Toronto Raptors: Slump Shows They’ve Lost Their Identity

The Toronto Raptors are stuck in a slump and have lost what made them special early this season.

It’s not uncommon for good teams to have a slump during the long regular season. Even the Toronto Raptors are no strangers to slumps, although theirs typically occur right before the playoffs. So in many ways, the timing of this slump is much more favorable.

However, their tendencies during this stretch have become concerning.

The biggest issue concerning the Raptors is the lack of identity. Dwane Casey’s reputation in the league is that of a defense-first coach. However, the team does not reflect that philosophy with its play.

While there are limitations when your rotation consists of several defensive liabilities, the buy-in to the system and effort on that end have been lacking.

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Injuries have played a significant role in limiting DeMarre Carroll‘s defensive impact. But the lack of consistency on both ends of the floor exacerbates the issues with the rest of the roster. No matter which way you look at it, Carroll has not filled the role Toronto signed him to play.

Toronto Raptors

Elsewhere, Cory Joseph and even Terrence Ross have taken steps back this season with their defensive impact.

Even with Lucas Nogueira replacing Bismack Biyombo‘s impact, the net defensive drop-off has seen the team fall from 11th in defensive efficiency last season to 17th this year.

It’s hard to get a sense of what the team’s rotation is when you watch Toronto. The Lowry bench mob with Joseph, Terrence Ross, Patrick Patterson and Nogueira is one of the few constants beyond the starting lineup.

The team typically closes with Patterson in for Siakam. But outside of that, the rotation can fluctuate from game to game.

Even in games where the bench plays heavy minutes, it’s often in makeshift lineups that don’t feature many starters. Rather than consistently rotating bench players in and out of the lineup, the team often elects to go with full line changes.

With DeRozan and Patterson out of the lineup, these issues have become amplified, but have been present all year long.

It’s tough to develop chemistry and to know your role when that role changes from game to game. There’s little consistency with shift lengths or roles from game to game. Jonas Valanciunas‘ role has been a point of contention for Raptors fans since he was drafted.

In the Raptors’ loss to the Timberwolves, it was a prime example of Valanciunas being an active, positive contributor of the team, yet left forgotten on the bench throughout the fourth quarter. Granted, he often can be a defensive liability.

But in a game where he was active and productive on both ends, failing to put him back in until the very end of the fourth quarter is inexcusable.

Lowry and DeRozan are often asked to log extended shifts with little relief. Lowry leads the league with 37.7 minutes per game, while DeRozan comes in 13th with 35.5. This load is astounding when you consider Toronto’s surplus of quality guards.

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The team’s deepest positions are at point guard and shooting guard, yet the duo still plays far too many minutes.

The upcoming All-Star break may be the perfect relief for this Raptors team. It will provide a chance to step away, reflect, and attack the closing stretch of the regular season. But at this point, it’s clear that the status quo is no longer acceptable.

Yes, some on the team have defensive limitations. But the defensive schemes are not doing them any favors. Casey has stuck with a high hedge from the big man when defending the pick and roll, despite neither Valanciunas or Nogueira being quick enough to execute it.

Lengthy shifts routinely result in fatigue and breakdowns in defensive rotations.

Getting healthy and adding a piece at the trade deadline should be the main focus for the Raptors. But their struggles have been amplified by an inconsistent rotation and a lack of defensive commitment. The team can’t sit and hope a savior comes in at the trade deadline.

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The most meaningful improvements will need to come from within. From the coaching staff to the personnel, the team needs to be better. They must re-discover their defensive identity and regain the consistency that has been missing over the past few weeks.