Today, the Toronto Raptors will begin a stretch of consecutive matchups versus Eastern Conference foes with sub-.500 records. Following a week where they were given three dissapointing losses against the Phoenix Suns, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Oklahoma City Thunder, the ante has been raised for the Raptors. Entering Sunday, not only are the Chicago Bulls (39-31) virtually tied up with Toronto (38-30) for the third seed in the East, but the surging Brooklyn Nets are only 1.5 games back from the top spot in the Atlantic Division.
This matinee matchup at the ACC against the eighth-placed Hawks (31-36) is one that the Raptors need to get in any way possible. The fact that Atlanta defeated Toronto on national television (in the United States) just a few days ago should give the home team some extra motivation as they attempt to even the regular season series at two games apiece. Also, The Raptor makes his return from injury today, so there’s that as well.
Cage’s Keys to the Game:
No Encore Performance For Teague:
Jeff Teague was absolutely magnificent for the Hawks in the game between these two squads that was played on Tuesday. In the 118-113 Atlanta win, Teague netted 34 points and dropped five dimes to go along with his four steals. The point guard was wreaking havok on both sides of the floor in his 40 minutes of playing time. The Toronto Raptors need to make sure that the performance is not repeated today. They need to find ways to cope with Teague’s speed off the bounce in half-court sets and they must account for him in transition. Kyle Lowry and Greivis Vasquez cannot get caught in the mud while Teague attempts to hold a track meet.
Defensive Communication:
In the aforementioned Tuesday loss, the Raptors conceded 34 three-point attempts to the Hawks. Luckily, they were only able to sink 11 of them, but the threat remains whenever that many looks are hoisted from beyond the arc. If the Hawks look to run screens to free up their shooters from downtown, the Raptors defensive rotations have to be tight. Help has to be given when help is needed, or else players like DeMarre Carroll will try to make Toronto pay. The Raptors should catch a break when it comes to this facet of the game, since Kyle Korver will be sitting out due to back spasms.
Offensive Execution:
Like noted earlier, Teague has the speed to get up and down the floor faster than the other nine players, so taking care of the ball will be pretty important today. Toronto needs to makes sure that dangerous passes are minimized and the floor is spaced in a manner that gives the ball handler options to work with. For these things to happen, off-ball movement must occur. There’s nothing easier to guard than a stagnant offense. The Raptors need to keep this in mind.
Desperation:
With players like Amir Johnson and Tyler Hansbrough suiting up, the energy level of the Toronto Raptors is rarely low; but today I’d like to see some noticeable hunger for the full 48 minutes. Based on talent alone, Toronto is superior to its opponent, but the stakes have been raised. In order to keep Chicago and Brooklyn at bay, the Raptors must come out on top this afternoon. The team needs to show some grit while they shake off their recent ticks in the loss column.
X-Factor: Amir Johnson
Amir Johnson (also known as “Tall Money”, according to Drake) has been playing pretty exceptional basketball as of late, despite coping with some nagging injuries. The forward/center has been making his presence known on the boards on a nightly basis and he’s been scoring pretty well too. In the previous Raptors-Hawks battle, Paul Millsap messed around and got a triple-double, so look for Johnson to be more aggressive on defense this time around— it’s safe to say that today’s challenge shouldn’t be as difficult as Friday night’s task was.
