Raptors aren't afraid to play small-ball this season The Toronto Raptors, like most teams bold enough to play multiple point guards at once, had mixed results when going small in the backcourt last season.

Josh Lewenberg TSN Raptors Reporter Follow|Archive

TORONTO - The Toronto Raptors, like most teams bold enough to play multiple point guards at once, had mixed results when going small in the backcourt last season.

Just prior to Sunday's exhibition tilt, Dwane Casey spoke about his club's lack of success using those hybrid lineups a year ago and, without naming names, the head coach pointed straight to the root of the problem. Hint: those he feels are most responsible no longer play for the Toronto Raptors.

"The problem last year going small wasn't Kyle (Lowry), it was the other small guys with him," said Casey, seemingly alluding to former Raptor guards Greivis Vasquez and Lou Williams. "Now we have speed and quickness with Kyle, we have toughness with Kyle defensively so you don't get burned as much defensively when you do go small."

Both offensive-minded players, Williams - the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year winner - and Vasquez, a back-up point guard with starting experience, were reserves with benefits in 2014-15. They each logged roughly 25 minutes a night and saw time with the first unit in crucial moments of games throughout the campaign.

With their help, Toronto put up franchise record numbers offensively but the defence took a hit, particularly on the perimeter. Of course, there's plenty of blame to go around, not limited to the pair of guards in question. Largely based on injuries, Kyle Lowry regressed defensively after a strong season the year before and Terrence Ross, previously their best perimeter stopper, was one of the team's biggest disappointments. Casey didn't have many lineups that yielded positive results on that end of the floor.

The biggest concern when teams go small on the perimeter - say by pairing Lowry with Vasquez or Williams, or occasionally using all three together - is the size they give up defensively. Do the benefits on offence - more speed, better shooting, an extra ball handler - outweigh those defensive pitfalls?

At this time last year, Casey was enthusiastic about the prospect of Lowry and Vasquez sharing the floor. The two point guards had been one of Toronto's most productive pairings the season prior. Logging 490 minutes together after Vasquez arrived in a mid-season trade from Sacramento, the Raptors outscored opponents by an impressive 14.9 points per 100 possessions. That trend carried over into the playoffs, where the two-point guard lineup gave the Nets fits in Toronto's seven-game series defeat.

Instead, they were mostly ineffective as a duo. In 650 minutes on the floor together, Toronto was outscored by 1.2 points per 100 possessions, though the Lowry-Williams pairing fared better (+6.5 net rating), for what it's worth.

Vasquez was traded to Milwaukee on draft night and, to his surprise, Williams - an unrestricted free agent - was not offered a contract from the Toronto, ultimately signing with the Lakers. With defence in mind, Masai Ujiri spent the summer targeting versatile, two-way players.

Now, with newcomers Cory Joseph and DeMarre Carroll on board and expected to bolster the team's perimeter defence, Casey believes the Raptors will have more success with their unconventional lineups, including the Lowry-Joseph combination we've seen sparingly during the pre-season.

"It's a very small sample size," Casey said before Sunday's 87-81 exhibition win over Cleveland. "I like what I saw, but it's too early to tell in the fact that they're still going to have to have some time together. I think either one of them can play with anybody because they are tough, they're gritty, they can guard bigger players."

The two shared the court briefly late in the third quarter Sunday. In just under three minutes together, they each spent time defending point guard Mo Williams, while the other guarded two-man Jared Cunningham. On offence, Joseph handled the ball, allowing Lowry to operate as the unit's primary scorer, something we could see throughout the campaign to preserve the 29-year-old all-star. Both guards are also excellent at getting into the lane and breaking down the defence, a nightmare for the opposition to game-plan against.

"His motor is always going," Casey said of Joseph, who had 11 points and six assists in 20 minutes against the Cavaliers. "It's always in high gear as soon as we step on the floor. He understands what we're doing, what needs to be done at both ends. Really excited about what he brings to the table coming off of the bench."

"It's definitely big," DeMar DeRozan, asked about the two-point guard lineup. "We tried to do it a lot last year, play two point guards, and it's been beneficial. With a guy like Cory, especially on the defensive end, I think it's going to be great."

He may not deploy the duo a ton once the regular season opens, but Casey is comfortable throwing his two point guards out there when his offence needs a jolt, knowing that Joseph is a proven defender at the position and Lowry is better than he showed a year ago.

"Deep down Kyle has a defensive mindset," the Raptors head coach said. "Deep within there somewhere he's got one. So, for the most part, it's just those [new] guys bringing that edge into practice and it's contagious, I think. The talking is contagious."

"I think Kyle coming in in great, great shape - not good shape, great condition - he's one of our best guys at getting into the basketball right now,' he continued. "That's something that was our challenge last year, getting into the pick and roll. That's where the pick and roll defence starts because if you don't get into the ball before that screen hits you then you'll never catch up. So he's done a great job with that. He's kind of setting the tone. How he gets an advantage is [Bismack] Biyombo is talking to him, [Jonas Valanciunas] is talking to him earlier. So the combination is there earlier, for whatever reason, than it was last year. Guards right now don't have an excuse. Everyone has a job to do to on every possession and that's why we're holding everyone accountable on each possession defensively."