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Toronto Raptors: 3 takeaways from loss against Blazers, including JV’s absence

By Chris Chiu

Toronto Raptors - Greg Monroe and Portland Trailblazers - Zach Collins (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)
Toronto Raptors - Greg Monroe and Portland Trailblazers - Zach Collins (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Toronto Raptors – OG Anunoby and Danny Green, Portland Trailblazers – Seth Curry (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) /

Raptors aren’t the only team with depth

Last season, the Raptors’ bench was an elite second unit that consistently outclassed their opponent’s bench players — and in some cases, even their starters. This combination of skill and on-court chemistry created nightmares for opposing teams and lead the Raptor’s reserves to be dubbed the “Bench Mob“.

Due to the constantly fluctuating lineups, as short-term injuries have plagued the team early on, the Raptor’s bench unit seems to have taken a step back this year. Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and OG Anunoby have all had stints in the starting lineup. While still garnering attention as an elite bench, they have lost some of their swagger from last year as their consistency and shooting have faltered at points throughout the season so far.

Despite both C.J. Miles (3-4 on three-point attempts) and Fred VanVleet (3-5 on three-point attempts) finally finding their three-point shots, the Blazers showed the Raptors that they weren’t the only team with depth.

Terry Stotts went with a 10-man rotation last night, with his second unit wreaking havoc on the Raptors throughout the game. Aside from Meyers Leonard, all other bench players scored in double figures.

Most notably, the Raptors did not seem to have answers in terms of stopping modern big man Zach Collins and backup guard Evan Turner.

Zach Collins has been a solid contributor in many games this season as a foil to Nurkic’s more traditional style of play. He’s been able to carve out his own role on the team as a big man who can not only run the floor and dominate on the glass but also step back and shoot the three. Evan Turner, although perhaps not living up to the full hype as a 2nd overall draft pick, is a well-rounded guard that can fill up the stat sheet in multiple categories on a nightly basis.

Thus, similar to the Raptors, the Trailblazers are deep in multiple positions and were able to nullify both the Raptors bench and starters for stretches throughout the game.

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