Raptors Cage

Game Day Preview: Raptors return home for matchup versus depleted Thunder

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Following a disappointing 107-102 loss to the Miami Heat on Sunday, the Toronto Raptors (2-1) return home tonight looking to correct their mistakes and come away with a victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder (1-3).

In case you’ve been under a rock for the past bit, Oklahoma City – the runner-up in the Western Conference last season – has gotten off to a rocky start to begin the 2014-15 campaign. Not only is last year’s league MVP Kevin Durant sitting out as he recovers from an October foot surgery, but star point guard Russell Westbrook will be sidelined for the next month with a right hand fracture. On top of this, role players Jeremy Lamb and Andre Roberson are off the floor due to injuries of their own. It’s safe to say that these are trying times for the Thunder – who lost by a whopping 31 points versus the Brooklyn Nets last night – however, the Raptors cannot afford to simply walk into this matchup expecting their third win of the season. There’s still work to be done.

Cage’s Keys to the Game:

Defense, Defense, Defense:

It’s as simple as that. Though OKC will enter tonight’s game with a notably depleted roster, the Raptors will need to get back to their defensive principles. For a team that ranked in the top-10 in defensive efficiency last season, Toronto has been somewhat underwhelming in their first three games of the 2014-15 campaign. Tonight is the night to get after it. Less open looks for the opposition, less mental lapses, and more communication. In three games so far, the Raptors have shown their ability on this end of the floor in spurts, but they have yet to put it together for the greater portion of a 48 minute match.

Early Effort:

The game begins at 7:30PM— not 9:00, not 8:45, but 7:30. In the two-game trip to Florida, the Raptors were prone to slow starts and late pushes. While the runs in the further stages of the game are a sign of an improving team with the ability to stay within striking distance, they should not be relied on. This is a recipe for disaster. Instead, Toronto needs to emulate the same effort, and put it into practice immediately after tipoff. After a disappointing outing in Miami two nights ago, look for Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan to set the tone early in hopes of the rest of their teammates following suit. Oklahoma City will be on the second night of a back-to-back, while Toronto should be rested after having Monday off. The Raptors need to come out with a noticeable sense of urgency and take advantage of the Thunder fatigue.

Free Throw Shooting:

Sunday evening was an ugly outing when it came to the Raptors cashing in from the charity stripe. While some solace can be found in the fact that Toronto has shown a knack for continuously getting to the free throw line, poor shooting percentages are still very discouraging. Against the Heat, the Raptors shot an awful 61.5% when shooting free throws, going 24 for 39 from the line. They lost by only five points. No rocket science required here— missed free throws will come back to bite you. Gotta make the free ones when they’re given to you.

patrick-patterson-nba-playoffs-brooklyn-nets-toronto-raptorsX-Factor: Patrick Patterson

Patrick Patterson hasn’t been himself to start the season. With Amir Johnson set to return to the lineup, 2Pat should be returning to his role off the bench. *Update – Amir Johnson will be sidelined again* However, it’s only a matter of time until number 54 finds some sort of rhythm and goes back to providing the same scoring punch he brought to the equation in the late stages of the 2013-14 season. If the Raptors can establish themselves early, tonight could be the night that Patterson gets back to contributing with his useful stretch-four skill set.

https://twitter.com/pdpatt/status/529309240591400961

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