Raptors have Power Forward solution for playoffs (if they want it)
By Brian Boake
The Raptors plucked Jason Thompson off the waiver wire to buttress our front court. He’s been satisfactory, but is there another solution?
The Toronto Raptors have clinched a playoff berth, and still have an outside chance of catching the Cleveland Cavaliers for top spot in the Eastern Conference. Most fan bases would be ecstatic about the success of a team which most prognosticators, including me, had projected to end the 2015-16 season with around 45 wins. However, we Raptors fans aren’t partying, and have no intention of it, until our team vanquishes its demons with a first-round playoff victory.
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While coaches tell themselves in their shaving mirrors every morning “I can only win tonight’s game”, Raptors bench boss Dwane Casey has to be mentally clearing the decks for playoff planning. He’s been pushing the importance of defense ever since last year’s flameout against Washington, and his message seems to be getting through. The Raptors rank 11th in Defensive Rating. But there’s a move he can, and should, test-drive immediately to spike our team’s paint protection.
The Raptors should start Jonas Valanciunas at centre, and Bismack Biyombo at power forward.
Think about Friday night’s game against the Houston Rockets, who started the centre-sized Donatas Motiejunas at RF and many-time All-Star Dwight Howard at centre. Surely Biz and JV is a better defensive alignment than Luis Scola and JV. Biz may actually be fast enough to provide shot-blocking from behind when James Harden drives.
How about possible first-round opponents the Detroit Pistons? Biz can help with boxing out Beast-on-the-Boards Andre Drummond. I’ll wager he can handle Marcus Morris one on one. The Indiana Pacers have a rookie PF named Myles Turner who just pulled down 16 rebounds against New Orleans. I don’t feel terribly confident about Scola attempting to contain a bigger, stronger youngster like this guy.
The Raptors allowed an average of 116 points in the last three games of the series against the Wizards. I suspect with Bismack on board those numbers would not have been so devastating.
We don’t need baskets from Biz, although we’ll take them. He’ll actually increase his chances of getting dump-off passes from penetrating guards because JV can pin the other centre. Regardless, Biz isn’t the kind of player who “must” get his points. I wouldn’t want any player on my team who would say “I don’t care about scoring”, because that’s crazy talk. Every man on the roster should lust to put the ball in the basket, but the Raptors don’t require points from everyone to win. Biz doesn’t need to score – there’s a difference.
And what if the other guys go small? Fine, make the switch, and so will we. Out of the game comes one or both big men, and in comes Patrick Patterson, Terrence Ross and/or James Johnson. I’d much rather have their coach react to our moves than the other way around.
The Raptors are facing a decimated flock of New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday night. Why not give this configuration a run-through? Play the bigs together with Kyle, DD and Norman for the first quarter, then return to our normal programming. If it works, great – refine it in practice. If not, win the game anyway, and move on.
Next: Are 2 Raptors centres 1 too many?
I’ll wager Biz and JV together can stifle offenses better than anything we’ve ever seen, and there will be lots of defensive rebounds with which to kick-start Raptors fast breaks. C’mon Dwane, you secret lover of smash-mouth hoops. Give it a try.