Morning Coffee - Dec. 13, 2024
Raptors road struggles continue in Miami | Is Davion Miitchell the best defender in the league? | Walker continues to shine
Quick Reaction: Raptors 104, Heat 114 - Raptors Republic
R. Barrett - C
34 MIN, 13 PTS, 11 REB, 10 AST, 0 STL, 5-18 FG, 1-4 3FG, 2-2 FT, 3 BLK, 6 TO, 4 +/-
He ultimately ran out of gas — committing three turnovers after a near-flawless start as the Raptors let their lead crumble away just before halftime — but I still give RJ Barrett credit for his early effort on both ends. He was doing a lot of good work as the primary initiator, finding teammates through his usual PNR and drive-and-kick work, even if the ball slipped out of his hands a bit too much. On defence, while Barrett wasn’t exactly locking guys down, the effort was noticeably improved from the last game. He dug in on a couple of drives as a help defender and even showed off active hands on the ball to force a couple turnovers. By no means was it a perfect game, it wasn’t even particularly a good game despite a second-career triple-double, but with how much keeps getting placed on his shoulders, I’ll happily label tonight as a learning opportunity and leave it there.
Raptors @ Heat, Dec. 12 Takeaways: Life without Barnes remains ugly - Raptors in 7
Don’t expect Barrett to be efficient without Barnes
Yes, R.J. Barrett finished the game with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists for a triple-double. He also shot 5-for-18 from the field and had six turnovers while also missing defensive assignments after what was actually a good first quarter.
Over the course of this season, we have seen a ceiling when he’s asked to be a primary ball handler. Barrett has played 12 games without Barnes this season, shooting just 43.3% on twos and 33.3% on threes. There is a ceiling for him in this role, and we’ve seen him at his best when playing off Barnes.
Is it something he can do for short spurts in a game? Sure. Is it an optimal role? Far from it. I’m not going to say that Barrett can’t ever become someone who can be efficient in this type of role because he’s still only 24-years-old and, at least in theory, has room to grow. It’s just that we’ve definitely seen the limitations in his game loud and clear at this juncture, especially when considering the lack of offensive firepower around him to support him right now.
Raptors Takeaways: Team effort comes and goes in loss to Heat - Sportsnet
With Scottie Barnes out for who knows how long with a sprained right ankle, the mission for the Toronto Raptors as they headed to Miami was to make up for their best player’s absence in increments. A little from one corner here, a little from another corner there. No one had to be a hero, but ideally, collectively they could respond to the challenge better than they did in November when Barnes missed 11 games beginning Oct. 30th and the Raptors went 2-9.
“Any time you lose a player, there is a need for somebody else to step up and step up does not mean necessarily taking more shots, taking more on your shoulders,” said Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic. “It's just being even more locked in and doing small things. Is that getting over the screen, not getting hit? Is that communicating coverages? Is that boxing out more? There is a need for a whole team to step up.”
For about 15 minutes on the road against the Heat, Rajakovic’s words came to life. The Raptors were excellent, as a group. They got out to a quick early lead, and after the Heat came back to tie late in the first quarter, Toronto went on a 19-3 run to build themselves a promising 16-point lead barely three minutes into the second quarter by doing a long list of little things right and getting some good contributions from all corners.
But then it all stopped in what ended up being a 114-104 Heat win that gave the Raptors their fourth straight loss and dropped their record to 7-19 — tied with Washington for the second-most losses in the NBA, if you track those kinds of things — and 1-12 away from home, which is tied with the New Orleans Pelicans for the worst road record league-wide.
The Heat defended harder and with more purpose. The Raptors' cutting and passing game grew sluggish. The Heat took advantage of Raptors misses and scored in early offence, and they did most of it in the second and third quarters when the game was decided.
The Heat won for the second time in three starts against the Raptors, winning the season series, and improving to 13-10, good for fifth place in the East.
The Raptors are also now 2-10 without Barnes, their second-leading scorer, second-leading rebounding and best playmaker.
Toronto lost the plot in the second quarter as the Heat finished the half on a 33-10 run. They led by 20 with 8:10 to play and the Raptors couldn’t really mount a convincing late push.
The box score was hardly lopsided. The Heat shot the ball a little better (48.2 per cent from the floor to 44.6 per cent for Toronto, making 13 threes to the Raptors' 11), but Toronto held their own on the boards and actually won the turnover battle (11-15). But the Heat took 32 free throws to the Raptors 15, which was a problem.
Heat Culture too much for depleted Raptors on the road - Raptors HQ
The game was all Raptors to begin the second quarter. It took almost three full minutes for the Heat to score, as Toronto kept piling the points on. Not the usual suspects this time, as it was Walter, Jamal Shead and Jamison Battle who ran up the score in Miami to a 36-23 lead.
Miami eventually would score again, Duncan Robinson ending the streak, only for Toronto to come back with five straight points. The Heat wouldn’t back down, however.
Down 41-25, the Raptors could’ve poured it on and had Miami on their heels, but this is the Heat we’re talking about. In case you hadn’t heard about “Heat Culture”, the team was kind enough to wear it front and center on their uniforms and the court. With Heat Culture on full display, Miami roared back on a 16-2 run to bring the score within two points.
Ochai Agbaji and Davion Mitchell would answer back with some points of their own, but it was no match for the red hot Heat. Miami took total control of the game, with a 17-6 run to end the half with a 58-51 lead.
Though there was a second half to play, that seemed to be the end of the road for the Raptors. Up against one of the East’s best when fully healthy, Heat Culture proved to be no joke.
Floating around a 10 point deficit for the first half of the third quarter, Miami kept right with them and never let the Raptors back into the game. Not for a lack of trying, though. Mitchell, Battle and Mogbo would keep the team in it, showing some improvement in their development.
Come the end of the quarter, Miami held a 13 point lead at 89-76, and the stranglehold of the game was on.
The Heat opened the final frame with an 13-6 run, bringing their lead up to 21 points at 102-81 only four minutes into the quarter. Miami’s offence stalled after that, letting the Raptors back into the game somewhat.
Unfortunately for the good guys, it was too little, far too late. The Raptors mustered 104 points, so would’ve meant a free Pizza Pizza slice if the game was at Scotiabank Arena, but unfortunately it was not.
Heat takes care of business against Raptors for fourth straight win. Takeaways and details - Miami Herald
The start was ugly for the Heat, as the Raptors scored 28 of their first 35 points in the paint on their way to building a 41-25 lead with 8:38 left in the second quarter despite missing their best player Scottie Barnes because of a sprained ankle.
“I think at the beginning of the game, we were trying to see if we could ease into the game defensively and just score and put points on the board,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “[The Raptors] are not going to let you do that.”
But the Heat quickly found its footing, closing the second quarter on a 33-10 run to turn that 16-point deficit into a seven-point lead entering halftime.
The Heat never looked back, extending its lead to as large as 20 points in the second half.
After scoring their 28th paint point with 9:30 left in the second quarter, the Raptors totaled 28 paint points during the rest of the game.
The Raptors also didn’t make enough threes, finishing 11 of 32 (34.4 percent) from behind the arc. The Heat shot 13 of 32 (40.6 percent) from deep to outscore the Raptors 39-33 from three-point range on its way to the 10-point victory.
After shooting 47.7 percent from the field in the first half, the Raptors shot just 41.7 percent from the field in the second half.
“We dug into doing the tough things and then as we say often that tends to change things offensively,” Spoelstra said.
Heat guard Tyler Herro, who was recently named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for his play last week, continued his strong season with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 shooting from three-point range, four rebounds and four assists on Thursday.
Bam Adebayo added 21 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and one block for the Heat. It marked the 205th double-double of Adebayo’s NBA career, tying Alonzo Mourning for the second-most double-doubles in Heat history behind franchise leader Rony Seikaly (221 double-doubles).
Heat blow past Raptors 114-104 after sluggish start - Hot Hot Hoops
Tyler Herro put together another very efficient outing, posting a game-high 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting and 4-of-7 from 3-point range. Bam Adebayo followed suit with 21 points, 16 rebounds and five assists on 8-of-17 shooting in 35 minutes.
Jovic contributed with 14 points–11 in the first half–on 4-of-5 shooting. Dru Smith posted 11 points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal while Jimmy Butler had 11 points, five rebounds and four assists in 29 minutes.
Thursday’s win puts the Heat at 13-10, giving them their first four-game win streak since February; Toronto, meanwhile drops to an abysmal 7-19. Miami shot 48.2 percent from the floor and 40.6 percent from 3-point range. Though its free-throw shooting left plenty to be desired, going just 21-of-32 (65.6 percent), its worst free-throw shooting game of the season (min. 25 FTA).
Gradey Dick led the Raptors with 22 points on 8-of-19 shooting. Jakob Poeltl, who came off the bench initially due to back spasms, scored 16 points in 27 minutes off the bench; RJ Barrett posted a 13-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist triple-double, the second of his career.
Overall, it was a remarkable bounce-back effort for the Heat after a very sluggish start–one they desperately needed, even against a below-average team, amid the smoke surrounding the team over the past 48-72 hours.Tyler Herro put together another very efficient outing, posting a game-high 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting and 4-of-7 from 3-point range. Bam Adebayo followed suit with 21 points, 16 rebounds and five assists on 8-of-17 shooting in 35 minutes.
Jovic contributed with 14 points–11 in the first half–on 4-of-5 shooting. Dru Smith posted 11 points, three rebounds, three assists and one steal while Jimmy Butler had 11 points, five rebounds and four assists in 29 minutes.
Thursday’s win puts the Heat at 13-10, giving them their first four-game win streak since February; Toronto, meanwhile drops to an abysmal 7-19. Miami shot 48.2 percent from the floor and 40.6 percent from 3-point range. Though its free-throw shooting left plenty to be desired, going just 21-of-32 (65.6 percent), its worst free-throw shooting game of the season (min. 25 FTA).
Gradey Dick led the Raptors with 22 points on 8-of-19 shooting. Jakob Poeltl, who came off the bench initially due to back spasms, scored 16 points in 27 minutes off the bench; RJ Barrett posted a 13-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist triple-double, the second of his career.
Overall, it was a remarkable bounce-back effort for the Heat after a very sluggish start–one they desperately needed, even against a below-average team, amid the smoke surrounding the team over the past 48-72 hours.
Second-quarter collapse dooms Raptors in Miami - Toronto Star
RJ Barrett struggled through a tough shooting night even though had a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Gradey Dick had 12 points in the first quarter and just two total in the second and third. It was thought that Jonathan Mogbo’s season-high 17 points against Oklahoma City last week was something to build on; he had four points in Miami as a starter and has 18 in total over his past three games.
And defensively they were brutal at times. The Heat shot 49 per cent from the floor and 42 per cent from three-point range. The exposed Raptors blew assignments repeatedly — Rajakovic at least twice angrily called timeouts to chew out his team for its mistakes.
It’s easy to point to the absence of Barnes as the reason the Raptors looked so out of sync. But they’ve played 11 games already without Barnes to get used to it and they were competitive in many, so Thursday night shouldn’t have been new to them.
Staying ready
Rookie Jamal Shead was a forgotten part of the rotation earlier this week, going two entire games without getting off the bench.
With the latest injury to Scottie Barnes forcing coach Darko Rajakovic to go deeper into the bench, Shead was pressed into action in Miami.
The point guard responded with a solid six-minute stint in the first half, but the Raptors are still not getting enough offence from the traditional point guards on the roster.
It’s not that Davion Mitchell and Shead have to come out gunning from the minute they hit the court, but they have to take shots if no reason than attract some attention from defenders to create space for their teammates.
If they’re not even going to be threats, the Raptors offence is acting at a deficiency on every possession.
Teases
It was a mid-afternoon text from someone in Miami with the Raptors on Thursday suggesting the team had survived an injury-free shootaround “so that was a plus.”
Sort of.
Jakob Poeltl, one of the most durable Raptors through the first quarter of the season, was scratched from the starting five minutes before the tip-off and listed “doubtful” to play.
No sooner than many fans groaned and lamented “oh, no, not another guy hurt,” Poeltl got up from the bench and checked into the game two minutes into the first quarter.
No one would blinked had Poeltl taken the night off with a tight back, but he ended playing 27 minutes with 16 points and a message to his teammates that if he could go, he’d play.
In praise of Heat and noting Gradey Dick's breakouts when Barnes sits - Toronto Sun
No Scottie Barnes. No Immanuel Quickley. No hope? Even at full strength this roster would be perceived as one of the weaker offensive squads in the NBA. Without top overall player Barnes and premier pull-up shooter and assist man Quickley the challenge gets even tougher every night.
Thursday was the latest example, with Miami winning an ugly affair 114-104. The game really wasn’t that close and the Raptors shot 5-for-17 (29%) from three-point range before heating up in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach.
Toronto went with its 11th different starting lineup in 26 games. Last year’s team used 30 in 82 games. The truly weird part was Jakob Poeltl being listed as doubtful with back spasms minutes before the game, only to check in quite quickly for Bruno Fernando. Full credit to Poeltl for gutting it out. While he wasn’t his usual self, Poeltl was still helpful and was a part of Toronto’s best stretch of the game, the early going. Fernando didn’t re-enter the game after his two minutes.
Jonathan Mogbo started and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds while also flashing his defensive versatility. Unfortunately, Toronto needed a bigger offensive threat than Mogbo with the first group.
Somebody has to pick up the slack when Barnes is out (actually several players do) and Gradey Dick has risen to the challenge. He led Toronto on Thursday and when Barnes was hurt the first time this season, Dick topped 30 points in three of 11 games and he scored in double figures in all but one of them. Most of Dick’s best games have come with Barnes out of the lineup.
For a shooter as talented as Dick, it’s a bit strange how poorly he has shot three-pointers this season (including just 3-for-11 against the Heat), but Dick did go 4-for-5 in the paint and has been outstanding finishing inside.
He and RJ Barrett will probably get the biggest offensive boosts in terms of responsibilities until Barnes and Quickley return.
Raptors fall to 1-12 on road with blowout loss in MiamiRaptors fall to 1-12 on road with blowout loss in Miami - Toronto Sun
Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic decided not to start a traditional point guard, keeping Davion Mitchell in a reserve role. Mitchell has started 13 of 26 games this season, largely in place of Immanuel Quickley, but at times Scottie Barnes had shifted to a point forward role. With Barnes out weeks with an ankle sprain, Rajakovic opted to utilize RJ Barrett as a point forward. Barrett has thrived as a play-maker this season, boasting by far his best creation numbers without sacrificing his scoring. But Barrett was just 4-for-17 from the field and had six turnovers. Still, he notched a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
Rookie Jonathan Mogbo made his second start, a nice moment for the native of nearby West Palm Beach. Mogbo has flashed some play-making skills himself and the team also planned to have centre Jakob Poeltl available as an offensive hub. However, last-minute back spasms prompted the Raptors to replace Poeltl just before tipoff, inserting Bruno Fernando. In a twist though, Poeltl entered the game just two minutes in and quickly threw down a dunk, followed by a hook shot.
Toronto also started Dick and Ochai Agbaji, providing some shooting threats (both Kansas products are also elite at finding openings off the ball).
Meanwhile, Miami has been embroiled in a bit of controversy, with star player Jimmy Butler possibly angling for an exit from South Beach, depending on who you believe. ESPN’s insider Shams Charania got into it a bit on social media with Butler’s agent, Toronto’s own Bernie Lee, about the situation. Charania stood by his reporting and sources, while Lee asked him to take his name out of reports about Butler potentially demanding a trade. Butler was quiet by his standards, scoring only 11 points, with five rebounds and four assists.
The Raptors cut Miami’s 12-point lead in half late in the third, but then gave up a 13-0 run to end the quarter and never got back into the game.
Thursday’s game was added to the schedule, along with Toronto’s home game against Chicago on Monday, after the teams were eliminated from the NBA Cup. After playing four times last week, the Raptors have four games total this week and next.
An update on Barnes is expected in about a week, but neither he nor Quickley are close to returns. Veteran Bruce Brown remained out for Toronto as he continues to work toward making his season debut.
Darko Rajakovic was bulletproof last season. Now it’s different - Toronto Star
No one is suggesting in the least that he’s not up to the job, not even a little bit. The individual improvement of players — Dick, Agbaji, Barrett are all better than last season, Walter’s better than he was, Mogbo is adding to his game weekly — is undeniable.
But …
The Raptors are 3-9 in games decided by six points or fewer, they are a league-worst 5-6 in games they’ve led after three quarters and, most telling, their best players don’t play enough.
Making sure players are rested and not over-taxed is admirable and makes sense. But going into Thursday’s game, Barrett is 39th in the NBA in minutes played (34.2), Scottie Barnes is 50th (33.2), Jakob Poeltl is 56th (32.8) and Dick is 66th (32.5).
There’s a debate to be had about the actual breakdown of the rotation — does either Barrett or Barnes have to play the entire first and/or third quarter every game they are both available, should there ever be four backups on the court at the same time — but there’s definitely a discussion Rajakovic needs to have with his staff and bosses about the volume his top players play.
And that’s a fact of coaching development that’s got to be watched. No one’s angry now or even upset — that can’t be stressed enough — but it’s time to watch closely.
Rajakovic was basically bulletproof in his first season.
He was hired 10 days before the draft, the front office altered his roster in a late-December trade with the Knicks, gutted it with a February trade with the Pacers and saddled him with a bunch of no-hopers when they punted on the season in March in pursuit of ping pong balls for the lottery.
I know Rajakovic wanted to win games in those last six weeks or so of the season. He looked down the bench and saw Jalen McDaniels, Javon Freeman-Liberty, Jordan Nwora, Malik Williams and others and saw the folly of that idea.
Now, though, it’s different.
Young players like Walter, Mogbo, Dick, Agbaji and Shead matter. They are the future unlike last season’s disposable roster.
Rajakovic and his staff are making their skills better, decision-makers need to see them make the collective better.
The bottom line is this:
The front office, rival teams, even fans are looking to see how much better each player is getting and if this self-described “rebuild” is moving ahead apace.
Those same people are understandably looking at the bench, too. Or at least they should.
Each team’s biggest need with NBA trade season on the horizon - The Athletic
Future considerations: Spoiler: The Raptors won’t be meaningful buyers in the trade market. If anything, they could look to sell, with pending free agents Bruce Brown and Chris Boucher certainly available and Jakob Poeltl potentially attainable for a really strong offer. The Raptors are openly rebuilding, and that means give them more picks or players on their rookie deals. If those players are wings with some shooting upside or developmental big men, all the better. — Eric Koreen
Raptors Guard’s Bold Claim Gets Backed by New Defensive Approach - Sports llustrated
“I feel like I'm the best defender in our league, honestly,” Mitchell said earlier this week. “I mean, off ball, on the ball—like, I just feel like that's who I am.”
On the ball, Mitchell’s relentlessness is obvious. He’ll snake his way through screens, pick up opposing guards 94 feet, and revel in the challenge of taking on the league’s most dynamic scorers. Few defenders in the NBA seem to derive as much joy from getting a stop.
But the off-ball work is where his evolution is most needed—and most scrutinized.
For as much attention as Mitchell’s on-ball defense gets, his off-ball awareness has come under question. Rajaković noted earlier this year that Mitchell needs to bring that same intensity and focus level when he’s defending away from the action. At times, he’s been guilty of relaxing as if his job is done the moment his man gives up the ball.
Mitchell has heard the criticism from fans too.
“I think the narrative in the NBA is that I'm bad off the ball and I'm just so good on the ball,” Mitchell said. “It's like, ‘No, I'm good off the ball too.’ You just see I'm so good on the ball, that's all you see.”
Toronto has started to see it differently, too. His increased communication—like walking third-year wing Ochai Agbaji through the nuances of guarding Brunson—has become a sign of his growth. It’s one thing to master your own role. It’s another to elevate your teammates.
Mitchell’s journey from instinctual on-ball menace to fully realized defensive leader is still ongoing. But with each possession, he’s adding layers to his game. His battle with Brunson was a statement—an assertion that he’s more than just a ballhawk. He’s a strategist, a communicator, and a catalyst for the Raptors’ defense. If he’s right about being the best defender in the league, it won’t just be his words that make the case. It’ll be the plays like this that do it for him.