Hawks, 96, Raptors 104 – Box :: Quick Reaction
I’ve been battling a nasty flu so this will be short.
This is why I’m not too worried about the Hawks if the Raptors face them in the playoffs. Bottom line is that Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan don’t have to go up against any top-notch defenders, and will get the shots that they’re comfortable taking. Al Horford and Paul Millsap are formidable players, and there’s this fear that Luis Scola will get eaten up by them in a playoff matchup. Sure, maybe on a couple possessions but it’s not like Dwane Casey doesn’t have the common decency to switch things around if Scola’s getting burned. The Raptors do have half-decent defenders in Bismack Biyombo, Patrick Patterson, and even Jason Thompson to counter their frontline.
The concerns when facing the Hawks are more at point guard, because Jeff Teague and Dennis Schroeder’s hesitation moves around high screens resulted in many a Raptors set being compromised. Schroeder caused big problems against Cory Joseph, and once the Hawks get that initial penetration, they still have the ball movement and confidence in each other to make pretty plays. The Raptors perimeter defense was very aggressive last night, choosing to pressure and push out the guards rather than dropping back and defending in the half-court set, and that strategy bit them as Bazemore, Teague and the like got their fair share of leaners after driving in.
Let’s not beat around the bush, though, this Raptors team is built around Kyle Lowry’s willingness to take a game over, and DeMar DeRozan’s surprising ability to draw fouls when everyone in the arena knows he’s trying to do just that. The criticism that Casey’s offense is too Lowry/DeRozan-centric often neglects to point out that the manner in which those two, especially DeRozan, get their shots is quite creative. It’s not like the Raptors are giving the ball to DeRozan up-top and asking him to create out of nothing. There’s a method to this madness as he’s being positioned to make his moves on the baseline with a defender sealed off, off a hand-off, off a curl, on the side pick ‘n roll with JV, on the high pick ‘n roll with Biyombo, etc. The point I’m trying to make is that even though DeRozan’s usage rate is comparable to last year, the way he’s getting his shots out of the usage are better.
As for Lowry, he’s Lowry. He doesn’t need a play called for him, and can generate offense out of thin air. He’s hitting his threes at a 40% clip and where they’re coming from doesn’t quite matter. His pull-up three which put the Raptors up 9 in the fourth was the type of shot that deflates the opposition into submission, and when he left the game in the second quarter a little early, your stomach churned just a little.
Credit Jonas Valanciunas for battling without having too much offense go through him. A 10/10 night consisted of trying to stick with the pesky Kris Humphries, Al Horford, all the while being a presence on the boards. The +15 advantage on the glass is a large part due to Valanciunas’ work. Other than one silly foul on Humphries, his 7-foot frame was a cause of problems for the Hawks. He boxed out well, and when he got the ball back on the roll, had the presence of mind to make an additional pass. Let’s ignore that it was to Scola who blew the chance, but the intent was right.
You might also notice that nobody’s quite complaining about Valanciunas’ minutes, or his fourth quarter usage. After a couple of years of sheer madness, Casey has settled down and has gotten comfortable with Valanciunas’ defense to the point where he trusts him to stay in the game without compromising defense.
Quick note on the bench. Terrence Ross was 5-12 and I liked those 12. He’s driving into the paint, and rising for that mid-range jumper which is a little inconsistent. In my view, that’s the shot that he has to master and I’d like him to continue making that move until he figures it out. We even saw him drive baseline for a dunk in traffic which is a rare artifact, if one even exists. A Ross that’s hitting his mid-range jumper after a drive gives his offense a look that nobody’s quite seen before. You might recall Lou Williams faking the three and stepping in 4-6 feet for a short jumper, and Ross is essentially trying to emulate that. Keep at it.
Raptors win and are setup nicely for a big one against the Heat.
