RAPS FEEL THEY’RE JUST SCRATCHING THE SURFACE
DeMar DeRozan and other members of the Toronto Raptors are pleased with their 11-5 start to the season and play so far, but that doesn’t mean DeRozan or anybody else believes the club is anywhere close to being where it can potentially get.
“It’s been a grind for us just figuring (it) out, trying to put everything together, get our rhythm,” DeRozan said after practice on Tuesday.
The shooting guard was referring to replacing some key pieces from previous squads with the youngsters and C.J. Miles, as well as significantly changing the way the offence operates, while making defensive tweaks to fit the new personnel as well.
“It hasn’t been the prettiest ... trying to get things going. But we’re figuring it out ... We’re nowhere close to satisfied or happy or feeling like we’re there yet. We’ve got a long way to go.”
But where can the Raptors get to with more time to iron out the kinks?
“I mean, it looks great. We lost some big games that (were) close, that could have went our way easily, one shot, you know? It’s hard to live in the past, but you give us a few of (those) games and we’re right there with every great team in the league,” DeRozan said.
“It’s crazy for us to be sitting in second place right now feeling like we’ve got a long way (to go). We do. And we’re working at it, and we’re not gonna stop till we feel like we’re there.”
EXPECTING MORE
There’s no complimentary way to say it: New York Knicks all-star candidate Kristaps Porzingis was flat out terrible at the Air Canada Centre last week during Toronto’s easy win over New York.
A day before the rematch, Raptors head coach Dwane Casey said he was expecting a closer contest in Gotham.
“They’re a totally different team at Madison Square Garden. I don’t know why,” Casey said.
“They play with much more confidence. (Porzingis) plays with much more confidence there. Their whole team does. They beat the Clippers the other night. They had Cleveland down double-digits the entire game. They beat Charlotte.”
The stats bear it out. The team has averaged 109.5 points per game at home in 11 games, going 8-3. That compares to averaging 94 points a night and going 1-4 on the road. New York’s shooting and defence have been markedly better in front of the home fans.
With those numbers in mind, and figuring the big man will adjust to being shut down in Toronto, Casey said he plans to throw some more wrinkles at Porzingis.
“We’ve got some different things we want to do. Our mindset has to be prepared for a little bit of everything as far as how we cover him,” he said.
OG, NORM, SIAKAM?
OG Anunoby has done a strong job as the starting small forward during Norman Powell’s absence due to injury, but it isn’t clear who will get the role long-term.
Powell is listed as questionable for the Knicks game, but is unlikely to play and could miss one or two more games before returning.
That’s when a decision will need to be made.
“Right now, OG is our starter. Norm is still out. We’ll see how Norm feels (before the game). ... Those things will take care of themselves,” Casey said.
“OG really helps our defence. Not that Norm doesn’t, but there’s just certain natural” small forwards that Anunoby has the size and strength to match up against better than the much smaller Powell.
“Even Pascal (Siakam) now, we use him at the three some, defensively. So, you know, we’ll read those situations. That may be a fluid situation, as we go forward.”
Expect Miles to remain the designated gunner off the bench at that position regardless whether it is Anunoby or Powell starting.
NO BIG DEAL
There was a time when winning player of the week created a huge sense of pride in DeRozan. Now that he’s one of the NBA’s elite scorers, a perennial all-star, and a six-time East player of the week recipient (after Monday’s announcement, following a 4-0 Raptors week where he averaged 26.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and six assists on 57 per cent shooting), it’s not as big a deal.
When reporters started Tuesday’s post-practice scrum by offering congratulations, DeRozan’s honest response was, “on what? ... (after being filled in) Oh, I forgot all about it. I had to see it on Instagram.
“It was a big deal a couple years ago, for sure. But now, naw, as long as you got (wins), that’s all I care about, honestly,” he said.