Takeaways for Toronto in Narrow Raptors loss to Luka Doncic & Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks 125, Toronto Raptors 118

Toronto took a page from Dallas’ playbook.

It started a few weeks ago when the Raptors decided to move Davion Mitchell to the bench and let Scottie Barnes take over as the playmaker as a non-traditional point guard. The thought process from Toronto was relatively simple: give the ball to the best player and let him figure it out. The Raptors had previously toyed with the idea of ​​making Barnes something of a full-time point guard, but it wasn’t until this year when Immanuel Quickley was sidelined that it became a reality.

Barnes has handled the load admirably, playing that outsized point guard role with no issues. His ability to grab defensive rebounds, push the tempo for Toronto and give the Raptors early offensive opportunities sets him apart from most other guards in the league.

“His ability to play off the dribble, his vision to find his teammates, his shooting ability,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said of Barnes. “It used to be that a little guy was always the point guard, but now we have guys who are 6 feet tall playing the point and that just changes the game, their vision, the window of opportunity to pass is a little smaller.” Something higher, and then only their ability. These guys can put everything on the floor, get to the rim, and that just puts a lot of pressure on the defense.”

Barnes showed all of that against the Mavericks, although not in his most explosive performance. He opened the night with a pull-up three-pointer off a pick-and-roll with Jakob Poeltl. He later hit a Luka Doncic-style turnaround jumper over PJ Washington. But it was Barnes’ play that impressed the most, leading to a career-high 14 assists along with 19 points and eight rebounds.

He found Ochai Agbaji inside with a no-look pass and brought the Raptors within eight points midway through the fourth. Toronto got within five points after Gradey Dick hit two 3-pointers and led Toronto with 27 points on Saturday. But the Raptors couldn’t quite pull away as the Mavericks made their free throws late to end the game.

Barnes isn’t quite on Doncic’s level, but the hope for Toronto is that Barnes can develop into something of a facsimile of Doncic by controlling the tempo and flow of the game for the Mavericks. Few players combine size, skill and vision as well as Doncic, but perhaps Barnes can one day come reasonably close.

There is simply no stopping Doncic.

It’s incredible how Doncic can control the game, see passing lanes and make plays that virtually no one else in the league can. Even when he’s cooped up, he still manages to get good looks for the Mavericks.

Just ask Jonathan Mogbo, who actually managed to fend off Doncic twice in a single possession, only for the superstar quasi-point guard to throw a no-look pass over the head and behind the back to Kyrie Irving, who was behind him there was an open three.

But that wasn’t even Doncic’s most impressive play of the night.

He fired a laser from the back half of the court and found Klay Thompson in the back corner for a Mavericks three-pointer. As if that wasn’t enough, he scored a three-pointer from just over half-court to end the first half.

Toronto chose to start the game with Barnes on Doncic and tried virtually every defensive strategy to stop him and Irving, but Dallas is just too good right now. Irving had 16 of his 29 points in an explosive first quarter for the Mavericks, while Doncic finished the night with 30 points, 11 assists and 13 rebounds.

Kelly Olynyk made his season debut for the Raptors and seemed to pick up right where he left off. He spaced the floor effectively, hitting three three-pointers and finishing the night with 13 points off the bench.

The 33-year-old isn’t particularly flashy, but he’s an offensive player who moves the ball and takes rhythm shots when the ball comes to him. He should help stabilize Toronto’s second unit, which finished 24th in scoring entering Saturday night.

Olnyk’s return on Saturday knocked Chris Boucher out of the rotation for the first time this season. Toronto opted to use Jonathan Mogbo as a backup forward off the bench, releasing both Boucher and rookie point guard Jamal Shead, who did not play.

Boucher was on and off the roster last season and it has been clear for some time that he is not part of the organization’s long-term plans. If there is a suitor for him at the trade deadline, Toronto will certainly look to move on from Boucher.

The Raptors have an off day on Sunday before OG Anunoby and the New York Knicks come to town on Monday night at 7:30 p.m. ET.