Out with a whimper and in with a bang, the story of the Raptors was encapsulated during a two-day window when a historical low would be reached followed by one of the best performances from a point guard who helped the team end an 11-game slide.
If ever the meaning of inconsistency was apparent it was defined by a blowout loss in Boston on New Year’s Eve to set the stage for a solid home win over the Brooklyn Nets on New Year’s Day.
More recently, the Raptors actually played defence in holding court when the Golden State Warriors and the Celtics came to town, the same Boston team that handed Toronto its 54-point loss two weeks earlier.
No one should take any of the lustre off the Raptors’ win over the Celtics, but it should be noted how poorly Boston has been playing, dropping yet another home game to Atlanta Saturday night that was the reigning champions go 8-8 in their past 16 games.
The key for the Raptors in winning back-to-back games, a rare feat for this unit, was how engaged they played on the defensive end, how freely the ball moved on offence and how confident they went about their business.
Then came a date in Milwaukee and it all vanished.
Outside of a solid stretch buoyed by the bench in the third quarter that momentarily spilled into the fourth quarter, the Raptors were never competitive.
The Bucks lit up the visitors for 37 points in the opening quarter and would play most of the night with a double-digit lead en route to a comfortable 130-112 win.
There were no lead changes because the Raptors never led.
Head coach Darko Rajakovic seems to go out of his way in defending Scottie Barnes, which may have come with the job description when Rajakovic accepted the position last season.
To ask for an early challenge so early in the game didn’t resonate, a hardly consequential decision, but it did speak to the lengths Rajakovic will go to when supporting Barnes.
Entering the night, Barnes played at a high level in leading the Raptors to their wins over the Warriors and Celtics.
He finally unlocked his mid-range game by putting aside his penchant for settling for three-pointers, while his sublime passing evoked memories of Magic Johnson.
Then came a date against the Bucks and Barnes disappeared.
Six shots from distance would be launched, six misses on a night Barnes went 4-for-16 from the field.
The easy thing is to chalk it up as a poor night, but that’s too convenient because it lets Barnes off the hook.
He had to be better, but Barnes wasn’t.
The Bucks have been playing well led by their two-handed monster in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, who combined for 61 points in the win.
A year ago, this new union did not find its form.
A new season has ushered in an elite tandem that is among the best in the NBA.
Lillard buried all 10 of his free throws, while the Greek Freak missed seven of his 18 attempts from the line.
As a team, the Raptors made a total of 24 trips to the charity stripe.
Chris Boucher had been on a roll and should have been allotted more minutes in Milwaukee, but he ended up playing 15 minutes and 16 seconds.
Rookie Jonathan Mogbo, who had just returned from a stint with the Raptors 905, was the first player off the bench.
Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk came off the bench to combine for 32 points as their trade value increased.
More than anything, Friday night’s visit to Fiserv Forum underscored the Raptors’ inconsistency, among other items.
A home date against Orlando looms Tuesday, a chance for the Raptors to make amends for a truly regrettable outing when the Magic, a team beset by injury that would lose Jalen Suggs in the opening half, visited Scotiabank Arena on Jan. 3, two nights after the Raptors played so well against the Nets.
Following their tip against Orlando, the Raptors will be back on the road for a back-to-back set against the Hawks knowing only one road win has been recorded this season.
Orlando lost its hold on the No. 4 seed in the East following a recent loss to the Bucks.
The Magic has since seen its position drop to the No. 7 seed in the wake of a surging Indiana Pacers team that has won eight of its past 10 games and with the Hawks residing in the No. 6 seed.
The Raptors aren’t particularly concerned about seeding, but playing with a consistent level of play is a must.
The woeful Washington Wizards, who play host to the Raptors next Wednesday, are the only team in the Eastern Conference with a worse winning percentage than Toronto, which sits at 10-32, including a hideous 1-19 road record.
The New Orleans Pelicans, which lost at home to Toronto, have won three in a row to improve, if such a word even applies, to 11-32.
Toronto and Utah have the second-fewest wins in the NBA.
Winning, needless to say, has been elusive for the Raptors, whose lottery odds improve with each defeat.
But a more consistent level is required.
January will soon flip to February, which will trigger the league’s trade deadline.
By now, there is no excuse to explain nights such as Friday, one of many inexcusable outings.
There should be no excuse for how poorly Barnes played on offence in the loss to the Bucks.
On most nights, Barnes should be the best player on the floor for either team.
It’s time he plays at a level befitting the franchise tag, a designation that does not have its merits.