Here are our grades after the Toronto Raptors fell to the Boston Celtics 83-80 in Summer League.
Allen Graves: A+
22 points, 13 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 56.2 FG%, 37.5 3P%
This was a massive debut for those who believed in Graves. The concerns about his athleticism and his lack of experience against elite competition quickly dissipated. Within the first five minutes of the game, Graves recorded four points, two rebounds, and one steal, while throwing down a contested dunk on a backdoor cut.
Graves authored a plethora
of brilliant defensive moments, but three stuck out in particular, with two of them involving Chris Cenac Jr. as a dance partner. The first instance occurred in the first half, with Cenac attempting to face-up and take Graves one-on-one in the right corner. Graves got down into his defensive stance and poked the ball away as soon as Cenac made a move to the basket. Late in the second half, Graves smothered Cenac after he crossed half-court. Even with Cenac desperately trying to hold him off, Graves poked the ball loose before finishing the possession with a dunk.
A third example occurred when Graves turned the ball over as the inbounder. Instead of panicking, he walled up on defence, blocked the ensuing shot attempt, and got the possession back for the Raptors.
While Graves struggled with his three-point shot early in the game, he flashed a promising tendency to meet big moments. The 19-year-old hit two clutch three-pointers late in the fourth quarter, with the second triple extending Toronto’s lead to 75-71. The Raptors often had Graves in the corner, but when the game hung in the balance, the coaching staff involved the rookie in more pick-and-pop actions.
As someone who Raptors fans hope becomes an elite role player – for the 19th pick in the draft – Graves has an obvious engine that he supercharges during critical moments. During the final possession of the game, he was solely responsible for reviving the Raptors’ chances.
He’ll make a fascinating watch for the rest of Summer League.
Nate Bittle: A-
8 points, 10 rebounds, 6 blocks, 42.8 FG%, 40 3P%
Raptors fans are naturally going to show interest in Bittle, especially after recording six blocks by halftime. Toronto desperately needs size in its organization and the 23-year-old rookie offers that. Outside of the three-point volume, Bittle aesthetically moves and operates like Jakob Poeltl.
While Bittle didn’t look vertically or laterally intimidating, he consistently leveraged his size and IQ to make plays at the rim. Bittle’s three-pointer with less than two minutes in the game to put the Raptors up 72-71 was a great moment.
Jamarion Sharp: B+
0 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 4 blocks
There’s size and length in the NBA, and then there’s what Sharp has. At 7’5, the reigning G League Defensive Player of the Year has an undeniable presence on the floor. While Sharp didn’t get a chance to show any improvements to his offensive touch, he had no problems displaying what he does best – wreck havoc on the defensive end.
It’ll be fun to watch how Sharp progresses throughout the rest of the tournament.
Jaden Bradley: C
3 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 11.1 FG%
Bradley was relied on for a significant amount of the ball-handling duties, likely benefiting from Alijah Martin missing the game due to knee soreness. Unfortunately, Bradley missed his first five shots. Bradley finally recorded his first points as a professional when he converted on an and-1 at the 3:58 mark of the third quarter.
The second-round rookie appeared to struggle against full-court pressure and the Celtics’ tenacious on-ball defence. However, Bradley has demonstrated his ability to navigate against pressure during his collegiate career, so expect him to improve as he gets more comfortable.
Chucky Hepburn: C
11 points, 5 assists, 1 steal, 25 FG%, 11.1 3P%
Hepburn visibly looks comfortable with the ball in his hand, especially compared to his counterparts. He played at a pro-level pace and never felt rushed by defenders. The issue was when Hepburn attempted to put the ball in the basket. The most obvious path to rotational minutes on the main roster is as a three-and-D type of guard off the bench. Hepburn knocked down a much-needed triple with the Raptors down 52-51 near the end of the third quarter, but he’ll need to be more consistent for the rest of Summer League to carry good vibes into pre-season.
