Raptors Roundup: What to expect for Raptors’ first playoffs in 4 years?

Welcome to Raptors Roundup! A weekly recap of everything going on in the world of the Toronto Raptors.

The Toronto Raptors are back in the playoffs! For the first time since Scottie Barnes’ rookie season the team is back on the biggest stage, finishing as the 5th seed after a rollercoaster ride of a year.

In the calm before the storm I want to take a second to congratulate this team on their performance. It’s no small feat to be in the playoffs and it’s truly been impressive to watch this team grow and adapt (and sometimes regress) as the season has gone on. Who knows how the playoffs will go (I’m staying optimistic) but regardless this season has been a massive success and has laid the building blocks for future success.

While I haven’t had the chance (and likely never will) to go as deep into playoff analysis as Louis has already done. I wanted to give some quick thoughts on the Raptors’ first playoff appearance in 4 year.

My first thought is that this should be a series where Barnes thrives, he’s typically attacked the Evan Mobley matchup with fervor and should match up well with him defensively. My biggest concern is his lack of endurance, Barnes usually only plays in short bursts and I think he’s going to expend a ton of energy helping on Harden and Mitchell drives too, the Raptors are going to need him to play longer.

Jakob Poeltl is going to be crucial in this series, he has to be. The Raptors need him to match Jarrett Allen’s minutes. Allen and James Harden have become deadly pick n’ roll partners since Harden’s arrival so Poeltl needs to do his job and keep him away from easy dump passes and lobs. Allen is a similar archetype to Poeltl, scoring primarily right around the basket so in theory this is a good matchup for him, but if he isn’t healthy then it won’t be pretty.

My final initial thought is that I’m scared Jamal Shead is going to get played off the floor. His defense will be needed against Mitchell but if his shots aren’t falling, he’ll be doing more harm than good. The Cavaliers are likely going to play help off of him, and if he isn’t knocking down his open looks or finding other ways to be effective he’ll be a major detractor from the halfcourt offense, an area the Raptors will have to be efficient in if they want a chance.

There are ways the Raptors can get into this series, but it’s going to be an uphill battle. Even if they are swept the season has been a massive success, and I’m just thrilled we get playoff basketball. After the last few years, I’m going to savour every moment.

Game Recaps

Rookie Murray-Boyles catalyzes Raptors in must-win annihilation of Heat
| Final: 119-95

The Raptors pushed their lead to more than 20 points in the fourth quarter. Jakob Poeltl was the one stomping on Miami’s throat, pushing them deeper into the mud with layup after layup. Murray-Boyles didn’t play in the fourth; he didn’t need to. His thumb survived to fight another day. But for a time, the game was uncertain. Both teams were throwing jabs, and it was Murray-Boyles who decided the contest with his verve.

Murray-Boyles didn’t lead Toronto in points. Barnes pitched an immaculate game in that regard, finishing with 25 points on only 16 shots. Ingram was only close behind him. Murray-Boyles didn’t lead the team in assists or minutes. But the rookie was Toronto’s anchor in its most important game of the season. The team was floundering, potentially lost without him. And he offered a safety blanket. His team took that baton of identity, of stability, of grit and ran it to the finish line.

Murray-Boyles was one of the youngest players to appear in the game for either side, yet he defined the game. And in the hunt of the playoffs proper rather than the play-in, the Raptors have another must-win game against the Heat in two nights. They’ll need to ensure their identity follows them into that contest.

• Louis Zatzman

Top Performers:

1. Scottie Barnes – 25 PTS, 8 REB, 5 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 10-16 FG, 2-2 3FG, 3-4 FT, +7 +/-
2. Brandon Ingram – 23 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 9-16 FG, 3-5 3FG, 2-2 FT, +11 +/-
3. Jakob Poeltl – 17 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 8-13 FG, 1-3 FT, +4 +/-

Brandon Ingram dazzles with huge scoring performance as Raptors go perfect in double-header with Heat  
| Final: 128-114

Clearly unhappy with the Heat’s performance and compete level in the front end of the double-header matchup, Erik Spoelstra didn’t mince words on his way out of pre-game media availability: “We’re the Miami Heat. Everyone knows what we’re about. We were embarrassed. It won’t happen again.”

…

The finishing blow may very well have been an and-1 from Murray-Boyles on the back end of a play where he literally landed a blow on Davion Mitchell (via screen) and sent him tumbling to the floor for the duration of the possession. Jamal Shead dished the ball to a rolling Murray-Boyles who finished through contact and sent the Raptors up by 22 points with roughly 6 minutes to go. The only thing left to watch for was health, and a to see if Ingram would creep up to a 40-ball.

Of course, the 40-ball didn’t come. Ingram finished with 38 points on a blistering 13-23 from the field to go along with 7 assists and 7 rebounds. The Heat circled him, doubled him, and stuck to him like a shadow as the game crept down to its finish and Ingram was comfortable finding the open man. The benches cleared and he left the game with 38 points, and a win.

• Samson Folk

Top Performers:

1. Brandon Ingram – 38 PTS, 7 REB, 7 AST, 1 STL, 13-23 FG, 2-3 3FG, 10-11 FT +13 +/-
2. Collin Murray-Boyles – 17 PTS, 8 REB, 1 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 7-7 FG, 3-3 FT +21 +/-
3. RJ Barrett – 22 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 6-15 FG, 1-5 3FG, 9-10 FT, +14 +/-

Raptors lose, but continue proving Ja’Kobe Walter their most complete role player in years 
| Final: 101-115

It wasn’t all perfect, of course. Brandon Ingram, perhaps trying to recreate his magic against Miami, was overly aggressive trying to get his own. Scottie Barnes was virtually invisible. As a result, Walter didn’t get much help or see much of the ball — he remains limited at creating for himself. To be fair, with the Raptors able to clinch a top-6 seed in a far easier game against the Brooklyn Nets at home in the season finale, there was no real reason for Toronto to give its all in this contest. And yet the Raptors didn’t fold. Their defence was mostly ferocious, and they managed to scavenge their way to enough points to keep the game more or less interesting. But the outcome was predetermined.

The Raptors didn’t quit. As with the world’s space programs, who have been to the moon before, they didn’t rest on their laurels. They exerted themselves on defence, though they were doomed by some inexplicable turnovers. They were simply outplayed by a team with more talent, especially with Toronto missing such a large chunk of its roster. This wasn’t a moral victory as much as a meaningless loss. An orderly retreat to a more defensible position. And Walter showed that when the Raptors are healthy, he, along with Murray-Boyles, is ready to punch up.

• Louis Zatzman

Top Performers:

1. Sandro Mamukelashvili – 17 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST, 1 STL, 5-9 FG, 3-6 3FG, 4-6 FT, -3 +/-
2. Ja’Kobe Walter – 15 PTS, 2 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 5-9 FG, 4-7 3FG, 1-2 FT, -20 +/-
3. Brandon Ingram – 16 PTS, 4 REB, 6 AST, 1 STL, 8-15 FG, 0-2 3FG, 0-4 FT -9 +/-

Raptors are doing the right things heading into the playoffs with win in season finale
| Final: 136-101

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.

• Samson Folk

Top Performers:

1. Scottie Barnes – 18 PTS, 12 REB, 12 AST, 1 STL, 3 BLK, 8-11 FG, 2-2 FT, +35 +/-
2. RJ Barrett – 26 PTS, 3 REB, 2 AST, 9-15 FG, 2-5 3FG, 6-9 FT +22 +/-
3. Brandon Ingram – 25 PTS, 9 REB, 2 AST, 1 BLK, 7-10 FG, 3-5 3FG, 8-8 FT, +22 +/-

Raptor of the week: Collin Murray-Boyles

Murray-Boyles has just wrapped up one of the best individual defensive rookie seasons in Raptors’ history. The ninth overall pick finishes his freshman season with averages of 8.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 57.9% from the field, 34.0% from three and 65.7% from the free throw line. The counting stats alone aren’t overly impressive, but combined with his versatile physical defense Murray-Boyles’ has thrust himself firmly into the Raptors’ rotation. And with his recent play he’s not just in the rotation, but a crucial part of it.

Over the last week he averaged 8.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 2.0 stocks. He hit 100% of his limited free throws and shot 71.4% from the field.

It was his performance in the first Heat game this past week that secured him this award, he was crucial in a must win game. He anchored the game, his stability and defense were key when Toronto was struggling. The Raptors are going to need more of that against Cleveland, he’s one of the few players who can take some of the defensive pressure off of Barnes, and with so many tough covers that could be much needed.

Current Raptor of the Week standings:

1. Scottie Barnes – 6 times
2. Collin Murray-Boyles – 4 times
3. Brandon Ingram – 4 times
4. Immanuel Quickley – 2 times
5. Ja’Kobe Walter – 2 times
6. RJ Barrett – 1 time
7. Jakob Poeltl – 1 time

Top pieces of the week

Raptors’ Xs and Os: Getting free above the break 

This season I set out to record the Toronto Raptors’ playbook as a personal project. Over the last few years I’ve taken an interest in Xs and Os, have been progressively working away learning and took a suggestion that this would be a good way to help cement that knowledge. Now that the season’s reaching its climax and the games count more than they have in years, it figures that people may have a closer eye on the tactics at play including some of the actions, and sequences of actions, Toronto runs.  

The Raptors also run plenty of “random offence” out of Delay, Pistol and Triangle concepts. They generally work to implement Darko Rajaković’s 0.5 philosophy – decide to pass, dribble or shoot within 0.5 seconds; cascade smaller advantages into larger ones – with some honey-coaxing exceptions. Toronto’s lack of live-dribble creation often necessitates that good looks are found through well-sequenced screens, cuts and movement. And outside of the improvisational stuff, Rajaković can also be clever with the pen, scripting myriad creative plays to help create quality shots.  

• Ian Finlayson

Canada has dominated the NBA this season

Canada has seen an influx of top-tier basketball talent in recent memory, with two first-overall picks (casual Anthony Bennett mention), and, most recently, an MVP and Finals MVP thanks to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Hamilton, Ontario.

The Toronto Raptors may be Canada’s only NBA team, but there’s a whole lot more to Canadian hoops than the Raptors. With approximately 21 Canucks currently on NBA rosters, let’s survey how they’re doing this season.

• Matthew Mountjoy

Looking Ahead

Saturday, April 18th: Game 1 – Raptors @ Cavaliers, 1pm ET on Amazon Prime

Record Prediction: 1-0, I’m going to be bold here and say the Raptors take Game 1. Why not? Game 1’s are chaos, and the Raptors are plenty capable of creating chaos and coming out on top.

That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Raptors Roundup, thank you for reading! Have a wonderful week!

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