It was a dogfight, but the Toronto Raptors managed to escape with a victory against the lowly Chicago Bulls. What did we learn? Here are my three takeaways.
The Toronto Raptors were playing shorthanded once again on Sunday evening, missing both Kyle Lowry and Jonas Valanciunas. Even without Lowry and JV, Toronto is talented enough that any contest with the Chicago Bulls should have been decided before the game started.
Nobody told the Bulls. They slowed the pace, completely halted the Toronto offense, and had the lead well into the third quarter. However, over the long run, the Raptors talent proved to be too much, and Toronto won relatively easily.
They didn’t play their best basketball, but they played good enough to win. What did we learn from an UGLY win against Bulls? Here are my three takeaways:
1. Raptors lack playmaking
Last season, Toronto scrapped their iso-heavy playbook for a more egalitarian offense predicated on ball and player movement. This year, they’ve reverted back to their old ways.
Toronto’s overall passes are down, their AST% is down, and their isolations are up. Other than Kyle Lowry, no one is an incredible playmaker.
With Lowry in the lineup, Toronto can piece together enough passing in the second unit to get by. When he’s injured, the offense looks completely lost.
Everyone is aware of the Raptors shooting and rebounding issues, but this is the concern no-one seems to be talking about.
2. Boylen better than expected
I’m not a fan of Jim Boylen’s coaching style. I don’t believe that type of hard-(we’ll say nose) coaching sits well with players who are professionals, and more specifically, professionals that make much more money than you do.
However, give credit where credit is due. Chicago has won 5 of their last 13, which might not sound like much but is a vast improvement on their early season record.
Yes, they’ve got Lauri Markkanen back and that helps, but watching them play, it’s very clear they play hard every possession. At some level, Boylen deserves credit for that transformation. Jabari Parker wasn’t a fan and is now gone as a result. I think that might say more about Parker than Boylen at this point.
We’ll see if this can last, but for now, give Boylen his due.
3. Boucher> Monroe
We’ve gotten to the point where it is time to play Chris Boucher over Greg Monroe. Boucher spaces the floor, is more active, and most importantly, hasn’t reached his ceiling as an NBA player. Neither player is able to handle playoff minutes as it currently stands. If Toronto is without JV or Ibaka for a stretch in the playoffs, they’re better off just playing Siakam at center.
Monroe is better offensively, but Boucher’s ability to stretch the floor opens up the rest of the offense for everyone else. Defensively, Boucher is still not good. It’s easy to mistake active for good. But he is certainly better than Monroe who is hard to watch at this point.
Monroe is slightly better than Boucher as it currently stands. However, with the difference between the two this small, you might as well let Boucher grow and develop as a player.
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