How the Toronto Raptors Can Stop (Or Slow Down) LeBron James

Let's be clear: No single player can stop LeBron James. Even after 13 seasons, waves of defenders are required to keep the four-time MVP in check.

The Detroit Pistons and Atlanta Hawks failed to mitigate James' impact in the first and second rounds of the Eastern Conference playoffs, respectively. And now the Toronto Raptors assume the unenviable, often impossible task of corralling James.

But if anyone can devise a plan to fluster James, it's Raptors head coach Dwane Casey. Casey was Rick Carlisle’s defensive coordinator during the 2011 Finals, when the Dallas Mavericks memorably defeated James' Miami Heat. James averaged just 17.8 points in the six games, third-most on the Heat, and the Raptors hired Casey shortly after.

Toronto is smart enough to realize James can't be stopped completely, but there is a blueprint to limiting the damage.

 

The Right Personnel

Toronto doesn't possess a Kawhi Leonard or Jimmy Butler, an elite athlete who matches up favorably with size, strength and length to combat James.

But the Raptors do have a few "by committee" options.

The primary assignment will fall on DeMarre Carroll, the Raptors' starting small forward and 2015 free-agent prize. Although he was only healthy for one of the three meetings between the two teams in the regular season, the pair have a history.

Carroll had the honor of chasing James around in the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago, while the former was still a member of the Atlanta Hawks. Carroll suffered a sprained knee in Game 1 and was hobbled throughout the remainder of the series, while James went on to average 30.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 9.5 assists despite shooting just 25.0 percent from three-point range. At 6'8" and 212 pounds, Carroll has the size to contest jumpers and defend the perimeter but won't be able to handle James in the post.

Over the first two rounds, Carroll had to cover players such as Paul George, Joe Johnson and Dwyane Wade at times—a good warm-up for this even greater challenge.

Beyond Carroll, the Raptors can attempt to counter James with 6'7" DeMar DeRozan and the seldom-used 6'9" James Johnson. While DeRozan is athletic enough to stay in front of James, he struggled against Indiana, and Toronto would likely prefer to save his energy for the offensive end.

Johnson is the wild card here. Although he's been out of Toronto's regular rotation for months, the 250-pounder matches James' size better than anyone on the roster and held opponents to just 42.2 percent shooting during the regular season. Casey called upon him briefly during the Heat series and he did an admirable job on Joe Johnson. Rookie Norman Powell could draw the assignment against James at times as well.

 

Avoid the Hot Spots

Like almost every other player in the association, James has his preferred spots from which to shoot.

With his combination of size and speed, keeping James out of the paint is priority No. 1, something Detroit and Atlanta failed to do. This postseason, he's shooting 62.4 percent from within eight feet, but just 23.5 percent from eight to 16 feet.

This involves not only a wing defender with supreme lateral movement cutting off his driving lane, but also a big willing to leave his man and help stop an easy shot at the rim.

From there, forcing him to the right side of the court on mid-range jumpers and three-point attempts is key. James had a worse field-goal percentage in four of the five shooting zones when firing from the strong side during the regular season.

Luckily for Toronto, James' outside shooting has deserted him all year. He's converting just 31.6 percent of his postseason three-point attempts, including only 22.2 percent of his pull-up threes. James is far more effective when he catches and shoots, increasing his success rate to 40.0 percent.

And what if three-ball fever catches James like it has so many other Cavaliers?

"Hope he misses," then-Golden State Warriors assistant coach and current Los Angeles Lakers head man Luke Walton told Bleacher Report earlier this season. "I mean, he’s too good. You’ve got to pick and choose what you’re going to live with.

"If you get up on him and try to take away his three-point shot, he’s too big and strong and he’ll get around. Once he gets in your paint, he’s playmaking to other people, and if you don’t rotate he’s dunking on whoever’s guarding him. Obviously if he gets hot from three then you change up the defensive game plan. To start the game, you’ve got to live with something and that’s probably your safest bet."

For now, Toronto needs to encourage James to fire away from deep while packing the paint and attempting to push him more to the right side of the court.

 

Change the Way LeBron Scores

Not all scoring methods are created equal. In James' case, some have proven to be far more effective than others.

Like they did so eloquently in Jurassic Park, the Raptors need to set a trap. Bait James into one-on-one situations and let him try to drive by Carroll, DeRozan or Johnson. But have a big waiting. With starting center Jonas Valanciunas out for Game 1 and doubtful for Game 2, this leaves Bismack Biyombo as the only real post threat.

James went to isolation more often than any other form of offense, although it yielded just 0.68 points per possession behind 35.7 percent shooting from the field. These figures ranked among his least efficient scoring methods among any play type.

The longer he holds on to the ball, the less effective he becomes.

When he handles the ball for less than two seconds, it translates to a 60 percent shooting rate. If this time increases to six seconds or more, James only converts 36.4 percent of his opportunities.

Cleveland is better when it moves the ball but can still fall into this dreaded hero-ball mode from time to time. The Raptors would be wise to exploit this, if possible.

If James wants to run the pick-and-roll, emphasis will depend on his part as either ball-handler or roll man. The Cavaliers were lethal in the rare instances where they used him as the big, as he can cut to the basket or make a running pass to an open shooter.

The trap has to come immediately and hope that someone else misses rather than allow an easy opportunity in the paint. If he handles the ball—much like in isolation—Toronto needs to keep James on the perimeter and force him into a pass or long jumper.

Will the Raptors completely stop James? Absolutely not.

To have any hope of making this a series, however, they must start with the head of the snake. Slowing James down will go a long way toward helping their chances.

 

Greg Swartz is the Cleveland Cavaliers Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @CavsGregBR.

Quotes obtained firsthand, unless cited. Stats via Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.