Dinos & Digits: When Mount Jonas Erupts

Welcome back to Dinos & Digits, a column where we dive into the box scores and find five interesting or strange Raptors statistics and put them on front street for discussion.

We like to explore a mix of both individual player and team statistics, ranging from raw box score numbers to some interesting and funky advanced metrics. The goal is to present the numbers without too much opinion attached, leaving those debates for the comment section.

OK, let's get down to it. Here are this week's interesting digits:

The Raptors are 15-5 when Jonas Valanciunas scores at least 20 points and grabs a minimum of 10 rebounds over his five-year career.

This season, they’re 5-1 in such instances.

Kyle Lowry is on pace to set new team records for true shooting percentage (weighted twos, threes, and free throws) at 62.4% and win shares per 48 minutes at .214.

He was also on pace to set a new franchise record in three-pointers made before his injury (currently at 185, as compared to the record of 212 that he set last year).

The Raptors lead the league in points per possession on isolation plays (1.02), points per game on drives (24.0), field goal percentage on pull-ups (41.5%), and free throws per field goal attempt (.239).

What is the relationship between these stats? Well, they help explain how the Raptors can be dead last in the league in assists per game (18.3), but still have the league’s fourth most efficient offense (110.5 points scored per 100 possessions).

Since the All-Star break, the Raptors are 29th in the NBA in second quarter net rating (points scored minus points allowed per 100 possessions) at -19.8.

On the season as a whole, the Raps rank a little better than that, coming in sixth in the Association in second quarter net rating at 4.2.

One of the most likely reasons for this drop-off recently is the fact that the “Lowry plus the bench” unit of Kyle Lowry, Cory Joseph, Terrence Ross, Patrick Patterson, and Lucas Nogueira is no longer a thing with Lowry hurt and Ross traded to Orlando.

That lineup — often a staple of second quarters — had a net rating of 13.9 in 109 minutes together this season.

Conversely, the Raptors have led the NBA in fourth quarter net rating since the break with a ridiculous mark of 33.4 (134.1 offensive rating and 100.7 defensive rating).

The Raptors also lead the league in fourth quarter net rating on the season as a whole at 11.7 (115.2 offensive rating and 103.5 defensive rating).

Their fourth quarter dominance has been a big factor in their league-leading 17 double-digit comeback victories so far this season.

All stats courtesy of basketball-reference.com, NBA.com/stats, and statmuse.com.