5 Things the Raptors Need to Make the Playoffs

I don't mean to shock you here, but the Toronto Raptors are only 5 games out of a playoff position. After their disastrous 4-19 start, the Raptors have gone 18-13 since and are a remarkable 6-2 since acquiring Rudy Gay. Of those last 6 wins, 4 have even come against teams currently in position to make the playoffs. So are the Raptors actually a good team? Probably not. But they're damn close!

With that in mind, and entering the true second half of the season, here are 5 things the Raps need to do to make the playoffs.

1. Maintain Defensive Consistency

This has secretly been the Raptors Achilles' heel all season. Currently, the Raps are in the top-10 in offensive efficiency, and they've been right around there all year. Defensively, it's another story. Toronto is not only 8th worst in defensive efficiency, they also allow opponents to shoot a ridiculously high 46.3% from the floor. Coach Dwane Casey is known for his defensive acumen, and he actually had the Raps defending at a relatively high level last season. But he just hasn't been able to get consistency out of his squad this year. Toronto has allowed fewer than 100 points in 7 of their last 9 games, so there's reason for some optimism here, but that trend has to continue if the Raps are going to make a playoff push.

2. Rudy Gay Needs To Get To The Rim

I'm not bashing Rudy here by any means. The Raptors are significantly better with him, so don't take this the wrong way. But seriously, the guy needs to stop settling for so many jump shots. According to Basketball Reference, Rudy hits around 57% of his shots within 3 feet of the rim, and the percentages take a dramatic dive as he gets farther away. No, he's not a get-to-the-rim-first type of player, but if he committed to it even a little bit more, his overall game would be way better. He loves that 12-15 foot pull-up jumper. What would make that shot more effective is the threat of him taking it all the way to the hoop. If defenders were a bit more worried of him going right to the bucket, he'd get way more space on those pull-ups and would become a more efficient scorer. It's a tried and true strategy: you've got to drive hard to open up the jumper. He's skilled enough to beat a lot of guys to the basket, so here's hoping we see a little more of that going forward.

Canadian Press

Why the Raptors Need to Acquire Rudy Gay

As I was watching the Raptors on Monday night, I knew they were going to lose. The Warriors were up just 2 points heading into the 4th quarter, but the game was already over. This Raptors team is clueless in crunch time, routinely throwing games away late, so I already knew how the story would play out. Needless to say, Golden State outscored Toronto 30-20 in the final frame. The Raptors lost.

Getty Images

Over the last 5 games, Toronto been outscored in the 4th quarter by an average of 7.6 points. This isn't a new trend either. The Raps have lost a ton of tight games this season, and it always seems to be the result of a collapse in the final few minutes. Toronto simply doesn't have the personnel to win games late. DeMar DeRozan, for all the improvements he's made this season, is not the type of player to put a team on his back and lead them to a win. Jose Calderon always looks to dish in late-game situations rather than shoot himself. Kyle Lowry just hasn't found his role yet. For the Raps to really develop into a playoff threat, they need to make a splash. That splash should be Rudy Gay.

The Rudy-Gay-to-Toronto trade rumors have been flying around for about a month now, but seem to be heating up as of late. The current iteration of the deal has Toronto shipping Jose Calderon and Ed Davis for Rudy Gay and (depending on which report you listen to) Darrell Arthur. There are some pros and cons to this proposed deal—to be sure—but Toronto has to pull the trigger.

"Let's Hope the Kids Can Play": The Raptors at the Halfway Point

As a sports fan, is there any worse position for your team to be in than no man's land? When your favorite team isn't a true contender, but isn't in rebuild mode either, it's tough to really get behind them. Are we playing for a not-too-distant future in which we make the playoffs? Or are we closer to the Washington Wizards?

Unfortunately, no man's land describes the Raptors all too well. At the halfway point of the season, Toronto is in 11th place in the Eastern Conference, 5 1/2 games out of the playoffs and 5 games out of last place. If you had to make a life or death decision, and predict the Raps to either make the playoffs or finish as the worst team in the conference, which would you pick? It's tough, right? That's not good.

Since we're at the halfway point, let's take a close look at the team. We'll start with some current storylines, move to some best-case scenarios going forward, and wrap up with a general prediction for the rest of the season. Full disclosure: it's not looking great, Raptors fans.

Associated Press

Where We're At:

It's been a weird year for the Raptors: they started off poorly, strung some wins together, and then lost a bunch more. Here are the three biggest storylines currently afoot.

Breaking Up With Andrea Bargnani

We were both so young when we first met

Andrea, it’s just not working anymore. No, no... let me finish. We had a good run, but I think it’s time to move on. 

Sure, there were good times. In 2006, when you came into the league as the 1st overall pick, I couldn’t wait to see you night after night. Things even got serious a couple times: remember your first few years in the league? When we made the playoffs two straight seasons? I thought I’d never get over Vince, but you helped with that. 

Or remember last season? When you started off at an All-Star level? That was fun too. But you just couldn't keep it up Andrea. So let’s be honest with each other here: it’s been unravelling for a while now. I know it’s hard to hear, but deep down I think you knew this was coming.

Raptors Reaction: Dec 5 @ Sacramento Kings

I honestly feel like the Raptors are a better team than the Kings, but it sure didn't show last night. DeMarcus Cousins was his usual beastly self (even as his confidence is shot), and the Raptors just couldn't keep pace. Boy, I'm starting to think it could be a long season.

The Good:

• Kyle Lowry had a fantastic game, leading the team with 34 points. He added 11 assists and got to the line a ton (12-for-12), but ultimately it wasn't enough. I like Lowry a lot, but every now and then he takes a terrible three-pointer. Once he knocks that off, I'm getting a Lowry jersey (until then, I'll stick with the player tee).
• DeMar DeRozan's jump shot is the best it's ever been, and is constantly improving. I hated on the contract extension he was given earlier in the year, but man has he looked good this season. The one negative from his game last night was his inability to get to the line. He attempted only 2 free throws all night... and missed both.
• Ed Davis keeps giving the Raptors great minutes off the bench. He netted 13 points, added 11 rebounds and definitely outplayed the starting power forward (more on that later).
• Mickael Pietrus has somehow been a nice addition. I thought he was washed-up, but he's been pretty impressive. Apparently his name is floating around in trade rumors, but currently he's one of the best Raptors on the floor on any given night.

Raptors Reaction: Nov 28 @ Memphis Grizzlies

Another ugly game for the Raptors. Andrea Bargnani was out of the line-up, which intruiged me since his name is in the middle of all sorts of trade rumors. I viewed this as a chance to see what the Raptors offense would look like if Bargs gets shipped out of town. My optimism quickly eroded, though, as it was announced Linas Kleiza would be in the starting lineup. Essesntially, the Raptors replaced one offensive black-hole (Bargnani) with another (Kleiza). I hate Linas Kleiza, and last night was a shining example of why. But I'll touch on that a little more in the good and the bad from last night (last night was heavy on the bad).

Raptors Reaction: Nov. 27 @ Houston Rockets

This one got ugly early, and the Raptors were never really a threat to win. After a string of close losses, the Raps just never showed up in this one, proving that being blown out is always worse than losing a tight game late. Here's some reaction from the game:

The Good:

• Terrence Ross easily played his best game as a pro, logging 36 minutes while scoring 19 points, and shooting over 50% from the field. James Harden blew by him a couple times, but Ross held his own overall on the defensive end as well. Hopefully this will translate into more minutes for the rookie. Oh and he did this. And this... and this.
• Kyle Lowry has got to be one of the best rebounding point guards in the league. He struggled to score in this game, and forced things a little bit offensively, but he grabbed 8 boards in the game (note: this is good for Lowry personally, but the fact that the starting point guard led the team in rebounds is terrible).
• Ed Davis had another good game off the bench, scoring 12 points and nabbing 4 rebounds in only 21 minutes. He struggles on the defensive end, but usually provides a scoring threat off the bench. I'll take the good with the bad on this one, as I still think the Raptors bench stinks overall.
• Andrea Bargnani's first half was nice, as he scored 19 points.

Raptors Reaction: Nov 6 @ Oklahoma City Thunder

Some thoughts after the Raptors' embarrassing 108-88 loss to the Thunder:

• First, this was a horrible loss. Sure, the Raptors were going against one of the best teams in the league, but they just got out-classed the entire game. It's not even like Russell Westbrook or Kevin Durant had huge games. No, it was Serge Ibaka, Thabo Sefolosha and Hasheem Thabeet that combined to take the Thunder to a win...
• Of course, the biggest story from this game was the injury to Kyle Lowry. He rolled his ankle in the second quarter, has been ruled out for tonight's game in Dallas. This is huge for the Raps. If Lowry ends up missing a big chunk of time, Toronto loses any hope of reaching the playoffs.

Nets vs. Raptors Reaction: It's Lowry's Team

Early reaction following Toronto's 107-100 loss to the Brooklyn Nets:

After last night, the Raptors should
be Lowry's team
(Courtesy: Associated Press)

• My big question after the Raptors' season opener was who would take the ball in his hands at the end of games. Who was going to be the guy? After last night, it's got to be Kyle Lowry. He took a couple ill-advised deep jumpers, and turned the ball over a couple times in the Raptors' awful second quarter, but the numbers speak for themselves: 28 points, 8 boards, 8 assists, all while shooting just under 50% from the floor. It's your team now, Kyle.
• Just a couple days after I (and pretty much everyone else) crushed DeMar DeRozan's new contract, he came up big for the Raps, netting 25 points. In classic DeRozan fashion, he didn't do much else to fill the stat sheet, nabbing only 3 rebounds, to go with 1 assist and 1 steal. He got the the foul line 10-times which is a great sign going forward.
• I can not for the life of me understand the Raptors coaching staff's interest in Aaron Gray. He played 19 minutes last night, and scored 3 points while grabbing 4 boards. I think he was out there to try to defend Brook Lopez, but Gray got abused on D too (Lopez finished with 27 points). Just not a great game for Gray.
• What makes Gray's night worse, is that Jonas Valanciunas only played 12 minutes... don't get that one.

The DeMar DeRozan Contract: A(nother) Colangelo Mistake

Just over a week ago, I finished an article noting that I was pretty sure Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo "will do a couple more things to convince me he's an idiot". Well, only one day into the season, he did just that. That has to be some kind of record.

     

The move in question here is the re-signing of DeMar DeRozan (a 4-year, $38 million contract) on Wednesday night. Before we get too deep into this, I want to make it clear that I do not in fact dislike DeRozan. Everything you hear about him suggests that he is a great guy, and he plays a passable shooting-guard. No, this is all about how Colangelo handcuffed the entire franchise for the immediate future in one ill-timed move.

Nov 1 Quick Hits: Raptors Reaction

Instant reaction following the Raptors’ 90-88 loss to the Indiana Pacers:

Kyle Lowry looked great in his Raptors debut

• Taking a playoff-calibre team like the Pacers to the wire is an encouraging start for the Raps. But keep in mind Indiana was playing without their best scorer in Danny Granger. The game was still a nice showing, but it also suggests the Raptors won’t be able to compete with top talent in the NBA yet
• Kyle Lowry exceeded expectations. He looked fantastic all night, other than when he was blown by for the game-winning basket. No need to face-guard that far out, Kyle
• Rookie Jonas Valanciunas also had a good Raptors debut. His time was limited due to foul trouble, but he still managed 12 points and 10 rebounds. That’s a promising start
• The best thing about the Lowry acquisition is that Calderon is now the backup point guard. As a starter, Calderon was too slow to match up with top-tier point guards. Running the second unit (and being one of their main scoring options) seems like a perfect fit for Jose
• I thought Andrea Bargnani had improved his aggressiveness and rebounding last year. One game into this season, and it looks like he’s reverted back to his old ways. He was awful on the boards, and settled for too many jumpers
• The main thing I took away from the game was the Raptors’ need of a closer. They fell apart down the stretch, and completely blew a late 4^th quarter lead—all because they don’t have a guy who can put the team on his shoulders, and get some late buckets. Bargnani isn’t a closer (his attempted game-tying shot was horrible), and the Raptors need to find “the guy” quickly

Why I Will Be A Raptors Fan (at least for this season)

As a kid, I was a big-time Toronto Raptors fan. I suffered through the Vince Carter departure. I suffered through the Rob Babcock era. I briefly celebrated as Bryan Colangelo came in and instantly turned the team around. And I watched them fall apart after just one-and-a-half successful, Colangelo-fuelled seasons. But, for the last couple seasons, I have hated the Raps.

Back in the glory days, I was all-in on the Raps. I swear, there were a couple years where Vince Carter hit 90% of the game-winning shot attempts he took (note: this is definitely not a real stat). But it wasn’t just Vince that got me hooked, it was the whole team. They had a core of players that fans could easily get behind.

Alvin Williams, and the rest of the Raptors' role
players, helped make the Vince Carter era so great

All of Toronto loved JYD. He may not have ever averaged more than 10 points per game during his time in T.O., but damnit, we loved watching Jerome Williams hustle around the court. Antonio Davis? I know at least one of my buddies had his replica jersey. Alvin Williams was an awesome guy to have running the point for this team, and when he couldn’t play, Chris Childs stepped right in. As a kid, I just loved this group. The Raps’ role players had almost as much to do with my fan-ness as Vince did.