What type of offense will the Raptors run this year? It is a good question because you might think the team would tailor its offensive scheme to fit with Brandon Ingram. And what is Brandon Ingram good at? Isolation scoring or scoring one one against his opponent. Yes Ingram is a three level scorer who is six foot eight with a seven foot three wingspan. He also has a high release point when he is shooting his shot. This makes it almost impossible to block or even disrupt his shot.
So you would think that the team would do a lot of pick and roll with Ingram involved and let him either shoot or pass to the open man, depending on how they defend him in the pick and roll. However, we need to look at the clues. What clues?
What Type of Offense Will the Raptors Run This Year? Summer League Clues!
What was the focus on this year’s Toronto Raptors’ summer league team? Defense and lots of it! It was quite something to watch the team pick opponents up at full court, and harassing them up the floor. It reminded me back in grade six and all I did was pick up my man full court. It was tiring! But this team did it. And they put a lot of pressure on ball and also used their length to steal, deflect and get their hand in passing lanes. For some it might have looked ugly, but for me it was beautiful basketball. And their intense defense took them to the summer league finals which was impressive! So what about their offense?
Well, it was a work in progress and at times it was rough to watch. The reason for this was that the Raptors wanted their defense to fuel their offense. This met getting a steal or rebound and quickly running up the court and either getting a fast break basket or scoring before the opponent’s defense has time to set. However, the problem came when the other team was able to set their defense and the Raptors had to play five on five. They struggled and this was magnified by the poor shooting the team had. However, because their defense was so good, they could overcome this in most cases. So will they run this type of offense this season?
What Type of Offense Will the Raptors Run This Year? Similar to Summer League
The second half of last season, the Raptors were one of the top defensive teams in the league and the team has doubled down on defense. For example, in the NBA draft, the team drafted Collin Murray-Boyles who is considered one of the best defenders in the draft. Also, as mentioned above, they emphasized defense in summer league. So I expect the defense to fuel their offense and they team will play fast. They will immediately run down the court after every rebound and steal and either try to score a fast break basket or score in early offense.
Coach Darko Rajaković’s scheme is .5 offense. This means the player makes a quick decision to pass or shoot. Now for early offense to be effective, you need players who can make quick decisions before the defense has a chance to fully set. That is why the team is trying to get more high IQ basketball players who can pass. Collin Murray-Boyles is the latest example of this. This should help their offense be a bit better. However, when things get bogged down and you are playing against a set defense, you need something else to help you score.
Enter Brandon Ingram, he is one of the top isolation scorers in the league. So if you are going against a set defense, get the ball to Ingram. If the opponent double teams him, he can make the pass to the open man as he is a good passer. And, if they do not double him and guard him one on one, you then just let Brandon Ingram cook as not too many people in the NBA can guard him. Think of him as the team’s release valve when the pressure is too great.
Conclusion
I am really looking forward to what the team looks like this year. The NBA is a copy cat league and the Toronto Raptors are definitely copying this year. Who you might ask? Well, the current champions the OKC Thunder. They were the top defensive team in the league and their defense fueled their offense. However, they had a release valve when their offense was bogged down. His name was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the current MVP and one of the best isolation players in the NBA. Can the Raptors replicate this formula? I am not sure but it is going to be fun to watch them try.
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