Toronto Raptors Need to Figure Out Their Rotation

The rotation wasn’t the reason why the Toronto Raptors dropped a disappointing 100-90 series opener to Indiana on Saturday afternoon, but it’s an issue that needs to be resolved immediately.

The return of DeMarre Carroll was supposed to be the Toronto Raptors x-factor this postseason. But instead, his presence in the lineup has forced head coach Dwane Casey to shuffle up his rotation an reallocate minutes to players.

The results?

Well, I’m sure you watched the game Saturday and saw for yourself, but to put it mildly, the rotations were a mess.

Patrick Patterson and Cory Joseph should have played more, Terrence Ross was in fine “T-Ross playoff form”, Casey kept DeMar DeRozan on the bench when George sat, and that’s just a few of the rotation issues.

The most glaring issue for the Raptors, however, was Paul George. He dominated the Raptors in the second half and made DeRozan’s life miserable on both ends of the floor. Why DeRozan was forced to guard him all game is beyond me.

He had success guarding him during the regular season, but it was pretty clear that this was a different Paul George on Saturday, especially in the second half. When George started to get hot and torch DeRozan possession after possession, wouldn’t it make sense to put Carroll, or even Norman Powell, on George?

“I was searching to find somebody to stop Paul George. That’s what we were searching for… It wasn’t fair to DeMarre to put him in there after he got going, and then try to turn the water off. We’ll come up with a rotation in that situation.

– Dwane Casey

Isn’t that why we signed Carroll in the offseason? To be the antidote to this very problem? You know, play D and shoot threes, but most importantly, defend long wing players who have regularly given the Raptors trouble in the past?

Casey admitted after the game that he was searching for someone to stop George, which seems absurd with Carroll on this team. Even more absurd, though, was how Casey said it wouldn’t be fair to Carroll to put him in to cover George after he got hot.

If Carroll’s healthy enough to play, why not let him cover George? During his post game presser, Carroll sounded frustrated with his lack of involvement in the game, particularly once George got going.

I hate to make this all about Carroll here, but he really is the key to the Raptors’ rotational issues. He’s the guy who gives Casey versatility and allows him to create match ups, like playing Kyle Lowry and Cory Joseph together. Unless he’s too hurt to play, there is no reason why Carroll shouldn’t be out there covering George whenever possible.

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Beyond Carroll, the insertion of Patrick Patterson into the starting lineup seems like an obvious choice to make. Or, at the very least, an increase in minutes is necessary. Starting power forward Luis Scola has not played well for the past month, but the Raptors’ success has masqueraded some of his woes.

The decision to start Patterson over Scola seems like an obvious one, but when you’re in the midst of a 56-win season, and Scola has been your starter for the majority of those victories, it’s easy to see why Casey is reluctant to make the change.

But if Casey needed more proof, he got it Saturday. Patterson was a difference-maker in the first half, but because the rotations were being shuffled he inexplicably sat for almost the entire third quarter. His erratic playing time hurt the Raptors on Saturday, and it’s something that can’t happen again.

Of course, some of these rotational issues will be resolved once Lowry and DeRozan play better. The two stars combined to go 8-for-32 on Saturday, which would make winning difficult for any team, not just the Raptors.

Despite their struggles, though, it looked to be the same old story with Casey and his rotation in Game 1, which is painful to watch. I have no doubt that Casey is more than capable of discovering a nine-man rotation that works for him — you don’t win 56 games by mistake. Unfortunately, we’ve seen these issues in the past.

If the rotation continues to be an issue throughout this series, you really have to wonder about Casey. He’s done a fantastic job this season, but if the adjustments are not made during the playoffs, his regular season success is an afterthought.

Next: Despite Vote of Confidence, Casey Must Deliver

Perhaps George’s big second half will ignite change. But if the past few years are any indication, Casey is going to play this like he has all season, which means his propensity for risk will remain conservative.

I really hope I’m wrong with that assessment, but when you keep getting the same results over and over again, and the process remains the same, you tend to get more of the same results.

What did you make of the Toronto Raptors’ rotation on Saturday? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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