Raptors: Five takeaways, including time to start C.J.?

JV and four guards

One iteration of the three-point guard lineup is the one Coach Casey played against the Miami Heat during crunch time. The lineup featured three-point guards, DeMar DeRozan, and Jonas Valanciunas.

The lineup did not fare particularly well. The Raptors had a large lead late in the game, only to almost squander it late.

The largest problems this unit has is on the defensive end. The lineup is too simply too small. DeRozan is not a particularly good defender and when forced to bang with the bullies down-low  he is even less effective.

Another problem defensively, is that with Jonas Valanciunas on the court, the lineup is not able to switch across multiple positions. Being able to switch across positions is key for any team playing small. If a team is not able to switch positions help must occur at the rim. With Valanciunas and DeRozan in the front-court the rim protection is not great.

Trying different lineups is important. Coach Casey is smart to experiment, although this one appears to be short-lived.