Raptors Takeaways: Confidence blooms in statement win over 76ers

If this were a John Hughes movie, the Toronto Raptors are the end product – John Bender walking on the field to the tune of Don’t You (Forget About Me) or Cameron Frye sending his dad’s Ferrari out the window.

The Raptors have come of age,through trials and tribulation of years past,from the heartbreak of seeing beloved stars get traded away,to an early-season stretch were all the moves they made had felt for naught. They’ve finally come into their own, and a fifth straight win on Wednesday night against the Philadelphia 76ers proves it.

The Raptors were a little bit of everything in Wednesday’s 121-112 win. they leaned on their brand of high-turnover defense and transition offense, they lost their form from deep but recaptured it, they got killed on the defensive glass but found amazing looks in the paint on the other end. But all in all, they looked like themselves, as they have for the better part of the past 10 games.

It was also a great make-up win for their last loss, a 130-120 defeat at the hands of the 76ers on Nov. 8 that snapped a four-game win streak. They were on the back of yet another four-game streak coming into this one, but they learned from their mistakes, and as good teams do throughout the season, they grew.

All five starters looked confident and calibrated wiht one another. they all scored at least 16 points, with Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett leading the way with 22 apiece.They also all contributed at least four assists, playing coach Darko Rajakovic’s ball-movement-heavy scheme to perfection with well-timed cuts, gorgeous inside passing and an omniscient understanding of where their teammates will be.

Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl looked to be reading each other’s minds when they got to work inside, teaming up for gorgeous interior passing sequences on dump-offs and quick touch passes to get around 76ers centre Andre Drummond.

Then, in the fourth quarter, as the 76ers looked to be getting back into the game, Immanuel Quickley delivered, scoring 11 of his 18 points and drilling two massive three-pointers in the final three minutes to put the game out of reach.

There were moments when it looked as tho the game might slip away, like when they went 0-for-9 from deep in the second quarter and lost the frame 28-20. The offence sputtered and the open looks weren’t dropping. But there’s a confidence with this Raptors team that hasn’t been there in years past, and a 44-point response in the third quarter made that clear.

It was fair throughout the streak to wonder if this was real, if the stats didn’t tell the whole story. But you can book it after tonight.

Those nine wins in their last 10 are the real deal.There’s nothing disingenuous about sitting second in the East with a 10-5 record and a top-10 offence and defence. They’ve quelled early-season anguish,

Raptors’ Offensive Evolution: Beyond the Box Score

The Toronto Raptors haven’t consistently found success in the standings, but the team’s strategic approach is beginning to bear fruit. This season, theories previously put into practice are showing positive results, particularly in offensive execution.

Last season, injuries to key players like Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley placed an unusual playmaking burden on RJ Barrett, who responded with a career-high 6.3 assists per game. While it was anticipated that Barrett’s ball-handling responsibilities would decrease with a fully healthy roster and the addition of Jamal Shead to manage the secondary unit, the skills Barrett developed as a facilitator are proving valuable.

Early in games, Barrett has demonstrated improved court vision, exemplified by a no-look pass to Jakob Poeltl for an easy layup and a strong drive-and-kick to Garrett Temple for another score. These plays highlight Barrett’s evolution from a primarily scoring-focused player into a more versatile offensive threat during his frist full year with the Raptors. https://www.sportingnews.com/ca/nba/news/rj-barrett-toronto-raptors-stats-highlights/19999999999999999999999999999999

The Raptors’ acquisition of Jakob Poeltl in 2023 also aimed to unlock a new dimension to his game – utilizing him as a high-post playmaker through screens and handoffs to compensate for his limited shooting range.

While Poeltl’s assist numbers haven’t dramatically increased (currently averaging 1.7 assists per game),he is impacting the offence in ways beyond finishing plays. Notably, Poeltl currently leads the NBA in screen assists per game with 4.9, a key contributor to a raptors offense that ranks in the 96th percentile in scoring off screens, generating 1.22 points per possession with a 61.9% effective field goal percentage. https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/raptors/offensive

Against the Philadelphia 76ers,Poeltl effectively set screens for Quickley,creating the space needed for a crucial late-game three-pointer. He also demonstrated solid playmaking from the top of the key, finding cutters like Temple and open shooters like Quickley.

The Raptors have consistently shown a willingness to experiment, driven by both innovation and necessity. These choices, made over recent years, have shaped the current team. As Giannis Antetokounmpo aptly stated, there is no failure in sports, only steps toward success – a beliefs the Raptors appear to be embracing.