Even for those optimistic about the Raptors chances of being halfway plucky at the outset of the season, the belief was built upon Darko Ball Reloaded being potent enough outscore what looked like a whole lotta problems on the defensive end.
Cut to January, where at long last, those who had the Raptors pegged as comfortably ahead of the league’s true dregs are finding vindication, albeit in the exactly oppose way that was expected.
Toronto’s won six of seven after taking down the Pelicans Monday night, and it’s because they’ve turned into a stops machine. They’re the league’s best defense during this span, while their offense is puttering along at a 21st-ranked clip. For a team that starts RJ Barrett and Gradey Dick on the wings, even a small sample run of defending like that feels like a minor miracle.
Scottie Barnes is at the core of all that’s good with the Raptors’ D right now. Before the Pelicans game, Darko Rajaković outlined why he thinks Barnes is worthy of All-Defense recognition. And you know, what? While the team’s record will probably disqualify him, it’s hard to poke holes in any of the individual arguments Barnes’ coach made in his favour. He’s been a monster, and his teammates have taken notice, too.
“Like, he was really good on defense in the past,” said big man Jakob Poeltl, who in his own right is giving the defense all kinds of structure right now, outlining how Barnes’ defensive tools have all come together this year. “Some of these games where he’s doing everything on offense and then on defense for us, it’s actually really impressive to watch. But I think just his ability... to read the game, to know what the right play is at the right moment... he’s been really good on the ball and off the ball this season.”
Davion Mitchell deserves heaps of flowers for his work in giving the Raptors’ defense some long-awaited shape, too. He simply makes life hell for opposing guards. Dejounte Murray shot 5-of-17 on Monday, and while some of that can probably be attributed to Murray just being a pretty ineffectual player on his own, Mitchell certainly played a big role in bothering him — same as he did in the two games against Trae Young in Atlanta late last week. Mitchell’s skillset is limited, specific. But he’s damn good at the thing he’s best at, and there’s no question the defense will see a drop off once Immanuel Quickley eventually returns to the starting job, even if the offense sees a much-needed uptick in potency. (The Raptors’ current starting lineup with Mitchell has a very poor 105.5 offensive rating on the season, and is being outscored by 6.7 points per 100 possesions in 116 minutes).
How much the defense drops off from its current league-pacing clip will probably hinge on what the Raptors can get out of the 2 and 3 positions. Dick has his moments hawking passing lanes and bodying up drivers, but is a pretty stark negative on that end at the moment. Meanwhile, Barrett, who’s largely failed guarding opposing wings this year, has turned in two of his best defensive games as a Raptor in the team’s most recent wins. His attentiveness and effort — things that cost him dearly for most of this year (and his time as a pro, really) — look palpably ratcheted up since Scottie Barnes’ unspecified call-out of some guys’ defensive work rate after the Thursday win over the Hawks. It’ll take a lot more than two games to convince anyone Barrett is a league-average or better defender, but it’s a start. And if these baby steps can turn into adult-sized bounds, the calculus with Quickley in Mitchell’s place gets a little easier to sort out. (I bet we also see a lot of smaller looks with Quickley and Mitchell together, as the Raptors lean on the trees at the back end to keep things tidied up.)
Giving a damn certainly ain’t everything, but it can paper over a lot. And as Rajaković noted after the Pels game, all the sound defensive scheming in the world won’t save you if even one of your five guys isn’t pulling his weight.
But plop a couple truly elite defenders into a team where everyone gives a damn, and opposing makes can start turning to misses real quick.
“I think everybody’s taking pride of guarding their man,” said Chris Boucher after the game. “You know, we’re playing together too. You know, the x-out, the hop-in... we’re moving on a string and that’s really what’s happening right now.”
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Today on the podcast I outlined the Raptors win over the Pelicans, what’s working with their defense, what’s not working with the offense and more! Enjoy the show.
