The Toronto Raptors have no option: if they have hopes of being anything other than a play-in team – and even that – they need to be good on the road and they need to do it soon.
They needed to do it against the New York Knicks, who are sixth in the East, on Monday. They found a way in a very challenging, competitive matchup at Madison Square Garden, emerging with an essential 123-121 win in overtime.
Some takeaways:
Raptors find some energy
There were some interesting comments from Raptors head coach Nick Nurse on Sunday as the Raptors practised prior to leaving for their Martin Luther King Day matinee, the first of three road games this week for the Raptors, opening a stretch of 10-of-12 away from home.
In speaking about how his team has allowed its offensive struggles to feed into their defence at times, Nurse said: “we have a bunch of accountability factors that we look at and take into consideration [when examining effort and energy] but even some of those you can score very high on and not have the greatest energy in the world. I think the energy vibe is certainly off, no doubt about it.”
It’s one of the comments that could mean anything, honestly. Is his team sulking? Sniping? Ready to pack it in? Or just frustrated with losing and missing loads of shots all season long, and of course, one can lead to the other.
The Raptors didn’t seem to have any energy or effort problems against the Knicks. They battled defensively, fought on the glass, and shared the ball well.
I’m of the opinion that the math is too daunting for the Raptors – in 11th place and 4.5 games behind the sixth-place Knicks even after the win — to have a realistic chance of anything but a spot in the play-in tournament.
If 46 wins is the number required, Toronto (20-24) would have to go 26-12 from here, and do that while playing 23 of 38 on the road. But efforts like they had Monday are why it’s hard to write the Raptors off entirely.
Fred VanVleet vs. the Knicks’ $100 million man
It hasn’t been the best season or the best stretch of basketball for Fred VanVleet.
That the Raptors veteran point guard and 2021-22 all-star has been struggling to find his shooting stroke (a career-low 32.5 per cent from three) is hardly news, and between a balky back and a few bouts with the flu, he’s missed eight games.
He was questionable for Monday’s game with back soreness after working through a tough game on both ends in the Raptors’ loss to Atlanta on Saturday, where VanVleet was 1-of-9 from the floor and struggled defensively against Hawks guards Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.
In that context, VanVleet’s match-up with the Knicks J’alen Brunson was fascinating. The two guards are of a similar size and acumen, though Brunson has always been a better finisher (70.3 from inside three feet for his career, compared to VanVleet (.551).
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Brunson signed this past summer with the Knicks for $104 million over four years, while VanVleet, coming off a career year and with a chance to test free agency next summer, wasn’t in a hurry to sign an extension with the Raptors, who could only offer three years and $89 million or four years and $114 million.
VanVleet told ESPN.com recently that he believed he’s outplayed the value of the extension he can earn on his current deal (which is limited to a 20 per cent raise) — and at his best he probably has. But Brunson – two years younger than VanVleet — is showing what kind of value a smaller guard provide for $26 million a year, with a season that could well find him making his all-star debut.
However, VanVleet won the day on Monday. He finished with 33 points and eight assists and was instrumental as the Raptors came back from down 10 with nine minutes left and hit a massive three with two minutes left to keep it going.
Meanwhile, the Raptors started crowding Brunson on his drives and trapping him where they could, limiting him to 2-of-9 shooting and five points in the fourth quarter and overtime along with a pair of costly turnovers. He finished with 26 points and two assists on 11-of-29 shooting.
Brunson had been averaging 32 points on 52 per cent shooting in his first seven games of 2023, leading the Knicks to six wins in that stretch.
Barnes bringing it
For all the questions and drama that Scottie Barnes’ slow start to his second season has inspired, give the second-year wing credit where it’s due: he’s playing some of the best basketball of his career lately.
He morphed into the world’s biggest and most physical point guard down the stretch as he took over the Raptors offence, forcing his way to the paint, finding open teammates and beasting on the glass to hoover up their misses when needed.
Barnes scored 17 of his 26 points in the second half, 13 in the fourth quarter and overtime and was six-of-seven from the line.
He wasn’t perfect. After missing a free throw with 6.6 seconds left that would have put the Raptors up three in the fourth, he failed to contain RJ Barrett in the full court – crucially letting the Canadian get to his left hand – as the Knicks wing took in the length of the floor to send it into overtime with a resounding dunk.
There were some other issues containing the ball against Julius Randle earlier in the game too, but overall, more performances like this earlier in the season would have avoided a lot of questions about Barnes, who is averaging 20.6 points, 8.0 rebounds 5.2 assists on 54 per cent shooting over his last five games — in which the Raptors are 4-1.
Barrett shining in the Big Apple
The game-tying dunk wasn’t the only big play Barrett made on Monday.
The Canadian guard finished with 32 points and seven rebounds and helped drive the Knicks offence down the stretch. He led New York with 12 points in the fourth quarter and overtime and shook off an ice-cold start in doing so.
Barrett was 3-of-11 from the floor in the first half but didn’t let that hold him back from scoring 22 in the second half, often using his size and strength to attack mismatches against Raptors guards.
Playing in New York isn’t for everyone but one reason that Barrett is so well suited for it is that he doesn’t get too far into his own head. Time and again, he’s shaken off tough moments and played through it with a resilience that is crucial to thriving in New York. His performance Monday was a great example of that.
Raptors bench, and Achiuwa at the line
The Raptors bench has been an issue for most of the season, but less so lately.
Minutes were tough to come by Monday as Nurse relied on his starters in the fourth quarter and overtime – they all played at least 40 minutes – but there were still some key bench moments.
The combination of Precious Achiuwa and Chris Boucher has been a part of that. Boucher had a great sequence midway through the second quarter when he blocked Knicks centre Isaiah Hartenstein at the rim at one end and sprinted the floor to rebound a fastbreak miss by Juancho Hernangomez and score on the putback.
The Canadian also squared up and hit a three – something he’s been struggling with over the year, though he came into Monday shooting 55.6 per cent from deep over his last five games.
Meanwhile, Achiuwa had scored in double figures off the bench in his previous three games as he continues to find his form after missing 24 games with his ankle injury. He finished with eight on Monday.
A nice bonus from Achiuwa has been some improved precision form the free-throw line. Achiuwa was a 55.6 per cent free-throw shooter coming into the season but has been 79 per cent so far this year and was 4-of-4 in the first half against the Knicks.
It’s not a make-or-break stat but progress a by free-throw shooter is often a sign of improving overall shooting, which could prove to be a separating skill for Achiuwa as he develops.
Both Boucher and Achiuwa were on the floor to help the Raptors build a 10-point lead midway through the second quarter. But with Boucher and Achiuwa back on the bench, the Raptors starters surrendered a 22-6 run that allowed New York to take a 59-56 lead into the half.
Achiuwa had some nice moments in the second half too, with a lovely finish in traffic on a feed from VanVleet and some excellent defence on Randle.
More from Sportsnet
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Another no-show makes an unlikely Raptors turnaround even more improbable
By: Michael Grange
Title: Raptors Takeaways: VanVleet, Barnes shine in OT win over Knicks
Sourced From: www.sportsnet.ca/nba/article/raptors-takeaways-vanvleet-barnes-shine-in-ot-win-over-knicks/
Published Date: 01-17-2023
Frequently Asked Questions
What number of all-stars has Toronto Raptors had?
Vince Carter and Antonio Davis are the Raptors' eight All-Stars. All of the players who made this All-Star team have been selected by other NBA teams, including Leonard and VanVleet.
Why are the Toronto Raptors called Raptors?
The Toronto Raptors were founded in 1995 as part of the NBA's expansion into Canada. The film Jurassic Park inspired the name and logo. The team colours are silver, bright red, purple, and black.
The Raptors had a difficult first season. They were 21-61 and struggled to make a name for themselves in the league. But the team improved each season and was able to reach the playoffs by 1999.
The Raptors' most memorable moment occurred in 2019, when they won their inaugural NBA championship title. Toronto won their first title in thrilling six-game series against Golden State Warriors under the leadership of Kawhi and Kyle Lowry, the Raptors' backcourt duo.
Since then, the Raptors have become firmly entrenched as one of Canada's most beloved sports teams. Toronto continues to excite basketball fans from around the world, with international superstars and local talent.
Canada's basketball heritage is proudly represented by the Toronto Raptors. Young athletes are inspired by their success on the court. The Raptors are a beloved team in Canada thanks to their passion, unmatched style of play and dedication to excellence.
How long have the Raptors been a team?
Toronto Raptors are an NBA NBA franchise. The Raptors, along the Vancouver Grizzlies, joined the NBA in 1995 as an expansion team. The Raptors are the only Canadian-based NBA basketball team.
The Raptors, based in Toronto, play their home games at Scotiabank Arena. The Maple Leafs is the NHL team from Toronto, and also uses the arena. Since their foundation, the Raptors were in the NBA playoffs 13 more times. The most recent was in 2021 where they lost 6 to the Philadelphia 76ers.
In 1999-2000, the Raptors qualified for their first playoff appearance. In the first round, the Raptors were swept by New York Knicks division rivals.
The fans were few and far between, and the team wasn't too exciting either. There was not much to be excited about and nothing to cheer for. The team finally decided to change their image after years of mediocrity and made every effort to appeal to the public.
The team hired an agency to create a marketing strategy that would bring them national fame in 2001. The team came up with a slogan called "Hear us Roar!"
The team was experiencing financial difficulties at the time so the slogan was used to highlight the fact that all of their games had sold out. They just needed a catchy name and a logo. This is where creative genius shines through. They combined the expression "hear us roar" and another popular saying, "never die." This became the Toronto Raptors' official motto.
Why did NBA leave Vancouver?
NBA pulled out of Vancouver due to a dispute over arena financing. The City planned to provide $40 million for the construction of a new arena that would feature 12 luxury suites and two restaurants. However, the City Council wanted $60 million in taxpayer money for the team owners to pay off their existing debt. This meant the city would have to borrow $200 million to build the arena, while the team owners only had to pay back $20 million in debt. The city would have to pay the remainder of the loan back.
The City Council said they were willing to go ahead with the plan if the NBA agreed to stay at Rogers Arena until after the opening of the new facility. However, the league refused to compromise and said that the arena was too small for them. It was too small for them to continue playing there. They felt asking them to continue playing in a smaller venue was unfair when they weren't getting any extra revenue.
The City Council requested financial assistance from the province in return. Although the province was willing to donate $150 million, the City Council still needed additional $100 million. That's when the City decided to drop its plans and focus on building a new downtown arena instead.
Statistics
- This improved during the 2006–07 regular season to an average of 18,258 fans (13th in the league), 92.2 percent capacity at the Air Canada Centre. (en.wikipedia.org)
- After Thomas attempted to execute a letter of intent with Slaight to purchase the team failed, he resigned from his position in November and sold his 9 percent stake in the team to Slaight. (en.wikipedia.org)
- This improved during the 2006–07 regular season to an average of 18,258 fans (13th in the league), 92.2 percent capacity at the Air Canada Centre. (en.wikipedia.org)
- As predicted by analysts, the team easily secured a berth in the 2001 NBA playoffs with a franchise-high 47 wins. (en.wikipedia.org)
- By 2018, estimated the Raptors were worth $1.4 billion, 12th in the NBA. (en.wikipedia.org)
External Links
basketball-reference.com
globalnews.ca
bleacherreport.com
raptorshq.com
How To
Time to attend a Toronto Raptors Game
Toronto Raptors games typically take place on weekdays between April and October. Weekends are often reserved in advance for concerts and festivals.
It's best to book tickets well in advance because they tend to sell out quickly.
Wednesday is the most crowded day to go to a Toronto Raptors' game. Many fans show up early for pregame warmups.
Fans then head over to Nathan Phillips Square which is next to the ACC. They remain there until the final whistle.
The best time to see a Toronto Raptor team play is after 8 p.m. Fans leave the stadium before midnight but return to celebrate the team's victory.
