the Pelicans’ lead to 19. But then New Orleans went to Valanciunas isolated on the block against six-foot-eight OG Anunoby and the big man simply turned to his left and dropped in a right-handed hook. A little bit later — with Boucher desperately trying to front him and deny the post-entry — the Pelicans lobbed the ball high where only Valanciunas could reach it and the New Orleans’ centre dropped it over the rim for another easy score. VanVleet added another three to keep the lead to 20, but Toronto simply didn’t have enough, and the Raptors trailed 94-69 to start the fourth quarter.
The game did mark the Raptors debut of Thad Young, the veteran forward Toronto picked up at the trade deadline from San Antonio. He had four points and four rebounds in 12 minutes off the bench.
“This would be my fourth game played since I think January,” he said. “So yeah, it’s just a matter of just me just kind of like finding my way and then just kind of like getting acclimated with new offence and what we’re going to be doing out there, kind of piece matching where I’m going to fit in. And then also just trying to get myself back in gameplay and, and rhythm.”
Young was fine, all things considered. For everyone else, it can only get better in Minnesota on Wednesday.
“Terrible, terrible, terrible, terrible game,” said Siakam. “They came out early and were making shots, was one of those nights I would say for sure.”
Pelicans end 2-game losing streak in incredible fashion, destroy Raptors, 120-90 – The Bird Writes
The Pelicans played perhaps their most impressive 48 minutes of the season tonight, leading throughout the game, finishing 120-90 over the Toronto Raptors. Confidence throughout Pels fandom is, let’s say, bubbling beneath the surface. Not sure what happened with the Raps tonight, but New Orleans’ defense deserves a ton of credit.
Immediate impact: the addition of All-Star-caliber CJ McCollum (his 3rd game as a Pel tonight), who had 23 points on 9-13 shooting; four rebounds, five assists, two steals helped. His calm and playmaking kept things going in the fourth during a blowout, too, helping to ensure true *relaxing* garbage time.
The Pelicans totaled 36 assists, a new team-high this year. They shot 58.4 percent from the floor, 44.4 from 3s, and basically never had a cold spell. Brandon Ingram had 10 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists, but you had to see it. He was great. When he blocked FVV’s shot to end the third quarter, the game was effectively over 94-69 and he hardly celebrated it.
Jonas Valanciunas had 18 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. Rookie starter Herb Jones had 11. Jaxson Hayes, long ago destined for the deep-bench or worse, was ultra efficient in 20 minutes, finishing everything around the hoop for 14 points. Tony Snell made his first shot as a Pel and finished with eight. I think the King Cake Baby had five points.
Toronto enjoyed clanking shots tonight, especially early as they fell behind 15-4 and 36-19. Their only salvation for much of the first half was offensive rebounding, grabbing 13 of their 36 (!!!!) first-half misses. The Pelicans used these misses to discover a consistent flow to their offense. They had 16 assists in the first half and practically the whole roster made positive impacts in the game. Jaxson was good; Temple was energized; Snell hit a couple shots; Alvarado, oh boy, Alvarado.
Recap: Toronto Raptors with a rare letdown, losing to New Orleans Pelicans 120-90 – Raptors HQ
Admittedly, the Raptors defense was better overall in the second quarter. Toronto’s effort level improved and the Pelicans looks got tougher — the result remained the same, though. Brandon Ingram made two tough fadeaways, McCollum made a long distance three, and the home side just kept pouring it on, taking a 60-44 lead into halftime.
After that, the stretch coming out of the break lost the game for Toronto. A 9-0 run for the Pelicans put their lead out of reach, as the Raptors starting unit once again looked lackadaisical together. As the minutes wound down in the third, Nurse started to mix in Dalano Banton as a flyer — it just wasn’t meant to be on Monday.
The Raptors are human after all, it turns out. Every NBA team has bad games in them, and Toronto ran into an outlier performance from a team that’s got some post-trade glow to it.
McCollum was a good energizer for the Pelicans tonight, as their team shot 58.4% overall, including 16-for-36 from three — out-scoring the Raptors by 24 (!) in that category. This more or less nullified the advantage Toronto had going to the free throw line, as they had ten more charity stripe makes than New Orleans.
All that’s left to do now is shake it off and move on. The Raptors finish their pre-All-Star schedule in Minnesota on Wednesday night.
Raptors learned the hard way in blowout loss to Pelicans | The Star
OG Anunoby missed a couple of dunks in the first half, Fred VanVleet blew a layup and the first two open three-pointers he took, Gary Trent Jr. didn’t make a shot for an entire half and Scottie Barnes was far more spectator than engaged participant for far too long.
The Raptors can survive one of those, two maybe, three on an extraordinary night. But all of them at the same time? Never.
Not unsurprisingly, one of the team’s worst overall offensive games of the season turned into a lopsided loss here Monday night as the New Orleans Pelicans trounced Toronto 120-90 at the Smoothie King Center.
Truth be told, the Raptors’ defence wasn’t much better, but as is often the case when no one’s making a shot and the offence bogs down defensive intensity tends to dip. And bog down is being kind.
Trent ended up missing 11 straight shots, while Anunoby and Barnes were invisible almost the entire night. Toronto began by missing 10 of 12 shots and it barely got better from there.
VanVleet, who managed to score 20 points, sat out the entire fourth quarter in the locker room, resting a sore right knee.
If the Raptors are looking forward to the week-long all-star break that begins after Wednesday’s game in Minnesota, they hadn’t shown it before Monday, according to coach Nick Nurse.
“I haven’t felt it maybe as much this year as I have (in the past) … people talking about where they’re going and making plans, and asking a zillion questions about when we’ve got to be back and what time and where we’re meeting and all that kind of stuff,” he said before the Raptors suffered their second straight loss. “I haven’t felt that much this year.”
Raptors Catch All-Star Blues in Loss to Pelicans – Sports Illustrated
Toronto rolled out an all-center lineup late in the first quarter with Khem Birch, Precious Achiuwa, and Chris Boucher all playing together for the first time this season. It was an attempt to give the Raptors a little more size having been punished inside by the Pelicans to start the game.
It didn’t work.
New Orleans went on a 6-0 run with VanVleet and Gary Trent Jr. missing all four of the lineup’s four jump shots.
Nurse, however, did admit that the Pelicans’ size caused some issues and it might be time to start coming up with new plans for the league’s biggest bigs like Jonas Valanciunas.
“I think that it’s something we’re gonna have to evaluate just a little bit,” he said. “When we do come up against a big, really big big like that, are we gonna stay the way we are or are we going to try to match one of our centers with them a little bit more. I think we have to evaluate.”
Raptors come up empty in Big Easy | Toronto Sun
Simply put, the Raptors never gave themselves a chance against a host New Orleans Pelicans team that went inside early and was unrelenting in its shot-making and ability to score.
In contrast, the Raptors couldn’t score, missing shot after shot, unable to generate any offensive rhythm.
Toronto shot around 30% for most of the night, while New Orleans hovered around the 60% mark as the Pelicans would go on to beat the Raptors 120-90.
The Raptors threw everything at the Pels on the defensive end in the fourth quarter, frantically trying to mount some kind of comeback by picking up their defence in the full court.
Toronto even went deep into its bench hoping to ignite a run.
Fred VanVleet left the game in the second half with what the team described as right knee soreness.
It goes without saying how the Raptors can’t afford to lose VanVleet.
The Raptors close out their pre-all-star break schedule with a date in Minneapolis on Wednesday night.
VanVleet left the Smoothie King Center after scoring 20 points.
Pascal Siakam got poked in the eye in the game’s opening 24 minutes but persevered.
Overall, Toronto’s starting unit had one of its worst outings in quite some time.
This was not Toronto’s night, forcing head coach Nick Nurse to go deep into his bench, which pretty much says it all.
It was a rare night when the Raptors were not good at either end of the floor, while the host Pelicans were quite good and dominant.
NBA Power Rankings, Week 18 – Where all 30 teams stand after a wild 2022 trade deadline – ESPN
This week: 13
Last week: 13Toronto showed faith in its team — which has now gone 16-7 in 2022 — by trading for Thaddeus Young prior to Thursday’s deadline. Young hasn’t played much this season in San Antonio, but if he can reclaim the form he showed in Chicago last season when he was one of the league’s best bench players, he should be a strong complement to the starting frontcourt trio of Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and rookie Scottie Barnes.
NBA Power Rankings: After the NBA trade deadline, who got better and who got worse? – The Athletic
This week: 11
Last week: 1231-24, +2.2 net rating
Weekly slate: Win at Hornets, Win at Thunder, Win at Rockets, Loss to NuggetsDid they do well at the trade deadline? The Toronto Raptors flipping Goran Dragic for Thaddeus Young was a great play by Masai Ujiri. I love that move for them. Sure, they gave up a first-round draft pick in the process. But bringing in Young just adds to their versatility and their defensive potential. I’m still a little shocked, even with all of the injuries and absences the Raptors have had this season, that they’re still only ranked 13th in defensive rating. Young is so smart off the ball and knowing when to rotate that he shouldn’t have a problem doing his part in Toronto. It won’t be nearly the intensive lifting he had to do in San Antonio at times.
So now what? Keep this momentum going. The Raptors recently won eight straight games, and they’ve won 10 of their last 13. They catapulted up the standings during this stretch because they’re battling with some pretty impressive opponents, and they’re winning. Only OKC and Houston were cupcakes on their recent schedule. This Raptors team has turned a corner in the ultra-competitive East. They’re only three games out of having home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. We could have a scenario in which Toronto and Cleveland both have home-court advantage in the first round. How many people saw that happening at the beginning of the year?
Raptors Pascal Siakam May Earn All-Star Bid for Zach LaVine – Sports Illustrated
Maybe the fourth time is the charm for Pascal Siakam’s All-Star candidacy.
With Chicago Bulls guard Zach LaVine expected to miss the All-Star Game due to an ailing left knee, Siakam will now have another chance to earn a trip to Cleveland this weekend. Having been passed over first by the Eastern Conference coaches and then twice by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as injury replacements for Kevin Durant and James Harden, Siakam seems like the favorite to earn a spot in the game.
“He sure should be (an All-Star),” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said Monday. “If they need another one, Pascal would be a great addition. … He’s played like a superstar for a number of weeks.”
