Even though they were recently crowned as the 2013-14 Atlantic Division champions, the Toronto Raptors still have some work to do before the regular season comes to a close. While the Raptors suffered a tough loss at the hands of the now-eliminated New York Knicks, the Brooklyn Nets were defeated on Friday night too. As a result, Toronto has clinched its second division title in franchise history and has been rewarded home court advantage for its first round series in the NBA playoffs. However, the team that will match up with the Raptors in the Eastern Conference quarter finals has not been determined yet.
Considering the possible shake-ups in terms of playoff spots, this next week of NBA basketball will be absolutely huge. In the East, the only playoff team locked into their current seed is the Atlanta Hawks (who sit in 8th place)— meaning every other postseason squad will be fighting to hold their position or climb one spot up.
With three games to go, the Raptors (46-33) find themselves in a dogfight with the Chicago Bulls (47-32) for the 3rd seed— a seed which increases the likelihood of a series against the relatively inexperienced Washington Wizards or Charlotte Bobcats. There’s still tons to play for. Needless to say, the Raptors must get a victory against the Detroit Pistons this afternoon.
Cage’s Keys to the Game:
Battle For Boards:
The Detroit Pistons haven’t been very good at many things this season, but one thing is for sure: they can rebound. Though somewhat dysfunctional, the Pistons have been a top-3 rebounding team in the Association this season, pulling down an average of 54.8 boards per outing. Yes, some of the rebounding success can be attributed to the fact that they aren’t the most efficient squad when it comes to offense, but still— a strength is a strength. Greg Monroe has been solid as usual, and Andre Drummond has surpassed expectations in his sophomore season. From a rebounding standpoint, the two bigs combine to average an impressive 22.5 boards on the season. If that isn’t good enough, Drummond has been on an absolute tear as of late, averaging 19 rebounds per game (on his own) over Detroit’s last five matchups. Crazy.
The Toronto Raptors will need some notable contributions on the glass from more than just one or two guys today. Detroit leads the league in offensive rebounds (averaging 14.5 per game), so it’s safe to say that they’ll be keeping their eyes open for second chance opportunities. To prevent Detroit’s second chance points from mounting this afternoon, the Raptors have to place emphasis on their box-outs and rotations for the full 48 minutes.
Make The Easy Ones:
Here’s a weird stat: against New York on Friday night, Toronto shot 15 for 33 (45.3%) from long range, but only 15 for 43 (34.9%) inside the arc. Although the hot shooting from downtown was nice to see, the Raptors need to find a way to sink their easier looks. Plain and simple.
In the instances when the three-point attempts aren’t falling, the team needs to find other ways to establish some sort of offensive rhythm. With stakes being raised for these last three games, Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan will need to come out aggressive to set the tone. If Josh Smith sits out his fourth consecutive game with left patella tendinitis, the Raptor guards and wings should be able to attack at will. If Smith plays, expect more focus on floor spacing and making the extra pass. Either way, there’s no reason to say that Toronto won’t get back on track today— the Pistons have allowed their opponents to score an average of 104.5 points per game this season, and they’ve given up an average of 110.6 points in their last nine.
Defense In D-Town:
The recent drop-off in the Raptors defense has been pretty noticeable. Is the team tired? Maybe. Are they coasting towards the postseason? Hopefully not. Dwane Casey wouldn’t have it. For one of only five teams in the NBA to rank in the top 10 in both offense and defense ratings, Toronto hasn’t exactly looked the part lately. In the three games preceding today’s matchup, the Raptors have allowed their opposition to shoot 49.4% from the field— nearly a 5% jump from the season average they’ve conceded up to this point. Now is not the time to continue to falter.
This year, Detroit hasn’t been a great team by any stretch of the imagination, but Toronto needs to ignore the win-loss record of the opponent. The Pistons were in control over the 3rd seeded Bulls two nights ago prior to Chicago’s heroic fourth quarter comeback, so the Raptors shouldn’t expect anything easy. It’s time to round into playoff form. The defensive intensity needs to get back to a high level.
X-Factor: Jonas Valanciunas
This Valanciunas-Drummond matchup will be great. These two sophomore bigs are hitting their stride at the same time, and it’s been fun to watch. JV has been getting more touches on the block and has been pulling down a ton of boards during this recent stretch, and Drummond has, well, been Drummond— putting up beastly rebound totals while getting more than his fair share of garbage buckets. However, if Valanciunas can somehow keep his rejuvenated offensive play going while limiting the impact of his second year counterpart, the Raptors should walk away with their franchise record-tying 47th win of the season.
