The Toronto Raptors are slowly getting back to their old form after surviving a very tough stretch last month. But for several analysts, including Basketball Insiders writer Nate Duncan, they think the emerging Eastern Conference power need to swing for another trade to improve their still shaky perimeter defense.
Currently in position to secure at least a home-court advantage in the first-round of the playoffs, the Raptors recently racked up six straight victories before bowing out against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.
However, despite boasting the fifth-best offense in the league at 106.1 points per game, the Raptors proved to be vulnerable on the defensive end (101 points allowed per game). While Jonas Valanciunas is impressively holding his own ground as a rim protector, the Raptors perimeter defense is by far the weakest facet of the team.
According to Duncan, the Raptors clearly need to address the issue before the trade deadline if they want to avoid the same problem they faced in the playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets, where Joe Johnson bullied his way through the Raptors' thin perimeter defense.
Duncan suggested acquiring a lock-down defender should be a priority for the Raptors' top brass if they want to go deep into the playoffs this year. Denver Nuggets shooting guard Arron Afflalo has emerged as an intriguing option for the Raptors because of his ability to play solid perimeter defense and put up solid numbers offensively.
"James Johnson is nearly out of the rotation, as seems to happen to him everywhere he ends up despite showing flashes. So if Casey won't play him, maybe a trade to upgrade on the wing defense is in order, perhaps for someone like Afflalo (although his rep probably exceeds his effectiveness, at least he's not going to get bullied)."
"They are going to need someone to deal with big wings in the playoffs anyway if Johnson isn't playing, since you'll recall they were destroyed by the likes of Joe Johnson last playoffs."
The Raptors currently have several draft picks in their stash of assets, including the Knicks first-round pick (acquired from the Andrea Bargnani trade). Terrence Jones could be another trade chip for the Raptors, despite being publicly labeled as untouchable by the front-office. In the end, the buck stops on general manager Masai Ujiri and the Raptors brain trust whether they are ready for an ambitious run at the title this season.
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