Following the trend
How the Raptors are looking to to score big by going smaller.
BU R NA BY , B.C. • Following the Toronto Raptors’ early firstround exit from the playoffs last spring, DeMar DeRozan took his annual sabbatical from basketball. In the Raptors’ dark years — well, their most recent dark years — DeRozan said he would have trouble watching the post-season. The jealousy was too strong. Last year, he did not watch the first and second rounds.
However, he tuned in again for the two final rounds. He saw what everybody else saw: The Golden State Warriors, despite unending stylistic concerns from traditional thinkers, win the title, prioritizing shooting, passing and defensive versatility over rebounding and protecting the paint.
“It definitely changed the game,” DeRozan said. “You look back at all the championship teams that won over the past however long, they’d always be conventional: two bigs, wings and a point guard. To go out there and win small — you’ve got Draymond Green out there handling the ball, initiating the offence, playing the five — it was definitely amazing.”
DeRozan’s analysis undersells the Miami Heat’s unorthodox style during LeBron James’ four years there. The Heat often used just one traditional big man, with swingmen like Mike Miller and Shane Battier playing the nominal power forward position. Of course, having James allows for some flexibility, as you can slide him to any number of spots on both ends of the floor. The Warriors took it to a new extreme.
Earlier this summer, Raptors coach Dwane Casey spoke of going smaller. Last year, the Raptors were either unprepared or unable to handle Washington’s smaller lineups with Otto Porter and Paul Pierce at power forward, with James Johnson, the best candidate to slide into that role, saying he did not know the team’s offence at power forward. Now, Johnson and DeMarre Carroll, who will be the team’s starting small forward, could log many minutes at power forward. Those would not be as radical as Golden State’s lineups, as it is tough to imagine the Raptors playing without at least one traditional big man. Casey spoke of not wanting to bury Jonas Valanciunas in pursuit of a smaller lineup.
“I have read where coaches have said and even I have probably said the league is going that way,” Casey said. “But I will also say that as long as that basket is still 10 feet (off the ground), you’ve got to have size. And what we have to do now is work with our (big men) to guard smaller guys and quicker guys. That’s the change in the league you are going to see. … You saw it in the championship with Cleveland and Golden State. Can you do that all the time? No, but if the game goes that way I think we are better prepared to handle that.”
Casey said he wants to work on the team’s smaller lineups during training camp, which would be prudent, and not only because of the trend. The Raptors could very well be a poor rebounding team. Patrick Patterson, the likely starting power forward, has never been a very good rebounder. The Raptors are maybe better suited than most teams to get help from their perimeter players on the glass. On many nights, though, Valanciunas might have to carry the burden.
And if you cannot be a good rebounding team with a traditional lineup, then it might be better to see if another style fits the Raptors better.