The Toronto Raptors have emerged as a legitimate contender this season keeping pace with the Eastern Conference leading Cleveland Cavaliers. They have been the clear second best team (and often looked like the best) in the East due to a variety of factors. Kyle Lowry has played like an MVP candidate after an offseason that saw him make a transformation to #SkinnyKyleLowry. DeMar DeRozan has continued to add to his game and is a go-to option when the team needs a scorer. The team has added more shooting with Luis Scola suddenly an emerging stretch-four option and Patrick Patterson continuing to fill that same role. There is also added depth with the addition of DeMarre Carroll (despite limited playing time with injury) and the emergence of young players like Cory Joseph and Norman Powell.
The unsung hero of this tremendous season that has seen the Raptors surpass their previous single-season wins record, however, has been Bismack Biyombo. A late free agent signing who was seen as nothing more that roster filler, Biyombo has excelled and given Toronto some much needed depth in their frontcourt.
Biyombo’s numbers have not improved by much since his last year in Charlotte. But his on-court performance is noticeably better. His offensive game looks more skilled and fluid and he is no longer a liability on that end. Biyombo was notoriously known for his “stone hands” with his catching and finishing ability as the screener in pick and roll scenarios left defenders willing to double-team ball-handlers off of him. That is no longer the case, with the big-man having improved by leaps and bounds so that he is now a threat in pick and rolls.
This newfound offensive ability has been especially prevalent in the unofficial second half of the season. Biyombo’s season averages of 5.5 points per game on 55% shooting (in 22.4 minutes) have improved since the all-star break to 5.8 points on 61.4% shooting (in 22.2 minutes). While the volumetric output of his impact has stayed mostly the same, the efficiency with which Biyombo has worked has had a tremendous improvement and impact. Part of that, of course, is due to a changed role with starting center Jonas Valanciunas having been injured for much of that time. That has led to Bismack playing more often with the starters, opening up space inside for the center to operate down low.
Despite his noticeable improvements on offense, Biyombo’s real impact comes on the defensive end. The center has been an elite rim protector for a long time and has now been able to show it on a nationally recognized team. This is already evident in his raw blocking numbers as his 1.7 blocks per game rank in the top ten in the league in much fewer minutes than anyone else in that company. In fact, when considering his blocking percentage, Biyombo’s 6.1% ranks third in the league among players who have played at least 800 minutes.
Biyombo’s rim protection goes farther than his isolated block numbers, however. The center has consistently held opponents to shooting percentages far lower than their season-long numbers. Within six feet of the rim, Biyombo holds opponents to a shooting percentage of 50.4%, 9.5 percentage points fewer than their season average. Extending out to ten feet, those numbers turn to 45.9 and 8.6, showing the range with which Biyombo plays defense. Biyombo’s help defense and pick and roll defense have been massive in the Raptors fielding an above average defense. That is also affected by Biyombo’s fantastic rebounding as the center grabs thirteen boards per 36 minutes and his 20.7% rebounding rate is the fifth best in the entire league.
With the playoffs fast approaching, the Raptors are fortunate to have gained the newfound success of Biyombo. He has become the perfect foil to Valanciunas, providing what the Lithuanian big man cannot on the defensive end. But he has finally become playable in long stretches due to massive offensive improvements rendering the fifth-year veteran a threat on that side of the court.
Head coach Dwayne Casey now has two forces available to man the five spot for his Raptors in the playoffs. Jonas Valanciunas provides a legitimate offensive force who is capable of 20 points and 10 rebounds on any given night. Meanwhile, Bismack Biyombo provides elite rim protection as well as rebounding while continuing to make positive impacts on the offensive end.
Casey will likely pick and choose which player to start during certain playoff matchups. Straying away from Valanciunas to insert Biyombo may have been an insane proposition before the season started. But now nearing the end of the regular season, it is safe to say Bismack Biyombo has earned it.
