"Because the team is asking for such wild defensive performances, players who are unable to perform in this system are being sidelined. Gradey Dick is seeing his minutes dwindle. I'm sure he'd be far more comfortable defensively if he weren't 30 feet away from the rim reaching for the ball in space. That's like trying to fight Darth Vader without any pants on. Or a lightsaber. But instead Dick isn't playing despite offering plenty of offensive punch,"
"Murray-Boyles re-entered the game in the third, tipped in a Shead lob. He was also crossed out of his shoes in the open floor by Wembanyama. Magnet hands and bull strength can only carry you so far against sheer lunacy. Although it can work okay sometimes; later in the third he saw Wembanyama too deep in the paint guarding him, so he drove him under the rim, gathered through his body, and drew two free throws."
The team demands extreme defensive performances that sideline players unable to meet those standards. Gradey Dick's minutes have dwindled despite offensive upside because coaches prioritize defense over his scoring. A player like Dick would defend more comfortably closer to the rim rather than 30 feet out chasing the ball. Coaches need to coach to the players they have. Murray-Boyles re-entered in the third, tipped a lob, and alternated getting beaten by Wembanyama with exploiting defensive positioning to draw fouls, hit threes, force turnovers, and strip opponents. Murray-Boyles contributed in many ways, but the Raptors' defense remained too atrocious to win.
Read at Raptors Republic
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