After finishing a short three game swing against Western Conference opponents with a respectable 2-1 record, the Toronto Raptors are returning to the east coast tonight for the first game of a home-and-home back-to-back set with the New York Knicks. The Raptors sit at 11-15 on the season (and 5-3 since the Rudy Gay trade), while the struggling Knicks have limped out of the gate with a 9-19 record thus far. Despite the underwhelming season that New York has amassed up to this point, this is not a team that the Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Raptors should take lightly if they hope to keep getting closer to the .500 mark. Even with Carmelo Anthony out of the lineup, there are still a few things that the Raptors must do to get this W.
Here are the Cage’s 5 Keys to the Game:
Start out strong:
What worked to the favor of the Raptors during the games they won this past weekend was their tendency to jump on their opponents right out of the gates. Against a New York team searching for a way out of the Eastern Conference’s basement, it is important that the Raptors play the part of the hungrier team in tonight’s matchup on the road. Establish some sort of rhythm, take the crowd out of the game early, and positive results should follow.
Defend the three:
The New York Knicks take a lot of threes— just ask Andrea Bargnani. Despite the fact that they shoot about 25 of them each game, they only succeed in hitting a shade under 35 percent of them on average. Simple concept here— the Raptors need to combat this facet of New York’s offensive play by ensuring that their perimeter defense comes out tonight. The Knicks can shoot themselves back into a game just as quickly as they can shoot themselves out of one, so Toronto needs to play with a “no lead is safe” mindset against this division foe.
Rebound, rebound, rebound:
Toronto’s opponent for tonight sits second from the bottom of the league when it comes to pulling down boards. However, with Tyson Chandler still in the early stages of his return from an injury he suffered early in the season, New York’s average of 39 boards a night may be a bit skewed. Even though they sit near the end of the association in terms of total rebounds, the Knicks are in the middle of the pack when it comes to hitting the offensive glass. The 10.6 offensive rebounds they pull down on a nightly basis may partially be the result of the questionable shots they take as a team. Toronto has to come out with an immediate emphasis on finishing their defensive possessions with rebounds that limit New York’s second chance points. If the Raptors do that, they should walk out of MSG with their 12th win on the year.
Limit turnovers:
Solid offensive execution will be vital for Toronto in this one. In the past, we’ve all seen the Raptors play without a sense of urgency with it comes to scoring versus teams they should win games against. Hopefully tonight is different. This isn’t the game where the “pre-trade” iso sets should be the primary style that Dwane Casey rolls with. Toronto’s players should elect to keep things easy for themselves and refrain from overdoing the more single player-focused possessions that will give the Knicks a chance to run some double team traps. Instead, I’d like to see Toronto swing the ball around the horn and run screen and roll plays to keep the bigs involved. This way, New York can be prevented from getting out on the break for easy, uncontested buckets.
Stick together:
This one may sound cliché, but I’m serious. This two game set against the Knicks could potentially give the Raptors some breathing room between them and their division opponents. Furthermore, when I say “stick together”, I mean that this home-and-home with New York could have some influence on the decisions that Masai Ujiri makes with this team going forward. Saying that the Raptors could win the Atlantic Division title isn’t nearly as asinine as it may have sounded back in October. Obviously, we’re only about a quarter of the way through the season, but with the way things have gone so far, the boldest of predictions haven’t been able to fully predict the current state of the Eastern Conference. Tonight, the Raptors really have a chance to shed some light on which direction they’ll go with the roster they have right now.
X-Factor: Kyle Lowry
Whether or not this game is an audition for one of his potential suitors, Kyle Lowry needs to continue his hot play as of late. The Raptors point guard has a golden opportunity to take advantage of the injury woes that the Knicks are currently facing. With Raymond Felton and Pablo Prigioni out, Lowry will have the chance to wreak havoc against New York’s defense with his floaters down the lane and his drive and kicks. On the defensive end, Lowry’s tendency to gamble for steals could benefit Toronto as well— especially versus a weak New York guard rotation.
Lowry: "I made a commitment to the city of Toronto, to myself & to the fans to get the Raptors to the playoffs so thats what I'm here to do"
— Josh Lewenberg (@JLew1050) December 27, 2013
