The Toronto Raptors’ trudge through the NBA’s gutter continued on Wednesday as the 13th placed Philadelphia 76ers – a half game up on the Raptors – were in town for a tank battle.
The Raptors last started their true starters on March 2 against the Magic. Since then, members of the teams’ core have been dropping like 76ers’ in the Eastern Conference standings during the month of February. First Gradey Dick’s “sit bone” took a hit. Then Jakob Poeltl and RJ Barrett – a couple 20-somethings – needed some rest. Next game it was Immanuel Quickley’s turn to get some much-needed R&R.
But on Wednesday night the Raptors’ lineup crossed into bold new territory as all three members of BBQ were out for the first time this season. In their place was 10-day signee Colin Castleton, recent two-way promotion Jared Rhoden, and newly converted rookie Jamison Battle. On the other end the Sixers were equally shorthanded – Quentin Grimes and Kelly Oubre Jr. were their only regular starters available.
The two misfit teams duked it out in the “reverse standings” wrestle for 13th place. Both past and present Raptors two-ways led the way in scoring – totaling 98 points between the four of them – in what turned out as a 118-105 win/loss for the home side.
So, what is there to glean from an uncompetitive mid-march matchup between two teams squarely fixated on lottery positioning and each missing 3 or 4 of their starters?
As far as both of their presumed reorientations towards playing competitive basketball next season, not a whole lot, aside from the development of players on the fringes of the roster.
But for the players themselves, the stakes are ever present. Battle and Castleton received their first NBA starts, the latter of whom is looking to break into league. Rhoden started his second ever NBA game and also has plenty to prove as two-way signing whose future in the league anything but guaranteed.
“It felt really good, it’s just a testimony to all the hard work that I’ve put in,” said Rhoden after the game, who scored a career-high 25 points to go along with 12 rebounds, five assists, and four steals. “To have this moment is really special. I’m just really grateful for the opportunity to be here and showcase what I can do.”
The six-foot-six wing showed his hunger early as he pounced on a fumble by Andre Drummond for an offensive rebound and took it straight back up strong for the garbage man finish. Rhoden was on the glass like white on rice early, grabbing four boards in the first few minutes.
This Raptors group hasn’t played much together as a whole. It showed, as their motion and passing often looked uncoordinated. They heaved up heaps of bricks early, missing their first six three-point attempts, most of which were taken by necessity rather than opportunism. That is until Rhoden canned one, albeit off a look where a pass from Jamal Shead was nearly deflected away from him.
Rhoden did a tonne in this game, a little bit everything, as he has done at the G League level all season long. On a particularly strong run of play he grabbed back-to-back steals, 45 cut off a pass to Orlando Robinson for a dunk, and made a great read on a skip pass to Shead for an open corner 3. The finale: a pump fake and side step to dodge a closeout, and then a second hip-to-hip reset to avoid the recovery before calmly draining the triple.
“I think I’m more known as a transition player, on the offensive side, so just showcasing that I can create a little bit in the halfcourt, when needed to,” said Rhoden of his goals after the game.
I just think my main focus is really on defence. I think that’s my main calling-card. Just showcasing that I can guard the point guard, switch onto four-men and just be a physical defender out there. Giving Quickley, Scottie and all those guys breaks when they need them. You know that’s my job, that’s my role. And I’m ready to do all the intangible things.”
Raptors Head Coach Darko Rajaković has often cited the harmony between the Raptors 905 and the NBA squad, so it was no surprise when him and Rhoden were on the same page.
“I would have to agree with that. Obviously, this is a different level than playing in the G League, but he’s stepping up,” said Rajaković, who previously coached in the NBA D-League. “He’s showing he’s got very long arms; he’s doing a really good job on ball being really disruptive, (he) comes up with winning possessions for us. He’s just out there competing and trying to execute the game plan. Really, really proud of his performance tonight.”
Amidst all the youthful success, we got first-quarter minutes from 38-year-old NBPA Vice-President Garrett Temple in this game. And he splashed a corner 3! The labour king’s first since Nov. 18. He proceeded to bang another off a handoff from Robinson, making it the first time he had two 3’s since March 27 of last season (h/t Keerthika Uthayakumar).
The real shooter, Battle, said “hold my beer,” ran off a screen-the-screener action, and hit from the corner on a BLOB play. It was the first of two such instances. Even more promising were the two shots that Battle made off the bounce. He ran off a stagger, drove his closeout, and stuck a pull-up from the top of the key. Later in the third he canned a pull-up triple off a pick n’ roll with Poeltl. It would be a huge development for Battle to add movement shooting to his game.
Yet the Raptors lack of familiarity continued to rear its head on offence; Poeltl threw a couple uncharacteristic turnovers in the halfcourt. But he made up for it by finishing a pocket pass – delivered by Rhoden as they ran pick n’ roll out of a DHO – for an and-1.
AJ Lawson also made a nice laydown to the Austrian Hammer. What the Brampton, Ont. native does best however is put the ball in the hoop. He sprinted in transition off a Poeltl steal despite being outnumbered and got a tough scoop off the glass to go, also for an and-1. Lawson’s shot was on target again as he drilled a couple open looks. He finished 4-of-9 from deep and 10-of-20 from the field for a team-high 28 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists.
As the Raptors’ young guns punched, former Toronto two-way recruit Jeff Dowtin Jr. countered. The Sixers guard stuck an impressive step-back over the outstretched arm of Poeltl helping shrink his team’s deficit (or reverse lead, depending on your preference) to a manageable 14 points at half.
Dowtin was scoring like it was the G League (it kind of was) following with more tough step backs. He snaked into the lane and stuck a contested floater off of two feet. Downin finished with 20, second on the Sixers to Quentin Grimes, whose transcendent play since joining Philadelphia at the deadline continued with a 29-point performance (he also put up five stocks).
In the fourth the scrap-tors ran some effective actions on their way to tank-land defeat. Rhoden nailed a pull-up trey coming off a zoom action on a SLOB. Lawson curled straight to the hoop off another zoom. Robinson got the handoff assist on both.
The big had a monster game, starting off as a true garbage man, hanging off the back of the trunk in the lane and gobbling up putbacks and laydowns galore. Eventually he traded in some of that trash for treasure. The seven-footer made a nice read to find Rhoden for a corner 3. He hit a couple triples of his own, both from above the break, and made a nice long-range push shot. Robinson finished with a career-high 25 points, plus 12 rebounds and six assists.
The clean actions continued as the Raptors appeared to adjust to their newfound rotation. Temple ran a get with Robinson and skipped it to Lawson for a slot triple. It felt like I was in Mississauga at the Paramount Find Food Centre as Rhoden worked on his check before hitting Lawson on stampede cut to the rim.
It’s easy to cast aside games like this one as only consequential to the lottery odds. And of course, in the grand scheme of things, that was the main concern for both teams in this matchup. But consider the work players put in behind the scenes, what an opportunity like this means to someone in their position, and the monumental accomplishment setting an NBA career-high is, and try telling Jared Rhoden or Orlando Robinson that.
