The Raptors returned home after five straight losses on a tough trip to battle it out with an improved Detroit Pistons team, but fell short once again, 99-95.
The Pistons pushed the losing skid to six, dropped the Raptors to 2-11 and ended any NBA Cup hopes in the process. A 25-point, 19-rebound game by Jakob Poeltl was wasted, with Cade Cunningham going for 15 points, 10 assists and six rebounds and Malik Beasley nailing four of Detroit’s eight three-pointers on the way to 20 points.
The Raptors trailed 32-27 after one, thanks to a 10-0 Pistons run to close the quarter. The Pistons led 55-52 after a first half of basketball that was hard to watch due to the offensive futility displayed by both sides. The scoring issues continued, but the Raptors carved out a five-point edge after three, only to watch it quickly slip away. A late Pistons shot clock violation with Toronto down by four gave the remaining crowd some hope. RJ Barrett hit a pair of free throws and the Pistons turned it over. But it was not to be, as Gradey Dick rimmed out a nice Barrett kickout from three. The Pistons then missed 1-of-2 free throws to give Toronto a shot at overtime, but Dick missed another good look. The short-handed Raptors lost for the 26th straight time when trailing at halftime dating back to Feb. 7, per TSN.
SOME TAKEAWAYS:
BREAKING IT DOWN
Toronto was averaging 16.8 turnovers per game before committing just 14 (seven in each half) on Friday. Only four teams have averaged more than the pre-game number. Part of that is to be expected with top creators Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley missing so much of the early action due to injuries.
Head coach Darko Rajakovic said pre-game that the team has been looking into where all of the mistakes have been coming from. “We want to be the team that plays with a lot of pace and we cannot slow down in that area,” Rajakovic said. “Actually, our turnovers, when look at the analytics, they are not happening in the first six seconds of the shot clock, the majority of the turnovers are turnovers happening in the middle clock, that time from 18 to six seconds and that’s where you need to have execution. You cannot allow the ball to hit you in the leg and you turn it over that way (you need to make) simple passes,” he said.
“I would understand if teams were really aggressive and disruptive and going to cause turnovers, I don’t think that’s the case with us. It’s guys getting to know each other, having the chemistry there, knowing what we need to accomplish on offence. But also part of it is being willing to take open shots early in the clock, knowing when the rhythm is coming to you and playing to our strengths.”
That cohesion Rajakovic desires will be hard to come by until the important pieces missing from the lineup are able to play. As we’ve mentioned here a few times, Barnes, Quickley, Barrett and Poeltl have not all played together since March 1.
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FOUL PLAY NOT PLEASING
Rajakovic isn’t thrilled about his team’s constant fouling either. Toronto was averaging 24.4 fouls a game, worse than any other team. The Raptors foul about 50% more often than Boston and San Antonio, the teams fouling the least so far.
“There is no fine line, there has to be a red line like we have to do a much, much better job of being aggressive but playing defence without fouling and especially not committing silly fouls,” Rajakovic said when asked about it.
“Our turnovers are happening and teams are running in transition, that’s where we are committing those fouls, too.”
The Raptors committed only three fouls in the first and third quarters, and four in the second, a vast improvement and finished with 13.
“Any of those we’re going to take it, less turnovers, less fouling, all of those, they’re good for us,” Rajakovic said after the game.
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LEARNING CURVE ON DISPLAY
Rookies Jonathan Mogbo, Jamal Shead and Jamison Battle had a number of nice moments early on this season, but the results haven’t really been there since. Still, Rajakovic is looking at the bright side.
“Our rookies are in a perfect position. They’re exactly where they need to be,” he said, before elaborating. “They’re playing NBA minutes. They’re playing against really good teams. They’re stepping on the court. They’re doing some good stuff, but also failing. Failing on the court is so good and so important to learn and to rise from that,” Rajakovic said, adding being able to show rookies their mistakes on tape helps speed up the developmental process. That wouldn’t be possible if they weren’t on the court.
“They’re learning what it takes to be professional. And I’m proud of them, how committed they are, how serious they are and how hard they play.”
Battle chipped in with couple of three-pointers in the third quarter, Mogbo was quiet in 13 minutes while Shead scored four in 11 minutes.
THE STAT:
Toronto’s 2-11 start is the third worst in franchise history (the 1997-98 Raptors began a horrendous year by going 1-19 and the forgettable 2005-06 group went 1-15).
The franchise only won 16 games in all of 1997-98, had an ownership change, saw its general manager Isiah Thomas leave, Butch Carter take over for Darrell Walker as head coach, and its star player Damon Stoudamire ask out and get traded.
In 2005-06, the Raptors would rally to win 27 games, but general manager Rob Babcock was fired, with Wayne Embry coming aboard until Bryan Colangelo took over.
THE QUOTE:
Rajakovic pre-game: “Everything is a part of the process. Every game this season we got to take it one game at a time and really focus on that and really focus on what we can learn and how we can get better. And if we continue doing that and improving, wins are coming. Wins are coming. Toronto Raptors are going to win,” he said.