Cold 3rd Quarter Costs Raptors in Opener

The Toronto Raptors are back.

That means we get to talk about shooting variance! Sometimes basketball is just a make or miss game and the Raptors certainly saw that in Wednesday night’s season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans. It’s not quite that simple, but an 0-for-10 3-point shooting third quarter on mostly open shots certainly swayed the game, lifting the Pelicans to a come-from-behind 113-99 victory.

It shouldn’t be a surprise when JJ Redick lights up the scoreboard from behind the arc, but when Eric Bledsoe starts nailing 3-pointers, that’s when you’re in trouble. The Raptors let him shoot from deep, leaving him open to double team on the ball. But he made them pay all while Raptors shooters struggled to find the net from deep. Norman Powell and OG Anunoby combined to go 1-for-11 from deep.

The most impressive performance of the night came from the reigning Most Improved Player award winner Brandon Ingram. He showed a lot of what the Raptors are hoping Pascal Siakam can show this season, scoring from every level while playmaking at an elite level. He finished the night with 24 points, 11 assists, and nine rebounds.

Considering Raptors assistant coach Chris Finch helped develop Ingram with the Pelicans last season, it’s not out of the question that Siakam’s playmaking gets there this year.

Pascal Siakam Playmaking

Speaking of which, Siakam’s playmaking was actually pretty impressive on Wednesday night even if it didn’t show up in the box score. 

He looked as good as he has in a very long time. He got back to attacking the rim without forcing up unnecessary shots. His most impressive stretch on Wednesday night came midway through the third quarter when he made a pair of really impressive kickout passes to find Anunoby for wide open 3-point looks. Unfortunately for Siakam, Anunoby couldn’t sink either shot, costing him a pair of assists. 

That kind of playmaking is something the Raptors have said they’re looking for from Siakam this year. Learning when to pass out of the double team instead of taking it himself will be a big key for the Raptors this season. Against the Pelicans, he seemed to make the right decision regularly.

He finished the night with a team-high 20 points and six assists.

Up Next: San Antonio

The Raptors will have a few days off before hitting the road to take on DeMar DeRozan and the San Antonio Spurs at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.