Well that wasn’t pretty.
The Toronto Raptors got blown out by the Cleveland Cavaliers by 30 points in the first game of their 30th anniversary season.
The Raptors got off to a nice start, coming out with good energy and a strong defensive effort. However, a 19-5 Cavaliers run turned the game upside down.
The Raptors allowed 68 points in the paint and simply had no answer for Evan Mobley who dominated inside.
There weren’t too many bright spots for the Raptors other than Gradey Dick (16 points), Immanuel Quickley (13 points), Chris Boucher (18 points) and Jamal Shead (10 points) who played with a lot of heart.
It’s game 1 of 82 so you don’t want to make strong assumptions, but it’s clear to see that the Raptors lack talent and overall depth.
Scottie Barnes struggled mightily
Barnes had one of the worst games of his career. He came out flat and just did not seem motivated to play. Barnes finished with 9 points on 3-for-14 shooting from the field and 0-for-2 shooting from three. He was a -33 on the night. Barnes was unable to find any rhythm on offense and his poor body language was concerning. Barnes needs to be a lot better and needs to step up as the leader of this team, especially during tough games like this.
Immanuel Quickley leaves game early due to injury
Quickley got off to a good start in this game, but unfortunately he took a hard fall in the second quarter. He left the game with a right pelvic contusion and did not return. Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic said Quickley is very sore and he’ll get more testing done tomorrow. The Raptors are already without multiple rotation pieces so they can’t afford to lose another one.
Raptors bench is an issue
Raptors led 16-11 when Rajakovic began bringing in his bench players late in the first quarter and that’s when the Cavaliers went on their run. Chris Boucher had a solid performance with 18 points and Jamal Shead was a bright spot with 10 points. However, Davion Mitchell struggled from the field and Bruno Fernando did not play well. With Ja’Kobe Walter, Bruce Brown and Kelly Olynyk sidelined the Raptors are going to have a tough time leaning on its bench.
Next on tap
The Raptors will be in action once again on Oct. 25 when they host the Philadelphia 76ers.
They catch a bit of a break as Paul George and Joel Embiid are not expected to play. However, the Raptors will be shorthanded as well.
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