Raptors Can’t Hang With The Champs

December 31, 2011 Nat Raptors Report

For the second game in a row, the Raptors come up just short but get high praise from the opposing head coach. Rick Carlisle went as far as saying he thinks the Raptors will be in the hunt for a playoff spot in the East. Then again, he also said he thinks Vince Carter was a future Hall of Famer. Either way, he wasn’t far off saying this team is headed in the right direction as they played hard against a tough team, just ran out of steam in the end to lose 99-86.

The Raptors rode the hot hand all night but struggled to crash the boards in the first half. Once the turnovers started piling up it just made things tougher. A 12-0 Raps run in the second kept it close, and a 17-2 run in the third gave them their largest lead at 68-61. The Mavericks went into Championship mode to end the third which essentially closed the book on this one. They had the edge in pretty much every statistical category (most of which are broken down below) and needed just 31 minutes from Dirk to take care of business.

The Raptors did accomplish one of the 3 goals I had outlined for this road trip in my post yesterday — holding the team to under 45% from the field. DeMar tried to get going early but it clearly wasn’t his night. Andrea fell short in the rebounding category but if it wasn’t for him the final score would have been embarrassing. The team has a day off to watch tape and regroup for another tough team in Orlando over the weekend.

The Night In Numbers

50 of the Raptors’ 86 points came from 2 guys — Bargnani (30) & Barbosa (20). The Mavs meanwhile had a much more balanced attack, 5 guys in double figures.
44% was the magic number tonight as the Raptors held an opponent to under 45% from the field for the third game in a row.
2 monster dunks. DeMar with flies in for the slam and Amir with the put back.
7 assists from Jose Calderon who is now just 7 shy of hitting the 3,000 assist mark.
4-12 from the floor was DeMar DeRozan. He had 7 points at the half but ended with just 11. Never got in a rhythm to play hero in the 4th.
-30 The Raptors bench. Mavs bench outscored them 56-26, most of that coming from Carter and Kidd.
38 Free throws for the Mavs and the Raptors got there just 18 times. In the 3rd quarter alone, the Mavs went there 15 times, the Raptors 0.
7 Turnovers by the Raptors in the 2nd quarter after having just 1 in the 1st Q. They ended the night with 17, Dallas had just 10.

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Raptors Road Trip – 3 Games, 3 Goals

December 30, 2011 Nat Number Crunchin, Raptor Ramblings

The Raptors have looked better than expected in their first two games but the real test starts tonight as they kick off a three game road trip. Up first are the defending NBA Champion Mavericks, who have started slow out the gates but are probably salivating looking at their Friday night matchup. It doesn’t get much easier with the Magic & Knicks due up before the team heads home.

With this season being less about wins and losses, rather a learning process, I have broken down 3 issues the team needs to address to deem this road trip a success.

4 Quarters from DeMar DeRozan – 4 first half points through 2 games. It may be nice to pick up your team when they are down but DeRozan would be better served getting his team going early. Both coach and DeMar have addressed the issue and now its up to him to put his words into action. Goal: 2 games of double-digit scoring in the first half.

Rebounding from Andrea Bargnani – 10 rebounds through two games is not what the coach ordered. Even the naysayers can admit Bargnani has looked more active on both ends but the rebounding numbers don’t reflect it. Before the season coach said he wants to see Andrea pull down 2 rebounds per quarter and right now he is falling short. Surprisingly, the issue hasn’t been effort but rather those butter fingers. This trip will have him defending guys who play outside in (Dirk, Amare) and should give him an opportunity to up that rebounding average. Goal: One double-digit rebounding game.

Defensive Intensity – Early stats show the Raptors are buying into Dwane Casey’s defensive philosophies. Sure there have been breakdowns, but for the most part they are greatly improved on that end of the floor (Raptorblog broke down some stats in detail here). Coach Casey believes the team has a grasp on his defensive system, it’s just a matter of time and practice to carry it out consistently. Turnovers have been an issue early on but the guys have been active on the boards and in the passing lanes. Out on the road its easy to fall back into old habits when things are not going well but the Raptors need to stick to the game plan. Goal: Keep opponents under 45% shooting.

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Raptors Can’t Keep Pace At Home

December 29, 2011 Nat Heels at the Game

Talk about sensory overload. An early 6PM start to kick off their home opener, the Raptors introduced the team to a spectacle of pyrotechnics set to the tune of Headlines by Drake. The Canadian content didn’t stop there as Jamaal Magloire took to centre court to address the sold out crowd who were later treated to a halftime show by Kardinal Official. The show stealer though was Justin Bieber who sat courtside to take in the game and even bricked a 3 from Jimmer range during a time out. All the hoopla aside, there was an NBA game to be played so on to that…

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.

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Raptors Report – Home Sweet Home

December 28, 2011 Nat Raptors Report

The Toronto Raptors are going big for their home opener tonight and I mean literally. Walk up to the Air Canada Centre and you see a 9 foot ice sculpture that is all part of the block party set up outside for fans to enjoy before the game. Aside from the free food and drinks, fans attending the game will be getting free towels and t-shirts. The only mystery left is what the intro song will be.

The Raptors opened up their season with a win against the Cavs but are faced with a much bigger test tonight against the Pacers. Coach Casey has elected to stay with the same starting lineup from opening night (Calderon, DeRozan, Butler, Bargnani and A. Johnson). Butler remains a surprise in the starting lineup but coach stressed that he has become a quiet leader in the locker room and provides some good fundamentals on D creating space for Andrea and Demar on the floor. Expect to see him remain there but James Johnson should still get the bulk of minutes at the SF spot. The Raptors did not record a single fast break point in game 1, but Casey insists that getting out and running is still very much part of the game plan. Pregame when asked what he hopes his team brings to the floor tonight, coach said ”We owe it to our fans to come out and scrap.”

The Pacers have dropped 5 straight in Toronto but the team that comes in today is much more experienced, athletic, and have been doing some great things under coach Vogel. The Raptors are going to have to hit the boards as a team, continue to talk on D and focus on making sure that every basket the Pacers get is earned. The Pacers have a size advantage at every spot aside from PG, but Collison can give Calderon fits all night. Amir is going to have to battle down low with Hibbert while Andrea needs to make David West work on both ends. The matchup to look out for is DeMar going at Paul George. Two athletic freaks who have so much potential. Get your camera’s ready!

I am coming at you from the game tonight on Twitter (@Nat77) so give me a follow for all the in-game tweets and pics you can handle.

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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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