Raptors Need Improvement in One Area Before Playoffs

The Toronto Raptors are in the midst of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.

Toronto Raptors guard Ja'Kobe Walter dribbles up the court against the Detroit Pistons. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Toronto Raptors are going into the All-Star break with one of the better records in the Eastern Conference at 32-23, but there are places in which the team can improve.

A common criticism the Raptors have faced is their lack of physicality, mainly because they don't have the size to match other teams. Getting Jakob Poeltl back from injury will help, but that has been a consistent issue throughout the season for the Raptors. Head coach Darko Rajakovic spoke about the team's physicality and how the Raptors impose it on their opponents.

“There are different ways of physicality. … Our physicality is not really based on muscle and size, which we don’t have a lot of that, but our physicality is more based on our activity and us being in right spots and us covering for each other,” Rajakovic said via Toronto Sun reporter Ryan Wolstat.

“It’s kind of like team aspect of it. And lot of those most physical teams, they do a really good job on ball screens and the grabbing and holding and making it hard to execute and run your offence."

Detroit Pistons guard Duncan Robinson drives to the net against Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Raptors Finding Ways to Add Physicality

As the Raptors inch closer to the playoffs, physicality will become even more important in the game. The matchup against the first-place Detroit Pistons exposed a lot of the team's lack of resources in that area. Physicality can take on numerous forms, as Rajakovic mentioned, but the primary one has to be mental.

Physicality is about imposing will and committing to the idea of giving it 100 per cent on every play while being unafraid of pushing boundaries. Every successful team in NBA history has shown physicality in one way or another. They come in different forms, but every team has to impose their will somehow.

The Raptors are still figuring out a lot about their roster in terms of what works and what doesn't work. It's going to take months, even years, to figure out exactly what works best. It's not an easy process to undrgo, but the Raptors have to go through these growing pains to figure things out.

The Raptors will have their All-Star break and return to the court on Thursday when they take on the new-look Chicago Bulls inside the Windy City. Tip-off from the United Center is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET. Fans can watch the game on Sportsnet or stream it on NBA League Pass.