Toronto Raptors: 5 Improvements To Make For 2013-14

The winds of change swirled through the Toronto Raptors organization in the weeks following the end of the regular season.

Tim Leiweke was introduced as the new president of ownership group Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, Bryan Colangelo was reassigned to a non-basketball roll and Masai Ujiri was named the team’s new general manager.

More change is likely on the way and it will involve anywhere from tinkering to a compete overhaul of the roster. But even if the team that takes the court in 2013-14 bears no resemblance to the current group of players, there are some general themes that will always be relevant for the Raptors.

Here are five improvements for them to make for next season.

1. Hit the ground running

In 2012-13, the Raptors finished 34-48, tied for ninth in the Eastern Conference and just four games back of the eighth-place Milwaukee Bucks.

Coach Dwane Casey’s status is uncertain for next season. (NBA.com photo)

However, that flirtation with a playoff spot officially ended on April 1 after a string of seven losses in eight games and was mainly the result of a stretch of play from Dec. 14 to Feb. 22 in which the Raptors went 19-14.

Nearly 40 percent of their losses were registered in the first 23 games of the season (they were 4-19 on Dec. 12), making the hill back to playing .500 basketball too high to climb.

So what steps should the team take to ensure a better start to the 2013-14 season?

Considering that 38 wins was enough for the Bucks to clinch a berth in the postseason, perhaps the Raptors will return with a greater sense of urgency and a better understanding of the value of winning games early in the season.

A long road trip and tough opponents definitely factored into the Raptors struggles in the early going this season, but maybe the core group of players will show they learned something from that experience.

Furthermore, some of the onus is on Dwane Casey, or whoever patrols the sidelines next season, to prepare the team accordingly in training camp.

2. Build an identity at home

Obviously this is easier to say than do, but the Raptors need to win more games at the Air Canada Centre next season and beyond.

The Raptors defeated Kobe Bryant and the Lakers 108-103 in Toronto on Jan. 20. (Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com)

A home record of 21-20–which is what they achieved this season–just won’t be good enough if Canada’s lone NBA team hopes to elevate to the level of a perennial playoff contender.

Winning on the road is important too, but in 2012-13 only eight of the 16 playoff teams posted a record at or better than .500 away from the comforts of home.

Somewhat surprisingly, the Indiana Pacers, who advanced as far as Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals, were not one of those eight teams. Despite a road mark of 19-21, though, the Pacers took care of business at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, going 30-11 on their way to earning the Central Division title.

The Chesapeake Arena in Oklahoma City, the AT&T Center in San Antonio and the Pepsi Center in Denver come to mind as extremely difficult buildings to win in, not just because of the quality of the hosts, but also due to the energy of the fans.

A reasonable goal for the Raptors next season would be no less than 28 wins at home and the recipe for improvement has two parts.

Typically the Raptors come out with more determination and focus against superior opponents–such as the Heat and Spurs–and either make those teams work hard for victories or they earn what is perceived as an upset win. So what they really need to do is find a way to channel that energy into all 41 games at home and not let the visitors get comfortable.

Likewise, the fans, as well as the game operations staff, need to find a way to bring a little bit more life to the atmosphere regardless of the opponent.

3. Establish a rotation

What role will Terrence Ross have with the Raptors in 2013-14? (Photo Credit: Mark Runyon, basketballschedule.net)

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could watch a Raptors game and, for the most part, have a sense of who is going to play and when?

For me anyway, Casey has not developed any predictability to his substitution patterns in his two seasons in Toronto.

While I understand the reasoning behind adjusting the rotation based on matchups, there’s also something to be said for consistency and finding guys that just go out and play regardless of the situation or opponent.

No, the Raptors will probably not land J.R. Smith, Jamal Crawford or Jarrett Jack, but they need to add a legitimate sixth man to complement the starting five.

Additionally, team chemistry and individual production are likely to be better if the players know when they are going to get their minutes.

Certainly a lack of talent has contributed to this problem during Casey’s tenure, so hopefully improvement of the roster–both internally and through trades and free agency–will bring an element of routine to game planning.

4. Earn respect

DeMar DeRozan and the Raptors will need to earn more trips to the free-throw line. (Photo Credit: Basketball Schedule, Flickr.com)

The Raptors showed up in the newspaper headlines too many times in 2012-13 due to the blunders of referees.

As I detailed in a previous article, the NBA acknowledged on two occasions (Nov. 21 and Jan. 17) that blown calls prevented the Raptors from going to the free-throw line in the final seconds for a chance to win or tie the game.

In another instance, Casey was so outraged by the absence of a foul call–again with time running down–that his post-game criticism resulted in a fine.

This season, the Raptors ranked 14th in free-throw attempts (1,831), which was actually 13 above the league average. In contrast, however, they “allowed” their opponents to attempt a league-high 2,148 tosses from the charity stripe.

My two cents is that the Raptors could reduce this discrepancy of more than 300 free throws by attacking the basket more early in games to set the tone and send a message to the referees about the style of play to expect.

Not everyone will buy into this theory, but the idea is that if you earn trips to the line early in the game, the refs might be more willing to give you trips to the line later on.

5. Go back to the basics

Amir Johnson averaged a team-best 7.5 rebounds per game in 2012-13. (Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com)

Perhaps the Miami Heat (30th), Boston Celtics (29th), New York Knicks (26th), Atlanta Hawks (23rd) and San Antonio Spurs (21st) can get away with placing in the bottom third of the NBA in total rebounds, but that formula will not work for the Raptors, who finished 28th in that category in 2012-13.

The Raptors were 8-8 in games decided by three points or less this season, so an extra possession here and there could make a significant difference in the win column.

By controlling the glass, a team can create more opportunities to score in transition as well as more second chances to score, both of which can be draining for the opponent.

This is just an example of a fundamental area in need of improvement next season.

The Raptors have the athletic ability and size to to grab more rebounds so it might just be a matter of learning the nuances of the game–something that improves with experience.