With 57 games on, we are gradually getting to the end of the road as the regular season is concerned. The Bucks clinched their place to the playoffs and they seem to be unbeatable by any fellow Eastern Conference team.
But, the truth is that we shouldn’t forget the Toronto Raptors. We cannot ignore them anymore as they decimate opponent after opponent in the East and the West. The Raptors won 18 out of their last 20 games, being a destructive force in the league. Since January 16, Nick Nurse’s squad had a net rating of +11.6 per 100 possessions.
The Bucks are averaging +11.8 per 100 possessions all-season with them being the best defense in the league. According to basketball-reference.com, Milwaukee has the best defensive rating in the league (102.4) while Toronto are in second place with 105.6 points per 100 possessions until now.
The previous days, we have seen a great “battle” between the two, with Milwaukee getting their second win in the regular season with two more games to come in early April for the two rivals.
Defensive juggernaut
The Raptors are building this season’s program on defense. They are limiting their opponents to a 42% from the field, while they allow them to shoot many threes (38.4 per game). Despite guarding the paint religiously in order to prevent their opponents get easy baskets, they are conceding threes on just 33% clip.
Kyle Lowry is one of the best on getting charges, a useful trait when you are facing players like the “Greek Freak”. Furthermore, Fred VanFleet is second-best in deflections per game (4.2), while he is scoring a career-high 17.6 points per games. Moreover, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka are known “quantities” in the defensive end especially in the painted area.
At the same time, Nick Nurse’s galore on “long” athletic wings can be very useful in the NBA Playoffs with OG Anunoby constantly getting starter minutes and having a great season so far. The young Brit is on +5.7 per 100 possessions, when he is on the floor this season.
In 57 games into the regular season, the Raptors remained “hungry”, despite them losing Kawhi Leonard in the off-season. Moreover, they will surpass their 46.5 projected win total having already 42 out-of their 58 games.
The Know-How
We must not ignore the fact, that the Raptors are the reigning NBA champions. They got the “know-how” in the Eastern Conference as far as winning the title unlike other contenders in the East, who never experienced an NBA Final in the last 6 years. Moreover, we must not forget that Kawhi Leonard was not alone in last year’s title run.
In particular, Fred VanVleet and Kyle Lowry were crucial, while Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka elevated their game, especially on defense. Of course, VanVleet went on to be one of the most historic shooting sprees in the last 12 playoff games shooting 47% from the arc.
Also, Lowry was beneficial, as he had a leading role in vital moments giving some incredible games in the process (Game 3 and 6 in the Finals, game 4 in the Conference Finals).
The MIP Contender
Furthermore, Pascal Siakam, a first time all-star this season averaging 23.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. He is gradually becoming a bonafide star in just his fourth season in the NBA.
Although the forward from Cameroon has amped up his attempts, he is shooting 46% from the field. More specifically, he is shooting 19 attempts per game, while he is making about 2 out of his 6 shots from the three-point line (36.7%).
Siakam is in the conversation for the Most Improved Player Award for a second season in a row. He “elevated” his performances this season, putting the work in many aspects of his game.
As the advanced assist statistics show this year, he improved his decision making, with him being the main offensive threat of his team. Namely, he has a better AST/TO ratio (1.41), AST% (15.9) and TO ratio (9.1) this year, getting more and more accustomed being the star of the Raptors.
The Final Verdict
So, can the Raptors make a run for this season’s title? The answer is “maybe yes”. Toronto will need to prove if they can compete with the best without Leonard in the playoffs and that’s the biggest “if” this year.
Will Pascal Siakam continue to be the “go to guy” in the biggest basketball stage? Will the veteran players stay healthy and how will they act without a safe option in offense like Kawhi Leonard was last season?
The good thing about them is that noone expected them to be in the contender’s conversation this year, but Kyle Lowry and Co. are historically playing better without the pressure of being the favorites in a situation.
