The Good, Bad and Ugly from the Toronto Raptors' Early Season
We've barely scratched the surface of the 2014-15 NBA regular season, yet the Toronto Raptors have found a way to run the gamut of emotions in such a short period of time.
A 3-1 record can't mask some of the problems head coach Dwane Casey needs to address in the coming weeks.
The Raptors' lack of urgency on defense may be the most glaring issue of all. That was never more apparent than after a 107-102 loss to the Miami Heat at the AmericanAirlines Arena on Nov. 2.
Casey is well aware that his players didn't bring enough intensity on the defensive end to combat Miami's offensive prowess, per Doug Smith of the Toronto Star:
"I’m not taking anything away from Miami. They shot the ball very well — some of them were contested, some of them bounced around and bounced around and went in. But we’ve got to make them miss. We’ve got to make them feel us, and we’re not doing that. We’re fouling, but we’re not fouling to make them feel us on the defensive end and there’s a difference.
"
Not everything is bleak and clouded in despair, though. There are still plenty of positives to take away from this early stretch of games.
The second unit looks strong, All-Star DeMar DeRozan isn't showing much rust from a busy offseason (competed in FIBA World Cup), and the team has been able to get to the charity stripe with relative ease (38.3 FTA, first in NBA).
Even so, this is a Raptors squad that isn't playing the same inspired basketball that led to their being one of the NBA's big surprises in 2013-14.
"We haven't found our personality yet," said Casey during his postgame scrum in South Beach, per Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. “It’s only been three games, but we can’t wait 15 games for that.”
Bad habits that form in November could linger if they aren't nipped in the bud quickly. The Raptors' lackluster play hasn't hurt them in the standings yet, but their luck could soon run out without a little bit of fine-tuning.
The Good
Deep Bench Making a Difference
Casey's trust in his bench was on full display during the season opener in a 109-102 victory against the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 29.
His five-man unit of Greivis Vasquez, Lou Williams, James Johnson, Patrick Patterson and Tyler Hansbrough stayed together on the floor for the better part of the third quarter, creating breathing room on the scoreboard while the starters rested.
It also gave Casey an opportunity to start creating chemistry in a backup unit that has two new faces in both Williams and Johnson.
“They’re coming,” Casey said after the game, per Holly MacKenzie of Raptors.com. “It’s not there yet. The rhythm is not there yet. Guys are still trying to find their way. There’s going to be nights where Lou Williams is going to be huge, nights where James Johnson is going to be huge. There’s going to be nights where it’s Greivis’ night. That’s just the way our roster is built right now."
Their second unit was one of the worst in the league just a season ago, averaging 26.1 points in 16.3 minutes (27th in NBA, per Hoopsstats.com).
Those numbers have increased to 31.3 points over 19.5 minutes, good enough for 16th overall after the first three games.
"The Raptors bench should call themselves Take Care, because they take care of biz, also because we must relate it to Drake.
— alex (@steven_lebron) October 30, 2014"
Against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Nov. 4, Casey elected once again to give his reserves some extra playing time after they cut a 10-point Thunder lead down to one before halftime.
Vasquez, Williams, Johnson and Hansbrough, along with backup center Greg Stiemsma, played the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter before the starters came in to close things out. The Raptors won 100-88.
Having too much depth—something Jared Dubin of Grantland believes Toronto might have—should be looked at as a blessing and not a curse. The Raptors will surely exploit this luxury as we head deeper into the season, using it to preserve legs and avoid injuries to key pieces.
“I’m just happy and proud to be in the second unit,” Vasquez said, per MacKenzie. “I know we’re going to help this team a lot.”
The Bad
Amir Johnson Injury Bug
The wear and tear that Amir Johnson's ankles went through last season is already presenting a problem as we begin anew.
After tweaking his left ankle in a 108-95 victory against the Orlando Magic on Nov. 1, Johnson had to be held out the following night in Miami.
He sat out again against the Thunder, as Patterson got the start at power forward for a second straight game.
Per Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun, Casey says that Johnson will not travel with the team as they head to Boston to battle the Celtics on Nov. 5: “He’s not going to go. He’s probably not going tonight [vs. Oklahoma City] nor tomorrow night. Just precautionary. He’s a little sore but I think it’s prudent now just to hold him out and let him feel much better. So, next man up. It’s opportunity for someone else to step in and play.”
Johnson missed just five games in 2013-14, playing through pain in his knees and ankles for a majority of the season against better judgment. By the time the Washington Wizards come to town on Nov. 7, he'll have already missed four.
The 10-year veteran is averaging 15.0 points and 7.5 rebounds in two games.
The aforementioned depth of the roster means so much more when a guy like Johnson needs time off. The team can only hope that these few extra days away from action help the grizzled forward in the long run.
Lack of Ball Movement
No need to sound the alarm on the dreadful assist numbers just yet.
Their 18.3 assists are second from the bottom, although it's the two-day stint in Florida that really did them in.
| Game | FGM | Assists | Turnovers |
| vs. Atlanta | 37 | 23 | 9 |
| vs. Orlando | 33 | 11 | 7 |
| vs. Miami | 37 | 13 | 10 |
| vs. Oklahoma City | 32 | 26 | 10 |
The offense has rolled with a lot of isolation players driving to the basket. That's resulted in a tremendous amount of called fouls and trips to the line.
Kyle Lowry, who leads the team with 5.8 assists, has 23 total dimes to just two turnovers. He's made more of an effort than anyone to distribute the basketball, which you love to see from your floor general and co-captain.
It's still a drop from the 7.4 assists he averaged last year, though.
"Kyle Lowry still has just 2 turnovers in 135 minutes. Hasn't been great, but that helps.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) November 5, 2014"
DeRozan, who was named to his first All-Star team in 2013-14, has faith in his ability—and that of his teammates—to get the ball where it needs to be on any given play, per Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick: "Everybody knows everybody's game. Everybody knows where they like the ball. It's just second nature now. Sometimes chemistry can beat talent. A lot of nights. I think we have that chemistry."
There are clearly signs that the ball isn't moving enough from man to man, but that should rectify itself soon enough. It's not as if there are any glaring concerns over continuity or chemistry that need resolution.
The Ugly
Defense in Shambles
The Raptors were the only team in the Eastern Conference last season to finish in the top 10 in both offensive (105.8) and defensive efficiency (102.4), per ESPN.com.
While their offensive numbers have been on the upswing (108.6, fifth), their defense (106.4, 23rd in NBA) has gone the opposite route.
Opponents are shooting a scorching 49.7 percent from the field (last) and 40.2 percent from three-point range (25th).
The Raptors burden themselves in the first quarter of games with a lack of focus on defense, giving the opposition early leads and, more importantly, confidence.
Per NBA.com, opponents are averaging 27.3 points on 56.3 percent shooting in first quarters.
A Thunder roster that dressed only eight players, and was without reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant and All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook, managed to shoot 70.6 percent in the opening frame and 60.6 percent at the half.
Casey was none too impressed, per The Star's Doug Smith: "That’s not going to get it done. I’ve told them until my eyes turn red. They’ve had that speech a lot and until it sinks in, it’s going to be a rollercoaster. Until we decide collectively to do it, it’s going to be the same old song over and over again."
Surprisingly enough, the Raptors' defensive rating of 92.9 in fourth quarters is one of the best in the league. Opponents only average 21.4 points on 42.4 percent shooting, as well.
It's night and day from how things start out, making you wonder why it takes so long for the team to get its act together.
"They clearly don’t feel like defending early in games.
— Ryan Wolstat (@WolstatSun) November 5, 2014"
"Pound The Rock," a slogan Casey implemented upon his arrival in 2011, is written on the walls of the practice gym and locker room.
It's a philosophy that revolves around working hard every day, going the extra mile and doing what's necessary out on the hardwood.
If there were ever a time to pound that point home even harder, now would be as good a time as any.
Christopher Walder is considered by many to be the "songbird of his generation" and the greatest center to have never played professional, collegiate, high school, house league or pickup basketball. His work has been published on Bleacher Report, SB Nation, Sports Illustrated, FanSided and several other online outlets. You may follow him on Twitter at @WalderSports.
Unless noted otherwise, all statistics are courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com, ESPN.com and NBA.com/stats.
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