The Toronto Raptors fell 118-102 to the Memphis Grizzlies in their first game back at home after a four-game road trip that saw them go 2-2. This loss came with not just Kawhi Leonard, Scottie Barnes, and Immanuel Quickley out, but also Collin Murray-Boyles, who missed the game due to illness. Unlike in years past, a loss to the Grizzlies isn’t the bad loss it used to be. Memphis is a serious winning group with a lot of talent, so it wasn’t all bad for the shorthanded Raptors in this loss.
In tonight's postgame takeaways, we focus on the uncontrollable, a warning sign, and more proof of life from their big fella.
Memphis' hot shooting was too much for the shorthanded Raptors
This wasn't a particularly strong defensive showing from the Raptors, and that was a key factor in them dropping this one. Without CMB, Barnes, or Leonard, Toronto was without their three most important defensive players, and it showed in a big way. Memphis saw a ton of easy looks from the perimeter and in the mid-range, but beyond Toronto's defensive struggles, it was also an unusually hot shooting night for nearly everyone on the Grizzlies.
Memphis shot 53.2 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from three, making 16 of their 34 attempts, while going 18-of-19 from the free-throw line. As individuals, they only had two players who played more than 2 minutes and didn't shoot 47 percent or higher from the field. Jerami Grant specifically deserves a shout-out, as he was on a heater, going 6-of-9 from the field and 3-of-3 from three.
It feels lazy to write this game off as a night where their opponent wasn’t missing, but as someone in the building for this game, every time the Grizzlies shot, it felt like DJ Khaled saying “another one.”
RJ Barrett failed to step up again
I hate to be that guy, but RJ Barrett was awful tonight.
This was the second straight game where Barrett was the focal point of the Raptors' offense, and this was his second straight game struggling to drive offense. A big conversation around Barrett and his value for this team was the way he stepped up in the playoffs with Brandon Ingram struggling and was a No. 2 option next to Scottie Barnes. Fans argued all summer that the impact he had in the playoffs would be so valuable on nights where Toronto was dealing with injuries or without the services of Kawhi Leonard. But Monday night is another example of why those claims weren’t sober thoughts.
Sure, on any drive Barrett had tonight, he was likely being met by 7-foot-4 Canadian giant Zach Edey in the paint, but he also didn’t go against any elite perimeter defenders tonight. Yes, Jaylen Wells, Cedric Coward, and Grant are all solid on the perimeter, but they are far from elite and shouldn’t be a reason that Barrett struggled to step up in the way many have preached he could. Barrett finished the game with 19 points, three rebounds, and 2 assists while shooting 7-of-21 from the field.
His shot selection was brutal, his court vision was at an all-time low, and we didn’t even see him have the impact we know he can have on the boards. I think Barrett is a fine player, but the conversations about him being an incredibly valuable piece because of his ability to step up on any given night need to be thrown out the window for the foreseeable future.
Jakob Poeltl might be close to being back on track
Now to the positive. Other than getting to witness Cameron Boozer live with my own two eyes, the biggest win for me in this Raptors L was the play of Jakob Poeltl. After a strong showing in a very favorable matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks, Jak had another strong showing, posting an 18-point, 7-rebound, and 5-stock stat line. Poeltl also finished the game shooting 75 percent from the field and with two dimes.
Defensively, I thought Jak was phenomenal, as I genuinely lost count of how many Memphis lobs he prevented with his activity as a rim protector in this one. While he struggled when Boozer played the small-ball five, mostly because of his slower foot speed, he was awesome in his minutes matched up against Zach Edey. Jak continues to show that in matchups against slower-footed bigs, he can excel, as he still has the discipline and tools to defend the rim in matchups against big men with similar skills as him.
He was also extremely active on the offensive glass, generating second-chance points and seeing six of eight boards come from the offensive glass. Jak did a great job being patient in the post and scoring in the pick-and-roll. It’s also worth shouting out Jamal Shead, who had four of his 11 assists set up Poeltl buckets, as we continue to see Jak excel in lineups where he’s paired with Shead.
Jakob Poeltl didn’t do anything groundbreaking, but once again he played his role, checked some boxes, and continued to trend in the right direction, and that’s all you can really ask for.
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