So, just a question --
All day Amir has been talked about as a good defensive player who improves the Celts on that end.
Yet, the Raptors were pretty terrible defensively last year. What's the explanation there?
Amir was injured for most of last year. Ankle injuries, I think it was. He did not play up to his usual levels defensively. More good than great defensively. Amir wasn't able to move laterally as well or cover as much ground as usual. It hurt his defense away from the basket. To cover PFs far from the basket and hurt his team defense.
Beyond that, the Raptors have several defensive issues:
(a) Valanciunas is still a below par defender. He is really good around the basket where he can use his size and length but he is terrible away from the hoop. Bad footspeed and bad footwork so he is often out of position. It's been strange to see his development change from a defender/rebounder when drafted into the offensive orientated center he is today.
(b) Toronto's main backup big men are undersized PFs who are below average defenders - Patrick Patterson & Tyler Hansbrough. Toronto's defense falls off whenever one of these guys come onto the floor. Patterson is a solid enough man-to-man defender but still hasn't learned how to play team defense. Hansbrough is a hustler who can't do much. Valanciunas is only a so-so defender but he still miles ahead of both Patterson and Hansbrough. Amir Johnson is their only legit above average defensive big man in the rotation.
(c) Toronto has a problem at the SG/SF slot alongside DeRozan. They can play a top defensive SF in James Johnson who doesn't contribute much offensively (1370 minutes), Terrence Ross (2,100 minutes, a good defensive SG who is moody and mailed it in all last season + who forces DeRozan to defend bigger wings where DeRozan is less effective,), or Greivis Vasquez who is well below average defensively at all 3 perimeter positions (2000 minutes). DeRozan missed 20 games last season which exposed their mismashed wing rotation even further.
(d) Toronto uses a lot of small two guard backcourts with Lowry, Lou Will and Vasquez.
(e) Lowry has let up a bit on defense to concentrate more on his offense. Still good but not as good as he has been in the past.
The backup big men is the biggest flaw. Wings 2nd. Small backcourts 3rd.
probably a bad defensive system coaching wise.
This has been talked about a lot too.
Main criticisms have been about (1) asking Valanciunas to step out too far on PnRs and not using him the same way Indiana does with Roy Hibbert or Charlotte does with Al Jefferson to try and hide their lack of footspeed / mobility (2) lineup choices which have left Toronto too small on the perimeter and often physically overmatched. The under-use of James Johnson has been a key factor in this one.
