Here are 10 takeaways from the Toronto Raptors‘ 108-105 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday.
One: These are the type of battles that the Raptors will face on a nightly basis in the Eastern Conference. It was a tight game between two evenly matched teams, and it came right down to the wire. The Cavaliers had the best slasher and the toughest rim protector, while the Raptors were dominant across the wing. Toronto had the lead early, Cleveland pushed ahead for much of the middle, and the difference came down to better execution by the Raptors as they completed the comeback for a thrilling opening-night win.
Two: The Raptors made all the little plays in the fourth quarter to secure the win. There was Fred VanVleet, the smallest player on the floor wrestling 7-footer Jarrett Allen to the deck for a loose rebound, which created a fast-break dunk. VanVleet also fought diligently through a screen in the final minute and took the hit in exchange for a moving screen foul on Cedi Osman. In the final minute, when the Raptors needed to inbound safely in a two-point game, Gary Trent Jr. smartly cut to the backcourt to receive the pass while the Cavaliers were caught napping. Then, after failing to hit both to put the game away, O.G. Anunoby alertly took an intentional foul to prevent the Cavaliers from getting a look from three with no timeouts left. To cap it off, Scottie Barnes made a hard cut to give VanVleet a target on the ensuing inbound, then pushed the ball ahead before Cleveland could foul him so Precious Achiuwa could ice the game with a dunk. None of those may have been highlight-worthy plays, but it’s absolutely vital to play smart in close games.
Three: VanVleet and Pascal Siakam executed their pet play perfectly to create separation down the stretch. The action involves VanVleet setting the screen for Siakam in the middle of the floor, before VanVleet flares out to the 3-point line. This play works because teams are reluctant to switch VanVleet’s smaller defender onto Siakam, so there’s a moment of indecision. The first time they ran it, VanVleet was able to pop free for three on the left side of the floor, with only one Cavalier defender to check two shooters, and VanVleet made the unselfish pass to Trent Jr. for three in the corner. The next time down, Cleveland tagged VanVleet more closely, but there was a gap in the middle of the floor, which Siakam sensed and alertly drove it inside for a floater to push the lead up to six.
Four: Siakam was excellent despite fouling out on two soft calls in the fourth. He set the tone early with his extra efforts on the glass, helping to limit Cleveland’s size advantage, and his activity on defence was noticeably higher than his teammates. He powered the offence in the first half by getting into his improved midrange game, and he showed poise down the stretch by making the right reads. Siakam is clearly this team’s leader on the court, and the offence should flow through him since he creates the biggest advantages. Siakam had Evan Mobley draped all over him, only to undress the highly touted sophomore with a slick move that left Mobley on the deck in the fourth quarter. Siakam is due another strong season.
Five: Siakam showed further refinement in his scoring after another diligent summer of training. Dropping Mobley wasn’t even his best move of the night, as Siakam showcased a variety of subtle fakes and pivots to throw his defenders off balance. The best example came in the second quarter when Siakam drove into the paint, flipped into a post up, pivoted right and left before coming back over his right shoulder for a smooth fadeaway as his defender went the wrong way. Siakam’s fakes also helped him get to the line eight times, which is the most direct path for him to boost his efficiency and overall scoring this year.
Six: Barnes overcame foul trouble for a strong fourth-quarter finish. He jumpstarted the comeback with a pair of drive-and-kick dimes to Anunoby triples, and completed two drives where he was able to use his strength and length to angle around Allen and Dean Wade for key layups down the stretch. The only unfortunate part of his game was the foul trouble, which was in part due to his assignment of wrestling with centres for the starting unit. Whether it’s Siakam, Barnes or Anunoby, there isn’t an ideal matchup for 7-footers. Allen made it look easy on the inside, and when Barnes and Siakam were in foul trouble, there was less resistance at the rim with a lack of rotations to cut off Cleveland’s drives.
Seven: Achiuwa was disappointing before his fourth-quarter revival. His first shift saw him completely turned around on a triple from Caris LeVert, launch an airball from deep, and then get stripped on a routine cut to the basket. Nick Nurse benched Achiuwa for most of the first half, and even upon his return in the third, Achiuwa immediately conceded a driving layup to Mitchell. Thankfully, he was able to regain his focus in the fourth, making an extra pass to the opposite corner off a post-up that triggered a swing-swing sequence for an open triple, followed by Achiuwa knocking in a three of his own and two more cuts to the basket. Although his offence will still come and go on account of the inconsistency in jump-shooting, the one thing that cannot waver is his commitment to the defensive end.
Eight: Save for a pair of clumsy drives in the first quarter, this was a perfect game from Anunoby. He was the only consistent deterrent against Mitchell, cashed in a pair of threes in the fourth, made the right kickout passes from the post, timed his cuts for easy looks at the rim, and showed impressive athleticism on a chasedown block in transition. Anunoby took nothing off the table and found gaps to fill on both ends, which is why he is such a valuable role player. It remains to be seen if he can make the last jump to stardom, but fixating on his next step can sometimes obscure what he’s already doing for the team.
Nine: Christian Koloko was a pleasant surprise in his professional debut. Koloko’s length gave the Raptors a noticeably different look compared to their standard assortment of 6-foot-9 forwards masquerading at center, and he provided a true layer of rim protection. Koloko blocked All-Star guard Darius Garland on a drive despite having bitten on the initial fake, then walled off Mobley, which forced him into a turnover on a desperation pass. Koloko stepped up to challenge former dunk champion Mitchell, who had a clear runway to take off but struggled to finish around the 7-footer at the rim. Koloko was outmuscled on a pair of dunks, which is the most immediate limitation to his game, but his defensive impact is already evident. Nurse was pleased with his first shift, and with Khem Birch battling injuries yet again, expect to see Koloko more often
Ten: Injuries have already thrown Nurse’s rotations out of whack. Chris Boucher was hugely important to the second unit last season, but he was unable to play due to a hamstring issue, and newly acquired shooter Otto Porter Jr. was also sidelined despite him getting in some pregame shooting. This led to odd lineup combinations, such as Thad Young playing center with Juancho Hernangomez as the four, which unsurprisingly caused the team to bleed points because they are the two least athletic wings on the team. Hernangomez is on the floor for his shooting, which is in short supply despite the Raptors hitting 13 triples, but should be paired with strong defenders.
