In their final game of 2024, a loss to the Boston Celtics that set the franchise record for the largest margin of defeat, the Toronto Raptors missed their first 14 3-point attempts.
It took them nearly 16 minutes of game action to drill one from deep.
Jamison Battle made the shot; it brought the Raptors to an anemic 15 points for the game.
This is when those who do not like the modern version of the game would urge the Raptors, a poor shooting team, to change their strategy.
If they’re not good at shooting 3s, then attack the paint, get shots at the rim. Alas, they were trying to.
The Raptors were already at eight turnovers when Battle made his 3, a game removed from recording 31, one fumble off another woeful franchise record.
So many of those were coming from the Raptors trying to get looks inside, whether from pocket passes to Jakob Poeltl or drives into crowded areas.