With Chris Bosh sitting on the sidelines recovering from a knee injury, the Raptors are suffering at both ends of the floor.
A couple of weeks ago when the Raptors suffered a disappointing loss to the Indiana Pacers, the phone lines on the post game call in show were lit up in such a manner it would have put any festival of lights to shame.
One caller in particular took umbrage with the fact that the hosts of the show stated the Raptors were a good defensive team. And when numbers were brought into the equation, that set off the powder keg.
The Raptors could always score but the problem has been getting stops. As the Raptors know from experience, and are finding out once again, relying on your offence to continually keep you in games is very dangerous.
For all the talk about the lack of offensive firepower and how the team is struggling in close games in the fourth quarter with Chris Bosh on the sidelines, the defense may be suffering just as much without Bosh and may hold part of the offensive solution.
There might not be any fourth quarter issues if the defense stepped forward and stopped the other team and maybe created a turnover or two.
If the defense helped the offense out, Raptors fans might not have to watch the offense grind to a halt with the game on the line as they try to get a good look at the hoop.
Toronto has scored enough points in each of its three losses on their current trip to win games, but the defense has been porous.
Since Bosh went down opponents have shot better than 50 per cent in six of the nine games he has missed. There was one other occasion where they allowed a team (Indiana) to shoot 49 per cent.
In only two of the nine games cited above has Toronto held a team under the magic 45 per cent from the floor. Mind you, 45 per cent is no rip-roaring, lock-down defense in its own right, as it would put you in the middle of the NBA rankings in opponent’s field goal percentage. But when the Raptors hold opponents to 45 per cent shooting or less, they are 25-7 this season and over the past two seasons, their record is 50-12.
Without Bosh, Toronto is still ninth in opponents scoring, allowing 97.6 points per game. Since Bosh went down the Raptors ranking in opponent’s field goal percentage has plummeted from 11th to 20th in the NBA.
If you are glutton for more punishment by numbers, consider that over the past 10 games only the Memphis Grizzlies at 53.2 per cent have allowed its opposition to shoot a better percentage than Toronto.
Let’s rule out the Denver game where the Raptors set franchise records for most points allowed in a quarter (44) and a half (79) and look at the two games Toronto lost where they actually had a chance to win.
In the fourth quarter against the Lakers, Kobe and company shot 55 per cent from the floor, turning the ball over just two times while Golden State fared even better. The Warriors shot 65 per cent in the final frame while, again, committing only two turnovers.
Sometimes number do lie, and the slim or long odds can be beaten if you happen to come up on the right side of the ledger.
But right now, there is no denying that the Raptors are struggling defensively. Just look at the numbers.
