Raptors are looking for a rebound
Back-to-back losses are a wake-up call, Frank Zicarelli says.
After winning 12 of 13 games, the sky appeared to be the limit for the Toronto Raptors. Having now lost two straight, it would seem the sky is falling.
Somewhere in between lies the truth about how good this team really is. Certainly it’s a team that needs to maintain a certain level of attention and intensity from the opening tip to the final whistle, and it’s up to superstars Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan to set the example.
The bench has shown it can maintain a lead or even restore a lead when the starters falter, but an added piece, ideally an extra shooter who can create instant offence, would be welcome.
Delon Wright is coming of age and the return of C.J. Miles gives the Raptors a gunslinger who will light up opponents when he’s in rhythm, much like he did Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder when the veteran led the Raptors in scoring with 20 points in just over 22 minutes.
Toronto lost that game 124107, which came on the heels of a 98-93 defeat to the Dallas Mavericks the night before.
Against the Mavs, the Raptors were too soft in the early going, and while they put together a fourth-quarter spurt, it was a classic case of too little, too late.
Still, had Serge Ibaka not missed an open shot for three, the outcome might have been different.
DeRozan, who earlier in the day was named the Eastern Conference player of the week, had only eight points on threeof-16 shooting against the Mavs, with Lowry’s 23 points leading the way.
“I didn’t recognize our team in Dallas,’’ Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said after the game.
He saw glimpses of the Raptors’ magic in Oklahoma City, but it wasn’t enough to beat a Thunder team riding high on what is now a six-game winning streak.
The Thunder’s combination of Paul George, with 33 points, and Russell Westbrook, with 30, was as dominant as expected. Toronto’s big three of Lowry, DeRozan and Ibaka could manage only 35 points among them. Another area of concern was the minus 28 next to Raptors centre Jonas Valanciunas.
OKC outscored the Raptors by 17 in second-chance points, hauled in 15 offensive rebounds and out-rebounded the visitors by a 52-34 margin.
Casey doesn’t buy into the theory the Raptors let their guard down after taking in the chatter about them being an elite team.
“To get to that next level, you have to approach it in a way like, I’m punching in to go to work,’’ Casey said. “Every day, no matter who you’re playing, how you feel, how you played the last game, who you’re playing next, it doesn’t matter.
“The (required) approach each night, each possession, is in a very robotic, workmanlike way.”
The Raptors have shown they have the ability to be a solid team, but like Casey says, they need to stay focused, be efficient, and exhibit the never-say-die attitude.
“When you play like crap, the outcome of the game is not going to be good,’’ DeRozan said after the OKC loss.
The Raptors will have an opportunity to right the wrong when they host the Atlanta Hawks today and the Milwaukee Bucks on New Year’s Day.