No DeRozan and only 10 minutes of Lowry? No problem.
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Positives
Jonas Valanciunas’s post-ups
At long, at last, the Toronto Raptors decided to feed their young franchise centre a steady diet of looks in the post. It doesn’t matter that it only came as a result of necessity in the third quarter while the Raptors two main guns — those being Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan — sat out. What matters is that we finally know what the offense would look like if it ran through Valanciunas in the post.
So how did he do? Fairly well, thank you very much. Valanciunas scored consistently in one-on-one coverage over both the bigger Kelly Olynyk and the quicker Jared Sullinger. Against Olynyk, Valanciunas took his time and dropped his sweeping right-handed hook in the lane. Against Sullinger, Valanciunas turned over his left shoulder and dropped a short 10-footer. His other basket came on a free-throw line jumper created out of a pick-and-pop. The Celtics eventually countered by sending a second defender his way, but Valanciunas mostly stayed calm, dutifully kicking the rock out to the perimeter and finding the open shooter. On two occasions, Valanciunas found Greivis Vasquez open from deep, but both attempts clanked out. Otherwise, Valanciunas would have added a pair of assists to his line.
It’s clear that when Lowry and DeRozan are on the floor, Valanciunas posting up isn’t a priority, but it’s nice to see that he has the capability to score when guarded in one-on-one scenarios. More promising, even, is his passing. Over the first two seasons of his career, Valanciunas often huddled up in response to pressure from help defense, rather than calmly assessing the situation and throwing the kickout. This new development makes him a more effective option which may force head coach Dwane Casey into tossing more possessions his way.
Lou Williams’s fit
Williams’s name was highlighted in my game notes long before his clutch pull-up triple which spared everyone from bonus preseason ball. His final line doesn’t look terribly impressive — 15 points on 4-of-11 shooting is decent — but it’s the context of how he played is what qualified Williams as effective on the night.
As the preseason trudges on, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Raptors are emphasizing driving to the basket and pushing the pace in transition. So far, the Raptors have been mediocre on both accounts, mostly because Terrence Ross and Greivis Vasquez are both struggling (more on them below), but Williams has stepped up in their stead.
Williams got to the basket at will against the Celtics, especially with the benefit of a ball screen. His quickness and long arms allowed him to generate and finish consistently on attempts around the basket. To be fair, the Celtics aren’t exactly stocked with intimidating rim-protectors, but Williams’s ability to create with his dribble was key, especially when his fellow wings looked off.
But none of this should be surprising. As I wrote in my player breakdown on Williams in the offseason, Williams thrives as a ball-handler who can create looks for himself. As a member of the Atlanta Hawks in recent years, Williams mostly made his hay through free throws and three-pointers, but Williams’s willingness and ability to attack the basket is a positive sign, especially in the context of his continued recovery from an ACL tear.
And don’t get it twisted — Williams isn’t going to be this good every night. There will be nights when he’s a defensive turnstile who just won’t stop shooting. But the process of how he gets his looks, and his fit within the Raptors’ offense should be an asset for a squad in need of his skillset.
Jordan Hamilton’s case for the 15th spot
In a vacuum, Hamilton gets the final roster spot. No question about it. He’s outplayed Greg Stiemsma and Will Cherry. Hamilton has been a pleasant surprise, showing the ability to catch passes and either spot-up, or attack the paint. This helps tremendously in both halfcourt sets and in transition.
But the Raptors’ roster isn’t a vacuum. The 15th spot will most likely go to the player who best offsets the valleys found in the contours of the Raptors’ team design. The Raptors have Ross, James Johnson, Landry Fields and Bruno Caboclo as options on the wings, while Valanciunas, Bebe Nogueira and Chuck Hayes man centre. It’s a matter of which combination you trust more. Quite frankly, given what I’ve seen out of Hamilton, I’d take him over Stiemsma’s foul-fuelled rim-protection.
Check out Hamilton’s plays in our highlight reel.
Negatives
Greivis Vasquez’s lack of pace
What has happened to Greivis Vasquez? I’m not reading into the deflated statlines; I promise. Rather, my concern stems from his total lack of footspeed and ineffectiveness in leading the second unit.
I get it. Vasquez isn’t exactly running the pick-and-roll with Blake Griffin and he’s never been quick to begin with. But it is concerning to see Vasquez driving to the basket, only to be totally smothered by Tyler Zeller. Huh? Zeller might be a strong 7-footer, but Vasquez should be able to make something happen in a straight drive to the basket. His lack of explosiveness, both in terms of speed and elevation, led him to either have his shot stuffed, or to put up an awkward floater. Both failed tonight.
Hopefully, it’s just rust on Vasquez’s part. The good thing is that he’s still rather effective as a passer in the pick-and-roll and his shot looks fine (tonight notwithstanding), but Vasquez will be counted upon to generate offense, especially in leading the second unit. Maybe more work with Patrick Patterson stretching the floor is the answer, but every half-decent shot-blocker is Vasquez’s kryptonite right now.
Rim-protection
Namely, there is none when Johnson and Valanciunas aren’t on the floor. Hayes provided none, Patterson little and Tyler Hansbrough’s correct positioning was betrayed by his short arms and smaller build. The Raptors’ rim-defense was embarrassing in the second quarter, allowing Zeller to run rampant on rolls to the basket. He scored on three possessions to bring the Celtics to a tie at halftime.
Here’s the problem: every big is flawed in some way. Hansbrough’s reach isn’t long enough to deter shots; same with Patterson and Hayes. Stiemsma can block shots, and Nogueira’s 9-foot-6 standing reach definitely fulfills the physical requisite, but Stiemsma will throw a hard foul at the first opportunity and Nogueira’s slender build betrays his ability to hold his ground.
So what’s the solution? I don’t know. Limiting penetration would be a start, though.
Terrence Ross ain’t cut out for this transition life
At this point in his career, Ross’s comfort zone on offense is limited to finishing in transition and darting around screens for spot-ups. When he’s dribbling, it’s a win for the defense.
Mostly, Ross’s struggles circles back to the limitations of his dribble-drive game, which I touched on in another article over the summer (see all the good stuff you miss when you sleep on Raptors Republic in August?) Ross loves pulling up when attacking to his right, and he straight-up sucks when dribbling to his left. He rarely makes whole-hearted drives to the basket, settling instead for twisty finesse layups. He drove less than Andrea Bargnani last season and as a result, Ross almost never shot free-throws.
Right now, Ross’s weakness puts the Raptors’ offense in a bind. If the Raptors want to run more in transition, Ross will need to dribble more often, and attack the basket with verve. As for the starting lineup, Ross is the Raptors’ most logical option as a finisher. Valanciunas is the team’s best defensive rebounder, but he’s wholly unwilling to throw the outlet pass, so one of Lowry or DeRozan will need to stay back to accept the hand off. This leaves Ross as the lone ranger up ahead.
