The Toronto Raptors moved to 1-1 in NBA Cup play after beating the Milwaukee Bucks 121-107. This game started off rough, as on top of no Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors were also without both Immanuel Quickley and Scottie Barnes. After a tough first half that saw Toronto get punched in the face by a Bucks team that came out firing from three and crashing the boards, they rallied to outscore Milwaukee 70-47 in the second half.
For my postgame piece tonight, I’ll focus on next-man-up All-Stars, a proof-of-life game, and, despite a big win, a concern I’m still walking away with.
Next-man-up mentality for Alijah Martin and Jamal Shead
Few things bring me more joy than watching some four-year college guards thrive in the NBA, especially when they’re doing so for the Raptors. Alijah Martin and Jamal Shead were terrific tonight and showed off a real next-man-up mentality that fans want Toronto’s reserves to have. Shead got the start in place of IQ, and Martin came off the bench essentially in Shead's normal role, and both players rocked.
Starting with my GATOR BOY! Martin was exceptional in this game. He finished with a career-high 27 points, four rebounds, and three stocks (steals plus blocks) while shooting 9-of-11 from the field. The biggest thing for Martin in this game was how ready he was to shoot the ball every time it came his way. Last season, Martin lacked confidence at times and hesitated to shoot the three-ball, despite being a big-time shot maker in college. Clearly, that was an area of focus for him in the summer because he shot 6-of-7 from three and may have earned himself a permanent spot in the Raptors rotation.
Oh, and he wasn’t a step slow defensively despite an uptick in offensive usage. Specifically, he did a good job on the possessions he guarded Tyler Herro, really neutralizing him and preventing him from getting the space he needed to get the ball.
Jamal Shead, what a beautiful game. Shead finished with 10 points, three rebounds, 16 assists, and two steals on 4-of-10 shooting. All game, Shead was a super aggressive driver and did a great job sucking the defense in and kicking it to open teammates. Oh, and turnover-wise, he only had one to 16 dimes. Truly insane stuff. The way the ball moved for the Raptors is something we haven’t seen once this season, and Jamal Shead was the driving force behind it.
Some of the reads he made on drives and the speed and accuracy of his passes had him looking like he should be starting at QB for the Cleveland Browns this week.
Defensively, he tried his best, mostly matching up with Brayden Burries, who had a good night, but in the second half he really locked in and contributed to some big Raptors stops.
Proof of life game from Jakob Poeltl
This game started off the way most have for Jakob Poeltl this season: not great. He looked a little out of place, but as the game progressed, so did he, and quite frankly, the Raptors don’t surge or close out this game without the aggressiveness he played with. Big Jak finished the game with 19 points, 11 rebounds (six offensive), three assists, and four stocks on 9-of-14 shooting from the field.
As I said, Jak looked out of place to start this game and seemed to be searching for where he could fit in. Then he realized the opposing frontcourt was employing Kel’el Ware and Myles Turner. With two low-motor bigs and one in Turner, who has always been way more of a shot-blocker than a physical interior presence, Jak asserted himself. He crashed hard on the glass, played extremely physical, and created second-chance opportunities for himself and for his teammates.
Defensively, he held his own at the rim and didn’t struggle as much as he has in the past when thrown into ball-screen actions.
While the opposing frontcourt wasn't elite competition, a win is a win, and the Raptors don't get that win without Jak being assertive and dominating a favorable matchup. Collin Murray-Boyles also deserves a shoutout in passing, finishing with 19 points, seven rebounds, two dimes, and five stocks.
RJ Barrett and Ja’Kobe Walter are still leaving me concerned
Let’s start with Ja’Kobe Walter, who started the game really solid and was a main reason Tyler Herro was forced into a playmaking role through the first quarter and a half. But the offense was once again really bad from Kobe. He went 2-of-12 from the field and 1-of-7 from beyond the arc, missing some really easy looks but also taking some questionable shots.
I don’t think there’s anything majorly wrong with Walter. He's just slumping at a really bad time for this team with no Kawhi Leonard, and that's going to draw more attention. His defensive effort was better than in recent games, but still wavered. One play in particular stood out at the end of the third, where AJ Green, a pure sniper with the ball, pump-faked at the end of the quarter and Walter went flying, resulting in a three for Milwaukee. The lack of discipline on that play sums up a recurring theme with Walter lately, and he needs to get that out of his system soon.
It wouldn't shock me to see him moved back to the bench to help him rediscover his spark, with Shead or even Jamison Battle taking his starting spot in Leonard's absence.
RJ Barrett, oh boy. That was an ugly one. Once again, the theory that RJ Barrett in a No. 1 option or primary creator role, can carry this team through weaker parts of their schedule or injuries looked false. His possessions when he drove the offense were brutal, and he again didn’t make his threes, going 0-for-4 from deep.
He brought an impact on the glass with seven rebounds and had some solid moments as a playmaker, finishing with five dimes, but his 27 points on 21 shots didn’t move me in the least, even if he had a few solid baskets down the stretch. Also the defense…
Does this make him unimportant to this team? No. Should it be a wake-up call that he's more of a complementary scorer than someone who can thrive with his name at the top of opposing scouts? Yes.
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