"The NBA has often been a league dominated by big men, centers like Shaquille O'Neal, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Hakeem Olajuwon. Those over seven feet tall have an inherent advantage when it comes to a sport that involves putting a ball through a hoop ten feet off the ground. It's logical that teams would want to have that size on their roster."
"The Toronto Raptors haven't exactly caught on to that yet and are paying the price because of it. In four games, the Raptors have allowed the second highest opponent field goal percentage. Largely due to the fact that they have given up the fifth highest frequency of shots at the rim and opponents are shooting 71 percent on those looks."
"Giannis Antetokounmpo put up 31 points and 20 rebounds (7 offensive) while shooting 9 for 12 at the rim, relentlessly driving and finishing dunks and layups with ease. He also made 7 of his 12 free throws. Then, against the Dallas Mavericks, Anthony Davis had 25 points and 10 rebounds (6 offensive) while making 8 of his 9 shots at the rim and shooting eight free throws."
The NBA historically favors seven-foot centers who provide clear advantages near a ten-foot rim, and most teams prioritize such size outside a brief late-2010s 'small ball' trend. The Toronto Raptors currently lack an effective interior presence, resulting in the second-highest opponent field goal percentage through four games. Opponents are getting the fifth-highest share of rim attempts and converting those at 71 percent. Elite big men have exploited the Raptors' weakness: Giannis, Anthony Davis, Victor Wembanyama, and Onyeka Okongwu each dominated at the rim, scoring efficiently and drawing numerous free throws. Jakob Poeltl previously served as the interior anchor.
Read at Raptors Republic
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]