Blue-collar defense is likely to be appreciated in Toronto more than in a lot of other NBA cities, based on the constructive influence of the Maple Leafs and the NHL in general.
"I call it the hockey mentality, because I know that's what the fans want to see," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "It's that type of physical play where you legally put your hands on people and be physical, body people when they cut through the paint. Those are things we're teaching -- how to do it legally without being called for fouls, and protecting the paint."
May 2011 Toronto Raptors Wiretap
Raptors center Aaron Gray is out of action indefinitely while he undergoes further monitoring and testing for a rapid heart rate.
The Raptors decided to withhold Gray from game action after consulting with league cardiologist Dr. Allan Schwartz.
Gray will still be able to participate in full contact practices, the team said Friday.
DeMar DeRozan has all the tools to be a good defender, and Raptors coach Dwane Casey wants him to set a tone on that end.
“I think he wants to be a better defender, I think he is becoming a better defender,” Casey said. “That’s our challenge to him, to be a better defender, to guard the best two-guards in the league. That’s the most important thing, is picking it up on the defensive end. … He has the quick feet, quick hands, athletic ability to go up and contest shots. There is no reason he should not be able to be an elite defender.”
DeRozan has gotten the message—now, it is up to him to execute.
“Definitely, there is more of a passion on the defensive end,” DeRozan said. “We hear it from all of the coaching staff, really pushing us to be the type of team that leaves our mark on the defensive end. I think it is going to pay off in the end for us. He just has guys buying in on the defensive end, with the understanding that you can’t win games without the team executing defensive schemes. The more we buy into it, the more we get a chance to play and practice, we are going to get a lot better at it.”
The Raptors defeated Cleveland by a final score of 104-96 in their 11-12 regular season debut.
"Everybody who stepped on the floor contributed in some way or another," said new coach Dwane Casey. "I liked what I saw tonight, but this is a process. The good thing is we've got 65 more games to find out how far we can go."
Toronto assisted on 35 of its 42 field goals.
"I always say, 'Trust the pass,' and my guys did," Casey said. "They trusted each other, and found the open man."
Casey believes their ball distribution is what will separate this year's team from last year.
“That’s the difference from this year and last year, I thought,” Casey said. “No disrespect to last year but this is not a democracy offensively; we want to make sure we get the ball where we want it to go.
“It’s not a “my turn” game, it’s not a rec league game,” the coach added. “We want to make sure our offensive players who are our closers get the basketball and I thought Jose (Calderon) did an excellent job of doing that, getting the ball to DeMar and also Andrea at the right time in the right place.”
The Mavericks still have one roster spot open and are exploring the feasibility of filling it with Kyrylo Fesenko.
Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com on Saturday that the Mavericks, even after signing local high school product Sean Williams as a third center earlier this week, have extended a one-year offer to Fesenko.
Toronto, Golden State and Miami are also pursuing Fesenko.
Sources say that the Raptors, with a full 15 players on their roster, are exploring avenues to create an open spot for Fesenko, who turned 25 on Saturday.
Raptors coach Dwane Casey measures his team’s defensive success in part by consecutive defensive stops, with three being the ideal number over the course of a game.
“When we do that, we’re doing pretty good defensively,” Casey said. “That’s our goal. We talk about that, we focus on that, and I was surprised and happy that we got that number (in the Raptors’ pre-season opener against Boston).”
The Raptors’ next aim is to hold opponents to less than 45 percent from the field while limiting attempts at the rim.
Casey understands the value in keeping track of opponent shot locations, contested long two-point field goal attempts, and layups allowed.
Raptors coach Dwane Casey talked up Jerryd Bayless, who was tremendous in 14 starts for the Raptors last season (18.1 points, 6.7 assists, 46.7% shooting in 35.3 minutes per game) before adding that at this point, incumbent Jose Calderon is the likely starter.
“It’s going to be a good battle with he and Jose, we’re going to have to figure out who is the best for us coming off the bench, who is going to be our starter,” Casey said.
“(Bayless) does give us juice off the bench ... changing the game, pushing the basketball. If I was leaning one way, it would be that way right now, but I haven’t made my mind up 100%.”
Gary Forbes is now a member of the Raptors.
After signing Forbes to an offer sheet, the Nuggets declined to match.
Forbes had a breakout season with Denver in 10-11 and received an endorsement from former and now current teammate Anthony Carter.
“He’d bring a lot of toughness, he can score, he can defend, he’s got a post presence,” Carter said.
“He’s never down, he comes in early and leaves late. It’s always good to have guys like that and I just hope Denver doesn’t match.
It is clear by now that Andrea Bargnani never will live up to the Dirk Nowitzki comparisons he has been saddled with. But Dwane Casey, the former Dallas assistant who knows the ins and outs of Nowitzki’s game like few others, still sees similarities and will run similar plays for Bargnani that Rick Carlisle drew up for Nowitzki.
“He’s one of the best shooters in the world and we want to make sure we utilize that,” said Casey.
“I know a lot of people don’t like that (Nowitzki) comparison, but I know how those sets turn out and how they work. We’ll have a lot of sets for him. Inside-outside, because he has that great skill-set.”
Casey said he will force Bargnani to improve offensively by doing things he has shied away from in the past.
“Andrea’s next step is accepting the contact inside. Initializing, (being a) physical, post up player and taking advantage of his size in the paint. We’re going to run a lot of sets for him to get the ball to him inside that’s what’s going to help keep the other teams off balance ... it’s going to help him as an all-around player because teams can’t key on (only his outside game).”
Reggie Evans is receiving interest from the Raptors, Blazers, Celtics and Nets.
Evans is not yet close to a deal with any of the teams.
Evans has been with the Raptors since a 2009 trade sent him from Philadelphia.