Why do the Raptors suck?

[JoePanini]

Why the Raptors suck is really simple to explain at least on the surface.

According to this morning blog by Dino Nation the Raptors are 10 - 1 when they out shoot, ie. have a higher FG% then their opponents.

The Raptors as a team shoot fairly well. They currently rank 9th with a team FG% of .466 which is actually just ahead of the Lakers. Boston of course is #1 in team FG%

However in defensive FG% the Raptors currently rank dead last allowing opponents to shoot an astronomically high .492%

So the Raptors sucking has nothing to do with lack of star power or rebounding.

It has to do with the fact that the Raptors as a team can not play defense period.

Basketball is really a simple game on the surface. The object is to put the ball in the basket. So teams that do that better job of that than their opponents usually win more than they lose.

So the question is. Why can't the Raptors stop opponents from shooting so good against them?

1. Bad defensive schemes
2. Inexperience, because it takes NBA experience to learn how to play NBA team defense. Very few players, especially those with only a year or so of college ball come into the NBA knowing how to play team defense.
3. Lack of talent - Just like it takes certain skills to be able to shoot well it takes certain skills to be able to defend well.
4. Lack of effort on defense
5. Lack of communication on defense
6. All of the above
7. All of the above plus some other reasons not mentioned

BC needs to weed out the guys who don't and/or can't play defense and replace them with players that can shoot good and play defense.

You could have saved all those paragraphs and just wrote: "We need 5 Amir Johnsons on the floor"

[albertan_10]

difficult to attract FAs, yes. bad decisions by the GM? no. bad outcome from these decisions, yes.

Agreed. Look at Hedo. 17 assists last night. He looks like Hero Hedo we thought was coming to TO. I think Colangelo has done a great job but players come and flop on us.

Besides that, I think defense is harder to learn than offense. The only glory on defense is getting a block. Anyone actually watch the top ten steals of the week? Probably only a few and they are probably doing it just because they're bored. Team defense and getting a shot-clock violation on the other team doesn't give anyone glory. Offense does. So most of these guys have learned offense and have to now learn defense to take it to the next level. I think that it's what they should focus on the most as a coaching staff until the end of april above anything else. Defense defense defense. Guys like Wright are natural one on one defenders because they have 7'2 arm spans whcih is just sick. However, keepin your man in front of you and knowing when and when not to help is hard to learn and it'll take a while. That's the painful part of being a Raptor fan right now.

[Buddahfan]

Why the Raptors suck is really simple to explain at least on the surface.

According to this morning blog by Dino Nation the Raptors are 10 - 1 when they out shoot, ie. have a higher FG% then their opponents.

The Raptors as a team shoot fairly well. They currently rank 9th with a team FG% of .466 which is actually just ahead of the Lakers. Boston of course is #1 in team FG%

However in defensive FG% the Raptors currently rank dead last allowing opponents to shoot an astronomically high .492%

So the Raptors sucking has nothing to do with lack of star power or rebounding.

It has to do with the fact that the Raptors as a team can not play defense period.

Basketball is really a simple game on the surface. The object is to put the ball in the basket. So teams that do that better job of that than their opponents usually win more than they lose.

So the question is. Why can't the Raptors stop opponents from shooting so good against them?

1. Bad defensive schemes
2. Inexperience, because it takes NBA experience to learn how to play NBA team defense. Very few players, especially those with only a year or so of college ball come into the NBA knowing how to play team defense.
3. Lack of talent - Just like it takes certain skills to be able to shoot well it takes certain skills to be able to defend well.
4. Lack of effort on defense
5. Lack of communication on defense
6. All of the above
7. All of the above plus some other reasons not mentioned

BC needs to weed out the guys who don't and/or can't play defense and replace them with players that can shoot good and play defense.

[TheGloveinRapsUniform]

I don't buy that 'young team' argument. Portland have a younger team and are doing really well in the western conference. The main reasons are its difficult to attract top free agents here and some really bad decisions from our GM over the years.

if its young by age, then you are right, portland is a young team and they are doing quite well in the western conference. but you have to note that these guys have been together for 3-5 years now, compared to the raps who are young as well, but have only been together for a full season.

difficult to attract FAs, yes. bad decisions by the GM? no. bad outcome from these decisions, yes.

[RaptorsFan4Life]

Lack of developed talent. Lack of star power. Lack of experience. Lack of leadership. Lack of toughness. As this should be expected from a rebuilding team I guess...

We aren't rebuilding, we are retooling.

[Apollo]

lack of self-confidence?

Lack of developed talent. Lack of star power. Lack of experience. Lack of leadership. Lack of toughness. As this should be expected from a rebuilding team I guess...

[CB4]

We don't play defense.

[draftedraptor]

I don't buy that 'young team' argument. Portland have a younger team and are doing really well in the western conference. The main reasons are its difficult to attract top free agents here and some really bad decisions from our GM over the years.

[minks77]

Because they are very young, have no upper level talent, have no identity on either end of the court and are simply a cheap place holder waiting for another year.

[Raptors_]

idk man, i want us to win a championship soo bad but these guys can't get anything good to happen. We have terrible luck and a fucking millionaire guest list of injuries.

[Ruuuuu]

lack of self-confidence?