"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."
"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."
The Raptors opened with dominant interior attacks, shooting over Kalkbrenner and attacking the rim, sparking a 14-2 run. The Hornets looked awkward early but improved once their bench entered, showing connected defense and quicker ball movement that altered Toronto's offensive looks. The Raptors carried a 13-point lead into the second quarter despite missing RJ Barrett. Brandon Ingram provided much of the difficult offense as a high-usage screen user, but the team overrelies on him because guards are not consistently penetrating to create drive-and-kick or drive-and-cut opportunities. Charlotte closed to six by halftime as Sexton and Kon Knueppel got middle and created open shots for others.
Read at Raptors Republic
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