Here are 10 takeaways from the Toronto Raptors‘ 113-104 win over the New York Knicks.
One — Every Raptors win feels more satisfying because of how hard they work. The Raptors were shorthanded with Scottie Barnes joining Pascal Siakam and Yuta Watanabe on the injured reserve, going up against the 5-1 Knicks on the road, and just completely silenced Madison Square Garden.
It wasn’t so much a statement win because the Knicks aren’t actually good enough to be noteworthy, but it’s another reminder of what the Raptors are at their core. This team gets after it each night, they defend with manic intensity, they rebound in packs, and they share it evenly on offence. The key stats to watch in every game are offensive rebounding and turnovers, which is a sign of how hard the Raptors are competing. The Raptors collected six more offensive rebounds and forced eight more turnovers out of the Knicks, which translated to 23 more shot attempts.
Two — This was a breakout performance for OG Anunoby on national television. Anunoby poured in a career-high 36 points while holding Julius Randle to 2-of-8 shooting with three turnovers after the first quarter. This was the kind of dominant performance that fans expected coming out of the pre-season, and while Anunoby took some lumps and looked out of character in his first two games, he has found his footing of late and this is what’s possible when he is at his best.
Anunoby was the featured player for the Raptors, who looked to get him isolated against Randle as much as possible, and he delivered big baskets to answer each shot from the Knicks. The Raptors mixed it up with Anunoby, using him as the screener where he would either flare out for three, or roll to the rim where he even flushed a one-handed lob dunk, and the Knicks had no answers for him. Anunoby taking 27 shots in this game is the true sign of how far he’s grown as a player, as he would go entire weeks as a rookie without taking that many attempts. His confidence is sky-high, his reads are improving with each game, and his teammates are looking for him early and often.
Three — Not to be overlooked was the defence that Anunoby played against Randle. Early on, it looked as if the Knicks might roll to a blowout with Randle casually sauntering into pull-up threes that were banking and bouncing in from every angle. He scored 18 points in the first quarter and was preening up and down the floor with the crowd cheering him on. But that was it for Randle as Anunoby dialled in defensively, allowing only off-balance jumpers from Randle by matching him for muscle and refusing to allow the lefty to get to his preferred hand.
Anunoby is the rare player who is quick enough to contain the drive, having the wingspan to contest on the jumper, while also being strong enough to hold his position against a difficult scorer like Randle. It’s that level of defensive ability, coupled with his burgeoning scoring ability, that makes Anunoby a prime breakout candidate.
Four — It was also a brilliant game for Nick Nurse. He finally pulled the plug on Precious Achiuwa in the starting five after Achiuwa was clearly losing his matchup against a bigger and more athletic player in Mitchell Robinson while also continuing to take contested shots, replacing him with Khem Birch for the second half. Then, Nurse rode his starters for the entire third quarter, not making a single substitution for the whole frame as the new starting five delivered blow after blow.
The Knicks tried to trade threes for a few possessions, but ended up being out-gunned 38-22 which put the Raptors firmly in the driver’s seat. The challenge from there was to manage his rotations on the fly to ensure his starters had enough gas in the tank to close it out, and Nurse bought just enough time with his reserves before turning it back to his starters who continued their onslaught of the Knicks in the fourth quarter. This couldn’t have been planned, but being able to rely on feel and instinct is a quality in every great coach.
Five — Birch brings a level of stability to everything the Raptors want to do. The organization in which the Raptors execute their schemes is night and day between Birch and Achiuwa. While Achiuwa tries to ram through the defence, forcing his will on the opponent, Birch focuses on how he can fit and how he can support his teammates. That’s the benefit of wisdom and experience, because if you’re just looking at their abilities in a vacuum, Achiuwa is capable of doing more than Birch, but knowing what to do is the biggest key in any walk of life.
Birch positions himself perfectly on defence, which is why Robinson suddenly couldn’t jump for lobs in the second half. Birch makes contact on every screen which is why the Raptors guards were consistently able to get downhill into the paint, pull defenders out of position, then kick it out which had the Knicks chasing their own tales on defence. If Birch is playing a two-man game with his guards, he’ll actually give it back if the clear advantage isn’t to himself, and he’ll chase after the offensive glass to create second chances. He’s very reminiscent of Raptors fan favourite Amir Johnson, another unspectacular veteran who was unselfish and contributed to winning.
Six — Credit Svi Mykhailiuk for staying ready and delivering in an expanded role. Mykhailiuk was on the fringes of the rotation last week, and now he’s starting in place of Barnes and gave the Raptors 35 excellent minutes in a pinch, finishing with 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists. The spacing with Mykhailiuk, Anunoby, Fred VanVleet, and Gary Trent Jr. had the Knicks scampering, especially when each player was a threat to attack the closeout and to create for others.
Mykhailiuk’s playmaking continued to shine in a bigger role, as he kept making the unselfish play, while also being efficient in the chances he got. The worry with him is on defence, but Mykhailiuk was mostly in position and used his length effectively to run Evan Fournier off the three-point line where he is most effective. Mykhailiuk has been a very positive contributor in the Raptors’ win streak, and his performance along with Trent Jr. has turned what should have been a weak spot at shooting guard into a position of strength.
BUNNIES @Sviat_10 pic.twitter.com/XrxyY5p0WL
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) November 2, 2021
Seven — Trent Jr. collected eight deflections tonight, as compared to 10 for the Knicks as a team. He also added four steals to his league-best total of 22 on the season. He did this despite tweaking his leg in the fourth quarter, which briefly sent him to the bench before he returned to close out the game. Trent Jr.’s hustle makes him a factor on every play, and he has mastered the art of reaching in without committing the foul. He is good for one breakaway layup every game by poking it free on the perimeter, and the combination of him and VanVleet is giving opposing teams nightmares at the point of attack since they can’t even initiate their plays without being picked.
Offensively, Trent Jr. is also capable of scoring tough baskets, and while his shot selection isn’t always ideal, he’s generally able to create his own look and is fairly creative in how he navigates screens to find pockets of space from which to fire.
Eight — VanVleet had a strong night with 17 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. But so much of what he does is beyond the boxscore. Small things like bumping the rebounder under the rim so another player can beat him to the ball, being first to dive on the floor for a loose ball, forcing perimeter players away from their strong hand so they can’t get a clean shot off — these are all the traits that endeared Kyle Lowry to fans as he willed the Raptors into winning. VanVleet doesn’t have a signature defensive play the way Lowry would lead the league in charges, but otherwise, the elements are exactly the same. It’s incredible to have leaders of the team competing so hard defensively, because if VanVleet is doing it, everyone else has to fall in line and they have.
Nine — Nurse gave Malachi Flynn some extended run with the second unit. Flynn was the smart choice in this game as Nurse needed another bench player to fill in for Mykhailiuk going to the starting lineup, and he needed more perimeter defence against a Knicks team that mostly attacks from outside. Flynn’s quickness allowed him to stay in front of the likes of Kemba Walker and Immanuel Quickley, and he didn’t try to overdo anything offensively.
Flynn mostly got the Raptors into their sets, running pick-and-rolls with Anunoby to create switches, and was otherwise away from the play to space the floor. He was doing such a good job of keeping things organized that Nurse even trusted Flynn to close out the first half which bought VanVleet some extra rest, and that came in handy in the second half when VanVleet logged a 15-minute shift.
Ten — Flynn being in the rotation still provides time for Dalano Banton to contribute. The Raptors have run dual-point guard lineups for years, and this specific setup doesn’t even sacrifice much by way of defence. Banton has shown a clever ability to cut behind the defence, as he did for his first basket tonight, and that has offset his limited shooting ability to some extent. By having Banton on the ball, the other point guard in VanVleet or Flynn can attack off-ball which usually gets them easier shots as compared to when they handle it themselves. And of course, Banton’s defence has been so solid for a rookie that he’s even covering for mistakes made by some of his vets.
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