Life after Ibaka gets out of hand
Raptors should consider Plan B with Baynes and Len shaky,
The Raptors do not need, nor should they expect, all- star level play from the second- choice centres they added to the roster this season.
It would be blatantly unfair to think Aron Baynes or Alex Len, serviceable big men in many regards, could match the production of — or handle the responsibility shouldered by — the departed Serge Ibaka and Marc Gasol.
But what the Raptors need is a level of consistent, average play that they have to yet to receive from the summer acquisitions.
It is among the handful of troubles that have led to one of the worst season starts in franchise history, and one that needs addressing sooner rather than later.
Baynes, the anointed starter, has been average and far below in the first seven games of the season. They don’t need him to be great, but good is imperative.
“Aron’s had a couple of tough ones here after having a couple of real good ones at the beginning,” coach Nick Nurse said after Toronto’s sixth loss to start the season, 123- 115 in Phoenix on Wednesday night. “( We’ve) got to get him back playing to at least a sustainable level — just an average, or maybe slightly above- average level.
“He seems to ( have) a real good game or a real not- so- good game. We just kind of need a little bit in the middle, but we’ll probably keep looking at that.”
Nurse did make one move to at least address the centre issue in the moment, changing the starting lineup in Sacramento on Friday night. Norm Powell started for Kyle Lowry, who missed the game for personal reasons, while Len was in for Baynes.
How the starting group looks when Lowry comes back remains unclear. There is an expectation he will play Sunday at Golden State.
There were certainly other issues at play, such as the so- so performances so far from Powell and OG Anunoby, an average start to the season from Pascal Siakam and the fact none of the backup wings have provided the consistency needed.
But the issue in the middle is entirely of Toronto’s own doing.
Raptors president Masai Ujiri and general manager Bobby Webster made a conscious decision to move on from veterans Ibaka and Gasol in the summer. They would not fully guarantee a second year in contract talks with Ibaka, who ended up taking less money per season on a two- year deal with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Raptors went to about $ 14 million on a one- year pact, but Ibaka ended up taking $ 18 million over two years — the second at his option — rather than return.
Gasol moved to the Los Angeles Lakers primarily to chase a ring in a role he felt more comfortable with, rather than take one more year in Toronto.
In hindsight, perhaps the Raptors could have more forcefully chased the two veterans, but that didn’t happen and now they have to deal with the reality they created by signing Baynes, with his fifth NBA team, and Len, a former lottery pick who has never been a regular on a good team.
And if neither of them can provide even the average play the Raptors need consistently, the logical move would be for Nurse to eschew a traditional centre and go with a small lineup that uses Siakam and Chris Boucher in the middle.
Toronto did finish Wednesday’s loss in Phoenix with a flurry and a small lineup of Lowry, Fred VanVleet, Powell, Anunoby and Siakam — an effective, if undersized, athletic group.
That may not be sustainable in the long term and against some bigger opponents, but it does get the best five players on the court and forces them to play fast and scramble on defence, and that plays to their strengths.
“I like just being out there, being mobile, we can switch ( on defence),” Siakam said of Wednesday’s finishing group. “Everyone’s fighting, and I think once we have that type of energy it’s tough to score on us.
“Even if they have length, we have guys that fight, like Kyle … and Fred and all those guys you can’t push them around too much. “It’s a good unit once we’re engaged and everybody’s flying around. It’s definitely tough.”
It may be unorthodox and it might exacerbate their rebounding deficiencies, but at 1- 6 heading into Friday’s game in Sacramento, the Raptors need wins by hook or by crook.
“It’s all about carving out a win,” Nurse said. “You don’t care how ugly it is. You’ve got to try to carve one out.”