"Yes. It also looks like Immanuel Quickley scurrying into a corner to hit a jumper when his teammate is in trouble under the rim, Quickley jumping a dead ball to rip it away, jumping a live dribble to force a turnover. It looks like Ja'Kobe Walter curling around a screen, catching the ball, and going up to dunk two-handed in traffic."
"It looks like Brandon Ingram gathering the ball over his head like prime Dwyane Wade before apparating on the other side of the rim for a reverse layup. It looks like Collin Murray-Boyles looking for his own shot, tossing in a hook, putting the ball on the floor, even dunking on the roll. It seemed clear, early on, that the Raptors were tasting freedom against the Chicago Bulls."
"The trade deadline has been hanging over the heads of a team that in truth has been overperforming this season. But exceeding expectations sets new expectations, which means the team has new needs, has short-term goals, has urgency that may not have existed a few months prior. And so each Raptor but one has found uncertainty creep into his life, his mindset."
Freedom manifests through aggressive, creative play: Immanuel Quickley cutting, stripping and forcing turnovers; Ja'Kobe Walter curling and dunking in traffic; Brandon Ingram finishing reverse layups; Collin Murray-Boyles creating and finishing with hooks, drives and dunks. The Raptors displayed that liberated style early against an undermanned Chicago Bulls and built a double-digit lead. The looming trade deadline created roster uncertainty despite overperforming this season, generating new needs, short-term goals and urgency. That uncertainty affected players' mindsets and likely contributed to recent late-game losses, while Scottie Barnes remained secure and focused on defence and team play.
Read at Raptors Republic
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