Coming off a subpar performance against the Boston Celtics, the Toronto Raptors re-established their team identity and defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 108-99 on Sunday to improve their record to 4-1 since the season resumed at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
The victory clinched the second seed in the Eastern Conference for Toronto and lifted the defending NBA Champions to a 50-15 on the season, marking the fifth straight year they’ve reached that milestone.
They will play the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs. Toronto lost to Brooklyn in a memorable seven games in the first round of the 2014 playoffs. That thrilling series led to the creation of Jurassic Park, the popular fan zone outside what was then known as the Air Canada Centre and is now Scotiabank Arena.
This is a team that doesn’t panic when things go bad, and that is the mark of a champion. These Raptors may not be on everyone’s list to win it all again, but it’s hard to ignore this team’s resilience.
Pascal Siakam, the team’s first offensive option ever since Kawhi Leonard left in free agency last year, had been underperforming mostly in the previous seeding games. Against the Celtics, he struggled to a 5-of-15 shooting performance for 11 points.
But coach Nick Nurse hasn’t panicked when things have gone bad. In speaking about Siakam’s performance against Boston, Nurse expressed only confidence in him. “He’s getting good looks,” the coach reasoned.
Against Memphis on Sunday, Siakam came alive. He had a game-high 26 points on 9-of-16 shooting in a performance that showed his growing maturity. Siakam wasn’t going to let a bad performance throw his confidence off. He’s learning not to get too down on himself.
Siakam spoke about his growing understanding of who he is as a player and how he’s learning how to trust the game. If he plays the right way, bounces will come his way.
Much of the patience the Raptors are showing come from the style and attitude of Nick Nurse, who is a finalist for NBA coach of the year in only his second year on the job.
Nurse has talked to the players about patience. There are many ways to win games, he has told them. The game has different flows to it sometimes, and you have to hang in and hope to catch a spark when things are not going your way.
Nurse is a smart coach who knows when to push the right buttons. Against Memphis in the second quarter, he started going to his bench and found some minutes for Matt Thomas, who was dialed in from beyond the arc.
Thomas knocked down a pair of threes that seemed to take some of the pressure off Toronto, who went on a 15-4 run late in the second quarter.
Another key for Toronto has been the play of Marc Gasol, who once had been the face of the Memphis Grizzlies. Since Toronto acquired Gasol on Feb. 7, 2019, he has given a master class in how to command the floor with smart touches, sublime vision and tenacious defense.
Guard Fred VanVleet has credited Gasol with an opportunity to grow his own game. Gasol doesn’t need the ball and he doesn’t shoot a lot. But coming off the screen, VanVleet has found an opportunity to get a lot of easy layups. VanVleet picks Gasol’s brain a lot and their communication is getting better all the time. It’s one of the reasons why VanVleet is having a career year.
It’s that communication and camaraderie that enables Toronto to perform at a high level. They’ve been together through tough times and have learned what it takes to be an NBA champion.
Gasol is such a team player that he understands his role. Sometimes he’s going to be asked to be more of a scorer. Other times, he will be asked to be more of a facilitator. And other times, he’s going to be required to go to the post. He knows how to adapt to changing circumstances.
Gasol is a winner, but he’s not the most important piece. The most important player remains Kyle Lowry, who sets the tone for Toronto.
The fire still burns deep inside him. The face of the franchise does everything well. Not only is he the king of drawing charges, he’s the epitome of versatility and heart. Against Memphis, Lowry had 15 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and four steals.
The one blemish was that Lowry committed a season-high nine turnovers. This is something that Toronto must clean up. Against Memphis, Toronto committed an astounding 26 turnovers.
The Raptors are starting their eighth week in Florida, with the playoffs still more than a week away.
These Raptors don’t have Kawhi Leonard, and history hasn’t been kind to NBA teams that lose their superstars. But this is a no-excuse team.
Without Leonard, the Raptors have shown great defense, a strong work ethic and a knack for stringing together timely plays. And they have Nick Nurse, who knows his to use each player to the best of his ability.
Under his coaching, role players like Terence Davis, Chris Boucher and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson have seen a jump in their production. In addition, OG Anunoby is evolving into a dangerous player.
LeBron James himself has labeled Toronto a true champion contender, referring to Lowry and VanVleet as the club’s “two-headed monsters.” The rest of the basketball world may soon understand what he’s talking about.