Four Takeaways From The Raptors’ 128-109 Loss To Nuggets

The Toronto Raptors continue an up-and-down start to the season without Kawhi Leonard after losing 128-109 to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.

With the loss, Toronto falls to 4-4 on the season and 2-4 without Leonard.

Here are four takeaways from the game:

Signs of life from three

Toronto is a poor three-point shooting team. Entering the contest, the Raptors averaged 31.5 per cent from beyond the arc, which ranks 27th in the NBA.

While the perimeter shooting couldn’t sustain itself (Toronto finished at 35 per cent), the opening quarter featured a Raptors team that felt dangerous from three. Toronto went an impressive 6-for-12 from the arc. For context, the Raptors averaged 11.5 triples per game.

The opening 12 minutes were a breath of fresh air, especially after the team’s abysmal 8-for-29 performance against the Los Angeles Clippers. This season, the league average from three is currently at 34.8 per cent. Toronto has shot better than 34.8 per cent three times in eight games.

Unfortunately, the Raptors shot 6-for-22 the rest of the way.

Quick start, uneventful finish

It should be made clear: tonight’s loss was not on Immanuel Quickley.

But it was pointed out on the TSN broadcast that Quickley needs to have a consistent impact through all four quarters. Quickley was brilliant in the opening 12 minutes, finishing with 10 points and six assists while shooting 50 per cent from three. He also added two steals.

By the end of the game, Quickly finished with 13 points and seven assists. The point guard also shot 25 per cent from the perimeter and didn’t record another steal.

The Joker’s wild

While we suggested that the Raptors could overwhelm Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, specifically by leveraging their strengths on the offensive glass, it turns out that the game goes well beyond the battle of the boards. The future Hall of Famer finished with 30 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists while pummelling the Raptors into submission.

Jokic emerged from halftime ready to shift into another gear. While in the Denver air, Toronto didn’t stand a chance. Jokic had already safely recorded his triple-double by the end of the third quarter. In the same period, he tied the entire Raptors team in points with 15.

Referencing the Colorado air might also be doing Jokic a disservice. The big man was ultimately responsible for 26 of the Nuggets’ 33 points in the first quarter.

What happens when the breaks aren’t there?

The Nuggets had limited the Raptors to seven fast-break points with just over three minutes remaining in the third quarter. Stopping Toronto in transition was likely a focal point for Denver head coach David Adelman and his staff. The Raptors entered the game second in transition points at 19.7 per game.

For the Raptors to salvage their four-game road trip, they’ll need to either get back to what they do best on the breaks or find ways to score in the half-court. Their next opponent, the Milwaukee Bucks, is 11th in fastbreak points allowed per game at 13.3