Toronto likes to pass the rock, there is no secret about it.
At the time of writing, the Toronto Raptors rank second in the NBA in assists per game at 29.5, just behind their fellow East contemporary Atlanta Hawks in the top spot with 30.3. Toronto might be a significant step behind their NBA foes in three-point shooting, rebounding or points per game, but those assist numbers stand out as a bright spot amid the weak points.
And in the Raptors' last game out against the Miami Heat on April 7, Toronto actually set a new franchise-record for itself after securing 34 assists in the affair. Having recorded 30+ assists in a game for the seventh-straight contest, it marks a new milestone for the Raptors.
Raptors hit a franchise record with most 30+ assist games following Heat win
Toronto finished with a +8 advantage over the Miami Heat in that category, as they were only able to log 26 assists. The Raptors' assist leader in the contest was Jamal Shead, who recorded a game-high 11 assists off the bench, marking the third time in his last six games to reach an assist total of 10 or more.
It wasn't that long ago when the Raptors set a new single-game assist record against the Utah Jazz on March 23, securing a total of 49 assists. Now, under the Darko Rajakovic era, this Raptors system has become somewhat of their longstanding identity — instilling a motivation for constant ball movement.
After Toronto executed this flawlessly against Utah, it stuck out to me that the Raptors must not forget their roots — that the "everybody eats" mentality can have major winning implications, as long as the buy-in to passing the ball pays off with guys hitting their shots too.
The Toronto Raptors thrive on elite ball movement
A guy like Jamal Shead might not have the highest offensive ceiling for Toronto, but when it comes to playmaking, he's in a special tier.
In fact, Shead leads the league in assists off the bench, with Miami's Jaime Jaquez in second place. After Shead recorded 11 assists against Miami, it also marked his sixth career game with 10 or more assists off the bench, tying him with Russell Westbrook for the most such games in the NBA over the last two seasons.
And you don't need me to tell you about the recent passing brilliance of Scottie Barnes in his recent sample. Though No. 4 appeared a step behind in being aggressive and looking to score — an issue that sparked fiery discussion among Raptors fans — Barnes had a six-game stretch between March 23 and April 1 in which he recorded 10 or more assists. This performance was close to tying, and perhaps even breaking, the record set by LeBron James for the most consecutive games with such a metric by a forward.
Of course, there are other players on this Raptors roster with capable passing ability, from RJ Barrett to Brandon Ingram, to the lead guard Immanuel Quickley, and even a guy like Jakob Poeltl. After Toronto convincingly handled Miami on April 7, this mentality must carry forward into the final three must-win games and into the playoffs, as the Raptors' ability to secure assists is undoubtedly one of their, if not their most effective strengths.