Summer League: Toronto Raptors vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Final Score 94-69: Defence earns summer squad the win

Gradey Dick helps lead the team to a wire-to-wire victory in a dominant and exciting game

It’s been a little while since Raptors fans have been able to celebrate a dominant victory, but even though it’s just summer basketball, I think we all want to enjoy this moment.

In the first action of Summer League, the Toronto Raptors completed a dominant, wire-to-wire victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite shooting only 43.9% from the field 32.3% from long range, their defensive energy, rebounding and ball movement were the highlights of the game, and ultimately were the keys to their success. They out-rebounded the Thunder 53 to 36 and had 25 assists in the game.

For the starting lineup the Raptors went with Gradey Dick, Ochai Agbaji, Ja’Kobe Walter, Branden Carlson, and Jamal Shead. Oklahoma City had the benefit of playing in Utah’s summer league games, but despite the reality that this was their first official game together, the Raptors came out strong, and looked like a cohesive unit from the tip.

The first quarter showed some solid effort and energy on defence from the Raptors, as well as some heads up passing by everyone on the team. In the first quarter alone, they had 10 assists. Every play, it felt like the Raptors were unwilling to give up, finding a way to keep the ball in bounds, pick off passes, and recover 50-50 balls.

The Raps got an early 10-1 lead, forcing OKC to take a timeout, but it did little to stop the Raptors’ momentum. Their defense continued to make things difficult for OKC, throughout the entire quarter, forcing 6 turnovers and outrebounding them, ending the quarter 30-10.

The second quarter felt much of the same, with Toronto owning the glass on both ends of the floor. OKC’s shooting started to improve, but despite their shots starting to fall, Toronto continued to out-hustle and outplay the Thunder. Playing time was spread around, with 11 players seeing time on the floor in the first half.

To start the third, OKC came out of the locker room looking far more organized on both ends of the court. Their intensity had improved, and their ball movement also took a step up, leading to far better protection of the rock and ultimately a string of possessions that brought Toronto’s lead under 20.

The Raptors tried to continue their defensive pressure and ball movement that had made them so effective throughout the first, and ultimately withstood the pressure to maintain a twelve point lead heading into the final frame. Their intensity was diminished though, and OKC was starting to garner momentum.

To start the fourth, OKC tried picking the Raptors up full court and continuing to increase their defensive pressure, but the Raptors held their ground. A comeback for OKC never materialized, and the Raptors walked off with a 25-point lead and the win.

Great Performances:

Brandon Carlson was a high note of the game, being exceptionally active on the boards and putting in a lot of effort to get extra possessions. He finished with 13 points, 8 boards, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. He also shot 3-7 from long range. He cut effectively and often, being an offensive option and even showed a bit of his passing touch.

Gradey Dick also demonstrated some of his development. He struggled from long range, going 0-4, but scored 18 points, had 10 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals. He’s also showing his development from a strength perspective and a lot more variety in his shot choice that we were starting to see at the season’s end. His leadership on the floor was evident as well, and he was a great facilitator for his teammates as well.

Jamison Battle was also intriguing, shooting an efficient 12 points and adding a rebound and an assist. His three-point shot looked great, and he even took some more challenging short range-shots that showed a little bit more of his offensive versatility. As one of the undrafted guys on the roster, it will be interesting to see his play throughout the rest of Summer League.

The not-so-great:

Ochai Agbaji struggled a bit in the first half, looking a little bit out of sorts. He missed a dunk, caused a couple of turnovers, and missed a couple other shots. By the end of the game he was in more of a rhythm, and managed to finish with 7 points, 6 boards, and an assist. Summer League seems like a great opportunity for him to try and get more in a groove as well, especially since he’s been struggling since the trade that landed him in Toronto back in February.

Ja’Kobe Walter also struggled in his first appearance in a Raptors’ jersey, finishing with 5 points, 2 rebounds, and an assist. He shot 0-5 from long distance and only 2-8 from the field. He showed good defensive effort though, and will need some time to adjust so it’s far too early to be even remotely concerned about his first game.

Ulrich Chomche is definitely hesitant to shoot, missing both of his free-throws and the only shot he took, adding two turnovers as well. At times, it didn’t feel like he was as aggressive as he could have been for some loose balls, sometimes causing a turnover or losing possession, other times forcing his teammates to pick up the slack. Despite all of that, he did manage 8 boards and 2 assists. He is a very raw prospect, and with the limited run he’s had, there’s going to need to be a lot of patience for him and the development process.

We won’t have to wait long for another opportunity to see the guys in action as they face the Denver Nuggets tomorrow at 9pm ET on Sportsnet.