Over one-third of the 2015-16 NBA Season is complete as we near Christmas and for the Toronto Raptors, calling this season a rollercoaster would be an understatement.
The Toronto Raptors sit at a respectable 18-12 and based on their record; the Raptors are right around where they were expected to be coming into the season. However, no one would have been able to guess how they would get to this point.
This season, Raptor fans have seen two completely different sides to their team. There have been the “Good Raptors” and the “Bad Raptors” but unfortunately, the “Good Raptors” haven’t shown up as much as fans would like.
First, the Bad Toronto Raptors:
The “Bad Raptors” are the team that has left fans shaking their head and yelling at the TV during games wondering why they won’t move the ball or put forth a solid effort on defense. Toronto has played some very impressive games this year, but their inability to take care of business against sub .500 teams has been very frustrating. Half of the Raptors 12 losses have come against teams that currently have a losing record. Toronto struggles to get up for games against weak teams, and it holds them back. Some notable teams the Raptors have lost to this year are the New York Knicks, Sacramento Kings twice, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, and Denver Nuggets. These are all games that the Raptors should have taken.
The Raptors have some very talented pieces that can be very dangerous like the tenacious, gritty, never give up attitude of Kyle Lowry, the high-flying, and foul-drawing expert DeMar DeRozan, the efficiency, and big presence of Jonas Valanciunas in the middle, and the freakishly-athletic and smooth Terrence Ross. However when the “Bad Raptors” step on the court, the team component of their game is shot, and these big talents don’t work together like they should. Possession after possession, primary ball-handlers Lowry, DeRozan, and Cory Joseph, try to find good screens set by the bigs and repeatedly get nowhere as the rest of the offense has very minimal movement. A combination of the primary ball-handlers not passing, and the Raptor wings doing a poor job of moving off-the-ball to get open for passes, usually results in possessions that conclude with a DeRozan or Lowry isolation. Ross, Valanciunas, and Joseph as well as bench reliever and three-point threat Patrick Patterson, are all very useful pieces when at their best but it is crucial that they get their touches for them to get their game going. When the “Bad Raptors” play their stagnant offensive style, these secondary scoring options fail to get their head in the game, and it hurts the team on both ends of the floor. When these players like Ross, Valanciunas, Joseph, and Patterson finally do touch the ball, they force up bad shots as they see an opportunity to prove themselves and get more involved. Instead of moving the ball in an attempt to get the best shot possible, the Raptors try to shoot themselves out of slumps and as the shots don’t fall; the frustration builds up, and everything goes down from there. When the team play isn’t there offensively, the same attitude is carried forth to the defensive side of the floor as well. Toronto’s defense has been solid for the most part this year allowing the fourth least points per game in the league, but again, it appears to drop-off against those pesky sub .500 teams that the Raptors play poorly against. In those six losses mentioned earlier, the team has given up 104.7 points per game while giving up just 96.6 points per game on the year. This is due to the selfish mentality that seems to seep into the Raptors’ heads against inferior teams. The “Bad Raptors” forget the team-sport component of basketball, and it needs to stop.
Next, the Good Toronto Raptors:
When the Raptors are at their best, they can compete with any team in the NBA, and they have done so. The NBA’s powerhouse, the Golden State Warriors, who have only lost one game this entire season, have already been matched up against the Raptors twice this year. Both games came down to the wire and even though the Raptors couldn’t pull out the win in either matchup, they played outstanding basketball that was beautiful to watch. They had an opportunity to win both contests proving that it wasn’t just luck. But it hasn’t been just about moral victories, the Raptors have won some very impressive games this year like games against the Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks twice, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs, and Miami Heat. These are some strong ball clubs, and the Raptors were able to beat all of these teams; clearly they are doing something right.
The only explanation for this is that the Raptors play up and down to their competition. When they see a good team on the other bench, they understand they will need to play sound, fundamental, team basketball to have a chance to pull out the victory. When this happens, they decide to move the ball which gets everyone involved in the offense. Lowry and DeRozan, while remaining the focal points of the offense, share the ball with their teammates who get open looks because of the defense’s focus on the two backcourt stars. Often, Lowry and DeRozan are just a couple of “extra-passes” away from getting good looks of their own which is how star players should get most of their points rather than isolation plays. Lowry and DeRozan pass the ball and trust their teammates to get the ball back to them. They need to do this more. Players like Ross, Valanciunas, Joseph, and Patterson get their fair share of touches which not only leads to easier baskets but better shot selection as well. When the stars are making a concerted effort to get these guys the ball, they will do the same; ball movement is contagious. Getting these guys more involved in the offense also translates to defense. In the nine wins listed above, where they played team basketball, the Raptors gave up just 93.3 points per game; significantly lower than their season average of 96.6. These are the teams that the Raptors would logically give up more points against; not the losing teams. As a strong defensive team, the Raptors have some very solid defensive pieces like Lowry, Joseph, DeMarre Carroll, Bismack Biyombo, and James Johnson, but when they get solid efforts out of guys like Ross, Valanciunas, Patterson, and others, their defense is at another level. As soon as the defense is locked in and players start communicating and rotating, the Raptors get stops and steals that lead to run-outs and easy buckets. When the Raptors trust each other on both ends of the floor, they quickly realize that good offense leads to good defense and good defense leads to good offense. Anytime opponents get the “Good Raptors” they better watch out but, unfortunately, it's not that simple.
Obviously, consistency has been a huge problem in Toronto this year. Just ask Head Coach Dwane Casey, who will tell you that the Raptors need to play “48 minutes.” He is right. There are two sides to this Raptor team, but almost every game, both the “Bad” and “Good” Raptors will show up at one point or another. For example, the Raptors have struggled mightily in first halves this season scoring just 47.5 points per first half; second last in the NBA this season. In the second half, on the other hand, Toronto averages 51.9 points per half and sit at ninth in the NBA. Sometimes, just one quarter of the “Good Raptors” is enough to pull out the victory while other times three and half quarters isn’t sufficient to get the win. Toronto’s inability to stay consistent has them at a decent record. They will likely finish the year with a secure spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture but come playoff time, Casey will need four solid quarters of energy, effort, and most importantly team play from of his club.
The Raptors have had many obstacles to face early in the season that may explain their inconsistency. Firstly, the Raptors made some significant changes to their roster this offseason and it is taking time for the players to develop that essential chemistry that every great team needs. Secondly, health has been a problem this year as starters Carroll and Valanciunas as well as bench scorer Ross have all missed extended time due to injury. These injuries not only force other players to play exhausting amounts of minutes but also interfere with team chemistry for the future when these players return. The schedule has also been tough for Toronto. While a recent homestand has nearly evened things out, the Raptors started the season playing 11 out of their first 15 games on the road and never played back-to-back home games until December 3rd and 5th; over one month into the season. The Raptors have a lot of reasons to make excuses, but excuses will get them nowhere in this league. So far, Toronto has done a solid job of fighting through these hardships, but it is only going to get tougher as the season goes on.
Right now, the hope is that currently injured players Carroll and Valanciunas will recover quickly and stay healthy for good while the rest of the team will stay relatively healthy throughout the season. Ideally, everyone will be healthy with a substantial amount of games left, and the Raptors will use the many home games in the latter half of the season to develop that chemistry and head into the playoffs with everyone on the same page. If this happens, Toronto will be a team that opponents do not want to face in the playoffs.
So, who are the Toronto Raptors?
The Toronto Raptors are a talent-loaded basketball team that struggles to stay consistent, but a better question is; What can the Toronto Raptors become? That should be scary to think about for the rest of the NBA.