Listed here are 10 takeaways from the Toronto Raptors‘ 121-93 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
1. The Raptors simply defeated the Nets of their first recreation after the All-Star break. Brooklyn regarded lifeless and disorganized for a lot of the sport and the Raptors capitalized by scoring 46 factors in transition within the blowout victory. Toronto has lastly collected its first win within the Atlantic Division, as they’d misplaced their earlier 12 matchups, together with a dispiriting loss in Brooklyn in December.
2. Scottie Barnes has been all smiles since making his first All-Star recreation. Barnes set the tone early on with a block on Ben Simmons on the very first play and rushed forward of the pack the opposite method for a layup of his personal. Barnes settled in from there, taking part in throughout the stream of the offence and utilizing his dimension to bully smaller Nets defenders down low. Darko Rajakovic has returned Barnes to the identical substitution sample as the beginning of the 12 months, the place Barnes is the primary starter to take a seat to start the primary and third quarters, which then permits him to return to run level for the second unit. This technique does give Barnes an opportunity to provoke extra of the offence, however it could additionally reduce off his momentum if he’s all the time given an early hook. It is going to be as much as Rajakovic to search out the precise moments to interrupt this sample and permit Barnes to remain in rhythm.
3. Immanuel Quickley struck the precise stability along with his aggressiveness on offence en path to 24 factors on 8-for-16 taking pictures. Quickley spoke at follow on Wednesday concerning the awkwardness between balancing taking on versus setting the desk, and that has manifested in an uneven scoring output. Quickley has scored 5 or fewer subject targets in 10 of his 21 video games with the Raptors, though his assists have doubled since becoming a member of the group from New York. Getting everybody concerned is undeniably a giant a part of being a place to begin guard, however Quickley is clearly at his absolute best when he’s trying to assault as he did on this efficiency searching pull-up threes from as far out as the brand, and likewise taking it robust to the paint for an and-one end. His impression can be much more constant if he prioritized attacking over helping.
4. The problem for RJ Barrett is to increase his recreation. The 23-year-old excels at getting downhill to his left hand and he exhibits nice dedication to get to his favorite shot, however it’s quite predictable. He might be one-dimensional and it limits how a lot he can create within the halfcourt as a result of the defence is aware of precisely the place he’s headed. When he’s given a head of steam in transition or when he drives off the catch, Barrett has proven to be quite dynamic and environment friendly however that alone can’t carry the offence. However in different key elements — free throws, catch-and-shoot threes, and particularly right-handed finishes — he stays inconsistent. One other swing talent for him is on defence. Barrett is at his finest utilizing his energy in opposition to greater forwards, however he’s typically caught flat-footed. Mikal Bridges shook free simply for threes beneath Barrett’s watch.
5. Gary Trent Jr. could be very a lot a feast-or-famine participant, and tonight he occurred to be in a fantastic rhythm along with his jumper. Trent Jr. was particularly efficient on pull-up jumpers each from the midrange and from three, which bailed the Raptors out of a half-dozen caught possessions offensively. Ideally, Trent Jr. would develop a secondary talent — slicing, playmaking, rebounding, defending, actually the rest — in order that he isn’t so reliant on his jumper, however that has been the case for the previous 4 seasons now.
6. Kelly Olynyk was quietly wonderful on each ends of the ground. The wily veteran popped up for well timed steals and used ball fakes to arrange the slowest of scoop layups, and he stays a secure pair of arms to prepare the offence each time the Raptors get slowed down within the halfcourt. However a lot of this was already recognized concerning the 11-year veteran. What has been stunning is his impression on defence. Olynyk absorbed a drive to swat Dennis Schroder on the drive and was surprisingly the perfect task in opposition to Victor Wembanyama final week. He stays pretty mild on his ft for a 32-year-old and makes use of his dimension nicely to place for shot contests. The Raptors are certainly engaged on an extension with Olynyk, though there may be loads of time to hammer out a deal within the coming weeks. One thing cheap within the $10-to-$13 million vary per 12 months with some choices beneath group management makes good sense.
7. Ochai Agbaji, the opposite participant within the commerce with Utah, has but to actually make an impression. Agbaji performed lively defence, slicing off a number of Nets drives and forcing contested pull-up jumpers, however that alone received’t get him into the beginning 5. Offensively, he stays restricted for a guard since most of his appears are being created for him. The perfect course of improvement is for Agbaji to determine himself as a robust catch-and-shoot possibility, with sufficient ball-handling and bounce to assault closeouts. Hopefully, these steps will come after changing into acclimated to his new group.
8. There was a well mannered applause and a fast jumbotron graphic proven in Dennis Schroder’s return. The 30-year-old’s tenure with the Raptors was short-lived, spanning simply over 4 months earlier than he was dumped in Brooklyn for Spencer Dinwiddie who was promptly waived. Schroder wasn’t the precise match as a result of the group wanted a prolific catch-and-shoot participant, but it surely wasn’t precisely the best scenario for him both. The FIBA World Cup MVP was promised a beginning position on a aggressive group in Toronto. As a substitute, he discovered himself demoted by a coach he trusted whereas administration launched right into a teardown. Neither facet bought what they wished out of it, and it was largely a waste of time.
9. Brooklyn remained a complicated mess in Kevin Ollie’s NBA teaching debut. The dismissal of Jacque Vaughn isn’t stunning given the group’s complete lack of power, however Ollie’s promotion didn’t precisely encourage a renewed effort. The Nets are 8-24 since mid-December, which may very well be acceptable in the event that they selected to tank, besides their decide is unprotected and owed to Houston. The beginning lineup options two full non-shooters in Ben Simmons and Nic Claxton, an inconsistent 3-and-D participant in Dorian Finney-Smith, and neither considered one of Mikal Bridges nor Cam Thomas are dependable playmakers. In the meantime, they’ve three smaller guards coming off the bench who all primarily wish to slash. They need to a minimum of be a robust defensive group on paper, however there doesn’t appear to be the collective drive or will to execute at a excessive degree.
10. Simmons’ pre-game routine must be studied. The previous primary choice has all the time been a poor shooter however his shot appears much more complicated up shut. Simmons places a heavy sideways spin on the ball that appears virtually as if he’s throwing a changeup quite than taking pictures a jumper.
