3 reasons the Toronto Raptors’ 2022-23 season isn’t finished

1  Nick Nurse isn’t done tinkering.

An enormous part of the Raptors’ identity when things are going well is their stifling defense. They top the NBA with 9.4 steals per game and deflections at 17.8 per game. However, the Raptors are always aggressive on the perimeter, putting extra pressure on the opposing ball handler.

In the event the Raptors face a well-poised or prepared opponent, the excessive pressure results in open-corner threes given up. For example, last week’s loss to the Warriors was highlighted by Golden State shooting the 3-ball at 57% for most of the game.

This combination of giving up daggers and quick hitter points does tend to nullify the team’s herculean defensive efforts. Nurse, known for his tactical acumen, needs to mix it up more, varying the styles of defense to confound the opponent.

Nick Nurse will impact the scheme for the Toronto Raptors.

One major example of a recent Nurse success story is Malachi Flynn, who has become a vital piece of this team’s puzzle on the offensive end. What other surprises could Nurse have in store later in the season?

Due to injuries, Nurse has had to learn some things about his bench. With the team getting healthier, he needs to get back to being an innovative chaos scheme deviser who out-coaches his opposing counterpart nightly.

It would give the Raptors an edge in the battle to attain consistency and book their place among the Eastern Conference contenders.