Raptors Cage

Post game report card: Raptors get by the Magic for their first road victory

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Nikola Vucevic, Jonas Valanciunas

AP Photo/John Raoux

All five starters for the Toronto Raptors scored in double figures for the second straight game. In related news, the Raptors won their second straight game, this time by a score of 108-95 against the Orlando Magic. The 13 point margin of victory is misleading as the team from the north looked very discombobulated at times during their first road game of the season, especially defensively. However, the only thing that matters is the additional W on the left-hand column, important for a team that’s looking to establish themselves as a legitimate threat within the NBA landscape. The Raptors are now only 80 wins shy of becoming the NBA’s first ever unbeaten team.

Offense: C+

If you looked at the Raptors shooting percentages from the floor in their box score, you’d be forgiven for thinking that this grade is a little generous. The Raptors shot under 40% from the floor and only 19% from beyond the arc. The team started off 2/16 from the floor in the fourth before righting the ship. The bench in particular struggled, with the exception of James Johnson and his array of spins and baseline drives. The bench unit shot a combined 7/29 from the field, and the five man bench unit that had success against Atlanta was a net-negative on this night. On the other hand, you’d also be asked to turn back around and look at the teams’ numbers from the stripe. They took and made an enormous amount of free throw attempts, going 38-48 from the line. The starting lineup was very effective; Terrance Ross had the lowest +/- rating of any Raptors starter, recording a +17. DeMar DeRozan shot 50% from the field and scored 26 points in just under 30 minutes of playing time, while Amir Johnson has continued his strong start to the season with 14 points. His only two misses were from three point range. Keep shooting Amir!

Defense: D+

95 points scored against usually doesn’t merit a D+ grade, but it’s how the Magic scored those points. A lot of their buckets were off drives to the basket and penetration in the paint. Give credit to the Magic as Elfrid Payton and Evan Fournier made some nice moves off the dribble, but the Raptors defense needs to tighten up if they’re going to improve from last season. They clamped down in the fourth, but their defense needs to be consistent throughout the game. Several of the Magic’s three point attempts were open looks as they made 7/20, although the Raptors are forgiven for leaving Nikola Vucevic open from that range. The Magic’s missed free throws should also be taken into account, as they could only convert 12/24. A solid percentage from the stripe for the Magic could’ve changed the whole complexion of the game, especially early in the fourth. This is the second straight game where a Raptors opponent failed to reach 55% from the free throw line. That’s simply good fortune that won’t persist throughout the year.

Rebounding: A

Hey, a positive side! This was a 13 point win after all, there has to be some good aspects to discuss after this game. Rebounding (and missed free throws by the Magic… sorry, back to the positive side) was a huge boon for the Raps and ultimately kept the Magic at bay. At one point the Raptors collected seven offensive rebounds in the fourth quarter, and had an 18-7 rebounding edge late in the fourth too. Jonas Valanciunas recorded his first double-double of the year with a 10 point, 11 rebound effort, while DeRozan and Patrick Patterson each had eight. Their toughness and effort on the glass is something to be encouraged about at this very early part of the season.

 

Game Ball: DeMar DeRozan

DeRozan had another all-around impact game. The aforementioned 26 points and eight rebounds, a drawn charge, a steal and overall active defense. When the Magic lead was threatening to reach double-digits in the third quarter, DeRozan strapped the team on his back, made some tough jump shots and led them to a nine point lead after three that wouldn’t be relinquished. DeRozan changed the momentum of the game for his team and was the best all-around player on the floor for the Raptors.

 

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