Speaking after the Raptors beat the Cavaliers at the ACC, an encounter that can be best described as two uninterested amateur boxers half-heartedly throwing soft jabs at each other, Dwane Casey warned his soldiers that the approach to the game must change.
“We still need work. We still need the timing, practice, understanding what we’re trying to do. We came out with a pre-season mentality and we can’t afford to do that. We need to start ramping it up and getting our mind and our body ready for a physical battle.”
When quizzed on what got them through a game which prompted many to wonder whether preseason was an Al Qaeda ploy to silently torture people, Casey hinted at a noticeable change:
Our motion offence has got us moving, (the) ball moving from side-to-side, but we can do it quicker and crisper and I don’t think we’re there yet as far as cutting hard, getting our knees bent, ready to shoot the ball. That’s going to come with time. I know we all hate the pre-season, but that’s what it’s for.”
Now, if you’ve seen any Toronto Raptors basketball from last season, you know that “motion” and “offense” are two things that simply don’t jive, what with the Raptors near the top of every #analytics category which speaks to iso-ball. However, this preseason the eye-test supports Casey’s claims of the team running a motion offense. Other than possession involving DeMar DeRozan iso-ing the ball, the Raptors offense has looked very good, with equitable ball and shot distribution, high use of pick ‘n roll with both parties taking the shot, and a greater emphasis on playing inside-out.
Against the Cavaliers, they notched a preseason high 22 assists with Kyle Lowry leading the way with 8 and Corey Joseph with 6. Last year, the Raptors were 22nd in assists and assist ratio, and early indications are that they should rise up in those categories, with the scoring weight distributed more evenly.
A couple examples of the pick ‘n roll going both ways:
