Toronto Raptors: 3-Point Shooting is the Key to Success

The Toronto Raptors are a guard heavy team. The Raps live and die by the ability of their many star-caliber shooting guards and point guards to ignite offensively. For that reason, they tend to shoot a lot of 3-pointers. When the offence is executing properly, the 3-balls drop and the Raptors flourish. But, when things don’t go well from beyond the arc, the team struggles mightily to earn wins, even against poor opposition.

Let’s look at the team’s last four games, to check out how their 3-point shooting has impacted their success. Kyle Lowry, Greivis Vasquez, DeMar DeRozan and Lou Williams are responsible for much of the team’s 3-point production. For this reason, a study of the team’s success will really be a study of their shooting proficiency.

Feb. 2 vs. Milwaukee Bucks (Loss 82-75)

Kyle Lowry shot an abysmal 1-7 from the field and 0-2 from 3-point range. As a star this season for the Raptors, his performance was a real letdown. Overall, the whole team was flat, notching just 26% of their 3-point attempts. This led to a rough 75-point performance against a team the Raptors are more than capable of beating. The Raptors attempted a massive 27 threes, which is evident of how important the perimeter game is to their offensive output. For reference, the Bucks shot 44% from long range, but they nailed the same amount of threes as the Raptors (7-16, rather than 7-27).

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Feb. 4 vs. Brooklyn Nets (Loss 109-93)

This was another loss against a much weaker opponent. The Raptors shot 30% from beyond the arc, with no player suffering more than Lou Williams. Williams went 1-9, from distance, struggling to get his shot going. His shooting has been streaky for the Raptors this season, but his contributions remain paramount to their success. The rest of the team didn’t do much to bail him out, with Lowry going 1-3 and DeRozan hitting neither of his two attempts. Once again, the Raptors shot much more than their opponent from outside, attempting 33 shots. The Nets only took 19, making 47% of their looks (9-19).

Feb. 6 vs. Los Angeles Clippers (Win 123-107)

Fate finally turned during the contest against the Clippers. The Raptors shot 43% from outside, easily outmatching the 26% offered by the Clippers. Based on the 30 3-pointers they launched, it’s clear to see how effectively the team scores when the long-balls fall. There is a reason the Raptors earn the 4th most points per game in the NBA. Lowry and Vasquez combined for 7-13 from deep. As the team’s starting guards on that particular night, their performances were a huge boost to the rest of the squad.

Feb. 8 vs. San Antonio Spurs (Win 87-82)

This game was an anomaly for the Raptors, shying away from their usual game plan. The team only attempted 13 3-pointers during the defensive contest, hitting just four of them. The Spurs didn’t do any better, though they did attempt far more shots (7-28). Head coach Dwane Casey had his team take the ball right to the hoop, which worked surprisingly well against Tim Duncan and company.

Typically, wins and 3-point effectiveness go hand in hand. The Raptors boast one of the best group of guards in the league. They can make up for poor games from the big men, but it is evident that the bigs can’t make up for poor guard play. When the Raptors make less 3-pointers than their opposition, they lose.

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