Takeaways from Raptors Loss as LeBron James & Anthony Davis Star for Lakers

The Toronto Raptors couldn't overcome a disastrous first half as the Los Angeles Lakers rode impressive performances by LeBron James and Anthony Davis to victory

Nov 1, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) drives to the net against Toronto Raptors guard RJ Barrett (9) during the first half at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Lakers 131, Toronto Raptors 125

Walter Debuts

Let's start with the positives.

Ja'Kobe Walter made his NBA debut Friday night after spending the last month sidelined with an AC joint injury he suffered before training camp. It wasn't some revelatory awe-inspiring first showing from the 20-year-old shooting guard, but Walter was solid.

His first shot attempt came via a corner three-pointer he side-stepped into and missed. Moments earlier, he was shaken off by Austin Reeves who took him to the hoop for a bucket at the other end in what was a rough start for the rookie out of Baylor.

But Walter settled in after that, he used a screen from Jonathan Mogbo to create enough space for a layup that drew contact from Reeves for an and-1, the first points of his career. He showed off the hustle the Raptors have been talking about with an impressive chase-down block of Rui Hachimura in the second quarter and fought off two Lakers for an offensive rebound to set up an Ochai Agbaji bucket.

"He has really good nose for the ball," Raptors coach Darko Rajaković said of Walter. "He's a really good on-ball defender. He has very active hands, long arms. He's very disruptive, and he has very good feel to go get offensive and defensive rebounds."

After falling behind by 26 in the first half, Toronto came storming back in the third, cutting Los Angeles' lead down to single digits thanks to a scoring outburst from RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl. Walter chipped in too, subbing in midway through the frame and working a pick-and-roll with Mogbo before dishing an impressive look-away pass to Chris Boucher cutting from the corner for the bucket.

The fact that Jamal Shead and Mogbo have played so well to start their rookie seasons is going to heighten the pressure on Walter to do the same. It's understandable considering Walter was the No. 19 pick in the draft, but Walter is the youngest of the trio with the most growth still to come.

Walter finished his debut with five points and six rebounds and was a plus-four in nearly 21 minutes.

Barrett Rallies the Raptors

RJ Barrett isn't coming for Scottie Barnes' spot as the No. 1 guy for the Raptors, but the Canadian forward is showing there's more to his game when Toronto is forced to fill his plate with opportunities.

The trouble for Barrett has always been offensive efficiency. He has had no problem averaging 20 or so points per game over his career, but it's the manner in which he scores those points that hasn't been particularly effective.

Lately, though, that's changed.

Barrett tried to rally the Raptors back in the second half and pulled Toronto to within six in the fourth quarter, beating James off the dribble and finishing through contact for the three-point play. He hit a corner three-pointer a quarter earlier to get the Raptors to within seven, but Toronto was never able to come all the way back.

"First of all, I think that RJ is very capable (of playmaking)," Rajaković said of Barrett who set a career high with 12 assists Friday. "I think that he needs to do even more. He needs to playmake for our team and create offense for our team. ... I'm a big RJ believer. I believe in him, and I'm every single day calling him for more."

A pair of three-pointers from Hachimura in the fourth stuck the Lakers to a 12-point lead from which Los Angeles never looked back.

Two three-pointers from Gradey Dick late in the fourth quarter courtesy of setups from Barrett allowed Dick to finish the night with 31 points on 13-for-26 shooting to once again set a new career high in scoring. Barrett wrapped up his night with 33 points on 14-for-22 shooting.

LeBronto

LeBron James set it up pre-game.

Before tip-off Friday, James posted a photo of himself on Instagram in a Scream mask with the caption "Live from LeBronto." Frankly, he was pretty spot on. James jerseys filled the arena as oohs and ahhs broke out every time the 39-year-old did something at all impressive.

Against Toronto, there was plenty to be impressed by too.

James doesn't quite move like he once did, or at least didn't have to against these Raptors, but he's still fully capable of putting on a show. He backed down DJ Carton in an unfair mismatch before turning around and scoring at the hoop. His highlights of the night were a pair of passes to Anthony Davis, first going behind the back out of the pick-and-roll to find Davis and later a pin-point alley-oop to Davis for two.

James had an opportunity for what would have been a wide-open transition dunk but Hachimura overthrew him, prompting a chorus of boos from fans wanting to see another James slam dunk.

Bronny James saw the final few seconds of regulation Friday, much to the appreciation of James fans in attendance. But the elder James finished his trip to Toronto with 27 points and 10 assists in 36 minutes.

Defensive Dissapointment

Toronto's defense simply hasn't been good enough this season.

It's one thing to be young, injured, and inexperienced, but even the Raptors have acknowledged it can't be as bad as it's been. And yet, the first half against the Lakers was among the worst defensive stretches Toronto has played all season.

Los Angeles is good, very good, but it can't be as bad as it was. Toronto burned its first timeout just 76 seconds into the game after a pair of defensive miscues from Gradey Dick that saw the Lakers jump ahead 7-0. In the half alone, the Lakers put up 76 points on 62% shooting with Toronto providing little to no resistance.

"It's tough to put a finger on it, because it's just like a little lack of experience in a lot of different situations where we're making small mistakes and they snowball into bigger problems," said Jakob Poeltl who tallied 19 points and 12 rebounds. "Or we're can't figure out how to catch a rhythm on offense and it's burning us on defense because then they're getting into a flow, they're getting transition buckets, they're getting high outlets, and just like playing to their advantages and their strengths."

Toronto isn't as bad as it looked early. It was clear in the second half when the Raptors did a much better job and managed to claw their way back into things. But starts like the one Toronto had Friday are just impossible to overcome.

Up Next: Sacramento Kings

The Raptors will be right back at it Saturday night when DeMar DeRozan and the Sacramento Kings come to town for the retirement of Vince Carter's No. 15 into the rafters at Scotiabank Arena.