The Raptors have turned into a defensive juggernaut as of late.
They’ve won six of their last seven games and four in a row after beating Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans in Toronto. How? Defense.
The Raptors have the second-best defensive rating in the NBA in that seven-game stretch, allowing just over 105 points per 100 possessions and boasting a +7.2 net rating.
It’s a wild turnaround for a team that just went 1-16.
What’s changed? For starters, Scottie Barnes is back to playing All-Star and All-Defense level basketball, and that didn’t stop tonight. Despite shooting just 29% from the field, Barnes was excellent everywhere else, putting up 21 points, 11 rebounds, eight assists, and four stocks in a win.
Jakob Poeltl was also exceptional, pouring in 21 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. The Raptors bench also continued to shine, with Chris Boucher and Bruce Brown combining for 26 points and 13 rebounds.
Toronto also had Ochai Agbaji return to the lineup and while it was a quite night overall, he played some solid defense throughout.
But the real catalyst for change for the Raptors defensively has been Davion Mitchell, who finished the game with 7 points in 24 minutes and was +18.
Mitchell’s on-ball excellence has helped the Raptors establish a baseline for their defense and brought the best out of Barnes and Poeltl as the weak-side help.
Despite Williamson dominating for the Pelicans, pouring in 31 points on 18 shots, CJ McCollum and Dejounte Murray combined to shoot 14-of-38 from the field.
That was because of Davion.
If you’d like a more detailed analysis of exactly what Davion is doing, plus why the current starting group is thriving, check out Esfandiar Baraheni’s full recap on the Raptors Republic’s YouTube Channel or subscribe to the channel to stay updated.
Enjoy!
