Somewhere between the OG Anunoby transfer last December and now, Ochai Agbaji developed into an excellent defender. Call it the power of relativity.

The team that once consisted entirely of 6-foot-8 bricks now has just one – Scottie Barnes. With Barnes frequently out of the lineup due to various injuries, any type of wing defense at the NBA level became something more than that. As a result, Agbaji, a solid 6-foot-3 defender who spent most of his time in Toronto guarding taller players, has performed exceptionally well in comparison. This is something Royce O’Neale went through with the Utah Jazz a few years ago.

Agbaji looks like a goalkeeper, but he’s certainly not a long-term answer to who will guard the opposition’s best winger from game to game. Second-round pick Jonathan Mogbo could help, but he has yet to find an offensive role.

If Barnes is to be used in his ideal role as a defensive playmaker, this stopper is not on the roster yet. The Raptors have serious defensive problems, as evidenced by the fact that they rank 23rd in defensive efficiency – and that was before the Raptors gave up a franchise-record point total in a 155-126 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night.

The Raptors are in a rebuild, so it’s understandable that they don’t have everything figured out yet. (That they need a defensive stopper and a driver for the half-court offense is perhaps concerning.)

The team made a big effort to change its defensive identity in the offseason, trading for Davion Mitchell and drafting Jamal Shead in the second round. This was accompanied by a change in defense, moving from prioritizing paint protection to applying a lot of ball pressure.

Like everything with the Raptors, progress is difficult to assess due to the numerous injuries the team has suffered. But the most important finding so far? The Raptors foul way too often. They’re last in the league in the number of free throws made by opponents, and it’s not particularly close. Their opponents shoot 27.4 free throws per 100 possessions; Brooklyn is in 29th place with 25.5.

The Raptors’ opponents have shot and made fewer 3-pointers than league average, so they’re fine in that regard. But they allow the eighth-most shots within 5 feet of the rim per game, and the Raptors only have one decent rim protector, Jakob Poeltl, on the roster.

Mitchell is listed at 6-foot while Shead is listed at 6-1. You can only do so much.

In particular, the Raptors need to think hard about the long-term fitness of two players who have been largely healthy this year. Gradey Dick improved tremendously in his rookie season last year, but he has regressed this season. His floor spacing is crucial for the Raptors as they build around Barnes, but he hasn’t yet established a defensive zone to be a good team’s starter.

There is time for that, but his awareness off the ball has often been lacking. He’s unlikely to get by with his side-to-side agility, so he needs to start getting a handle on the little things.

Ochai Agbaji defends against Zach Edey in Memphis. (Justin Ford/Getty Images)

RJ Barrett is a more complicated case as the striker is already on his second contract. His development as a playmaker was a welcome development for the Raptors and a necessity as the team was without Immanuel Quickley for most of the season. Unfortunately, Barrett is slow to turn his hips and hit his defensive angles.

Barrett’s playmaking and scoring efficiency make him an entry-level player when Barnes was healthy, and that’s how the Raptors pay him. It’s not that he’s such a bad defender that he necessarily needs to be hidden by the coaching staff, as Dick, even at his best, would demand.

However, this is not unlike the Raptors’ shooting problem: How many subpar defensemen can you afford if they have to pay more and more players, assuming they develop ones worth adding to? You can only have so many non-shooters on the field at once, and the same goes for fullbacks who can’t hold their own on an island.

The Memphis game was not the norm. Pöltl had to miss the game due to a groin injury. Shead and rookie Ja’Kobe Walter, whose wingspan could help the Raptors overcome the problem, were also unavailable. The Grizzlies don’t use much pick-and-roll offense, which allows them to look for mismatches and also play at the fastest pace in the league. The teams combined for 217 field goals.

With Kelly Olynyk completely out of place as the final rim protector and Poeltl’s spot, there were even more weak spots for the Grizzlies to target. Poeltl’s absence also meant the Raptors were overwhelmed on their own glass, as Zach Edey and Jaren Jackson Jr. combined to collect 13 offensive rebounds, with Memphis scoring 33 second-chance points and 29 fast-break points.

Heck, the way they started the game, the Raptors might still be struggling with tryptophan intake from their Christmas turkeys. The 16-66 Raptors of 1997-98 have enough franchise records of shame. This team experienced an ownership dispute, the departure of a senior manager, the firing of a coach and the trade of its best players. It’s nice that the 152 points they gave up to the LA Clippers in March of this season no longer matter.

Thursday’s game wasn’t all noise, however. The Raptors have some fundamental defensive issues that need to be addressed.

(Top photo of Scottie Barnes defending Jaren Jackson Jr.: Justin Ford / Getty Images)