The Raptors' lineup had also changed from before.
Point Guard: Mad Tiger Tagore
Shooting Guard: Wang Yi
Small Forward: Zhang Yu
Power Forward: Locke
Center: Dauding.
The Raptors had actually started using this lineup in Game 3.
Baturu and Charlie Hannum were both a little too bulky to keep up with Juan's footwork.
And the Timberwolves had quite a few shooters, so their interior players needed to help out on the perimeter when defending.
Once Baturu and Charlie Hannum helped out on the perimeter, they couldn't get back inside in time.
So the Raptors started benching their traditional center and moved Dauding into the center position.
Dauding was at a disadvantage against Juan in speed and other areas, but the other players would help him out with double-teams.
Dauding could also move faster, so after rushing out to the perimeter, he could get back inside in time.
Seeing that he'd been pushed out of the starting lineup again, Baturu felt a little reluctant, but there was nothing he could do. That was just how the Playoffs worked.
In the Playoffs, teams arranged their lineups based on their opponents and the strengths of their own players.
A team might face a team with Jokic in one series, in which case starting Howard would work very well.
Howard's relentless defense and constant trash talk had made Jokic furious.
And in terms of physicality, the big man couldn't get much of an edge over Dwight Howard, while he was at an even greater disadvantage when it came to footwork.
So Dwight Howard would play very well in that series, and might even start in some games.
But in the next series, against a three-point-heavy team like the Warriors, starting Howard would only leave him on the receiving end.
The Warriors passed the ball