A Letter to the Bench

I really don’t want to write this, it pains me to see these words appear on the screen but I feel if I continue to bottle my emotions, than I may become a danger to society. Joking, not really.

I sat down tonight, May 2nd, 2019, and tuned in to watch the Raptors face off against the Sixers. I was excited, but nervous. The Philly home crowd is no joke, and the Sixers are really hard to beat if they get off to a hot start. Well wouldn’t you know it, the Sixers got off to a hot start. 9-3 in the first minute. The crowd was rolling and the Raptors looked to Kawhi to score the first 7 points. Not a good start.

“It’s not the end of the world.” I muttered to myself, continuing to have faith in the Raptors. But the more the Sixers ramped up the intensity, the less the Raptors did. Canada’s team held firm, keeping the game close but at the end the lack of attention to details, lack of a bench, lack of shooting, lack of pretty much everything etched this games result into stone.

Now I want to know how. How the hell does Fred VanVleet post 1-3-1, Norman Powell    6-0-2, and Serge Ibaka 4-5-0 while shooting a combined 24%? HOW? Are you kidding me? One of the best benches in the NBA during the regular season is completely crumbling against the Sixers and I frankly don’t know why.

Lets start with VanVleet. Steady Freddy has been having a BRUTAL playoffs. Barring game 3, Fred is averaging 5.6-2-3.6 on 36% from the field and 27% from three.

…

Okay, ya, ya that’s fine. What do you think?

Wait-before you begin, lets talk about Serge Ibaka in this Sixers series. Ibaka is averaging 4.5-3.5-0. I mean he is playing 16 minutes a night so I don’t totally blame him. Except wait, ya I do. Ibaka is shooting 28% from the field. I’m sorry what? Twe-TWENTY EIGHT PERCENT?! HOW? You’re a center Serge! Ibaka needs to play with some more ferocity. He’s too hot and cold, and often doesn’t take the ball to the rim hard enough. It’s simple. If you’re going to drive to the rim, DRIVE. TO. THE. RIM.

Now I get it, you might be guarded by Joel Embiid, but if you are, then become mobile. Serge, you are more mobile than Joel Embiid. Get him moving, get yourself moving, create space for cutters, don’t just keep doing that hop-step into Embiids chest which hardly ever works. 

The Raptors may want to consider switching up the rotations, or just y’know, hitting some shots.

Now look. I like the Raptors bench, I like Ibaka, Fred, and Powell, I do, despite how this comes across. I hate to be toxic and harsh, but we need to face facts as basketball, and Raptors fans. If the Raptors want to advance to the next round, they need to take a hard look at themselves in the mirror, because this Sixers team is hungry, and is going to murder them in Game 4 if the Raptors, barring Siakam, Kawhi, Gasol, and sometimes Lowry, don’t step it up.

Nick Nurse may want to consider possible rotations like using Patrick McCaw in a PG role. Sounds crazy to non-Raptors fans but the man is very quick, is a solid defender, has decent basketball IQ, and did I mention? He’s 6’7 and can switch onto any forward or guard on the Sixers lineup.

Look, again, I hate to do this and in reality, these guys are pro’s, and I am sure they will get their groove back, but it doesn’t mean that I can’t speak for Raptors fans and tell it like I see it. It’s time to wake up and put this Sixers team in its place, which last I checked, isn’t the Eastern Conference Finals.