Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Scottie Barnes Shows a Glimpse of the Future & Other Takeaways from Raptors Blowout Victory over Nets
It appears the Toronto Raptors have decided to stop playing normal NBA games.
On the heels of two blowout losses to the Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks, the Raptors responded with a blowout of their own, clubbing the Brooklyn Nets 133-97 on Monday night to conclude a brief road trip. Here are the biggest takeaways from the game.
1. Barnes Making a Difference the Easy Way
Scottie Barnes has a chance to be one of the league's most unorthodox stars. He's not going to prowl the perimeter and nail pull-ups like Steph Curry or take his man off the dribble like LeBron James, instead the Raptors rookie finds a way to make a difference doing the little things. Sure, he nailed a three-pointer and beat his man with strength in the paint a few times, but the bulk of Barnes' career-high 28 points Monday night came courtesy of put-back dunks and transition buckets. He grabbed nine offensive boards, scoring 12 of his 24 first-half points on put-back dunks.
"I don’t think we ran any for him tonight," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said.
Those easy buckets allowed him to open the game a perfect 11-for-11 from the field before his first miss of the game came early in the third quarter.
"I mean that's what he does. He also adds a lot of other things. But when he's (grabbing offensive rebounds), I think he's just at his best," Malachi Flynn said. "He's gonna get it no matter what. You don't got to give him the ball. He's gonna go find a way to go get it and those are the best players to play with."
There's plenty of room for Barnes to develop, but his ability to run the court in transition and generate second-chance opportunities sets a high floor for the 20-year-old whose future continues to look as bright as ever.
2. Flynn's Performance Warrants More Playing Time
It's been a long time since Flynn put on the kind of performance he showed Monday night. With Fred VanVleet sidelined with a right knee injury, the 23-year-old sophomore stepped up and ran Toronto's offense flawlessly. Everything seemed to come easy for Flynn who orchestrated the pick-and-roll like a veteran guard. He opened the game by coming off a screen and pulling up for a mid-range jumper when his defender sagged off. He got deep into the paint off ball screens from Pascal Siakam, driving to the rim and spraying the ball to the corners either for open threes or to extend an offensive advantage.
"He’s getting it into the paint on offense and he’s getting it to the front of the rim with some layups which is really good," Nurse said. "He’s doing it quickly, those are good, fast, explosive moves that he’s making and we need that. If they’re going to sit on a roller or sit on our shooters, we need that ball handler to make them pay for that. Then if they don’t, then the other stuff, the other stuff will open up. I thought (he) did a pretty good job of reading that stuff."
At the very least, Flynn answered the call and played with the kind of aggressiveness Nurse has been begging to see from him. Even when VanVleet returns, Flynn deserves another look. He might not fit Toronto's system defensively, but the Raptors are thirsting for the shot creation Flynn showed Monday.
3. Pressing Early Sparks Raptors' Defense
After seeing his team run off the court with porous defensive effort in consecutive games, Nurse decided to shake things up, opening Monday's game with pressure against the Nets. Right from the tipoff, Toronto began pressing the Nets, forcing a turnover in mere seconds that allowed Barnes to open the scoring from the free-throw line. Toronto's pressure let up eventually, but 13 forced turnovers in the first half that led to 19 Raptors points set the tone early.
"You could see we were kind of ready and energetic and I thought I’d take advantage," Nurse said. "I mean, listen, on the jump ball, Scottie made a play on the jump ball, jumped ‘em and surprised ‘em and automatically I just said, let’s stay up everybody, let’s get up and we created another turnover early off the pressure.
"Yeah, they jump-started themselves but I was just putting a little, making sure we keep going by calling some of that stuff."
For a young team that has letdown games a little too often, getting out and running early with a simple press defense can keep everyone focused and into the game. At full strength with veterans like VanVleet and OG Anunoby in the lineup, it's probably not necessary, but when things get a little funky, the Raptors should too.
Highlight of the Night
Yuta Watanabe has been on the wrong end of a handful of highlight-reel dunks over the past two seasons, but the 27-year-old got Kessler Edwards in the fourth quarter for a poster-worthy slam.
"Yuta made a tough play," Nurse said. "He's never afraid to go in and make a play, a consequence play at the rim at both sides. And he was on the delivering this time. It was good to see.
"They'll be playing that one in Japan."
Nurse on Dragic
"I think that he's happy where he's at now," Nurse said. "I like him as a person, I really like him as a player and have done so for a long time. ... So not that big a deal from my standpoint."
Dragic finished Monday night with six points with a -26 plus/minus in 17 minutes.
Raptors Re-Sign Wilson
With a little more financial flexibility following the trade deadline, the Raptors found some room to bring D.J. Wilson back for his third 10-day contract. It's an opportunity to get another look at the 6-foot-10 big.
“I thought he played really well in both the little stint that he got, the couple games that he played," Nurse said pre-game. "For me, I know that OG goes out, we’re still waiting on how long that will be, we’ve just got to be prepared in case other things start happening. That you’ve got size and athleticism and somebody that knows your system a little bit I think is a good move. I like his game. He seems to play. Handle is pretty good, rebounds it pretty good, can score it a little bit. I like what he’s shown us as far as being a decent all-around player.”
Wilson did not play Monday, but he will be available for Toronto's next four games.
Nash Enters Protocols
Nets coach Steve Nash entered COVID Health & Safety Protocols just before tip-off, forcing Jacques Vaughn to move over a seat and take over head coaching duties against Toronto.
Up Next: Brooklyn Nets
The Raptors will be right back at it Tuesday night when Brooklyn ventures up North for a rematch at 7:30 p.m. ET in Scotiabank Arena's return to full capacity.
