Beyond Jonas Valanciunas, who is 10th in the league in rebounding percentage, the Raptors do not have an elite rebounder up front. Amir Johnson is currently grabbing 11.1% of available rebounds while he is on the floor, his lowest percentage since his rookie season. His defensive rebounding percentage is six percentage points below his career average. Patrick Patterson has never been known for his rebounding, and is actually grabbing boards at a better rate than his career average this year. Tyler Hansbrough, who has the potential to be a high-volume rebounder, has struggled on the glass this year by his standards, and is currently stuck well behind the other three big men at this point in Casey’s rotation.
The Pacers thought they’d have starting point guard George Hill back by now, but his debut is on hold for a couple more weeks. Without Hill, Paul George (out for the season) and Lance Stephenson (now on the Hornets), the offence has been a disaster, ranking behind only two other teams so far. The Pacers don’t generate a lot of assists, can’t really shoot (42.4% from the field, behind only Philadelphia and Detroit) and don’t get to the free throw line enough. They are a solid defensive team though (ninth overall) and trail only Portland in rebounds per game (45.8, the Raptors grab only 40.7, 26th overall). Indiana has dropped six straight heading in, despite getting power forward David West back in the lineup. Former Piston Rodney Stuckey is one of the few Pacers on a roll right now and has played well against the Raptors in the past.
Raptors encouraging Patrick Patterson to keep shooting | Toronto Star
Patterson is riding one of those waves good shooters get on every now and then, he’s made 13 of his 22 three-point field goal attempts in Toronto’s last five games and even when things go momentarily awry, he’s going to keep on firing. “When I have people on my team encouraging me and pushing me and wanting me to keep shooting the ball all the time regardless of the outcome, it’s just more motivation for me to want to make a shot,” he said after the team worked out at the Air Canada Centre on Thursday, getting ready for Friday’s home date with the Indiana Pacers. Patterson has turned into one of Toronto’s most dangerous long distance shooters, a backup power forward who can extend defences as a prototypical “stretch four” in today’s NBA game.
Lewenberg: Patterson masters art of the three-point shot | TSN
A gym rat by nature, Patterson credits repetition and his consistent, day-to-day routine, which hasn’t changed since he integrated the long-ball into his game over two years ago. “I have the same focus I had when I was missing shots,” said Patterson, who is 13-for-22 from three-point range in December. “It’s just an everyday grind. I still do the same routine every single day, still get up my extra shots every single day. So I try not to alter what I’m doing. Regardless of whether I’m missing shots or if I’m making shots, I still shoot the same amount of shots after practice and before practice. It’s just staying confident, staying focused and believing in myself as my teammates do.” “That’s one thing that he works on everyday,” Casey said. “He’s a threat there. They’re running at him and he’s doing a great job of making plays off the dribble, because they are running so hard at him to get him off the three-point line. So that’s a sign of respect.”
Can A Traditional NBA Center Like Jonas Valanciunas Survive? | Pro Bball Report
In fast paced games and against centers that like to hang out around the three-point line, a young traditional center like Valanciunas is going to struggle defensively at times. He is still learning his craft and can’t always punish his long range shooting opponent enough with his own offense to stay on the court as long as some would like to see. However, there are plenty of solid examples that support the Raptors continued emphasis on Valanciunas development. Roy Hibbert is a traditional center that has anchored the Pacers very stingy defense while providing limited offense and questionable defense on stretch big men. The Warriors turnaround on defense started with the acquisition of Andrew Bogut’s big defensive presence in the paint. Even the Spurs turn to the inside presence of Tiago Splitter (when he’s healthy) despite having more than enough talent to win without him. Outside of the HEAT in recent years with LeBron James hiding a wealth of roster deficiencies, most good teams have an effective (mostly) traditional center. It is easy to forget Valanciunas is still just 22-years-old. There are games where he puts up impressive double-doubles and provides superior rim protection. It is also easy to second guess a coach who has veteran options that are less likely to make mistakes at the end of games than a young player. The Raptors young center still has a lot to learn and isn’t going to be effective every night against every opposing lineup.
Toronto Raptors: The Landry Fields Experiment 2.0 | Baller Mind Frame
In 23 minutes, Fields knew his role only attempting two shots, while making both of them, and contributed one rebound and two assists. These statistics are not flashy or worthy of another 20 million dollar contract, but his contribution makes the Raptors bench that much better. Fields is a solid defender and his role as a starting shooting guard can be very beneficial for his entire team. Fields showed that he was a good defender when he went up against Joe Johnson in the playoffs last season, and continued this trait while facing LeBron James last game. Although Grevis Vasquez has been playing well during the absence of DeMar DeRozan, starting Fields over Vasquez can pay dividends because it allows Vasquez to move back to his role as a back-up point guard and gives him the ability to run the second team offense. By adding Fields into the starting lineup, it almost feels like the Raptors added a brand new player to their roster, after he hasn’t had an impact all year.
#NorthernNostalgia: Toronto Raptors legend Zan Tabak | Raptors Cage
Zan Tabak didn’t score many points or pull down many boards, but he was a serviceable big man and the Raptors first legitimate 7-footer. He averaged a modest 8PPG and 5REB during his first season and didn’t produce much more than that over his next two seasons. He was a big body in the paint and helped spread the floor for Damon Stoudamire. He knew his role on the team and did the little things he was asked to help his team get better – like a rich man’s Aaron Gray. Tabak was a solid veteran to have around a group of mostly younger players on an expansion club. Tabak also had another thing going for him. He had an incredible flat-top haircut. It was seriously awesome. The only thing better than Tabak’s hair might have been Rod Black’s moustache in this clip from the first ever Raptor game. Both are on display in this video.
Indiana Pacers at Toronto Raptors: Friday game preview | Toronto Star
The Pacers are struggling, riding the crest of a season-worst six-game losing streak. . . . Indiana is missing key injured components Paul George, George Hill and Ian Mahinmi. . . . Offence is the biggest issue with Indiana: They’re 27th in points per game and 28th in field goal percentage. . . . Raptors went to Fields primarily to help cover LeBron James on Tuesday night in Cleveland and could switch back to Greivis Vasquez for the Pacers. That won’t be known officially until about game time. . . . One thing Indiana does well — and it fits into something Toronto doesn’t do well — is rebound. The Pacers have outrebounded opponents in 14 of 22 games this year and hold an advantage of about four rebounds per game over opponents.
Best Team Chemistry in the NBA: Toronto Raptors | Bleacher Report
Holly MacKenzie of Raptors.com broke down the relationship between players feeling camaraderie in the locker room and surrendering themselves to the interests of the team on the court: “It’s filling a locker room with players who are primarily concerned with winning rather than individual success that few are able to do. What stands out about this group of players is how much they genuinely like each other’s company. After Bruno Caboclo’s NBA debut, the locker room was filled with teammates chanting his name and teasing him about the media waiting to speak with him. Williams took a photo of Caboclo’s media scrum so the rookie could send it to his mother.”
Time for Raptors to go on a run | Toronto Sun
Jonas Valanciunas is the team’s best rebounder and is coming off a season-best 15-board effort, but even he is frustrated at his (and the entire team’s) inability to pull down rebounds when they are needed the most. The team’s other primary option up front, Patrick Patterson, does many things well, but rebounding is not one of them. Still, Patterson thinks everyone on the Raptors can do more. “Our inability to get to the ball first, whether it’s them inside the paint or whether it’s long rebounds out to the free throw line and outside, it’s just our ability to not be the first one to get our hands on it, Patterson said. “It’s just a lack of will and that’s easily changeable, but just got to do a better job of boxing out on our man and helping out each other.” Whether it is actually “easily changeable” is a matter of debate. You can bet Casey is spending ample time at practice trying to answer that question.
Despite the concerns, the Raptors are still well ahead in the Atlantic Division. Brooklyn is in second place at the moment, but are 8-11, and have reportedly made Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson available in trade talks. The Sixers have no intentions of competing for anything this season. The Celtics have been surprisingly entertaining but it would be hard to see them even finish above .500. And the Knicks. Well, there’s this. In the race for top seed in the East, Atlanta, Washington, Cleveland and Chicago are creeping closer to the Raptors in the standings. Although I’m not sure if a top seed was a realistic goal with or without DeRozan’s injury. But the next six games in the schedule does afford the Raptors an opportunity to make another push in the standings.
Raptors Next Six Games Are Like An Early Christmas Present | Pro Bball Report
The current combined record of the Raptors next 6 opponents is 35 wins and 101 loses. That should translate into 6 wins in a row for Toronto. Merry Christmas.
Game Preview: Pacers at Raptors | Indiana Pacers
Part of the problem for the Blue-and-Gold in recent games has been falling into early holes — the Pacers have trailed by 10 or more points in the first quarter of each of their last three games. Toronto has the firepower to keep that trend going. The Raptors rank second in the NBA in points per game (108.5 points per game). Toronto is also one of the best teams at not turning the ball over, committing just 11.5 turnovers per game, fourth-fewest in the league. The Raptors’ attack is led by point guard Kyle Lowry, who averages 20.1 points and 7.5 assists per game. Second-leading scorer DeMar DeRozan is currently sidelined by injury, but four other players also boast a double-digit scoring average.
Indiana Pacers (7-15) at Toronto Raptors (16-6): 3 keys to victory | Raptors Rapture
The Indiana Pacers, considered NBA title contenders at this time last year, have taken a mighty tumble. Losing Paul George to injury, and Lance Stephenson to free agency, has eviscerated their offense, which ranks a sad 28th. Only the woeful Pistons and 76ers score fewer Points Per Game [PPG] than the 93.5 Indy averages. Here’s a positive: every one of their starters averages in double figures…with the highest being Rodney Stuckey’s 12.7. Ouch. Little wonder these guys are winless in their last 7.
NBA Preview – Indiana Pacers at Toronto Raptors – Dec 12, 2014 | CBSSports.com
The Raptors would appear to have a good chance to regroup over their next six games, all of which come against teams with losing records. Toronto won two of the last three meetings against Indiana last season, with both wins coming at home behind a combined 42 points from Terrence Ross. “They have weapons at every position,” coach Frank Vogel told the Pacers’ official website. “Their spread pick-and-roll attack off their bench I know is very strong. Lowry obviously is the head of the snake. Valanciunas grows every year. Ross is growing even more with (DeMar) DeRozan being out. They have tremendous firepower. It’s the reason that they’re best in the East.”
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