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– Toronto had much better balance on offence in the first half (25 three-point attempts and 21 shots in the paint) and 23 and 19 numbers in the second half. That’s a lot better, even though the 47-27 New Orleans free throw attempt advantage was rough.
– The Raptors weren’t happy about it afterward (particularly the opponent record 28 in the fourth quarter) but it wasn’t just the referees not being great (they weren’t), it was also the defence again looked a bit out of sync.
– Also out of sync, a real rarity for “winning time” of a regular season game? One Kyle Lowry. You rarely see him make bad passes and turn down good looks late in games.
– Eric Bledsoe sure looked like a guy angry with a Raptors franchise that played a large role in getting him booted out of a great situation in Milwaukee. Not sure why Lonzo Ball goes supernova against them too though.
– I fully get Siakam signed a huge deal and that comes with lofty expectations, but doesn’t it feel like some of the treatment and reactions to his awful start (and bubble play) have been a bit over the top and too extreme? Is it because optically he isn’t doing himself any favours? (He came up as a player who looked like he was loving every moment. Someone who outworked every opponent. Where has that guy gone? This version looks down, sullen, frustrated, out of control, defeated).
THREE STARS
1 — Brandon Ingram
2 — Fred VanVleet
3 — Eric Bledsoe
(Three stars through five games: Ingram six points (well, that’s not good to have an opponent leading), VanVleet five, Lowry four, Siakam, Boucher, Anunoby one each).
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