Raptors Need to Avoid 'Slugfest' by Dictating Tempo to 76ers

The Toronto Raptors need to get out and run in transition and can't get bogged down in a slugfest against the Philadelphia 76ers in the playoffs

Aaron Rose | Apr 13, 2022

Kyle Ross-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Raptors make no secret of who they are.

They’re a team built to get out and run, crash the glass, play relentless defense, create turnovers, and score buckets in transition. It’s become part of their identity since Nick Nurse took over the organization in 2018, never finishing lower than fifth in the league in transition offense frequency. And yet, when the playoffs roll around, those transition buckets Toronto so often lives by can dry up in a hurry.

In 2020, for example, the Raptors were among the league’s very best transition teams. They got out and ran on 18.4% of their offensive possessions and ranked second to only the Los Angeles Lakers in the regular season in transition points generated, per Cleaning the Glass. Then came the playoffs and after breezing through the Brooklyn Nets in the first round, all that offensive firepower dried up in a hurry.

The Boston Celtics were ready. They got back on defense, forgoing second-chance opportunities to settle in and snuff out Toronto’s transition chances. That once prolific transition offense disappeared for the Raptors who were forced to play in the half-court with little to no success.

“Teams do a much better job of getting back (in the playoffs). They really do against us because we’re a team that generates a lot of offense out of the fast break,” said Nurse following Wednesday’s practice. “This is gonna be a slugfest right here, this one coming up.”

That’s the concern for Toronto. A “slugfest” is going to benefit the Philadelphia 76ers who play a methodical slow-paced brand of basketball. They’ll run pick-and-rolls with Joel Embiid and James Harden or throw post-ups into the paint and let the 7-foot Embiid get to work as the clock ticks away. Since acquiring Harden on Feb. 10, the 76ers rank fifth in the league in half-court scoring compared to 29th in transition offense, per Cleaning the Glass. The Raptors, conversely, rank 26th in half-court scoring and fourth in transition offense.

“It’s very much so harder (to play in transition) in the playoffs for the simple fact of teams are trained and taught to, once the shot goes up – especially if it’s a team that likes to play in transition – to hurry up and send two guys back,” said Thad Young. “It’s definitely much more tougher for the simple fact that it’s a seven-game series and you’re gonna hone in on the strengths and the weaknesses.”

The key for the Raptors is going to be dictating the game to Philadelphia. For as good as the 76ers are in half-court settings on both ends of the court, they ranked 28th in the league in transition defense during the regular season and only got worse when Harden showed up.

If Toronto can force Philadelphia to play Raptors basketball, the Raptors should have no problem overcoming their offensive shortcomings. However, if as Nurse said, the series becomes a “slugfest” and the 76ers can slow things down, the Raptors may find themselves facing the same fate as the 2020 playoffs when the Celtics forced Toronto to adapt to their brand of basketball.

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