Archive for Raptor Ramblings

Heels at the Game – Raptors Get Rained On!

March 27, 2012 Nat Heels at the Game

Eight was the magic number for Coach Casey as far as the game plan goes. He felt if the Raptors could limit Orlando to eight or fewer three-pointers, they would give themselves a good chance to grab the win. Unfortunately, Ryan Anderson put together a career night and hit that number all by himself. The Raptors did a lot of standing around (as seen in the photo), and watched as the Magic walked out with the 117-101 win.

It took three minutes for the Raptors to record their first points of the game and by that time they were already stuck 10. As well as they have played of late, the Raptors came out the gates slow and dug themselves a deep hole early, allowing the Magic to set the tone. A furious comeback in the first quarter was the only real one they were able to muster up as the Magic went about their business and showed why they are regarded as a top-tier team in the east.

“We just got to take this one as a bad one,” said Calderon post game. Unfortunately the bad ones keep piling up for the Raptors who at 16-34 have won as many at home as they have on the road. It doesn’t get any easier with just a month left in the regular season… they still have three more to play before the week is up.

The Night In Numbers

16 point lead for the Magic just 7 minutes into the game. The Raptors struggled to get going and committed 6 turnovers in the 1st quarter.

“We came out as flat as a pancake against one of the top teams in the league, and it’s disappointing.” – Dwane Casey.

12 man roster for the Raptors who were without DeRozan. That included the recently signed Alan Anderson who saw 7:33 of playing time, despite coming to the arena straight from the airport, due to the lack of available bodies after Bayless left the game.

It doesn’t matter how many guys we’ve got, we just have to show every night what we can do and that we can compete. We didn’t tonight.” – Jose Calderon.

21 points for Gary Forbes. One of the lone bright spots for the Raptors, Forbes followed up his career high in rebounds vs. the Bulls with a career high in points against the Magic.

46 points in the paint, the Magic almost doubled up the Raptors in that category. They also were +11 in fast break points and +9 in second chance points, completely dominating all the hustle stats.

54% shooting from the field for the Magic. The Raptors have not won a game this season when allowing their opponent to shoot over 50%. The 117 points given up were also a season high.

11 Three pointers made by the Raptors. They tried to keep pace with the Magic since they couldn’t stop them, but still ended up -12 points in the category.

23 Minutes for Andrea Bargnani who struggled with foul trouble early and then the inability to make a shot. Just when he looked to be finding his groove, a night like tonight makes you think that calf is not all the way back yet.

101 points for the Raptors which meant the fans went wild for the worst promotion in pro sports…

“Really, we got a standing ovation for a slice? They told me they got a free pizza. A slice, you’ve got to sit in your seat and clap you can’t stand up on a slice, I’m sorry that’s bad etiquette.” – Stan Van Gundy.

Up Next: Nuggets @ Raptors. Wednesday, 28th March, 2012.
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Raptors Rebound Against The Warriors

March 5, 2012 Nat Heels at the Game

Photo Credit - AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Chris YoungLook at the 83-75 score and you will feel the need to verify again who the Raptors were playing tonight. After giving  up an average of 124 points to the Warriors in two games last season, the Raptors showed their growth on defense holding them to just 75 points (a season low) on 36% shooting.

The first half of this one was far from memorable. The Raptors were shooting blanks from all over but were getting good looks, while the Warriors were relying on the offense of just two guys in a team game. It didn’t get much better offensively in the second half but the Warriors shot themselves out of it and the Raptors started hitting some of those open looks. Monta Ellis struggled going 8-22 for 20 points and with Stephen Curry unavailable, the Raptors were able to focus on him for most of the game.

Dwane Casey stressed pre-game that this was going to be the complete opposite of the Memphis game and the focus would be to run the shooters off the 3 point line. The Raptors went small early and often, stuck to the game plan and forced the Warriors into trying to establish an inside game. DeMar who had a quiet 25 got some offensive help from Barbosa and the Raptors made the timely plays to close this one out, a feat that has eluded them over the last month.

The Night In Numbers

25 Points for DeMar DeRozan was a game high and a good bounce back game for him after scoring just 4 points against the Grizzlies. DeMar also played a game high 46 minutes on the first night of a back to back, hope those legs hold up for tomorrow.

3 Raptors in double digit rebounding (Amir, James & Ed) helped the team finish +!0 on the boards. The last time that happened was 2 years ago with Bosh, Andrea and Amir.

12 Rebounds are a career high for James Johnson who also tallied 12 points. This was his second double-double of the season as he continues to become an important piece of this puzzle.

16 Turnovers for the Raptors for a second consecutive game. They gave up just 7 points off them tonight compared to the 24 they gave up to the Grizzlies. A big sign of the team hustling back tonight. The Raps also managed to take advantage of the 14 Warriors turnovers, scoring 18 points off them.

28 Second half points for the Warriors is a season low for a Raptors opponent. The Raps clamped down in the second half, giving up just 11 points in the 3rd quarter and a total of 75 to a team that averages over 97 points and are in the top 10 in the league scoring.

14 Fast break points for the Raptors while holding the Warriors to just 1. The Raptors managed to get back on D after misses as well as the 16 turnovers.

4 Three pointers for the Warriors. Pre-game coach Casey stressed the Raps have to run them off the 3 point line and they managed to pull it off. Warriors shot 19 three’s and made just 21%.

UP NEXT: Magic @ Raptors. Monday, 5th March 2012. 7PM

 

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Raptors Report: Mid-Season Grades

February 28, 2012 Nat Raptors Report

Andrea Bargnani: A-
The best and worst moment from Andrea came in the game against Utah last month. It sucked that he got injured but the emotion he showed right after was the first signs of how much he actually cared. No one was ever doubting this guy could score but he seems to be in a zone this season, a zone that shows he wants to be great, wants to lead this team to wins and wants to live up to that #1 draft pick pressure. I have no doubt that he would have represented the Raptors at all-star weekend if he was healthy but there will be more in years to come. The question is, does he return with the same fire he had before he went down?

Jose Calderon: A
This is the Jose Calderon that earned the fat contract a few years back. The swagger is back and he has abandoned the clap defense for the most part. Sure he still gets burned by his opposing counterparts but he has been trying harder than ever on D. The offense was always there but Jose has been a coaches dream so far. He brings so much stability to the team and with them being young, he is the perfect PG to make sure they are getting the ball in the right spots and he bails them out with his shot when needed. Right now Jose is playing like an elite PG on a rebuilding team and might just be a victim of the upcoming trade deadline.

DeMar DeRozan: B-
It’s safe to say DeMar hasn’t made the jump most expected him to. Seems that in the process of extending his shooting range this past offseason, DeMar lost some of that athletic ability fans had become accustomed to. I don’t want to start throwing out Vince Carters name and the whole love for the jump shot but things were a little shaky to start the season. He remains an enigma but this last home stretch showed the aggressive DeRozan the team needs. He is still one of the younger guys on the roster with a boat load of talent, give him another 33 games to bring that out.

James Johnson: B+
Probably the biggest surprise so far this season considering how much of a question mark he was coming in. James Johnson has brought a defensive mentality that fans have not seen here since the days of Oakley and Christie. He has yet to figure out the offensive side of his game but that can be worked on. The natural instincts he has shown has ensured him a spot in the starting rotation and if he continues on the path he is on, he becomes one of those un-tradeables at the end of the year.

Amir Johnson: C+
There was the off-season surgery and the in-season personal issues but Amir has yet to put together a stretch of games where he is consistently producing for the team. For the first time in his career, foul trouble is not at the forefront, but with inconsistant production comes inconsistant playing time. Andrea’s injury left an opening for Amir to establish himself as an essential part of the team but he failed to take full advantage of that. His energy is still a big asset but it’s a matter of how long it will take for him to figure out how to use it more effectively.
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Heels at the Game – Raptors Unable To Put A Stop To The LINsanity

February 15, 2012 Nat Heels at the Game

Photo Credit: (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Frank Gunn)The Raptors were on a National stage last night but not for the way they are playing. All eyes were on Jeremy Lin and he lived up to the hype. Before I get into the game itself, please do me a favor and READ THIS story by @Bruce_Arthur, one of the best in the game.

With a large Asian contingent present at the ACC to watch Lin, there was a strong buzz going before things tipped off. A few minutes in though, I along with most on media row were left confused. Fans were booing Lin at the line but as soon as he made the shot the place would erupt. Were these Raptors fans, Knicks fans or Jeremy Lin fans? By the end of the evening when he had hit the game winning shot, I decided they were a mix of both. There were those who were rooting for him to fail but then couldn’t help applaud as he kept proving the doubters wrong. There were others who were rooting for a great story and even more who were there to check out the hype.

Lin struggled early and Jose Calderon managed to run circles around him. The Raptors played out the first half perfectly, giving up just 36 points and looked to be in control. Things changed quickly in the second half, as they often do in the NBA. The Raptors coughed up the ball 12 times and allowed the Knicks to gain momentum. Chandler was in foul trouble but the Raps were unable to take advantage of that playing smaller, though they did outscore the Knicks 50-46 in the paint. The inability to convert at the line, coupled with the turnovers set the stage for Lin and what a heck of a performance he turned in. 27 points to go along with 11 helpers and he hit a game winning three.

The Raptors didn’t seem to buy into the hype to start, but when it came down to crunch time, they became spectators. A chance to shine in front of a huge audience, they became the secondary story. For one more day… Linsanity continues, For the Raptors — tonight is another game.

The Night in Numbers

19 Turnovers on the night but the glaring number is 9 of them came in the final frame. You are not going to win many games averaging a turnover a minute.

-9 at the free throw line. The Raptors didn’t get to the line much but even when they did, they managed to convert on only 60% of them.

25 Points for Calderon to go along with 9 assists and 7 rebounds but he was held scoreless in the final frame when D’Antoni made the switch and put Shumpert on him. Jose played a stellar game but at the end, it was him on Lin and Lin won.

16 Fast break points. The Raptors managed to control the pace of the game and scored 24 points off the Knicks’ 16 turnovers. Earlier in the season, still figuring out the new system, one wondered if they were ever going to get out and run.

11 Blocks for the Raptors, 5 of them courtesy of Amir Johnson as he threw a little block party for Amare Stoudemire. A trend emerging under Dwane Casey’s system is the Raps are winning the hustle categories on most nights.

30 Points given up by the Raptors in the 3rd quarter after holding the Knicks to just 36 for the first half. Lapses like these are what Dwane Casey keeps talking about when he says they need to learn how to play 48 minutes.

12 Points for Jeremy Lin, 6 of those came in the final minute including the game winning 3, ensuring LINsanity would go on for another day.

The Raptors are 1-3 so far on this home stand but the 3 losses have been by a combined 11 points. “Losing pretty” one might call it but there is a quick turn around and it’s on to the next one leaving little time to dwell on the past…

Up Next: Spurs @ Raptors. Wednesday, 15th February 2012. 7PM
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Heels at the Game – Raptors Unable To “Guard The Yard”

February 9, 2012 Nat Heels at the Game

Photo Credit: APThe Raptors opened a seven game homestand with a tough 105-99 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks last night. With a slew of tough games coming up, they needed this one to set the tone at home.

All season coach has preached defensive intensity and after allowing the Bucks to shoot 56% in the first half, Dwane Casey spoke to the team after the loss, stressing “we have lost our pride guarding the yard. We have slipped.” Some blame can go on the limited practice time and the condensed schedule, but Casey put it on himself and his staff to find the time to keep instilling the fundamentals they have been preaching to this team that is still trying to find it’s identity.

The game plan was to make Jennings a non factor and the Raptors accomplished that. Casey inserted Amir Johnson in the starting lineup for match up purposes but that did not stop Drew Gooden from getting hot early, he finished the night with 20pts and 14 rbs. The Bucks not known for their offense got 35 points off the bench from Jackson and Dunleavy and 25 from Delfino who was clearly up for this one agains his former team. The Raptors won most of the hustle categories in most part thanks to James Johnson who is becoming a regular stat stuffer, but losing the rebounding battle while allowing the Bucks to shoot a high percentage was the recipe for their demise.

It doesn’t get any easier with the Celtics, Lakers, Knicks and Spurs coming up but in a season of small victories and silver linings, just getting the team back on track with the defensive mentality would be a win.

The Night in Numbers

6 Three pointers made by Carlos Delfino. The Bucks as a team shot nearly 50% from deep.

+10 in Points in the paint for the Raptors. Considering they played small for most of the game this was a positive.

19 Turnovers for the Bucks led to 20 points for the Raptors. The TO’s and 12 offensive rebounds helped the Raps get out and run, scoring 19 on the fast break.

25 Points for DeMar DeRozan who got hot early but started to fade in the second half when the Bucks brought pressure.

27 Assists on 37 made FG’s for the Raptors at a team. They were moving the ball all night, and most of that contribution came from Jose Calderon (15 ast).

6 Bucks players reached double digits in scoring including Stephen Jackson and Mike Dunleavy who came off the bench

Up Next: Celtics @ Raptors. Friday, Feb 9th 2012.
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