Raptors turning things around on defensive end

PHILADELPHIA -- The 20-game mark of the NBA season is traditionally the time when teams take stock of where they stand. And when you happen to give up 146 points in Game 20, it's probably a good idea to take a close look at your defense.

At 7-13 after a 146-115 loss in Atlanta on Dec. 2, what the Toronto Raptors saw when they looked in the mirror was the worst defense in the league ... by far.

Through 20 games, the Raptors were allowing their opponents to score 115.2 points per 100 possessions, which was more than 11 points more than the league average and five points more than the second worst defense in the league.

This wasn't just a bad defense. This was a historically bad defense.

Entering his first full season as head coach, Jay Triano believed the best way to defend was the way the best teams defend. He had his team overloading the strong side of the floor and helping aggressively on penetration. But in doing so, they left themselves vulnerable on the perimeter.

The Raptors' opponents were shooting close to 40 percent from 3-point range, which is like shooting 60 percent from inside the arc. And it was time to rethink that strategy, because when it comes to defense, Chris Bosh is not Kevin Garnett, Andrea Bargnani is not Kendrick Perkins and Jose Calderon is not Rajon Rondo.

"We decided to change things and play to our strengths and our personnel," Triano said, "rather than try to do what some of the other teams in the NBA do."

The Raptors' bigs now stay at home and protect the paint. The guards now focus on challenging shots on the perimeter. And everyone is now more accountable for their own man.

While the coaches were making strategic changes, the players worked on communication. A players-only meeting was held in Washington the morning of Game 21, and concerns were aired out.

"We knew we were a very talented ball club," Jarrett Jack said. "We were definitely better than what we were putting out there on a nightly basis."

The team was getting by on talent offensively, but was clearly not on the same page on the other end of the floor.

"Camaraderie is something that takes time," Jack said. "I think that's what happened with us. At that particular time, I guess it boiled over. A lot of us were fed up with it and took a stance on it. And we haven't looked back since.

"We addressed a lot of the problems that we thought were going on, and I think we grew as a team from that moment."

The results back up Jack's words, for sure. The Raptors have the third best record in the NBA (12-5) since that team meeting. They've gone from 11th place in the Eastern Conference to sixth, and now trail the Miami Heat for the fifth spot by just a half game.

Believe it or not, defense has been the key to the turnaround. Toronto is allowing just 103.4 points per 100 possessions in the last 17 games, having improved in almost every key defensive category.

The biggest improvement has been in defending the three. By staying at home more on the perimeter, the Raptors have been able to better contest 3-point shooters. Effort and communication go a long way too.

"Defense is a mentality first and foremost," Jack said. "That's the mentality that we've been bringing to the table every game, and it's been keeping us in ball games for the most part."

Of course, the defensive improvement is a bit of an illusion. Of the Raptors' last 17 games, only six have been against teams in the top half of the league offensively. And only six times have they held their opponent under its average efficiency.

The improvement also happens to closely coincide with Jose Calderon's 12-game absence for a hip flexor injury. Calderon is a notoriously bad defender, and in the two games since he's returned, the Raptors' defense has taken a small step backward.

With or without Calderon, the Raptors still have some defensive issues, starting on the glass. Their opponents may be shooting poorly, but poor rebounding keeps Toronto from finishing off possessions.

"I'm not going to say we're a good defensive team," Triano said. "But we're getting better and we're working at it. That's the biggest thing. Guys care about the defensive end right now, and that's why we're better."

Knowing his team has the ability to get stops is a "completely different" feeling from the first 20 games for Jack. "The weight is off everybody's shoulders," he said. "We're playing free, relaxed, and we're playing team basketball."

It's been part strategy, part accountability, part strength of schedule and part personnel. Though the Raptors are a long way from being the Celtics or Cavs defensively, they're good enough on the other end of the floor to get by. And being average defensively is a whole lot better than being historically bad.

John Schuhmann is a staff writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here and follow him on twitter.

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