Raptors Takeaways: Physicality, scoring consistency known as into query

It felt somewhat too acquainted, somewhat too quickly.

Two days after unravelling within the third quarter in opposition to the New York Knicks, the Toronto Raptors discovered themselves stumbling within the second half as soon as once more on Friday, en path to a 130-120 loss to the Orlando Magic.

The formulation for the come-from-ahead defeat felt comparable. A peer within the Eastern Conference’s meaty second tier turned the dial up when it comes to physicality and defensive depth, and the Raptors couldn’t match it. An opponent discovered their three-point stroke and the Raptors don’t usually have considered one of their very own to counter. And half a recreation with notable positives ended as an alternative with earned disappointment.

It seemed, briefly, as if the Raptors would reply Orlando’s push higher than they did New York’s on Wednesday.

After a 10-point lead evaporated late within the third, Scottie Barnes returned to the sport and sparked a giant counter-push along with his two-way play. He delivered blocks across the rim, offensive rebounds, and a key and-one. And whereas his greatest go got here to finish the primary half — a outstanding Trevor Lawrence-level fly path to Ja’Kobe Walter for a tricky buzzer-beating end — that passing has develop into a staple of a Barnes run. Despite the double-digit loss, the Raptors received his minutes by six, getting outscored by 16 in simply the 12 minutes he sat.

Meanwhile, Brandon Ingram provided reprieve from shaky taking pictures, bother with a small window in opposition to a uncommon Magic zone, and usually poor half-court offence. It’s the rock-fight kind of recreation the place Ingram’s capacity to flatten out a defence and get into his bag stands out, and it was helpful in serving to the Raptors construct the lead again out to 14. He completed with 35 factors on simply 26 used possessions — on a traditional evening, possibly sufficient to drift the remainder of the group.

Barnes, the run-killer. Ingram, the drought-stopper.

But it takes greater than two, and a few widespread points arose for the Raptors from there. Orlando chipped away when Barnes hit the bench once more, selecting up momentum that not even a Defensive Player of the Year candidate may cease. And the Magic, one of many league’s worst and lowest-volume three-point taking pictures groups, acquired crimson scorching from outdoors, ending the sport 17-of-34. (The non-Ingram Raptors have been 3-for-20.) Paolo Banchero labored successfully on each side of the pick-and-roll, and he and Anthony Black paraded to the free-throw line often. More notably, a second opponent in a row added a layer of physicality that put the Raptors on their heels.

Some of that is personnel. Matt Bonner isn’t strolling by way of that door to knock down threes. And whereas Jakob Poeltl’s absence in fact looms and Collin Murray-Boyles had a little bit of a tricky one, it’s not as if the Magic hammered Toronto on the glass — they’d three offensive rebounds, and the Raptors received the factors within the paint battle. Should that nudge them to favour taking pictures over measurement in the event that they solely have one smaller deadline transfer in them? And what of the toughness ingredient in opposition to these greater, extra bodily groups? That’s one thing they’ll need to be taught to navigate as a bunch, particularly come April.

Some of that is additionally a spotlight of the interaction between their strengths and weaknesses. When the Raptors look their greatest, they’re being aggressive and getting stops late within the shot clock, then getting out and operating in transition. The knowledge backs up that they’re elite or near-elite in these areas. Stop getting stops, although, and particularly ship groups to the road, and people alternatives aren’t there. Notably, the Raptors are one of many league’s greatest crunch-time defences and a pedestrian offence when the sport slows down and transition play is tougher to return by.

And a few of that is Desmond Bane saying they anticipate considered one of us within the wreckage, brother, occurring a private heater (32 factors, 7-of-10 on threes), and giving the Magic a heck of a shot within the arm to return again after which draw back. The Magic have underperformed this yr — and have solely performed 4 of their final 35 video games with each Banchero and Franz Wagner wholesome — however they’ve the upside of a top-four workforce within the convention.

That shouldn’t make the flight residence any simpler. After knocking off the defending champs, the Raptors have coughed up consecutive robust begins in opposition to groups they’re measuring themselves in opposition to. A much-needed homestand begins Sunday, main by way of the commerce deadline and into the All-Star break, with a few good exams forward, a number of of which they’ll must go to quiet the thought they haven’t performed their greatest in opposition to robust groups.

Here are some extra takeaways from Friday’s recreation.

• All-Star reserves will likely be introduced Sunday night, as voted by coaches.

Based on a unfastened canvassing of hypothetical media ballots and casual conversations with individuals across the league, Barnes needs to be one thing near a lock for his second All-Star nod.

Ingram would appear to be a bit extra on the bubble, along with his inclusion coming right down to how coaches weighed nice gamers on poor groups (e.g. Pascal Siakam) or break up votes between gamers on the identical workforce (e.g. Norman Powell and Bam Adebayo). Ingram’s repute as a nightmare to protect is salient to those that need to gameplan for him. Votes have been additionally due earlier than the Raptors’ latest loss to the Knicks, when the dialog across the workforce was at its most optimistic, which helps.

There’s all the time an opportunity for inclusion as an harm substitute, too, with Giannis Antetokounmpo probably the primary injured participant to withdraw and open up a spot.

• Ochai Agbaji acquired hit with a reasonably weak technical foul within the second quarter. Bane dedicated a flagrant foul on Immanuel Quickley, sending him to the bottom in transition. Bane has made a little bit of a behavior of performs like that, and Agbaji acquired in his face in defence of Quickley. Letting an opponent know they crossed a line with a teammate doesn’t cross the edge for a tech, in my view. I’m positive the Raptors are simply tremendous with the technical free throw surrendered in that occasion.

• It was a tricky evening for the workforce’s depth. With RJ Barrett nonetheless discovering his footing in return from harm and Quickley shedding a few of his west-coast warmth, lineups with out Barnes and Ingram (and particularly Barnes) struggled; the same old staggering patterns rendered ineffective.

The rotation was additionally almost lowered to simply eight, as Gradey Dick had a really poor eight-minute stint and Agbaji solely noticed a fast cameo.

Walter was actually the one reserve who popped, along with his transition offence remaining a giant optimistic (and nicely forward of his half-court offensive worth).

• Murray-Boyles is doing a lot good as a rookie, particularly on the defensive finish, and he’s nonetheless clearly labouring along with his thumb difficulty, so take this criticism in that context: He must be extra aggressive trying to rating in shut. Passing inside-out is an effective strategy to generate threes for teammates, however the Raptors usually aren’t nice at hitting them, and a field-goal try on the rim is probably the most high-yield shot on the ground. He’s had a number of aggressive takes over the previous couple of weeks, and the Raptors want extra of that, as proper now he’s trying to make the one-too-many go only a bit too usually.

Given how superior his processing is defensively and with a few of his passing reads, he’ll discover that steadiness earlier than later.

• Goga Bitadze didn’t play for the Magic as they give the impression of being to steadiness minutes for Wendell Carter Jr., Jonathan Isaac, Noah Penda, and Mo Wagner. Teams in want of a reserve massive who doesn’t make massive cash and has one other yr left on his deal may do worse, particularly if the asset price is decrease to assist with the Magic’s tax invoice.

• The NBA commerce deadline is Thursday at 3 p.m. ET

I’ll have my annual commerce deadline primer out Monday, taking a look at all the related guidelines, restrictions, exceptions, and so forth. The names talked about in that piece will likely be considerably much less thrilling than Antetokounmpo, albeit nonetheless worthwhile for the season.

The Raptors Show can have prolonged hours on deadline day, with our common 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. slot and a 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. particular. Lock in! (All instances ET)