Three Lessons for Sam Mitchell

In N.B.A. Basketball by Brock Bourgase

The Toronto Raptors are a frustrating team to watch. After overcoming a double-digit deficit to claw within a single point of near the end of the third quarter, the bottom fell out. Missing dunks, conceding open threes, taking early shots, not getting back in transition, leaving posts wide open — offence and defence were both disastrous.

The Suns torched the Raptors with the high rub. They’d slip the screen or roll directly to the basket and get dunks and lay-ups, using a cute baseline back-screen to occupy the help defenders.

Lesson #1 for Sam Mitchell: If 5-10 Andre Barrett plays thirty minutes, switching the big on little screen is not an option. My friend thought they should have run and jumped the dribbler using the high screen. Personally, hedging the screen and rotating the other post on to the screener probably would have sufficed.

The Raptors played awful D; no matter what rotation was attempted with that effort, they would have failed. They scored more than twenty eight points in all four quarters and still lost. The Suns shot58% from the field, including 56% from beyond the arc. Boris Diaw, who almost triple-doubled, was guarded by a point most of the game.

Sometimes the Raptors tried to trap the ball. But they were playing at half-speed. When I double-team, I want players to trap aggressively and sprint to recover. These dudes were jogging. Furthermore, a 5-10 player is not going to trap a 6-8 player in the Association. The defenders were late, the trap was beaten, the ball got moved and someone cashed and open three.

The Suns took the lead with a three point shot about eight seconds into the game and never looked back.

Lesson #2: Don’t play at Phoenix’s tempo. The Raptors were guilty of not using enough clock to slow down the game and make Phoenix work on defence.

Morris Peterson and Mike James scored thirty eight and thirty six points respectively. Any decent guard can score twenty five against Phoenix. They play defence like a bunch of turnstiles and allowed too much penetration and too many good looks. They’ll get killed in the playoffs if they do that against a team with forwards. Peterson and James received no help from the forwards.

Lesson #3: Attack Phoenix inside (to be fair the Raptors had no forwards who could ball – Villanueva played poorly). Use posts to play inside-outside. Penetrate and kick to force the Suns to foul. Beat up Marion and Diaw so they have less to give on the offensive end. Although Mike James was feeling the step-back three pointer, other Toronto guards took shots that were low percentage.

Some severely boneheaded plays were made tonight. The Suns are committed to their philosophy and stick to it. The Raptors showed up late to the game, fought hard to get back into it, then mentally checked out for the fourth quarter.

Coach Sam Mitchell said: “They just move the ball and they don’t miss shots.” Really? Perhaps Toronto should game plan for this next time?