Quick Reaction: Pelicans 113, Raptors 99 - Raptors Republic

NO Pelicans

113

Final Box Score

99

TOR Raptors

	P. Siakam38 MIN, 20 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST, 0 STL, 8-17 FG, 3-7 3FG, 1-2 FT, 0 BLK, 4 TO, -15 +/- You love to see it. Pascal Siakam began the 2020-2021 season by getting back to his roots – slashing to the cup, not settling for jumpers and playing with the moxie of a No.1 option on a contending team. Pascal looked like the all star that blossomed before Raptors fans eyes last year, hopefully an indication that his development is still well underway.
	O. Anunoby36 MIN, 8 PTS, 8 REB, 2 AST, 3 STL, 4-10 FG, 0-5 3FG, 0-0 FT, 2 BLK, 4 TO, -14 +/- OG started off slowly, but as usual, he compensated for his offensive shortcomings by turning in a solid performance on D. But for a guy who just got paid north of 70 million dollars, I hoped to have more to remember about his performance. That monster block from Zion in the 1st quarter might have spooked him.
	F. VanVleet29 MIN, 9 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST, 3 STL, 3-12 FG, 2-8 3FG, 1-2 FT, 0 BLK, 1 TO, -18 +/- He was pure on his first triple of the game, but wasn’t able to get much going for the rest of the evening. 3 for 11 just. isn’t going to cut it for a guy who is expected to shoulder an increased offensive load for the 2019 NBA champs. Hopefully this is just a blip on the radar for FVV.
	K. Lowry38 MIN, 18 PTS, 1 REB, 10 AST, 1 STL, 7-15 FG, 4-9 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 6 TO, -1 +/- Took a charge, dove for a loose ball, stuck a couple 3s in transition and acted as the calming presence Toronto needed on what was often a sloppy game of basketball. The same Kyle who starred in the last 8 seasons of Raptors basketball, showed up for his 9th rodeo. The greatest raptor of all time turned in a performance that silenced any critics about the 35 year old’s ability to compete at a high level.
	A. Baynes28 MIN, 11 PTS, 9 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 5-9 FG, 1-4 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 1 TO, -17 +/- For those who weren’t familiar with the big Aussie’s game, Baynes showed Raptors fans exactly who he is in his Dinos debut. Good challenges at the rim on D, soft touch, superb outlet passes, and the ability to stroke it from beyond the arc. Raps nation should be excited to see how Baynes progresses once he can develop some real chemistry with his new teammates.
	N. Powell23 MIN, 12 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 2-11 FG, 1-6 3FG, 7-8 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, -13 +/- If the Raptors are going to succeed this year, Powell needs to consistently assert himself on the offensive end of the floor. Norm did a damn good job of that tonight, leaning on a quick first step and a strong appetite to feast on slow Pelican rotations en route to a 12 point night off the bench.
	M. Thomas20 MIN, 9 PTS, 2 REB, 4 AST, 2 STL, 3-6 FG, 3-5 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, -1 +/- Looks like putting shots up with Reddick in the offseason didn’t hurt. One of the first subs into the game, Thomas turned in a solid night from the field, hitting 3 of his 5 triples. Given the one-sided nature of Thomas’ game, he’s going to need to keep knocking down his open looks to keep his spot in the rotation.
	C. Boucher14 MIN, 12 PTS, 5 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 6-8 FG, 0-1 3FG, 0-0 FT, 2 BLK, 2 TO, 2 +/- He’s known for his pool noodle sized arms, but what defines Boucher is his hustle and tenacity. His second effort on the glass and ability to track the ball on the defensive end injected life into a Raptors offence that was often stagnant this evening. Boucher played his ass off tonight and looks poised to take advantage of his increased workload this season.
	D. Bembry5 MIN, 0 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3FG, 0-0 FT, 1 BLK, 1 TO, 4 +/- Bembry turned the ball over on his first pass of the game, but promptly made up for it as he hunted down the player who intercepted him for an emphatic swat. He didn’t do much else in his limited minutes, but that block alone is worth a B.
	M. Flynn1 MIN, 0 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0-1 FG, 0-1 3FG, 0-0 FT, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 2 +/- Drafted 29th overall, Malachi Flynn’s preseason performance caught the attention of Vegas, closing with the 12th best rookie of the year odds. Nurse is going to need to play the young fella more than 1 minute a night for him to show us what he’s capable of in his first professional season.
	Nick Nurse Everything was looking really good for Nurse’s feisty young group – until the second half hit. New Orleans went on a 20-6 run in the 3rd quarter for which Nick couldn’t seem to find an answer to. The Raptors don’t play again until the 26th, hopefully Nurse can use that time to his advantage and come out fresh on Boxing Day.

Things We Saw

1. Yeah, the preseason was only 3 preseason games long, but that doesn’t excuse the YMCA basketball that was being played at times throughout this contest. It’s going to be really important for Nurse to find the lineups that mesh well this season because this team’s margin for error is slimmer that it’s been in years past.
2. The one of the biggest questions for this season, is when the offensive well runs dry, where will the Raptors turn? Guys contributed in spurts this evening, but consistency is going to be paramount if this team wants to position themselves for a playoff run. It feels like for this team to take a leap, someone needs to jump to the next level. Nobody put themselves in the conversation to be a player close to taking that jump, tonight.
3. The chevron logo, which is a mainstay in Toronto’s 2020-2021 uniform design, looked like it belonged on the new hardwood floor setup. It’s a pity that the Raptors’ Canadian fanbase didn’t get to admire it in person.

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2020-12-24 03:02:00Z
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