10 things: Thrust into a primary role, Anunoby delivers mixed results

Here are 10 takeaways from the Toronto Raptors‘ 99-95 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

1. The Raptors performed better in this loss than in any game during their six-game win streak: Despite being short two starters, the Raptors were able to hold a lead over the Suns most of the way, and lost by just one possession despite shooting an abysmal 8-for-37 from three to go along with 10 missed foul shots.

The Raptors’ defensive intensity was immense, holding the Suns’ top players all under 20 points each, while also winning the possession battle by a landslide with a 22-10 edge in offensive rebounds and 20-14 in turnovers. It confirms this Raptors team that has found its stride at the midway point of the season, and with the right additions and a clean bill of health, they should be expected to make the playoffs.

[radioclip id=5271911]

2. The lack of shooting from Toronto was glaringly obvious: The Suns double teamed the Raptors’ main players knowing full well that the supporting cast is unable to capitalize, and they were absolutely right. Toronto built a double-digit lead in the first half, only for Yuta Watanabe to brick two open jumpers and rim out on a dunk.

In the fourth quarter, the Suns took the lead by ignoring OG Anunoby, Khem Birch, and Precious Achiuwa, who all had clean looks from three that would not drop. Only two players made threes for the Raptors, and they were two of the most covered players (Anunoby and Fred VanVleet). This is the weakness of the team, and what will ultimately limit the Raptors in games against mature opponents who know how to effectively take away the paint.

3. VanVleet definitely has the attention of Suns coach Monty Williams: Before the game, Williams was effusive in his praise for the reigning Eastern Conference player of the week, saying that VanVleet was playing as well as anyone in the league of late, and then extended that message to his players. Phoenix limited VanVleet’s production (21 points on 7-for-18 shooting) by sending a third defender at him on the pick-and-roll, while also selling out to run him off the line repeatedly. This was on top of shuffling their assignments to have stringy six-foot-eight wing Mikal Bridges on the primary VanVleet assignment, while also running a fair bit of zone coverages to ensure the point guard didn’t have any daylight to shoot.

The Raptors exhausted precious seconds on the shot clock to shuffle screens around to get Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton involved on defence, and in the few moments where the Suns slipped up, VanVleet was opportunistic with his shot making, but Phoenix was disciplined in its execution. Of course, it’s always easier to double or triple team when other players aren’t threats from deep, but that’s where the Raptors need to spend more time in practice on how to counter these schemes.

[radioclip id=5272099]

4. Pascal Siakam was the primary creator with VanVleet being blanketed: Siakam saw a fair share of double teams as well, but was still able to get downhill and impact the paint. He shot over the top of most of Phoenix’s wing stoppers, matched the physicality of Jae Crowder, and was able to elude the shot contests at the basket with a variety of spin moves and side steps in the lane. The only part that wasn’t clicking for Siakam was the outside shot, where he was 0-for-5 despite being left open most times. His mid-range game has been sharp — outside of one key miss in the final minute — but he remains inconsistent from three, which is the only missing part of his package. On the whole, it’s been encouraging to see Siakam in this 1B role next to VanVleet, where he can pick his spots and end up flirting with triple doubles so long as his teammates make some outside shots.

some fans are so fickle with pascal. he kept them in the game. 22-7-7 and +6 in 39 minutes. https://t.co/HCwXGLpcbv

— William Lou (@william_lou) January 12, 2022

5. Siakam being whistled for his fifth foul was a key turning point: Siakam closed out effectively in the corner to block Landry Shamet’s three-point attempt, but Shamet slyly left his leg out to create contact and Siakam was dinged for the play. The Raptors were forced to burn their challenge earlier in the half when Devin Booker tried the same move on Anunoby, so coach Nick Nurse had to take out Siakam. Not only did Shamet get three erroneous free throws, the Raptors also had to play without Siakam for a key four-minute stretch where the Suns took the lead while Toronto to generate anything other than offensive rebounds on offence. Siakam’s eventual return steadied the offence to some degree, but momentum had already swung back towards Phoenix.

[snippet id=5244712]

6. Anunoby was pressed into a primary role to mixed results: VanVleet and Siakam were seeing doubles, while Scottie Barnes and Gary Trent Jr. were unavailable, which meant that Anunoby was the only one who had the chance to play in isolation.

Anunoby looked shaky under pressure, however, especially with Booker nudging him and taking away his space. Anunoby failed to seal his man, which resulted in turnovers and deflections forcing resets, and when he did get a chance to face up and attack, he looked hurried and loose with the ball. Anunoby had a similar effect on Booker on the other end, but it did show a limitation of Anunoby’s game where he still has more room to grow. The shot making and strength on the ball are positive elements, but Anunoby needs more reps and experience on how to command the situation when he is isolating.

7. Chris Boucher’s hustle was sensational: Boucher collected nine offensive rebounds, which directly led to a handful of putbacks and free throws, but his best play was late in the fourth where he blocked Paul. The Raptors had been caught scrambling after the Suns secured an offensive rebound, and the ball found its way to Paul who was all alone on the wing.

But in the time it took for him to raise his arms and put the shot up, Boucher had somehow recovered from a step inside of halfcourt to swat Paul’s three in the corner. Keep in mind that it was Boucher’s all-out effort which forced the first miss from Crowder, and this was in his 36th minute of the game having played the entire fourth up until that point. Boucher revealed after the game that he’s watching Dennis Rodman tape of late, which showed on his boxscore with a Rodman-esque tally of 16 rebounds and three blocks.

[snippet id=5218362]

8. As well as Boucher has played of late, the Raptors need to find some shooting from their bigs: The Suns flat-out ignored Achiuwa and Birch stepping out for three in the fourth, not even moving an inch towards the closeout as they were content to let them shoot knowing full well that they would not make it. Boucher has more of a history making threes, but he’s been below 20 per cent all season.

The Raptors are also compounding the problem by playing two-centre lineups consistently, which is helping them win the possession battle, but with little to show for it. On one sequence in the fourth, the Raptors snagged three offensive rebounds in a row, only to end their fourth trip on a turnover where Phoenix got out on the break for an and-one.

9. The other major area of need is for a backup guard: The Raptors essentially only have two contributing guards in VanVleet and Trent Jr., so if either of them miss time, Toronto is in trouble. Even when they are both healthy, the Raptors still need some minutes from their reserves, who are just determined to give nothing. Watanabe got the surprise start and was 0-for-4 from the field in 15 empty minutes. Svi Mykhailiuk was even worse, coming in for seven minutes to do nothing besides attempting a wildly ambitious putback dunk that rimmed out.

It’s almost impossible to get zero made threes from the shooting guard position in the modern game, and yet the Raptors are in danger of that each time Trent Jr. sits. The Raptors don’t need to make a short-term move to boost this current team — they need a long-term solution because it’s the weakest spot on the roster that will continue to plague them moving forward.

10. Justin Champagnie won’t be denied for much longer: Champagnie’s effort was remarkable, collecting five offensive rebounds in a 10-minute shift. Champagnie is so clever in how he attacks the glass, working to get early position and rooting out the defender to be first to the ball, and he takes a similarly smart approach on defence where he managed to pick Paul’s handle. The only issue is that Champagnie is also a non-shooter despite his best efforts to improve, but rarely does he not find another way to contribute. The faster he finds consistency from deep, the sooner Nurse will put him in the rotation.

[relatedlinks]