December Eastern Conference Player of the month Kyle Lowry, centre, has shouldered the load for the Raptors lately.Mark J. Rebilas
After returning home from a road trip on which they lost four of six games, allowed an average of 110 points and gave up their spot atop the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors regrouped with a "training-camp-style" practice on Tuesday.
Together at home in Toronto for the first time since Dec. 21, the travel-weary Raptors had a short but intensely competitive practice, focusing on defensive fundamentals. The team has played a more offensive style while trying to manage without DeMar DeRozan, who has been out since he suffered a groin injury on Nov. 28. But as the star swingman works to return to the lineup this week, the 24-10 squad is recommitting to defence, and coach Dwane Casey hopes the team will show off its tougher side.
"If we'd compete in games the way we do in practice, we'd be a much better defensive team, so we've got to carry that over to the games," said Casey. "We had to adjust [without DeRozan], and the way we did that was playing a little faster, which in turn affected our defence. So we have to get a little more deliberate, play a style that will travel, a style that will produce in the playoffs. I have never seen it yet – an up-and-down, fast-break style team that wins a championship."
After a loss in Chicago, the Raptors recorded impressive wins out west over the L.A. Clippers and Denver Nuggets. They suffered a disheartening and exhausting overtime loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, and then two uncharacteristic drubbings followed – 126-105 to the Golden State Warriors and 125-109 to the Phoenix Suns, Toronto's most lopsided losses of the season.
They hadn't lost three straight since December of 2013. They slipped to third place in the East behind the Atlanta Hawks and Chicago Bulls after holding top spot in the conference for 60 days.
"We were a great defensive team, and we dropped," said Patrick Patterson. "We feel we should be a top defensive team, a solid top-10 defensive team, and we've gotten away from that and have focused more on the offensive end. We've got to get back to it."
The numbers bear him out. Giving up an average of 101.6 points a game this season, the Raptors' defence ranks 22nd in the 30-team league.
Casey says the team needs to play with more of a chip on its shoulder, and he added fuel to their fire.
"Someone told me the coach of Phoenix said they could have beat us by 40, but last time I checked, we beat them here at our place, so that type of thing puts a chip on our shoulder," said Casey. "Kyle being just fourth in the [All-Star voting by fans at his position] – that should also put a chip on our shoulder."
"Karma is something in this league," Casey added, "and we've got to play with that kind of edginess to prove to this league that we're for real."
Lowry was named December's Eastern Conference Player of the month, an honour only one Raptor had ever received before: Chris Bosh in January, 2007. Lowry is currently averaging 34.5 minutes a game, putting him among the top 25 most heavily used players in the league.
"This time home will do me good," said Lowry. "To get back into our whirlpools and our treatment centre, to be home and relax more, eat some good food instead of hotel food, it's going to be very good for me."
While DeRozan practised with the team out west for the first time since his injury, he had to miss Tuesday's practice in Toronto to undergo scans on the injured groin. Results of those tests could help determine his return date, which is likely to be Thursday against the Charlotte Hornets or Saturday versus the Boston Celtics, the first two of six straight games at home.