NBA Schedule: Houston Rockets Up Against Struggling Toronto Raptors Defense

The Toronto Raptors have been struggling on defense as of late. On Wednesday, they are up against one of the most explosive offensive players in the NBA. The Raptors will play the Houston Rockets, as reported by ESPN.

Over the last five games, the Toronto Raptors have averaged 113 points a game. That is higher than what you would normally see in the NBA. Normally, that would mean that the Raptors are on a winning streak. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. The team has lost four games during that stretch because they simply have not been able to stop teams on the defensive end.

Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey is considered one of the better defensive minds in the NBA. That is how he rose from being a highly respected assistant coach to being a head coach. For someone like Casey, it has to kill him inside to see his team struggling so badly to stop opposing teams from being able to seemingly score at will.

Last season, the Toronto Raptors benefited tremendously by the presence of Bismack Biyombo. The big man was playing especially motivated basketball because he was trying to earn himself a huge contract. Things worked out pretty well for the 6-foot-9 center because he ended up being handed a free agent contract from the Orlando Magic that is worth approximately $72 million.

Without a rim defender like Bismack Biyombo around, Houston Rockets point guard James Harden is going to find himself having a much easier path to the basket. Formerly a shooting guard, he has found new life as a point guard in Mike D’Antoni’s high-tempo pace. Harden was long known as one of the best scorers in the NBA, but now he is also proving himself as one of the better passers and facilitators in the game.

Patrick Beverley has provided a spark for the Houston Rockets since returning from knee surgery. The team has yet to lose a game since he came back. Beverley is a solid defender, so he can enable James Harden to focus more on the offensive side of things. NBA teams are not exactly thrilled with the idea of Harden having more energy to spend on scoring and creating shots for his teammates.

Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan are one of the best back courts in the NBA. On certain nights, the Toronto Raptors are almost impossible to beat when both of them are having great offensive outputs. The team is going to need them to be able to keep up with James Harden, who is averaging close to a triple-double this season. It could turn out to be an explosive shootout between the three guards.

The Toronto Raptors are currently on a two-game losing streak. Losing to the Los Angeles Clippers is not too bad since they are one of the best teams in the NBA right now. Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan are playing tremendously right now. However, losing to the Sacramento Kings was a demoralizing defeat for the Raptors. It is always hard for a contender to lose to one of the worst teams around.

On the flip side, the Houston Rockets are currently on a three-game winning streak. They have defeated the Utah Jazz, Detroit Pistons, and Portland Trail Blazers. Those are three of the better teams in the NBA, so the winning streak means a bit more than normal. Despite their winning streak, though, the Rockets still find themselves behind the San Antonio Spurs and surprising Memphis Grizzlies in the Southwest Division.

[Featured Image by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images]