Official Game Thread: Raptors at Hawks

[lethalweapon3]

Gonna tell my kids this was Drew Carey.

 

Can you say, “Schedule Loss?”

The reigning NBA champions have spent the end of this week in Atlanta, watching the Hawks saunter out and in of Hartsfield-Jackson after getting smashed like a Cybertruck window in Detroit. Maybe the one thing that could slow down Nick Nurse’s Toronto Raptors, tonight, would be the dreaded ATL Flu. Either that, or, the sin of looking a bit too far ahead.

Don’t mind all the Raptors fans helping to pack State Farm Arena if they seem a bit preoccupied, but the big game isn’t tonight’s affair (7:30 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, TSN Up Nawf), it’s two days from now. The Philadelphia 76ers will be at Scotiabank Arena, and even in November, it’s hard not to hype that game up as a preview for a huge NBA Playoffs rematch.

Having made mincemeat of the Magic (113-97) and the Hornets (132-96) in recent days, Toronto (10-4) would love to take advantage of an extra day’s rest against a Hawks team that just played in Michigan less than 24 hours ago.

Undefeated at home, the Raptors have had to soldier on in recent weeks without heart-and-soul point guard Kyle Lowry (thumb fracture). Lowry’s prime backup, due to Nurse’s dual-PG starting unit featuring Fred Van Vleet, Patrick McCaw had knee surgery as is out until at least December. Up front, Serge Ibaka is doubtful to play due to an ankle injury, along with lightly used rookie Dewan Hernandez (thumb) and free agent acquisition Stanley Johnson (groin).

Unlike the reigning champs on the Western Conference side of the league, there remains enough championship competency on the floor for the Raps to compete every night. That includes Van Vleet (17.6 PPG, 7.6 APG, 39.4 FG%), the Finals hero who will be the next NBA player to try his hand at getting AND1 sneakers out of WalMart bins. There’s OG Anunoby, a clear front-runner to seize Pascal Siakam’s Most Improved Player trophy (12.2 PPG, 62.1 2FG%, 52.0 3FG%, 5.4 RPG, 1.1 BPG).

Norman Powell has improved his production since sliding into the starting five, as has backup swingman Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, previously dog-housed by Nurse, along with Johnson, due to a lack of defensive intensity. Center Marc Gasol is having the worst statistical run of his career, which absolutely no one cares about (6.4 PPG, 27.7 2FG%, 41.5 3FG%, 3.1 APG) thanks to the NBA and FIBA gold he picked up over the summer. Get a rocking chair out there at the top of the 3-point arc for Big Spain, he’s earned it.

In the middle of it all, there’s Siakam (25.1 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 4.1 APG), who has comfortably elevated into Honorable Mention MVP territory, since Toronto had a Leonard who changed his spot. To keep the floor spread for Siakam, Nurse has been able to plug-and-play Anunoby and human bucket rookies Terence Davis (48.5 3FG%) and Matt Thomas (56.5 3FG%). All the proficient outside shooting options has Toronto leading the league with a 40.1 team 3FG%.

This isn’t just a stand-still offense, either. Keyed by VanVleet, Toronto puts pressure on opposing rims with a league-best 20.2 fastbreak points per-48. Allowing just 11.1 per-48 the other way, the +9.1 net on fastbreak possessions blows away the entire league (the Budball Bucks’ +5.0 is the only team remotely close).

The Raps’ success scoring from deep coaxes opponents into trying to keep up (NBA-high 38.6 opp. 3FGAs), taking unwise, rushed and well-contested jumpers to deleterious effect (33.0 opp. 3FG%, 7^th-lowest in NBA) while making Gasol and Siakam’s jobs simple (NBA-high 38.2 D-Rebs per game). The bouncy Chris Boucher has pitched in well lately, too, with rebounding double-doubles in Toronto’s past two wins.

Toronto’s foes are getting their share of extra-chance possessions (TOR’s 70.7 D-Reb% 28^th in NBA, just ahead of Atlanta’s poor 70.0%), but they have been woefully unable to convert all those chances into points (13.4 opp. points per-48, barely above league average).

Not everyone is healthy, not every key player is putting up All-Star boxscore numbers nightly, not every shot is going in, especially in the paint. But the way Toronto is structured and trained, not everything has to be going their way to win basketball games.

Quite simply, a well-coached and experienced team like the Raptors pushes the ball up the court with a “Plan A” that’s comprehended by everyone on the floor, and they get back on defense like a team that has studied and knows their assignments well. They’ll play the Hawks (seven straight losses against TOR), who are, at this point, a team.

“It isn’t just fighting,” Atlanta coach Lloyd Pierce finally told the AJC and media members who camped out for an hour after the Hawks’ lackluster 128-103 defeat dropped the team to 4-11 on the season. Competition at this level, LP shared, is “talking, it’s getting back (defensively), it’s the effort, it’s ball reversal, it’s execution, it’s attacking downhill, and creating shots for one another.” Basically, it’s what the Raptors have been doing, with or without Lowry and others available, to be worthy of staying among the NBA East’s Big 5.

Fullcourt communication, with players trying to sort things out and do too much individually, is always an issue on younger teams, which is why Pierce grins-and-bears more of Vince Carter (1-for-6 FGs, 4 TOs, minus-29 in 9.5 minutes) on the floor than he would normally stomach. Relying on Allen Crabbe (29.4 3FG%, 1 assist in his first 88 minutes back on the floor), Alex Len, Damian Jones, and/or Chandler Parsons (a not-bad 3 steals and 8 points in 16 garbage minutes @ DET) for veteran stability, particularly on matters of offensive play and defensive execution, has had exactly the effect one would come to expect.

Allowing the Raptors legend and 21-year veteran, Carter, to retire with some dignity at season’s end will require more effective direction from the young contributors, and not only the ones with experience from past seasons, like Trae Young and DeAndre’ Bembry (career-highs of 22 points and 4 steals, 4-for-5 3FGs, 6 assists @ DET).

Accompanying any lottery rookie blessed with 25+ minutes of gametime per night is the understanding that he will acclimate, to the speed and demands of the pro game, and assert himself as a collaborative leader swiftly. De’Andre Hunter (career-high 4 assists, but 2 rebounds in 35 minutes @ DET) and Cam Reddish (DNP’d on Friday, questionable today with a left wrist sprain) have offered hints that they will not just wait their turn to make positive impressions on the game. Going forward, for Atlanta to get out of the quicksand of their own making, this is no time for Hunter (1 block and 1 steal in past four games) or Reddish to stand to the side and watch as flawed veterans pull them in.

Toronto’s offensive efficiency away from home (104.4 road O-Rating, 10^th-lowest in NBA) hasn’t been much better than Atlanta’s (104.3, including last night’s fiasco, 9^th-lowest in NBA). The Raptors don’t attack the offensive glass as much (NBA-low 20.9 road O-Reb%), trusting the reliability of their perimeter shots to carry the day, and their turnover rate goes up to 16.7% (t-7^th-highest in NBA), compared to 14.0% at home (7^th-lowest in NBA).

At the end of their last five-game road trip, this time last week, the Raptors lost in Lukaville, 110-102 (57-45 in the second half). Young Master Doncic helped himself to the charity stripe (15-for-19 FTs), to the ball (15 rebounds, 7 assists), and just about anything else he wanted. Basically, Doncic was like a guest in his own home against the Raps, and one can only hope Trae (45.2 home FG% and 9.0 APG; 41.4% and 8.3 on the road) will enjoy similar treatment. Some clearer-eyed refs whistling on Young’s behalf (6.0 home FTAs, 8.6 on road) wouldn’t hurt.

While Hunter, Bembry and hopefully Reddish will have a role in slowing the Raptors’ from outside, and Bruno Fernando helps to encourage the high-posting Gasol to put the ball on the floor, teammates will need to be disruptive in the paint and with cross-court passes, creating an edge in the turnover battle. Young (1.6 SPG, t-11^th in NBA with Bembry) and the rooks will need to make sure their veteran mates aren’t just sitting back in hopes of an easy defensive rebound. Atlanta will give themselves a shot in this contest if they’re not just starting possessions by retrieving the opponent’s ball from the net.

Having been around town for a couple days, Nurse’s Raptors want to waltz into State Farm Arena (four straight wins here) and perform like a team that has made itself at home, undressing Atlanta (minus-16.7 1^st Qtr Net Rating, 2^nd-worst in NBA), enough in the opening half to make a dress rehearsal, for the Sixers, out of the second half.

It’s up to the Hawks to remind Toronto, everyone else and, most importantly, themselves, whose house it is, anyway. Whether it’s from their experiences here in recent days, or the next game on their schedule back home, an abstracted Raptors team can be tripped up. But which Hawks are willing to pull the Welcome Mat out from under these visitors remains to be seen.

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

Quote

The wrist swelled up Thursday, but it has since calmed down, with the rookie hoping to play Saturday when the Hawks host the Raptors at State Farm Arena. Just trying to avoid it from getting re-aggravated, and just a bunch of treatment,” Reddish said of how he’s handling the sprain. “It’s feeling a lot better, so hopefully I’m good to go tomorrow.” Reddish described it as a day-to-day injury. He’ll see how it feels and re-evaluate Saturday. 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

1 hour ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

 

Looks like no Cam tonight.

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

All I'm asking for is a competitive game tonight. Not another game that's over by the end of the 1st quarter. Please and Thank you!

[NBASupes]

No Cam again, damn man. This one will suck. Toronto can really shoot. 

[JayBirdHawk]

Over/Under  - 15.5 3s made 3s for Raptors?

[Blunt91]

11 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

No Cam again, damn man. This one will suck. Toronto can really shoot. 

No Kyle Lowery, Stanley Johnson, or Serge Ibaka.  This is a winnable game if the Hawks give effort tonight.

[NBASupes]

3 minutes ago, Blunt91 said:

No Kyle Lowery, Stanley Johnson, or Serge Ibaka.  This is a winnable game if the Hawks give effort tonight.

Davis been killing it for Toronto and they defend the perimeter extremely well and Siakam is a monster off the ball not to mention Gasol's BBIQ is tremendous and he takes advantage of bad defenders like Jones. This one is going to suck. 

[GameTime]

16 minutes ago, Blunt91 said:

No Kyle Lowery, Stanley Johnson, or Serge Ibaka.  This is a winnable game if the Hawks give effort tonight.

Siakam, VanVleet and OG have been on fire lately.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

Don't worry, we got this.

Toronto hasn't played since Wednesday night.  And you know that they had to come down on Friday.  You know what that means . . .

 

Hopefully our secret weapon got the job done last night:

 

 

Hawks 111 . . Toronto 99

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[GameTime]

Bembry is the most overrated defender on our team. Cam is by far our best defender.

[Marvin24Williams]

Jones is kind of starting to grow on me. He's still got ways to go but the defensive potential is there. 

[NBASupes]

6 minutes ago, GameTime said:

Bembry is the most overrated defender on our team. Cam is by far our best defender.

His defense isn't overrated. It's that he is a risk taker and he isn't discipline. His defense is good for getting steals and changing momentum but his defense ain't sound, impactful or really that versatile. His man been open at least 5 times

[NBASupes]

3 minutes ago, Marvin24Williams said:

Jones is kind of starting to grow on me. He's still got ways to go but the defensive potential is there. 

I actually like his offense better. His moves well. Sets decent screens, very good rim runner and very athletic. His defense is way too hit or miss.

[NBASupes]

Len is a pretty good defender as long as he doesn't have to defend in space 

[GameTime]

9 minutes ago, NBASupes said:

His defense isn't overrated. It's that he is a risk taker and he isn't discipline. His defense is good for getting steals and changing momentum but his defense ain't sound, impactful or really that versatile. His man been open at least 5 times

Right. I meant more for this board. Bembry has been called an elite defender and our best defender for years now. This year I just don't see it.

Edited November 24, 2019 by GameTime

[NBASupes]

Crabbe is terrible

[Dnice]

Just  let  trae make plays 

..screwing  up.