The Toronto Raptors were supposed to preview their brand new 2022-23 lineup against the New Orleans Pelicans. After trading for Jakob Poeltl at the deadline, Nick Nurse was expected to start him at center, Scottie Barnes and All-Star Pascal Siakam at forward, and Fred VanVleet and OG Anunoby in the backcourt.
Unfortunately, VanVleet was ruled out before the game for personal reasons, which prompted Gary Trent Jr. to reenter the lineup. Barnes and Siakam were going to split primary offense-generating abilities against a New Orleans team that, while talented, has struggled mightily when it comes to staying healthy and sustaining momentum.
The first half went perfectly for Toronto. On top of the fact that scoring was so balanced that only Poeltl was in double figures, they limited the Zion Williamson-less Pelicans to just 45 points while shooting just 37% from the floor. Toronto prevailed in a 115-110 victory to get the second half started off right.
With concerns about VanVleet’s free agency potentially pulling him away from the Raptors towards a team like Orlando, the fact that the Raptors proved they could win games without him in the lineup by leaning on Barnes and Siakam as unconventional point guards has to make Masai Ujiri very happy.
https://twitter.com/Raptors/status/1628942357583339520
The Toronto Raptors won without Fred VanVleet.
The Raptors drafted Barnes, in part, because of the fact that he had guard-like passing skills in a big-man package. It seems to be a matter of when, not if, he will eventually take over a full-time point guard role in the NBA. This game was one of several very promising auditions for such a spot.
While VanVleet is still a dynamite defender at the point guard spot, it doesn’t take an analytical genius to see that he isn’t necessarily compatible with Masai Ujiri’s motive to get as many switchable forwards on the floor as possible. With the pesky 6-5 Trent often the shortest player on the floor, the Raptors can overwhelm teams with length.
The big trade acquisition in Poeltl might be what makes this whole thing tick, as his ability to man the paint on defense and be an effective screener on offense has unlocked Toronto and made them a much deadlier team than they were early in the season.
Jakob Poeltl just makes so many things make sense for the Raptors, it's comical
— Nekias (Nuh-KY-us) Duncan (@NekiasNBA) February 24, 2023
The Raptors need to prove that this lineup can win games against premier competition if they want to move forward with it in the future. However, being able to perform this well on short notice is a very encouraging sign for Poeltl, Barnes, and Nick Nurse as Toronto enters a brave new era of roster construction.