The Toronto Raptors dropped a close one to a feisty Detroit Pistons team, 123-114.
Immanuel Quickley impresses
Immanuel Quickley continues to solidify himself as the Raptors starting point guard of the future. Quickley put up 25 points in 32 minutes of action. He has asserted himself after missing extended time. Going back to his New York Knicks days, Quickley was known for his scoring and that is desperately needed to accompany Scottie Barnes. To have Quickley step up as sometimes the no. 1 option provides some diversity for the Raptors offense going forward.
Bench depth emerging
Toronto’s bench has been subpar up to this point of the season. Injuries have plagued the Raptors this year, but it is not an excuse for the lack of production from the bench. However, Chris Boucher is seemingly upping his trade value. He had another solid outing, putting up 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the field and 4-for-5 shooting from deep. The same can be said for Bruce Brown as he returned recently from a nagging knee injury. Brown put up 14 points and 5 rebounds on 6-for-9 shooting from the field. Although it may not be perfect, having at least two players step up to accommodate the starters would be ideal moving forward.
Defensive struggles
The Detroit Pistons are not the team they were last year. With more veteran pieces surrounding Cade Cunningham, the Pistons are starting to play winning basketball. Tim Hardaway Jr. led Detroit with 27 points, drilling 7 three-pointers in eight attempts. If the Raptors want to have a serious defense, they cannot have role players light them up. Tobias Harris chipped in with 17 points and Malik Beasley put up 18 points. If Toronto wants to take a leap, there needs to be some sort of resistance on the perimeter. Frankly, their starters do not have the necessary toughness with Gradey Dick, RJ Barrett and Quickley being up and down defensively. Rebuilding teams tend to be invested in offense, but defense is something the Raptors need to improve in.
Next on tap
The Raptors return to Scotiabank Arena to take on the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 13, which will kick off a mini two-game homestand.
Have you subscribed to the Raptors Nation YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
