The Toronto Raptors have now completed the first 15 games of the season, with 11 games coming on the road, and have done so with an overall record of 9-6. With a decent 6-5 record on the road, the typical fan reaction may be that the road record could have easily been 8-3 (or even 9-2 if you consider the Golden State loss), and hence that we’ve gotten off to a poor start. Right?
Well my friends, welcome to the NBA. The reality is that unless you’re Golden State, San Antonio, or the 2010-2014 Miami Heat, you’re not going to win every game you’re supposed to, and once in a while, you’ll win a few games that you shouldn’t have (I’ll remind you that we scored a total of 28 points in the second half yesterday and still won against the Clippers – on any other night against an elite Western Conference squad, that’s a guaranteed L).
So, here we are. After a tumultuous 5 games, the Raptors are set to come back home to face off against King James and the Cavs on Wednesday in what will be another tough contest. Since we saw a bit of everything on the road trip, the important questions to ask would be – what were the factors that helped us win the 2 games against the Clippers and Lakers? And why did we lose 3 against the Kings, Warriors and Jazz? Here are some aspects we can take away:
Key Factors in the Wins
- Team Defense: Save for a few moments in some of the games, the Raptors were mostly woeful on offense. So how did we squeak out victories against the Clippers and Lakers? Aside from a true lack of talent in the Lakers squad and dismal shooting from the Clippers, some credit has to go the Raptors defense that rotated hard, rotated quickly, and played opponents tight at the point of attack and along the 3-point line. On Friday, the Lakers were held to only 41 second half points, and the Clippers shot a combined 39% for the game on Sunday, and did not have a single quarter with over 25 points. Team defense travels, and will bail you out on most nights. Though the offense is probably more concerning at this point, the defense continues to be the saving grace for the Raptors in their wins. Prior to the Clips game yesterday, the Raptors moved from the bottom third of the defensive efficiency rankings into 13th. Keep it coming, Casey.
- Luis Scola – put him in the HOF: Remember in pre-season when Patrick Patterson was christened to be the next starting power forward? Before he could get too excited, Luis Scola snatched that spot away like it was nobody’s business. And boy are we glad. Scola has been a no-nonsense, low-maintenance player that has consistently delivered for the Raptors with efficient scoring, and a surprisingly crisp three-point stroke. When the Raptors seemed down-and-out against the Clippers on the verge of losing their 29-point lead, it was Scola who provided 3 key baskets down the stretch to stop the bleeding. And sure, JJ Redick missing a few open threes certainly helped. This under-the-radar pickup by Masai may end up paying enormous dividends for the squad going forward.
- CoJo – consistenly consistent: While the bench continues to struggle, another consistent glimmer of hope for the Raptors has been the play of Cory Joseph. While he didn’t necessarily shoot it well against the Clippers, Cory has been shooting lights out at nearly 55% this season, and is one of the leaders from the field at his position in the league. With a key basket late against the Clippers, tight defense, and overall stability at the point guard spot when the Raps go small with Joseph and Lowry in the back court to finish ball games (expect to see this way more with JV out), Cory Joseph was a key reason for the wins against the Lakers and Clippers. Talk about a steal at $7M a year. Once again, thank you Masai. Thank you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ll2eXQl8Hk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGOO9PEyiBY
Key Factors in the Losses
- Extremely poor offensive execution: There weren’t exactly plenty of reasons the Raptors lost 3 games on this road trip, but one reason was pretty much the biggest factor. The lack of offensive creativity and execution down the stretch of games was almost depressing to watch. The 3 pointers weren’t falling in crunch time, turnovers were a huge issue, and simple isolation plays run for DeMar were not enough to consistently keep the Jazz and Kings at bay. To put it quite simply, DeMar DeRozan, while a solid scoring threat and reliable free-throw shooter and scorer, is simply not good enough (purely talent-wise) to be able to swallow all offensive possessions late in games. As a fan of DeMar myself (I’ll make it very clear that I’m not ripping on the guy alone), I cheer for the guy every time, but simply giving him the ball and forgetting about it is the not the solution. The Raptors have to find ways to run smooth offensive sets late in games early in the clock utilizing other weapons like Cory Joseph or DeMarre Carroll, instead of relying on just DeMar or sometimes Kyle to bail them out with tough shots or getting fouled – it’s simply not going to work. To compound matters, Jonas was adding nothing offensively to keep the defense honest and away from the three point line. Some of the blame should also fall on Coach Casey – perhaps a little too much time spent on defense in training camp? Who knows. But one thing is for sure – against the best of the best and in the playoffs, isolations in late-game situations for DeMar and/or Kyle are not going to be a consistent answer.
- Refs: While I wouldn’t normally blame the zebras for single-handedly losing or winning a game, I can’t help but put some of the “blame” on the referees for the late-game whistle against Kyle in Oakland. After watching the replay probably 15 times, technically speaking, it was a foul (he was clearly grabbing an arm), but to call that kind of a foul in that juncture of the game (when almost no team in the NBA would get that called against them), was somewhat ridiculous. But hey, we were down by 1, so even without the call, we still had the task of scoring the ball to win the game. Not a guarantee.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtMgp7QJLYE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNwghUEaS_c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWJB9RxaL_0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2KpFBz8U90
Oh and in case you wanted to see that disgusting dunk on Gobert one more time, here you go. If dunks alone could earn you wins, this would be on the list.
Look Ahead for the Week
The Raptors hope to take their lessons learned from their 5-game road trip and get back at it against the LeBron’s Cavaliers on Wednesday night at 7 pm after 2 nights of well-deserved rest. They then head out to DC to face the Wizards on Saturday night (the first regular season re-match of their playoff series last spring), before completing a back-to-back against the Phoenix Suns at home on Sunday evening. Playing without JV is going to be a challenge – but if Sunday was any indication, expect the Raptors to play small, continue playing tough team defense, and run a balanced team offense.
