There’s no question that Canada’s basketball team has clinched a playoff spot. They recently claimed the Atlantic title for the second year in a row. But before we get too excited, there’s also no question that our team is in a funk.
Before defeating the lowly Lakers (without Kobe Bryant), the Raptors were the losers of three of their past four. In addition, they lost a crucial game to a potential playoff opponent, the Chicago Bulls (who were without star point guard Derrick Rose). Right now, the Raptors are fourth in the East, with Chicago sitting third and the Washington Wizards in fifth. If the playoffs started tomorrow, the Raptors would face the Wizards. This would be a favourable matchup. However, small fluctuations in the standings between now and the end of the season could match them up with Chicago—with star Derrick Rose set to return in time for the playoffs. It is unlikely the Raptors would come out on top given they have yet to win a game against the Bulls.
More pressing though are the defensive issues that continue to plague the team. Over the first thirty games of the season, the Raptors’ defense was exceptional. Lately, they’ve come to rely on offence to carry defense. What I mean here is that the team only appears motivated to play defense when their shots are falling. This is strange because head coach Dwane Casey is a strictly defense-first coach. The Raptors have undoubtedly bought into this approach, but have been having trouble executing of late.
This is likely most easily attributed to fatigue and wear and tear, not to mention an injury to all-star Kyle Lowry. Nevertheless, the Raptors cannot afford to tune out, despite their position in the standings. If they keep playing this way, their standing at the end of the season will determine whether they make it beyond the first round. They need to realize that playing defense will always help you win games: Even if you can’t sink many shots, all you have to do is prevent your opponent from doing the same. Also, a solid running game comes from defense; get this going and it will help you run the other team off the court.
Perhaps this quality of play is not required to beat teams in the sub-par Atlantic Division, but it is necessary to be a real playoff team. The Raptors have consistently performed well against sub-.500 teams (i.e.: teams that have won less than half of their games), but the playoffs bring a better class of opponent.
This is why head coach Dwayne Casey remains adamant that his team stay hungry through the home stretch. While veterans and experienced playoff teams “take the last two weeks off,” the Raptors will be working on cleaning up their defensive game and showing up night in, night out. Their success (or lack thereof) in this initiative will determine how far they get in the playoffs.
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