Raptors’ Wright Thriving on Playoff Stage

With Fred still not looking like himself, Wright saw his minutes increase in Game 2, from ~25 to ~27 – including a fourth-quarter shift that lasted the entire 12 minutes – no other Raptor played the final frame in its entirety. He was third in second-half minutes trailing only Kyle and DeMar.

Delon plays well, & he’s rewarded

Despite finishing minus_4 in the second half a  (not a big deal considering the lead Toronto was working with most of the game), Wright finished the game even.

His stat line was equally impressive to his G1 showing – 11 points, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks – and his engagement level stayed consistent, especially on the defensive end with 4 more deflections, to go along with 6 shot contests.

He did a fantastic job defending John Wall, for a second straight game – limiting him to just 12 points on 14 possessions, as Wall’s primary defender.

VanVleet, Toronto’s de facto sixth man, is working his way back from an injury that might be more serious than initially thought.  He looked off in what appeared to be a forced cameo in Game 2. Happily, Fred can afford to take as much as time as he needs because Delon continues to shine in his absence.

(Good luck wiping that smile off his face after his two performances thus far…)

Nevermind vintage DeMar DeRozan.

We are getting a taste of vintage Delon Wright. And for the first time ever, Toronto seemingly has a stranglehold on a playoff series. Good times ahead.