Raptors must concoct a new winning formula

Regrouping is about all the Toronto Raptors can do now.

A tough road trip that finished with two wins and three losses is in the rear-view mirror. Kyle Lowry and his surgically repaired wrist remain unavailable and will be presumably for at least another two weeks or so.

If this is all sounding a little too desperate, consider what we have learned: Without Lowry this team is capable of playing winning basketball but the margin for error is just about nil.

The Raptors just went 2-3 on their recent road swing, but the last two games were losses to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday and Miami Heat on Saturday.

Against the Hawks, DeMar DeRozan had 28 points, but Toronto fell 105-99. Saturday’s 104-89 loss to the Miami Heat, meanwhile, was off the rails from the beginning.

For starters, the Heat barely missed a shot in the first quarter. Toronto stayed with them shooting 50 per cent themselves, but there was no let-up in the Heat. There was, however, in Toronto’s game, which fell off in the second quarter and never rallied again until Raptors head coach Dwane Casey found a mix of bench players and lesser-used options that brought some fight back to the game.

Those guys are not the ones who will be counted on to keep Toronto in the top half of the Eastern Conference playoff bracket. It’s up the starting five, starting with DeRozan.

Patrick Patterson cannot attempt just four threes as he did over the three losses on this road trip. He is obviously playing through injury or discomfort, but he has to be a threat from behind the arc.

DeMarre Carroll has to get past his ankle sprain and get back on the floor. His three-point shooting has also gone missing as well with just one three in 12 attempts over four games in March.

“We have to take shots that are there. We’re turning down shots we’ve got to take. Guys are in position, who are shooters, have to take those shots,” Casey said after the loss in Miami. “That gets your assists up.”