The Raptors’ first quarter was so atrocious, it was damn near impressive.
They had nine turnovers, four of them coming from Scottie, who seemed to almost be intentionally giving away the ball. They were down 36-16 by the end of the first 12 minutes. Mid-way through the second, they got within 14 points, but that’s the closest they ever got. The deficit would balloon to 34 and 38 points in the third and fourth, respectively.
Fans not at the game had better alternatives. Like watching Canadian NBA draft prospect Will Riley and his Fighting Illini play Kentucky in the second round. While the Raptors’ intentions are now clear, fans inside Scotiabank – including Mario, Mary J. Blige, Kelly Rowland – were subjected to watch Raptors rookies plus Colin Castleton and Orlando Robinson hopelessly try to play catch up from its first-quarter debauchery.
As Matt and Jack explained on the broadcast, the slow start could be chalked up to their recent return from a four-game West Coast trip. It was RJ’s first game back since the March 14th Utah Jazz game. The Raptors were missing Jakob and IQ, but the Spurs were also missing their best in Wemby and Fox. Much like the Raptors, the Spurs are also bottom feeders and are looking towards the Draft and next season.
Perhaps, it was Kayla Grey fanning out while interviewing Kelly Rowland on the broadcast, but I was reminded of Akon singing the hook, “Still I try so hard/Hoping one day you’ll come and rescue me” in his signature raspy but soulful voice on “I Tried” with Bone-Thugs-and-Harmony. That old tune seemed to fit the theme of this game. That person to come and rescue us could be a myriad of draft prospects at this point. Ace Bailey? Boogie Fland? Jeremiah Fears?
Like Bone-Thugs-and-Harmony, the Raptors rookies – Shead, Mogbo, Walter, and Battle – as well as Castleton and Robinson all tried hard despite the losing circumstances they were in.
Each players’ analysis can be seen here, but the presence of potential Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle on Shead’s home floor seemed to bring the best out of him. Shead with played supreme confidence in the second quarter, showing Torontonians he can score in transition, from downtown, and attack switches on pick-and-rolls. And despite his 6-foot-1 frame, he held off Jeremy Sochan in the post until Castleton came to help.
Two members of the core – Barnes and Barrett – had atrocious first quarters, but Barnes tried to get the bench players involved and seemed enthusiastic for most of the 30 minutes he played. He hit three 3s in the third quarter. Barrett struggled throughout the game, but resorted to his dribble drive, left-handed finishes when nothing seemed to go the Raptors’ way.
“Crossroads” (“See you at the crossroads, crossroads, crossroads”) might be a more apt thematic song at this point in the season. Watching a game like this during March madness might just be self-flagellation, but there’s a long-game in all of this. Even the four rookies plus Castleton and Robinson got valuable reps in front of their home crowd when the pressure is higher. Hopefully, they’ll be part of the pieces for what seems like a distant but brighter days ahead.
