Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet takes a midair shot as Chicago Bulls guard David Nwaba, left, and Bulls guard Jerian Grant, right, defend in Toronto on Thursday.Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press
The Toronto Raptors grabbed an easy win in their season debut, but it wasn't behind the usual stars.
In his debut as a Raptor, sharpshooter C.J. Miles put up 22 points – including six three pointers, helping his new team crush the severely depleted Chicago Bulls in their season opener 117-101. Jonas Valanciunas had a monster night, scoring 23 points and adding 13 rebounds, while Norman Powell had 15 points – including a trio of threes.
It was the first regular-season glimpse of the Raptors "open offence," which promises to open up more opportunities for shots from beyond the arc.
It wasn't the biggest night for Toronto's two all-stars. DeMar DeRozan had just 11 points on 2-of-9 shooting, while Kyle Lowry added 12 on 4 of 7.
The Raps were back in action for the first time since being swept out of the playoffs in the second round by the powerhouse Cleveland Cavaliers last May. Tired of the playoff slumps, it was time for changes. Gone are Cory Joseph, DeMarre Carroll, Patrick Patterson and P.J. Tucker. The usual stars are complemented now by a young bench, an elite three-point man and a new offensive scheme.
The suffering Bulls came to town missing their biggest star Zach LaVine (ACL injury) and two players who tangled in a recent fight in practice – the hospitalized Nikola Mirotic and the suspended Bobby Portis.
The theme of the night for Raptors inside Air Canada Centre seemed to be change. Fans were given red and black T-shirts with the team's new battle cry "North Over Everything." The Raps made a different sort of entrance for this year's opener – jogging out through a smoky, dark red-lit tunnel to music from the science fiction show Stranger Things.
After much speculation about the small forward spot through training camp, the Raptors opted to start third-year Powell at the position on Thursday, alongside DeRozan, Lowry, Valanciunas and Serge Ibaka.
A complete second unit subbed in at the 1:40 mark of the first quarter, including Miles, Delon Wright, Fred VanVleet, Jakob Poeltl and rookie OG Anunoby.
It was a far younger bench unit than the one anchored by Joseph and Patterson in years past. This unit will be critical to Toronto's success this season and its debut was impressive.
The group built a fat lead against a lacklustre collection of Bulls subs, highlighted by four fast threes from Miles and finesse moves in the paint from Anunoby and Wright.
The feel-good vibes seemed to keep flowing. A new in-game video feature called "Juke Box Jams" showed various Raptors lip-synching and dancing to My Girl. When the video ended, the cameras caught a bubbly Lowry on the Raptors bench, continuing to croon to the song.
The Raptors have committed to a new offence that moves the ball more, spaces the floor, and puts more emphasis on three-point shooting. The team expects it to be easier for Lowry as well, a strong three-point shooter. Toronto, after all, ranked 21st in three-point shots made a game during last year's regular season, averaging 8.8. The Raptors had nearly reached that many by halftime in Thursday's opener, and finished the game with 13.
The biggest change is the addition of Miles, a veteran of 12 NBA seasons. He's one of the league's elite three-point shooters. Miles played against the Raptors in the 2016 playoffs as a member of the Indiana Pacers. Dwane Casey remembers game-planning during that series to prevent Miles from getting hot beyond the arc. He recalls repeatedly yelling at his Raptors to "stay connected." This year, Toronto's opponents can worry about that instead.
"We're not Golden State, we're not Houston, and we're not trying to be," said Casey of the NBA's best three-point teams. "We're trying to be the best Toronto Raptors team that our skillsets allow us to be."
Next up for the Raptors is a Saturday night game at home versus the Philadelphia 76ers.
Rachel Brady