Morning Coffee - Nov. 25, 2024
Road losses are mounting | Mogbo starting to shine | Bruce Brown's return is imminent
Quick Reaction: Raptors 108, Cavaliers 122 - Raptors Republic
Grade: B-
S. Barnes34 MIN, 18 PTS, 7 REB, 7 AST, 3 STL, 5-14 FG, 1-6 3FG, 7-12 FT, 1 BLK, 1 TO, -9 +/-
The Raptors needed Barnes to be more aggressive at the start of this game. On the second offensive possession he settled for a contested mid-range pull up over Allen. Later in the first, Darius Garland got switched onto Barnes, and instead of attacking the mismatch, he kicked to Barrett for what ended up being a missed 3 from the wing. Barnes also missed an entry pass to Barrett on the block by a mile and it sailed out of bounds for a turnover. He finished the first half with four points on 1-7 shooting and 0-5 from distance. Although he did have a nice assist where he drew the bigs away from the basket and found Barrett under the rim. In the second half, Barnes ran the full length of the court off a missed Mitchell 3 and took it straight to the cup for a layup, finally showing some of that aggression. He also significantly affected the game on defence as a backline sweeper, using his length and strength to halt drives and rack up stocks.
Despite strides made since opening night, Cavaliers still too much for Raptors - Sportsnet
On Sunday night, the Cavs ended up winning the second meeting between the two teams, and you’d have to give the edge to Mobley in the game-within-the-game also, although the Raptors and Barnes have clearly come a long way. In the end, the red-hot Cavs proved too much for the Raptors as they improved to 17-1 on the season with their 122-108 win, while Toronto fell to 4-13 and had their modest two-game winning streak snapped.
The Raptors did push Cleveland this time around. But the Cavs used a 14-3 run in the first 3:30 of the fourth quarter to push what had been a six-point advantage to 17, and the Raptors couldn’t pull within double figures the rest of the way.
The Raptors shot 40.2 per cent from the floor and 12-of-39 from three, while Cleveland came in at 49.5 per cent and 16-of-41 from deep, and that’s with two of their designated deep threats — Georges Niang and Sam Merrill — combining to go 1-of-12 off the bench. Ty Jerome helped fill the gap as he came off the bench for 26 points and five assists, and he was a problem for the Raptors all night. Donovan Mitchell also had 26 for the Cavs.
Mobley finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and four assists on 6-of-11 shooting. Barnes managed 18 points to lead the Raptors but was 5-of-14 from the floor and 1-of-6 from three. Barnes' only triple came late in the fourth quarter, and he flexed and yelled to the crowd to celebrate, but it was one of the few sparks the Raptors had in the final frame as they shot just 5-of-22 from the floor as the Cavs pulled away comfortably.
Donovan Mitchell and Ty Jerome lead Cavs to 122-108 victory over Raptors - Fear the Sword
Toronto grabbed 19 offensive boards. Many of these came at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth when they cut the deficit to six. But as has been the case throughout the season, the offense was there to pick up the slack. More specifically, Ty Jerome and Donovan Mitchell were.
Mitchell responded with seven quick points in three straight possessions to help the Cavs right the ship at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Jerome then buried a triple to push the lead back to 15. Toronto was never able to come within shouting distance from there.
It should be noted that this isn’t the same Raptors team the Cavs faced last month.
“Oh man, [they’re] a much better than we faced in game one,” Kenny Atkinson said.
That much is clear by how they took the Celtics to overtime last week and their recent wins over the Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves. Still, this wasn’t a perfect game.
Cleveland’s offense was boosted once again by their incredible outside shooting. They went 16-41 (39%) from beyond the arc which masked some of their inability to finish at the rim at the rate that you’d like them to. That said, it’s difficult to complain too much after a 14-point win.
The Cavs were led by Jerome who continues to be arguably the best bench player in the league. He continually knifed through the defense in the halfcourt and created steals on the other end to give the Cavs an advantage. Jerome had another outstanding night as he finished with 26 points and 5 assists on 9-14 shooting.
Mitchell saved his best for the fourth quarter. He scored 11 of his 26 points in the final frame.
Road blues continue for the Raptors as they fall to Cleveland 122-108 - Raptors HQ
While this is a bit of a disappointment after two straight wins, it’s pretty forgivable to drop a game to a team like Cleveland with Championship aspirations. It’s hard not to pick apart a few of the avoidable mistakes though, namely the free-throw performance of Scottie and RJ (although as a whole, the team shot 22-34).
There are plenty of more promising notes from the matchup as well, including the continued positive performance of the second round picks Mogbo and Shead from the bench, Scottie’s seamless return from injury, and what is arguably Poeltl’s best season yet.
Usually the expectations for second round picks are generally low, and often it can take years of development at the G-League level. While Shead and Mogbo still have lots of space to grow, it’s nice to already see them contribute. Mogbo felt like the answer to Cleveland’s paint touches for much of the first half, and Shead’s defence can be stifling at times. Their potential was certainly on full display tonight, as Mogbo finished with 13 points, 7 boards, a steal and a block and Shead finished with 6 points, 2 boards, 2 assists, and a steal.
Scottie continues to demonstrate his abilities as the franchise cornerstone as well, and for a moment, when he got hit by Allen late in the fourth, Raps fans collectively held their breath until he got up. His passing, defence, and physical presence on the court seem to make the world of difference. Finishing with 18-7-7, with 3 steals and a block, Scottie is continuing to show his all-star talent for the Raps.
Poeltl started almost off balance, missing a few key shots early, but quickly returned to form. With 12 points, 19 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and a block, he stuffed the stat sheet. Beyond just numbers, seeing him operate offensively and how he contributes in PNRs, as a screen, and as a passer, it’s hard not to see how vital he’s become to the Raps’ offence.
Now, the Raptors’ primary goal will best rest in preparation for their back-to-back as they continue their road trip. Tomorrow, the Raptors will face the Detroit Pistons on the second night of a back to back.
For the Raptors, there’s no shame in losing to the Cavaliers. And there was one nice surprise - Toronto Star
There is no shame in losing to the Cavaliers; basically the entire NBA does these days. With an imposing interior defensive duo of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley and an explosive offence engineered by Donovan Mitchell, Cleveland is a league-best 17-1 and unbeaten in 10 home games.
To Toronto’s credit, there were stretches when they were flying, not surprisingly at the same time they upped the defensive intensity.
And as it’s been for the five previous games, it wasn’t schemes — it was work.
“We’re really trying to focus on details of what we’re doing,” coach Darko Rajakovic said. “We’re not having new schemes, we’re not trying to reinvent the wheel.
“We’re really trying to do what we do, but do it better, and to do it with more intensity, more attention to detail. Guys are doing a good job responding to that, and hopefully we continue trending the right way.”
The trend didn’t continue long enough in Cleveland. Every time the Raptors made a run fuelled by defence, they make a handful of mistakes and the Cavaliers would take control again.
Winless on road, Raptors, Barrett need to figure it out as trip begins - Toronto Sun
Toronto enters its four-game stretch away from Scotiabank Arena as the NBA’s only side without a victory on the road (0-8, vs. 4-4 at home). While road futility hasn’t been exclusive to the Raptors (six other teams entered Saturday with only a single road win, four of them in the Eastern Conference), nobody likes to see a goose egg next to the team name in the standings.
It’s not all that difficult to figure out why Toronto has fared poorly on the road so far — the team’s best player, Scottie Barnes, has missed most of the season, and when he has played, only one appearance has come outside of Toronto. It’s hard to win when your all-star isn’t out there. Another major issue is Toronto’s top scorer, RJ Barrett, has shot an outstanding 50.8% from the field at home, including 40.5% from three-point range, but 37.2% and 27.5% on the road. Barrett averages 29.3 points per game at Toronto (three-time MVP Nikola Jokic averaged 29.3, MVP runner-up and Barrett’s friend and fellow Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also averages 29.3 in Oklahoma City, to show you the company Barrett is keeping), but only 19 on the road.
Wing Ochai Agbaji has bucked the trend for the Raptors, playing far better on the road so far, including shooting 47.6% on three-pointers, vs. 33.3% at home and the same can be said for Gradey Dick.
As a team, Toronto has played different styles depending on where the games have happened. The team has averaged 28.6 free throw attempts a game at Toronto, just 20 on the road. They have blocked nearly twice as many shots at home and shoot and rebound better there too.
As it happens, the first opponent of this trip, Cleveland, hasn’t lost at home yet. Detroit a day later should be an easier matchup, while a battered New Orleans Pelicans squad awaits in the Bayou on Wednesday. The trip concludes at Miami on Friday.
Takeaways as Raptors Rookie Stands Out in Loss to Cavaliers - Sports Illustrated
Remember Vision 6'9? Back then the Raptors were trying to build a team almost exclusively out of long and versatile wings. It didn't quite work out for a variety of reasons including a little too much roster overlap. These days, though, the Raptors could use a few more players like Mogbo.
The 6-foot-7 wing seems to defend everyone on the court. On one possession in the second quarter, Mogbo switched off the 7-foot Evan Mobley and onto Cleveland's All-Star point guard Donovan Mitchell when the Cavaliers tried to shake Scottie Barnes off Mitchell. It didn't seem to do much for Mitchell who was walled off trying to attack the hoop by the Raptors rookie.
When Jarrett Allen stepped out to the perimeter to set screens for the Cavaliers, Toronto elected to use Mogbo to defend him despite having Jakob Poeltl on the court. It's that kind of versatility from Mogbo that allows Poeltl to stay closer to the paint and opens up optionality for the Raptors.
Offensively, Mogbo is getting better too.
He nailed his second three-pointer of the season when Barnes found him in the corner for an open look and converted a driving floater around a screen from Poeltl. He finished the night with 13 points in addition to seven rebounds, a block, and a steal in 20 minutes.
Raptors winless road streak continues with a loss in Cleveland as a date in Detroit awaits - Toronto Sun
Against the host Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday night as the Raptors tipped off a four-game road trip, Barnes had the ball in his hands from the top of the circle, allowing him to see the entire floor, at least when operating in the half court.
The Raptors surrendered 38 first-quarter points (while only scoring 22), but rallied to make it a 65-55 game at the break.
It would have been much closer had the visitors closed out the second quarter better.
It definitely would have been closer had Barnes made a few of his shots.
Toronto, as is its norm, competed, but ultimately lost, 122-108, to a much better Cavs team.
In 15 first-half minutes, Barnes missed all five of his three-point attempts and went 1-for-7 from the field at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
He recorded two rebounds, while dishing off three assists in limiting his turnovers to one.
Why he even bothers to attempt shots from distance is anyone’s guess. When he’s stepping into his attempts, Barnes at least has a chance.
When he’s not shooting in rhythm, he has no chance.
Anthony Black, Amen Thompson and more NBA sophomores who’ve made big jumps - The Athletic
Dick showed flashes of making an impact as a movement shooter during the Raptors’ tragicomic mess of a 2023-24 season, but the overall metrics were humbling: an 8.9 PER on 54.6 percent true shooting, a laughable two blocked shots in 1,268 minutes and a permanent target on his chest on defense.
Dick still isn’t exactly an All-Defense candidate, but he’s made substantial progress in the non-shooting aspects of his game — including showing more resistance on D. (He’s even blocked five shots already!)
Most amazingly, in 15 games, he’s already taken more free throws than he did all of last season, showing much more juice as a slasher when teams try to take away his 3-point shot. Dick is actually trending below par from the 3-point line (34.6 percent) but has been so effective in other phases that his scoring output (27.2 points per 100 possessions on 56.3 percent true shooting) has been really solid, and his overall numbers are well up from a year ago.
Raptors welcome the imminent return of Cowboy Bruce Brown. But first, some fashion advice for Scottie Barnes - Toronto Star
Brown would seem to possess the attributes the Raptors want. He’s a good off-the-ball scoring threat, a career 34 per cent shooter from three-point distance and a versatile defender able to guard several positions.
Most important? He knows how to fill a complementary role after spending the 2022-23 season working off the brilliance of Denver’s Nikola Jokic.
“Since I got in the league I’ve played with all-NBA guys every year, so I’m pretty much playing off them,” he said. “Went to Denver, an elite offence playing with Nikola Jokic, just learning different ways to score without the ball. Because everyone likes to score and I’m playing with all-NBA guys, so I’m not going to have the ball in my hands much.”
Brown’s biggest contribution so far this season has been off the court. He gifted everyone in the organization with a pair of cowboy boots — it goes with his Cowboy Bruce persona — and said he “just wanted to give them something and welcome them into my world a little bit.” Somehow, he convinced teammate Scottie Barnes to don a cowboy hat on the bench when both were injured.
Barnes, according to Brown, has some work to do on the look.
“Bad hat — it was not a good hat,” Brown said. “Everything else was pretty fine. I corrected a little thing — the belt has to match the boots and all that — but the hat was not good.”
Canada Close Window 2 with a Narrow Victory Over Mexico - Raptors Republic
While Canada started the game off strong, with a 10-0 run early in the first quarter, their play in the second quarter left much to be desired. Despite the decision to bring Gray into the active lineup, Canada continued to be disorganized and were careless with the ball, turning it over a total of 11 times in the first half (for reference in Window 1, they averaged 10 TOV’s per game). Mexico was especially aggressive defending on the perimeter, doing as much as they could to deter rim pressure from Canada’s guards. In the PnR, they often brought two to the ball, blitzing or hedging Canadian ball handlers while rotating well on the backline to cover the rolling big and leaving poorer shooters open for 3. A lot of Canada’s offense that was so successful against the Dominican Republic (i.e. the Trae Bell-Haynes – Mfiondu Kabengele two man game) was stifled, and Canada was forced into 3PA’s late in the shotclock. Sure there was some shooting variance to blame for Canada’s ice-cold 18.5% 3P% (5/27) performance (maybe it was the Saskatoon snow storm), but a lot of it had to due with Mexico’s defense forcing specific players into 3PA’s (Quincy Guerrier, Marcus Carr, Trae Bell-Haynes). The lack of dribble penetration stalled the Canadian offense and allowed Mexico to stay within striking distance.
In the third quarter while the Canadian guards, especially Marcus Carr, did a much better job getting downhill against the Mexican PnR defense (which led to easy lobs for Canada’s bigs), it was the hot shooting of Karim Rodriguez, who hit three 3’s, that buoyed the Mexican offense and helped them reclaim the lead. Canada’s on-ball defense, which showed Mexico’s top offensive players Paul Stoll and Gael Bonilla multiple bodies on drives was unfortunately let down by their poor off-ball execution. Too many breakdowns that ended in an open Rodriguez 3 that they paid the price for. Even with Stoll picking up his fourth foul with 2:56 to go in the third, Canada couldn’t create any separation. At the end of the third, Canada was clinging to a three point lead, with all the momentum on Mexico’s side.
Down the stretch, just as Canada was teetering towards a loss, it was two clutch drives from this window’s unquestioned leader Bell-Haynes, knifing his way through traffic to put Canada up six with two minutes to play. Aaron Best (who was a team high +17) then skipped his way into the paint for a tough underhand floater. On the ensuing defensive possession, Kabengele rotated out from the paint to strip Bonilla and Best punctuated Canada’s victory with a one-handed slam. For all the poor play in the second, third and early stages of the fourth, the SMNT’s veteran-led 13-0 run late in the fourth put the game away.
Looking ahead, the final round of AmeriCup Qualifiers sees Canada once again taking on the Dominican Republic and Mexico, but this time on the road in late February 2025.