The Toronto Raptors got Luka Doncic’d. The Dinos dropped their third game of the season, 131-125, to the Los Angeles Lakers Sunday night. By the end of the first quarter, Luka had 16 points, four rebounds, three assists, and five stocks (steals + blocks) and didn’t stop adding to it all night, finishing with 41 points, 14 rebounds, and five assists.
But this loss for the Raptors can’t simply be chalked up to an incredible performance from “The Don,” because Toronto’s half-court offense was atrocious. This is the second straight game for the Raptors where any time they weren't running the fast break or generating offense off turnovers and stops, it looked like they were playing on Hall of Fame difficulty. Failed entry passes into the post, an inability to penetrate from the perimeter, and turnovers felt like constants in this one.
Sure, this shouldn’t be as big a problem when Kawhi Leonard returns, since his ability to create in the half-court was one of the main reasons Toronto traded for him. However, with him out and no clear timetable for his return, that doesn’t help, and if these issues aren’t figured out, winning games through this stretch will be extremely hard.
The Raptors' half-court struggles need to be addressed
Scottie Barnes tried his best all game long to get things going and give the Raptors just enough half-court offense, finishing with 29 points, but he didn’t have enough support.
The box score will tell you Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett had a solid showing tonight, but they didn’t do their parts as the No. 2 and No. 3 options without Leonard in the lineup. With Barnes spending most of the game on the block and around the paint when he was off the ball, it definitely didn’t make it super easy for Barrett to get downhill and into the spots he likes. And for IQ, the Lakers' defense did a solid job putting a ton of pressure on him any time he had the rock.
But that may be the issue right there. Neither of them are good enough creators to consistently give performances where they are efficient and effective in the half-court. So in a matchup with a team like the Lakers that can sit Walker Kessler down low waiting for drivers or players to attack within 15 feet, getting stops isn’t too tricky.
This isn't a brand new issue either.
Don’t get me wrong, I think Barrett’s start to the season has been good. But when you look back at how Minnesota and Orlando guarded him, a trend emerges. Against the Timberwolves and in the first game against the Magic, Barrett popped off in the first half, but the second those defenses applied real pressure, he had no answer. The difference between those performances and his last two games is that defenses respected him as a threat from the opening tip.
In the modern game, when the majority of your half-court offense comes from your 6-foot-8 forward drilling midrange jumpers, the results aren't going to be great. Especially on a night when your opponent goes 18-of-37 from beyond the arc.
If you can walk away from this loss with one positive takeaway, it’s that these half-court scoring struggles shouldn’t last forever. But in an Eastern Conference as tight as the one the Raptors are in, every game is just as valuable as the next, and waiting for Leonard’s return can’t be the answer. This Raptors team as a whole needs to find ways to keep the offense flowing when transition opportunities dry up. If they don’t, nights like Friday and Sunday will keep happening, where Scottie Barnes does all he can, and they still fall short.
Add us as a preferred source on Google