The Toronto Raptors won their third straight road game in Utah on Monday night. What was particularly striking in a game of excellent performances?
Against the Los Angeles Lakers, the first quarter was the one during which the Toronto Raptors took control of the game. Last night in Utah, it was Q2. In both outings, the Raptors, minus Kawhi Leonard, carried a double-digit lead into the second half and maintained it with relative ease.
What did we learn from a healthy victory in Salt Lake City, against the Jazz, a team which still has a healthy 27-17 record all-time over the Raptors?
The kids are alright
Toronto’s success is predicated on their depth. They don’t have a Big Three (only Golden State does), and the pairing of Kyle Lowry and Kawhi Leonard has only played seven games together.
However, Toronto’s youngsters are maturing before our eyes. The disappointing shooting I fussed about against the Lakers wasn’t a problem versus Utah. OG Anunoby was one of four Raptors to amass 17 points, by far his best scoring game of the season. He hit 3 of his 5 tries from beyond the arc, and had a pair of steals. Can we see this level of production consistently? I’m cautiously optimistic.
I’ve read that certain species of bamboo grow so quickly the naked eye can see it. That’s how I feel when I watch Pascal Siakam. His development has been remarkable lately. Where did he develop those spin moves which befuddle his defenders? And his finishing ability while in the air is dramatically improved.
Should he manage to pull his 3-point shooting out of the mud (18.8% to date), our high-motor swingman could become an All-Star.
Fred VanVleet was one of those tied for top scorer. To his credit, he shrugged off his weak results in Los Angeles and enjoyed a terrific game which included 6 assists.
The only problem with the kids was a shoulder injury suffered by Norman Powell.
Whatever Serge is eating should be on everyone else’s plate
I’ve been a Raptors fan since Day One. Try as I might, I can’t recall anyone being as hot shooting the ball as Serge Ibaka has been these past two nights.
Going 15 for 17 in Los Angeles was spectacular. So what word do we use when he’s perfect on 8 tries the following game?
The only people able to control Ibaka last night were the referees. Serge racked up 6 fouls and was gone with 9 minutes left in Q4. Several of those dubious calls occurred while he was defending Rudy (Moving Pick) Gobert.
Obviously not he nor anyone else is likely to experience a 23 of 25 pair of games again soon. We should savour what we saw, and hope he can maintain high efficiency all season.
A team can’t win when its point guard doesn’t score
You knew this one already; I mention it because of the startling contrast between Ricky Rubio and Lowry so evident during the game.
Utah’s PG, Rubio, has been hamstrung his entire career by poor shooting. He’s an excellent defender and passer, but last night’s 1 for 10 result was not an outlier.
When an already skilled defender of Lowry’s calibre can afford the luxury of dropping off his man (in this case, Rubio), the odds of a one and done trip increase. Lowry burned Utah with 17 points on 9 shots while dishing 11 dimes. It’s no fluke Lowry’s assist numbers jump off the scoresheet this year. He demands defensive attention all the way from the timeline (love those deep threes!) to the bucket, which allows him to shoot or pass with equal deadliness. He’s like an option quarterback.
Conclusion
We have to be thrilled with the Raptors’ performances without Kawhi, while hoping he’s back against Sacramento tomorrow. Let’s also hope Powell’s shoulder strain is not serious.