The Toronto Raptors are starting their west coast road trip in San Francisco, to face the Golden State Warriors. Both teams are hoping to get back to a winning track, after losing 5 of their last 7 games.
The Raptors (6-10) are hoping that they learn from their mistakes, after DeMar DeRozan showed frustration being escorted by the Denver Nuggets‘ head coach, Brian Shaw, after Sunday’s loss. The Warriors (10-8) also have their own issues. In fact, the issues are almost identical to that of the Raptors – questionable offense and inconsistent defense.
Coach Dwane Casey went with a new starting lineup last game, switching the power forward spots, placing Amir Johnson on the pine, and bringing in Tyler Hansbrough. This might be a good match-up, as Hansbrough has the strength and the determination to take on a relentless big, and all-star in David Lee.
How can the Raptors start their west coast road trip right? Check out the..
Cage’s 5 Keys To The Game
1. Close-out shooters.
This one is a given, considering Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson might be the best shooting back-court in the NBA today. From the perimeter, Klay is currently shooting an outstanding 47%, and Steph shooting 44%. The Warriors as a team are shooting approx. 44% from the perimeter, rated 1st in the entire league. It’s going to be a full team effort to cover their responsibilities, and make their defensive rotations. Once the Warriors get hot, it’s nearly impossible to stop them. DeMar DeRozan is going to have to pick up his feet, Kyle Lowry will need to be a pest defensively, and whatever help the back-court can get, they’ll need tonight.
2. Rebound The Basketball.
The Warriors are 10th in the entire league in rebounding. As a team, they secure nearly 44 rebounds per game. The Raptors are one of the best in the league in terms of allowing opposing rebounds. They are rated 7th in the league, giving up 41.4 rebounds per game. If the Raptors control the rebounding aspect of the game, it will mean less opportunities for the lethal individual offense the Warriors possess. Amir Johnson needs to wake up from his deep sleep, because he’s been nowhere near the Amir Johnson the Raptor fans and followers have seen in the past. Hansbrough will have a huge task in dealing with D. Lee, and Jonas Valanciunas is going to have his mission in terms of matching up with the Aussie big, Andrew Bogut.
3. Mr. Jonas Valanciunas.
Jonas was a beast in the loss on Sunday to the Nuggets, and might have been the only player aside from DeMar DeRozan who brought any consistency and effort on both ends. The team should continue to ride the young centre’s confidence, as he was able to put up an awesome stat line of 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Tonight, a legitimate inside presence is needed to keep guys like David Lee working, and Bogut constantly moving. This will allow guys like DeMar and Rudy Gay to have more space on the wings. Don’t just run the first couple plays through Jonas then forget about him. Make him the number one option offensively, because he’s showing that when he’s given the opportunity, he produces.
4. Resiliency.
The Golden State Warriors will go on their runs. The Warriors are 11th in the entire league in scoring at almost 103 points per game, tied for 7th in the league at most 3-point attempts, and only take 82 shots a game, which is 18th in the league. This is an important game for the Raptors to build any mental toughness as a team, because not only is this a tough team to guard, it’s a tough place to play in. The Warriors will have their three-point streaks, they will get their highlight plays, and they will slam the ball on the run. Whatever momentum they start to build, the Raps are going to need to answer back. A baseline iso for Rudy Gay is not ideal in this situation.
5. Get To the Free Throw Line, and Make Em’ Count.
It’s tough to win games when you don’t make free throws against tough teams, especially in the fourth quarter. A great example was when the Raptors had their chances to take a lead against the Miami Heat, but shot a poor 19 of 32 at the line. This team gets to the free throw line a lot, rated 7th in the league, averaging 26 free throw attempts per game, and even though they’re rated 5th in the league in makes at almost 20 a game, their ability to hit it late has been a problem. Getting to the rim, and forcing those refs to call the fouls will put the opposition in foul trouble. It also means less jump-shots from Rudy Gay.
X-Factor – Rudy Gay.
Rudy has been inefficient, he’s been inconsistent defensively, and has almost no lift offensively. This will be an important game for him to finally show up tonight. Rudy has to shoot the right shots at the right time, move the ball, look for his teammates, and make defense a priority against this Warriors team. Rudy’s clock is ticking. It’s almost time for Ujiri to start making decisions on the future. Rudy has been an issue so far this season. He’s got to turn that around on this west coast road trip.
Tune in at 10:30 EST on SN360
