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There was something funky going on that changed the lineup's fortunes Look at Rudy's defense It was jarring to see the defense allowing 8.9 points per 100 possession more than last season with Gay when the lineup was exactly the same.
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In fact, it was good enough to be one of the top five "killer" lineups last season, netting a top-three +/- in the NBA. What's strange, though, is that the starting five even with Gay was also exceptional.
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Terrence Ross joined Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, Amir Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas as part of the new Raptors starting five, and the results have been incredible. This type of boost trickles through the entire roster and isn't just on the shoulders of one player, but when you replace a black hole on offense, it's going to make an immediate impact. They've just done what they do so much better. In other words: they haven't drastically shifted philosophies since moving Gay. That said, they've also taken a huge leap defensively, even though their pace is largely unchanged. Their offense has improved across the board since then, to be sure. The Raptors were one of the worst passing and shooting teams in the NBA prior to the trade, landing their offense below league average. Before we can start comparing what's changed for Toronto, we have to know who the Raptors were prior to the transformation. "I think everything's just clicking."Įxiling a player with too high a usage rate, too little of an impact and too many dollars on the balance sheet was a simple decision, though, because Toronto was failing. "I think we're just playing," Lowry said. And most importantly, everyone's having fun." When you move the ball from side to side, you share the ball, it looks beautiful out there. "There isn't an immense amount of pressure just on one person. "You don't worry about someone getting up x amount of shots," Patterson said. Perhaps too well for Ujiri, who reportedly is still interested in the "long-term" plan for the Raptors, but it's been remarkable nonetheless.Īs SB Nation's James Herbert wrote after the team knocked off the visiting New York Knicks: Overall, the team has gone 10-4 since trading Gay and are playing well. They just had a five game winning streak snapped by the Miami Heat after LeBron James and company completed a fourth quarter comeback at home. Lo and behold, the Raptors are rolling without their high-priced small forward.