Loss to Hawks shows teams spotting Raptors flaws

The Hawks, undeterred by their severe defeat of December 3, beat the Raptors. Why can’t the Raps get a stop when they need one, and what’s happened to low-post scoring?

I suspect all advance scouts on the Atlanta Hawks had dinner bought for them by the coaches, or they should have. Atlanta had been annihilated by the Toronto Raptors earlier this month, yet the Hawks returned on Friday night and won 125-121.

The Hawks took advantage of some regrettable Raptors tendencies and were able to cash in early. The first half was nearly unwatchable, as the Hawks exploited the Raptors’ non-existent rim protection. When Dennis Schroder and friends weren’t penetrating, they were dishing to a frequently wide-open Kyle Korver. How can Korver, of all people, be left unguarded? He hit 6 of 10 from beyond the arc, and never attempted a 2-point shot.

Dec 16, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors forward Terrence Ross (31) drives to the basket as Atlanta Hawks center Dwight Howard (8) defends during the second quarter in a game at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports /

Thabo Sefolosha played a wonderful defensive game against DeMar DeRozan. Yes, DD enjoyed a 34-point night, which included baskets both near and far from the rim. But Sefolosha cut short many of DD’s penetrations and shot attempts by refusing to bite on ball fakes. He blocked 2 of DeMar’s jumpers and made a steal.

Their plan worked

Clearly, Atlanta’s game plan was to unbalance Toronto’s offense by allowing little room for our frontcourt. Three Raps, DD, Kyle Lowry, and Cory Joseph, took 54 of Toronto’s 86 shots. Dwight Howard did his best to make life miserable for Raptors big men Jonas Valanciunas and Lucas Nogueira, and he succeeded on both sides of the ball. Howard had 15 rebounds, 4 more than the combined totals of our centres. He also proved unstoppable on the offensive glass; his 7 ORs was one fewer than the Raptors as a team. Result: 36 second-chance points to the Raptors 14.

This game did not produce any fluke stats (unless you want to mention the Raps making only 17 of 26 free throws). The Hawks were a better team on this night because they exploited the Raps’ known rebounding and rim protection issues, and their over-dependence on scoring by the guards. Other quality teams are going to be watching the film of this game with great attention.

Have you noticed Pascal Siakam outracing the field to cash in an easy bucket lately? No, you haven’t, because the other guys are making sure he’s got company.

Don’t get complacent

Coach Dwane Casey has some tough decisions to make. Should he sit DeMar down as punishment if he overhandles the ball? Has the time come for Patrick Patterson to become the starter at the 4-spot to backstop the defense? Why isn’t Terrence Ross getting more touches, particularly when the Raptors are behind late?

Adjust, then re-adjust: it’s the coach’s role. Is Casey up to it, or is the team stuck in a rut?

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