Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby, and the Toronto Raptors entered the beginning of the Darko Rajakovic era with tons of questions about how this team would look on both ends of the floor. Their season opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves answered some of those questions with an overall cheerful tint to it.
The Raptors pulled out a gritty 97-94 victory thanks to a tremendous defensive showing and the unveiling of a new-look offense that was much more free-flowing and effective than the scoreline would indicate. Although the game never truly got out of first gear, Toronto was able to show enough positives to pull off the win.
Between many of Toronto’s best offensive players getting in on the passing frenzy and a defensive performance that limited Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert to a combined 34 points, fans have to be extremely happy with the overall performance Torontoput a lot of good things on tape.
Rajakovic’s first win was a bright spot for many connected to the organization, even if there were a handful of players hoping their subpar individual showings could be thrown in the trash. Which Raptors provided highlights against the Wolves? Which ones were the lowlights?
Winners and Losers from Toronto Raptors Opening Night win vs. Timberwolves
Winner: OG Anunoby
While Scottie Barnes put up tremendous all-around numbers, and Dennis Schroder put up numbers that no Raptor debutante since Kawhi Leonard had reached, it was Anunoby who was the star of the show tonight. On both ends of the floor, he looked totally comfortable in Rajakovic’s attack.
After some early struggles with corraling Minnesota’s emerging superstar Anthony Edwards, Anunoby played a big part in limiting him to just 14 points after the first quarter and ending up with an 8-27 shooting night. When he had the ball in his hands, OG let it fly.
OG Anunoby was terrific for the Toronto Raptors.
Anunoby finished this game with 20 points and six rebounds while making seven of his 13 shots from the field and four of his nine 3-pointers. Anunoby playing bully ball has always been an attractive offensive option due to his size, but he has quietly become one of the East’s best 3-point shooters on the wing.
Anunoby shot well in the last few years under Nick Nurse but never had the volume needed to cement his case as an elite sniper from range. This game could be the start of a breakout season that sees his status within the league improve as his bank account continues to grow.
Losers: Malachi Flynn and Chris Boucher
You know Nick Nurse is truly gone when Boucher received an Opening Night DNP and Flynn was playing meaningful second-half minutes. While Flynn had some individually impressive plays, the overall showing was more of the same maddening play that has driven fans crazy.
Flynn committed four fouls in 10 minutes, made just one of his three shots from the field, committed two turnovers, and was -14 on the floor. The search for a true backup point guard may continue if Flynn continues to play like this. At least he got on the floor, which Boucher couldn’t say.
Malachi Flynn and Chris Boucher had tough nights for the Toronto Raptors.
Rajakovic largely used a nine-man rotation, save for a Gradey Dick cameo that lasted all of two minutes. Boucher never took his warmups off, which could be a sign the veteran player is not held in high regard by Rajakovic or a brand-new coaching staff with no attachments to him.
While Rajakovic did call Boucher an “ultimate professional” about the whole situation and teased the idea of him playing a role on the court in some form or fashion this season, it seems unlikely that he will get tons of minutes anytime soon barring injuries or some stunning regressions ahead of him.
Winner: Precious Achiuwa
While the Raptors’ bench looked better than it did in most of their nights under Nurse last season, the second unit ran out of gas late after Gary Trent Jr. finished off an uncharacteristically poor showing. Achiuwa was one of the few who was consistently ripping it up.
Despite a tough matchup against Towns, Gobert, and Naz Reid in the Minnesota Timberwolves, Achiuwa finished with eight points and nine rebounds on 4-9 shooting. With more alley-oop dunks in this game than he had in all of last year, Achiuwa was a man on the mission attacking the basket.
Precious Achiuwa boosted the Toronto Raptors’ bench.
Achiuwa’s defensive skills are well known by this point, and they were a significant factor in Toronto’s sterling defensive effort against Edwards and Minnesota. Even with that, the only way Toronto can feel good about committing to him long-term is if he becomes a reliable presence.
Under Nick Nurse, Achiuwa never seemed to have any sort of structure or recurring role. It seemed like he was a weird mishmash of pick-and-pop big and rim-runner. Rajakovic had him operating as a primary finisher in transition and post-presence against a tremendous interior defense, and the results were phenomenal.