Toronto Raptors need to fix the rotations to avoid more problems

The Toronto Raptors fell to a well-coached game plan from Brett Brown and the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. One thing that stood out was the sloppiness of the Raptors rotations.

Game 2 didn’t go exactly as planned for the Toronto Raptors. In fact, you can pin it down as a bemusing loss where a lot of things went wrong. One specific concern that stands out was the rotations, or lack thereof, at some points.

What turned out to be one of the worst games Nick Nurse has coached since he became the Head Coach of the Raptors, also turned out to be one of the better games coached by Sixers boss Brett Brown.

Over the first seven games of the playoffs, we’ve seen a reoccurring trend of one lineup that will vanquish every pretender that stands in its path. The Toronto Raptors starting five has become the most used lineup in the NBA this postseason, clocking in at 147 minutes in seven games.

In those heavy minutes, the Raptors have posted one of the best net ratings in the league, and with the most established sample size, it makes it all the more impressive. So, when you account for the fact that their second-round opponents, the Philadelphia 76ers, have one of the most talented lineups in the league, you’d expect Nick Nurse to be on point with his rotations.

Yet, Game 2 dispelled that theory pretty quickly.

One of the more prominent storylines that appeared before the series started was how would Joel Embiid fare against the Raptors centers. Embiid would be more than likely matched up with Marc Gasol for long stretches, with a sporadic stint against Serge Ibaka thrown into the mix.

Against Gasol, Embiid would likely struggle to be that overpowering center that can outmuscle and outmaneuver his opponent. Gasol already proved in the first round that he can still anchor an elite defense, shutting down Nikola Vucevic for five straight games.

Now, that’s not to say that Vucevic is anywhere near as good as Joel Embiid, because he isn’t. But, in terms of player archetypes, Embiid is as close to a good matchup for Gasol as possible.

However, he is a terrible matchup for the leaner, less rooted Ibaka. In fairness, Serge has held Embiid to 4-of-10 in 50 possessions but has given up 19 points and four fouls in the process.

Despite knowing that Embiid is going to constantly bully Ibaka down low, Nick Nurse has refused to go away from the matchup and it’s hurt the Raptors. Not only do they lose out defensively, but Ibaka isn’t skilled enough to give Embiid too much to worry about on offense.

He isn’t an elite passer like Gasol, and his post game is virtually non-existent. In essence, Embiid ends up getting a free ride for a few minutes a game, and if the Raptors want success, Nurse needs to go away from allowing that to happen.

Nurse needs to avoid playing bench dominant lineups too, we’ve seen the three-man combo of Ibaka, Fred VanVleet and Norman Powell be reduced to ineffective rubble throughout the series. You need to play all three players, we know that much, but to play them together repeatedly is hurting the team and their impact on the court can be improved if each individual is staggered with a star player.

We have seen how good Ibaka can be when paired with Kyle Lowry, or if VanVleet and Powell can play off of the ball for Gasol in the regular season. Whatever the answer is, it’s not having three bench players on the court at once.

Nick Nurse was viewed as a coach willing to experiment when the team needed it most, but if the established lineup isn’t working then something has to give.