Things are not working out for the Toronto Raptors at the moment. How aggressive should they be in remaking this list into a contender?
After starting the season 11-9, the Toronto Raptors have now lost nine of their last twelve to propel them to a 14-18 record and tenth place in the loaded Eastern Conference.
The stretch of their poor play has come with speculation that it is time for Canada’s only NBA team to engage in an all-out rebuild.
What makes comments like this particularly interesting is that Not long agoThe Raptors seem to be one of the most promising teams in the league.
What the hell happened? Why do they lose? And is it really time to rebuild?
The Raptors are versatile…not just on offense
In today’s NBA, diversity reigns supreme. However, when we think of versatility, we usually think of athletic, tall wingers and forwards who can defend multiple positions. This is a very defensive definition of the term. The offense also requires a level of versatility, particularly in the midfield.
The best half court offenses can create benefits with multiple creators in many different ways. Think Boston Celtics. They can make Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Marcus Smart or Malcolm Brogdon make the dribble. They can do this by catching and rolling, while curling the ball off the screen, in a game of dribble delivery with a big man. The possibilities are endless.
The Raptors’ halfcourt offense doesn’t have nearly as many dimensions (hence it ranks 28th in halfcourt efficiency, according to glass cleaning). When they can’t get out in transition, they often relegate to uphill seclusions (fourth in frequency) and post-ops (10th in frequency).
So why not incorporate more Boston offensive lineups?
A common acronym used in basketball circles is known as “KYP” – know your people. The best coaches live and die by this principle. Don’t make your players fit into your scheme. Make the scheme work for your players.
Coach Nick Nurse has been criticized in the past for his offense’s lack of toughness, and while some of that criticism is fair, his staff limits what he can do.
Toronto’s best players are tough, powerful forwards – think OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes. It is in their interest to have them utilize their muscle strength through defenders.
The problem isn’t that he doesn’t play to his people’s strengths. Their power is ineffective. The Raptors are ranked 28th in points per possession (PPP) on the rebound and 23rd in post rebounding (according to NBA.com).
The thing the nurse can do is make the events leading up to these plays more creative. More often than not, we’re forced to come across boring retractions (like the one below) that don’t fall under any of the following: Four factors for an effective subsequent process.
Until these types of play become more efficient, the only Torontonians to create a consistent advantage remain in the hands of Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam.
VanVleet, after becoming All-Star status last season, has seen his 3-point shooting decline (down from 37.7 to 32.7 percent), reducing his ability to deform defenses. Meanwhile, Siakam has been playing to superhero levels, but unfortunately, the Raptors may have been putting too much weight on Superman’s back.
An example of their over-dependence can be seen throughout their lives Monday night clash Against the Philadelphia 76ers. Siakam fought fiercely to revive the Raptors from a 14-point deficit to force the game into overtime, scoring 38 points in that time (including elongated throw to tie the match with five seconds remaining).
But alas, when they got into overtime, the offense could only pick up two points in five minutes because they couldn’t generate any transitional chances, and the defense was able to play Siakam down their half of the court.
The above montage is all offensive possession from overtime. Almost every possession has resulted in an ineffective shot of some kind. The only favorable looks were two VanVleet 3s, but remember, it’s in the midst of a shooting slump!
VanVleet’s struggles extend across the entire team. Usually, colossal reliance on a single star (i.e., heliocentrism) results in, at least, an acceptable insult. The problem with Toronto, though, is that teams can get drenched in paint on the drive without serious consequences because the Raptors are last in the league by 3 points.
The Raptors defense is versatile, but not very versatile
We mentioned earlier how having long-range players who can defend multiple positions is part of defensive versatility. The key word here is “part”. Match versatility is important, but it’s not the only part of the equation.
The other part of the formula relates to the variety of styles the defense can play. Tall and lean at wazoo, toronto opens a blitz And the heavy switch scheme is like SOS pressure defense From the 1990s Seattle SuperSonics.
This defense is great for the Raptors because it spurs the turnovers they need to come out in transition. Toronto has the highest opponent turnover percentage in basketball. But their defensive rating is still only 18, and that’s because this technique is not without its drawbacks.
For starters, such an aggressive style can be incredibly demanding on one’s body. Toronto’s starting four – VanVleet, Anunoby, Siakam and Barnes – are all in the top 20 in defensive distance traveled per game (according to NBA.com). It can be difficult to maintain that kind of intensity throughout an 82-game season, and it stands to reason that many of the team’s key rotational pieces have missed some time this year due to injury.
Adding to the cumbersome nature of their defense, each possession requires pinpoint precision in spins (because by blitzing the ball you automatically put yourself into a 4v3 position), or the whole jig breaks down, resulting in a concession high. valuable shots. And as it is, the Raptors allow plenty of these shots, posting the fourth worst diet in the NBA (per glass cleaning).
Finally, just like the Seattle SuperSonics of the ’90s, the Raptors defense has a striking quality. The more you see it, the easier it will be to overcome it.
As a general rule, passing is the perfect solution against a snap defense. Basketball always moves faster than humans on the ground, so by passing the ball enough, you can maneuver a scrambling defense.
Teams have come up with this with the Raptors, as evidenced by the fact that the team gives up the third most passes to an opponent per 100 possessions.
This is not to say that Toronto should ditch its oddball defense. They just need the other coverage to give their players a break and give opposing offenses a different look.
The aforementioned Celtics deploy a dynamic heavy substitution system. But they can also count on more conservative coverage with their greats Al Horford and Robert Williams III to help reduce the physical toll imposed on their personnel and give other teams another variable to consider as they plot their game plan.
So… Raptors need to rebuild?
not exactly.
Wait, I just spent my last 1,200 words explaining everything wrong with Toronto. Why don’t they rebuild?
Not to be too aggressive here (like the Raptors defense), but if Toronto needs to rebuild, the whole rebuilding process is pointless.
You’re rebuilding to get talented young players. Players like Pascal Siakam. Like OG Anunoby. Representing Scotty Barnes, the reigning Rookie of the Year. Toronto has the players it’s rebuilding to try and get.
What this team needs to do is make adjustments to the margins. Look at the team we kept mentioning as the platonic ideal of team building: the Boston Celtics. It was an uninspiring 17-19 when the calendar flipped to 2022. And what did they do? He began using Marcus Smart as a starting point guard on offense, incorporating more substitutions to keep Williams closer to the edge of defence, and acquiring key contributors like Derrick White and Malcolm Brogdon without losing any of their core. And now, they are favorites to win the NBA title.
Toronto could seek similar changes. tactical ones that add creativity to their offense and versatility in their defense, and personnel that give them more shooting and advantage-creating resources.
Whatever they do, they shouldn’t panic or become reactionary because, with a talented young core like themselves, the last thing they need is a full-scale Raptor Rebuild launch.
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