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Published Dec 10, 2024 • Last updated 14 minutes ago • 4 minute read
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New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) drives past Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) and teammate Gradey Dick (1) during second half NBA basketball action in Toronto, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024. Photo by Nathan Denette /THE CANADIAN PRESS
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The Raptors wrapped up their five-game homestand Monday night when the New York Knicks paid a visit to Scotiabank Arena in the first meeting between the teams this season.
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With no other game on the NBA’s docket, all eyes were on the Raptors and Knicks, who staged a compelling game won by New York, 113-108, as Toronto lost its third straight to drop to 2-3 on its homestand.
Scottie Barnes’ third-quarter ankle injury stood out, but there were other takeaways on a night when five fourth-quarter giveaways by the Raptors proved costly.
KNICK OF TIME FOR RJ BARRETT
Drafted third overall by the Knicks, then to his hometown team a year ago this month, the RJ Barrett from the Big Apple bears little resemblance to the version currently starring for the Raptors.
With the Knicks, Barrett was asked to mainly spot up in the corner and heave shots. With the Raptors, he’s been able to expand his game and, on some nights, he takes on more of a ball-handling role.
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Monday marked the first time Barrett played his former team in Toronto. His numbers this season are better at home than on the road where the Raptors have won but once.
Barrett’s outing against the Knicks began well when he scored eight points in seven minutes. He would see the floor a total of 10 minutes in the opening quarter and looked comfortable and decisive when launching shots.
Of note were the zero turnovers committed by Barrett, who has been, at times, a bit too casual and sloppy with the basketball.
But when he’s playing downhill, Barrett is a true bucket-getter. On one sequence in the second quarter, he attacked the rim with aggression and scored on a nifty finger roll.
He then turned to facilitator in recording his second assist on the night then followed up the stretch by scoring his 15th point as the Raptors regained the lead to put an exclamation mark on a 13-0 run.
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The Barrett show continued when he controlled a miss by the Knicks, pushed the ball up the floor and should have had an assist had Ochai Agbaji drained an open three-ball from the corner.
Barrett went into the break by scoring 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting as the Raptors led, 61-60 at halftime. He emerged as Toronto’s lone starter to reach double figures in scoring in the first half
He made his first trip to the foul line with about three minutes left in the third quarter. He then converted an alley-oop pass from Ja’Kobe Walter into an emphatic flush and scored a game-high 30 points in the loss.
REVISITING THE TRADE
The first shoe to drop as the Raptors began their move into the Scottie Barnes era involved OG Anunoby.
With all due respect to Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn, the key piece that was jettisoned to New York in the trade was Anunoby. He has fit in well with the defensive-minded Knicks. On one possession Monday, he came out to block a Barnes three-point attempt.
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Much like Barrett, Anunoby’s offence has been able to showcased more often in New York. When left open in the corner, he will get his shot off with no hesitation.
For the record, Monday represented the first time Anunoby played the Raptors and he scored 14 points, but was just 2-for-9 from distance.
The one area to Anunoby’s game that has not changed from his time in Toronto is his inability, perhaps unwillingness, to take his man off the dribble and draw fouls. His first trip to the line was created when he came off a screen and was fouled by Barrett on a make. Anunoby missed the ensuing free throw.
What makes Anunoby so elite is his defence, which helped seal New York’s win when he recorded a clutch block late in the game.
Achiuwa, meanwhile, brings a size element to the Knicks. When he’s aggressive on the glass, he’ll score on put-backs. And every once a while he’ll even knock down a perimeter shot.
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Flynn, whom the Raptors took in the first round, was an add-on to make the finances work. New York flipped the point guard to Detroit.
The second player acquired by the Raptors was Immanuel Quickley, whose second season in Toronto has been plagued by injury. It’s been a month since Quickley hurt his elbow. While his status remains virtually unchanged, he is scheduled to undergo some follow-up imaging next week.
The nature of Quickley’s injury makes it virtually impossible to speculate when he’ll be back in the lineup. For now, the team is exercising patience, while Quickley is encouraging his teammates from the bench.
Without Quickley, the Raptors don’t have a true veteran point guard at their disposal. In the absence of a floor general, Barnes has been asked to orchestrate the offence. In the full court, Barrett’s ability to attack can be effective when he’s finding teammates in transition.
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Overall, the Raptors and Knicks are better following the trade, though one can argue the Raptors have actually done better because they did acquire two starters.
YOUTH BEING SERVED
Toronto’s young and inexperienced core has acquitted itself quite well.
One player who has really stood out of late is Walter, who scored a season’s-best 19 points on Monday. The way he’s played, it makes one wonder why the kid isn’t in the starting unit each night, at least until Quickley returns, though such a move, logically, would mean moving Agbaji to the second unit.
Witness Walter’s first half against the Knicks. He was aggressive and just as confident, scoring 14 points in 11 minutes.
He went 6-for-12 from the field, including 3-for-7 from distance. In the fourth quarter, he buried his third three-pointer of the game, was fouled on the make, but failed to complete the four-point play.
Regardless, it was a career-night for Walter, who scored a season-high 19 points and continues to impress.
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