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Preview: Toronto Raptors vs. Washington Wizards (Game 3)

By Kevin Nimmock

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In a few hours, the Toronto Raptors will look to show some life in their first round series against the Washington Wizards. The Raps went down 2-0 at home on Tuesday, putting the team in an unenviable position. Now, with added pressure on their shoulders, the Raptors will look to turn around their poor performances and shape up in Washington.

Unfortunately for head coach Dwane Casey, more than a few things need to change if his team is going to have a shot at competing. The Raptors struggled in games one and two, showing a thoroughly disappointing effort both defensively and offensively.

The most disappointing part about the series’ first two games is that the Wizards didn’t put together incredible performances to steal wins on the road. Instead, the Raptors practically gave away the crucial contests by being unable to adjust to what the Wizards were doing.

It all starts with Kyle Lowry. He was the team’s lone All-Star this season, putting together a campaign worth a lot of praise. He has become the Raptors’ on-court leader, showing inspiring strength and perseverance during times of adversity throughout the regular season. But, he has yet to show up in the playoffs and it is killing his team.

Lowry is averaging 6.5 points per game in this series, shooting 25% from the floor. Compared to his season average of 17.8 points on 41% shooting, things have been bleak for the diminutive point guard. Simply put, he is being out-played by opposing guard John Wall. Wall is averaging 18 points on 38% shooting from the field. Plus, Lowry has gotten into significant foul trouble, forcing him to miss time in both games.

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Wall has been aggressive on offence, which has created a significant problem for slow-footed defenders like Greivis Vasquez. In game two, he scored in practically any way he wanted. Lowry needs to reduce his fouls to be able to stay on the court to counter Wall defensively. He also needs to find ways to explode offensively.

Rebounding has been another key issue. The Raptors’ bigs have been embarrassed by the big men from Washington. In game two, the Raptors were out-rebounded 45-28, which created several second-chance opportunities for Washington’s guards. Jonas Valanciunas needs to play harder to make up for Amir Johnson‘s typical lacklustre rebounding.

If the Raptors are going to lose, it should not be from giving easy second chances. They need to put effort in on both sides of the court, making sure that they do the little things right. The Wizards should not be able to dominate boards in the paint, so it will simply come down to effort.

When the Raptors take to the court tonight, they should be playing with a new level of urgency. This is a must-win. It won’t be easy, but Casey needs to find a way to win the strategic chess match against opposing coach Randy Wittman.

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