How the Patrick McCaw signing effects the Boston Celtics
By Ian Riaf
The Patrick McCaw signing gives the Toronto Raptors even more of an edge when matching up against the Boston Celtics.
The Toronto Raptors sit atop the NBA with the best record. As the deepest team, they have a plethora of athletic two-way players. On January 10th, their already deep bench got even stronger with the signing of Patrick McCaw.
McCaw had a funky contract situation this year. He is now signed to a one-year veteran’s minimum contract with the Raptors. His contract situation made headlines as he held himself out of Golden State Warriors training camp. McCaw would have made more money had he stayed with the Warriors, but he decided the fit wasn’t right. He failed to play a single game with the Warriors and after a quick 3-game stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he now finds himself on a stacked Raptors team.
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So what does the 6’7” former UNLV guard bring to the Raptors? First of all, he is a highly skilled defender. His athleticism and ability to switch onto faster guards make him an instant asset in today’s NBA. While a lot of his rookie and sophomore season was spent playing garbage time, he was a trusted enough defender to play significant minutes during the Warriors 2016-2017 playoff run.
McCaw’s defensive impact is considerable. Last year, the lineup in which he saw the highest number of possessions (106) performed really well in defensive categories. This lineup ranked in the 90th, 95th, and 94th percentile for limiting opponents points per possession, limiting effective field goal percentage, and causing turnovers. Individually he also ranked in the 85th percentile in steal percentage.
McCaw also understood his role in Golden State — to play defense and shoot when open. While he was not a primary ball handler, he has the quickness to effectively push the ball in transition. He has elite athleticism and leaping ability.
McCaw’s shot selection mirrors that of a modern-day NBA wing — three-pointers and layups. Last season, 42% of his shots came from the paint and 33% from beyond the arc.
Fitting into his non-scoring roll with the Warriors, McCaw only averaged four points during his two seasons. While he showed some flashes of creating offense, McCaw’s shooting abilities are still a mystery.
On the Raptors, McCaw’s role will still be limited. Joining an already deep bench, it is unclear how much playing time the third-year guard will get. McCaw might go through stretches where he sees little to no action, similar to C.J. Miles. McCaw will likely take minutes away from guards Delon Wright and Norman Powell. But how does the Patrick McCaw signing affect the Celtics?
The Celtics have two more chances to prove themselves against the Raptors. They so far have split the season series, 1-1 in two closely contested games. Their next matchup against the team comes on January 16th.
As a Raptor, McCaw will attempt to take defensive pressure off of starters Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green. He will likely not see more than 20 minutes per game. However, if needed, McCaw is available as another versatile backcourt defender.
Against the Celtics, the insertion of McCaw might force them to play smaller. The Raptors now have the ability to experiment with an even faster, more athletic bench unit, a unit which might feature O.G. Annonby at the center spot. For the Celtics, to counteract this smaller lineup might mean less Daniel Theis and Aron Baynes and and more Semi Ojeleye.
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The acquisition of Patrick McCaw is a net win for the Raptors. It simply makes them a better team. It was a low risk, high reward signing which offers lineup flexibility. While his versatility gives them an impressive short term defender, McCaw could also be involved in the long term vision for the Raptors as he is only 23 years old. His presence will make life harder for the Celtics, as the Raptors now look to be in finals preparation mode.