It’s time to refresh Raptors’ starting five
By Brian Boake
The Raptors’ starting lineup is woefully unbalanced, and our guards are being asked to shoulder too much. Here’s how to rectify the situation.
The Toronto Raptors commence a seven-game home stand on Wednesday night against the Utah Jazz. I hope we’ll see some changes to the starting lineup, because what’s happening now isn’t working.
James Johnson has started a bunch of games in the absence of DeMarre Carroll, whose return date remains a mystery. JJ was expected to provide a sound defensive presence, and chip in the occasional bucket. Luis Scola has been the Raptors’ power forward by default, as Patrick Patterson fumbled away his opportunity to seize the role with poor shooting in training camp and pre-season.
To the great relief of Toronto fans, the season has been salvaged by the remarkable play of the backcourt duo of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. However, there are clear signs the team may be asking too much of our All-Star guards. I don’t believe their recent spate of poor health is simply bad luck. These two may be breaking down.
Greg Popovich, a master coach, has no qualms about sitting down his players when he feels they are fatigued. For him, and his San Antonio Spurs, the regular season is something of a speed bump. They are always aiming for the playoffs, and have five championships to show for their focussed approach.
Our essential duo shouldn’t need to sit as much as elder statesmen Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. But neither should they be expected to carry so much of the scoring load. Luis Scola last scored in double figures a dozen games ago, when he had ten against Detroit. He’s hit one 3-ball in 16 attempts in seven games. James Johnson has 3 baskets in 52 minutes in his last 3 games. It’s not working, folks, and it’s not going to.
I feel badly for Scola, who’s been a premier professional and Olympian for more than a decade. But in a wrestling match with Father Time, there’s no contest. What we are seeing is exactly what should happen to a baller who will turn 36 next month.
As for Johnson, he’s done nothing to suggest he’s worthy of consideration for more minutes, or even the same number.
Sometimes large change is as easy to cope with as small. If I were Dwane Casey, I’d call Terrence Ross, then Patterson, into his office and tell them they are starting at small forward and power forward, respectively, against Utah. Barring disaster, they have five games to strut their stuff. Then make the announcement to the team, and start to run plays at practise with the revamped starting five.
The Raptors have built high expectations by their remarkable play to date. But injuries and illness to our co-MVPs can turn the season, and the playoffs, into Groundhog Day. Our team can’t bear another ignominous departure from the post-season. Keep our backcourt healthy by limiting their minutes, and finding secondary scoring. Without more balance from our offense, we’re going to find ourselves in serious difficulty.