Changes Toronto Raptors Can Make For Game 3

Despite the two blowouts in Cleveland, there is still time for the Raptors to create some drama in the Eastern Conference finals.

As the Eastern Conference Finals head north to Toronto, a bleak atmosphere will follow it for the Raptors. Hosting the number 1 seed of the Cleveland Cavaliers should be an exciting affair which brings about much anticipation for a team that has had its fair share of bad luck in the previous decade. It’s a historical occasion for one of the youngest franchises in the NBA and most of Toronto’s counterparts across the league would be celebrating such an achievement. However, with LeBron James and Co. rushing out to a 2-0 lead thanks to consecutive blowouts, it’s hard for the Raptors to be thrilled about what’s coming next. If anything, the fear of losing by double digits in their own gym far outweighs any sense of excitement at this stage.

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All is not done, and in spite of Cleveland’s playoff win streak (10) staying strong even after they’ve brought their matchups on the road, they are still a beatable team. The only problem is whether or not head coach Dwane Casey will be able to make the correct adjustments needed to bring this series back to life. It’s vital there are no repeats of the disaster witnessed in Game 1, where Toronto seemed far too focused on preventing the Cavs’ 3-point attack which allowed their opponents to get what they wanted in the paint. The concern with being beaten by the seemingly unstoppable force of Cleveland’s three-point shooting was a fair one when you consider their record breaking performance against Atlanta in the round prior to the Conference finals, but handing LeBron and Kyrie Irving as much space as they both wanted and needed in the interior was a costly mistake. Adjustments were made for last night’s loss, as more help defense was evident, but there are still more improvements that can be made before Game 3 comes around.

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Take advantage of switches: In Game 1, the Raptors’ offense was some of the best we’ve seen in the post-season. They rushed out to a 7-0 lead early on and for the majority of the first half they were able to keep up with Cleveland despite their feeble efforts on defense. The backcourt of Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan were able to get the switches they wanted on pick-and-roll thanks to the screening by Patrick Patterson and Biyombo. The problem was that they never quite took advantage of these opportunities. Having Kevin Love or Tristan Thompson, who is a better P&R defender than most his size, in front of them should have allowed Lowry and DeRozan the chance to blow past them to put pressure on the help defense of LeBron at the rim. The 4-time MVP winner would have been in a precarious situation with regards to foul trouble if he had to defend DeRozan several times in the first half, when taking into consideration the whistle-happy officials. As Toronto were struggling to keep up with their rivals in the early minutes of the second quarter, they finally turned to their two guards to run at the Cavaliers’ front court. They both hit consecutive baskets on these occasions, and though it’s insignificant due to the final score of 84-115, it does show that Cleveland do have weaknesses than be exploited.

Game 2 also saw less attacking the rim, and more step back jumpers against their bigs. The one player who consistently put the beneficial switches on the pick-and-roll to any use was Cory Joseph. Though he did have a couple of lapses on defense, mostly in the third quarter when the game had escaped Toronto’s clutches, his play on the other end was arguably the most impressive of the night. Instead of settling for jumpers against Love or Thompson, Joseph decided on using his quick speed to get to the rim and either attempt to draw contact or grab two easy points. Either way, he had the right idea and it’s something which has to happen a lot more often in Game 3 if the Raps want to bring themselves back into the series.

May 13, 2016; Miami, FL, USA; Toronto Raptors forward Patrick Patterson (54) reacts during the third quarter in game six of the second round of the NBA Playoffs against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Keep Patrick Patterson on the bench: This may seem a weird one considering Patterson’s impact off the bench in Game 2. When the Kentucky graduate checked in with 5:33 remaining in the first half for his replacement in the starting line-up, Luis Scola, Toronto were down 14-20 and looking stagnant on offense. His introduction had a significant impact on the game as it coincided with the team going on a 14-6 run, the liveliest the Raptors have looked all series. His screens were poignant, while his ability to close out on the 3 pointers was much better than Scola’s. You can’t help but feel sorry for Luis. He probably wasn’t expecting to play much, if at all, in these games and it never looked as if he was comfortable being out there. The Argentinian seemed somewhat lost on defense, giving off the vibe that he wasn’t exactly sure who he was assigned to cover. It led to a couple of mix-ups and if he does appear in Game 3, it’s most probably due to the fact that Casey doesn’t believe he has any suitable alternatives.

The importance of keeping Patterson out of the 5 players that start the game is his reliability as an option coming off the bench. Considered a contender by some for the Sixth Man of the Year award that eventually went to Jamal Crawford of the Los Angeles Clippers, the 27-year-old brings a ton of energy with him when he’s introduced to the game, and is just overall more comfortable when he doesn’t start. It must be tempting for Casey to revert back to the starting line-up he chose for Game 1, when Patterson started, but he stands to benefit more from leaving the power forward on the bench.

Stagnant offense: While I touched on the problems the Raptors have with their failure to take advantage of the mismatches they secure from their pick-and-rolls, it’s only a small part of what’s wrong with their offense as a whole. The constant jump shots and ill-advised 3 pointers aren’t helping a team that at some point in both games found themselves needing more than a handful of points to give themselves a chance of winning either contest. When you watch the Cavs execute on offense, it’s like poetry in motion at times. Ball movement, perfect screens and taking advantage of what the opposition’s defense gives them. Whereas with the Raptors, they have a habit in this series of making it far more difficult than it needs to be.

The Cavs don’t have the best of individual defenders. Irving and Love, while improving on that side of the ball, are still a major weakness that Toronto seem to purposely avoid exploiting. When Irving switched onto either Patterson, Biyombo or Scola in Game 2, neither of the Raptors big men were able to post up and score over a player much smaller than them. If they had been able to succeed in these sets, chances are LeBron or Thompson would have come over to double, thus leaving open either another big man in the post or one of Lowry, DeRozan and Carroll on the perimeter. It should have led to at least a couple of easy buckets and also caused Cleveland’s head coach Tyronn Lue to switch around his line-up. The main reason why Toronto fail to achieve such an efficient mode of basketball offense is that more times than not their ball handler either settles for a mid-range shot or dribbles back out to the perimeter, which allows the opposition time to regroup and reorganize their defense. It also means there’s a lack of spacing for players like DeRozan, who enjoys getting to the free-throw line, to dribble into the paint and draw the foul. Cleveland have yet to experience legitimate foul trouble and it’s no surprise. At this point, Toronto’s offense seems to be hurting them more than helping them.

The series is far from over. It’s hard to believe this narrative but it’s factual. Cleveland have the momentum and an overriding advantage, being up 2-0 and looking invincible with 2 home games left. However, Toronto still have to play 3 out of the next 4 in their own arena, where Cleveland have already lost twice this year. It might have only been the regular season but mentally if the Raptors can keep the score close on Saturday, there’s always a chance the Cavs will begin to feel the pressure. Toronto are down at the moment, but they are certainly not out.