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Patrick Patterson replaces Amir Johnson in Raptors' starting lineup

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

For the first time in more than a calendar year, Amir Johnson is coming off the bench.

Johnson has started in his last 79 appearances for the Toronto Raptors, but head coach Dwane Casey is shaking things up in search of answers amid an ugly three-game losing streak. 

Patrick Patterson will draw in as the starting four in Johnson's stead.

It's not that Johnson has been playing poorly, because he hasn't. Despite his usual modest numbers - he's averaging 9.7 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 58.8 percent from the floor - he's incredibly valuable to the Raptors as a screen-setter, dive man and defensive presence. 

The Raptors have been slightly worse with him off the floor this year, but that bucks a career-long trend.

Patterson, meanwhile, has quietly been one of the league's best reserves, leading all bench players in win shares. He's averaging 8.5 points and 5.5 rebounds, hitting 40 percent of his threes and has improved his defensive coverages within Casey's read-heavy scheme.

More importantly than the play of Johnson or Patterson is their fit among the starters. With James Johnson now starting at the three, Toronto has become much better defensively but the offense is starved for spacing, with Kyle Lowry standing as the only 3-point threat on the floor.

Starting Patterson essentially inverts the offense, and James Johnson will play inside as a de facto power forward on offense while Patterson mans the four on defense. 

The James Johnson-Patterson duo is a more natural pairing and has been more effective - the Raptors outscore opponents by 7.9 points per 100 possessions when they play together with Jonas Valanciunas, slightly ahead of the 2.9 points per 100 possessions when the Johnsons play together at the forward spots.

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