The Cleveland Cavaliers’ disastrous start to the new year has brought about a lot of speculation about trades, free agency and more. But what hasn’t been spoken about enough is the challenges that the Cavs will face in reaching a fourth straight NBA Finals.
The Eastern Conference has always been mocked as the weaker half of the NBA but at the top, there are worthy challengers to the Cavs’ throne, even with The King waiting to take it back. The Celtics’ brilliant play despite a gut-wrenching injury to Gordon Hayward has been one of the top stories of the season. However, they’re not the only team hoping to book a trip to Golden State for the NBA Finals.
The Toronto Raptors have largely flown under the radar this season despite another year in which they’ll finish with a top-four record. Sitting at 36-16, they’re only two games back of the Celtics (with a huge game coming up on Tuesday) and 5.5 ahead of the Cavaliers.
What’s more impressive than the Raptors consistency among the Eastern Conference elite is the growth and changes they made to get to this point this year. Despite several great regular seasons, the Raptors have largely been disappointing in the playoffs with only one Conference Finals appearance to show for their success.
But head coach Dwane Casey looked in the mirror after being given the opportunity to continue coaching the team despite an ever-growing hot seat and has made changes that could pay huge dividends in April and May.
The Raptors pass the ball about 20 times more per game than they did last year and rack up 45 potential assists per game, compared to their league-worst 39.3 from last season. Casey has endowed his team with a more selfless attitude that’s led to improved play across the board.
Four Raptors average double-digit points per game and CJ Miles is sitting just below the mark at 9.9 points. Eleven players score at least six points per game while appearing in at least 39 contests while playing 18 minutes a night, a mark of a deep team poised to provide support to its star players once the postseason begins.
Those star players have been the engine behind this transformation with both Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan elevating their teammates and creating a more sustainable environment. DeRozan, especially, has been nothing short of spectacular and his personal growth is perhaps the biggest reason why the Raps are showing more promise as a potential King Maker in the East.
DeRozan’s scoring has taken a dip but his efficiency has increased to a career-high level with a true shooting percentage of 56.8 percent, a mark reached by DeRozan’s sudden propensity of three-point shooting. The last of a dying breed, the shooting guard has finally taken to keeping defenses honest by adding the deep shot to his repertoire, hitting a career-high 34.5 percent from behind the arc. He is on pace to shoot nearly 70 more three-pointers than any other year in his career.
But DeRozan’s excellence goes beyond shooting threes. The shooting guard has shown a better ability to get teammates involved as shown by his career-high assist rate of 24.8 percent. That inclination to pass the ball and get teammates involved is arguably the most crucial part of the new-look Raptors and an important step in DeRozan’s evolution as a number-one option.
DeRozan’s idol, Kobe Bryant, had to learn the same lesson early in his career: in order to win, he had to be able to elevate his teammates and give them the confidence to perform in big moments. That’s why when Bryant’s shot wasn’t falling in game seven of the 2010 Finals, Bryant could look to Ron Artest in the dying seconds to provide a clutch shot that secured his fifth ring.
The Raptors are not at that level yet but the parallels are there. DeRozan and Lowry have struggled in the playoffs nearly every single year that the Raptors have appeared in them as the burden of scoring the ball fell almost solely on their shoulders. Numerous iso possessions given to the two effective but flawed stars made the Raptors predictable and easy to defend.
This year, that’s not the case. The Raptors’ fourth-ranked offense is not a direct result of Lowry and DeRozan’s brilliance. It’s about Jonas Valanciunas as the roll man with enough juice to pick and pop and hit a big three. It’s about C.J. Miles being capable of sparking a big run with his quick release. It’s about Delon Wright and Fred VanVleet running the second team offense to perfection. And it’s about OG Anunoby, Pascal Siakam, Jakob Poeltl, Serge Ibaka and more contributing to make this offense run on all cylinders while buying in to create the NBA’s third-ranked defense.
The Raptors will still have their struggles in the playoffs as every team does. But they’re better equipped this year than in any year before to handle that adversity. DeMar DeRozan leads this team with Kyle Lowry but it’s their selflessness that could lead to the Raptors going the distance.
(All stats accurate as of February 4, 2018)
