The Toronto Raptors saw a 19-point lead vanish on Wednesday night in the 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament, ultimately losing to the Chicago Bulls. The Raps came out of the gates firing in the first half and capped off the second quarter with a buzzer-beater from Fred VanVleet, but absolutely collapsed in the final two periods.
When you miss a whole 18 free throws in a game, it's difficult to win. Between that and failing to contain Zach LaVine who erupted for 39 points, Toronto was stunned on their home court, a place they're typically dominant.
Below, we'll discuss who is most to blame for this shocking loss that has ended the Raptors' season.
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The Bench
Yes, this is more than one player. But a lack of scoring from the supporting cast has been an issue all year long and it was once again on Wednesday. Although the first unit played heavy, heavy minutes, the bench didn't do squat when called upon. Gary Trent had two points in 16 minutes. Chris Boucher was scoreless. Precious Achiuwa had six points.
In all honesty, Nick Nurse stuck with his starters because of the second unit struggles. They really failed to produce throughout all 82 games, with just 28 PPG. That ranked second-last in the Association. This is exactly why Nurse didn't turn to his bench. Any team looking to contend must have a strong supporting cast and that just simply wasn't the case in 2022-23.
OG Anunoby
Anunoby did a respectable job defending DeMar DeRozan, forcing him to take tough shots and work for every basket. DeRozan did finish 10 for 19 from the field with 23 points, though. Offensively, however, Anunoby was very disappointing. In 42 minutes, he posted just 13 points on 4 for 13 shooting from the field and 3 for 7 from three-point land.
Again, with the bench practically non-existent, Nurse needed his best from every single starter. Anunoby didn't play up to par. The 25-year-old was one of the Raptors' most important weapons throughout the campaign, too. He was also to blame for the team's struggles at the charity stripe, sinking just 2 of 7 freebies.
Jakob Poeltl
Poeltl is never a huge contributor offensively for the Raptors but seven points and eight boards in 36 minutes is just not good enough. The statistic that stands out the most is his five turnovers. The Bulls translated the Raps' 14 mistakes in 22 points. Poeltl didn't do a good job of taking care of the basketball and could've been a lot more of a presence on the boards. He actually failed to score in double figures in his last three games of the season.
Nick Nurse
You could partially blame Nick Nurse for not giving his bench more of an opportunity to get going. Trent Jr was an important player for the Raptors all season. Will Barton was acquired to be an key depth piece for the backcourt. Sure, the likes of Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, and Scottie Barnes put up decent numbers in this matchup, but they couldn't close. The heavy dose of minutes caught up to them in the end.
The question now remains, did Nurse coach his last game in Toronto? He's already said he plans to re-evaluate his job after the season, which isn't exactly what the Raptors front office wants to hear. Perhaps the organization could use a fresh start though and hire a new HC.
An interesting offseason lies ahead. From Nurse's future to two potential free agents in VanVleet and Trent Jr, who both have player options, changes could be coming this summer.
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