Winning 7 of their last 8 games, one can say the Toronto Raptors are on somewhat of a roll here. The last 2 have come against formidable opponents and in each game the team relinquished a substantial lead but held on for the win. Sure fans should be concerned that they are still blowing leads, but previous versions of this team would crumble in such situations. This team seems ready to react rather than lay down and wave the white flag.
Coming into the season, the expectations were high. When the team sputtered out of the gates, fingers were being pointed in every direction. As the new year rolled around, the team came in on a 5 game win streak and the same fans that wanted an upheaval started to believe again. I have to admit I wasn’t sold but these past two wins have made me a believer. I’m not talking blind faith here… there is real change going on and it starts with team chemistry.
“Team Chemistry” was a phrase used a lot this summer as Bryan Colangelo pulled off a major overhaul of the Raptors. With 9 new faces, it wasn’t a matter of “if”, rather a matter of “when” this team would come together. Most were hoping for 20 games, but with injuries and a tough schedule that didn’t really happen. Game #36 was played last night and it was probably the first time all season that I could say this team had it. Chemistry that is. Knowing where your teammates like the ball. Talking on defense so your teammate is not left to out to dry. Moving the ball with purpose (31 assists v/s Orlando). These are all things teams that are on the same page do. Over the last couple of games the Toronto Raptors have looks like that kind of team.
This team has proven it is offensively potent. The next step is on the defensive end. The last 8 games have shown the team is capable and with the team chemistry improving so has the team D. At the start of the season, sitting by the Raptor bench, all I could hear was Micah Nori (Asst. coach) screaming out the defensive assignments. Slowly I began to hear Jack on D and now its become almost all the guys. Andrea is still too quiet for my liking, being the last line of D at the center position, but as his confidence grows so should his ability to do the little things like call out picks and such. Over the last couple of games the team has won on the heels of holding teams to a low shooting percentage. They are going into games with a defensive plan and sticking to it. Still not seeing much zone defense from the Raptors, which helps when you need to give teams different looks, but with more practice days in the next couple of months it should be on Jay Triano’s to-do list. This team is not going to be breaking any defensive records anytime soon but if they can pull themselves up to a middle of the road defensive team they will give themselves a chance to be in a good position for the post season.
Jose Calderon returned from injury at the perfect time. No one ever wishes a player to go down but it seemed to have helped the team that he was out. It gave the new players enough time to get used to playing with Bosh and as well as a chance to find their roles on this team. Jarrett Jack was trying to do too much at the start of the season but when he was relied on as the primary PG, he was able to settle down and bring a new dimension to the team. Hedo Turkoglu seemed lost at the start of the season. Under utilized and a non-factor in games, but with Jose sidelined got a chance to show his play making abilities and build a pick ‘n roll game with Bosh. With Jose the coaches know what they have. It took him being out for the coaches to figure out what they had in all these other players. Last night v/s Orlando, Jose came in off the bench and within minutes fans were reminded of what this guy can do. It was like he didn’t miss a beat. There is a sense of security with him on the floor and everything just seems to run smooth.
The defense is coming around and the offense is flowing. For all this to come together, the players have to accept their roles and embrace them. If you told me that Sonny Weems would be subbed in at the end of games for defensive purposes, I would have questioned your sanity. If you told me that Bargnani would be trusted to defend Dwight Howard without a double team, I would have questioned Jay Triano’s sanity. Thing is, slowly these guys are being put in positions to succeed which in turn helps confidence. Chris Bosh is the pillar but over the last few he hasn’t had to be the man. The supporting cast, the so called role players have found their role. Now it’s all about momentum. If this team has truly found an identity, they need to band together to build momentum and start making their push now rather than waiting for seasons end when all the other teams are thinking the same.
Elite teams keep their foot on the gas… the Toronto Raptors need to show they can keep up.
The title of this post is exactly how I felt leaving the game. It was like I watched 2 for the price of 1. Coming back from a West Coast road trip, this could have played out like a trap game. The Bulls were tired after losing a heart breaker the night before and the Raptors made things easy on them in the 1st half. As the buzzer went off to end the 1st half, I looked up at the LED Ribbon that goes around the arena with game stats. Just one stat stood out. 2nd chance points… Raptors 0, Bulls 14. 2nd half came and went and when the final buzzer sounded I looked up to see the 2nd chance points. Raptors 14, Bulls 18. Did the halftime Jay Triano speech wake them up? Were they still in jet lag mode for the 1st half? There probably isn’t one answer. The Raptors did get better but the Bulls were the ones who ran out of gas.
Ole Jose: Jose has already missed more free throws than he did all of last season. He had no legs in his shots but over the last few games that has changed. He had 18 pts and 6 ast last night, blowing by Derrick Rose (yes you read that correctly) and swishing his jumper every time his defender went under the screen. The Raptors need this Jose if they want to win. Jarrett Jack is a solid addition to this team but it has almost feels like he is playing out of his element. He has been trying to be the guy who makes the big plays but with Jose settling down, maybe the pressure will be lifted off Jack and start to create a better balance.
I see flashes: DeMar DeRozan had arguably the best game of his young NBA career. Maybe it was the extra hype of going up against his ex-teammate Taj Gibson or a jolt from a miserable road trip. He started the game crashing the boards and even got to throw down a high light reel dunk in the 2nd half. Fans will have to remain patient with him. For every good night there maybe 2-3 filled with rookie mistakes. Reality is he is still a kid and was drafted on his potential. Last night we got a glimpse of what this potential may pan out to and I for one am excited!
Scoring Punch: Luol Deng has had a couple of injury plagued seasons. Seeing him on both ends of the floor in this one, he seems to be back at 100%. He was hitting the jumpers and staying active off the ball. Salmons was a good addition to this team as well. A lot of people thought last season was like a one hit wonder for him but he will make up for a lot of the scoring the Bulls lost when Gordon left. These two guys are going to have the ball in their hands a lot and with still no real post presence for the Bulls on offense teams are going to have to heavily game plan for both of them.
Mr. Do-It-All: He started off strong last season and everyone said it was lingering effects of winning gold at the Olympics. This year is no different. Sure he is in a contract year but Chris Bosh is playing out of his mind and I am just taking it in game by game. Am I worried he will get burnt out? YES. There is no way he is going to be able to sustain this level of play if he doesn’t get some help from teammates on the glass. Going up against 3 guys each time to grab a board is going have a toll on his body. He added on muscle this offseason and it has helped him finish at the rim against the bruising big men. Reality is though, if he has to do this on his own for much longer the team may not have this version of him available down the stretch for a playoff push.
Mirror Effect: While most people love comparing Bargnani to Dirk, I couldn’t help but think about his game compared to Brad Miller in his prime. Sure the rebounding numbers are a bit off but Brad has that passing ability that comes up when talking about Bargnani. I don’t think anyone expected Andrea to come out the gates as a scoring machine but he has been running up and down the court with a new sense of confidence. This confidence also flows over into his awareness of where his teammates are and he has made some nice passes in the first 8 games. Brad Miller has aged and lost a step but in his prime, he was the guy hitting the long jumper and passing down into the post — Bargnani is giving his team similar production at this point even though the rebounding will be closer to an average of 7 than 10.
Heart & Hustle: Amir Johnson was drafted as a project and now in his 5th season is still trying to “get it”. He picks up more phantom foul calls than the Rookie version of Andrea but no matter what he doesn’t stop trying. On this night it paid off as he got on the glass, provided the team with 2nd chance points and was a big part of the run to get the lead. Coach Triano rewarded him by giving him some important minutes late into the 4th Q. If he can keep giving the team 10 productive minutes a night they will not have to rush Reggie Evans back on the court prematurely.
Leadership: As a rookie you want to keep growing. The game is coming at you fast and DeMar has shown his willingness to listen and learn. I kept an eye on the bench a lot in this one and noticed Demar actually pull Bosh aside to ask him a few questions. All those who knock Bosh about leadership need to think of what he provides not only in the locker room but on the floor. He may not be the guy in everyone’s ear but he has shown a ton of emotion early in the season and on this occasion was more than willing to help out the rook.
