Raptors Roundup: Good-team gloom, playoff pushin’, and bounce-back Barrett

Welcome to Raptors Roundup! A weekly recap of everything going on in the world of the Toronto Raptors.

The regular season is nearly over, it’s kind of crazy to think how fast the time has flown. It seems just yesterday most of the NBA media landscape was predicting the Raptors to be in the play-in or lottery. Instead, through 63 games they sit at the five seed, though there are at least three teams breathing down their neck, jostling to take their place.

I was a big believer in the Raptors before the season began, and while they’re far from a championship, this season has undoubtedly been a success. And yet still, there’s fear amongst fans that perhaps they could end up slipping into the play-in tournament, though I believe that’s unlikely.

Even if you believe the Raptors will go winless against the great teams: Rockets, Pistons (x2), Nuggets, Celtics, and Knicks. That’s just six more losses (and you hope they could steal at least one).

They still have seven games against teams that are either actively tanking or in the lower echelon of the league: Pelicans (x2), Bulls, Jazz, Kings, Grizzlies, and Nets. The Raptors have shown all year that they can dominate those teams (outside of a couple losses early to Brooklyn and Washington). Assuming they win all seven of those matchups, that puts them at 7-6.

With a near even split in great and bad teams, in essence, the entire season comes down to the games they have against the other good but not great teams in the league: Suns (x2), Clippers, Magic, and Heat (x2). All of those are very winnable games, but the ones against the Magic and Heat are by far the most important. Both Florida teams are currently just 1 game back of the Raptors in the standings, a win is worth double, and a loss equally consequential the other way.

I just don’t see a way they manage to fall out of the playoffs, not with nearly everyone healthy at the same time and with the resurgent play of both Jakob Poeltl and RJ Barrett.

Game Recaps

Raptors’ clutch offense withers and dies against Knicks in loss | Final: 95-111

50 seconds before clutch time, IQ hit a difficult floater and the Raptors inched within two points against the mighty Knicks.

After a strong third quarter to erase a poor stretch in the second quarter, the Raptors had a chance – a real chance! – against an Eastern Conference powerhouse who they have been 0-3 against this season.

It seemed like the tides were turning as the Raptors’ sixth man – the Scotiabank crowd roaring and chanting “Defense!” in unison – infused palpable energy into the game. 

Barnes and BI subbed back on, but the Raptors’ clutch offense was anything but that.

• Teru Ikeda

Top Performers:

1. Brandon Ingram – 31 PTS, 2 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 11-20 FG, 3-5 3FG, 6-7 FT -7+/-
2. Immanuel Quickley – 13 PTS, 3 REB, 12 AST, 2 STL, 4-14 FG, 3-10 3FG, -9 +/-
3. RJ Barrett – 20 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST, 9-13 FG, 1-3 3FG, 1-2 FT -16 +/-

The Raptors have shown us who they are, it’s time that we believe them | Final: 107-115

Even the usually optimistic Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic saw the writing on the wall, and pulled the starters with four minutes remaining. I can’t blame him. Ingram’s shot wasn’t falling, the team couldn’t defend without Barnes on the court, Shead had one of the worst games of his career, and even if the team had played at their best, the chances of winning were slim. The identity of these Raptors is set, we’ve known for a long time who they are. Every game against good teams is like watching a tragic movie you’ve already seen. You still hope that somehow things are going to turn out alright, you bite at every glimmer of hope, but in the end you already knows how it ends. We all do.

• Me (A frustrated, hyperbolic version)

Top Performers:

1. RJ Barrett – 25 PTS, 6 REB, 1 BLK, 9-14 FG, 4-5, 3FG, 3-4 FT +3 +/-
2. Immanuel Quickley – 18 PTS, 3 REB, 7 AST, 1 STL, 6-10 FG, 2-4 3FG, 4-5 FT, +8 +/-
3. Scottie Barnes – 16 PTS, 2 REB, 3 AST, 1 BLK, 7-12 FG, 2-3 3FG, +3 +/-

Raptors cruise to much needed comfortable win at home | Final: 122-92

Like usual, Toronto struggled to shoot the three ball, but they did a great job of attacking the paint, as Ja’Kobe Walter was a prime example of that, shooting zero for five from downtown, but managed to go four for six inside the three-point line and was great as an off-ball cutter.

The Raptors got it done in the only way they know how: great defence that turns the other team over and allows them to run the floor and make easy buckets in transition. It was mostly a tight nine-man rotation tonight, and eight of those players ended up hitting the double-digit mark in the scoring category, with Jamal Shead being the lone member to not reach that mark.

• Mete Makarnaci

Top Performers:

1. RJ Barrett – 31 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL 13-19 FG, 3-7 3FG, 2-4 FT +16 +/-
2. Scottie Barnes – 17 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 6-12 FG, 2-4 3FG, 3-3 FT, +25 +/-
3. Jakob Poeltl – 16 PTS, 10 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 2 BLK, 9-14 FG, 1-1 3FG, 5-6 FT +11 +/-

Quick Reaction Roundup

Take a peek at this week’s Quick Reaction grades throughout the week.

Raptor of the week: RJ Barrett

It’s taken awhile for Barrett to rev up coming back from his injuries this season, but it seems he’s finally back. Throughout the week Barrett’s play gradually improved, ultimately reaching a crescendo in the Mavericks game when he scored a season-high 31 points.

Over the week Barrett led the team in scoring by a longshot, averaging 25.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists while shooting more efficiently than ever: 67.4% from the field and 53.3% from three (we’ll ignore the 60% from the free throw line).

The improvement in Barrett’s play is coming at a key time as the Raptors have just 19 games remaining in the regular season, they’ll need him to be this good to maintain their playoff seeding and if they want any chance of winning a series, he’s an essential component.

Current Raptor of the Week standings:

1. Scottie Barnes – 5 times
2. Brandon Ingram – 3 times
3. Immanuel Quickley – 2 times
4. Ja’Kobe Walter – 2 times
5. Collin Murray-Boyles – 2 times
6. RJ Barrett – 1 time

Top pieces of the week

Toronto Raptors prospect power rankings: Murray-Boyles hurt again, Reese called-up

The junior Dinos have lost three of their last four games, including most recently getting blown out by the Greensboro Swarm at home to begin March, while the big club suffered losses to the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. The Raptors were able to snap that two-game losing streak with a bounce-back win against the Washington Wizards, however, which also happens to be the new home of Julian Reese.

The Wizards signed the rookie forward to a two-way contract, marking the first call-up of the season for the 905. The 6-foot-10, 240-pound Reese appeared in 38 games (two starts) through the Tip-Off Tournament and regular season for the Mississauga squad, averaging 7.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 17.2 minutes while shooting 62.8 per cent from the field.

Reese led the team in field goal percentage (62.8) and offensive rebounds (2.7) while also ranking second in total rebounds. We say farewell and best of luck to Reese.

Without further ado, let’s dive into this week’s rankings.

• Coty Wiles

Quickley and Poeltl have been Raptors’ saviors hiding in plain sight

But perhaps the answer to Toronto’s manifold questions has been staring the team in the face this entire time. (At least, a partial answer, for now, until better ones come along. More on that later.)

Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl could be Toronto’s solution to what ails them. Not separately. Separately they are unable to cure Toronto’s ills. But together? Perhaps.

Quickley is a point guard who needs a big to unlock his skills. Similarly, Poeltl is a big whose skills are wasted without a point guard. Neither can be his best self without the other. But together they ameliorate their own and one another’s weaknesses. They multiply one another’s strengths, and they altogether smooth out the rough edges of the entire team. 

• Louis Zatzman

Looking Ahead

Tuesday, March 10th – Raptors @ Rockets | 8:00pm ET on TSN

Wednesday, March 11th – Raptors @ Pelicans| 8:00pm ET on Sportsnet

Friday, March 13th – Suns @ Raptors | 7:30pm ET on TSN

Sunday, March 15th – Pistons @ Raptors | 3:30pm ET on Sportsnet

Record Prediction: 3-1, I think that now more than ever the Raptors are beginning to understand the level they need to reach to compete with good teams. They also seem to play better on the road, so I’m going to be optimistic and say that they win both the Rockets and Pelicans games and then take the game against Phoenix. I still don’t think they can compete with Detroit, especially since Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart will be in this matchup.

That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Raptors Roundup, thank you for reading! Have a wonderful week!

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