Quick Reaction: Hornets 106, Raptors 111

A recipient of his first start as a member of the Raptors due to Scottie Barnes’ injury, Ochai Agbaji made an impression and justified the uptick in minutes. Forming a one-two punch with Jakob Poeltl early, including the game’s first two buckets and even an alley-oop and-1 later on, Agbaji showed aggression in getting to the rim and wasn’t afraid to shoot. His 20 attempts were by far the most of anyone on the team, although his efficiency left a lot to be desired.

Toronto needs someone to slot into that 1A role previously taken by Barnes, and RJ Barrett appears to be the man of the hour. Four of his five turnovers occurred in the first half, and while it was a mere two attempts, Barrett’s free-throw shooting remains woeful. Nonetheless, there was a lot to like here, especially in the second half as part of a bench lineup. He’s “the guy” now, unless you want to flip a coin on that front with Immanuel Quickley.

Another injury, and the tears are real. Jakob Poeltl exited just before halftime after dislocating the baby finger on his left hand, which created a runway in the lane for the Hornets to penetrate and attack at will. We’ve seen Toronto this season without his services and it isn’t pretty. The on-court chemistry with Agbaji was fun while it lasted. He was perhaps the Raptors’ best player before getting hurt.

It was a tale of two halves for Gary Trent Jr., with the second being far superior. He didn’t score his second bucket until the 8:34 mark of the third quarter, but the floodgates opened from then on out with his shot. Trent Jr. literally snatched victory away from the jaws of defeat after stealing the rock away from Vasilije Micic. Consistency is key.

It truly appeared to be a takeover-esque game for Quickley in the first quarter after contributing 10 points in the opening 12 minutes, and while he finished with 22 points on the night, his greatest impact came as a facilitator. Quickley’s 11 dimes were a season high and the sixth time he’s hit that number this season after doing so just four times his first three season in the Association (h/t @keerthikau).

The 3-point efficiency from the corner remains intact, and that’s massive for the rookie. His off-ball movement is there, and it’s evident by just the eye test that his effort shouldn’t be in question. Dick had a one-man fastbreak coming off a block from Kelly Olynyk where he looked off Jordan Nwora and got the goaltending call at the rim. With the season falling to the wayside even more so, there’s no reason why his minutes shouldn’t continue to rise.

That specific break in the third quarter where Jordan Nwora busted out the hesitation dribble to shake the defender and make a left-handed layup was pretty as can be. He was the Raptors’ most efficient and effective second-unit player, and again, considering circumstances, there’s no reason we shouldn’t be seeing more of him.

You’ll take a pair of steals and blocks from your backup center thrust into larger responsibility by starting the second half in Poeltl’s stead. Olynyk had some decent finds with his passing, but failed to convert even a single shot. Toronto’s offense was as dry as the Sahara for significant spurts, and Olynyk didn’t help matters.

“A” for effort when diving onto the hardwood to tip the loose ball to Barrett for an uncontested look from 3-point range. Olynyk found him cutting for two points early in the second quarter, as well. It’s nothing you’ll remember, but D.J. Carton at least tried to be noticed.

Jontay Porter seeing the floor for the first time since Feb. 12 and ahead of Chris Boucher on the depth chart after Poeltl went down is quite telling. He contributed a couple of assists in limited action, but it will be interesting to see if his role carries forward as Toronto desperately needs interior defense which Boucher may be better equipped to provide.

Darko Rajakovic is in an unenviable position trying to conjure up a rotation that works with key parts no longer in the fold. Boucher being out of the equation entirely depends on how much value you have on him at this stage, but it’s not making or breaking this team. The Raptors going ice cold with semi-decent looks can only be managed so much.