Archive for Raptor Raves

Raptors Open The Season With A Well-Executed Plan

December 27, 2011 Nat Raptor Raves

First game recap of the season and I am still feeling out the best way to do this. There are enough traditional breakdowns from print media so I am going to bring you a short game recap followed by “The Night in Numbers” – a breakdown of the stats from the boxscore, and a “The Starting 5″ – Five players/things that stood out in the game.

The Raptors kicked off their season on a high note getting the 104-96 W over the Cavaliers. Sure, beating a squad of lesser talent isn’t something to write home about but there were so many good things happening on the floor for the Raptors it’s hard not to feel optimistic.

Leading up to the game, all we have heard about is how new head coach Dwane Casey is trying to change the culture and instill a defensive mentality into a team that has always struggled with the concept. Last night fans finally got to see the plan being put into action. 9 blocks, out-rebounding the opponent, shooting a better percentage than the opponent, and communicating on the floor (Bargnani got caught doing that on camera! BOOM). I was so focused looking out for the changes on the defensive end I didn’t get to fully appreciate the offensive efficiency and ball movement from the Raptors. Jose played the role of distributor perfectly, DeMar made an impact in the 4th quarter, Bargnani stayed focused on both ends of the floor, Johnson & Johnson were the perfect blend of energy and execution, and Ed Davis earned himself some more playing time.

This was one of the winnable games and though this season is not going to be measured by wins and losses, it is sure nice for a young team to get off on the right foot.

The Night in Numbers

53% The Raptors were hot from all over. For a team that was at the bottom shooting 3′s last season, they hit 43% of those. On the other end of the floor they held the Cavs to shooting just 41%
10 players saw the floor and each of them recorded at least 1 assist.
+8 on the boards. 9 of the 10 guys who played last night grabbed at least 1 rebound.
35 assists on 42 made FG’s. Not only were the Raptors moving the ball, they ended up finding the right guy to finish each time.
7 of the 10 guys who saw playing time scored in double figures, led by Jose and DeMar who had 15 a piece.
7-7 from the floor for Ed Davis. Should earn him some additional playing time in game 2.
2 Players (Jose, Amir) recorded double double’s. The 13-13 from Amir is not as surprising as the 15-11 from Jose considering who he is passing the ball to…

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#RTZ Night – A Raptors event for the fans, by the fans

February 15, 2011 Nat Raptor Raves

Dusting off the cobwebs on the blog to announce a pretty cool event for Toronto Raptors fans. As some of you know, I have been working with a group of fans this season (@RTZfans) on a social media initiative that is aimed at creating conversation between fans of the team.

The goal at the start was to create a community and it grew organically. The Raptors gave RTZ (Raptors Tweet Zone) tickets to bring guests to take in the live game experience. While at the game, guests use the hashtag #rtz and fans from all over who are watching can join in the conversation. Tweets using the tag go into the raptors.com live chat on game nights and a top 20 tweets post is compiled post-game on the tumblr giving fans a recap of the game while seeing if their tweet made it. This all became another way to recognize fans. After working with the team in making all this happen, the next logical step was to organize a night dedicated to fans who have been a part of this movement. Which brings me to RTZ Night…

RTZ night is more than a game. It is giving fans the chance to take in the game with people they have interacted with over the course of the season with some added bonuses that are listed below. We hope this is a success and we are able to keep bringing more events to a very rabid fanbase here in Toronto.

To purchase tickets CLICK HERE and use the Password RTZ

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Raptor Rave – Live from Las Vegas

July 14, 2010 Nat Raptor Raves

This week has been quite the emotional roller coaster for Raptor fans — life without all-star Chris Bosh and a recent botched trade with the Bobcats. Alas there is a silver lining here as we look forward to the “Young Gunz” era.

Bryan Colangelo’s first order of business was to lock up Amir Johnson long term. The last player ever to be drafted out of high school has found a home in Toronto and his brand of basketball has meshed well with DeMar DeRozan and Sonny Weems. The three formed a fun, athletic unit and allow the team to play a much more uptempo game. Just two games into summer league it is evident that Sonny and DeMar have worked on their games and are tearing it up here.

This years draft also saw Colangelo picking up two young, athletic big men. Ed Davis and Solomon Alabi are very raw on the offensive end but have the makeup to run the floor and get easy buckets while paying focus more on the defensive end. Davis known for his shot blocking abilities may see time at the 4 and 5 spot depending on how much C Bargnani has to play during the season. Alabi may spend the season in street clothes but has the potential to grow into a solid Center.

There is a good balance of youth and veterans on this team now and with the departure of much maligned Hedo Turkoglu, the team seems to have good chemistry going forward.

I will be at the next 3 summer league games so make sure you follow me on Twitter – @Nat77 and check back here as I will post a daily recap of Raptor games as well as some early looks at other rookies in the league

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Raptor Rave – Teaming Up Off The Court

March 5, 2010 Nat Raptor Raves

Photo Credit: Ron Turenne/ NBAE

Don’t they look dapper?

The Toronto Raptors held their annual Red Party event last night and I had the pleasure to attend thanks to @fortressman. This has been the flagship event for the Raptors Foundation (now called Team Up Foundation) over the last 15 years and while I have attended in the past, last night was by far the best. The team has always been at the top of the list when it comes to giving back and this party does that while giving love to the fans who support them.

The event held at Muzik Nightclub, was sold-out to the tune of 800 guests who got a chance to mingle with the players and team personnel. The silent auction had something for everyone, including the “infamous” blue linen blazer worn by Reggie Evans while he was sidelined with an injury. To top it off, there was a surprise guest brought in for the event — none other than, Toronto’s very own “Drake”.

The tickets for the event are on the pricey side but with the proceeds going for charity there is always a nice tax write off involved. While most of the attendees were those who usually fill up the lower bowl at the ACC, it was nice to see some fans come out and support. The players were making the rounds and stopped to take pictures with anyone who asked. The club setting doesn’t lend to too many conversations but just getting a chance to share a few words with people involved with the team is always a great experience. By the time I got home I realized my throat was sore from trying to talk over the music all night.

The whole night is like eye candy for a Raptor fan. I got to chat at length with some of the radio and TV personalities and then moved on to cracking some jokes with Jarrett Jack. Never did make it around the whole place and totally missed Jose, Hedo and Rasho in the house. Oh and I missed out on the food too which was apparently to die for. But with me getting all dressed up, the last thing I was about to do was attempt eating kobe beef sliders while standing.

If I had to pick my favorite part of the night it would be the performance by Drake. As the rapper took the stage, everyone gathered around and even the players joined in as fans. I turned to see Reggie Evans mouthing the lyrics to the songs and DeMar DeRozan bobbing his head as he took it all in. While the suits may not have appreciated this as much, it was nice to see the players just let loose for one night.

My two gripes about the event were minor ones. Firstly, the silent auction was set up in a way it was almost impossible to see what you were bidding on. I got a Jamario Moon playoff worn autographed jersey a few years back and was looking forward to nabbing something but the display turned me off. Secondly, the gift bag had Olive Oil (!), a bag of chips and a coupon for a 12 pack of coke. Seriously? I got a pair of glasses last time with the Raptors logo etched on it. This time the best part of the gift was the bag it came in.

Overall, its definitely an experience I think any fan would love. If you can save up for a good cause and try to make it out next year it will give you a lifetime of memories you won’t soon forget.

  • Read the Raptors.com recap of the event w/ photos (link)
  • Read another recap from @Mrballer who attended as a guest (link)
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Raptor Rave: Taking A Moment To Appreciate

February 6, 2010 Nat Raptor Raves

50 games in the books. Crazy.

The Toronto Raptors held fan appreciation night this past Wednesday, though logistically, it would make more sense to do this at the end of the season. I am pretty sure they planned this after the Vince Carter trade but the game they chose was v/s the New Jersey Nets. Yes, the 4-43 Nets. Rather than the game being the story, it became all about the halftime show — featuring none other than Vanilla Ice.

There really isn’t much to say about the game itself (see: opponent). The Raptors came out with a win even though they were shorthanded and the halftime show surpassed my expectations (Video 1, Video 2). After all was said and done, the Raptors sat with a 27-23 record, coincidentally the same record they had at this mark in both their 47 win seasons.

Now that the team has shown its appreciation (albeit in a strange way), I figured why not return the favor and show my appreciation for each player…

Chris Bosh: Give him Max money now! Ok, that may be a little bold, but his level of professionalism and commitment is something I really appreciate. He is having a career year statistically and has left it on the floor each night. He is never going to be a lock down defender– I can live with that. He is not flashy player and never will be, but the proof is in the results. The positives in his game and what he brings to a team far outweigh the negatives.

Jose Calderon: I may get some hate for this but I do not want to see him leave. When Jose is in the game, I have a sense of calm that he will make the right play and it will end in something positive. On the defensive end, not so much… but the team can live with some of his shortcomings knowing they can make up for them with Jarrett Jack. Having moved to a bench role, Jose has become a scoring threat while making life easy for the 2nd unit. He may be the most valuable trade chip this team holds but I believe it would be a mistake to move him before the season is up.

Jarrett Jack: It was meant to be. See, when Rob Babcock draft Joey Graham, I wanted him to draft Jack. 5 years later, all is right in the world. Jack has lived up to the billing. He plays tough, is a great complement to Jose and has slowly become the leader this team was sorely lacking. Early in the season I noticed he was the most talkative guy on the floor and that has rubbed off on his teammates. Like he did in Indiana, Jack has taken over as the starter (not by choice) and has played his way into keeping that spot.

Hedo Turkoglu: It never felt like the right fit. While there have been glimpses of a borderline secondary star, the thought that he was signed for 5 years makes me ill. The idea of a point forward is great but hardly made sense on a team financially committed to two solid point guards. The Raptors needed a pure shooter/scorer and right now he is neither. He probably will never be, but having him in the game forces opponents to game plan for him which in turn takes some pressure off Bosh. $53 million sure is a lot money for a diversion though.

Andrea Bargnani: It took long enough. Andrea Bargnani carried the weight of being a #1 pick and only this season are we seeing validation for the draft spot. The biggest change I noticed is his confidence level. It felt like he was never comfortable with Sam Mitchell and we saw glimpses of what could be towards the end of last season under Jay Triano. He came in ready this year. He has developed his game to a point where he is mixing things up on offense while keeping his head in the game on defense. He has become a legitimate secondary scoring threat on this team and looks like he is enjoying every minute of it. That makes me happy.

Antoine Wright: Finally backing up his talk, Antoine has quietly become a solid rotation player. He was injured to start the season and soon after was buried deep in coach’s doghouse. Not playing didn’t stop him from trying to be heard and he was talking to anyone who would listen. I guess someone had to say it and while it seemed out of place then its obvious he has the ears of his peers. Bosh has a good relationship with him and that always helps. Now that he is making shots it would be a shame if the team traded him away come mid Feb.

DeMar DeRozan: Similar to how Bosh was thrown into the fire just one year removed from high school, DeMar has stepped into an NBA starting lineup and held his own. He has had to guard some of the best players in the league and he has accepted the challenge. He is usually the 5th option on offense which is why he doesn’t boast flashy numbers, but his work ethic and demeanor have shown me enough to know he will be just fine. I would like to see more plays run for him but maybe that will come in time. For now, I can just see he is loving every minute of his new job.

Sonny Weems: Talk about coming out of nowhere! A spare part in the Amir Johnson trade, Sonny has been the most pleasant surprise for me this season. He brings a little of everything onto the floor each night. A decent mid-range game, he can rebound well at his position and has dished out some memorable assists already this season. All this for a guy who probably spent the early part of the season planning his dance moves (video)

Amir Johnson: Energy – Hustle – Athleticism. Amir Johnson possesses all these qualities in abundance. He has been in the league long enough to know what works for him and the Raptors got him here at the perfect time. He is not as raw as I had expected and I love what he brings to this floor each night. You can see it in his eyes, he is loving it. He had a rough start to his career but is blossoming here in Toronto. This city embraces guys like him and its no surprise he has become a fan favorite. #freeamir

Marco Belinelli: I present you Mo Pete version 2.0 and this one makes no excuses. You give him the ball and he shoots. There is no such thing as bad shots in his mind. I think the team knew what they were getting when they traded for him and he has done nothing more, nothing less. He has been a big part of the winning and for that I am thankful, because I sure as hell know Devean George could not help this team.

Marcus Banks: For a guy who doesn’t do much he sure gets a fair share of hate from the fans. That is until he stepped in when Jose was out and showed us a little somethin’ something. Marcus Clanks may be what I call him but he has been a pro when it comes to his role on this team. He has kept himself game ready and has carried himself like a vet. Can’t ask for more from a 3rd stringer.

Rasho Nesterovic: He has spent more time laughing at the in-game entertainment than actually playing basketball, but that is fine by me. He is a winner. Now “Let’s NBA”

Patrick O’Bryant: While he hasn’t done anything but keep the bench warm during games, off the court is a different story. Twitter was made for guys like him. He has embraced the social media site and created a fan base solely off that. I never gave him a second thought until he opened up to the fans and with that he bought himself a ton of leeway in my books when it comes to actually, you know… contributing to the team.

Reggie Evans: He currently holds the role of cheerleader and I for one can’t wait for him to get back on the floor. Not so much to see how he can help but rather so I no longer have to see him wear crystallized jeans. Gotta give it to him though, being sidelined for so long he is always into the game. The first guy up to cheer his teammates and has a word or two for each of them. You can feel his energy and love for the game, someone with that much passion can only make this team better.

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