10 things I saw from Raptors-Spurs (24–1–2017) – The Defeated
Energy: So much of basketball comes down to energy and quick decision making. The Spurs are a perfect example: they run two lineups flying around warp speed all the time, moving the ball, cutting away from the play, forcing the defense to keep up. Raptors were lethargic in the first half but woke up for the second half. Raptors used to do this to opposing teams earlier in the year. Need to get back to that.
Raptors unable to complete comeback over depleted Spurs | Toronto Sun
The game did have a couple of positives, the first being the return of Patrick Patterson after he missed 10 of the past 12 games with a knee injury.
His return to the second unit had the expected impact as it was once was a force on offensive and defence.
“That helps tremendously,” Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said. “He’s a big piece with that glue. He was on a minutes restriction. We had to get him out. I thought he came in and got us steady, moved the basketball, made some shots, defended, rebounded. He just did a lot of positive things that really gave us some glue that we needed.”
Another positive from the game was the return of the kind of defensive want-to that had been missing for some time from this team.
“That second half was, I think, Raptor basketball,” Patterson said. “We haven’t played that way in a long time. Us being physical, (Lucas Nogueira) out there contesting, blocking shots, same think with (Jonas Valanciunas), guards did a tremendous job switching, being physical, getting into their man. That led to offensive opportunities.”
Unlike Spurs, Raptors still learning to play without key cog – Sportsnet.ca
The game was there to be had at that point, but then again the Raptors were trying to figure it out on the fly against the Spurs, who seemed unruffled about playing big stretches of the fourth quarter with a lineup featuring – at times – three rookies.
The difference was in a series of small plays that added up: The Raptors allowed Patty Mills to run out for an uncontested lay-up with just under six minutes left that gave them the lead; Jonas Valanciunas let Aldridge spin back to his right hand after forcing him left and under the backboard, seemingly trapped. Aldridge made the shot and free throw after Valanciunas fouled him and the score was tied again. Lowry and Norman Powell both missed lay-ups in the final two minutes that could have been the difference.
“I thought the simple plays, layups, easy plays, they get a run-out on a jump-ball situation – we always tell our guys get a foot behind the guy next to you, just the simple fundamental things that happen to you that an experienced team takes advantage of,” said Casey. “I thought our team competed their behinds off in the second half. I was really proud. But it comes back to the little things. It’s not the three-point shots [the Raptors shot 6-of-25], fancy plays. It’s fundamentals, box outs, free throws, layups, tonight in the second half.”
There was a game to be won, without a doubt.
Spurs win the hunger game, extend Raptors’ slide: Feschuk | Toronto Star
Tuesday’s second half brought bright spots that suggested there is still more upside for Toronto’s ball-stopping hopes. Thanks in part to a unit anchored by the rim protection of backup big man Lucas Nogueira — not to mention considerable run from the likes of Jonas Valanciunas, Norman Powell, Terrence Ross and Lowry — the Raptors held the Spurs to 26% shooting in the third quarter and 35% for the second half.
“If we play with that defensive intensity we had in the second half, I like that,” Casey said after it was over. “I’ll go to war with that.”
As the franchise looks ahead to another post-season run, defensive progress will be a focus. In the playoffs last year the Raptors were often done in by their inability to get stops. They allowed opposing teams to shoot 46% from the field, the highest of any team that made it out of the first round. The Cavaliers shot an astonishing 50% from the field in the Eastern final.
“If we go back to all our playoff series since I’ve been here, it comes down to defence,” Patterson said in the lead-up to Tuesday’s game. “Going all the way back to the Brooklyn series (in the first round in 2015) — we knew we could score, and it came down to defence . . . Washington (in the first round in 2016), we got destroyed, because we played no defence whatsoever.
Game Rap: Raptors 106, Spurs 108 | Toronto Raptors
LOCKDOWN THIRD
The tide seemed to turn after halftime, with Toronto holding San Antonio to 26 percent shooting in the third while making 59 percent of their own field goals. The Raptors outscored San Antonio 25-18 behind Cory Joseph’s eight points on a perfect 4-for-4 field goals in the quarter to go into the fourth with the score knotted at 79 points apiece.
SEESAW FOURTH
With the scored tied to start the fourth, the final quarter was a seesaw between the two teams with eight lead changes and three ties. Toronto shot 40 percent while the Spurs made 45 percent of their field goals. The Raptors had opportunities to take the lead down the stretch but missed a number of layups and open three-point looks. They had an opportunity with a final field goal attempt at the buzzer, but ultimately could not overcome a balanced Spurs attack.
Mired in slump, Toronto Raptors unable to shake free vs. short-handed San Antonio Spurs – NBA.com
It’s not just four losses in a row either. It’s four losses in a row against the 76ers while scoring 89 points, the Hornets while grinding gears to 78, the Suns while managing 103 but allowing 115, and the Spurs relying on three rookies in the fourth quarter. Phoenix and Philadelphia are tracking to the lottery just past midseason and Tuesday’s opponent was a stand-in, a bunch of reserves thrust into real minutes as what could have been a marquee matchup of No. 2 in the East against No. 2 in the West never came close to materializing.
The Raptors had their own gaping hole, of course, with DeMar DeRozan sidelined by the sprained right ankle suffered when he landed on the foot of teammate Jonas Valencuinas in the same building Sunday against Phoenix. DeRozan is also scheduled to sit out Wednesday at Memphis, with the possibility of a return Friday back here against the Bucks, an absence that obviously hurts. But personality was the problem, not the absence of the shooting guard.
“I think it’s just a slump,” Patrick Patterson said after returning to the Toronto lineup following six games missed with a sore left knee. “We’re dealing with injuries, guys being hurt, lack of effort in a couple games. Lack of effort defensively, and communication. There was a game where we were missing shots we normally make. But I don’t think there’s any concern. It’s still early. We’re at the hallway point. We still need to get everybody back healthy and focus a lot more on defense. But we’ll be fine. We’ll be good.”
Raptors fight and fight, but lose to the Spurs 108-106 anyway – Raptors HQ
There’s no third thing to mention here. We can praise the play of Norman Powell, who had his troubles (and spectacular successes) finishing at the rim for 16 points; we can cheer on the ridiculous play of Terrence Ross, who is both amazing and frustrating, and his 21 points; we can applaud Joseph’s mini 6-point explosion in the third to get the Raps, who had been down by 10-11 points for most of the first half, back within striking distance.
But we have to draw the line somewhere, and that place is here in the moment with 3:45 minutes to go in the third. Casey finally gave Lowry some rest and the Raptors responded by turning a five point deficit into a tie game going into the fourth. For a Toronto squad — even facing a depleted Spurs team without Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker or Pau Gasol — this was no small thing. The Raptors have to be able to execute without Lowry on the floor in small stretches. We’ve seen this show before if they can’t.
We’ve also seen what happens when the Raptors minus DeMar DeRozan decide to lean too heavily on their diminutive point guard. Lowry is a man of steel in his way, but he’s not invincible. Before the game, Casey remarked on his team’s “edginess” after having lost three games in a row. He praised his team and it’s true the Raptors don’t have a ton of quit in them. They play to win. But, now it’s four losses in a row and the edginess has likely not abated.
And neither, I assume, have the bumps and bruises Lowry has accumulated over this same stretch. Be wary.
The fourth-quarter theatrics were unrelenting, but things began to escalate when Aldridge converted on an and-1 with 3 1/2 minutes to go. The free throw tied the game at 104, and after several missed shots from both sides, Murray, assisted by Aldridge on the play, lobbed the eventual game-winner through the nylon.
Toronto’s Terrence Ross missed a pair of 3-pointers soon after to erase any chance the Raptors had at making up ground.
Raptors’ future up front remains murky with so many prospects, so little consistency – The Athletic
That leaves the Raptors with a question that seems eternal: Do they believe Valanciunas is the right fit for this team? And if not, what is his market value in a league that prizes traditional big men less and less?
If the Raptors decide to move on from Valanciunas, trying to trade him to a team with cap space and perhaps extracting a pick or two in the process, the path to filling the centre spot is clear: You bump up Nogueira’s minutes (who has a team-high net rating, and is the best rim protector and big-man passer up front) and eventually give him a contract extension, try to sign a competent backup on the cheap, use Patterson in situations that call for ultra-small ball and further develop Poeltl and Siakam in the hopes that they become positive contributors. As is, the Raptors’ offence is just fine, and with DeRozan and Lowry producing at their season rates, it does not seem like Valanciunas’s offensive skills will ever be highlighted in Toronto, at least if this core of the team remains in tact, leaving his defensive flaws exposed without an equal counterbalance. On this Raptors team, he is a very effective screen setter and offensive rebounder. Those qualities are very important, but maybe not $15-million-per-year important.
If the Raptors stick with Valanciunas, well, not much has to change in the short-term. The Raptors can offer an extension to Nogueira before Halloween, but they can also allow him, Poeltl and Siakam to grow and develop on their rookie-scale contracts against next year and deal with Nogueira in restricted free agency in July 2018. And if the Raptors have the kind of season that they think they are capable of this year, that would probably be the most sensible direction to go in.
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Raptors skid should serve as a wakeup call – Article – TSN
Toronto’s primary concern has probably been magnified since the turn of the calendar, as the wins have turned to losses, but it’s something that’s plagued the team for months: defence. They’ve bounced between 16th and 21st in defensive efficiency for most of the season – currently ranked 18th – after finishing 11th last year. They’re allowing opponents to shoot 46 per cent from the field (18th in the NBA) and 36 per cent from three-point range (21st).
On Tuesday they held San Antonio to 35 per cent in the second half, playing well enough to win without DeMar DeRozan, who missed his first of at least two games with an ankle sprain. However, they waited until the third quarter to start playing defence, allowing a Spurs team missing three starters – including Kawhi Leonard – to shoot 55 per cent over the opening 24 minutes.
More often than not, an elite offence would bail them out on the nights their defence didn’t show up, it was that good, and likely will be again. Up until their losing skid, the Raptors owned the league’s best offensive rating, one that would’ve been the highest in NBA history over the course of a full season. Because they’re a low volume three-point shooting team, so much of that was predicated on their accuracy from beyond the arc. Through 41 games – the first half of the campaign – the Raptors hit 39 per cent of their threes (second-best, only trailing the Spurs). Since, they’ve shot just 36-for-125 (29 per cent). Kyle Lowry, a 43 per cent three-point shooter on the season, is 8-for-34 (46 per cent).
There’s a high variance to the three-point shot so it’s not unreasonable to expect players and teams to go through peaks and valleys. The same could be said for offence in general – sometimes shots fall, sometimes they don’t. As Dwane Casey likes to say, “it’s a make or miss league.”
That, more than anything else, should be the takeaway from this rough patch: they need to get a whole lot better at the thing they can control.
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The Association Raptors: Building on Success – NBA.com
As the Raptors get set to take on the Spurs tonight, Coach Casey and his team look to build on their success and get to the next level.
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Toronto Raptors Slipping at the Wrong Time and Tuesday NBA Takeaways | Bleacher Report
We have every reason to believe Toronto will figure out the offense. Look no further than DeRozan and Lowry.
These protracted stays in the doldrums are nevertheless unnerving. It’s not like the Raptors are resting their own every night or monitoring court time; Lowry is clearing 37 minutes per game as they rack up the losses.
This is all made worse by the Cavaliers slogging through their own struggles. They have lost five of seven, and LeBron James is calling for roster changes, per the Akron Beacon Journal’s Jason Lloyd. This should be a time—even if a temporary one—when we wonder whether Toronto can erase the three-game chasm that separates them.
Instead, the Raptors are trying to tread water, and failing, as those behind them gradually gain ground. And while this recent slide shouldn’t define their season or necessarily cost them the No. 2 seed, it’s becoming increasingly harder to anoint them anything more than just another Eastern Conference steppingstone.
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Thoughts on the Raptors and the dog days of the NBA season – Article – TSN
RAPTORS DEFENCE: Toronto is on a three-game losing streak with a brutal back-to-back versus the Spurs and the Grizzlies on tap and DeMar DeRozan out of the lineup. That’s some serious adversity. This team has been terrific the past four seasons at being consistent. They are going through a rough patch and folks have been spoiled. The offence has shot below 40 per cent and below 25 per cent from three-point range in the last three losses. Not pretty. The bigger issue is the defence. There are going to be nights where your offence isn’t picturesque and you’ve got to grind out wins with your defence. This group hasn’t shown that they have that consistent habit. It’s all about winning habits in any sport. The willingness to pay the price on the defensive end has to improve. Some of it is personnel, which might require a few moves before the Feb. 23 trade deadline if the team is going to give themselves a good chance to get back to the East finals. Based upon what I see, this defence will have a hard time getting enough stops to win two rounds. You can’t hang your hat on the fact that the offence will carry you every night, particularly in the postseason. That’s fool’s gold. I have faith that Dwane Casey, Masai Ujiri and Jeff Weltman, along with their staff, will do everything necessary to address the issues they have as best as they can.
Ross creeping on the Spurs huddle #wethenorth pic.twitter.com/4nZiQRVstQ
— Sam Holako (@rapsfan) January 25, 2017
Delon is All Wright Now | Hashtag Basketball
Delon Wright was healthy enough to be active against the Hornets. The game was a blowout, so I couldn’t think of a better situation for Wright to get some minutes. Casey chose not to use him for whatever reason.
Why was Wright inactive in the next game against the Suns? Bebe returned from injury, but Delon could have easily taken Bruno Caboclo’s spot. Bruno has only gotten garbage time minutes this season anyways.
The Raptors need to figure out what they have in Delon Wright. That doesn’t mean they need to play him 15 or 20 minutes a night, but five minutes a night is reasonable. Coming into the NBA last year, Delon strengths were supposed to be playmaking and defending. His weakness was expected to be shooting. However, Delon shot 45% from the field and 38.5% from three last year. It was a very limited sample, but never the less that’s pretty good for a rookie point guard. He has yet to show he is a good passer or defender in the NBA, but shouldn’t the Raptors give him a few minutes here and there to find that out?
Powell cuts Spurs lead to 1; 6 seconds left in game…possession Spurs #wethenorth pic.twitter.com/48rvYUd805
— Sam Holako (@rapsfan) January 25, 2017
Matt Bonner’s tenure with Raptors led to curling fandom – Sportsnet.ca
“When I was on the Raptors it seemed like curling was on a lot on TSN or Sportsnet or whatever,” he said. “I remember sitting in my apartment and Duke is playing North Carolina in college basketball, huge rivalry, and I’m all excited for the game. I’m flipping through all the sports channels and it’s not on! Curling is on and I’m thinking, ‘What the heck? How is Duke vs. North Carolina not on TV but curling is?’ …
“So I was like, ‘Hmm, I guess I’m going to watch curling,’ and just night after night of watching it I really got into it and loved the strategy and the pressure and just have stuck with it since. I actually went to Chapters and got a Curling for Dummies book and read the book from start to finish so I could understand everything.”
Bonner, who played college ball with the Florida Gators, also expressed a desire to visit Newfoundland where he has family ties and said attending the Tim Hortons Brier is on his bucket list. With the Brier taking place this year in St. John’s, N.L., it may seem like the perfect timing, but another commitment might put that on hold.
“My mom’s father, so my maternal grandfather, is from Bell Island, Newfoundland. Him and his family worked in the iron mines there and then when the mines shut down he immigrated to Boston where he met my grandmother and had my mom,” he said. “I’ve been dying to visit Newfoundland and kind of see some of my family roots. I don’t know if it’s going to be able to happen during the Brier, it would be ideal, but I got an invite from the Southeastern Conference to go to the SEC men’s basketball tournament to be honoured as a Gator legend. That’s like right during the Brier.”
Bebe with the putback dunk #killerscreen #wethenorth pic.twitter.com/7H2xHLAzzx
— Sam Holako (@rapsfan) January 25, 2017
Game day: Toronto Raptors at Memphis Grizzlies | Toronto Star
KEY MATCHUP
Jonas Valanciunas, Raptors, vs. Marc Gasol, Grizzlies. The Memphis centre is one of the top three-point-shooting centres in the league — he has made 39 per cent of his attempts this season — and Valanciunas will have to be prepared to chase him out on the perimeter.
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