Morning Coffee - Feb. 3, 2025
Are the Raptors tanking or not? Should they be? | Raptors have won 8 of last 10 🔥🚀 | NBA Trade deadline looming
Scottie Barnes’ and Toronto’s seasons have been an enormous gamble - Raptors Republic
There are questions that need answering — and if they go unanswered, that would stove huge risks into Toronto’s rebuilding process. What will this team look like as a championship roster? Who will still be on it that is currently on the roster? How will it play offence? Defence? Who fits together, and who doesn’t? These are big, identity-based questions.
This season is largely about finding answers to those questions, as well as making sure a huge amount of talent is injected into the team via internal improvement, trades, free agency, and, most of all, the draft. So, losing helps.
Thus as long as the Raptors are benefited from losing, it would behoove them to try to cheat the test in answering those questions. Force the correct answers to be whatever you write. See if you can game the system, as it were.
In other words: What if Scottie Barnes is so good, so fast, at so many different components of the game, that it shifts what is required in terms of winning? Then who fits alongside him? Rather than trying to answer the test, the Raptors figured they might just be able to rip up the paper, instead. Tie the league in its own Gordian Knot, then rip through it.
So Toronto funneled as much responsibility as possible to Barnes this season. He’s touching the ball almost 10 extra times a game as compared to last year, and each touch averages approximately 0.5 extra seconds and 0.5 extra dribbles. Add it all together, and he’s holding the ball for more than a full minute per game as compared to last year. He’s up to 12th in touches per game, sandwiched in between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum.
If all that doesn’t go great, that’s fine, the Raptors already know what works for him, and it’s important to find out what else can. Losing is the process of answering those questions isn’t such a big deal anyway. And if it goes great, even better.
But instead of a man turning into a beetle, this time it’s a man turning into a star.
Quick Reaction: Clippers 108, Raptors 115 - Raptors Republic
R. Barrett - A+
33 MIN, 20 PTS, 6 REB, 7 AST, 3 STL, 9-21 FG, 2-6 3FG, 0-0 FT, 3 TO, 6 +/-
Great game from RJ today, he was everywhere on the court. When his shot wasn’t falling he looked for the open man, made the right play, and kept it pushing. His effort on defence was great as well, hustling for some of his blocks and making sure to put himself in the right position for rebounds. There’s not too much to nitpick with his game today.
Raptors fans booing U.S. anthem 'bigger than basketball' - Sportsnet
Fittingly, or ironically perhaps, one of the best on-court moments in a game full for them from a Raptors point of view in what ended up being an impressive 115-108 win was a multinational effort. It involved Toronto’s Austrian centre Jakob Poeltl diving on the floor to battle for a loose ball against the aforementioned Leonard, winning it and flipping it to RJ Barrett, one of three Canadians on the Raptors roster, who flipped it to Gradey Dick, a son of the U.S. heartland in Kansas, for a wide-open three. The shot put Toronto up by 13 with seven minutes to play and was the first of three straight triples by the Raptors that helped keep the Clippers at arm’s length.
On the whole the Raptors lodged an effort that their fans could legitimately be proud of as they led the favoured Clippers for the entire second half after being tied 61-61 at half, the game turning on a 22-7 run in the last five minutes of the third quarter that put Toronto up 92-77 to start the fourth.
The Raptors have won eight of their past 10 games and stand at 16-33. It took them 40 games to win their first eight games. The Raptors remain tied for the fifth-worst record in the league, for those concerned about end-of-season lottery odds.
The Raptors held Clippers stars James Harden and Leonard to 13-of-38 shooting while Toronto shot 51.8 per cent from the floor and 52 per cent from three against the NBA’s second-rated defence. They counted 31 assists on 44 field goals and had seven players in double figures, led by Barrett with 20, while adding six rebounds and seven assists.
But it still all felt odd, like a distraction from something bigger and scarier.
It will interesting if the booing of the U.S. anthem becomes standard in Canadian arenas. It happened on Saturday night at the Ottawa Senators-Minnesota Wild NHL game.
Nearly 80 per cent of the Raptors roster is American. If feels impolite to be dissing their anthem one minute and then cheering Florida’s Scottie Barnes a minute later.
Traditionally, the Americans most likely to be booed at Scotiabank Arena are the refs. Most fans are out to cheer for the Raptors, watch the other team’s stars and escape from their own troubles for a few hours.
The problem is it’s hard to envision how those problems away from the arena aren’t going to be magnified for just about everyone paying to be there. How long and how bad the pain gets — financially or existentially or both — who knows.
It took Raptors fans more than a decade to get over their antipathy for Vince Carter and a half decade after that for the differences to be fully put aside and his jersey to be retired to the rafters earlier this season.
Here’s hoping that any reasons Canadian basketball fans might have to be upset with our U.S. neighbours — or more accurately their current government — will be resolved a lot sooner than that.
It’s hard to be optimistic on that front, but the alternative isn’t appealing either.
Raptors need to be patient and stick to rebuilding plan at NBA trade deadline - The Athletic
The Raptors got involved in that type of dealing in the summer when they absorbed two players the Sacramento Kings did not want. The Kings got the extra flexibility and savings they craved in the offseason, while the Raptors got, in addition to Davion Mitchell, two second-round picks. One turned into promising rookie Jamal Shead, while the other comes this year, via Portland.
Trades like that one, or those that could come before Thursday, are decidedly unsexy. But it is the type of work the Raptors, given the big deals they have handed out, need to make. They must find long-term contributors on team-friendly deals to surround its core, which is more expensive than teams that engage in true, multi-year rebuilds, such as the Washington Wizards or, before them, the Detroit Pistons.
Given how this season started for the Raptors, they are bound for a lottery pick in the June NBA Draft. It likely won’t completely alter the path of the franchise, but the real chance that it could necessitates patience. It could be the key to changing the nature of the Raptors’ core. Given there are precious few conclusions to draw from what has happened on the floor this year, taking care of business instead of alternating the franchise outlook has to be the move.
That business includes trying to get some future equity in exchange for pending free agents Bruce Brown, Chris Boucher and perhaps Mitchell. It would be reasonable to see what the markets are for veteran big men Poeltl and Kelly Olynyk, who both have another year left on their contracts, but the franchise has signalled throughout this season that they value what Poeltl brings to the starting lineup. (Poeltl has a player option for 2026-27, too.) Maybe Poeltl is attractive to the Lakers, who need a big, and the Raptors could get a nice future piece from them. It’s a possibility, however distant.
It would also make sense for the Raptors to see how or if RJ Barrett’s value has changed in the last year, given he is extension-eligible this summer. He is signed through 2026-27, so there is no urgency, but his play through 73 games with the Raptors over the past two seasons has shown he is capable of improved scoring efficiency and playmaking. His fit next to Barnes is questionable enough that due diligence is required, even if a more firm decision should probably wait for the summer.
That goes for most of the franchise’s big questions. The last two months of the season are unlikely to change the Raptors’ prospects, but what happens in May or June could. For now, just hope for incremental gains.
Clippers, minus Norman Powell, close trip with loss to Toronto - Los Angeles Times
Gradey Dick scored 18 points and Scottie Barnes had 15 as the Raptors snapped a five-game losing streak against the Clippers, who were playing without guard Norman Powell. He suffered a right hip contusion in the win over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday.
Ochai Agbaji had 12 points, Immanuel Quickley added 11 and Ja’Kobe Walter scored 10 as seven Toronto players reached double digits.
James Harden had 25 points and Ivica Zubac scored 18 for the Clippers, who lost for the first time in three games and finished their trip 2-2.
Kevin Porter Jr. had 17 points for Los Angeles while Kawhi Leonard scored 14, although he missed 12 of his 18 shots, making one of four from deep.
Harden shot seven for 20 from the field and made two of nine from three-point range. He went nine for nine at the free-throw line.
Harden shot one of seven in the third quarter, when he missed all four of his three-point attempts. The Clippers combined to shoot seven for 25 in the quarter, making two of 10 from long range.
The Raptors shot eight of nine on fast-break opportunities in the third quarter, outscoring the Clippers 17-2.
Poeltl’s dunk with 6:48 remaining in the third kicked off a 12-2 spurt for the Raptors, leading to a Clippers timeout. Toronto closed the quarter by outscoring Los Angeles 24-10, taking a 92-77 edge to the fourth.
“Wild about Luka Doncic, eh?” Toronto Raptors game overshadowed by massive trade - Raptors HQ
While Kawhi played, Norm Powell was out, a disappointing blow for Toronto fans. Toronto continued their odd streak of leading one of the better teams in the league into the fourth quarter, making some groan at the idea of them winning ANOTHER game against a playoff contender when they probably shouldn’t have. The “morale wins” came, and not to be a tanker-downer, but... maybe it’s time to start losing again?
It almost feels like we are back into the wishy washy “are we rebuilding or not?” area. Like... do you want a chance at Cooper Flagg or not?
Going into the fourth quarter, the Raptors were up 15 points. Kawhi was only at 11, a rare off-game for the NBA champion and Finals MVP. With about five minutes to play, and still down about 15 points, Kawhi sat for the final time this game.
Weirdly enough, the Raptors maintained their double digit lead until the end of the game, winning over the Clippers.
What a confusing day in the NBA. Between the Raptors just like, winning a lot and then all this Luka trade nonsense, I don’t even know what to think.
The Raptors won 115-108, with RJ Barrett leading the way in scoring. He had 20 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists. Scottie Barnes had 15 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists. Gradey Dick scored 18 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist.
It was also a good Ochai Agbaji game where he scored 12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal.
The Raptors gave the kids a shot in crunch time against Kawhi and the Clippers. It worked - Toronto Star
“It was great to see Ja’Kobe to finish the game; played almost like full fourth quarter. It was great to see Gradey, to see all of those young guys,” coach Darko Rajakovic said. “Ochai had an amazing performance defensively: did not miss a shot, three blocks, five rebounds.
“A lot of guys really contributing on both ends of the floor. That’s something that we talked about from the start of the year, that we need the whole team and contribution from all the guys.”
Make no mistake, marquee stars Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley are going to drive the franchise wherever it goes in the next few years, and they were more that up to the occasion on Sunday. But finding that second tier, the role players and supporting actors who can perform consistently, is a huge part of this development year. No one really stepped up in the first half of the season, not on a constant basis, which why Sunday’s win is something to build on.
“Any time in life when you go through some failures — call it failures — they are only failures if you don’t learn anything from them,” Rajakovic said. “If you learn from them — if you study the film, if you study your game, if you put work in — you turn that into your success.
“So that’s what the team does — that’s what our guys are taking pride in — and we’re really trying to improve day by day.”
Barrett led with 20 points and Dick added 18 for the Raptors, who had seven players in double figures for their sixth win in seven games and eighth in nine.
Toronto shot 51.8 per cent from the field against a Clippers team ranked second on defence going into the game. The Raptors outscored the Clippers 39-27 from three-point range and led from midway through second quarter until the buzzer.
Raptors shock Kawhi Leonard and Clippers with strong bounce-back performance - Toronto Sun
It was a rare outing where Toronto made more three-pointers than its opponent (13-9).
Toronto had won five games in a row until a home loss against Chicago on Friday, but responded with an impressive overall performance in a matinee that might have started before most of the Clippers were awake.
Barrett and Harden started strong in an entertaining first quarter that saw Toronto shoot 65% from the field. The game was tied 61-61 at halftime with Harden scoring 17, Barrett and Barnes 12 each.
Immanuel Quickley scored 11 points before exiting with 7:08 left in the third quarter. Quickley, playing in his second game after returning from a groin injury, did not re-enter the game. He had said Friday that the groin issue was not yet 100%.
Kelly Olynyk and Chris Boucher both returned to the rotation after being rested during Friday’s loss against Chicago. Toronto was without backup point guards Davion Mitchell and Jamal Shead while Quickley remained under a minutes restriction in only his second game back in the lineup.
That meant more reps running the offence for Barrett and Barnes. Barrett excelled as a point forward, and also played well defensively, a recent positive trend.
Los Angeles came in with the NBA’s second-best defence this season, with long-time head coach Jeff Van Gundy, in charge of the team’s defence under Ty Lue, being a big reason why. However, the team had no answers for the Raptors, who set a season high for dunks.
Leonard’s personal 10-game winning streak against Toronto came to an end.
While Leonard made a rare Toronto return, Norman Powell, who also won a championship with the Raptors, was out due to an injury that popped up sometime after Friday’s game in Charlotte.
Ranking Every NBA Team's Top 3 Players Most Likely to Be Traded - Bleacher Report
1. Bruce Brown
2. Chris Boucher
3. Davion Mitchell
The Toronto Raptors appear determined to roll over Brown's $23 million salary slot into next season or beyond. That rings a little hollow when so few teams seem prepared to underwrite huge contract dumps. It takes on new meaning when Toronto is willing to expand its scope to include bigger names who may require outgoing compensation—such as Brandon Ingram, per The Stein Line's Marc Stein.
Boucher gets looped into the "bigs who can log rotation minutes and shouldn't cost serious draft equity" bucket. The market for his services should be even broader when he's canning over 50 percent of his 4.3 three-point attempts per game since the middle of December.
Kelly Olynyk or Jakob Poeltl will round out other lists, but Mitchell's impending restricted free agency wins out.
Even though his market won't break the bank, are the Raptors really going to pay him? Maybe if he keeps hitting threes. Otherwise, they should look to scoop up second-round compensation while clearing the deck for more Jamal Shead and Ja'Kobe Walter developmental reps.
A glimpse into Davion Mitchell’s past explains why Raptors guard is one of NBA’s toughest defenders - Toronto Star
“The way he guards the ball is probably the best in this league. He’s really hard to try to go by on one-on-one defence: the way he moves his feet, his physicality, the way he uses strength when he’s guarding people, guarding these guards to be able to body bump, move his feet, stay with him at any time.
“That’s really important. That’s real special.”
Mitchell uses his skills, but he’s not above some skulduggery. He ascribes to a theory that NBA referees just won’t call every foul — they get tired, the game gets bogged down — so why not push the boundaries.
“I’d watch the people who were my favourite defenders: Jrue Holiday, Marcus Smart, those types of players,” Mitchell said. “I’d just watch their games and I used to think things were fouls, but they wouldn’t call it.
“If you’re not fouling, then you’re not a good defender … We know there’s really good players in the league. You have to do something to throw them off their game.
“A lot of guys in this league, bro, they get a rhythm, it’s literally impossible. You have to foul, you have to grab, you have to do things like that just to frustrate them.”
Mitchell understands what got him to the NBA and what will keep him there.
No, he won’t get a super-max, $200-million (U.S.) contract like the prolific scorers and residents of the nightly highlight reels, but he’s going to be well compensated. Whether that’s in Toronto is very much unknown.
Mitchell is in the final year of a rookie-scale contract (worth about $6.4 million this season, after being drafted ninth by Sacramento in 2021) and it’s entirely possibly the Raptors will move him before Thursday’s trade deadline, or let him go as a summer free agent and hand the backup point-guard job to Jamal Shead.
But he will stay true to himself.
“I think I started thinking about (getting unfathomable money) as a rookie. But me being in this business, me knowing how much I love the game, I don’t think like that any more,” he said.
