1 encouraging sign as locked-in Raptors shut down Kings

Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors had every reason to be thoroughly beaten down and discouraged before their road matchup against Domantas Sabonis and the Sacramento Kings. Not only have they been one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA this season, but trade rumors are swirling around this team.

The Raptors managed to hold one of the best offenses in the league to just 50 points at home. Barnes had six assists in the first two stanzas, Gary Trent Jr. was cooking once again, and Chris Boucher had his best half of the season. Given the circumstances, there is plenty to be proud of.

The Raptors finished the evening with a 113-95 victory in their back pocket, starting off what could be a season-defining road trip in style against a very good team. Just when it looked like this team was about to break, the Raptors played some connected, unified basketball.

While this game might not mean much in terms of the big picture, fans can be pleased with the fact that the team has not given up on Nick Nurse or his coaching. The Raptors may make some trades, but the stars are all playing hard and fighting for whatever success they can get.

https://twitter.com/Raptors/status/1618470574405349377

Nick Nurse and the Toronto Raptors showed up against the Kings.

While the whole “Vision 6-9” project has some intrinsic issues with it, the strategy can be incredibly irritating for teams that are unprepared. The Raptors forced 19 turnovers, shot well from 3-point range, and made things uncomfortable for Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox all night long. That doesn’t happen without quality effort.

Pascal Siakam flirted with a triple-double again (26 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists), while Fred VanVleet continued to show that his efficiency struggles are starting to ebb away. Scottie Barnes proved he can be a unique offensive weapon with his ultra-versatile performance, and Boucher and Precious Achiuwa combined for 35 points off the bench.

The vibes looked good for the first time in forever.

The Raptors might make some slight tweaks to their system in the coming days, but they likely won’t make foundational, structural changes to how this team operates. Belief in the system doesn’t appear to have wavered amid some stomach-churning defeats, which will be critical if Toronto wants any hope of being a postseason team.

Toronto needed a feel-good win, and getting that victory against a Kings team that has made some real noise in the Western Conference this season has to make it feel even sweeter. Some pessimistic fans may have checked out, but Toronto is showing that they can give anyone in the league a real headache on any given night.