Raptors' Success A Result From Being 15 Deep

Holly MacKenzie - Raptors.com

There are lots of one-liners in professional sports. One game at a time. Never get too high or too low. A win is a win. These often cliched sayings stick around because, of course, there is truth to them. For the Toronto Raptors, the theme for much of the season has been “next man up.”

“[We’re] just a complete team,” Kyle Lowry said. “[We’re] 15 deep. We always say that and we really mean that because you never know whose time it’s going to be.”

When Jonas Valanciunas went down with a fractured hand in late November, next man up meant Bismack Biyombo sliding into a starting role. Biyombo not only helped to keep the Raptors afloat, the team went 11-6 without Valanciunas in the lineup. Coming into training camp, it was assumed that Patrick Patterson would be a starter. Before preseason was through, that job had been claimed by veteran Luis Scola. Rather than be upset with the move to the bench, Patterson listened to his coaches, bought into the defensive game plan, and made it his goal to make an impact whether or not he had it going offensively. While on the bench, Biyombo and Patterson often feed off the other’s energy as they wait to be called upon.

“Just me and Biz saying, ‘Yo, here we go. It’s time,’” Patterson said of the approach the two have. “Every time we check into the game, that’s what we say to each other. ‘Here we go. Let’s do this. Let’s change the game.’”

When offseason acquisition DeMarre Carroll underwent knee surgery on Jan 6, James Johnson slid into his role. Rather than falter with their best perimeter defender sidelined, the Raptors reeled off a franchise-record 11-game winning streak.

Terrence Ross has bounced back from a slow start and thumb injury to average 10 points per game in the new year. Equally as impressive has been his commitment on the defensive end of the floor. Assistant coach Rex Kalamian has challenged him with making at least two spectacular defensive plays a game. He’s doing his best to get them. Cory Joseph continues to be a steadying hand for the Raptors, particularly to start fourth quarters, when the team usually plays a four-reserves-plus-Lowry lineup. Joseph is able to set up Lowry, who can take over offensively if that’s what the team needs.

“Pat’s been playing great,” Lowry said. “Biz is protecting the rim, Cory and T [Terrence] are doing what they’ve been doing the last couple of months. Everyone is playing well, now we’ve just got to keep growing and getting better.”

Toronto’s winning streak ended in Denver, but the team was more concerned with losing another starter than losing to the Nuggets. Johnson, filling in for Carroll, suffered an ankle sprain. Although the team hasn’t given a timeline for his return, the injury means the bench gets thinner. Luckily for the Raptors, rookie Norman Powell has been working diligently, both with the team and in the D-League with Raptors 905. As Powell worked with fellow rookie Delon Wright, waiting for an opportunity, his preparation has allowed Dwane Casey to keep his bench rotation mostly intact despite the injuries to Carroll and Johnson. Powell started Toronto’s previous two games — both victories — as the team got back on track after the streak-busting loss in Denver. The Raptors have now won 13 of their last 14 games.

Norm didn't play as much, but his minutes out there, he did what he’s supposed to do,” Lowry said after Toronto’s victory in Portland. “I like the aggressiveness from the kid.”

Lowry and DeMar DeRozan were co-winners of the Eastern Conference Player of the Month award, and have rightfully gotten the most shine during Toronto’s franchise-record 11-game winning streak, but the All-Star backcourt has been resolute in praising the entire roster for the team’s success. Whether it’s Biyombo blocking shots and grabbing rebounds, Joseph dropping floaters and dishing assists, or Patterson and Ross alternating hot shooting nights from deep, the bench has been there most nights. In addition to buying into the game plan, the group of guys in the Raptors locker room have also bought in to their roles. There’s no griping over playing time or opportunity, everyone is just happy to have played a part in the team setting a new franchise record for best record through 50 games at 34-16.

“I think we’ve been fortunate the last few years to have a great group of guys to come through this locker room,” Lowry said. “It’s just been me and DeMar, JV and Terrence, [we’ve] been here the longest, but we’ve been fortunate to have great guys come in here and accept their roles, have fun and love the game of basketball.”

DeRozan, the longest tenured Raptor in his seventh season with the team, has seen plenty of teammates come and go since being drafted in 2009. As the Raptors aim to continue to grow and build as the season goes on, he makes sure to embrace the journey and to enjoy the process with the guys beside him.

“We do everything together,” DeRozan said. “We talk about everything, all the guys on the team. Joke around when we’re on the road, we try to take advantage of it and have fun, not be so uptight and think about basketball 24-7. With that, we go out there and have fun with each other and try to pull out a win every single night.”