The Toronto Raptors opened the 2014-15 NBA season with wins in 24 of their first 31 games and while fans knew their hold on top spot in the Eastern Conference might only be temporary, their recent struggles have resulted in their slide to 6.5 games out of first place. Toronto has won just three of its last 10 games and for as much as everything seemed to go right for them during their strong start, it is now clear they are playing their worst basketball of the season. Here is a look at why the Raptors have dipped in the standings over the past month.
DeRozan’s Injury
There is no denying that part of the problem was not having DeMar DeRozan available for more than a month as he was out with a groin injury. Despite playing well early on without him, Toronto eventually slipped with losses in five of the final six games before he made his return. The Raptors haven’t been much better since he returned either as they have gone 2-2 with wins over the Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks, and losses to the Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Pelicans.
Part of the problem might be the fatigue the team is dealing with after being forced to make up for DeRozan’s absence as they continued to play at such a high level without him. There is no debate that Toronto is a much better team when its All-Star guard is healthy and on the floor, and the fact that their play dipped so dramatically at the start of January could be an indication that fatigue finally started to slip in after they managed to win 11 of their first 15 games without DeRozan.
Defensive Issues On The Inside
The one area that has really been exploited as a weakness during the Raptors recent dip is the team defense. DeRozan has done a decent job working his way back in to form but Greivis Vasquez is clearly a liability on the defensive end of the floor and he would be the biggest concern if it wasn’t for Toronto’s big men getting beat up every time they go up against formidable opposition. That was certainly the case when Atlanta torched the Raptors defense for 110 points on a ridiculous 60.9 percent shooting including Al Horford’s team-leading 22 points on 8-for-8 shooting from the field.
Two nights later it, was Alexis Ajinca’s turn to come off the bench and dominate for a New Orleans team that was without its best player in Anthony Davis. Ajinca finished with 22 points on 10-for-13 from the field as once again Toronto had no answer at the defensive end. Jonas Valanciunas, Patrick Patterson, and Tyler Hansbrough have been absolutely dominated at times this season and unless the Raptors solve their defensive issues either internally or via trade they are going to struggle against the quality big men they go up against.
Surprising Contenders In The East
The Hawks recent dominance combined with the Washington Wizards winning seven of their last 10 games has helped contribute to Toronto’s recent slide as well. Atlanta is a league-best 27-2 since Thanksgiving and showing no signs of slowing down while Washington recently put together an impressive comeback win over the Chicago Bulls after trailing by double digits. They are also showing their lasting power. Cleveland’s struggles have kept the Raptors in a top-four position next to the Bulls but they are now 6.5 games back of the Hawks for top spot in the Eastern Conference. If the Bulls and Cavs wake up and play how they’re expected to play, the Raptors might not even have home-court advantage in any round in the playoffs.
Toronto needs to work hard and find a way to improve on the defensive end of the floor in order to stop the bleeding and their slide down the Eastern Conference standings. They have been somewhat fortunate to this point considering the inconsistent play of teams like the Bulls and Cavaliers but now they have to get going before it’s too late.
