Calgary Sells Out Raptors Open Scrimmage While CMB Shows Out
When I initially saw the gym at the University of Calgary, it was sparse with fans and lightly populated with Raptors team officials. The second time my attention was drawn there was when the student fans rushed down the bleachers in a hotly contested race for the closest seats. They filled maybe 40% of the arena. After that, there was hardly anything, and it made me wonder about the sold out status – that is until I walked outside and saw thousands of people lined up, sprawled across the block and campus.
Eventually the arena filled, to capacity, and left what I can assume was still thousands of people on the outside. Calgary loves these Raptors, and probably could’ve merited a trip to the Saddledome to house them all. Anyway. The arena was full, and Calgary showed out.
The player introductions are always fun. Everyone gets a huge cheer. Earlier this week there were college kids camped outside of practice and they lost their minds when they briefly saw David Roddy step outside to use their bathroom. Roddy received loud cheers for his introduction. RJ Barrett & Scottie Barnes had roars that rattled my eardrums. I remember growing up in Saskatchewan and knowing how starved I was to see NBA basketball. It’s really nice to see this community get to see this.
The first game — comprised of two quarters — was about what you’d expect: a showcase for the younger players who want to hustle and show out, and a cozy run for the poised veterans. Points of interest? Gradey Dick was gunning. He put up a lot of shots and may have shot 30-percent or so. He missed a couple wide open triples. However, he hung in better on defense, usually sticking RJ Barrett. It was a not-entirely-efficient-but-more-points-than-shots-taken performance, and it was highlighted by a step back triple in Ingram’s face.
Quickley was particularly good, and composed, as he knifed into the second unit’s defense repeatedly to set up his teammates. Interestingly enough he had basically no volume from downtown. Ingram was Ingram. Calm, cool, collected, and taking mostly tough mid range jumpers en route to a handful of buckets. Ochai Agbaji was a strong connector, not shooting a lot but he probably had 5 assists and pressed a lot on defense. Barrett & Scottie were much quieter. Although Barnes was loud in some ways as he earned himself a tech.
By far the most impressive Raptor of the night? Collin Murray-Boyles. In the environment of an open scrimmage, where the game is a bit more lose, his physicality and defense overwhelmed any and all comers. His pressing was the result of a handful of turnovers, Barnes’ tech, and countless possessions where players opted to pass it out rather than try him.
He jumpstarted the break and finished out of it. In the halfcourt he even hit a triple and muscled his way to the bucket multiple times to score. He also *just* missed a huge poster after a rocket step and a dynamic baseline drive. He was fantastic.
Barrett thinks CMB’s confidence is unique: “Especially for a rookie. That’s, that’s crazy. You just gotta try and play in space. You gotta try and get away from him as much as you can.”
The game played out pretty close, with the starters (team black) keeping the lead for most of the game and always managing to nudge back at the second unit. Both teams were supplemented by third stringers (maybe most importantly, the starters used Walter & Mogbo as subs). Ultimately, after some funky ATO sets amounted to nothing towards the end of the game, a smiling Ingram hit free throws to ice the game.
Not the cleanest game, but it didn’t lack for effort. It didn’t lack for drama either, as Barnes exited the game while nursing his thumb before entering once again.
Ultimately, the games slowed down and turned to the third stringers – Lawson & Walter scored the ball the best, but Chucky Hepburn was frenetic in his pressing defense and changed the back end of the short game to finish.
The whistle blew, CMB gave a speech that I didn’t hear (was doing media availability), and the players filed out and got on the plane to Vancouver. They left Calgary in their wake, but the city made an impression on them.
Have a blessed day.
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