Takeaways as Raptors Lose to Nets in Potentially Key Game for Lottery Odds

Brooklyn Nets 101, Toronto Raptors 94

Tankathon

This one mattered.

It’s still a bit early to obsess over the reverse standings, but it’s clear Brooklyn and Toronto are destined to be near the bottom when the season wraps up. The Nets entered the year with a clear focus on securing a top pick, and while that wasn’t the Raptors’ initial goal, it’s starting to look like that’s where things are headed.

So, what happened when the two teams faced off?

Pretty much what you’d expect — two shorthanded squads struggling to play clean, cohesive basketball. Scottie Barnes had three crucial chances late in the fourth but couldn’t convert, and the Raptors — perhaps beneficially — fell to 7-21 on the season. The loss created a 4.5-game cushion between Toronto and Brooklyn in the lottery race, a result that might not feel great now but could pay off later.

Starting Lineup History

The Raptors made franchise history Thursday night with their youngest starting lineup ever, as Scottie Barnes returned from a right ankle sprain. With RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl both sidelined, Toronto trotted out a youthful group featuring Barnes, Oghai Agbaji, Gradey Dick, Jonathan Mogbo, and Ja’Kobe Walter. The average age of the unit was just 22.2 years old — and at times, it showed.

Toronto struggled to establish a rhythm early against an equally depleted Nets squad that appears to be looking toward the NBA Draft. The harsh reality is that lineups like this — and potentially even less experienced ones — will likely become more common as the season progresses. While a full-scale shutdown isn’t imminent, the final weeks of the season could see Toronto leaning heavily into development mode, with plenty of growing pains along the way.

Agbaji Continues to Impress

Ochai Agbaji is proving he can be a legitimate contributor.

What initially looked like a hot streak from the third-year wing has started to feel more sustainable. Agbaji, who had never been known as an elite shooter, entered Thursday night knocking down 44.3% of his three-point attempts — the seventh-best mark in the league among players with at least 100 attempts. The growing sample size is making it harder to doubt his development.

Against Brooklyn, Agbaji took on an even larger role and delivered. He and Dick caught fire in the third quarter, combining for five threes as the Raptors surged ahead by 10. The Kansas duo’s shooting barrage was a key spark in Toronto’s push for control of the game.

The Raptors squandered that lead early in the fourth, but an acrobatic finish from Agbaji midway through the quarter tied things up as Toronto tried to hold off the Nets. It capped a 20-point performance from Agbaji who connected on four three-pointers in 36 minutes.

MVPoeltl

It’s hard to overstate Jakob Poeltl’s value to this team right now. Without him, Toronto’s frontcourt has been a glaring weakness. Kelly Olynyk struggles to hold his own defensively at center, while Mogbo, despite his effort, is still learning the nuances of NBA play as an undersized big. The consequences were evident Thursday, as Toronto was thoroughly outworked on the glass — even against a Nets team that lost starting center Nic Claxton to an ejection in the second quarter after he tossed the ball into the crowd following a foul.

The Raptors went 4-28 without Poeltl last season. If he’s forced to miss extended time with a groin strain this year, it could lead to similarly grim results, especially against tougher competition.

Up Next: Houston Rockets

The Raptors will continue their homestand on Sunday when Fred VanVleet and the Houston Rockets come to town for a 6 p.m. ET tipoff at Scotiabank Arena.