Reality check
As good as the Raptors bench has been, come playoff time, it’s the starters that must perform
The NBA is such a grind that every game presents its own unique set of challenges and circumstances, the margin for error so thin that any one or two possessions can alter that night’s outcome.
The Raptors, who play host to Miami Tuesday before flying off to Chicago for a Wednesday evening date with the Bulls, have been riding the strength of their bench, a unit that has been rolling of late.
As good as the second unit has been, teams are only as good as their starters.
Come playoff time, rotations are tightened, teams lock in even more and more is expected from the marquee names and not from the relatively no-names asked to come off the bench.
Come playoff time, benches are asked to maintain momentum during moments when a starter needs a breather, help create momentum when starters falter or simply make a play or two at either end.
Eventually, the Raptors will be in that situation when an eight, nine-man rotation gets established as the stakes increase.
For now, it has been a luxury as the Raptors’ bench steps up in a way that keeps the starting group on the bench in the fourth quarter.
Whether it’s playing time, familiarity, improved confidence, there’s nothing, or very little, that has gone wrong for Toronto’s second unit.
More active, led by Pascal Siakam, more willing to share the basketball, unafraid to heave shots from distance, the second unit has been torching its counterparts.
“It’s obviously playing time,’’ said C.J. Miles, the old pro of the bench brigade whose three-point shooting has picked up.
As Miles so succinctly pointed out Monday, no one is talking about the future and whether minutes will be limited for the second stringers.
“That’s above my pay grade,’’ he added. “When they call my name, I just go to the table. I think that’s (to cut minutes) hard for what we’ve got going on.
“That’s been one of the best things of our season. We’ve had guys, a whole group, who have been able to come in and change games. That’s a tough decision they’ve got to make over there (management and coaching staff ) in that office.”
Playoff basketball is about matchups.
Teams such as the Heat or Washington Wizards pose problems because of their length, athleticism and physical style.
It’s why a player such as DeMar DeRozan has struggled.
It will be interesting to follow how the bench gets used down the road when the pressure picks up, how deep the Raptors are willing to go down their bench and what unit is asked to close out quarters and games.
Right now, the Raptors are rolling, having won five in a row in rather convincing style, each win produced with the team’s starters sitting in the final period.
The bench has routinely posted 50-point games.
When the inevitable close game plays out, it’ll be worth monitoring how the Raptors react, what kind of rotation they decide to use.
In many ways, it’s easy to come off the bench in a blowout game, stress-free and be able to shoot when solid ball movement leads to open looks.
One of the trademarks of this Raptors unit is that it’s a team made up of what is essentially two teams, the starters and backups.
Miles spreads the floor and his floor-spacing opens up driving lanes. He’s a pro who has been to the playoffs and served as a difference maker in clutch moments when a big shot is required.
His first year in Toronto has been a mixed bag as Miles dealt with physical setbacks and the adjustment that accompanies fatherhood.
“It’s getting there,’’ said Miles of his comfort level as a Raptor. “The biggest thing is continuing to build each day, trying to find some type of continuity routine wise, playing wise and minutes in the game, getting to a good enough game shape where you can perform every night to the level you want to perform.
“I’m still working at it, still doing everything I can to build and be ready for the big picture at the end of season and into the playoffs. But right now, I feel good.”
As a team, the Raptors have been better than good.
The break arrives following the Bulls matchup, a mini-hiatus that sees the Raptors next play on Feb. 23 against visiting Milwaukee.