5 Who balled and 2 who stalled in Raptors' gut-punch overtime loss to Nuggets

RJ Barrett stalled out

Saying that Barrett stalled out is an intentional term, because he certainly didn't look "bad" on Monday night. He came into the game and immediately dropped nine points, looking like the Barrett who was carving up preseason before he hurt his shoulder.

Just five minutes into the game, however, he was noticeably winded, which is very understandable given that he missed nearly a month. The way his shoulder was wrapped up every time he returned to the bench also spoke to how he was probably experiencing symptoms from his injury as well.

The nature of the game and Scottie leaving due to his injury likely forced Barrett to play more than he was supposed to, and as he became more exhausted he was more foul-prone and his attacking of the basket more labored. He summoned a second wind for a couple of drives in overtime to keep things close, but ultimately didn't have it to do much more.

Jakob Poeltl balled out

We end with center Jakob Poeltl, the man tasked primarily with defending the paint and facing off with three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.

And Poeltl? Well, he held his own.

In an overtime game that the Raptors lost by two, Jakob Poeltl was on the court for a whopping 40 minutes and was merely a -1 in that time. He ripped down 19 rebounds, scored 16 points (both gargantuan numbers for him) and was right there in the paint again and again deterring many shots and contesting many others. He clearly began to wear down in the final minutes of the game, which is less a knock on Poeltl -- there are only two or three starting centers who can play 40 minutes -- and more an acknowledgement of the incredible shape Nikola Jokic is in.

The Jakob Poeltl who has played to start the season is a significant step up on the one who played last season, and he is a major reason why there is real optimism and hope for the Raptors despite their overtime loss.