Quick Reaction: Nets 101, Raptors 94

Thrusted into the starting lineup due to RJ Barret being out with an illness tonight. He made a nice left-hand scoop layup to get on the board midway in the first quarter. Walter made a beautiful and one three-pointer midway through the second quarter but was unable to convert the free throw which popped out last second. A part of Walter’s game that’s made me a fan is his work on the offensive glass which is there almost every game. Another part of his game which is nice is the fact that Walter will have very rough shooting nights but he doesn’t let that affect his confidence. With that being said, his shot needs to start falling sooner rather than later.

Good defensive work, more aggressive than usual on the offensive end, especially in the first quarter. Ochai made a beautiful back door cut late in the first quarter and was able to finish an alley-oop courtesy of Kelly Olynyk. 14th time this season that Agbaji was able to connect on 2+ three-pointers this season which is a great sign as his shot was not at this level last season. He led the team in the scoring department which is a rare, but welcoming sight.

Mogbo started the game with a burst of energy as he was able to get a steal and turn it into an assist on the offensive end right after. Mogbo was seen bringing the ball up multiple times so it seems he has really won the trust of the coaching staff already in his young career. Mogbo started his Raptor career very passive on the offensive end but you can see the confidence grow as he’s looking to score much more often these days. His willingness to pass is also a huge attribute as he could’ve had at least one or two more assists tonight if his teammates made the open looks he provided them with. A great start to the game, but he kind of fell off later (not completely but he wasn’t near the level of his first shift.)

Gradey Dick is becoming a bit of a putback specialist as we’ve seen him have countless putbacks in his career so far and he added to that reel tonight early in the first quarter. Another huge part of Gradey’s game is his willingness to have no fear and hit the deck. He did that multiple times tonight and even won his team an extra offensive possession on the floor early in the third quarter. Gradey’s now made 3+ three-pointers in 12 games and his shot came alive in the third quarter. Truly more than just a shooter.

Scottie’s start was reminiscent of his first couple of years in the league as he was pretty passive. His second shift of the game late in the first quarter saw him drain a triple which got his confidence and shots going. Scottie had a decent game, but on a night where RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley were missing, you would expect more shots from the face of the franchise. He was aggressive in crunch time, but he committed a tough offensive foul with just a bit over a minute to go.

Shead made a beautiful athletic steal that led to a free Barnes finish on a fast break. He was finally able to get on the board with an early fourth-quarter three-ball. His defence didn’t stand out like it usually does and he committed a bad foul late in the game on Cam Johnson which gave the Nets a two-possession lead with 1:20 in the fourth, but the playmaking was there.

Rough start for Boucher as he wasn’t able to connect on two clean-look three-pointers in the first quarter. Although the shot wasn’t falling Boucher kept his head in the game and made a full-stretch diving save on a ball that was about to go out of bounds which led to an Agbaji three midway in the second quarter. He was finally able to get on the board with a corner three late in the third quarter. Not a great game for Montreal’s finest, but he was able to contribute in other areas.

Kelly’s playmaking was on point tonight, especially in the first quarter. The shotmaking was not great tonight but to be fair he only took five shots and his last shot was right before the final buzzer.

Battle checked into the game late in the first quarter and was instantly met by Day’Ron Sharpe who backed him down to the rim. The crazy part was that Battle actually stood his ground and looked to have made a clean block, but it was a late whistle that gave Sharpe two free throws. The three-ball was falling early tonight with a 2/3 start but he wasn’t able to connect on another one tonight. We all know Battle is a terrific shooter but tonight his defence and vision flashed some improvement. His final shift was possibly cut short due to an elbow to the face when battling for an offensive rebound.

The rotations were wonderful tonight. Everyone who played made an impact but one area in which coach Darko struggles is his challenges. He hasn’t won many this season.