This season, the Raptors are 5-0 and one of two unbeaten teams in the league (Warriors). It’s the best 5-game start in franchise history. How are the Raptors doing it?
OFFENSE
The Raptors have the 6th-best offensive rating in the NBA. What has carried the team to this ranking?
1 – Offensive Rebounding
The Raptors are 4th in the NBA in offensive rebound percentage. Toronto leads the NBA with 16.6 second-chance points per game.
2 – Three-point field goal percentage
Toronto is shooting 39.0% on three-pointers this season, 3rd in the NBA. While the team takes only 20.0 attempts per game (25th in the NBA), the long-distance threat sets up other elements off the offense.
3 – Spacing
Spacing leads to open lanes and Toronto’s cutters have been the most efficient in the NBA this season. The Raptors are also using their spacing for better post-up opportunities. Toronto is the 3rd-most efficient post team this season. Toronto’s spacing comes into play when their post players are forced to pass out. The team’s efficiency increases 9.1% on these plays.
DEFENSE
The Raptors ranked 23rd in defensive rating last season. That has improved to 6th this season. The 9.4% improvement has been seen in a number of different areas:
1 – Defending the pick-and-roll
The Raptors have the most efficient pick-and-roll defense in the NBA. Opponents are scoring on just 21.4% of pick-and-roll plays this season. Toronto’s pick-and-roll defense is 15% more efficient than any other team.
2 – Clamping down with a short shot clock
Toronto is the 3rd-most efficient team with a short shot clock. The Raptors have allowed just 4-20 shooting (20%) with the shot clock under 4 seconds this season. Overall, Toronto is about 24% more efficient per play than the NBA median on these plays.
3 – Forcing turnovers
The Raptors are third in the NBA in steals percentage. The Raptors force turnovers on 15.6% of opponent’s plays in the halfcourt, second-best in the NBA (Celtics). It’s one of the reasons that Toronto’s halfcourt defense is the 5th-most efficient in the league.
Peter Newmann is an analyst and writer who spent 10 years at ESPN, 8 as the NBA senior researcher working 24/7 on the league. He wrote game notes for crews, articles for ESPN.com, analysis for studio shows, and regularly assisted reporters and writers. Follow him on Twitter, and check out his Web site, www.peternewmann.com.