I thought I would give a few observations from the Toronto Raptors preseason losses over the weekend. They played the Houston Rockets on Friday and then played the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. Both ended in losses. There were some good but more bad to be honest. I am hoping the Raptors can clean up some of these issues before the season starts. Especially since they have a pretty tough schedule to start the season. So here are my observations from both games.
A Few Observations From the Toronto Raptors Preseason Losses – Lost 116 to 100 to Houston
Woeful Three point Shooting – The Raptors shot 6 for 34 or 17.6 percent from the three point line in this game which is awful. It was really a brick show! I know Fred Van Fleet did not play in this game but the shooting should not be this bad. Houston shot 12 for 31 or 38.7 percent from three. This pretty much sums up why the Raptors lost. However, this bad shooting is not a one off. Unfortunately, it is a preseason trend. And it is something that they have to rectify quickly as their offense is focused on taking three point shots. If they don’t, they could be in trouble early in the season. Hopefully they can correct it.
The Starting Line Up Did Not Look Good Again – With Fred Van Fleet having the night off, Christian Koloko got the start in the starting line up. Unfortunately, the starters still looked disjointed and their half court offense looked bad. Scottie Barnes in particular had an atrocious game by having a team high six turnovers. The starters were tough to watch at times. Is it chemistry? Is it too many people who need the ball in their hands? Or is it a lack of a true point guard? I am not sure but they have a week and half to figure it out before the real games begin.
Raptors Might Have Trouble With Athletic Teams – The Houston Rockets are extremely athletic. They also play with a lot of energy. The Raptors had a hard time matching this even though they are fairly athletic themselves. However, Houston ran the fast break every chance they got. Also, they attacked the rim and played aggressive defense. The Raptors could not handle it and the Rockets blew them out. Maybe it is a one off but it is something to watch over the season.
A Few Observations From the Toronto Raptors Preseason Losses – Lost 115 to 98 to Chicago
Starters Looked Good (For a half) – For the first half of the game, the starters looked more in sync with each other. I think part of the reason was that Fred Van Fleet was back in the line up. He seems to be the stabilizing force in the starting line up. As a result, the Raptors jumped out to a quick lead. They maintain the lead up to half time by outscoring Chicago 57 to 47. However in the third quarter, the Bulls stepped up their defense and quickly got back into the game and took the lead. As mentioned above, the Raptors lack of offensive toughness is an issue. When teams turn up the pressure, they need to have some go to plays and execute them with intensity. Hopefully this improves.
Banton Shines Again – When Chicago took the lead in the third, it was Delano Banton who helped right the ship and got the Raptors back on top by the end of the third quarter. He had 11 points and five rebounds. His transition game and his strong drives to the basket changed the momentum. He has been pretty steady during the preseason and looks like he is in the driver’s seat for one of those last roster spots. Good for Delano!
Deep Bench Looked Like a deep Bench – The deep bench came back to earth last night. When they got into the game, they could not stop the Bulls at all and looked rough on offense. Jeff Dowtin was probably the only player that showed something with a couple nice drives to the basket and a couple of steals. The rest were pretty rough. It was good to see Justin Champagnie back in the line up but he did not do much. Hopefully, he has some good practices this week and has a good game Thursday as he really needs to show something to have a shot to stay on the team.
DeRozan Got Game – It is always enjoyable to watch Demar DeRozan play. He has worked really had on his game since he left the Raptors. As a result, he is definitely one of the best offensive players in the league. His midrange game is elite. He is so smooth and can get to his spots with ease. His passing is also excellent. As I was watching him, I wondered how he would look on the Raptors, especially in their starting line up. I am sure he would help the offense big time. Also, it seems he is a bit better on defense. However, I know that ship has sailed but it is fun to watch him play.
Conclusion
As you have seen from a few of my observations of the Toronto Raptors, they have some work to do. My biggest worry is the three point shooting. I know players like Scottie, Pascal, OG and Precious have worked on it during the summer. However, they are not natural shooters. Also, the bench has not shown much either. Hopefully Otto Porter Jr. comes back soon and helps in this area. Or maybe the shots start to go down. We will have to wait and see.
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