Raptors 905 slide continues as they drop thriller to Rio Grand Valley

"Over the last eight games coming into Wednesday's contest against the Rio Grand Valley Vipers, the 905's 124.9 defensive rating is the worst in the G League. Yet they're still holding onto the best D-rating across all competition - Tip-Off Tournament and regular season - at 106.9. It's been a staggering about-face, and it seems that a mix of weakened rim protection and a looser handle at the point of attack is at the root of the issue."

"Taking a surface-level look, those issues could stand to get worse as their entire centre rotation has been pilfered by NBA teams in need of two-way bigs. Julian Reese signed a two-way contract with his hometown Washington Wizards on Saturday and Olivier Sarr inked a two-way deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday."

"David Roddy appeared to be the most confident and in control of any 905er on the floor in his first game back from international assignment with Team USA for the February FIBA qualifying window. He had a game-high 20 at half on 6-of-9 shooting and 4-of-6 from three, plus a pair of assists and stocks (steals+blocks). Roddy finished with 27 points on 12 shots and six dimes."

The Raptors 905 experienced a significant defensive decline during an eight-game road trip in early February, posting a 124.9 defensive rating—the worst in the G League during that stretch. Despite this recent struggle, they maintain the best defensive rating across all competition at 106.9. Weakened rim protection and loose perimeter defense are primary issues, exacerbated by the loss of their entire center rotation to NBA two-way contracts. Julian Reese signed with the Washington Wizards and Olivier Sarr joined the Cleveland Cavaliers. In a close contest against Rio Grande Valley, the 905 lost 123-121 despite a spirited second-half comeback. David Roddy led the team with 27 points on efficient shooting, while Tyreke Key added 23 points and AJ Lawson contributed 18.

Read at Raptors Republic