Raps Catch A Break In NYC?

It can be hard to keep up with this schedule being condensed it can be hard to keep up with all the games. Here is a handy little offering from The NBA on YouTube:



So that was what happened yesterday including the Raptors meltdown in Orlando. They move on the New York City where an opportunity is knocking for them. Amare Stoudemire turned an ankle on the Knicks west coast road trip and is a game time decision for tonight vs the Raptors. The Knicks went just 1-2 on that road swing west and will be looking for a win at home to climb above the .500 mark. Even with no Amare they will still have to deal with Carmelo Anthony.

In terms of the Raptors they need some one to step up be the second option consistently to be the Robin for Andrea Bargnani in terms of scoring. That is suppose to be Demar DeRozan, but it has been a struggle for DeRozan who has failed to put together a solid 4 quarters of offence together this season. He is trying to establish a three point shot that he worked on in the summer. It is still not there yet. While he has improved the shot it is still the weak part of his game. Even in his mid-range game he is forcing a lot of shots. He needs to get back to being a slasher and getting points in transition. His handles are still a weak point as well. There is a lot of things that need some work. It seems he more than anyone is having trouble with balancing the new defensive system and his offensive game.

Ed Davis has also struggled after a solid opener. His minutes have been less than you might have expected in part due to the great performance of Andrea Bargnani. After Bargnani logged 40 minutes yesterday on the 2nd night of a back to back Ed Davis could see some more minutes tonight and he needs to use them. The Raptors main issue will be what to do when Jose Calderon has to take a seat. Jerryd Bayless was ruled out of both yesterdays game and tonight's and will be re-evaluated when the Raptors return to Toronto on Tuesday. He had an ugly ankle turn in Dallas that has him on the sidelines. Calderon himself has not been durable and you worry if the Raptors over play him to compensate for the loss of Bayless it could cost them in terms of Calderon's health. Anthony Carter has not really been that impressive in the minutes he has seen since the Bayless injury. Barbosa and Forbes can play the point but are less than ideal options. Bayless was not off to a great start to the season but it seems clear he is better than any of the Raptors other options.

Knicks know all about struggling point guard play. They are actually hoping that Baron Davis once he can get healthy can be the answer. I would say that the Knicks sooner rather than later will be in the market for a point guard. The problem is what exactly do they have to get one?

It is a 7:30pm tip time at the New Look Madison Square Garden. You can find it on tube on Sportsnet 1. On the Radio as always on the Fan 590. I like always will be tweeting my face off @dinonationblog.