Sean Woodley here, the host of the daily Locked On Raptors podcast, with your daily Locked On Raptors newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Raptors and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
The transition breakdowns that cost the Raptors a win in Detroit
Nov 25, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey (23) receives congratulations from teammates after he makes a buzzer-beater to win the game against the Toronto Raptors in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski/Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images
Among the things that went wrong for the Raptors on Monday in Detroit, the offense is the headliner. Without Gradey Dick’s Jupiter-like off-ball gravity and three-point volume, Toronto scratched just 78.8 points/100 possessions out of their half court sets; numbers we haven’t seen since the peak (nadir?) of the Dennis Schroeder era. Offensive rebounds, and lots of ‘em, were the team’s only consistent avenue to buckets. Credit to the lunatic reserve crew and Scottie Barnes for the work they did to haul in 23 second chances, but an offense based entirely on your propensity for launching bricks is rarely gonna be a winning one.
It almost was on Monday, though. And were it not for a couple disastrous and frankly inexcusable breakdowns on the end at which Toronto was mostly fine all night, I’m probably writing a sonnet about the work of Chris Boucher this morning. Instead, we’re looking at the two sleepy moments of transition D that cost Toronto its first road win of the season.
The first was a real two-way gut-punch. With the score 95-94 with just over two minutes to go, Scottie Barnes and Jakob Poeltl perfectly executed one of their devastating close-quarter pick and rolls. Barnes snaking, Poeltl Gortat-screening all manner of Pistons out of his way, creating a bunny that Barnes hits 9 times out of 10.
It’s heavy, and Detroit surges the other way.
Even with odd numbers, there’s a world in which the Raptors curtail the break and give Barnes and Poeltl enough time to get back into the play. But RJ Barrett somehow misses Ausar Thompson running coast-to-coast, right past him and to the rim, where he catches and scores before Barrett even know what’s happened.
Now, that one maybe ends in a bucket no matter what. Tobias Harris, the fifth Piston, joins the play before Barnes or Poeltl track back from their position deep under the Pistons’ hoop. The odds say that’s probably a score to put Detroit up 96-95 regardless, though Barrett’s standing nap certainly expedited the process.
More baffling was the late-game Isaiah Stewart unimpeded jaunt to a game-tying jam that set the stage for Jaden Ivey’s walk-off winner on Detroit’s next trip. I’ve watched it like 40 times, and I’m still seething!
This sequence starts with one of Barrett’s handful of troubled interior attempts in the game, which we’ll spare him the indignity of covering in written from today. Things look OK to start. Toronto’s got the numbers edge. Barrett and Poeltl get back quickly. And yet...
It all goes haywire when both Jamison Battle and Davion Mitchell step up to stop ball — something Battle, who was otherwise very good in this game, has no business doing with a Pistons guard handling and Mitchell, the guard-stopper guy, there and ready. Barnes, tracking back kind of listlessly himself doesn’t have the time to cover for Battle’s erroneous step, and Beef Stew beats everyone to the cup, like a savvy traveler on an airport conveyor-belt leaving the Raptors hoofin’ it like schmucks in his dust.
This is Young Team Stuff in its purest form. We’ve seen it before from these Raptors and we’ll surely see it again. That they hang in most of their games, win or lose, is absolutely a good thing. If nothing else, these are incredibly valuable reps for a team that needs ‘em.
It’s also why they’re 2-7 in “clutch” games as defined by NBA.com (within 5 points with 5 minutes or less to play), sporting the 22nd-best NET Rating in such situations.
They’ll learn and be better for these experiences. But that only offers so much solace the more games get lost to these types of unforced errors.
—
Today on the podcast I went solo to break down the Toronto Raptors’ loss to Detroit, with thoughts on offensive rebounding, Scottie Barnes & more! Enjoy the show.
Giannis Antetokounmpo improves on greatness, again
Giannis, Damian Lillard and Brook Lopez lead the way for the Bucks in 2024
Our modern relationship with the concept of greatness is a strange thing. Certainly in NBA basketball, but even more broadly, we like to hold greatness up to its lack. Less readily do we accept greatness at face value, or allow for greatness to simply stand on its own. It needs a backdrop of failure, and maybe because of that, it is failure we’ve become better at discussing. When greatness persists, or proves to have staying power, it feels almost dull. We want greatness to come with persistent conflict, and we want our greats to prove it, again and again.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a prime modern example.
Over the weekend, Antetokounmpo made history. He became the NBA athlete to record the most 30-point games in a decade, beating out the obvious candidates of Steph Curry and LeBron James. That’s over 262 games with 30-plus-points. So far this season, he’s been averaging 32.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game, and shooting field goals at a 60.8% accurate clip. These numbers are staggering and yet, at a glance around discussion on the season, you’d think they were hum-drum.
Truth be told, conversation about the Bucks and Antetokounmpo seemed more engaged when both struggled early in the season. Those favourite, swirling questions of will-he-or-won’t-he be traded, or force a trade, rose with aplomb. A championship calibre team doing badly is always news, sure, but when its championship calibre superstar pushes through the struggles to virtually carry the team, we tend to turn our attention elsewhere.
Maybe it’s because the thing that’s given Antetokounmpo another gear this season — rediscovering the mid-range — is a part of the floor not as exciting as the three-point range teams like the Celtics are bombing from, but the bump has been drastic. Last season Antetokounmpo shot 35.1% from the mid-range and thus far this season he’s converting 47.8% of his mid-range attempts (of which he’s doubled, 2.4 to 4.3).
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Preview Emirates NBA Cup play continues this week — here’s what lies ahead for all teams. (NBA)
Roster Before the 2025 NBA Draft, get familiar with 10 international prospects. (ESPN)
Watch Scottie Barnes delivered a stellar performance, but the Toronto Raptors suffered a painful loss at the buzzer against the Detroit Pistons. Catch the highlights and key moments of the game. (Raptors HQ)
Rumor The Toronto Raptors’ mailbag discusses potential trades, playoff hopes, and other hot topics circulating around the team. Dive into the latest rumors and fan questions. (Sports Illustrated)
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Monday’s Fantasy Basketball Recap - Hamstrings Strike In Orlando
Nov 23, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) shoots during the second half against the Detroit Pistons at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters/Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Monday’s NBA action brought a whirlwind of performances, injuries, and strategic moves that could significantly impact your fantasy basketball lineup. Here are the major takeaways from the day, focusing on what’s most relevant for fantasy managers.
Injury Updates and Player Returns
- Devin Vassell is expected back on Wednesday, which is great news for those who have been patient with his knee issues. Meanwhile, Jordan Clarkson is out for Utah, creating opportunities for players like Colin Sexton and Isaiah Collier to step up. Keep an eye on Johnny Juzang as a potential deep-league add.
- Gary Harris suffered a hamstring injury, which could open up more minutes for Cole Anthony and Anthony Black. With Jalen Suggs also dealing with a hamstring issue, these players could see increased roles.
Waiver Wire Trends
- Moussa Diabate has become a hot commodity following Grant Williams’ injury. While Diabate’s scoring is limited, his defensive stats make him a valuable short-term add.
- Malcolm Brogdon is worth considering for streaming, though his long-term value remains uncertain. Similarly, Ty Jerome had a standout performance, but his shooting percentages are unlikely to be sustainable.
- Naji Marshall and T.J. McConnell are sensible additions given the current absences in their respective teams. McConnell, in particular, could provide solid assists and steals with several key players out.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Raptors podcasts.
Monday — Raptors fall to Rockets for 7th-straight loss, but the sky ain’t falling Sean goes solo to talk about the Raptors’ 114-110 loss to Houston, Scottie Barnes’ recent struggles and why they’re probably nothing to be too alarmed about, Ja’Kobe Walter’s career-high and more!
Dec 17 — Raptors comeback vs. Chicago falls short; Jakob Poeltl hurt Sean and Vivek Jacob recap the Toronto Raptors 122-121 loss to the Chicago Bulls, discuss what Jakob Poeltl’s injury means and more.
Dec 16 — Raptors Trade Season Primer! Sean is joined by Joseph Casciaro (The Score) to preview the NBA’s trade season from the Raptors perspective, from Jakob Poeltl being too important to trade, to what the Raptors can get for their pending free agents and more!
