Dinos & Digits: Did you know the Raptors’ defense is improving? | Raptors HQ
In the month of March, the Toronto Raptors have had a +22.7 Net Rating (points scored minus points allowed per 100 possessions) when Kyle Lowry has been on the floor compared to when he’s been on the bench.
That’s a result of their having a 11.1 Net Rating in his 429 minutes of playing time, compared to the -11.6 mark they’ve had in his 157 minutes on the bench (the only negative off-court rating of any Raptor this month).
If you felt like the Raptors really lost a step in Lowry’s two rest games versus Detroit and Boston, this stat agrees with you.
Life rough for Raptors’ DeRozan without Lowry | Toronto Sun
“When one of us is out, for me personally, (the opposition) understands that and try and load up on me. I see five guys — just stuff like that,” DeRozan said.
It works the other way too when DeRozan is out and Lowry gets extra attention, but it’s not as effective against Lowry, who can still sit beyond the three-point line and bomb. He might have a defender a little closer than normal with DeRozan not on the court, but he’s still dealing with primarily one pair of hands looking to defend him.
As the season has progressed, DeRozan is taking more threes too, but his bread and butter is and likely always will be finding lanes to the basket, driving hard, absorbing contact and either heading to the line for an and-one or he’s getting fouled and going to the line for two.
DeRozan has seen the difference now twice, Wednesday in Boston and at the end of February in Detroit when he was 9-for-21 with 20 points. Both games were losses.
“It changes a lot,” DeRozan said of his night’s without Lowry on the court. “Teams understand they don’t have to worry about two guys. The chemistry me and him have together is — I can’t even explain it because it’s something that has come over time — … it’s just a feeling.”
Raptors Coach Dwane Casey Thinks Kyle Lowry Belongs in MVP Conversation | The Hoop Doctors
Let’s not mince any words here: This is awesome. The Raptors are so goddamn fun, it’s contagious. You can’t help but root for them to get out of the second round; you can’t help but appreciate the obvious bonds shared between DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry, and now clearly coach and player. This is great stuff.
Raptors Have Looked Very Ordinary Without Kyle Lowry | Pro Bball Report
In Toronto, it’s Lowry who stirs the drink for the Raptors and has been his team’s highest scorer since the NBA All-Star Weekend ended at 25.1 points per game. He’s also been the leading scorer in the Eastern Conference since the break. DeRozan almost keeping pace at 24.6 points and the ever consistent James (24.7) in-between them.
Lowry provides more than just points for the Raptors, however. He’s earned the “Bulldog” nickname he hates with his aggressive play and ability to make it “Lowry-time” in the second half of games.
As much as the Raptors rely on DeRozan’s ability to get to the free throw line – and DeRozan is among the very best in the Association at this – Lowry is actually a little better than his backcourt mate at drawing fouls. Sixth in the NBA and first in the East at 5.8 fouls drawn per game, Lowry drives other teams crazy with his aggressive play.
The 20-year anniversary of when worst beat first: Raptors 109, Jordan’s Bulls 108 | Sportsnet.ca
“I remember thinking, ‘How are we losing to these cats?’” says NBA vet John Salley. The four-time champ had started the season with the Raptors before being waived (at his own request) and finding his way onto a contender. He made his return to Toronto in a Bulls uniform, a weekend that started off well but one he’d wind remember for all the wrong reasons.
Raptors Shouldn’t Fear Bulls In Potential Playoff Series | TFB
For a number of reasons, the Raps should still feel confident in a seven-game series against Chicago. Perhaps most importantly, they’ve played the vast majority of their recent games without new acquisition DeMarre Carroll. Last summer, Masai Ujiri made the ballsy move to let Amir Johnson walk and reorient the team around more of a small-ball mentality. A big part of that involved the addition of Carroll, an ideal 3/4 combo wing.
Unfortunately, he’s been plagued by knee issues all seasons that ultimately required surgery in January. Butler’s 40-point half came in Carroll’s last game prior to having surgery, when he very clearly wasn’t right. Toronto’s final two losses to the Bulls, both involving career nights from McDermott, featured no minutes for Carroll. While he still hasn’t quite made it back on the court, the Raptors expect to have him back for the postseason. The return of their best perimeter defender will undoubtedly be a huge benefit for Dwane Casey’s squad.
On a broader level, Toronto has simply been a far better team than Chicago this season. While the teams’ season series shouldn’t be tossed out completely, one still must acknowledge that the Bulls are 32-34 in all other games this season. Overall, they have a -1.5 net rating, just 18th in the NBA, per NBA.com. The Raptors are seventh with a healthy 4.3 net rating. Toronto’s defense is just outside the top 10 while it boasts the league’s fifth-best offense. The Bulls are 13th defensively but just 24th offensively.
James Johnson Watch Week 22: Beware the coming twilight | Raptors HQ
Last we heard Johnson had a sore left Achilles’ tendon, and there was some talk of plantar fasciitis. This presumably would contribute to him playing a mere seven minutes and 23 seconds this past week. (Johnson managed to hit a three, but he also missed two free throws against Boston that would have tied the game.) Taking the under was the wise bet. Alternatively, the Raptors have been playing small teams, rosters with quick guards who deke and dive in and out of the lane and along the perimeter, hunting for space and an open shot. Johnson is a solid on-ball defender, both large and quick enough to deal with a variety of attacking players. But an outstanding off-ball defender he is not. Enter Norman Powell.
Powell is still very much a rookie, so it’s not surprising to see the ups and downs of his offensive game on a day-to-day basis. But he’s been getting up on guys with extreme regularity. Assuming the eventual return of DeMarre Carroll (praise be to god), Powell will probably not see much (or any) time in the playoffs. But the Raptors have to like his upside at the moment, and his ability to play hard, fast and smart.
In other words: Injured or not, Johnson is on the outside looking in right now.
Toronto Raptors: Examining The Value Of Patrick Patterson | Hoops Habit
Patterson’s improvements on the offensive end have been welcomed and long overdue, but his impact on the defensive end might be the bigger story regarding Patterson this season.
While Patterson’s been an adequate defender since entering the NBA, he’s currently posting the lowest defensive rating (99.5 points per 100 possessions) in his six-year career. Additionally, Patterson holds the highest net rating of any Raptors player this season.
Although some of Patterson’s impact on both ends of the floor is obviously due to Patterson’s growth as a defender, some credit must be given to the team’s reinvigorated defense.
1 Key for Every 2016 NBA Title Contender to Go Home with the Trophy | Bleacher Report
Only the Phoenix Suns allow opponents to drain a higher percentage of three-point looks. The Raptors do an OK job of limiting those shots overall, but they’re vulnerable in ways that aren’t indicative of a team hovering around the top 10 in points allowed per 100 possessions.
Flimsy defensive frontcourts headlined by combinations such as Luis Scola and Jonas Valanciunas (injured; hand) force the Raptors to converge on ball-handlers inside the arc. This works to some degree, as they rank in the top five of paint protection despite Scola’s and Valanciunas’ nightmare defense at the rim.
But it comes at a price. Teams that repeatedly attack the basket coax the Raptors into a flurry of rotations. Pass enough, and they’ll lose sight of at least one shooter as they try compensating:
Can Raptors afford to pay two starting centres? | Raptors Rapture
If we move JV, we must take back close to his money in someone else’s salary, so you may think my argument is self-defeating. However, the trick is to swap him for a starting-quality power forward. Luis Scola is most unlikely to be back; likewise James Johnson. Sadly, their departures represent a combined $5.4 million. That’s not much of a saving, and losing those two blasts a hole in our depth chart at the 4-spot.
Backfilling with our new PF, and pushing Lucas Nogueira into the backup centre spot, repositions our depth chart successfully.
Raptors-Houston Rockets: Friday game preview | Toronto Star
Key matchup:James Harden vs. DeMar DeRozan.
Fast friends and summer workout buddies, there are plenty of similarities to their games and they always seem to go at each other hammer and tong in fourth quarters. Harden is hobbled slightly by a bad ankle, so that may work in DeRozan’s favour.
Houston Rockets vs. Toronto Raptors game preview | The Dream Shake
Toronto sits 2 games behind the Cavs for first place in the East and just one game back in the loss column. They will be working their butts off to win this one. The Raptors have won four of their last five, with the one loss coming in Boston without Kyle Lowry or Patrick Patterson. Just a few days earlier they beat the same Celtics by 14 with a healthy Lowry, who’s likely to play tonight.
The Raptors are a team with lots of great players that Houston will have to be wary of besides Lowry. For instance, DeMar DeRozan has a history of torching Houston (again, he kills whomever guards him, not just Harden). Jason Thompson has had big games against the Rockets back when he was a King. Terrence Ross has even lit up the Rockets on occasion. There’s also Cory Joseph, Luis Scola, and blocker extraordinaire Bismack Biyombo.
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