A month from now, the pursuit of the Larry O’Brien trophy will have begun for 16 teams, with Miami hoping to land a fourth-straight appearance in the Finals and their third-straight championship.
For the Toronto Raptors, the playoffs represent a chance to kick-start a fan base that hasn’t seen the second season in five years. And valuable experience is on the line for a team that is built on a core with very few post-season miles. In fact, Dwane Casey’s starting lineup features only two players—Amir Johnson and Kyle Lowry—with playoff games already on their resumes. Lowry averaged 5.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists with the Houston Rockets in the 2008-09 playoffs and Johnson was a bit player for the Detroit Pistons in 2007-08 and 2008-09 (before coming to Toronto via Milwaukee).
Toronto’s second unit has banked more post-season floor time, but only John Salmons, Chuck Hayes and Tyler Hansbrough have appeared in more than 20 career playoff games.
Here’s a full breakdown of the post-season experience on the Raptors’ roster:
Hansbrough: 35 games
Hayes: 26 games
Salmons: 22 games
Steve Novak: 18 games
Greivis Vasquez: 13 games
Lowry: 13 games
Johnson: 11 games
Landry Fields: 9 games
Nando De Colo: 5 games
Julyan Stone: 4 games
DeMar DeRozan: 0 games
Terrence Ross: 0 games
Jonas Valanciunas: 0 games
Patrick Patterson: 0 games
Dwight Buycks: 0 games
While no player or coach will ever admit they’re “just happy to make it,” simply qualifying for the playoffs is a necessary first step for many of the Raptors. Players like DeRozan and Valanciunas need a taste of what it’s like to play under the glare of the post-season spotlight. The pressure to win intensifies; the crowds are louder and more frantic; the whistle from the officials can be unpredictable; the media attention and scrutiny is ten-fold; and the importance of every possession—not just in the fourth quarter—is immeasurable.
Toronto is still in third place in the Eastern Conference and first in the Atlantic Division, though they’re clinging to both slots with the Nets and Bulls coming at them fast and furious. In spite of blowing a 22-point lead in the third quarter against the Pelicans on Monday—and eventually losing in overtime—Brooklyn has gone a staggering 27-11 since the calendar flipped to 2014. Chicago, meanwhile, notched a 12-point statement win over the conference-leading Indiana Pacers on Monday.
Breaking the Funk
Prior to last Tuesday’s game against the Hawks, DeRozan had been mired in one of his worst offensive stretches of the season. The all-star guard had shot worse than 38 percent from the floor in four of his previous six games, and over the full six-game span had averaged 18.7 points, three rebounds and 3.2 assists—all of which were below his numbers on the season. When I asked DeRozan about his funk at the Raptors’ game-day shootaround in Atlanta, he told me that he wasn’t worried and attributed the struggles to the highs and lows that every player goes through over the course of an 82-game season. He did admit that in year one or two of his career he probably would have been freaking out or wondering what was wrong with his game, but said that age and experience have taught him better.
It turns out, he was right not to fret. In that night’s overtime loss to the Hawks, the comeback win over the New Orleans Pelicans last Wednesday, Friday’s thriller against Oklahoma City and Sunday’s fourth-quarter turnaround against Atlanta, DeRozan has returned to his all-star form:
March 18 @ ATL: 29 points, 44.4% FG, 10 rebounds, six assists, 13/14 free throws
March 19 @ NOLA: 31 points, 47.4% FG, three rebounds, four assists, 11/13 free throws
March 21 vs OKC: 33 points, 39.1% FG, eight rebounds, three assists, 15/16 free throws
March 23 vs ATL: 21 points, 44.4% FG, two rebounds, three assists, 3/4 free throws.
For the year, DeRozan is averaging career-highs in points (22.8), rebounds (4.4) and assists (3.9).
But the most impressive number for the fifth-year guard may be his free throw attempts. Though DeRozan’s mid-range game is much improved, he has still been aggressive in getting to the hoop and drawing fouls. Plus, his increased profile in the NBA seems to have garnered him more respect from the officials. As a result, DeRozan is benefiting from a serious increase in free throw attempts per game.
Career average FTA: 5.0
2013/2014 FTA: 7.8 (seventh-best in the NBA)
Through 11 games in March, he’s averaging a whopping 9.8 attempts per game.
Milestones for Amir
It can be easy to forget that Johnson is only 26 years old. He was the last high schooler drafted into the NBA before the league brought in the rule requiring at least one year of college experience before coming to the Association.
Johnson is currently in his ninth season and this is already his fifth in Toronto. In fact, Johnson stands alongside DeRozan as the longest-serving Raptors on Dwane Casey’s roster.
Last Friday against the Thunder, Johnson played in career game No. 500 and he entered that game as the third-leading shot-blocker in franchise history—only 7 swats behind Vince Carter.
Johnson turned away five shots in that double-overtime tilt and snagged another block in Sunday’s win over Atlanta. So, going into tonight’s game in Cleveland, he’s a swat away from a milestone.
Here’s how the top five (blocks) rounds out for the Raptors:
Chris Bosh: 600
Carter: 415
Johnson: 414
Antonio Davis: 405
Andrea Bargnani: 382
Johnson is averaging 14.5 points (on 62.2 percent shooting!) and 7.7 rebounds in March.
Moon Man
Just a quick note to pass along…
I had a chance to speak with former-Raptors forward Jamario Moon yesterday prior to my departure for Cleveland.
The NBA veteran was last in the league in 2012 and since then has spent a lot of time with the L.A. D-Fenders of the NBDL.
In January 2014, Moon left the D-League. About six weeks later he signed with Olympiakos in Greece. But after appearing in only a handful of games overseas, Moon returned to the U.S where he’s hoping to land another job in the NBA.
The personable swingman told me that, at 33, he can still run and jump like he always did, and he believes he could help a playoff team—especially on the defensive end—during this final three-to-four-week push towards the post-season.
During parts of five-plus seasons in the NBA, Moon suited up for the Raptors, Heat, Cavaliers, Clippers and Bobcats.