Well, well, well, here we are again. It’s the beginning of November, and you all know what that means. It’s a new NBA season. There also happens to be a new Raptors team on the block—one that’s going to improve on its 26th-in-the-league defensive rating last year (while sporting new and stylin’ Drake-inspired uniforms).
This offseason, Raptors President and General Manager Masai Ujiri went nose to the grindstone. To summarize: Kyle Lowry, Demar DeRozan and Jonas Valančiūnas are the returning starters. Defensive stud, Demarre ‘the Pain’ Carroll (Atlanta Hawks) is now at small forward, and Luis Scola (Indiana Pacers) is starting at power forward. Patrick Patterson and Terrence Ross are coming off the bench, along with newbies Corey Joseph (guard, San Antonio Spurs), and rebounding master Bismack Biyombo (centre, Charlotte Bobcats).
More of a byline, but still worth a mention: Ujiri signed former first round pick and Canadian Anthony Bennett to a cheap, 1-year contract. Bennett was a disappointment in Cleveland and Minnesota, but now has a chance to remake himself with the Raps. We’ll see, but I remain skeptical as to how much playing time he will get on this roster if we stay out of injury trouble.
After evaporating out of the playoffs after a 4-game sweep by the Washington Wizards, Ujiri gave Casey the tools he needed to implement his stingy defensive game in the form of Carroll and Byiombo.
Carroll is a quiet workhorse who can not only frustrate the best in the game, but also score a few buckets. Twenty one points in game 2 against the Celtics, 10 of them in the third quarter alone. Carroll was instrumental in leading the Hawks to a first-in-the-conference finish last season. He fits like a glove with Casey’s D-first philosophy. Look for him to lead this team over the course of the season: Game 1 – forty-one minutes on the court. Say no more.
Meanwhile, Byiombo is among the best in the NBA on the glass (though he is admittedly a bit ham-handed when it comes to even simply shooting free throws). Nevertheless rebounding was a serious point of improvement for the Raps coming into this season, and man oh man does this guy bring it: eleven rebounds in a combined thirty-two minutes over the first 2 games. Plus, he brings some serious dunk down low on the post.
All this, and the Raptors have started things off 2-0. So far, so good. Though they have struggled a bit offensively, particularly in the first quarter, their defense helped them hang around long enough for the offense to come to life.
The addition of Canadian-born Corey Joseph has also been a serious upgrade from Greivus Vasquez. A hard-nosed defender, he can eat up thirty minutes a game keeping opponents in check and pitching in some points too. Casey’s go-to small formation: Lowry and Joseph in the backcourt, Carroll, DeRozan and JV up front. These guys will literally run anyone off the court, should a scoring push ever be needed, as in the fourth quarter of game one.
All in all, it will be sure be an interesting season in a wide-open Eastern Conference. The Raptors should be able to win their third consecutive division title if they stay the course. The key issue will be developing a defensive system that works, so that come playoff time, they’ll be ready.
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