Collapse the defense. Make the play. It’s a simple process when spoken, but infinitely more complicated when there’s an NBA defender trying their best to maintain the shell of their defense. The Celtics defense specializes in keeping the play in front of them and restricting access to the inner bowls of the structure. We saw the Raptors starters meander in and out of their offensive process and rarely puncture the Celtics interior. Once the benches were emptied, Jeff Dowtin wiggled his way into the most dangerous spots on the court repeatedly, and helped steal a win for the Raptors.
This is the main appeal of Dowtin’s game. It was evident at Summer League when he continuously left defenders in his wake, and the same could be said for his G-League career to this point. In these preseason games, Dowtin made sure to shake loose of the jitters and then started to shake loose of defenders. Against the out-of-sync Jazz, he eventually found a rhythm and got to his spots against a defense that had little in the way of cohesion. Against the Celtics? The Raptors surrendered to his creation, as he bent the game to his will in the screen & roll. Five buckets to call his own in the fourth quarter, including the game tying shot with ten seconds left. In addition to that he dished out five assists from the fourth quarter onward. He was dominant.
If Dowtin got the edge around the screen? He snaked to his spot, and hit. If the Celtics flattened it out, he ate the switch alive. Trying to bust into the league through the backdoor is basically a series of trials. You defended a G-League guard? Do it to an NBA guard. You consistently beat Summer League bigs when they drop? Do it to an NBA big. Make everything translate, and do it in a shorter amount of time, because there are bigger names to adhere to. Fred VanVleet passed all the trials he had to, and Dowtin is trying to be yet another G-Leaguer who finds his way to success in the Raptors organization.
If you’re a believer that we see real warts of a team in the preseason? Then Dowtin has been delivered an opportunity. Malachi Flynn is missing time with an injury, OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes are failing to guide staggered bench units – an offbeat guard, with the cadence and burst to worm into defenses emerges, and finds success. Not only that, but Dowtin was at the point of attack as the Raptors limited the Celtics to less and less offense. He pressured ball-handlers, and he was heady off-ball. The rotations were made, baskets were saved. The quiet part of his game was present as well.
The red carpet wasn’t rolled out for Dowtin at media day, and the buzz he receives is only ever a product of his own play. From Summer League onward, he’s been a guy who gets to dangerous spots on the floor and makes teams pay. Hopefully, this latest stint will lead to him getting a bit more time against the more proven competition that the Raptors play in this preseason. The loud and quiet parts of his game need an opportunity to speak against everybody.
With standouts like Dalano Banton, Josh Jackson, Big Moment Gabe Brown, and Dowtin all fighting for these end of bench positions, the end of Raptors preseason games might be the real treat, as opposed to the start. The guys are getting after it.
We’ll see how it shakes out.
Have a blessed day.
