Raptors: Winners and Losers from exhilarating win over Pacers

The Toronto Raptors needed to wake up after two tough home losses, as the prospect of falling to 1-4 on the season was unacceptable for Nick Nurse and this team. Luckily, Toronto was able to get back on the right track thanks to veterans like Fred VanVleet and rookies like Scottie Barnes and Dalano Banton.

The Raptors beat up Domantas Sabonis and the Indiana Pacers by a score of 118-100. OG Anunoby got the party started with 16 points in the first quarter and five steals, Barnes and Banton provided their usual blend of positionless confusion for the opposition, and VanVleet woke up on offense.

Toronto has been struggling on offense this year, and while this win doesn’t necessarily mean that the team’s issues are in the past, it was encouraging to see them face off against a team with dominant frontcourt players like Sabonis and Myles Turner and still come out on top.

The Toronto Raptors have plenty of standout performances to go around after such a dominant night, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone who wore red and black last night should be thrilled with how things went.

Winners and Losers after the Toronto Raptors took down the Pacers.

Winner: Fred VanVleet

VanVleet must’ve heard all of the naysayers questioning his offense, especially from behind the 3-point line. Wichita State’s finest turned in one of his most masterful offensive performances to lead Toronto to victory.

Not only was he shooting the lights out, but he took on the role of primary offensive creator late in the game.

Fred VanVleet was dominant at times for the Toronto Raptors.

VanVleet scored 26 points, amassed six assists, and tallied 10 rebounds, making this the first time in his career he reached such tallies. Perhaps even more impressive was the fact he went 10-18 from the field and 6-7 from 3-point range. If he keeps playing like this, the Raptors are in good hands with regards to their offense.

Loser: Goran Dragic

Dragic was not playing like the ace Sixth Man that we saw with the Heat over the last few seasons, and it seems like Nurse identified him as one of the major problems with his offensive attack. Just a few games in, Dragic has already been benched.

Dragic didn’t see one second of playing time in this game, as his lackluster shooting percentages and poor defensive numbers have done little to prove that he can, or should, be a part of this rotation moving forward. The next few weeks could be very interesting for Dragic, who could still be traded, and the organization as a whole.

Winner: Dalano Banton

Banton was the beneficiary of Nurse deciding to lean on youth over experience. With Malachi Flynn also nipping at his heels, Banton needed to come out and be an impact performer as soon as possible. After just one game, Banton has made a strong case to stay in the rotation.

Dalano Banton proved he deserves playing time for the Toronto Raptors.

Banton recorded 10 points on 4-7 shooting and three assists in 16 minutes on the floor. Nurse clearly has a soft spot for Banton based on his flowery praise of the Rexdale native earlier in the week, and the Nebraska product rewarded his coach’s faith by putting on his best showing in the NBA to this point.

Loser: Chris Duarte’s ROY odds

One could make the case that Toronto and Indiana sport the two most impressive rookies from the 2021 class. While the 24-year-old Duarte has impressed as a shooter so far, Barnes has been a dominant two-way presence, and the Florida State alum took the first round in this matchup.

Barnes played arguably his most complete game as a pro, recording 18 points while snagging seven rebounds, dishing out seven assists, and blocking two shots. Duarte tallied 14 points in 32 minutes, all while clocking in at a -9 for the evening and making just two 3-pointers.

These two will compete against each other in the Rookie of the Year race, but Barnes may have built up some distance between him.