The Toronto Raptors got the result they needed, but the night was really about who stepped forward when the lineup got thin.
Toronto beat the Milwaukee Bucks 121-107 to move to 1-1 in NBA Cup play, and the comeback came after a rough opening stretch that saw the Raptors without Kawhi Leonard, Immanuel Quickley, and Scottie Barnes. Milwaukee came out hot from three and controlled the boards early, but Toronto flipped the script after halftime and outscored the Bucks 70-47 the rest of the way.
The biggest lift came from two young guards who played like they knew the moment was theirs. Alijah Martin and Jamal Shead both delivered the kind of next-man-up performance Toronto badly needed.
Martin was outstanding. He put up a career-high 27 points with four rebounds and three stocks while shooting 9-of-11 from the floor.
Even more impressive, he looked ready to fire every time the ball found him. That mattered because confidence from deep has been an issue for him before, but not here.
Martin went 6-of-7 from three and may have played his way into a more permanent role in the rotation.
He also held up on the other end. Martin didn’t look like he was sacrificing defense for offense, and he did a strong job on the possessions where he was matched with Tyler Herro, keeping Herro from getting the clean looks he wanted.
Shead was just as important in a different way. Starting in place of Quickley, he finished with 10 points, three rebounds, 16 assists, and two steals on 4-of-10 shooting.
He kept attacking downhill, drew the defense in, and kept finding open teammates. The one turnover against 16 assists says plenty about how clean he was with the ball.
Toronto’s ball movement stood out in a way it hasn’t much this season, and Shead was at the center of it.
His passing reads on the move, along with the pace and precision of his deliveries, were sharp enough to draw a wild comparison: he looked like he should be starting at QB for the Cleveland Browns this week.
Defensively, Shead had his hands full at times with Brayden Burries, who had a good night, but he settled in more in the second half and helped the Raptors get key stops.
Jakob Poeltl also gave Toronto exactly the kind of response it needed. His start was shaky, and he looked a little out of sync early, but he found his footing as the game went on. By the end, the Raptors weren’t closing this one out without his edge.
Poeltl finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds, six of them offensive, three assists, and four stocks on 9-of-14 shooting. Once he recognized that the opposing frontcourt featured Kel’el Ware and Myles Turner, he leaned into the matchup. He attacked the glass, played with force, and created second-chance chances for himself and others.
He also held his own at the rim and didn’t get exposed as often in ball-screen situations as he has in other games. The matchup wasn’t elite, but Toronto still needed him to be assertive, and he was. Collin Murray-Boyles also deserves mention after posting 19 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and five stocks.
Not everything was clean, though. Ja’Kobe Walter and RJ Barrett both left questions hanging.
Walter started well enough and helped make Tyler Herro a playmaker early, but the offense around him went sideways. He shot 2-of-12 overall and 1-of-7 from three, missing easy looks and forcing others that didn’t make much sense.
His defense was better than it has been lately, but it still came and went. One sequence late in the third summed up the problem: AJ Green pump-faked at the end of the quarter, Walter bit, and Milwaukee got a three out of it.
That kind of lapse has shown up too often lately.
It wouldn’t be surprising if Walter moved back to the bench to try to get his rhythm back, with Shead or even Jamison Battle taking that starting spot while Leonard is out.
Barrett’s night was rough in a different way. The idea of him handling a No. 1 option or primary creator role again looked shaky. When he was asked to drive the offense, the possessions were ugly, and he missed all four of his three-point attempts.
He still gave Toronto seven rebounds and five assists, and he did have a few decent baskets late, but 27 points on 21 shots didn’t change the feeling of the game. The defense didn’t help his case either.
That doesn’t make him unimportant. It does, though, reinforce the idea that he’s better suited as a complementary scorer than as the guy opponents can key on at the top of the scouting report.
In Other News...
Raptors Center Search Suddenly Has One Intriguing New Trade Target
Wendell Carter Jr. has quietly become one of the more interesting big men to watch around the league, and his season with the Orlando Magic has only sharpened that profile. For a Raptors team still sorting through its long-term answer in the middle, Carters blend of size, versatility and two-way usefulness makes him an easy name to circle when the conversation turns to possible upgrades.
The problem, as always, is getting from intrigue to reality. Toronto would have to navigate a tricky financial picture and the kind of salary-cap hurdles that can stall even a sensible idea before it gets off the ground, which is why this remains more of a future possibility than a live negotiation for now. Still, if the Magics direction changes or Toronto keeps looking for a center who fits multiple roles, Carters name is one that could linger on the Raptors radar. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Center Problem Could Put Nate Bittle In The Spotlight
Torontos center depth has become a real talking point, and Nate Bittle has surfaced as one of the more interesting names tied to it. Basketball analyst Sam Vecenie pointed to the two-way big man as a possible answer, which is notable given how much the Raptors have been looking for help in the middle. Bittles Summer League showing gave the idea some traction, with promising production across the board and enough rim protection to make him stand out.
The longer-term question is availability, because there is still no clear timetable for his return to play. That leaves the Raptors in a familiar holding pattern, weighing upside against uncertainty while trying to map out who can actually fill minutes at center. Bittles college background and his Summer League flashes make him worth watching, but for now the path from intriguing prospect to real rotation option remains unfinished. [Read more 🡒]
Raptors Face A Tough Allen Graves Decision As Ceiling Comes Into Focus
Without Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors have been forced to take a hard look at where they stand and what kind of move could actually lift the roster back into contention. One name that keeps surfacing is rookie forward Allen Graves, whose blend of value and upside makes him one of the few real assets Toronto could use to upgrade the starting lineup. The problem is that the front office is operating with limited ways to add first-round picks, which makes every possible path feel more expensive and more complicated.
Graves also represents the kind of decision teams hate most: the player you want to keep because he fits the long-term picture, and the player you may have to move because the present is demanding more. Toronto has to weigh its future draft flexibility against the need to improve now, especially with uncertainty hanging over what those future picks might actually become. The ceiling on this roster is becoming clearer, and so is the pressure to decide whether patience is still the right bet. [Read more 🡒]