Toronto Raptors: 3 takeaways from W over Wizards
By Brian Boake
The Toronto Raptors defeated Washington in an interesting game. The scoring and rebounding load was well-balanced. What else did we see?
The Toronto Raptors held service against the Washington Wizards last night at the Scotiabank Arena. The Wiz may take comfort in the thought Dwight Howard, who didn’t dress, could have been a difference-maker, but I don’t think so. Toronto won this game on the perimeter, making 17 of 39 3-balls (43.6%), compared to the visitors’ 9 of 46 (19.6% – yuck)
Let’s consider some key points from the Raptors’ 125-107 victory.
C.J. Miles is being given every opportunity
C.J. Miles, our struggling veteran swingman, returned to the lineup after his latest injury healed sufficiently. While coach Nick Nurse might have relegated him to mop-up duty, he elected not to, and C.J. was inserted late in Q1.
Unfortunately, Miles still hasn’t regained his stroke from deep. He was 1 for 7, pushing his percentage downwards to a woeful 25.5%. He’s still an energetic defender, and puts the ball on the floor when needed. C.J. ended the night with 18+ minutes of PT and a plus_minus of zero.
Whether Miles regains his shooting touch is impossible to even guess. There are many instances in sport of players suddenly losing a skill which has carried them to professional heights (ever seen a golfer with the yips?…it’s not a pretty site). We hope nothing like that has occurred with C.J.’s 3-point shooting.
The Raptors have the luxury of allowing him to work out his problems, if they can be, on the court. Turn it around soon, please.
Depth is a skill
The second unit won the game for Toronto. Our team’s plus_minus leaders (plus_23!) were Serge Ibaka and Fred VanVleet, both of whom were on the bench at tip-off.
Nick Nurse has never struck me as a man with an ego needing constant stroking. He saw during his years with Dwane Casey how critical to team success a strong rotation is. While Nick hasn’t been afraid to change things, he’s also smart enough to retain what works.
The Raptors feature two centers, Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas, neither of whom seem to care greatly whether or not they start. Their team-first attitude permeates, allowing Nick to start either one depending on opponent. Last night, it was JV.
Next. Raptors player of week is Serge. dark
The Wizards had no answer for Serge. He scored a dozen, grabbed nine boards, and blocked four shots. VanVleet hit his first 3 long balls. OG Anunoby went for 15 points.
When those guys are clicking, Nurse doesn’t have to wear out his stars.
Kawhi is a surgeon
Surely there’s no longer any doubt about the wisdom of Masai Ujiri. His determination to jump to the front of the line in the Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes has proven to be exactly what the Raptors needed.
I’m not sure, when I see Kawhi back down yet another overmatched defender, that DeMar DeRozan is the better man in isolation. And there’s no comparison defensively.
Our main man had another super-efficient game, scoring 27 points in just over 30 minutes on the floor. He also grabbed 10 rebounds.
Bring on Miami!