In the new year, the Raptors have started their West Coast tour with new faces. Their first opponent is the Grizzlies, who are in ups and downs.
The game was full of suspense and twists and turns, with the Raptors leading by 20 points twice, but both were tied by the Grizzlies. In the end, the Raptors relied on the excellent performance of their new signings to narrowly defeat the Grizzlies 116-111 and achieve their second victory in 2024.
This victory not only keeps the Raptors undefeated in 2024, but also improves their overall record to 14-20. More importantly, this victory shows the new year and new atmosphere of the Raptors, which makes people see their hope and potential.
Siakam's all-round performance
As the star of the Raptors, Siakam has been inconsistent in the first two months of the season. His scoring and shooting percentage have declined, and he hasn't shown enough leadership and decisiveness in crunch time. However, since December, Siakam has been like a different person, with a significant improvement in his scoring and three-point shooting percentage, and he has become more proactive and confident in the game.
In the first game of the new year, Siakam used a 36-point highlight performance to help the Raptors beat the Cavaliers. And in the game against the Grizzlies, he continued to play, scoring 24 points and 7 rebounds on 9-of-14 shooting from the field to help the Raptors stabilize the situation. Siakam's recovery allowed the Raptors to remain competitive in the slump in December. And after O.G. Anunoby was traded, his importance became even more prominent.
The table below shows Siakam's data for each month of the season:
| month | score | backboard | Assisting | 投篮ヒット点 | Three-point shooting percentage |
| October | 16.0 | 7.0 | 3.8 | 39.3% | 28.6% |
| November | 21.0 | 7.1 | 5.4 | 50.0% | 17.9% |
| December | 24.8 | 5.8 | 5.2 | 56.1% | 36.8% |
| January | 30.0 | 6.0 | 1.0 | 64.7% | 60.0% |
Despite Siakam's recent impressive performances, his future is uncertain. Due to the Raptors' poor record and the expiration of his contract, his name often appears in various trade rumors.
Sources have revealed that Siakam is reluctant to renew his contract with any team, which has greatly reduced the value of his trade. Given his importance to the team in terms of scoring and leadership, letting him go for nothing would hurt the team far more than VanVleet joined the Rockets as a free agent last year.
On the other hand, trading him could have a detrimental effect on the team's long-term goal of success, especially if the Raptors trade back players don't play well. However, there's no denying that Siakam is extremely talented, and if he still has any interest in staying with the Raptors, then the Raptors should do everything they can to keep him. At 29 years old, he's still a great fit for the young core roster that the Raptors are actively building.
The tacit cooperation of the new starting lineup
For the first game of the new year, head coach Darko Rajakovic fielded a starting lineup consisting of Siakam, Barnes, and Ertl, as well as the Raptors' two new signings, RJ Barrett and Emmanuel Quickley, for the first time. The lineup combined for 103 points in the 13 minutes they played together in that game, 37 more than the Cavaliers' starters. That lineup also scored 41 points in the first quarter, the Raptors' highest scoring in the first quarter of the season.
Against the Grizzlies, Rajakovic opted for the same starters. Although the first quarter didn't go as aggressively as they did against the Cavaliers, they still won the first quarter by one point. The lineup was also very good throughout the game, scoring 91 points, accounting for nearly 80 percent of the Raptors' total scores.
The Toronto Raptors vs. Memphis Grizzlies starting lineup stats are as follows:
| Players | score | backboard | Assisting | 投篮ヒット点 | Three-point shooting percentage |
| Emmanuel Quickley | 26 | 3 | 5 | 44.4% | 62.5% |
| Scottie Barnes | 20 | 2 | 8 | 50.0% | 40.0% |
| R.J. Barrett | 14 | 7.0 | 3 | 41.7% | 40.0% |
| Siakam | 24 | 7.0 | 64.3% | 50.0% | |
| Poeltl | 7.0 | 8 | 2 | 28.6% | 0.0% |
On both ends of the floor, the Raptors performed well. Although the Grizzlies narrowed the 20-point deficit twice, the Raptors still held their ground and showed a strong momentum. Compared to the previous games, such an ending is eye-catching.
While it's too early to judge by just two games, it's not hard to see that the Raptors have responded positively to the roster changes. Not only did they get more out of the ball handlers, but they also brought in more goalscorers, injecting more variety and possibilities into the team's attacking tactics.
In addition to the performance on the court, the Raptors as a whole also showed vigorous vitality. The morale of the players is high and the effort is evident. What's more, the spectacle of the game has been greatly improved.
"Barrett has done an outstanding job for us on the defensive end. "Our team has done a great job of protecting the basket. Jacob made five blocks in the game, setting a new personal high this season. He's been impressive on a couple of occasions in the pick-and-roll defense. Overall, I think the team showed a very good dynamic. ”
The perfect fit of the new signings
Quickley scored a team-high 26 points against the Grizzlies.
As the Raptors continue to move forward on this road trip, Toronto fans will continue to dive into the two players acquired in the trade: Barrett and Quickley.
Although they had little practice Xi or preparation with the team against the Cavaliers, both men performed well in the game. Quickley had 14 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals, while RJ Barrett had 19 points on 50 percent shooting, and he also contributed nine rebounds and one assist.
In their recent game against the Grizzlies, despite the tough challenges they faced, the two new players showed their quality once again. Quickley started the game slowly, scoring no points in the first quarter, but as the game wore on, he gradually regained his form, and he eventually scored 26 points to become the highest-scoring Raptors player in the game.
As a player who has previously played primarily as a substitute, Quickley seems to be enjoying the opportunity to showcase his skills as a starter. "He's a perfect fit for us, a guy who can do a lot with the ball. His shooting really made a difference for us. The opponents kept packing him and that created chances for us on the pitch. —Darko Rajakovic
Contrary to Quickley, Barrett started the bout well but gradually cooled as the bout progressed. However, he still played a big role on the defensive end. In this game, Barrett made 15 of 12 shots, scored 14 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal.
While it may take some time for the two new signings to really settle into their new surroundings, they seem to have settled well into their new team and roles and continue to grow as their chemistry with their new team-mates continues to improve.
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