TORONTO – Chemistry, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary, is “the complex emotional or psychological interaction between people.”
An intangible, yet incredibly important aspect across all team sports, chemistry is of particular importance to teams with high expectations such as the Toronto Raptors.
Only 10 days into training camp, Toronto has a lot of work still to do to integrate new key pieces such as star forward Kawhi Leonard, veteran sharpshooter Danny Green and make rookie head coach Nick Nurse’s system really shine.
During one stretch in Tuesday’s exhibition game against the Utah Jazz, however, a small glimpse of strong club cohesion could be seen.
During the second quarter of that game, the Raptors put up an astounding defensive rating of 63.8 as they limited the Jazz to just 18 points on 43.4 per cent shooting. Though a small sample size, this moment was still significant as it offered a sneak peek of not only Toronto’s potential as a defensive unit, but also its ability to effectively trust and work with each other.
“Just talk, communicate on the floor,” Leonard said after practice Thursday of what worked for the team in that second quarter Tuesday. “We had great transition defence. We did a great job switching out, rebounding the basketball. But those are also some of the areas we still need to work on.”
Leonard’s point about communicating with each other is pertinent because during that second frame the Raptors actually trotted out some zone defence looks where guys have to be talking to each other constantly, and have faith that guys will cover for each other.
Nurse liked what he saw there and hinted there could be more to come.
“That was a neat glimpse,” he said. “I thought we had some combination things kind of happen, it was straight man-to-man and it was some switching and then we threw that zone out for five or six possessions, so it was kind of fortunate that it all worked out that way to be honest with you.
“I think we’re versatile with our people and I think we’re versatile with our coverages and we saw a nice little five- or six-minute run of that.”
That versatility Nurse speaks of looks like it will be a hallmark of the Raptors’ defence this season and, with guys switching constantly, it appears that the chemistry the team will need to build in order to be successful will come together naturally on the defensive end.
Offensively, it won’t be so easy, but Nurse and his coaching staff are doing their best to accelerate the process. And being back in Toronto should only help things.
“It certainly was good to get home here and practice for what was a lengthy, on-court was about as long as we’ve gone in any one session to be honest and we needed it,” said Nurse. “There was a lot of teaching today and a lot of drill work and then we got to play, get up and down, keep putting the emphasis, doing things five-on-five.”
On the road since the start of training camp, the Raptors were finally back home Thursday for practice before they take on Melbourne United of Australia’s National Basketball League Friday in the team’s only exhibition appearance at Scotiabank Arena.
Shooting only 38.2 per cent as the team’s gone 1-1 thus far in the pre-season, the Raptors’ offence has messed around with a bunch of different looks but has failed to really click so far. One of the bright spots, however, was Leonard’s performance in Utah when he put up 17 points and five rebounds on 50 per cent shooting in 18 minutes of action.
Nurse believes that was just a sign of things to come for Leonard as he begins ramping up.
“I think the biggest thing is we all saw he kinda had a little rust on him opening night and he removed a big chunk of it in one game,” the Raptors coach said. “So I think that’s really encouraging. It was really noticeable, the difference, and I think he’s going to continue to do that.”
If the cobwebs in Leonard’s game really have been shaken out then hometown fans looking to get their first glimpse at the new superstar in town are likely in for a treat from him and, for what it’s worth, he seems reasonably excited about seeing what the Toronto crowd is all about.
“We’ve still got some time until the first [regular-season] game, but it’s going to be a great experience,” said Leonard. “It’s going to be my first time being on the home team here, but, I don’t know, everybody says it’s a great energy and vibe.
“I’m just ready to live in the moment and see it for myself.”
So are the Raptors faithful.
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