Raptors See Positive Regression Immediately in Their Win Against the Hawks
Gradey Dick and Immanuel Quickley appeared much more at ease on Friday night as the Toronto Raptors upset the Atlanta Hawks.
Rajaković provided a logical explanation. He discussed how difficult it is to step up into a more significant role and how Quickley has to learn how to be assertive around new teammates.
After that, the reality emerged:
“He will play a game where he shoots nine out of ten threes, and those percentages will even out,” Rajaković said.
For Quickley, it was that night on Friday as Toronto defeated the Atlanta Hawks 123-121 thanks to his 24-point outburst. When it came down to it, the Hawks made adjustments, stifling the 24-year-old guard and forcing the Raptors to turn to Scottie Barnes. Quickley was all over the court for Toronto.
Barnes performed admirably in the position after having trouble with it earlier in the season. With an impressive dunk, he sparked Toronto’s attack, and with a brilliant skip pass from the post, he found Gary Trent Jr. behind the arc to give the Raptors a five-point lead that Atlanta was unable to regain.
Against the Hawks, Quickley set to work right away. In the opening minutes, he pulled down a defensive rebound and, inexplicably, dashed from Toronto’s baseline, outpacing everyone all the way up the court to finish with a scoop jumper.
Then the assault of pull-ups started.
It takes real skill for Quickley to be able to pause in midair, turn toward the basket, and shoot a three-pointer with such grace. With his head pointing toward the sideline, he can quickly maneuver past a screen and then appear to twist his body into shooting position, his feet poised to make a triple.
In the first six minutes of the game, he scored 13 of Toronto’s first 23 points, giving the Raptors a 13-point advantage, and he didn’t look back. He made six three-pointers against the Hawks, five of which were on pull-up looks.
Regarding patience, perhaps this season Gradey Dick also merited a little more. For the majority of the past month, the rookie sniper has resembled that and more. He cuts really well. After a terrific tip from Kelly Olynyk, he snuck inside to lay up a sleeping Garrison Mathews.
Dick’s much-maligned three-point shot, which was nonexistent at the beginning of the season, has returned, and he appears more at ease when shooting from beyond the arc.
The way Dick appears to be driving and scoring inside the arc is equally amazing. In the third quarter, he hit a difficult step-back shot from 19 feet, and then he made an outstanding layup, changing hands in midair and finishing with his left hand to escape touch.
Dick gave a full performance and even contributed defensively, blocking a Bogdan Bogdanovic dunk attempt that was too close to go through at one point. In nearly 22 minutes, Dick scored 18 points on 8 of 13 shots.
Ochai Agbaji also mounted an aggressive comeback after a rocky beginning. Although he lacks the scoring potential of his teammates described above, any offensive growth from the second-year guard would be significant given his aptitude for defense.
Following two early offensive fouls, Agbaji became comfortable and had his best game as a Raptor. With five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, he scored five points for Toronto after Jakob Poeltl found him out of a pick-and-roll. He then converted a critical corner three. In almost 17 minutes, he scored 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting.
A 20-point, 10-assist performance from Scottie Barnes has nearly become standard at this point. Future success for Toronto depends on those surrounding Barnes putting on performances like these. The Raptors should have high hopes for the future if it keeps up.
The Raptors will take a few nights off before playing the Indiana Pacers and Pascal Siakam on Monday night at 7 p.m. ET.