Despite the Toronto Blue Jays playing in game five of the ALCS nearly 4,000 miles away, baseball fever coursed through the confines of the Scotiabank Arena, where the Toronto Raptors defeated the Brooklyn Nets 119-114 on Friday.
Both Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic and Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez fielded questions from the media before the game about Blue Jays manager John Schneider’s interaction with pitcher Max Scherzer. The Blue Jays game was played on the Jumbotron before tip-off and during
halftime. Fans throughout the arena kept one eye on the court while occasionally glancing down at their phones.
There’s nothing like a Toronto sports team on the cusp of it all.
In the interest of having some of the Blue Jays’ aura rub off on the Raptors, here are the Raptors HQ player recaps in the form of a batting order.
Lead-off: Immanuel Quickley
Quickley could be the X-factor for the Raptors this season and it begins with his impact on the offensive end, both in transition and in the half-court.
His speed was on full display on a night when the Raptors forced 23 turnovers. Quickley often made it difficult for a young Nets team to find their bearings in transition, leading to easy opportunities for players like Ja’Kobe Walter and Jakob Poeltl early in the half.
Entering his sixth season in the league, Quickley’s volume and efficiency will be a fun storyline to track. His first 12 points came on spot-ups. Quickley also snapped the Nets’ 12-0 scoring run in the fourth quarter with four points of his own.
He finished top two on the team in field goal attempts during the Raptors’ previous two pre-season outings, averaging 15 shots on 30 per cent. Last season, Quickley averaged 13.3 attempts on 42 per cent shooting. Against the Nets, Quickley finished with 18 points on 16 shots.
No. 2 Hitter: RJ Barrett
There’s something about Barrett’s game that can never be fully appreciated through the box score. He seeks out contact on both ends and willingly does the little things that lead to a win. In one sequence during the second quarter, Barrett prevented a dunk before racing down the other end for a flush of his own.
His three-point percentages, particularly out of the corner, will be a sticking point this year. But when his catch-and-shoot threes are falling, he fits the archetype that excels in a Brandon Ingram-led team. Barrett finished the night with 25 points while shooting 42.8 per cent from three.
Three-hole: Scottie Barnes
The discourse surrounding Barnes’ befuddling pre-season play style has certainly taken on a life of its own. While it’s naive to believe the online chatter had any impact on Barnes’ performance against the Nets, he looked like an entirely different player from the opening tip.
There seemed to be a concentrated effort by Barnes to attack the rim. By the end of the first quarter, the former All-Star led all scorers with 11 points, with each of his buckets either coming at the rim or at the free throw line.
According to Barnes, his instincts tonight can be credited to the coaching staff.
“They’ve been telling me to play with force and get downhill,” said Barnes.
Barnes was just as aggressive on the defensive end, finishing with three steals and one blocks. He was just an absolute force on both ends, particularly during the closing minutes of the contest. The game and stats may not count, but Barnes’ performance should quiet doubts until the season opener.
“That’s what pre-season is for, trying things out and finding your groove,” said Barnes.
Cleanup: Brandon Ingram
While the Blue Jays were fighting for the road sweep in their final game in Seattle, the Raptors were playing in their final warm-up game.
But even if the stakes couldn’t have been on further ends of the spectrum, it still turned out to be a benchmark evening in Raptors history. On Welcome Brandon Ingram Night, the six-foot-eight forward made his highly anticipated home debut, and did so in dramatic fashion.
Ingram had 13 points, six assists and three steals in his first home game. With the Atlanta Hawks’ scouts likely in the building before their season-opening clash on Oct. 22, it was interesting that Ingram didn’t touch the ball until almost three minutes into the game. Ingram didn’t take his second shot until the 5:21 mark, which ended up being his first bucket of the night.
Despite taking a backseat on a night dedicated to him, Ingram took centre stage when the game hung in the balance. His game-winner from the left wing sent an already delirious crowd into a frenzy. Ingram was as smooth as ever and looks ready for the season to begin.
No. 5 hitter: Jakob Poeltl
Poeltl is the stabilizing force the Raptors can’t afford to be without. The Raptors centre left the game with lower back stiffness. It was later confirmed by Rajakovic that it was more of a precautionary measure.
Poeltl finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds to go with a pair of steals and blocks. His health, like many of his teammates, will continue to be a development worth obsessing over through the course of the season.
No. 6 Hitter: Sandro Mamukelashvili
Mamukelashvili joined the Raptors on a two-year deal with a player option because he knew there was a chance for him to carve out an important role on the roster.
In the pre-season finale, Mamukelashvili led the bench with 10 points and 5 rebounds. His ability to run the floor and deploy a nifty collection of finishes is a nice change-up to Poeltl’s skillset. While he’s not the defensive expert that Poeltl is, Mamukelashvili flashed potential as a weak side rim protector.
No. 7 Hitter: Ochai Agbaji
A wrench was thrown into the Raptors’ plan to get their starters meaningful reps in a close matchup when it was announced Poeltl wouldn’t return. It was Agbaji whom the Raptors initially relied on in an attempt to go small to counter the Nets’ quickness.
Agbaji missed all three of his three-point attempts in the fourth quarter, which may have led to the decision to replace him in the closing minutes.
“I tried to play guys higher minutes and treat it like a regular season game,” said Rajakovic.
Significantly, Rajakovic still viewed Agbaji as his primary pivot. But Agbaji needs to rediscover the shooting stroke he weaponized last season, regardless of how sound he is on defence.
No. 8 Hitter: Jamal Shead
Shead outperformed expectations in his rookie season last year, and that makes the backup point guard position his to lose. Rookie Chucky Hepburn is undoubtedly doing his best to apply pressure on Shead, but the job likely remains with the former Naismith Defensive Player of the Year.
An early turnover wasn’t the start Shead planned for, but he constantly pestered the Brooklyn guards during inbounds or when they attempted to set up their offence. His most memorable moment came when he raced out to block a corner three by Noah Clowney. He didn’t attempt a single shot in his 14 minutes of play. It looks like Shead is still trying to find his rhythm while leaving space for the trio of Dick, Agbaji, and Walter to continue their pre-season battle.
No. 9 Hitter: Gradey Dick
The 21-year-old struggled with his jumper tonight, going 2-for-7 in 20 minutes. His first bucket of the game came on a floater as he tiptoed the right baseline, while his other score came on a dunk.
But as Toronto sports fans know, the number nine spot is still an opportunity to make a difference. Dick has hit seven threes on 46.6 per cent during the pre-season. The Kansas product will have several opportunities this season to contribute and leave his mark.
