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.

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

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

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.

DeMar had the task of guarding Rashard Lewis but it was evident quickly that was not going to work out in his favour. Coach made the halftime adjustment putting the task on Kleiza and that worked out perfectly for the Raptors. The change didn’t help with the mounting questions about what exactly is going on with DeRozan. He started the game attacking but switched to settling for jumpers as the game went on. For things to turn around, he needs to get to the hoop consistently, take the contact and eventually the calls will come. Luckily on this night, the team was able to get their offense elsewhere.

As the game progressed, the story quickly became about the Raptors bench and the production from them on both ends of the floor. Amir Johnson brought the energy, Barbosa brought the scoring and Kleiza did a great job on Lewis in addition to providing additional offense. This was probably one of the better team wins of the season and the fact that they have the same record as the Knicks at the end of the night is just a bonus.

The Night in Numbers

61 Rebounds for the Raptors. A franchise high in regulation as they were +24 in the category against the Wizards. Every single player who saw the floor grabbed at least one board.
17 Assists for Jose Calderon. A season high. The Wizards mustered up just 13 helpers as a team.
28 Second Chance points for the Raptors. Another season high as they managed to double up the Wizards on the offensive glass.
13 Rebounds for Amir Johnson on a night after it was revealed he has been struggling with some personal issues. A guy who relies on bringing the energy, he was able to tap into that and give the fans a few highlight dunks to top it off.
68 Points in the paint for the Raptors. On a night filled with season high’s this was probably the most surprising one. The Wizards are no defensive juggernaut but this was a big stat for the Raptors who have struggled finishing as of late.
63 Bench points led by the 19 from Barbosa. Kleiza sat for the first half but poured in 15 in the second while having to defend Rashard Lewis on the other end.
10 blocks tied another season high for the Raptors. The team effort is really starting to show through on the rebounding numbers as well as blocks and steals. Barbosa had two blocks and three steals on the night.
106 Points was the highest total for the Raptors at home this season, the first time they cracked 100 actually. It was also the first time the PIZZA chant was heard at the ACC. Still the worst promotion in the city… but the fans went home happy.

Up Next: Raptors @ Heat. Sunday Jan. 5th 2012. 1PM

Amir wasn’t the only Raptor to impress, Andrea Bargnani continued to silence his critics, putting together his third 30 point game of the season. The Timberwolves bit on Andrea’s fake at the 3 point line all night and he rarely settled for the jumper. He put that quick first step to use and went to the hoop early and often. Tallying 31 points to go with 9 rebounds, one has to think this new version of Bargnani is here to stay. While the Raptor bigs carried the load offensively, the play of James Johnson cannot be overlooked. He made use of his five fouls and showed again why he should soon get that starting SF spot over Rasual Butler who has surely left his jump shot south of the border.

For most of the night it felt like the Raptors were dominating but the scoreboard told a different story. They had managed to contain Rubio & Co. for the most part but the additional free throws and three’s kept the Timberwolves in the game. The Raptors upped the ante on defense in the 4th, and Minny managed just six made field goals in the frame. There were moments where Rubio dazzled but his counterpart and mentor Calderon, held his own. The Raptors’ starters logged major minutes in order to close this one out but may be running on fumes as they hop on a plane and prepare to face the Wizards in less than 24 hours.

The Night in Numbers

9 blocks for the Raptors as a team. James Johnson, who was in the zone all night tied a career high with 4.
75-37 the Raptors starters outscored the Timberwolves’ starting five. 50 of the 75 coming from Bargnani and A. Johnson.
34% FG for the Wolves. The revamped Raptors D was in full effect tonight. This is the fifth time in nine games the Raptors have held an opponent to under 40% from the floor. They only pulled that off five times all of last season. They shot 44% on the night.
3 made three’s for the Raptors. The team struggled from deep going just 3 of 19. Minnesota made 5 of their 8 three’s in the first quarter.
9 points for DeMar Derozan who is struggling to find consistency on the offensive end. He did attack the basket more once that jumper wasn’t falling.
20 second chance points for the Raptors who crashed the offensive boards hard tonight. Amir Johnson had 8 ORB’s and the Raptors had 14 as a team.
45 minutes of playing time for Bargnani. He made the most of them but it is to be seen how the legs hold up in he second and third games of the back to back to back.
26 FT’s made by the Raptors. The team stayed aggressive when the 3 ball was not falling and got to the line 28 times. Barbosa was perfect from the line going 9-9.

Top 10 tweets from the #RTZ chat on twitter (LINK)

Up Next: Raptors @ Wizards. Tuesday, 10th Jan. 2012. 7PM

Defensively this was the best effort put forth by the team so far in this young season. The Raptors are making it hard for their opponents to get the easy buckets they were knowing for giving up. They held the Cavs to under 30% from the floor and it is starting to become a pattern. Casey has made these guys, essentially the same core from last season, do a 180. The bad habits show up from time to time but its hard to miss all the talking going on, the improved defensive rotations and the shot contests. While the Cavs are hardly a benchmark to judge against, the Raps have been showing this new look for 6 games now. It suits them. Offensively they still have a ways to go because DeMar isn’t going to give them 5 three’s a night and Andrea is going to start facing a double team soon. If there was a weakness in this one it has to be the lack of production from the small forward spot once again. Butler is just a black hole right now, and James Johnson needs to find a jumper.

Once the team starts putting things together on both ends of the floor, which I believe they will, expect there to be lots of empty room on the “TankNation” bandwagon.

The Night in Numbers

29.6% from the field were the Cavs who were stifled by the Raptors D all night. The Raptors are currently the only team holding opponents to an average of under 40% from the floor. Impressive for anyone, more so for a team never mentioned when talking defence.

3 double-doubles for Jose Calderon after he put up 13 and 11 against the Cavs last night. Jose is playing some of the best ball of his career right now and has built a chemistry with both Andrea and Amir on that pick ‘n roll or pick ‘n pop.

“He is much better than people give him credit for as far as his solid play, running the team, shooting the basketball.” – Dwane Casey on Calderon’s play early in the season.

31 points from Andrea Bargnani and they all came within the flow of the offense. He is averaging 24 points on the season (7th best in the league) and doing it efficiently. Even more surprising, he is fully committed on the defensive end of the floor and it hasn’t taken away from what everyone knew he could do, which is score.

“He is playing at an all-star level. I am totally impressed with his approach, defensively and offensively.” — Dwane Casey on Andrea

5 made 3′s for DeRozan. He made 5 all of last season. DeMar put in a lot of work on that jumper this offseason, he was in the gym making 300 three pointers a day. Against the Cavs he picked his spots but that hard work is already paying off. The percentages are off the charts right now compared to last year but even if they come down to earth, its nice that he has this as an arsenal to use.

“He opens up the floor for everybody else. Now you have to honour him. It’s going to help us a lot offensively, especially on the pick and roll” — Dwane Casey on DeMar’s extended range

11 Turnovers, a category the team is still a little up and down with. They were much better handling the ball against the Cavs and sit around the middle of the pack in terms of coughing the ball up. Having the leader in AST-TO ratio in Jose, the Raptors should be fine over the course of the season. On the other end of the spectrum, the Raps are last in opponent turnovers per game. (source)

-13 in the FT category. The Raptors are near the bottom of the league when it comes to getting to the line. Most of that has to do with the fact that Andrea, and for the most part this season, DeMar have been playing outside the paint. The positive from last night, the Raptors gave nothing easy. Opponents are made to earn it at the line in coach Casey’s new system.

4 fast break points. Though coach Casey has stated he wants the team to get out and run it’s not happening. The Raptors are very much half court team right now, a lot has to do with the style of play from Calderon and Bargnani. As @Liston pointed out in his stats breakdown on Raptors Republic – Toronto has the fifth slowest pace factor in the league at 88.8.

Up Next: Nets @ Raptors. 7PM on Friday, 6th Jan. 2012.

Remember that whole thing about small victories and silver linings I mentioned before the season kicked off? Well tonight was full of them as the Raptors dropped a close one to the Pacers, 90-85. Another slow start from DeRozan combined with a struggling Calderon found the team in a 8 point hole going into the fourth. The fact that they were in this position had nothing to do with their defense, which picked up where they left off in Cleveland. Rather, the Raptors struggles came on the offensive end where the lack of practice time and a full length preseason were evident.

Andrea Bargnani carried the offensive load for the first half where the team mustered up just 34 points (Fans better get used to these low scoring affairs). Unlike previous seasons though, the Raptors remained focused on the defensive end holding the Pacers to just 38 points in the same span. They loosened up the D a little in the 3rd, but a late 4th quarter run put the team in a position to tie the game up. Considering this is a learning process and the system is fairly new, this team battled to the end when many times they could have just given up. These are the things you want to see in a team that is rebuilding. Getting the fundamentals right and the offense will follow.

After the game, Dwane Casey said he was happy with the way they played, feels they are right there and with time together as a unit, they are headed in the right direction.

The Night in Numbers

21 points for Bargnani has him join Bosh and Carter as the only Raptors players to score 20 points or more in 4 home openers. (via @RaptorsPR)
54% from the free throw line. Not going to cut it on most nights, especially when they only got there 13 times as a team.
2 straight games the Raptors have shot a better percentage from the field than their opponent. Tonight they held the Pacers to 39.5%
13 steals against a young, athletic team is another example of the effort the Raptors are bringing on the defensive end.
10 Fastbreak points registered by the Raptors who did not record a single point in that category against the Cavaliers.
0 first half points for DeMar though he ended the night with 22. Through 2 games, he has scored just 4 first half points.
22 second chance points for the Pacers to go along with the 16 points they got off 19 Raptors turnovers.

The Starting Five

4th Quarter Heroics – DeMar DeRozan knows he is a cornerstone for this franchise as it stands now but he isn’t getting worried about his lack of production early in games. After being held to just 4 points in the first half in Cleveland, DeMar notched 0 tonight. Postgame, I asked him if there was anything he feels he can do differently to get going early to which he replied, “It will come. I don’t want to start forcing things. I have to pick and choose, because some days its going to come later in the game”. That’s the right answer but the 22 second half points won’t be so easy each time. It may be early in the season but DeMar needs to find a go to move, one that he can bank on. Part of this growing process is building consistency and while its fun to play hero in the 4th it’s even more fun to play hero for the entire game.

James Johnson – Can we just call him Santa cuz this kid is stuffing the stat sheet every night. 14 RB, 8 STL, 5 BLK over the first 2 games. Save for the blown assignment late in tonights tilt, he was the best player wearing a Raptors uniform. After the game he took the blame for it but coach wasn’t letting him go down alone. James was a complete question mark coming into the season but it’s clear early what his role is going to be and if he keeps playing this way, expect to find him in the starting lineup sooner rather than later.

Andrea Bargnani – There was a 30 second span in the 3rd quarter where I was in absolute shock. Bargnani gets a block on David West, runs the floor, takes a pass from DeMar and slams it home. Yep, that was in a game and it didn’t stop there. Though not all of it shows in the boxscore, Andrea was active all night on both ends of the floor. He still can’t hold on to a rebound to save his life but it wasn’t for the lack of trying tonight. When the Raptors brought in a defensive minded coach, I was concerned that Andrea is going to have a tough time adjusting. So far, so good. He seems to be committed to making the effort coach is asking of him and if he can build on it there is hope for him yet.

3 Point Shot – The Raptors were a horrible 3 point shooting team last season and the stats are there to prove it. They even surrendered the sole record they had held for most consecutive games with a made three pointer. Totally different story through 2 games this season where they are shooting 41.7%, good for 5th best in the league. Most of the personel is the same but the looks they are getting are much better. DeMar adding the 3 to his repertoire has been a nice surprise as well. His 2 made three’s tonight were the first time he has done that in his career. During the game, @timpchisholm made a great observation on twitter – “DeRozan’s three point shot does not impress me as much as his confidence in it. Impressive indeed for a 9% 3p shooter last season.”

Physical Play – “Soft” and “Toronto Raptors” went hand in hand during the Bosh era, but this new version of the team looks like they want to change that perception. Several times during the game tonight things got scrappy but the Raps did not back down. Magloire got in the face of a couple Pacers and after the game DeMar said he enjoyed playing a more physical game. “Fun”, he called it. The team has each others back’s too. During a play where Amir Johnson went down, Hibbert offered him a hand which he refused and waited for his own teammate to help him up. Its a small thing but speaks volumes of the new mentality of this team.

Up Next: Raptors @ Mavericks. Friday, 30th Dec 2011 at 8:30PM

There was a different vibe going as I walked through Union Station yesterday. Marketing wise, the Raptors are doing everything to move on from Chris Bosh while convincing fans this is still a product they should spend their money on. I would be lying if I said it didn’t feel strange. I have attended the past 10 home openers and for the 1st time, I have absolutely no read on the team.

The organization went with a go big or go home approach for the intro. Lights, drama and a soundtrack that was fitting. You even got to hear the words “From Georgia Tech…” as Jarrett Jack was the final player introduced. I’m sure that was a jolt for some people as that was the reserved for Bosh the past 7 years. The in arena atmosphere was better than I was expecting. They didn’t manage to sell out the game, but 18,000+ is not too shabby. Fans were given T-Shirts that said Red+Black Attack and even the suits at the ACC got in on the fun.

Getting to the game itself, the main story of the night was Amare’s regular season debut as a Knick. There was a lot of trash talk between him and Reggie Evans leading up to the game but in the end, Stoudemire got what he came in for. The Raptors started with good energy but soon found themselves down 16. Neither of the PG’s were able to get it going until Jack came in late in the 2nd quarter. The Raptors managed to cut into the Knicks lead by halftime led by Andrea Bargnani on offense. The teams went back n forth in the 2nd half until Wilson Chandler proved to be too much for the young Raptors wings. He had a team high 22 points and added 8 rebounds. While Amare was held in check for the most part, he did manage to impose his will when he was needed most. It came down to the Raptors needing a 3 and Barbosa threw up an airball. Game. Set. Match.

Final Score: NYK 98 – TOR 93

My sister @nidserz and her awesome camera were at the game today. A budding photographer, she managed to get some amazing action shots. Check out the complete set onFlickr. You can also see a set of images there from the Sixers pre-season game. (If you use any images please credit this blog.

Observations

• I honestly could write a 1000 words on just Reggie Evans alone. He backed up the trash talk by getting under Amare’s skin all game long. There was even a point in the game when he was fronting Stoudemire but still had that mouth running. His gritty style of basketball is just what this team has been missing since the Oakley days. 0 points and 16 rebounds in 33 minutes! I will take that every night of the week from him.
• Andrea Bargnani fans let out a sigh of relief as the big man was active on both ends of the floor. I think he could have gotten 10 rebounds if Reggie didn’t grab them away from him. Andrea had the task of speaking to the fans pre-game and held his own. No one expects this guy to be a leader but 20-10 each night would sure be nice.
• The Raptors are not going to win too many games when they shoot as poorly as they did in this game. The 3 point streak stayed alive, just barely. Free throw shooting was a strength of this team last season but now it looks like they may sit at the bottom of the pack. I say lock these guys in a gym and make em hit 20 straight before they are allowed to leave each day.
• Jay Triano is working with minimal talent and his coaching needs to help maximize their output. Not on this night. His playbook seems to be thinner than that of beloved sam Mitchell and it seemed he was overwhelmed when it came to making substitutions on the fly. I am sure with time the rotations will get better but this was not a good start.
• The “Young Onez” had a rough night at the office. Amir Johnson pretty much breathes and he picks up a foul. DeMar was hesitating to do the one thing he is good at — slash to the hoop and Sonny Weems was forcing things all night. The three have so much energy they need to make sure they direct it in the right places. Wilson Chandler was the guy who got the best of them on this night. He pretty much got whatever he wanted.
• Speaking of defense, the Raptors had impressed me with all the talking they did on the floor during pre-season. To my disappointment, they went on mute against the Knicks. Usual suspects Jack and Evans were even quiet. They need to make sure they stay talking because they gotta play this as a team to give themselves a chance each night.

Up Next: Cavaliers @ Raptors, Friday Oct. 30th 2010

Jay Triano shuffled the starting lineup for the 4th time in as many games but this one seemed more probable than the one in Chicago. With both teams playing the back end of a back to back, a sluggish start was expected. The Raptors came out with some energy but started to fall behind 15 minutes into the game. The Sixers went into the locker room with a 50-48 lead. It wasn’t much but there were times it felt like the Raptors were setting up for a repeat of the night before — a embarrassing loss to the Bulls. The 2nd half was more of the same, back n forth where neither team seemed to be able to find that next gear to put it away. After what felt like the longest game ever, the Raptors held on to get the win in double overtime. Final score: 119-116

Observations

• The team was actually talking on defense. Andrea calling screens, Jack directing from the sidelines and Barbosa spreading the love. From my vantage point, last season the Raptors were probably the quietest team in the league. The more they talk the better the help defense gets… and boy do they need to get better. This was probably the best thing I saw all game.
• Andrea Bargnani has the fans worried. Rightfully so. Even though these games don’t matter, fans want to see if he can be the man to lead this team. Realistically, it is going to take a while for him to get used to the double teams and even then, his rebounding woes and lack of alertness away from the ball will hinder him. There were flashes today where I can see him take it to the next level but they were playing a smaller team and his height was a clear advantage. I am still not buying into this but seems he has the golden ticket on the team so we shall sit through 82 games for him to figure it all out.
• Rebounding has always been the achilles heel of this team. Losing Chris Bosh just made it worse. Amir can rebound but can’t stay on the floor due to foul trouble. Reggie can rebound but is a liability on offense. Andrea… well, he’s Andrea. It is going to be the guards that will have to pick up the slack on the boards. This team wants to run so they need to rebound by committee and leak out. Barbosa, Jack and DeRozan did well in the area tonight and will need to continue that if the team wants to give themselves a chance each night.
• Another year, another question mark about who is the #1 PG on this team. Jose and Jarrett are actually a good tandem but I am still not a fan of them on the floor together. Adding Barbosa in the mix has helped. He plays well alongside both of them. He is ready to hit the jumper when Jack is driving and has the ability to penetrate and kick out when Jose is spotted up. Seeing them play today, I definitely think we are going to see a lot of small ball. DeMar at the 3 spot and hopefully the quickness of these guys can make up for the lack of height.
• Finally, this team looked like they were having fun out there tonight. They may not win too many games but it won’t be for the lack of trying. I want to go on record and say they have the ability to be a 32 win team. Anything less would be disappointing, anything more is just gravy.

My sister (@nidserz) and her awesome camera were at the game today. A budding photographer, she managed to get some amazing action shots. I took some shots as well so check the Flickr album and if you plan to use the photos please credit her and/or this blog. Flickr Album

Photo Credit: Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images

When they say a picture is worth a thousand words, they were referring to one like the above.

You know what though, I’m going to give you the thousand words anyways. I won’t waste time with the final score and breakdowns by quarter, there are about 200 other articles on the net doing so. Instead, this is more of a reflection of how I felt for the duration of the game and the hours that followed.

You could feel the energy in the building before the National Anthems were sung. An arena full of playoff starved fans and almost every one of them knew what was at stake. A season that had begun with so much promise came down to a game against the Chicago Bulls. Too bad no one informed the Toronto Raptors about the importance of the game — or so it seemed. It started the way it ended with a sprinkle of good in between. But alas, the team just didn’t have enough, or want it enough to get the job done.

Was there ever even a game plan? Jay Triano has seemed to be in over his head pretty much all season and it culminated today. I have said it all season long, it’s a whole different ball game when trying to motivate guys who get paid millions compared to guys playing for their country. X’s and O’s are important and coach has that down but he never found a way to get the guys to buy into his plan. Some say, “Triano can only do so much”, but its inevitable that the team takes on the personality of their coach. When you are getting jobbed by the refs, if the players don’t see you fighting for them, they in turn will stop fighting too. I looked over at the bench in the 3rd quarter and Jay Triano just looked on. I longed for the days of Sam Mitchell. I didn’t even have to watch the post game to know that Jay said he liked the effort he got from him guys. This isn’t the first time he has given his team a pass after a complete dud of a game. Tonight the Toronto Raptors didn’t play well, tonight they were embarrassed in front of the home crowd and coach Jay Triano continues to insult a fanbase that is longing for someone to show some fight.

19 Rebounds from Hedo Turkoglu? Thanks for coming out but that was just like pouring salt on the wounds for Raptor fans. The man got paid for the season but only showed up for a few games. He received the loudest individual boo’s on the one night he didn’t deserve it. I refuse to partake in that stuff but I understand where the fans were coming from. He may be the Michael Jordan of Turkey, but the non-existant leadership skills and professionalism he has showed,makes him unworthy of carrying that title. You play 82 games for a reason, maybe if he had played like he did tonight, the Toronto Raptors wouldn’t be clawing for that final playoff spot.

The thought of Andrea Bargnani and his now you see me now you don’t act leading this team next season made me feel ill. I don’t doubt he is a good shooter, I agree that he has improved, but bottom line — he is no where near ready to carry a team. People questioned Bosh’s ability to handle that role and he was thrown into the fire at a much earlier age. This past week was an audition for Andrea and sadly he failed miserably. When he plays besides Bosh, it is a lot easier to justify his rebounding numbers but his display over the last few games is completely unacceptable. The language barrier has always seemed an issue with talking on the court but as of late he has been a complete mute. He could get away with it if he showed offensive consistency but that too may be asking for too much. So much for the mind blowing Caliper test results eh?

Before I go on to a few positives I have to point out the regression of Jose Calderon. I’ll be the first to admit that I am a fan of Jose – see him for what he is… or was. A sound point guard who brings stability to the team, has a good connection with the star player and can nail the jumper when needed. I let the defensive deficiency slide because the other stuff made up for it. He has had the luxury of holding the golden ticket, or rather a free pass in this city. The starting job was his to lose and he did. He got it back but I am not sure he ever deserved it. On this night, he was outplayed by Jarrett Jack and should have come off the bench in the 2nd half. Even if Jay Triano may have thought to make the change, I doubt he had the gumption to go through with it. Instead, he went to the disastrous 2 PG lineup earlier than usual which essentially spelled the end of the game. Jose is one of those “nice guys” who keeps a teams spirits up, but over the course of the season its been evident that he has not been happy. Unfortunately, tonight it showed in all aspects of his game.

But wait, it was not all bad. There are a few guys who left it all out there. Jarrett Jack, Sonny Weems, Amir Johnson — My heart goes out to you. Antoine Wright hobbled and helpless, probably destroyed the locker while the team was throwing away the season. Chris Bosh, who has carried the weight of this franchise for 7 years watched from home as he nursed a broken face. These are guys I can get behind. They have the mentality you need to succeed and I hope the fans take a moment to appreciate them. This franchise will probably go through another makeover and sadly it will be some of the good guys who will be lost.

The thoughts around these parts are that a playoff appearance will go a long way toward keeping Chris Bosh in Toronto. Two more games to go. Two more nights of scoreboard watching as the fate of this team now lays not only in their hands but that of the Chicago Bulls. So, while this loss was a tough pill to swallow… it ain’t over yet.

After a rough road trip the Raptors look to bounce back at the ACC. As of right now, Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu are a game time decision — safe to say this team needs to get back to 100% for the final push. The Raptors have lost 4 in a row but can make up some of the ground over the next two games. Fans got a glimpse of what life would be without CB4 and it wasn’t pretty. The offense seemed forced and the defense backtracked to November ’09.

The Knicks have been playing like they have nothing to lose with new addition Tracy McGrady stepping in as a point forward. Guys are playing for contracts next season and Coach D’Antoni has released his bench. Players like Bill Walker are getting serious burn and most teams don’t even have a complete scouting report on the guy.

The key to tonights game is to erase the memory of the past 4 and go back to playing like this did for the 20 games before them. The point guards will have their hands full tonight and it is vital they manage the game without forcing things. If Bosh isn’t able to go they can use some of the energy from the home crowd to boost them. Either way, in my opinion this is a MUST win game. No excuses.

Before looking at the end of the game though it is important to see how the team got there in the first place. The Raptors had a week off between games and they came out playing like they were still on vacation. The Grizzlies having played the night before got in late but that did not stop them from exploding out of the gates. A 12-0 run to open the game prompted a time out called by the Raptors but it didn’t help much. The momentum started to shift when Coach Triano made some substitutions late in the 1st and having Calderon and Weems come in to replace Jack and Turkoglu. The ball started moving and Jose was finding guys for easy scores. Weems being more athletic was able to stay with some of the younger guys on the Grizz. By halftime the Raptors had clawed back to cut what was once a 16 point deficit down to 2.

With the Grizzlies having played the night before, there were thoughts that they would be sluggish in the 2nd half with fatigue catching up. That wasn’t the case as they kept the 2 point lead going into the final frame. The Raptors brought out their “closer” Antoine Wright for the 4th quarter and things started clicking. Bosh scored 10 straight points and the team seemed to be ready to close things out. An inadvertent elbow from Rudy Gay sent Wright to the lockerroom to get stitches and while unfortunate, marked the turning point in the game. Coach brought in a struggling Hedo and left him in by subbing out Weems for the final minutes. Hedo was going through the motions all night with nothing going his way and instead of being a help on the floor he became a hindrance. The ball stopped moving when it got to him and on the other end he was a half second slow on all his rotations. The Grizzlies managed to score 5 points in the last 35 seconds to send it to overtime. The Raptors couldn’t recover from that and overtime was a whole lot of switching gone wrong.

The Raptors had control of this one and questionable coaching decisions may have cost them. It was Triano who decided to mess with what was working. Sure you don’t want your 53 million dollar man warming the bench but Sonny Weems was getting the job done. Hedo admitted to not having his head in the game (dealing with personal issues in Turkey) but it is the coach’s responsibility to recognize that. Triano has been good with making adjustments and as of late was getting a lot of praise regarding the job he has done. This night sent him back a bit. Sitting Jarrett Jack was the right decision but he should have done the same with Hedo. If it ain’t broke… don’t try to fix it!

Injury Update: Chris Bosh injured his ankle late in the game yesterday. It happened when he came down after a monster block and from my vantage point it looks like he may have rolled it slightly by landing on Bargnani’s foot. Reports are that it is a mild sprain and he did not travel with the team to New Jersey. Bosh has played in every game this season and this team can hardly afford to have him sidelined for a long period of time. Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery.

Trade Deadline Update: As expected, there was no movement from the Raptors as the trade deadline came and went. For Raptor fans they can breathe easy as the Bosh speculation goes away if only for a few days and then people can start talking about the summer. There were talks about a possible trade with the Lakers to bring Vujacic and Powell over to Toronto but thats all it was. Talk. The team that suited up last night will be the one the Raptors will have going forward and it is now up to them how far they want to go.

Things were different this time around. The Toronto Raptors were prepared and even though the Pacers made a late push, at no point in the game did it feel like they were in control. The Raptors closed the game on a 20-5 run to seal their 5th win in a row.

It may not have been pretty as neither team played a lick of defense for the 1st half. There were mismatches all over the floor and the Raptors exploited them by moving the ball. Danny Granger started at the PF spot and he had his work cut out for him. Bosh being the Vet he is, went at him and that resulted in some early foul trouble. Jim O’Brien had to have considered that scenario but his counter-punch was to put Dahntay Jones on Bosh. Instead of forcing shots, CB changed it up. He drew the 2nd defender and kept making the right pass. At the end of the night he had 7 of the Raptors 32 assists and the team shot a season high 60% from the field.

Bosh has been playing out of his mind all season and it almost feels like the fans here take him for granted. When he drops 44 its almost like it was expected. Last night, he had a solid game but the contributions from his teammates became the story.

With Hedo out of the game early due to injury (update below), Antoine Wright played close to 36 minutes. 36 very productive minutes too as he racked up 15 points and showed more of that perimeter defense he was known for when the Raptors acquired him this past off-season. Earlier in the season, this guy was lodged so deep in coach’s dog house I never thought he would see light of day. Makes me happy to see him finally back up all the talking he did when the team was struggling.

Aside from Bosh and Wright, getting efficient contributions from the likes of Weems and Johnson is a major plus. On nights like yesterday, where defense was no where to be found for 24 minutes, they helped keep the team afloat. The 2nd unit is clicking and the team is running on all cylinders. The upcoming stretch of games will give them a chance to make a major push in the Eastern Conference but they key will be — focus. Tomorrow the Raptors head on the road to play the same Pacer team who will undoubtedly make adjustments and it is up to the players to react accordingly.

Don’t look now but 4th spot is not out of reach…

Hedo Turkoglu: Injury Update

Just minutes into the first quarter, Hedo ran face first into Mike Dunleavy Jr’s Elbow. The call on the floor was an offensive foul but that wasn’t what hurt. X-Rays revealed that Hedo has a small, non-displaced fracture of orbital bone under his right eye. He will be re-evaluated tomorrow and the team will explore options for protective face gear. I’m thinking the one picturesdto the left would work quite well. All the man needs is #BALL

]]> http://heelsonhardwood.com/2010/02/heels-the-game-pacers-vs-raptors-mouse-in-the-house/feed/ 3 http://heelsonhardwood.com/2010/01/mavericks-raptors-halfway-home/ http://heelsonhardwood.com/2010/01/mavericks-raptors-halfway-home/#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:36:45 +0000 Nat http://heelsonhardwood.com/?p=3184 The media frenzy that surrounded Bosh this past Friday in NYC, shifted over to Bargnani on Sunday. This seems to happen twice a season when Bargnani gets set to face the player most compared him to pre-draft. With Bargnani playing the best basketball of his career, this is the first time I feel the Dirk comparisons are somewhat justifiable.

“He’s way more athletic than I ever was in my career,” said Nowitzki. “He’s got a quick first step. What you have to do as a young player is improve year over year and I think he did that. He’s always a tough matchup. … The sky’s the limit.”

Big words coming from a former MVP, as Dirk acknowledged what fans in Toronto have begun to see over the past month. Bargnani’s out of control drives have become more methodical, the jumper is falling, he is growing into a better help defender and has finally found his voice on the court. It took a while, but even the skeptics have to stop and look at this guy for the player he has become. Bargnani is playing relaxed. His confidence is building as he sees his value on this team and with that, truly, the sky IS the limit.

Bargnani was just a part of the big picture when it comes to talking about this game. There was a whole lot of good from the Raptors perspective and the complete opposite from the Mavericks. While it is easy to use the early start and the refs as an excuse for the type of game the Mav’s had, they looked nothing like a powerhouse in the West. Horrible on the defensive end playing right into the hands of their opponent while looking out of sync offensively. Josh Howard made only his 6th start of the season and it showed. His shot was off and he played tentative throughout the game. Terry, Marion and Nowitzki came ready to play but as the game progressed they were using so much energy on the offensive end that they never had a chance to D up.

Looking at the Raptors, this was probably the best game they have played as a team to date. The one broken link was Hedo but even his horrible game couldn’t put a damper on the way the team was rolling. Jose Calderon couldn’t do anything wrong. Made the right pass, got everyone involved while mixing up his own game by driving and draining daggers. I like him coming off the bench because he has that ability to make even the bench guys feel comfortable on the offensive end. He becomes a legit scoring threat on the 2nd unit. Having him on the floor towards the end of the game, gives me a sense of security that he will make the right play.

Right now the one thing that stands out is, win or lose, these guys are loving playing together. Sure getting the W is the end game, but if the team is not on the same page those would be few and far between. A 10-3 record over the last 13 with players like Amir Johnson, Sonny Weems, Antoine Wright and even Marcus Banks contributing has taken pressure of Bosh. When your role players can come in and be effective immediately like they were against the Mav’s, you can’t help but get excited about the team as a whole.

The win gave the Raptors a winning record at the mid-way point of the season for only the 5th time in 15 seasons. I said it before and will do again, it took longer than expected for them to come together but there was no doubt in my mind they would make it work. Pre-season I broke down how the team would match up with the other 29 and the Raptors are on the right track. I put the team 45 wins and after the next 41 games are played, I fully expect that to be the mark they finish at — If not better.

On January 18 2010, Gatorade will be launching “Experience G” which will give sports fans the opportunity to score some unforgettable major league experiences – from court side at the Raptors or rink side at an Oilers game, to field side at a Bombers game, there will be tons of sporting events to choose from.

Fanatics can qualify by becoming a fan of the soon-to-be-launched Experience G Facebook page and uploading a video of themselves completing a specific a challenge that tests athletic ability and will to win – this could be anything from showing their best game face, touchdown dance or slapshot to a three point shot or crazy ball-handling skills. Tickets to sporting events across the country are available, so there are lots of chances to win.

I will get more details out to my readers as the launch gets closer. You can also read what @TorontoMike had to say about his experience at the game. He has a nice Flickr photo set to go along with it.

Oh yeah, there was a game played yesterday so let me break it down.

The Raptors came in to this one having won 8 of their last 9 games, but similar to the last one against the 76′ers, they stumbled out of the gates. The turnovers piled up in the first half and before they knew it they were stuck 9 points going into the 3rd. This is not to say that the first half was all bad. They were sharing the ball and had a few big plays, but given their opponent and the fact that they are supposed to be at an advantage with the early start, this was not a team on the up and up.

Bosh who has been playing out of his mind pretty much all season, imposed his will early and racked up the points as the game went on. He even had THIS to say to Sheldon Williams. Andrea Bargnani may have been getting schooled by Rasheed Wallace on one end but he did make some nice plays, and for the first time I actually heard him talking on the defensive end. A shocker, yes! Bargnani apparently likes the month of January as he showed us last season and that has carried over to this season. He is scoring from all over the floor. Even though the blocks were missing yesterday, he seemed to be more zoned in even while his man didn’t have the ball.

The second half of the game was much of the same thing and while the Raptors did make a run they had already dug themselves a hole hard to get out of against elite teams. I actually think this team matches up better with the Celtics when KG is playing. The Raptors were scrambling all game long and never found a way to stop Rasheed Wallace who went on to score a season high 29. The Celtics play so composed that even when the Raptors went on a run late in the game, they never flinched. They executed their game plan and the result are 1 game away for sweeping the season series.

As the game buzzer sounded, two things stood out. Jarrett Jack has nothing on Rajon Rondo and Hedo mas as well have stayed in bed.

Rajon Rondo doesn’t get enough love from the media for what he brings the the floor each day. His 22-10-13 was a pretty good day at the office I would say. He isn’t flashy but does all the little things well. He even banked in a 3 off glass as the shot clock ran down. He is the perfect PG for this team where any of his flaws are easily hidden while still being effective on both ends. On this day in particular he had his way with Jarrett Jack and pretty much anyone who was trying to guard him. He was making the right passes, staying active on D and hitting the jumpers when needed. His reward? A triple double … and a good one at that.

On the other end of the spectrum, there is Hedo Turkoglu. Just when we thought he was settling in to his role on this team he has a game like this. He couldn’t make a basket if his life depended on it and his 9 assists, while they look nice, were not the only thing his team needed from him. This guy got the big time contract this off-season and he has yet to show me he deserved it. His clutch stats have been very average and he never looks to have his head in the game while the plays are developing around him. He has stated over and over that he wants the ball in his hands more. With both the PG’s playing well he needs to start finding other ways to impact the game and it needs to start now!

As I write this the team is warming up on the floor in Indiana. This team has been so Jekly and Hyde this season that I never know which version is going to show up. Here’s to hoping its the one that brings home the “W”

The 4 game road trip hardly turned out the way the team would have liked it to. With Hedo and Antoine Wright jumping in and out of the line up, the team dropped 3 of the 4 games. The lone win was hardly convincing as they clawed out of a 22 point hole to beat arguably one of the worst teams in the league. The game in Phoenix was the most complete game the Raptors have played all season. They did everything to give themselves a chance to win but alas the ball bounced the other way and they went on to Denver. The Denver game got ugly in a hurry, as it most often does and they pulled off a repeat performance in Utah showing inability to find that extra gear.

Back in Toronto for 3 games, this team needs to start establishing the home court advantage. Tonight’s opponent, the Miami Heat are trying to break a skid of their own. Stumbling in after back to back losses the Heat want to get back on track with how they opened the season. They began on a roll but that probably had more to do with a soft schedule rather than strong play. Wade is the only player who gets to the FT line more than Chris Bosh, yet both these guys have struggled to get to the line in their last 2 games. Miami is an athletic team that runs most of their plays through Wade. He is able to get dribble penetration and kick out for the open 3. The Raptors need to make sure to close out on the shooters. This has been an Achilles heel for this team for several seasons and this is as good time as any to start fixing that. Offensively the Raptors have enough fire power to score but this game will be won on the defensive end. If the Heat open up with a 60 point half, this may well be a very long night…

Talking about leadership, not sure how much it comes across on television but Reggie Evans coaches this team through every play. He has words of advice for every player when they check out of the game. He is what you want a bench player to be. He observes the game and as a player you are best equipped to point out what your teammates can do to improve. This is the first time in a while the Raptors have had a player who just speaks up be it to Bosh or to Amir. Some deem it him being a “cheerleader” but to me he has been one of the best things that happened to this team this offseason and we have yet to see him play a minute in a game that matters.

Rotations and Close Out’s

Rookie Mistakes

A Long Time Coming…

It Takes Two

New Team, Same Problems

Too Little Too Late