The Raptors are in trouble, to the extent that I’m here today writing this article, doing something I thought I’d never do. That is, I’m about to draw a parallel between Josh Smith and Lou Williams.
Now, we can talk about the similarities in the poor decision making of both the above shot and the one Lou Williams took last night – but the comparison doesn’t stop there. Perhaps Josh Smith’s biggest weakness is not his poor shooting, it’s the fact that’s he completely oblivious to just how much he hurts his team when he takes those shots.
So he keeps taking them, when in reality if he just sticks to rebounding, shot-blocking, and interior scoring, he’d be much more valuable.
Unlike Josh Smith, Lou Williams can shoot. At some point though Dwane Casey needs to intervene, pull Lou aside, and tell him that he’s hurting the team’s chances at winning when he goes into hero mode in late shot-clock scenarios.
Lou: "If you've been watching Raptor basketball, right to left crossover 3-point shot, that's just the shot I shoot at the end of quarters"
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) March 25, 2015
Lou: "No different w/ the game was on the line. Thats a shot Im comfortable with, thats a shot that I make, thats the shot I missed tonight"
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) March 25, 2015
Lou can hit that shot – no quarrels. But contrary to what he says or beleives, that’s not a shot he makes. For a while most people have been speculating just how unreliable Lou’s end-of-quarter isos are, but here are the stats to prove it.
Maybe it's time to not let Lou Williams go 1-on-1 with games on the line RT @simyau @bruce_arthur @ddale8 @vankayak pic.twitter.com/QPrwD4qGQ7
— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) March 25, 2015
On to tonight’s game.
What you need to know about the Bulls..
By now Raptor fans have had it up to here with not only losing to the Bulls – but also getting schooled by them in every matchup this season. Tonight, it’s not going to get any easier. Derrick Rose may be out, but Jimmy Butler is back, and Kyle Lowry’s absence is already confirmed.
The biggest story in the Windy City – and perhaps the entire Eastern Conference – is the emergence of Nikola Mirotic who is going to put up a good fight alongside Andrew Wiggins for this year’s ROY award. Mirotic has been on a mission to put himself on the map in March. He’s coming off of a 28-point performance in a win over the Hornets on Monday, and is averaging 21 points and 8.2 rebounds this month.
Four times the Bulls have played against the NBA’s elite in March (Spurs, Grizzlies, Thunder twice). In those four games, Mirotic has scored a combined 54 points in the fourth quarter alone.
“Dude can play…. I knew it was just a matter of time before he got that confidence in the game,” said Jimmy Butler. “He just starts playing and not looking over his shoulder.”
“What Niko is doing right now with this team in the situation we are in, I think, is remarkable,” said Gasol. “He’s doing great. You have to give him a lot of credit and I hope he continues to play at this level for us the rest of the way.
“This month he has been spectacular,” Gasol added. “It’s very difficult for a rookie to put up numbers like that, but obviously he has experience, has been an outstanding player for a couple of years in Europe. He is flourishing in front of us, doing a great job, great things, great poise, too. I love it and it helps us a lot.”
What’s great about Mirotic is that not only does he pad the stats sheet, but he does it in an aesthetically-pleasing way.
Here’s a fun game to play: How do you think Mirotic would develop as a rookie under Dwane Casey?
*Kiyan opens can of worms, leaves room*.
Matchups..
Backcourt: Greivis Vasquez, DeMar DeRozan, Terrence Ross vs Aaron Brooks, Jimmy Butler, Mike Dunleavy. Edge: Raptors.
Tough call without Lowry – especially considering the fact that Aaron Brooks is playing really well in Rose’s absence. But DeRozan appears to be back in all-star form and is making better decisions with the basketball. If he continues to attack the basket and get to the line, the Raptors will have a good chance to steal this one.
Frontcourt: Amir Johnson, Jonas Valanciunas vs Joakim Noah, Pau Gasol. Edge: Bulls.
Clear-cut. Pau Gasol has been completely rejuvinated this year and looks like the NBA champion he once was. In three games against the Raptors this season, Gasol has averaged 9.7 rebounds and 17.3 points on 48.6% shooting.
Tip-off is at 7 pm EST.
