Toronto Raptors Roundup: Best stories and highlights from week one
Toronto Raptors Roundup is a weekly segment where we fill you in on all games, highlights, and stories you missed last week. Here’s what you missed from the first week of the season.
The Toronto Raptors have reached the next level.
Too soon? Yeah, maybe. But if the first three games are any indication, we may be witnessing something very special. Some themes are beginning to emerge, despite the small sample.
First, the depth and breadth of the weapons Nick Nurse can put on the floor, both offensively and defensively, is staggering. The combination and flexibility of his lineups will give even the most cunning of coaches nightmares.
We’ve also seen the emergence of several starting lineups. Team A and Team B of last year are no more. The starting lineup might be different each and every night, being primarily dictated by match-ups. How this plays out during the regular season, and perhaps more importantly in the playoffs, is still to be determined.
Kawhi Leonard is the real deal. While the rust may not have completely shaken off, he seems to have come exactly as advertised. A strong, attacking offensive threat who can get to the rim, shoot the three and create when you need him to.
"“He commands double-teams, makes some tough shots, gets it going down the stretch. Honestly, he can put the whole team on his back” – Kyrie Iriving after the Celtics loss"
He is averaging double digits in rebounds, and oh yeah, he’s an absolutely shut-down defender. You can actually see opponents keep the ball away from his side of the floor.
Concerned about the offence? While the ball does seem to be sticking at times and the offence is not as free-flowing as Coach Nurse is hoping for, there is real reason to believe that will come as the team continues to gel and figure each other out.
Kyle Lowry has been spectacular. There was real concern about how the DeRozan trade would affect Lowry both on and off the court. And while we may never know how he’s dealing with losing his best friend, on the hardwood he seems as if he has something to prove.
He has shot the three extremely well, he’s attacking the rim off the dribble and is taking charges on the defensive end. He seems fired up. And he’s going to need to continue this if this team wants to be as successful as many think it can be.
Game Recap
Cleveland at Toronto
The season started off at home in front of an energized, capacity crowd against a LeBron-less Cleveland Cavaliers in a rematch of last year’s playoff series whose outcome eventually led to the off-season’s flurry of activities.
The game certainly won’t be featured on Raptor Classics on NBA TV. From a Raptor’s perspective, the game was too close for too long against a Cleveland squad who probably would be delighted with an eighth-place finish by season’s end.
Kawhi Leonard certainly showed signs of rust and appears to need more time to gel with his team. He finished with a double-double on a 9 for 22 shooting night.
The Raptors beat a team they were supposed to beat, something they did very well last year and should continue to do again this season.
Boston at Toronto
In what was unfairly and unnecessarily being touted as a “statement game”, the game did prove to be an electric game between two very good, very deep teams. In the end, the Raptors came out on top in an impressive victory which may indeed be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals.
But, despite the impressive victory, there were some issues that were slightly troubling. First, the Raptors did not put forth a complete game. The Toronto bench was outscored by Boston’s.
Second, at times, the ball didn’t move as freely as Nurse would have hoped. Too much dribbling, not enough zip. You can expect to see as a focus as the team moves forward.
And then there was Kawhi. While he was great in the second half, he definitely struggled in the first. The coaching staff will tell you that in time, and with practice, his consistency will come. He is getting to his spots on the floor where he can usually make those mid-range jumpers over his defender. Let’s not panic. He did finish with 31 points and another double-double.
Serge Ibaka, however, looked fantastic. In what could have been one of his most complete games in quite a while, he led the team in scoring and held Al Horford in check for most of the game.
The Raptors played well down the stretch, which included an incredible double block by Danny Green and Leonard, closing out against a very strong team at home on national TV.
Toronto at Washington
The game was close to the end, with numerous lead changes until the Raptors finally pulled away, helped in part by a strong 3rd quarter led by Fred VanVleet.
Here are some takeaways from the third game of the young season.
The Raptors gave up 17 turnovers which led to 30 Washington points. Their assist to turnover ratio had been excellent in the first two games but may have been the victim of fatigue in the first back to back game of the year.
The tired Raptors appeared to desperately need their closer Kawhi Leonard who was resting, in what may become common practice for the team who wants to be as healthy as possible come playoff time.
But Kyle Lowry, who finished strong with 28 points and 12 assists, led the charge, determined to prove that the team is more than just one or two guys.
The turning point was a fiery fourth where the Wizards erupted after a few non-calls. Technicals to Bradley Beal and Coach Scott Brooks ignited Beal and John Wall as they chipped away at the Raptor lead to make it a two-point game with less than a minute to go. A dogfight ensued with Washington turning up the pressure. VanVleet hit an end of the shot clock prayer to put the Raps up for good with 14 seconds left.
The Raptors squeaked out a 117-113 win and are happy to get out of DC with their third consecutive win.
The Week Ahead
Charlotte at Toronto
The Raps begin a three-game homestand against the visiting Charlotte Hornets. Kemba Walker has started the season on fire and will lead the Hornets into Toronto on Monday night.
Keep an eye out for Tony Parker, the longtime Spur, who will visit Toronto for the first time in a different uniform as he faces his former Spurs teammate Kawhi Leonard for the first time after a breakup between Leonard and the Spurs last year.
Minnesota at Toronto
The story in Minnesota this off-season has been Jimmy Butler and his condemnation and calling out of teammates Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony-Towns. A trade demand that hasn’t been granted has created too much drama for Coach Thibs including Minnesota fans booing Butler.
The Timberwolves are currently 1-2. Don’t let their record fool you, the Raps will be in tough Wednesday against a talented, yet largely inconsistent squad on Wednesday.
Dallas at Toronto
While it may be future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki’s final visit to Toronto, basketball fans won’t get a chance to see him play. Dirk is out for a couple of weeks with an ankle injury while teammate Harrison Barnes is day to day with a hamstring injury.
The Mavs will bring prized rookie Luka Doncic to town who should be worth the price of admission. However, chances are the Mavs won’t do much this year and this should be one of those games where, if the Raptors take care of business, they should win without too much trouble next Friday night.
Next. Raptors five biggest strengths this season. dark
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