Opposing coaches keep saying the same things after losing to Raptors

Daniel Dunn-USA TODAY Sports | Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Raptors might not be the most naturally talented team in the NBA.

But their unique roster construction has clearly been causing fits for opposing rosters, with the Raptors’ 5-3 record vaulting them to third place in the Eastern Conference after the first few weeks of the season.

While they do have a trio of losses in there, two of them are against teams — Miami and Philadelphia — they’ve also beaten this season by way of the NBA’s new two-game sets in consecutive games against the same opponent in the same city.

And after just about every Raptors win, it seems like opposing coaches are sharing the same sentiments about a Raptors team that often has as many as four players 6’8″ or above sharing the floor.

“They’re strong, they’re long,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said after last night’s 143-100 Toronto win, the worst home loss of his career. “Very athletic. They bust their ass. They deny the switch. Very good basketball team. They do it really well. And you know, we’re probably not ready for that right now obviously.”

But the future Hall of Famer (and five-time NBA champion) Popovich isn’t the only coach who seems to be frustrated playing against Toronto.

“You got a lot of guys the same size that can play switchable defence and all that. [Nick Nurse] is an excellent coach, he does a great job. [The challenge is] their defence,” 76ers coach Doc Rivers said last week after a 119-109 loss to Toronto. “Their offence, you get them in the half court, you feel pretty good about your chances to stop them, but they’re so long, and they’re so switchable, it allows you to do so many different things defensively, and [Nurse] does a great job of doing that.”

Doc Rivers on #Raptors HC Nick Nurse: “He’s an excellent coach, he does a great job. [The challenge is] their defence… their offence, you get them in the half court, you feel pretty good about your chances to stop them.” pic.twitter.com/fizVI946lT

— Adam Laskaris (@adam_la2karis) October 27, 2022

“A team like this will pound you,” Hawks coach Nate McMillan said Monday night after Toronto’s 139-109 win. “That team is switching, it’s not something we haven’t seen, but we were just sloppy with the basketball.”

This week, the Raptors remain in Texas where they take on the Dallas Mavericks tomorrow night. One can only wonder what Mavs coach Jason Kidd will have to say after that one.

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