Basketball

RAPTORS BLOG: No surprise no sellout vs. Knicks expect to see more empty seats

By Kevinn Colleran
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Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) shoots the ball over New York Knicks centre Jericho Sims (45) in the second half at Scotiabank Arena.
Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes (4) shoots the ball over New York Knicks centre Jericho Sims (45) in the second half at Scotiabank Arena. Photo by Dan Hamilton /USA Today Sports

It was surprising to learn that Sunday afternoon’s game against the New York Knicks was the first Raptors game of the season to not sell out at Scotiabank Arena.

Considering the season the team is having, the way the economy is going and the price of tickets, not to mention how many stars have not suited up for their lone (in some cases) visit to Canada, it’s a wonder it’s taken this long. Yes, there was a snowstorm and it was Lunar New Year, but still. The Knicks are actually decent this year and RJ Barrett is one of our finest local talents.

Toronto is now 15-12 at home, not bad, especially when placed next to the team’s conference-low six road wins, but it’s a how the mighty have fallen situation when placed in context. 

Between the 2013-14 and 2019-20 seasons, only five NBA teams won 200 or more home games. Toronto was the only team from the East to do that. Between 2015-16 and 2020-21 only San Antonio won more home games than the Raptors.

Obviously this year’s team isn’t as good as those prior ones, but the ever-increasing price of tickets has also weakened Toronto’s once near NBA-best home-court advantage. The loudest and most hardcore fans have mostly been priced out. Again, not a surprise. When a professional sporting franchise is as successful as the Raptors have been over the last decade, prices are going to keep going up. This isn’t the dark ages of Andrea Bargnani and Hedo Turkoglu or Loren Woods and Jelani McCoy. The Sprite Zone is long gone and isn’t coming back (look it up, kids).

There’s still a significant season ticket base and the franchise sells a ton of merchandise, but it will be interesting to see how empty the arena gets if the losses keep piling up.

Or maybe people will keep coming to see Scottie Barnes get better and better, as he’s been doing for a few weeks now.

We’ll see.

AROUND THE RIM

  • Barnes has been a monster lately. Especially in the fourth quarter, which hasn’t been the strongest quarter for other Raptors this year. The offence seems to be going through him in those quarters and Barnes is producing. I was calling for Precious Achiuwa to be inserted into the starting lineup, but that was before O.G. Anunoby got hurt (make Gary Trent the sixth man was the idea and take advantage of Achiuwa’s strong defensive presence).

The worry was how Barnes would do with less space (since he had begun to ascend after being switched to a centre or power forward role full time). Anunonby tends to take a while to return when he gets hurt, so this could be an interesting audition for Achiuwa, who this corner believes should be considered part of the team’s long-term core.

  • With Trent playing solid basketball lately too, it might muddle the trade picture. The trade deadline is just over two weeks away and Trent can walk for nothing in the off-season when he will command a nice, long-term deal. This strong run shouldn’t confuse management: Unless the offers are terrible, move Trent to add to the asset war chest and to make the future cap picture less cumbersome.
  • It was good to see another trade candidate, Chris Boucher, play well against the Knicks. Boucher has been far too quiet lately.
  • What’s up with Barrett becoming a three-point specialist against the Raptors? He’s hit four or more threes in a game 15 times over the last two seasons, but three of them have come against the Raptors. He’s done it five times this year, twice against Toronto.
  • Similarly, Obi Toppin has hit four or more four times over the last two seasons, twice against Toronto, including his career-best six on Sunday. Related: These Raptors give up way too many three-pointers.

THREE STARS

1 Scottie Barnes

2 Pascal Siakam

3 RJ Barrett

Honourable mention: Precious Achiuwa, Gary Trent, Fred VanVleet, Obi Toppin, Chris Boucher, Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson (there were a lot in this one).

THREE STARS VS. CELTICS

1 Jaylen Brown

2 Pascal Siakam

3 Precious Achiuwa

Honourable mention: Grant Williams, O.G Anunoby, Malcolm Brogdon

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Kevinn Colleran
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