The Toronto Raptors left Brooklyn with the loss, but I was left feeling pretty good about the Raptors.
Everybody on the planet knew the Nets would be in the conversation for the best team in the NBA. The Raptors are seen as a middle-of-the-pack contender. That’s why when the two teams met up Friday night, and the game could have gone in a lot of different directions.
When you look at the stat lines and box scores, it shows how close the game was. The Raptors did everything but walk away with the win. Some would say the scoreboard is all that matters. However, two games into the season, I’ll take that performance from Toronto any day of the week.
— Ray Rauth 🇨🇦 (@dpn_ray) October 22, 2022
Pascal Siakam finished the night with 37 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. Through the first two games of the season, Pascal is putting the NBA on notice that he has developed into one of the stars in the league. I firmly believe that Siakam would be a way bigger name if he played anywhere but Toronto. But that’s something Raptors fans have become accustomed to.
.@pskills43 GOIN' OFF 😤 | 34 PTS pic.twitter.com/fdPAs2S6Hu
— Toronto Raptors (@Raptors) October 22, 2022
As for OG, Scottie Barnes, and Fred Van Vleet, they all had their moments during the game. Gary Trent Jr was also up to the challenge. The starters took most of the minutes and didn’t get much from the bench. Because it was the Nets, I didn’t have an issue with Nick Nurse’s rotation.
I do worry about exhausting Van Vleet too early into the season. Fred has struggled to stay healthy, and I’m hoping Nurse will load manage Fred a little bit more.
