It is schemes and effort and most definitely the absence of an anchor like Jakob Poeltl . The Raptors defence is broken at so many levels, it’s folly to point at one more than any other. They don’t stop the ball in transition, they can’t keep wings in front of them consistently, the straight drive lines they give up are dizzying and the defensive rebounding is at times lax.
And, sure, some nights they score themselves back into games and that’s often entertaining, but the overarching defensive lapses the Raptors show are the hallmark of a team not getting any better. The Memphis Grizzlies — granted, one of the most effective offensive teams in the NBA — toyed with Toronto on Thursday, cruising to a 155-126 victory that laid bare for all to see the many Raptors defensive deficiencies. The 155 points were the most ever surrendered by a Toronto team.
The previous – 152 – was in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in 1998. Memphis’s 155 were the most by a team in NBA game this season, as well. The game was Toronto’s ninth straight loss — a season high — and drops the Raptors to 1-14 on the road this season and 7-24 on the season.
The defensive regression has been shocking: • Toronto surrendered 43 points in the first quarter, equalling the most of any quarter this season. To add injury to that insult, Memphis also scored 43 points in the third quarter as well. • Toronto surrendered 78 points in the first half, the most points allowed in any half this se.
