The Raptors are able to stop the original Anunoby transaction, but they are struggling to…

The Raptors are able to stop the original Anunoby transaction, but they are struggling to…

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When considering a deal that might change a franchise in professional sports, it is essential to look at it over a period of years rather than just a few weeks. It’s best to evaluate transactions using the perspective of whole seasons rather than a small number of games.

That’s definitely what Toronto club president Masai Ujiri has to be reminding himself, as it has been almost three weeks since the Raptors traded OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks.

For if you’re evaluating the move based on its aftermath so far, the differences are striking, and not in a positive manner for Toronto.

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Take into account the pre-deal conditions of both teams. Prior to the late December trade that sent Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn to New York for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Detroit’s second-round choice in the 2024 draft, neither organisation was very content with its position in the league. With a record of 17–14, the Knicks were superior. Toronto, 12-19, was searching for a change as they continued to get used to new head coach Darko Rajakovic.

However, there was one thing that both sides had in common: a mediocre defence. The Knicks were fifteenth in defensive efficiency at the time of the deal. The Raptors came in 16th.

Their defensive fortunes have taken a turn for the worst since then. In New York, many are hailing Anunoby as a defensive messiah. The Knicks had the best defensive rating in the NBA after eight games with Anunoby starting. Anunoby’s arrival has rejuvenated the club that finished December with the NBA’s lowest defensive rating. Maybe it’s no accident that they have a 6-2 record.

Meanwhile, Toronto’s defence, which wasn’t strong to begin with, has significantly deteriorated. With the exception of the humiliating defeat to the miserable Pistons, which was fortunately overshadowed by the announcement of the trade, Toronto has dropped from being a middle-of-the-pack defensive club to a bottom-of-the-league contender in the eight games since Anunoby departed the team.

With Barrett and Quickley in the lineup, Toronto’s defensive rating is now 27th.

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The offensive punch of Barrett and Quickley has also significantly increased Toronto’s assault, which has improved from 16th in offensive rating before to the deal to 10th in the last eight games. However, the defense-for-offense tradeoff hasn’t yet resulted in the team consistently winning.

The Raptors, who have lost their last four games, have a 3-5 win-loss record since Barrett and Quickley entered the starting lineup.

Undoubtedly, some of that ugliness has resulted from enduring the last four games without Jakob Poeltl, the starting centre, who is now out due to an ankle injury.

Not that the transaction didn’t make sense, mind you. Action was necessary due to Toronto’s reputation of letting free players go for nothing and Anunoby’s sphinx-like demeanour, which revealed few clues about his intentions as a free agent.

It will be fascinating to see how the Raptors handle one of the major fallouts from this transaction, which is how Anunoby’s departure impacts Scottie Barnes, assuming all deals have unintended repercussions. It has benefitted the guy who the Raptors seem to be centering their future on so far in a few ways.

He now has the duty of taking over Anunoby’s previous position of protecting the other team’s top perimeter player. And Barnes’s stats have significantly decreased in the middle of what was a breakthrough season.

The Raptors are confident that Barnes can handle the task, no question about it. Barnes has what it takes to be an NBA defensive player of the year, Rajakovic asserted back in October. He has undoubtedly shown this in little doses. Matchup numbers at NBA.com show that Barnes, who was Tatum’s main defender in Monday’s defeat to the Celtics, limited the top player from Boston to just one point on seven shots from the floor.

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However, there is a significant increase in responsibility. Furthermore, the first results indicate that it is reducing Barnes’ offensive output. He was averaging 21.0 points per game before to the move, but in the last eight games, he has only averaged 16.6 points.

“I felt he played defence (against the Celtics) with a lot of energy.” Furthermore, Rajakovic expressed uncertainty about whether this lessened the offensive team’s aggression. “In the fourth quarter, he turned it on. He was approaching the edge. He was winning. All he has to do is figure out how to influence offensive while still being an excellent and great defensive player.

That is, of course, no easy feat. Not many players are able to control both ends of an NBA game. That’s why you start looking for a suitable replacement as soon as you deal away a guy like Anunoby, the only Raptor who isn’t Kawhi Leonard who makes an NBA all-defensive team.

Granted that the post-Anunoby era is still early, Barnes’ increased defensive load has so far hampered not just his offensive output but also his ability to rebound. He was averaging 9.4 rebounds per game before to the deal. After that, he has only averaged 5.0 rebounds per game over the last eight games. Placing Barnes on a top perimeter threat “takes him away quite a bit from the rim,” as Rajakovic recently said. He can’t bounce back now, therefore. Additionally, he excels in defensive rebounding.

And there’s another deal-breaker, at least for the near future. After the move, Toronto’s rebounding percentage was 13th, but in its last eight games, it has placed 25th. Take whatever you will from the fact that the Knicks are leading the NBA in this area in January.