It was finally time for Toronto Raptors fans to get their first taste of the projected starting lineup for the season. Visiting a familiar foe in the Boston Celtics for their second-last game of the preseason, the combination of Barnes, Quickley, Ingram, Poeltl and Barrett stepped out on the floor together for the first of what will hopefully be many games.
There shouldn’t be much of an expectation that they should already look in midseason form at this point, but the first few possessions looked rough. Miscommunications and missed shots were their biggest pitfalls, something that can only be fixed with repetitions. The identity of the Raptors is starting to take hold though, because despite every mistake, effort and defence are everything to this squad. That mindset helped them work their way back into the game, tying and leading at several points before falling to the Celtics 108-110 in another well-fought preseason matchup.
Brandon Ingram (20 points 11 rebounds), RJ Barrett (17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists), and Immanuel Quickley (14 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists) were Toronto’s top performers. For Boston, Derek White was, without argument, their best player tonight. Finishing with 33 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists, he helped anchor and lead their offence, ultimately handing Boston the win.
Even without Tatum, the Celtics came out swinging. High screen plays and long range shooting helped elevate Boston above the Raptors early. They were able to assert dominance in the paint, led by Neemias Queta, winning extra possessions in the opening minutes. A 19-7 lead for the Celtics was a bit discouraging.
Despite their shortcomings defending beyond the arc, Toronto’s transition game looked comfortable. As soon as they gathered a defensive rebound, guys were able to get to their spots in the open court and move downhill quickly. This created a lot of opportunities for Toronto, letting them chip away at Boston.
The Raptors were able to get within a possession or two numerous times, but Boston was crafty and continued to go with what worked. Relying on actions initiated from a high screen and swinging the ball for more long range shooting continued to work for them, drawing away each time Toronto made it close.
In the fourth, the benches cleared with Boston comfortably in the lead. In the fashion we have come to expect, the bench Raps’ grittiness on the defensive end won them extra possessions. Full court press, active hands, running a trap, and then finally a 24-shot clock violation gave them the final chance to tie up the game. Battle answered the call and drilled a shot from well outside the 3-point line, but a miscue on the final possession allowed Boston to finally close the door.
After struggling in late-game situations last year, this string of preseason games have been kind of encouraging to watch. Although largely fuelled by defence, the Raptors have still found a way to get their own shots. Although not on the floor in the final few minutes, the best example of this is Ingram.
Leading the scoring for the Raptors tonight with 20, BI was a huge piece of the offence. It’s hard not to see that he’s brought something we haven’t seen a lot lately. Last year, Toronto often struggled to score, going through droughts at times with no one to rely on to consistently get the ball in the basket.
Ingram is showing more than flashes of being the guy who’s able to do this though. A smooth jumper, the ability to shoot over guys with his size, and finish at the rim all while maintaining efficiency is a feat. More importantly though, these are parts of his game that the Raptors desperately needed.
It may be a little premature, but it wouldn’t be surprising if we see more of this from Ingram when the Raptors most need it.
Ultimately, this could be the key. Now they have time to play together, to build chemistry, and to refine their defence. But they also now have a scorer that can help them prevent droughts, and suddenly games are looking a lot more winnable.