Pascal Siakam has remained in the Raptors’ starting lineup, but reserve forward Patrick Patterson has started the second half of Toronto’s last three games.
The Raptors starters are a -32 so far on the year. In less than half the amount of minutes, a lineup with Patterson replacing the rookie are a team leading +84.
Patterson ranks sixth in plus-minus in the NBA, behind only the Golden State’s “big four” of Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson, along with teammate Kyle Lowry. When you adjust the plus minus per 36 minutes. Patterson’s 11.7 plus minus is better than the entire group ahead of him except Curry who is plus 12 per contest.
When asked about his lineups, Casey warned not to read too much into who starts at the four. “We’re not changing the rotation. I always said it’s going to be fluid,” the Raptors head coach clarified at Monday’s practice ahead of tomorrow’s home game versus the Brooklyn Nets.
The question is not whether or not you can win now without Patterson in the starting lineup, but can you beat a team like the Cavs who spread the floor so well offensively and are tough to guard in the pick and roll? The Raptors starting lineup was -17 in their last loss to Cleveland. Every point is precious against the NBA’s elite and the Raptors know this— they lost all three games to the Cavs this year by four points or less.
Their next matchup versus the defending champions is the last game of the regular season.