Response Podcast | Rap Up | Fast Response | Nothin’ However Positives
Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson famously stated, “all people has a plan till they get punched within the mouth.” Final evening, the Toronto Raptors threw haymakers on the Boston Celtics in a runaway 115-83 win.
The Raptors had carte blanche of their season opener. After a yr in Tampa Bay, they have been lastly again residence, and the followers and gamers have been simply pleased to be in Scotiabank Area.
This sport painted an image of what Toronto hopes to be this season: a bodily workforce that makes use of its dimension and size to regulate video games defensively and on the glass. The Raptors pressured 25 turnovers and outrebounded Boston 60-42.
21 of these 60 boards got here on the offensive finish, leading to 18 further shot makes an attempt for the Raptors. On an evening the place the workforce shot worst from the ground than of their opening sport (42 p.c versus 44.4 p.c on Wednesday), their means to set the tone with their physicality went a great distance towards securing their first win of the season.
5 Raptors recorded 5 or extra rebounds. The assault on the glass was spearheaded by two newcomers: Valuable Achiuwa (15 rebounds) and Scottie Barnes (13 rebounds).
When requested after the sport how a workforce and not using a conventional heart can outrebound their opponent, particularly on the offensive glass, Raptors head coach, Nick Nurse, stated it was as a result of his workforce was capable of “miss lots of pictures.”
Nurse has allowed Achiuwa to function equally to how he performed throughout his lone season at Memphis. Then, after James Wiseman was suspended, the Nigerian was used as a small-ball heart who was allowed to make performs with the ball in his palms and assault in transition.
Celtics heart, Robert Williams III (9 factors and 6 rebounds in 28 minutes), had lots of preseason buzz about doubtlessly making a leap this yr; Achiuwa (15 factors and 15 rebounds in 25 minutes) completely outplayed him tonight.
Nonetheless, the largest takeaway from this sport needs to be the play of Barnes. After Dalano Banton stole the present within the first sport, it was Barnes’ flip to be the rookie within the highlight.
There was no hiding on protection as he was routinely matched up towards one in all Boston’s all-star wings. Between him, OG Anunoby, and well timed assist from others, the Raptors pressured Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum to shoot 11-25 mixed.
On paper, Tatum’s 8-14 capturing numbers look superb, however Tatum did most of his injury within the second quarter. Talking to the media postgame, Barnes stated of the workforce limiting Tatum within the second half, particularly the third quarter, “he’s a extremely good participant, so we simply need to preserve exhibiting our size in gaps to try to affect him to not get in [the lane]. And when he will get actual low, we simply deliver a bunch of men and attempt to swarm him and don’t let him get straightforward seems.”
Whereas the Raptors’ protection and rebounding have been current all through the sport, Barnes’ play led the way in which for the workforce within the first half. Toronto solely held a four-point benefit at halftime, and the fourth total choose powered the workforce with 15 factors and 7 rebounds.
Offensively, he did a bit little bit of all the pieces. He made an off-the-dribble three, he linked on catch-and-shoot midrange jumpers, he pushed the tempo, he completed on the rim, and he made performs for his teammates.
After the sport, Barnes attributed his efficiency to “enjoying exhausting all through the sport.” Barnes stated, “it simply issues about time and the state of affairs. If we miss a pair, we’ve bought to get the ball shifting, then attempt to discover the appropriate shot, what’s greatest for us,” and he completed off with “In the event that they depart me open, I’m gonna shoot it, no hesitation.”
It’s solely sport two, however this sport confirmed a glimpse of what this franchise hopes peak Barnes will appear to be and why Masai Ujiri and Bobby Webster have been elated when he was nonetheless on the board when Toronto was on the clock within the 2021 NBA Draft.
“What I appreciated essentially the most was he was on the entrance of the rim loads tonight. Putbacks and cuts and drives, and that’s what we prefer to see–be capable of use a few of that dimension and size,” stated Nurse after the sport.
The Gary Trent Jr. rollercoaster was ascending upward tonight as he pitched in 20 factors and helped Toronto prolong their lead within the third quarter the place they outscored Boston 34-17.
Trent Jr. bought the beginning tonight and it looks like he’ll stay within the beginning lineup going ahead. Nurse stated beginning, “made Gary extra comfy” and that he was capable of “feed off the opposite [starters].”
The massive takeaway from yesterday’s efficiency is that this group just isn’t a pushover. Their pictures weren’t falling as soon as once more, however they dug deeper defensively and used their effort to create further alternatives that in the end led to them producing a double-digit victory.
The capturing struggles stay a priority–notably from Anunoby who had appeared on the way in which to taking his sport to a different degree throughout the preseason–and the half-court offense leaves loads to be desired. Nurse talked about after the sport that the workforce must “clear up spacing points,” nevertheless, the NBA doesn’t award type factors, so a win is a win.
Tip Brandon Jefferson
Raptors outmuscle, out-hustle, and outplay Boston Celtics in dominant victory originated on Raptors Republic.
