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The BBQ trio needs to be better, and so does the Raptors’ defense
Jan 6, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic watches the play against the Milwaukee Bucks during the fourth quarter at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images | Nick Turchiaro/Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
Five minutes in, the long-awaited reunion of the fully healthy Raptors was a rip-roaring good time. Scottie Barnes was throwing down windmills and guarding the crap out of Giannis Antetokounmpo, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley were trading off turns running slick pick-and-rolls with Jakob Poeltl, and all felt normal in the world.
And then the rest of the basketball game unfolded, the team’s starting lineup got carved, as did everyone else, and the same rancid aroma that’s festered around the team for the last month wafted through Scotiabank Arena once again.
For the more spiral-prone corners of this Definitely Chill and Non-Reactionary fan base, this was a confirmation that the struggles of the last month weren’t about injuries or illness, but rather a deep and untreatable rot at the core of the Raptors’ rebuild.
That’s dumb, of course.
As eyerolly as you may have been listening to Darko Rajaković's post-game assessment of the team’s play, where he noted the team’s need for some time in the incubator now that all hands are available, he’s not totally wrong. Basketball, you might have heard, is a team sport. Familiarity, comfort, trust — these are all essential things that take time to forge; time the best players on this team simply haven’t been granted.
“I want to learn what the group can bring, how they’re going to start jelling with each other,” said the coach before Monday’s game. “And it’s not going to be one night. It’s not going to be one game. You’ll need time for those guys to start clicking. But definitely very excited to see all of the guys.”
One game, be it a blowout loss, narrow decision or kick-ass win, was never going to tell us what kind of juice this team has. That’s what these next couple months are for. Some of these guys’ future prospects will be measured in years.
All that said, too much more of what we saw as the healthy Raptors got absolutely punked by the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night in the weeks and months to come, and the alarmists will have some grounds for their doom-saying.
This team needs better ideas on defense. I’m by no means someone who thinks a coaching shake-up is the fix for the Raptors’ ills; it’s a talent and youth issue more than anything else right now. But something just ain’t working on the defensive end, and if things don’t stabilize some time soon, it could snowball into the type of glaring problem that ingrains itself in the team’s culture, and even costs people jobs in the summertime.
You can’t really control for shooting variance. Teams are just gonna shoot the lights out sometimes. You also can’t do much but live through and accept the mistakes of youth. Rookies and second year guys are gonna screw the pooch in coverage sometimes, it’s just the way she goes.
Gameplanning, though? There’s a little more agency to that. Same as there is when it comes to basic things like “not defending like Matt Thomas” for dudes who while maybe not super gifted defensively, are not Matt Thomas, who is needlessly catching strays right now.
I get, Giannis is a monster. He’s a magnet for help, even if you’re off ball guarding a good shooter. It’s what makes him one of the best players alive. But if you’re going to send two or three his way, there needs to be a little creativity to it. Helping off the strong-side corner, or hopelessly digging in to help when a good shooter is one rudimentary pass away aren’t going to cut it with even the most ho-hum play makers, let alone an MVP in set-up mode.
Selling out to double or triple Antetokounmpo when you’ve got no one suitable to try and slow him straight up makes some sense, especially if you’re dialed in on your recovery rotations, which the Raptors were very much not on Monday.
Thing is, Scottie Barnes, whose individual defensive leap has gone a little under the radar as the team has hemorrhaged big point totals, was about as stout against Giannis on Monday as any Raptor this side of Marc Gasol has been in the last decade. And yet, the double and (fail to) recover M.O. was deployed more or less the whole night through, powering Giannis’ 11-point, 12-rebound, 13-assist triple-double.
You make the game that simple for a dude that good, you’re toast.
As much as Rajaković has instilled some well-adhered to offensive principles into the team, he’s yet to really outline a sound plan for how Toronto is gonna get stops. That’s not to say he can’t get there. Coaches, like players, can evolve, and the revolving door of available guys along with a defense-bare roster haven’t exactly helped him lock in on a set design for the defense. But this is a team that yields the 28th-most corner threes and 24th-most rim shots as a percentage of the total looks taken against them in the league, and sports the 24th-ranked opponent shot quality per Cleaning the Glass. This isn’t like on offense where the Raps get high quality looks and just can’t convert; they give up the wrong kinds of shots, and they’re bad at contesting them.
I’m way less alarmed by the offense. Yeah, it’s looked pretty janky over the last two, but the skillsets on hand between the BBQ boys, Poeltl and Dick are too complementary for things to not look more cohesive, and probably soon. Right now, it seems like everyone’s operating in their own silos — an IQ or Barrett pick-and-roll here, a Scottie mid-range turnaround there. Once the team’s best actions start flowing into one another as they did when the core was healthy last year, the Darko Ball Machine should rise again.
And exactly none of it will matter if the defense can’t get itself on the rails. They don’t need to be great, or even good if the offense can churn out points like it can and should. But it certainly can’t be the doormat its been of late and hope to avoid the pitchfork-wielding mob for much longer.
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Today on the podcast Vivek Jacob joined me to talk about the loss to the Bucks, first impressions of the healthy starting five, the defense and much more! Enjoy the show!
Have we already seen a Finals preview to start 2025?
Jan 5, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) shoots the ball over Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the fourth quarter at Paycom Center. | Alonzo Adams/Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
It’s just one game, I whisper to myself, as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander launches a three with lofty clearance over Jrue Holiday.
It’s just one game, I say, shaking my head as if to clear it when Isaiah Joe on a fastbreak flings the ball around Sam Hauser in hot pursuit, giving Hauser a ring of Saturn in basketball form for a split second, to Aaron Wiggins, shadowing them, for a tidy pop-up shot.
It’s just one game, I say, voice rising, whenGilgeous-Alexander pins the ball, barely out of Tatum’s hand, against the backboard for a block and then, immediately at the other end, lobs it to Isaiah Hartenstein for a dunk.
Sunday’s match between the Thunder and Celtics was just one game, and it’s only just January, but the contest showed what could very believably be a Finals preview. It also showed how OKC can aim to beat Boston in a series.
The Celtics are a machine, and like a machine, they are mechanical. Their dominance comes through the intuitive, expert understanding of what they are good at and how to deploy it, and what they are good at is launching threes. In Sunday’s game, the Celtics took 46 3-pointers. While they only made nine of them (for comparison, the Thunder were 16-of-38 from three), Boston is still shooting the most from deep in the league — sometimes as any as 20 more than their opponents over the course of a game.
The teams that are seeing success in recent wins over the Celtics aren’t necessarily attempting to limit Boston’s three-point attempts. With so many players capable of shooting the three ball it’s a futile effort and expends a lot of wasted energy. What they are doing, and what the Thunder did, is find ways to momentarily jam the machines.
The Thunder moved the ball more, they pressured Boston in the midrange and under the basket, they looked for any gap in the machine’s cogs they could wedge themselves into. Boston used to be way more susceptible to flustering, they abhorred a team that played a messy, gritty, or in any way abrasive style. It’s why the Heat have been so good at beating them in the postseason, because those Miami teams stopped at nothing to make things miserable and didn’t mind playing knee deep in the muck.
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
Replay The Toronto Raptors struggled against the Milwaukee Bucks, with Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the charge for the opposing team. The game ended in a 128-104 defeat for the Raptors. (Raptors HQ)
Preview The upcoming week for the Toronto Raptors includes matchups against the Bucks, Knicks, Cavaliers, and Pistons. Key players and strategies will be crucial as they navigate this challenging schedule. (Raptors HQ)
Roster The Toronto Raptors are set to waive center Bruno Fernando ahead of the contract guarantee date. This move aims to create roster flexibility as the team approaches critical points in the season. (Sports Illustrated)
Analysis The Toronto Raptors had their first look at a full-strength roster in their loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. This game provided insights into team chemistry and areas needing improvement. (Sports Illustrated)
Rumor As the NBA trade deadline approaches, speculation surrounds potential trade moves for the Toronto Raptors. Bold predictions suggest significant changes could be on the horizon. (Bleacher Report)
Analysis In crucial moments, determining who would take the final shot in a Game 7 is critical. For the Raptors, this decision highlights player trust and strategic planning. (Bleacher Report)
Jan 5, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Utah Jazz guard Brice Sensabaugh (28) is interviewed by Seg Media reporter, Lauren Green following a game against the Orlando Magic at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images | Russell Lansford/Russell Lansford-Imagn Images
One of the most intriguing developments on Sunday came from the Utah Jazz, where rookie Brice Sensabaugh has suddenly burst onto the scene with a scoring explosion.
Sensabaugh dropped 27 points against the Orlando Magic, following up a 34-point performance in his previous outing. That’s a staggering 61 points over two games for a player who had been largely off the fantasy radar. His usage rate has skyrocketed to over 30% in these contests, and he’s been scorching hot from beyond the arc, hitting 12 of 17 three-point attempts.
However, before we rush to add Sensabaugh in all leagues, it’s crucial to examine the context of his breakout. The Jazz were missing several key players, including Lauri Markkanen, John Collins, and Jordan Clarkson. This opened up a significant opportunity for Sensabaugh to showcase his scoring prowess.
The sustainability of Sensabaugh’s production is questionable. His three-point shooting percentage is bound to regress, and when the Jazz get healthier, his minutes and usage are likely to decrease. That said, he’s shown enough to warrant consideration as a streaming option in deeper leagues, particularly when Utah is shorthanded.
Click the button below for more insights, including another Thunder player to keep an eye on for your fantasy roster.
Don’t let these episodes pass you by — stay locked in with the latest Locked On Raptors podcasts.
Thursday — Raptors take down Celtics for best win of the season Sean goes solo talk about the Raptors’ taking down the Boston Celtics 110-97 on Wednesday night for their best win of the season to date, and digs into the play of Scottie Barnes, Gradey Dick and RJ Barrett in the victory.
Wednesday — Why do the Raptors stink in the clutch, and Dylan Harper vs. Ace Bailey Sean goes solo to field listener questions in a mailbag edition of the show! Topics include Chris Boucher, crunch time struggles, the pair of star prospects at Rutgers, the future of the front office and more!
Tuesday — You can only hope to contain Chris Boucher! Raptors take down Warriors 104-101.
Sean is joined by Vivek Jacob to talk about the Raptors taking down the Golden State Warriors on Monday on the back of a thrilling 17-point fourth quarter by Chris Boucher. He’s a maniac!
