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10 things: Raptors rookie Malachi Flynn wows in first preseason game

William Lou
·NBA reporter
·6 min read

Here are 10 takeaways from the Toronto Raptors’ 111-100 win over the Charlotte Hornets in the first of three preseason games for the 2020-21 season.

One — Hiccups: It was hardly a pretty performance, and it very much had all the hallmarks of a preseason game. Toronto came out of the game slow, giving up an unsightly 22-0 run to the Hornets while falling into a huge deficit, but the Raptors found their level and cruised to the win. Charlotte very much looked like an unfamiliar group with a new point guard that hadn’t played since March. The in-arena atmosphere was next to none, with empty stands and a lack of artificial crowd noise. Even the broadcast was awkward, as connectivity issues produced spurts of distorted audio and significant delays. All of this is to be predicted give the unique challenges related to COVID-19. It will all go up from here.

Two — Decent: The starting five looks much the same as last season. Aron Baynes doesn’t facilitate the offense with his passing up top, but he very much replaces Marc Gasol’s outside shooting, occasional post play, and his physicality around the basket. The main area of focus is on defense, where the first unit struggled to defend in transition, and missed a few defensive rotations. Gasol and Serge Ibaka were great communicators on the back line, and that element is especially missing with Kyle Lowry’s unexplained absence, but the starters are all smart players who will be able to lock in on defense.

Three — Flashes: So much of this season rides on the success of Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby. Both players had shaky moments and showed impressive flashes. Siakam shook off a slow start and connected with three pull-up threes, with the most promising development being his lack of jitteriness on his right foot that had historically capped his accuracy. Anunoby was overwhelming on defense, and used a nifty behind-the-back fake to set up the first of two emphatic transition dunks. For Siakam, it will be about continuing to make his pull-up threes and improvements with his playmaking, while Anunoby must fill in the gaps where he can by hitting his catch-and-shoot threes along with finding ways to slip to the basket.

Four — Polished: Rookie point guard Malachi Flynn is very much as advertised. The 22-year-old played with the confidence and poise of a veteran, and the results were impressive. He overcame a shanked layup to start but settled nicely into captaining the second unit. Flynn wasn’t very flashy, but consistently made the right reads with smart passes both in transition and in the halfcourt. More impressive was his ability to shoot. He moved well without the ball to get open, and cooly knocked down a pull-up three. Flynn was arguably the best point guard in college last season, and his advanced skillset should help him crack the rotation faster than most rookies.

Five — Disciplined: Nick Nurse holds very high standards defensively, and the Raptors play innovative and intricate schemes, which makes it all the more impressive that Flynn stood out. He was steady on his closeouts, not leaving his feet nor gambling but instead using his wiry frame to absorb contact before cutting off the drive. Flynn also looked up to task physically, most notably on one sequence where he stuck tightly to Terry Rozier, battled through a push-off and a bruising screen, to then force a travel on Rozier.

Six — Sharp: Matt Thomas was arguably the Raptors’ most impressive player. Thomas came out of the gate with a three, and remained sharp and aggressive throughout the night. He showed great chemistry with both the starters and with the second unit, mostly because he was decisive and active. Thomas proved in his rookie year that he is an elite shooter, hitting 47 percent of his threes, but he’s now starting to round out his game. Defenses are lunging desperately at Thomas in an effort to deter his shot, and he is finding ways to use that attention to create looks for his teammates. His best dime of the night was a jump pass off a screen, where two guys converged on him, but Thomas flipped the ball to his screener for the open three. If Thomas can pair the shooting and the playmaking, while also continuing to improve on defense, then he will become a staple for the second unit.

Seven — Rotation: There aren’t that many spots in the rotation left to be determined. The biggest battle is at backup center, where Chris Boucher and Alex Len both proved to be capable but flawed. Boucher’s positioning is loose, but his athleticism and length allows him to contest above the rim, while Len is mostly a steady 7-footer. Boucher offers more offensively, while Len can struggle at times to catch the ball. Boucher should have the inside edge given his experience with the team, but Nurse will probably platoon the two based on matchups.

Eight — Surprise: There is a battle for the 15th spot, and Japanese forward Yuta Watanabe looks to be leading the pack. Watanabe played with the second unit, while the other contenders largely played in the fourth quarter. Watanabe was active on defense, and didn’t look out of place. He also knocked down a three courtesy of Thomas, and the lefty forward can also put it on the floor to attack a closeout. Nurse called him a “pleasant surprise” after the game, and complimented his versatility.

Nine — Impressive: Paul Watson was saddled with the third stringers, but his talent is clear. He doesn’t force his shot on offense, is a capable catch-and-shoot threat, and he is strong and responsible on defense. He collected three blocks in the fourth quarter, including two swats at the rim, and very much fits the mold for the standard 3-and-D forward that would slot seamlessly into most lineups.

Ten — Smooth: LaMelo Ball is a walking highlight. He makes impossible passes look simple, and he makes the simple look exciting. His passing is legitimately delightful, it’s the type of panache that Jason Williams or a teenage Ricky Rubio had, and that unselfish brand of basketball is very refreshing in contrast to the shoot-first guards that dominate the game. The only issue — and it’s a big issue — is that Ball doesn’t seem capable of scoring at the NBA level, and that will limit him.

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