The Toronto Raptors are not entering the regular season committed to a specific rotation or even starting five. They’re going to change things on a game-by-game, even half-by-half, distribution. Head coach Nick Nurse says so.
From Josh Lewenberg:
According to Toronto’s new head coach, who is known for his innovative mind and willingness to adapt on the fly, the Raptors may change up their rotation, including the starting lineup, on a game-to-game and perhaps even half-to-half basis throughout the season. . .
“I think what’ll happen is you’ll throw a starting lineup out there and you’ll win a game and [think], ‘oh we don’t wanna change the starting lineup,” Nurse said following the team’s Sunday afternoon practice. “It’s almost like a superstition thing. I’d like to keep it a little fluid, only because I think this is a super versatile team and I’d like to keep us in a versatile mindset, especially starting out here.”
“I’m a guy that when there’s something rolling out there, the predetermined rotations might go right in the garbage can. You know what I’m saying? You may think ‘ah, I’m gonna give ’em a 6-minute stint’, and all of a sudden it may turn into a 12-minute stint, and that changes everything.”
Nurse isn’t the only coach in the NBA championing this approach. Philadelphia 76ers head honcho Brett Brown has intimated he could tinker with the team’s starting lineup on a half-by-half basis as well.
It’ll be interesting to see how this experiment plays out in Toronto, though. Nurse seems prepared to futz and fiddle with his entire rotation more than most coaches. Players have reacted well to the distribution thus far.
Most of the changes seem to have come within the frontcourt, where the Raptors will spend more time trying to matchup-proof their personnel. One night, they could go with two-big combinations. Other nights, they could play Pascal Siakam with Jonas Valanciunas or Serge Ibaka. Or they could go with one-big arrangements. Or they could go super small with Siakam at the 5.
Truth told, they’ll probably do it all. They’re built for as much. If I had to pick, though, be ready for a lion’s share of their rotation to be dedicated to one-big-plus-Siakm linups, in addition to Siakam-at-the-5 compositions.
