It was one of the more gutting Raptors losses in memory — and there have been many.
Whether in the arena or watching from home, it was clear that the Raptors and their crowd were completely deflated by the Cleveland Cavaliers by the second half, fuelled by LeBron James‘ 43 point (19-28 shooting!), 14 assist decimation.
And while plenty pointed to the positive takeaways of a heartbreaking Game 1 — the Raptors missed shots they normally make! LeBron wasn’t that good! — those voices were gone by Friday morning. Here’s a roundup of reactions, takeaways, analysis, and more than a few eulogies from non-local media following Toronto’s 128-110 Game 2 loss:
Barkley: I’ve never been more disappointed in a team
Inside the NBA‘s Charles Barkley has been probably the most vocal proponent of the Raptors throughout the season of any talking head on a major U.S. media outlet. He was steadfast in picking the Raps to advance past the Cavaliers, and, like many Toronto fans, thought that this year’s team was different than in years past.
And, like many Toronto fans, Barkley couldn’t hide his disappointment in what he saw from the team on Thursday night:
“I’ve been in this business 18 years,” Barkley said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more disappointed in a team than I am right now.”
His co-hort Shaquille O’Neal pointed at Kevin Love’s 31-point performance as a difference-maker for Cleveland, and the crew debated what needs no debate: whether or not LeBron James has a Jedi mind grip on the Raptors:
ESPN.com — LeBron puts on clinic as Cavaliers school Raptors
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst breaks down a monster night from James and highlights how the Raptors could do nothing to stop him:
The Raptors shot 60 percent in the first half and had a two-point lead. But James made a jumper just before the half when the Raptors backed off of him and challenged him to shoot. As he walked down the hallway from the floor to the visitors locker room, James ran into his agent, Rich Paul.
“I know what I have to do now,” James told Paul. “I’ve just got to focus on it. I’ve got it.”
…Then James went to posting up and put on a clinic that morphed into a demoralizing display of skill. He made seven fadeways, burning Raptors defenders Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby repeatedly. It was tied for the most fadeaways in a playoff game in the past 15 years, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
The Raptors contested 26 of James’ 28 shots overall, but he made 17 of them.
Cue the pile-on
Many media brand social media channels took deserved barbs at the Raptors following their Game 2 loss, creating ‘Baby Dino’ memes, openly laughing at DeMar DeRozan stating after the fact that he and his team responds well to adversity (after demonstrating the opposite), and making one of several “LeBron owns Toronto jokes.”
And of course, there were no shortage of Drake-infused barbs:
The Ringer — What Comes Next on the Raptors’ Darkest Timeline?
The Ringer’s Paolo Uggetti isn’t concerned with the rest of the series, and already looks ahead to the next step in the Raptors’ plan. Turns out the answers aren’t so easy to come by. If you thought the Raptors faced tough decisions heading into last off-season…
Just a month ago, [Dwane Casey] was a strong contender for Coach of the Year, and he could win the award given that voting is long over. Toronto has stood by him through all of the depressing playoff exits, but being outmaneuvered by Ty freaking Lue, whose team was remade a few months ago, may end his tenure. If they can’t come back, it’ll be time for Casey to go.
…The problem for the Raptors is that they’re locked into Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, each on max contracts. (The former’s contract expires in 2020, the latter’s in 2021.) The good news: This season showcased their young players and the organization’s ability to develop raw talent. OG Anunoby had a great rookie year and is only 20. Jakob Poeltl is 22. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet are 24 and Delon Wright is 26. All of them could be assets to package in a trade for a third star to pair alongside DeRozan and Lowry.
LeBron ‘demoralized’ Raptors:
“They’re done,” ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith said bluntly of the Raptors’ season. “They’re finished.”
NBA.com — LeBron James calls his shots, gives performance that ‘drains’ Toronto Raptors
NBA.com’s Steve Aschburner takes a look at James’s shot selection, his ability to counter Dwane Casey’s defensive schemes, and the demoralizing affect it had on the Raptors.
…James was a) anticipating some defensive switches by Toronto that would allow him the clean looks at the basket he got, b) challenging himself by dialing up the degree of difficulty of his attempts or c) preparing to cut the heart out of the Raptors and their fans with a barrage so staggering as to drain any fight for what’s left of the series.
…The days of daring James to shoot jumpers are long past, though that might still be the tactic of last resort. He is unstoppable on the move, a sure-fire “and one” at the rim and the equivalent of the old-school bangers in the post.
So, you get him to turn his back 15 feet or more away from the basket, stick tight as he turns and fires in one motion from various points on floor, and hope for the best.
Pity the Raptors, who were saddled with the worst. James finished with 43 points on 19-of-28 shooting with eight rebounds and 14 assists. That made him the first player in NBA playoff history to go for 40 and 14 in a single game.
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