Raptors Game 1 Loss to Cavs … Was it Largely Because of Decisions before Tip?

The Raptors returned to their “big” lineup featuring Jonas Valanciunas at center, and got clobbered. Should Powell return as a starter?

There’s an old adage that goes ” if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Someone tell Toronto Raptors Head Coach Dwane Casey this.

Before game 1 vs the Cleveland Cavaliers, one question loomed for four days.

The question was whether coach Casey would re-insert center Jonas Valanciunas to the starting lineup or continue to start games with sophomore player Norman Powell.

On Monday evening, Coach Casey answered the question. He opted to re-insert Jonas Valanciunas into the starting lineup, with Powell returning to the bench.

The starters then were Kyle Lowry, Demar Derozan, Demarre Carroll, Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas in the middle. These were the starters for most of the games post all-star break.

I imagine that the move by Casey to re-insert JV was to match-up with the Cleveland Cavaliers who play an inside-out brand of basketball. Although Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Kevin Love, and center Tristan Thompson are only 6’10 and 6’9 respectively, they are big bodies that can be a problem down low for smaller players.

Dwane Casey seemed to fear their low-post ability as well as their rebounding.  Thus, he wanted the Lithuanian big man to contain them.

Despite the move, The Cavs out-rebounded the Raps. As a result, the move only seemed to play a part in stagnating the offence. Jonas Valanciunas was indecisive down-low which ultimately led to many forced shots and aggressive traps. The move also did not let Powell get into a rhythm, as he played in spurts often at the end of quarters.

Basketball- A Game of Momentum

There might be a reason why the Raptors were so successful to end the first-round series against the Bucks. After a game 3 loss, adjustments by Dwane Casey and a greater effort by the entire team completely changed the series.

It helped make the Raptors from looking like an over-seeded, weak team to looking like a genuine contender to come out of the East. I believe that the manner in which the Raps were able to quickly neutralize a potent Bucks team demonstrated that the rotation should not be changed.

With three straight wins, two coming on the road, the starting unit with Powell should not have been tampered with. The wins unarguably helped developed a level of camaraderie and cohesiveness that made the Raptors a scary unit.

Basketball is often a game of momentum. It is clear that the Raps with Norm Powell in the starting lineup had momentum.

Don’t Play Cleveland’s Game

I find it odd that many coaches in the NBA make a concerted effort to match-up to teams. I am not saying that you should not try to match-up in any respect. Rather,  you should not try to match-up to an extent that you lose your identity or play to a team’s strengths. The adjustment by Dwane Casey made the Raps do both. They lost their identity as a team who previously played with energy, pace and grit. In turn, they played to Cleveland’s strengths. Cleveland guards seemed to be too quick for the Raps, while the Cavs’ bigs outworked the Raps’ bigs.

The 2015 finals run of the Golden State Warriors demonstrated that playing your own game and embracing your own identity can help deter the Cavs. Although the Cavs went big, the Warriors continued to ride a the small ball “death lineup” heavily. The lineup consisted of Stephen Curry Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Harrison Barnes and Draymond Green. The tallest player in the lineup being Draymond Green, who is little over 6’7.

What Needs to Happen in Game 2

If Dwane Casey accepts the praise of game 4, he must also accept the criticism of a game 1 loss.

I am not trying to hop on this ” get Casey fired” train that frustrated Raps fans seem to be on. Rather,  I just want to see him put out a better rotation and make the in-game adjustments necessary for a championship coach.

In this way, Coach Casey should return to a starting lineup consisting of Norman Powell.

Powell has shown an ability to stay ready for any role, so re-inserting him as a starter will not ruin his rhythm. I do not see him regressing one bit by being re-inserted into the starting lineup from the bench.

Most of this article has criticized Coach Casey. However, the onus cannot only be on Dwane Casey. It is also the job of the players to perform fearlessly. Like game four in the first round, it will take a combination of good coaching and more fight from the boys from the North.

If this occurs, then maybe LeBron can enjoy all the beers he wants….

when he is vacationing a little earlier this year.