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 they couldn’t recover quick enough and 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.

Considering Powell didn’t find out if he was eligible to play in the game due to an inconclusive COVID-19 test, it’s understandable if he was a little off. He said he hadn’t practiced in two or three days because of the outstanding test, though didn’t want to blame COVID protocols for his underwhelming shooting night.

“I did everything right in terms of following the protocol, making sure that I was good, I was safe. People around me were safe. But still, you can get caught up in inconclusive tests and whatnot,” Powell said. “It was kind of frustrating, you know, to sit out the important days leading up to the game. Just being at home, hoping, wishing, praying that you know, you get cleared just to be able to get a workout in before. It was tough.”

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.

“He made the right plays, they had a lot of guys step in and make shots off his kick-outs, which certainly helps those assist numbers,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “He made the right plays, he was good tonight. He was under control. He made some tough one-on-one buckets. when we didn’t get up and guard him, he made us pay from the three.”

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.

“I’m getting back to just running and attacking, making plays and stuff, so I felt good about it,” he said. “I think for the most part I like what I brought and obviously we need to get better as a team and for me individually too.”

His most impressive stretch on Wednesday night came midway through the third quarter when he made a pair of really impressive kick-out 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. 

“I think once you become a scorer like he is you’re going to have to play make just because they’re going to send multiple defenders to you,” Nurse said of Siakam. “I think he’s getting better at that. And I really do. I thought he made some good plays.”

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.