Takeaways for Toronto as Raptors Clinch Crucial Loss vs. Spurs

San Antonio Spurs 123, Toronto Raptors 89

Tankathon

So this is just how it’s going to go from now on.

Aside from Toronto’s upcoming game against the Detroit Pistons early next month, all of the Raptors’ remaining games this season are against teams below .500. It’s by far the easiest remaining schedule in the league, and that will likely mean a lot of ugly basketball.

Sunday was no exception.

The Raptors committed more turnovers than field goals in the first quarter, fell behind by 20 before the first break, and looked completely out of it from the opening tip. From a tanking perspective, though, it was mission accomplished.

Toronto now sits seven wins behind the Spurs in the win column and has essentially locked in at worst the seventh or eighth-worst record in the league. There had been some concern that San Antonio might leap Toronto in the lottery standings, given how undermanned the Spurs are without both Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox. But a three-game winning streak from San Antonio should ease those worries.

Now, the Raptors will hope to climb the reverse standings and catch the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers, who sit just one win ahead. It won’t be easy given how soft the schedule is, but if Toronto is willing to scrap alongside the rest of the tankers, it’s certainly within reach.

Shead Will Help

Jamal Shead is going to be a very good pro.

That doesn’t mean he’s destined to be a future starting point guard for the Raptors. The odds of that happening remain pretty low. But when it comes to reliable and impactful backup point guard play, Shead certainly looks the part.

The 22-year-old has been one of the real bright spots for Toronto this year and appears to be a great find with the 45th pick. He plays hard on both ends of the floor and has a natural feel for the game.

Shead knocked down a step-back three in the first quarter as he continues to show encouraging growth as a distance shooter. His inconsistent three-point shot in college was one of the biggest concerns coming into the season, but the six-foot guard is now connecting at a respectable 34% clip.

Inside the arc, he’s shown flashes of self-creation as well. He blew past Blake Wesley for a layup at the rim, then later got his shoulder into Spurs center Sandro Mamukelashvili, bumping the 6-foot-11 big man before finishing inside.

He also forced a stop on Jeremy Sochan, standing his ground in the paint and drawing a travel as the 6-foot-8, 230-pound forward tried unsuccessfully to move Shead off his spot.

"Biggest thing for him over here in this stretch is getting opportunities to start some games, to play against the starters in this league, and that's completely different game than going against backups," Rajaković said of Shead. "I think that over the course of season he did really good job as a backup point guard, but now getting out there and playing against such a greats like Chris Paul. There's so much to learn."

Shead finished the night with a career-high 17 points on 7-for-14 shooting with a pair of threes and five assists.

Missing Pop

Gregg Popovich was missed Sunday night.

It’s always a treat when Popovich makes his annual visit to Toronto. His media availabilities tend to stand out because Pop is, well, Pop. He’s never shied away from speaking his mind, and with tensions high between Canada and the United States amid an ongoing trade war, his thoughts would have been especially compelling. There’s little doubt he would have had something to say about the boos that have echoed throughout Scotiabank Arena during the Star-Spangled Banner over the past couple of months.

“Wish him all the best, wish him a quick recovery and we all hope to see him back on the basketball court very soon,” Raptors coach Darko Rajaković said pre-game as Popovich remains away from the Spurs following a stroke. “Basketball misses him, I miss him a lot, playing against him.”

His absence was certainly felt

Ingram Update

Brandon Ingram has yet to be cleared for contact and will miss at least the next 10 days before being re-evaluated by the team. With only a few weeks remaining in the season, a return to the court appears highly unlikely.

Up Next: Washington Wizards

The Raptors will be right back at it Monday night when they hit the road to take on the Washington Wizards at 7 p.m. ET.