Toronto Raptors: Issues That Must Be Addressed
After any annihilation (say what you will, but that is what took place), the fallout usually lends itself to a downward spiral.
Not to worry Toronto Raptors‘ fans, this isn’t the New York Knicks, or anything remotely resembling such a debacle — but a reprimanding is still in order.
The matchup between the Eastern (at the time) and Western Conference’s top-dogs quickly transformed into all-out chaos. Much to the dismay of Raptors’ backers, the crowd at “Roaracle” Arena was treated to a one-sided affair.
The roller-coaster, in a nutshell:
- 40 and 69.6: Golden State’s first-quarter points and field goal percentage.
- 14-2: As they’ve done all season, the Raps showed resiliency and managed to claw their way back with a furious second-quarter spurt (it wasn’t all bad, credit is due).
- 21-5: The Warriors dismantling third-quarter run.
- 17: The amount of Toronto turnovers. An aberration? … Perhaps, as the Raps have worked wonders in that department, shaving last season’s clip of 13.4 per game, to the league’s second-lowest ranking of 11.2.
- A dishonorable mention must go out to Andre Iguodala and Marreese Speights — otherwise known as the Flop Cousins; distant relatives of the Splash Brothers.
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There is plenty to be said about a team becoming fatigued nearing the end of a six-game road trip, not to mention facing the NBA‘s leader in Plus/Minus Points Differential (10.1) to boot.
On the other hand, Friday night’s “bubble” represents the hidden concerns every Raptors’ supporter should have, these do not reside as a one-game overreaction.
List of demands:
Stop letting the opposition dictate the flow …
A problem that has plagued the Raps all season; albeit causing limited damage (so far), is not only taking what the defense gives them, but on many occasions they’ve allowed their counterparts to control the majority of the tempo.
When Dwane Casey decided to go small in the second-quarter (sending Jonas Valanciunas to the bench), catching up to the game’s feverish pace was the right move. However, JV’s 11 total minutes played (with one personal foul) tells a story of an overall miscalculation.
In-game adjustments are a battle of give and take. After you give in, at least make an attempt to take back control! …
With Andrew Bogut on the shelf, a prime opportunity for the Raps to slow this game down fell flat on its face — an reoccurring theme this season (or if you prefer, the last five years).
Golden State’s roster makeup is eerily similar to Toronto’s; with both squads missing a key ingredient — Why not attack the Warriors’ weakness instead of fighting fire-with-fire while undermanned? …
Those 17 turnovers are beginning to make sense.
Though fully capable of prevailing in a shootout, a 60-24 ratio of backcourt field-goal attempts (42 percent from behind the arc) to that of the troops up front didn’t serve the Raps any justice — bringing a knife to a gunfight is never a good idea.
Hey, Defense: Stop being so stagnant …
The Warriors are near unstoppable at home (not to shabby on the road, either), but this is not about claiming a victory; it’s about the defense’s ongoing failure to communicate – also known as: caught watching the show.
Stephen Curry is awesome; I get it. But you’ve got a job to do! …
A few disturbing defensive trends:
- Points Per Shot: 1.23 (9th highest)
- Field Goal Percentage: .459 (9th highest)
- Adjusted Field Goal Percentage: .508 (12th highest)
- Free-Throw Attempts: 24.0 (12th highest)
- Defensive Rating: 105.8 (19th overall)
Inconsistency on offense is expected from any club, but defense is what truly pays dividends. A squad’s best friend in any seven-game series — there is a reason why the masses went from frowning at the Spurs to actually appreciating their greatness; Yours Truly included.
How deep will Toronto go in the postseason? … Improvements in the existing deficiencies will be the determining factors on whether a marathon takes place or participant ribbons are handed out.
A dose of reality:
Don’t look now, folks — the East is no longer tamed by the Raps. For the first time in two months, another franchise (Atlanta Hawks) sits atop the throne. Not to mention the rest of the crew making up for lost time.
With the “Leastern” Conference on the upswing, the fight for top-spot is just now underway. It’s set up for the Raps taking, it just depends on the willingness to improve.
Extra dose: Kyle Lowry probably won’t receive the All-Star nod from the mainstream; unfortunately that’s just the nature of the beast. If the shameful snub of last season repeats itself, the Association will have issues of their own to address.