The Raptors were supposed to be different this year. After having been swept out of the 2017 Playoffs, they made a concerted effort to change their style of play. The premise of their planned transformation was sound; they didn’t want to become the very definition of insanity by continuing to do the same thing and yet expecting a different result. And so they resolved to be less reliant on their starters (and particularly DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry) and more trusting of the rest of their roster.
For the most part, the Raptors’ plan led to progress. Head coach Dwane Casey astutely reworked their sets on both ends of the court to favor a deeper rotation. They became less predictable and more successful, securing the top seed in the East and, more importantly, acquiring the confidence they felt they need to break through. It’s certainly why they managed to upend the Wizards in the first round, and why they deemed themselves ready to blitz the Cavaliers in the conference semifinals.
Fast forward to Game One, and the Raptors got the hot start they wanted. By the time the first quarter became history, they had in their possession a 14-point lead that looked formidable in light of the Cavaliers’ seeming dysfunction. There were just three problems, however. First, they were up against LeBron James, and his relentlessness proved enough to overcome their otherwise-excellent coverage for crucial stretches. Second, they faced an equally resolute cast, much-maligned for hitherto-untenable disappearing acts and yet somehow standing firm under pressure.
For all the Cavaliers-related concerns the Raptors had in closing out yesterday’s set-to, though, it was the obstacle closest to home that wound up hardest to overcome and ultimately devalued their cause. As good as Casey’s best-laid plans were, their execution with the outcome on the line left much to be desired. They could do no better than score 18 points in the fourth period; they missed 19 of 24 stabs at the basket, including four potential game winners in the dying seconds. And then when overtime came, they weren’t much better, missing four of seven shots that included yet another open trey attempt with the outcome on the line.
True, the Raptors have reason to hold their heads high. They may have lost Game One, but at least they know they’re on the right track. They were justified in their self-assurance; they were superior for most of the match, with outstanding defense on James the centerpiece of their competitiveness. He may have come up with one more triple-double for the books, but not for nothing did he have to take 30 field-goal attempts to do so, and not for nothing did he misfire on 18; that many were decidedly short underscored how gassed he was in fighting off his opponents.
On the other hand, the Raptors have to be worried that, even while they contained James and turned him into an inefficient scorer as best they could, they still failed to emerge victorious. Needless to say, they can’t flub so many grand opportunities from here on, not against the defending conference champions, and not against the league’s best player by far. They just lost homecourt advantage. They would do well to learn from their missteps, and fast, lest they lose the series as well.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994.
