Raptors over reliance on Ingram comes back to bite them in streak breaking loss to Hornets

The Raptors opened the game like a buzzsaw. No problem getting middle. No problem shooting over the top of Kalkbrenner in drop, and no problem knifing to the rim if the Raptors managed to move the rim protector a step too far. They opened up with a 14-2 run as nearly every shot dropped in for the Raptors and hardly any went for the Hornets. I’d describe the Raptors as looking mighty cozy in their process and the Hornets looking awkward. It took them roughly 5 minutes to properly feature their star rookie, Kon Knueppel in a play – where he ended up hitting a triple.

The Hornets played far better as a unit once their bench players were introduced, and it was largely because of their willingness to stay connected on the defensive end, and move the ball quickly on offense. You could see the looks the Raptors were getting on offense were starting to change bit by bit into something worse. Still though, the Raptors held serve and walked into the second quarter with a 13-point lead.

The Raptors were still missing RJ Barrett to a great degree. It’s a credit to Brandon Ingram that they’re able to go to him continuously for difficult offense. But, the Raptors need more from their guards. Assist numbers are one thing and Raptors players never suffer a shortage of that stat, but Ingram is one of the NBA’s highest usage screen users, and the Raptors currently have an overreliance on him – and it’s largely because they don’t have anyone knifing into the middle to create organic drive & kick or drive & cut offense, and instead get stonewalled, then run Ingram off a screen and ask for wizardry. He continues to amaze, but the Raptors process can’t remain this way for extended stretches of time. I am tipping my cap toward Ingram non-stop, though.

Charlotte pulled within 6 points by the end of the second quarter, and it was largely because of Sexton and Knueppel’s ability to get middle and create for others. Whether it was kicking out to wide-open corner threes, or forcing a step up from the Raptors big to open up room for Diabate to score, they were making it happen. A lot of things that LaMelo Ball wasn’t willing to do with a very laissez-faire approach. It’s something Charles Lee took note of, as he left Sexton out there during the minutes that Ball usually plays.

The Raptors reliance on Ingram and Barnes didn’t relent. Not in the slightest. Long drawn out possessions where the ball didn’t break the free throw line, they got tossed to Ingram in the hopes he’d get the cape out. Barnes was opportunistic in seeking out driving lanes for his own game, and was successful in finding them from time to time. Not quite the volume that Ingram was providing, but elite efficiency.

Behind the stylings of their big wings, the Raptors took a 7-point lead into the fourth quarter. 19-8-5 on 7/10 shooting for Barnes. 22-6-3 on 10/17 shooting for Ingram.

Quickley, wanting to help out, hunted hard for his first look and the first make of the fourth quarter. Dipping and darting around a big obstacle-y Poeltl for before loosing a rapid strike from downtown. Barnes chipped in with 4 points of his own, largely the product of his soft touch. The Raptors found some breathing room. Going back up by 12.

Also, yes, Gradey Dick is still mired in the second worst shooting slump of his career. The worst since his introduction to the NBA. Good looks won’t go. Some of the misses are pretty bad. He’ll have a good amount of time to try and correct it, but imagine if these shots would go. Tough to watch.

Bridges’ driving game helped the Hornets cut into the lead in the middle of the fourth quarter. The Raptors did a pretty good job of absorbing drives, whether it was the guards or wings, and Barnes was putting in a great turn on the interior defensively. Still, Bridges’ combination of size and athleticism meant no one could meet him at the mountain top.

Keeping the focus on Barnes, he was absolutely sublime. Ingram gave the Raptors volume and late clock heroism to this point, but Barnes’ scoring eventually overcame his running mates, and his overall floor game was the best in the building, and by some measure.

Still, it didn’t stop the Hornets 10-0 run to bring the game to 100-98 with two and a half minutes to go. It placed the Raptors in clutch time once again. Coming into this game, they were 7-2 in clutch games this season. Often times, they looked to Ingram to create plays, and often times he made them. He went 0-2 on his first attempts in this one. Long, difficult jumpers. Stuck squarely in a 4-minute stretch with no buckets.

The Hornets went to the two-man action of Sexton/Miller to try and carve out a good look, and all they got was a brick from Sexton (his second straight), but it was Sion James with the clarity of where the ball would end up, and he shot the gap between Poeltl and Ingram for a putback. The Raptors answered with a two-man action of their own, Quickley/Ingram, and Quickley knifed to the right elbow for a floater, and the lead. A bashing Bridges’ crash on a Knueppel miss sent the Hornets to the line to tie the game with 18 seconds left. He split the pair. Barnes was fouled in the open court with a chance to outperform Bridges at the line. He was on the mark with both to put the Raptors up 3 with 12.6 to go.

It was Knueppel, buried deep in the corner with Ingram on him, who pumped, rose, and tied the game up. Hand down, man down.

Barnes had brought the Raptors here. Ingram was fresh off a game winner. Where would the ball go?

It went to Ingram, who pulled up over James and a late doubling Bridges, but he got back rim. On to overtime.

Overtime was tough for the Raptors. They went to Bridges repeatedly, and started hunting the smaller Shead and Quickley in actions, and with great success. With a minute and ten seconds left the Hornets were up by 6. They didn’t have a lead once in the game prior to the extra frame. The ball kept finding Ingram, but he went on a stretch of 8 missed shots in a row across quarters.

A turnover from Quickley and a lob to Bridges was the nail in the coffin. The death knell for this game and the Raptors win streak.

These have been important games to show that the Raptors offense is an ecosystem with many different things motivating it. Since Barrett’s gone down, Ingram has taken 79 shots across 3 games. The field goal percentage has dropped continuously across these games. It’s too large a burden to carry. And it’s a sluggish, pained process. Even when Barnes plays great, the Raptors still find themselves looking for more. I’m looking forward to Barrett’s return.

It should be really interesting to see how this Raptors team plays tomorrow night, on a back to back, after traveling to New York.

Have a blessed day.

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