TORONTO — For the primary time this season, the Toronto Raptors had one thing approaching an entire lineup for head coach Darko Rajakovic to select from Saturday night time.
On the very least his bench was as shut to finish as can moderately be anticipated.
With Kelly Olynyk making his season debut after lacking virtually all of coaching camp and the primary 21 video games of the season, the one projected rotation piece lacking is Bruce Brown, who ought to be again any time after having low season knee surgical procedure.
Among the many starters, solely Immanuel Quickley stays out as he recovers from a torn ligament in his elbow. There isn’t a timeline on his harm.
However discover an NBA workforce that’s not lacking a few regulars right now of yr. It would take some time.
It’s been some time for Olynyk, who mentioned his again mysteriously tightened up sooner or later after apply throughout coaching camp and didn’t correctly untighten for six weeks. Such is life in your twelfth NBA season.
“Taking part in basketball is what I like to do,” says Olynyk of lastly returning to the lineup. “So you understand, everytime you get to get up and play basketball, it is an awesome day. Clearly, it took lots longer than I wished, most likely the workforce wished, everyone wished, however these type of issues occur. You’ve obtained to take your time. You possibly can’t rush it, however it’s good to get again on the market and get into the movement of issues.”
The movement of issues is strictly what the Raptors are hoping that the veteran large man will help with. He’s a great three-point shooter and a powerful passer and profiles as an ideal complement to any variety of lineup configurations Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic may need to strive.
Olynyk sees himself serving to to attach a bench unit that, on paper, may very well be attention-grabbing for the Raptors, particularly with the spectacular improvement of rookie Jonathan Mogbo and the promise proven by Ja’Kobe Walter and Jamison Battle, amongst different kids.
“We have now younger guys, however guys who play onerous, play the best manner,” mentioned Olynyk who completed with 13 factors and 4 rebounds whereas making all three of his three-point makes an attempt and all 4 of his free throws in his 14 minutes of taking part in time. “I feel I will help them get organized, get good pictures, maintain the ball transferring, and type of join the items collectively. And I feel that is type of what my job proper now.”
With Olynyk lastly out there it is a cheap facsimile of what the Raptors may appear to be at peak effectivity, though Quickley’s capability to stretch the ground along with his taking pictures is a major aspect nonetheless lacking.
On that foundation, the Raptors — feisty as they’ve been for a lot of the season — are nonetheless no match for one of the best groups the league has to supply, which isn’t all that shocking.
On a uncommon Saturday night time begin at house, Toronto didn’t get blown out by the Dallas Mavericks in what ended up being a 125-118 loss. However even when the Raptors did lower what had been a 24-point Mavericks result in 5 with a minute to play, they have been largely out-classed, very similar to they have been when the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder whomped them on Thursday night time.
Olynyk may assist the Raptors bench and the eventual return of Quickley may bolster the starters, however the Mavericks, coming off a Finals look a yr in the past and decided to make it again, have some severe wattage.
Luka Doncic had 30 factors, 13 rebounds and 11 assists for Dallas, and Kyrie Irving had 29 factors, six rebounds and 4 assists. Mixed they shot 18-of-34 from the ground and 12-of-22 from three. That stage of famous person manufacturing is difficult to compete with. Dallas improved to 16-8, has now gained 11 of its previous 12 begins and is tied for second within the West, 2.5 video games behind OKC.
The Raptors misplaced for the second straight sport and fell to 7-17 on the yr. They wrap up their five-game homestand on Monday towards the New York Knicks.
Toronto obtained some good performances from some key gamers. Scottie Barnes had a career-high 14 assists to associate with 19 factors, whereas Gradey Dick has seemed good since getting back from his calf harm and added 27 factors whereas taking pictures 5-of-14 from three.
Maybe essentially the most encouraging improvement on the night time for the Raptors was the continued robust play of Mogbo. The rookie completed with eight factors, seven rebounds, two assists and two blocked pictures whereas making two triples in the identical sport for the primary time in his profession, needing solely two makes an attempt.
He took turns guarding each Doncic and Irving – “he was superior,” was Rajakovic’s evaluation of the task – and slot in nicely alongside Olynyk whereas taking part in energy ahead.
“Jonathan’s tremendous versatile. He can guard one by 5,” mentioned Olynk. “ … In order that’s actually thrilling, and he can rebound, he can run, he can put the ball on the ground and deal with it just a little bit. He made some pictures in the present day. As he continues to develop that three-point shot, it’ll be, clearly, large for him and for us, however he has that athletic capability across the rim. He caught a lob in the present day that seemed like he obtained boosted within the air. It was unbelievable. However you understand, his ability set will certainly, I feel, complement mine, and mine will complement his. So trying ahead to that.”
The Raptors at full power — or approaching it — could not match up nicely with the league’s greatest groups in the mean time. However they’re nonetheless attention-grabbing and perhaps getting extra in order they get more healthy and deeper.
The Mavericks are an exceptionally deep workforce, as most golf equipment with reliable championship aspirations often are. It makes for a tricky place for a younger participant like Montrealer Olivier-Maxwell Prosper to get stable doses of taking part in time. Dallas picked him twenty fourth within the 2023 draft however he solely appeared in 40 video games, averaging 8.5 minutes final season. This season he had solely seen the ground in 13 video games and averaged 5.7 minutes earlier than final night time. However Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd mentioned he nonetheless believes the six-foot-eight wing is progressing nicely: “I feel once you watch O-Max from coaching camp till now you possibly can see the sport has slowed down for him and he’s improved,” Kidd mentioned. With Mavericks veteran Maxi Kleber out, Prosper obtained an opportunity and gave the Mavericks a jolt when he checked in for just below six minutes to start out the second quarter. He obtained fouled on a drive, hit an open three within the nook and made a formidable chase-down block on Raptors guard Ja’Kobe Walter. His stint to start out the fourth quarter was additionally productive as he obtained fouled on one other drive, stored a free ball alive, grabbed some offensive rebounds and hit Klay Thompson for a pair of threes. 5 factors, six rebounds, two assists, a steal, a blocked shot and a constructive plus-minus in 10 minutes is an effective night time’s work. “I’m getting extra fluid, I’m getting extra comfy within the strikes I’m making, I see the sport faster,” he mentioned to me afterwards. “That’s simply from placing within the work. After I get on the market in a sport like in the present day, I don’t get as tense or nervous. I simply let my sport communicate.”
When Klay Thompson jogged up the hallway to the customer’s locker room at Scotiabank Area after doing his pre-game taking pictures routine, he mentioned – sarcastically and to nobody particularly – “A whole lot of good reminiscences on this hallway, that is the place it began to disintegrate.” It was in reference to the torn ACL he suffered to his left knee in Recreation 5 of the NBA Finals when Raptors guard Danny Inexperienced fouled him on a dunk try when Thompson was taking part in for the Golden State Warriors. Toronto – you could recall – went on to win the title in six video games. Thompson went on to overlook the entire 2019-20 season after which – simply earlier than coaching camp in 2020-21, he tore his Achilles tendon in his proper leg and missed all of that season. He battled again to be a part of the Warriors title workforce in 2021-22. However that was the final hurrah for Thompson and the Warriors. At age 34, you must like his probabilities at snagging a fifth championship ring in Dallas with Doncic than he would have had staying within the Bay Space. He completed with 20 factors and was 3-of-9 from deep Saturday.
Mogbo towards Doncic in isolation doesn’t seem to be an awesome match-up for a rookie, even one who appears to be as comfy with the tempo of the NBA gamers as Mogbo. The primary time Mogbo ended up on Doncic he truly fared very nicely. He pressured the Mavericks star to choose up his dribble within the paint and used his measurement and size to stymie Doncic. The Mavericks star couldn’t pivot or faux his manner into a great shot. Nice job Jonathan! However then as a final resort, Doncic flipped a no-look, one-handed move behind his head to a wide-open Irving who hit one in all his 4 first-quarter threes. Making one thing out of nothing is a Doncic specialty. Early within the first quarter, the Slovenian star missed a straightforward lay-up in visitors. The Mavericks obtained the rebound, obtained it again to Doncic who hit a step-back three on the best wing over Ochai Agbaji after which spent a lot of the subsequent outing lamenting the missed lay-up. Within the second quarter, he hit Klay Thompson with a cross-court chest move that travelled from behind centre to the far nook by about three Raptors defenders on a line. His working three from halfcourt on the buzzer seemed like a apply shot for him, as a result of he practises these pictures. ‘Luka Magic’ is actual.
