#toronto-raptors

#toronto-raptors

However, with a depleted Cavs squad, it became more a matter of handling Mobley and supporting pieces like De'Andre Hunter and Jaylon Tyson. While the Cavaliers' size might lead some to believe they would outclass Toronto, it was worth noting that the Cavs have been struggling with rebounding too, ranking in the bottom five league-wide ( averaging 40.7) alongside the Raptors (who are averaging 38.0).

Very quiet first half after scoring relatively early in the first quarter, but he managed to knock down a deep three from Curry range before the break and then got to the free-throw line on the ensuing possession. He hit another long three late in the third quarter and had a solid night of playmaking for others as well.

While the Toronto Blue Jays were busy handling business against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a whopper of a World Series Game 3 at Dodger Stadium, the Toronto Raptors were getting their business handed to them nearly 1,400 miles away at Frost Bank Center against the San Antonio Spurs, falling 121-103 on Monday night. By the way, both the Raptors and Blue Jays games started at 8:00 pm ET.

And speaking on that point, one of the unfortunate suspects largely at the center of this criticism has been lead Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley. Quickley is undoubtedly a key focal point of the Raptors' core, not only because he's in the starting lineup but also because he is the third-highest-paid player on the team behind Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes.

But unfortunately for the Hawks, they were met with a Raptors team that looked like men on a mission. It was evident in the strong, balanced play of their starters and the impressive contributions from their bench pieces like Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, Jamal Shead, and Sandro Mamukelashvili. Toronto clearly took advantage of the Hawks' weak transition defense and interior struggles, scoring 86 points in the paint compared to Atlanta's 56. The Raptors also employed a pace and aggression that the Hawks just couldn't keep up with, evident in the fast break points discrepancy - Toronto had 34 while Atlanta managed only 11.

It is not an exaggeration to say that practically every Raptor played his role to perfection. The bench flat-out dominated. Even erstwhile weaknesses turned into strengths, at least for one night. And so the Raptors are 1-0, first in the East, after smacking a team that even plugged-in, intelligent observers believed to be clearly superior to Toronto coming into the season. The Ingram era is off to a blazing start.

There is no clear go-to guy on the Toronto Raptors. That could be viewed as a big problem; without an obvious No. 1 option, the hierarchy of a team can get jumbled. But it can also be considered an advantage, because the Raptors have plenty of capable scorers, as we saw in their season-opening win on Wednesday night. Brandon Ingram had 16 points, Gradey Dick had 21, Scottie Barnes had 22, and RJ Barrett led the way with 25.

And, here we are. With a team that seems to be considered by most to be middling ( super rude @Bleacher Report [25th]), still sticking it out. As passionately infuriated as ever about all the wonderful minutiae. Like, no one appreciating Ochai Agbaji's defence. Or, celebrating Scottie Barnes as one of the best basketball minds in the game. Or, noticing that for the last two years Jakob Pöltl has been top 20 in on/off efficiency in the league.

The former ninth overall pick, Murray-Boyles, missed the team's last preseason game against the Brooklyn Nets with the same injury, with head coach Darko Rajakovic calling the issue day-to-day. Murray Boyles averaged 6.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists over three preseason games. Yet his impact has jumped off the screen far more than the numbers indicated, particularly on the defensive end.

Lawson made his way to Toronto by a circuitous route. The Canadian native attended South Carolina before going undrafted in 2021. After a year in the G League, the Minnesota Timberwolves scooped him up onto a two-way contract and he made his NBA debut. A few months later, he was waived and joined the Dallas Mavericks, ultimately hitting free agency once more last fall.

The eighth overall pick in June's draft checked in with 10:40 left in the second quarter, Brooklyn trailing by 14, and was immediately met by Toronto's swarming defense. The moment tested his composure, but Demin looked comfortable from the start - handling the ball with confidence, helping organize the offense and flashing his defensive instincts with an early block and a pair of sharp deflections.

Reese is a 6'9″ forward who mainly plays under the basket and uses him length and size to aid him on the defensive end. He was a four-year player at Maryland and saw steady improvement to his game during his time there. In his final season at Maryland he posted averages of 13.3 points per game, 9 rebounds per game, as well as 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 55.5 percent from the field.

For a while, Dick was the first action on every play down. They were playing out of delay, and waiting for Dick to jostle loose of his player and into a handoff to kick things off. It worked out alright, as his aggression helped create some looks (and some free throws that he uncharacteristically split 2-4) but by the end of the 8 minute stretch he was dog tired.

The New York Knicks and Toronto Raptors agreed to voluntarily dismiss a 2023 lawsuit involving the alleged theft of thousands of confidential files, according to a court filing Friday that was obtained by ESPN. Spokespersons representing the teams issued the same statement to ESPN: "The Knicks and (Raptors owner Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment) withdrew their respective claims and the matter is resolved. The Parties are focused on the future."

Brandon Ingram got to display his above-the-break 3-point shooting very early as the beneficiary of a Mogbo short roll pass, and then a baseline-corner-atb sequence for two separate makes. It was immediately different from game 1 of the preseason, as the Raptors were succeeding in the halfcourt, and not necessarily reliant on getting out and running. A different bring up ball handler nearly every time and playing in space.

No, the Toronto Raptors have lots to figure out.Even NBA intellectual extraordinaire, Zach Lowe, on his latest podcast with John Hollinger, proclaimed Toronto as one of the most confusing NBA teams heading into the season. Rightfully so. All the way down the roster there remain questions about fit, roles, rotations, long-term vision, you name it. General Manager, Bobby Webster, might claim to know the answers to those questions; so, too, might head coach, Darko Rajaković. But from the outside looking in, it's all opaque.

If training camp is any indicator, then the 10 man rotation is as follows: Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes & Jakob Poeltl as the starting 5; and they're flanked by Gradey Dick, Jamal Shead, Collin Murray-Boyles, Ochai Agbaji, Sandro Mamukelashvili. Now, it's my understanding that Coach Darko is planning to play deeper than 10 men on an average night.

In a perfect world, we could just enjoy having an abundance of talent on every NBA roster. We could pay players what they want, keep them in town with no worries, and everyone would be happy. But the NBA is just as much a business as it is a sports league. As Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic pointed out once upon a time, he can't make everyone happy like an ice cream man.