Raptors coaches confer on how to beat Cavs
By Brian Boake
Wouldn’t it be nice to hear how the Raptors coaches plan to defeat the powerhouse Cleveland Cavaliers?
Following yesterday’s series-clinching win over the Miami Heat, all of the Toronto Raptors coaches gathered for a working supper. Through the magic of
imagination
technology, your scribe was able to listen to their conversation.
Head Coach Dwane Casey: We’re halfway to our goal of bringing a championship to Toronto. Now the hard part begins. We haven’t exactly had easy trips through the first two rounds, yet we’ve got to suck it up.
OK, guys, how in the name of Hondo Havlicek are we going to win four games from the Cavaliers before they do it to us?
Nick Nurse: What’s the latest on JV? [Editor’s Note [EN]: that’s a request for an injury update on Jonas Valanciunas]
Casey: Better game-plan as if you don’t have him until we get back from Cleveland.
Nurse: That means I’m giving up a lot of points, and a lot of second chances. [EN: Nurse has primary offensive responsibility.] I can’t play Biz all game. Andy, how can you force turnovers so my backcourt can outrun these guys?
Andy Greer: [EN: Greer is the lead defensive coach.] We’ll have to play loose off LeBron, and let him be a facilitator. I’d rather him do that than have him power his way to the hoop. He’ll get every whistle, just like Wade did. [EN: a reference to Miami’s Oscar-winning actor guard Dwyane “the flopper” Wade]. Biz will be sitting down in a hurry. My defenders will have to slip over picks, not under them. We can’t let them shoot the three like they did against Detroit and Atlanta. Cleveland didn’t need paint points. Their starters racked up 99 3-balls in 8 games. Our whole team has made 93, and we’ve needed 14 games.
Nurse: I hear you. Defending this team won’t be easy. But you’re going to have to get me the ball with numbers. [EN: odd-man fast breaks]
Rex Kalamian: Let’s talk the half-court set. Their biggest starter is Kevin Love, who’s no rim protector. We need DeMar receiving passes while in motion so he can take one or two dribbles, then attack or pull up for a jimmie. I like that push shot from 7 feet or so.
Casey: Biz has to set multiple picks to free up Lowry. He’s got to drain some long balls for us.
Kalamian: 2-Pat has been doing solid work on the boards and on D, but his outside shooting has been [bleep]. Let’s see if we can get him in isolation early down low, so his first bucket is from in close. Maybe that will help him relax.
Casey: T-Ross has to tighten his handle [EN: dribble the ball with greater care] or I’m going to sit him. We can’t keep having him getting stripped or making dumb passes in our backcourt. Rex, he listens to you – make it crystal clear. I want him on the floor and getting open for those long pick and pops, but only if he stops hurting us. And he should drive the paint too.
Sadly, at this point our bug, which was a fly on the wall, was swatted with a newspaper. But at least we got some idea as to how the Raptors will approach this series with a loaded Cavaliers team.