Raptors are doing the right things heading into the playoffs with win in season finale

Apparently, this game opened with a historic betting line attached to it. Now, that’s not important other than to highlight the sentiment around it. The Raptors were not only supposed to win this game against the Nets, they were supposed to clobber them. The motivation for the Raptors? Keep yourself out of the play-in. The motivation for the Nets? Keep… losing games.

For the Raptors and Coach Darko, this is definitely a turning point. A return to the playoffs. The promise of more work; but very important work. Work many of the players have never done before, and neither has their head coach. For the Nets, and Coach Jordi Fernandez, this might not be the light at the end of the tunnel, so how do you focus when you’re given such nebulous goals?

“Losing is not fun. But, as an organization we value our wins in a different way. We look at the development, the experience of these guys being exposed to real games. I think we’re in a very good place.” Coach Jordi told me. “We are competitors. You hate going into a game and losing, in having a losing season. We all know inside, and there are some things that can not be shared, but our positive energy and knowing that everyone has to do the right things and continue that work, it give me a lot of confidence that we’ll start to see those wins in the standings.”

Brandon Ingram brought out the professional scorer’s toolkit early and often in the first quarter. He led the Raptors through the opening 12 minutes while adding 12 points of his own. A little razzle dazzle, a one dribble pull up, a couple catch and shoot triples, easy stuff. The Raptors want their tough shotmaker warm as they head into the playoffs. There are lots of fine details to nail down in how you approach and game plan in the playoffs, but if anything has stayed true about Ingram from the Lakers to the Pelicans to these Raptors, it’s that his preferred shot diet is a difficult one and he’s reluctant to part from it. So, hope the shots go in.

In the second quarter, Barnes was the defining Raptor. Pushing early, pushing often. Hit ahead passes, cuts for dunks, hard charging drives to dislodge ill-prepared Nets defenders. He was efficient, powerful, and overwhelming. While both Barnes & Ingram were great to open this one up, it’s important to highlight how the Raptors have been improving as a team since the All-Star break, at least insofar as shooting goes.

Pre-ASB the Raptors were the worst team in the NBA when it came to scoring out of spot ups. They were scoring a lowly .974 points per possession where most teams in the NBA were able to clear at least a point per possession. They shot 43% on drives out of spot ups and 34% on their threes. Since the All-Star break the Raptors have been a borderline top 10 team out of spot ups, putting up a 48% mark on drives and 38% from downtown. Great stuff, and a really important trend heading into the playoffs.

“It’s definitely putting the work in and trusting each other. Trusting the right pass, trusting the right shot – catch and shoots.” Coach Darko told me of the Raptors improvement. “Also, we tried to lift the pressure off of guys. We’re willing to win, we’re willing to lose if we’re making the right decisions and taking the right shots. The guys have worked hard to improve that and to be able to contribute to the team. All the guys have taken pride in it and gone back to put work in, in the gym.”

How important are the stars of the team, when it comes to supporting role players making or missing looks? Very, according to Coach Darko: “That’s huge, to be honest with you. Scottie and BI especially have been great with the young guys and their teammates in encouraging them to keep shooting. We know what good shots are for us, and yes I can do it as a coach, but the message is completely different when it comes from those guys.”

At the heart of the shooting improvement is Ja’Kobe Walter. Not only has Walter put himself, in my mind at least, well above every other Raptor on the roster in terms of press defense, but he has been shooting the leather off the basketball. He’s lifted his volume up to nearly 5 attempts from downtown every game (in only 24 minutes a game, mind you) and he’s hitting 47-percent of his looks. A total heat pump. Walter closed out the first half with a made triple (his third make on five attempts) to put the Raptors up 9. His hot streak, or perhaps new normal (a boy can dream…) will hopefully carry over into the playoffs. He’s clearly stepped into the vacant bench guard role that the Raptors were auditioning everyone for throughout the season.

The Raptors train kept rolling in the second half, and was driven by Barnes. By the midway mark of the third quarter he had already nabbed a triple double and helped guide the Raptors to a 20-point lead. The first half played a lot closer than both teams might have intended, but the Raptors walked into very comfortable territory very early in the third quarter. The Raptors maintained that stiff arm.

My eyes wandered over to the second screen featuring the Magic and the Celtics. That’s where the fate of the Raptors would lay. The Celtics sat basically everyone, but heading into the fourth quarter they had summoned nearly 30 points a piece from Baylor Scheierman and former Raptor, Ron Harper Jr. – truly unbelievable stuff, and perhaps a testament to the true dysfunction of the Magic as they faced a 13-point deficit heading into the fourth quarter.

The Raptors climbed to a 30-point lead. Garrett Temple checked in for what might be his last NBA minutes ever, along with a cleared Raptors bench. He hit a triple. The crowd went wild. Toronto walked, galloped, and skipped to the finish line. Healthy as need be and ready to face whoever awaited them in the playoffs. We’ll see. First time in awhile.

Have a blessed day.

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