Raptors win
Toronto starts year off right, with a win against visiting Charlotte, thanks to efforts from Bismack Biyombo.
• It is happening subtly, but it is definitely happening: Bismack Biyombo is becoming a bit of a cult favourite with the crowd at the Air Canada Centre. Unmistakably, there was a buzz on Wednesday when he checked into the game, his first coming off of the bench since Nov. 20, when Jonas Valanciunas broke a bone in his hand. In the interim, the fans became attached to the eminently likeable Biyombo.
It totally made sense, too. Biyombo’s aggressiveness on the glass — of players that have played more than him this year, only Andre Drummond and DeAndre Jordan grab more rebounds per minute — and his shotblocking at the rim stand defiantly in contrast to the Raptors’ interior issues of the recent past. He has even started channeling Dikembe Mutombo, wagging his finger to celebrate a swat.
“Listen: He’s an easy guy to cheer for,” said Charlotte Hornets coach Steve Clifford, Biyombo’s long- time coach during the centre’s first NBA stop. “He’s a worker. He’s got great character. He cares about his teammates. He has a way to play that’s both effective for him and helps your team win.”
The fans were still at in on Friday, when the Raptors beat the Hornets 104- 94: public address announcer Herbie Kuhn introduced Biyombo with some extra oomph, and the crowd responded in kind. And you can sense that there are the beginnings of a controversy creeping in: The Raptors were more or less fine while Valanciunas was out of the lineup, so perhaps Biyombo should keep the starting spot, and l et the Lithuanian try to prop up the second unit.
Let’s debunk that quickly. Valanciunas caught a series of bounce passes in the first quarter that led to either free throws or layups that his teammates would not have even thrown had Biyombo been in his place. As good as Biyombo has been at protecting the rim and earning the Raptors extra possessions, his presence severely limits Toronto guards options when they try to penetrate the paint or engage in the pick- and- roll. The Raptors score 98.7 points per 100 possessions when Biyombo is on the floor. No other regular rotation player is below 102.3. His defensive contributions have not quite made up for that.
And that is OK. Biyombo was brought to Toronto to do exactly what he is doing — play 15 to 20 minutes of high- energy basketball with an emphasis on defence. When Valanciunas got injured, he stepped in adequately, although his flaws were still apparent.
“He had an opportunity to get his confidence,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said of Biyombo’s play while Valanciunas was out of the lineup. “I think the game is slowing down for him a little bit now. He’s catching the ball better. He’s finishing better in traffic. I think that just comes from opportunity. He understands he is an elite defender. The league is now understanding that.
“I think he understands now too who he is and what he is. He’s a rebounder and a defender. He doesn’t have to worry about scoring. He’s an opportunity scorer. We are excited to have him on our team.”
Friday night was a mixed one for Biyombo, who scored six points and pulled down 11 rebounds, but he still had his moments. He drew a looseball foul on ex- Raptor Tyler Hansbrough in the fourth quarter, and then the two exchanged words — an inevitability. Biyombo then clapped to himself, revving up the crowd in the process. The matchup between those two relentless agitators was positively balletic, with Biyombo getting the unanimous decision.
He stayed in to finish the game, too. That should not necessarily happen on a nightly basis, but is a fine solution as Valanciunas (10 points, 13 rebounds) searches for his rhythm.
Biyombo punctuated the game with a two-handed stuff of Charlotte guard Kemba Walker, and finished with four blocked shots. In Biyombo, Masai Ujiri signed a useful role player. It does not have to be more complicated than that.