I like what the Toronto Raptors are trying to build. They have athletic players; they can make life difficult for opponents, and Scottie Barnes gives them someone to build around. There is something to be said for a group that competes hard and makes every possession uncomfortable for the other side.

But there’s a question hanging over this team. Can you defend well enough to compete with the best teams in the NBA if you can’t consistently make them pay at the other end?

It’s tempting to make this all about three-point shooting. The Raptors struggled there last season, and adding Kawhi Leonard gives them another reliable offensive weapon. But I think the bigger issue is what happens to the rest of the offence when the shooting isn’t there.

Scottie Barnes Needs Room to Work

Barnes is at his best when he can attack the basket, use his strength, and make things happen around the rim. RJ Barrett brings some of those same qualities. Both players can put pressure on a defence, but it becomes harder when opponents aren’t worried about the shooters from beyond the arc.

In the regular season, athleticism and defensive pressure can take a team far. In the playoffs, opponents have time to study what you do well and make you work harder for it. If defenders can crowd the paint without paying a price, Toronto’s best players have less room to operate.

Leonard should help. He’s a terrific scorer who can create his own shot, and that matters when the offence gets stuck late in a game. But even a player of his ability can’t be expected to solve every problem himself. Immanuel Quickley will be important, too. Toronto needs his shooting, but it also needs enough consistent threats around him that opponents can’t simply focus on the same two or three players.

A Good Team Still Needs the Right Mix

I wouldn’t dismiss the Raptors because their shooting numbers aren’t where they need to be. Young players can improve, and somebody like Ja’Kobe Walter could become an important part of the answer. A roster doesn’t always need another star. Sometimes it needs the right supporting player.

Still, there’s a difference between being a difficult team to play against and being a team that can win four games against an elite opponent. The Raptors have a defensive identity worth building on. Now they need to make sure their offence can support it.

That’s the part I’ll be watching. Not simply how many three-pointers Toronto makes, but whether the threat of those shots gives Barnes, Barrett, and Leonard the room they need when the games matter most.

Related: Kawhi Leonard’s New Raptors Deal Isn’t About What We Think It Is