RJ Barrett had one of many hottest stretches of his profession, making over 60 p.c of his area targets and main his Toronto Raptors to a few wins in 4 video games.
After which he met his previous buddy Lu Dort.
Dort and his Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder teammates shut down Barrett, and thus the Raptors’ offense, in a 129-92 loss on Thursday. Even after the loss, Barrett has the second-most transition factors per sport within the NBA, trailing solely two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
“We knew as quickly because the ball went up, we needed to name on guys to return again,” Dort stated of Barrett and Toronto’s stifling offense. “We had been profitable offensively, we made a whole lot of photographs that they could not actually execute in transition.
“However we simply used what they had been doing. We labored on enjoying quicker and doing that on our finish, so it labored out properly for us.”
Barrett, a swingman from Mississauga, Ont., had averaged 28.3 factors on 60.9 p.c area aim taking pictures, 47.6 p.c on three-point makes an attempt, over his final 4 video games. In opposition to Dort, a Montreal native, Barrett had 17 factors on 31.3 p.c area aim taking pictures and 14.3 p.c three-point makes an attempt.
The 2 Canadians have identified one another since they had been youngsters and Dort steered that familiarity helped his protection.
“I have been enjoying in opposition to RJ since I used to be 14 or 15 and to see the place we are actually is de facto loopy,” stated Dort, who teamed up with Barrett on Canada’s males’s basketball crew on the Olympics. from Paris final summer time. “I am actually completely satisfied he is again in his hometown and doing the present. He is having a terrific season.
“It’s at all times good to see certainly one of my summer time teammates have a profitable season.”
Dort is averaging 9.6 factors, 4.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists per sport this yr, low offensive numbers for a rookie swingman, however it’s not scoring that places him on the ground.
He is averaging 1.1 steals, 0.9 blocks and 0.6 turnovers over 22 video games this season – all profession highs – in opposition to a variety of defensive assignments, together with Barrett, Sacramento Kings level guard De’Aaron Fox , Los Angeles Lakers small ahead LeBron James, and Utah Jazz energy ahead Lauri Markkanen.
“The vary of gamers he can guard defensively is an underrated a part of his character as a defenseman,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault stated. “I believe whenever you consider him as a defender, you consider him as going in opposition to a man like (Los Angeles Clippers level guard) James Harden or (Dallas Mavericks level guard) Luka Doncic and hitting these guys.
“It is spectacular, and he does a terrific job on these kinds of gamers, however you possibly can decrease it with velocity guards, the place he can actually impose his physicality, after which you possibly can play him with huge wings and large guys. 4, and we did it too.”
Dort had three blocks and two steals in 28 minutes at Scotiabank Area – Daigneault rested his starters with the sport properly in hand – and backup ahead Cason Wallace had three steals and three blocks.
“We hand over, similar to we play protection,” Dort stated. “Anytime we’ve an opportunity to steal or block or no matter, we’ll do it.
“It is simply the belief we’ve in one another, the way in which we play protection, the way in which we belief one another each time we get beat, the truth that the low man will probably be there to make competitions and play a superb sport.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed December 6, 2024.
