It’s a tired trope and it’s repeated ad nauseum. But it’s true: the playoffs are a different animal.
Look no further than the NBA Finals match-up between Cleveland and Golden State. Compared to their regular season form, neither team is recognizable. Due to injuries to Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving, the Cavaliers have recast themselves as a gritty defensive juggernaut. As for the Warriors, the zesty carefree style that characterized their 67-win season is gone, replaced by a methodical and tedious approach.
The Raptors are young, but they’re no strangers to the perils of playoff basketball. They have shown an ability to win in the regular season, but the playoffs are a different game. Despite entering their last two playoffs as favorites, the Raptors wilted each time to veteran-savvy teams. Last year, the aging Nets nudged out the Raptors. This year, the Wizards forcibly shoved Toronto and their fanbase into a pit of self-doubt and despair.
Cognizant of the Raptors’ struggles, head coach Dwane Casey outlined the need to improve in an interview with Sportsnet on Tuesday.
“We sweep [Washington] in the regular season, beat Atlanta 3-1 in the regular season. But, again, the players go to a different level. Paul Pierce is not the same Paul Pierce that you see in the regular season. They took it to another level,” Casey said.
“Guys now understand the level that you have to get back to, to play playoff basketball. So the embarrassment and the hurt we felt this year in the playoffs, every organization goes through it to get to that ultimate goal.”
His point about learning to play a “playoff” style is salient. The Raptors’ formula for success worked in the regular season, but there were very visbile shortcomings. With ample time for scouting and rest, the Nets and Wizards were both able to solve the Raptors’ gameplan.
Offensively, the Raptors prefer to play through their guards. It’s a fine approach, especially given that their two best scorers are DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. But while a guard-heavy offense can certainly work — the Warriors and Rockets are examples of this — there’s something to be said about how they play.
Time and time again, the Raptors’ guards have been bottled up when it matters most. DeRozan’s struggles with bigger defenders have become something of a recurring theme. Last year, it was Joe Johnson. This year, it was Otto Porter who locked him down. This can’t continue to happen if the Raptors are to rely on DeRozan as the number one option in the postseason. He needs to work on his 3-point shot and his handles so that he can use skill and quickness to counter size.
As for Lowry, his biggest downfall is his attitude. He’s tenacious and unafraid to lead, but he needs to keep his teammates involved. At the slightest hint of pressure, Lowry morphs into FU-mode and tries to put the team on his back by launching pull-up threes or recklessly attacking the basket. It’s a noble thought, but you would prefer a less narrow-minded approach from the point guard.
It’s also easy for opponents to shut down Toronto’s guards because the rest of the players aren’t playmakers. Jonas Valanciunas can score around the basket, but he’s not creating anything on his own. Amir Johnson is a clever player — especially in the pick-and-roll — but is ultimately not a threat to explode for a 30-point night. And the wing is usually occupied by Terrence Ross, whose only reliable skill is spot-up shooting. Therefore, it’s easy for opponents to liberally double guards. If they pass, there’s not much of a secondary threat.
Compare that to the Warriors. Their guards in Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are deadly scorers but they’re also surrounded by weapons, making them nearly impossible to stop. When teams trap Curry 35 feet from the hoop, Curry can toss a pass to the roll man — Draymond Green, David Lee or Andrew Bogut — and those guys understand how to create looks in 4-on-3 scenarios. The Raptors are short on playmaking.
Defense is another issue altogether. The Raptors cannot defend, owing to a double whammy of playing poor defenders within a mismatched system. There’s not a single “shutdown” defender on the team at any position, nor is there a central defensive presence to protect the basket. It’s a bunch of undersized defenders with average quickness trying to out-sprint and out-rotate the ball. Even Wizards coach Randy Wittman found a solution to that: play pick-and-roll, initiate the scramble, and profit.
That’s why Casey stressed the need for additional help. He needs better defenders to work with and more veteran savvy to help execute his schemes.
“We have to get better, we have to improve. Experience is a huge thing in this league … Size, length, toughness, rebounding. Some of those things we have to address with our team,” Casey said.
Of course, it’s no great secret that the Raptors are in need of an defensive upgrade. They finished with the 23rd worst defense in the regular season and ranked dead-last in defensive rating among playoff teams.
But the problems run deeper than just the overall numbers. It’s also a matter of style. As soon as the Wizards introduced some spacing in the frontcourt with Pierce or Drew Gooden at the four, the Raptors’ defense fell apart. In a league trending strongly towards a spread pick-and-roll attack with shooters along the perimeter, the Raptors’ flaw will only become more exposed as the rest of the league catches on. The Raptors also struggled with containing dribble penetration for most of the year and the Wizards capitalized. John Wall and Bradley Beal flexed on Toronto’s non-existent first line of defense.
First item on Ujiri’s wishlist should be a shutdown wing defender. Then, a mobile, yet gritty four to pair with Valanciunas. The Raptors have a surplus of picks and a wealth of cap space to address these shortcomings.
Finally, depth is also proving it’s worth in this year’s playoffs. The Warriors dusted off David Lee when nothing else was working and he gave them decent minutes. Matthew Dellavedova sold his soul to the devil and became Outback Jesus. Depth helps curb injuries and it allows for teams to play different styles. The Raptors can no longer afford toting four dead spots on the roster between two Brazilian rookies, Landry Fields and Greg Stiemsma.
The Raptors — from the players down to Masai Ujiri — have some work to do this summer if they intend to get past the first round for once. They need to build a team that is capable of playing playoff basketball.
