Raptors seek more balance without Lowry
Three days in Florida have done the Toronto Raptors some good.
That was the feeling upon departure from Miami. The proof will be in the result on Wednesday in New Orleans against the Pelicans. The Raptors never really got the great weather they were hoping for in Miami, where it went from cloudy to blustery and back to cloudy and windy with the odd sunshine break. But they did get in two practices, both of good length and both of the productive variety.
“Came at a great time — we definitely needed it to tighten up a bunch of things defensively and offensively, try to get the camaraderie going, especially with the new guys, and understand we have to be consistent these last 19 games,” Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan said before the team flew to New Orleans.
It’s probably a good sign that DeRozan comes out of Miami so positive given he is likely the one who can benefit most from two days on South Beach.
Despite putting together four wins in six games without Kyle Lowry in the lineup, it looked likely that teams would overload the D and take DeRozan, Toronto’s leading scorer, off his game with no other source of offence around to scare them away.
Without Lowry to account for, opponents — the Milwaukee Bucks provided the template on Saturday — can devote all kinds of manpower to containing Toronto’s only real threat.
“Without Kyle, teams really focus in on me,” DeRozan said. “Before, the (first) 60 games, guys had to worry about both of us, game plan for both of us. Now they probably game plan on me and I have to figure out the rest and make it easy for the other guys.”