So the Raptors were in Indiana to face the Pacers who they made a deadline deal with for them to acquire the Leandro Barbosa. This was the first time the two teams would hook up early. Andrea Bargnani would sit this one out after leaving the game vs OKC with problems once again with his calf. James Johnson is still not back in the starting line-up. Like what exactly did this guy do that was so bad? Still no one is talking. I went old school and took hand written notes. Will see if I can read my own writing and scribbles.
1st Quarter Notes:
Roy Hibbert had a block and was challenging shots causing issues early.
Pacers got off to a 6-2 lead
Alan Anderson hits a three to give the Raptors first lead of the night at 9-8
Both teams were finding it a challenge to score.
Raptors make a few turnover leading to a 9-0 Pacers run to give them a 15-10 lead
Gary Forbes finally makes a bucket to break a 5 min stretch where the Raptors failed to register a FG.
Pacers lead 21-16 after 1
2nd Quarter Notes:
Raptors start the quarter playing zone and Pacers make them pay with a corner three set up by Barbosa.
A.J Price would make another three and Raps were in a double digit whole quickly.
Pacers had an 8-0 run
Ed Davis traveled to which Casey reacted with an F-Bomb if my lip reading skills are up to snuff.
James Johnson with a nice block and he would score on the other end to break this run.
This was a Quarter that Pacers had control of from start to finish.
Pacers lead 51-37 at the Half.
3rd Quarter:
This was the Alan Anderson Show. He had a huge quarter and basically signed his last 10 day contract by doing so
Raptors fought hard the entire quarter but so did the Pacers.
Jaamal Magloire got a stupid tech trying to punk someone. Brilliant.
Raptors several time would get Pacer lead to single digits.
In the end of 3rd Raptors gave up a 6-0 run to make lead 15 after 3
Pacers lead 77-62
4th Quarter:
This was a great effort by the Raptors lead by Linas Klezia He lead the Raps with 18 in limited minutes
Raptors would close to within 2 only to see the Pacers pull away and Barbosa hit a dagger 3.
Still the Raptors refused to go away and did get in to down 3 very late but fell asleep on D and gave up an east transition hoop and that ended any lingering doubt.
Pacers win 103-98
Final thoughts: Alan Anderson likely earned himself some money and look from someone next season. Demar DeRozan after scoring early faded into the background in this one. Ed Davis has a good game in a losing effort. This has become a growing trend. Pacers were made to sweat at the end of this game but had it under control through out. Just 8 more games left and it will be interesting to see how the Raptors approach it. Casey is not likely going to change his approach. He was furious over a call down the stretch in this one like the Raptors were in a playoff race. I love that passion but for his own health there will be other days for those fights. In the end it was another game like a lot of others this season. The Raptors compete level was very high and their result level was not so much.
A note for tomorrow. It is highly unlikely I am going to have a chance to do a preview of the Raptors and Sixers which I will be covering tomorrow at the ACC. I am planning on going to the Jays game before so I will be out of here heading for Toronto pretty early. Well early by my standards. So there may not be a blog till Thursday. I will be on Twitter all day @dinonationblog though with updates on Raps and maybe some Jays.
4/9/12
10 Things On Last Night, Tonight and Beyond
So it is late in the season. I am tired and need to combine a re-cap and a preview into one. Thanks to folks at St Louis Wings for hosting me for the night for the game with the Thunder. I learned that the Easter Bunny is bigger than the Dino Blogger in two ways. Still, the folks at St Louis Wings have always been great to me and it is a great place to catch a game. Any restaurant/bar that puts basketball first in Canada is a rare gem to find. That said back to business, here are 10 thoughts on what we saw last night and what to expect tonight against the Pacers and beyond.
1. The Result Was Obvious- There was not a doubt in my mind last night's Raptor game would end up with the result it did. The Thunder were in bad need of a win coming in and the Raptors provided that perfect springboard to do just that. OKC had sat a top the Western Conference for the majority of this season and getting passed by the Spurs made losing to the Raptors not an option.
2. Thunder Fans- There is a lesson to be learned for Raptor fans from the people in the stands in OKC. It has become the best home court advantage in the NBA. Be it crazy fat guys with bunnies painted on them with masks or just your average OKC Fan they all get it. I am pretty confident they are never worried if they are treated to a slice of pizza. I am also confident that even when they sucked, which wasn't that long ago, they were not rooting for their team to lose (Tank). They are people that are just passionate to have the NBA in their city. That passion has died down in Toronto. While Raptor fans are a loyal group they also have become jaded and divided at times. I understand why that is, but still when you watch a game in OKC you see what being a fan by it's true definition is all about. They are more than just the example of how to build a team they are an example of how to build a fanbase. I miss the days when Raptors fans were like this.
3. Bargnani Tough?- I really am starting to have serious doubts about the future of Andrea Bargnani. Again this calf injury becomes an issue and he sits the 2nd half. No the Raptors were not tanking, as I mentioned earlier this result was an obvious one. I am left to question what kind of pain threshold Bargnani truly has. This is aside from the debate on if he has truly turned the corner as player. Even if I am to believe that, which I remain unconvinced, it becomes a moot point if he is not healthy in the long term. I don't mean to diminish a calf injury but this has become rather ridiculous on some level.
4. James Johnson Saga- I have no idea what James Johnson did. I don't care what he did to be blunt. I do support what Casey has done in sending a message. That said enough already. It was pretty hilarious watching the Raptors try and guard Kevin Durant with James Johnson on the bench. Matching the potential MVP of league on a 10 day contract player is not just punishing Johnson, it is punishing the team as a whole. Casey was quick to get him in there. Let's all move on now though and give Johnson his spot back. Credit to both Casey and Johnson, along with team for keeping whatever happened on the down low. Sure we all would like to know what happened but honestly we really don't need to know.
5. Jaamal's Impact- If I hear one more time this year about the impact of Jaamal Magloire, I swear that I am going to puke. Tell me has there ever been a player in the history of this team praised for doing so little? I mean seriously. I guess it is a situation not unlike the one with Jay Triano, in which because he is Canadian people are wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt. Here is what he has been in reality. A trash talking tough guy that still knows how to commit a foul in the NBA and can occasionally show you he use to be a good to great player 10 years ago. That is all. He likely isn't coming back and I would seriously wonder if the Raptors had not come along, if he is even in the league at all. Sadly this is the guy that will go in the history books as the first ever Canadian Raptor. It makes me sad for all the young up and coming talent we have in this country that could have been that. The only old Canadian I would want to have that honour played basketball for his country and is a two time NBA MVP.
6. Barbosa Is Back- If you are not at least a little happy for Leandro Barbosa getting a chance to play for a playoff team you may have no soul. This is a guy that game here and never once complained and went out and did his job for the past couple seasons. Given this crazy NBA Sked, I confess I have not seen much of Barbosa since leaving. But based on the boxscores and random comments I see on Twitter he is doing what he does in Indiana and I am happy for him.
7. Roy Hibbert- I have said this consistently for awhile, it pains me to watch this guy play and know he will go down as a draft pick of the Toronto Raptors. Now it should be noted if not for the trade with the Pacers he would have never been picked by the Raptors. They felt he was too slow for their up tempo style of basketball at the time. That said, I at the time thought he was a great answer for the Raptors at center. He is never going to blow you away but he does all the things that you would hope that a center would do. On top of that having met him once he is a pretty great young man. Georgetown has not produced to many stiffs at the Center position over the years. It is one of the safest bets in the NBA draft when you take a center out of Georgetown. When you look back on that trade that brought J.O to Toronto the biggest loss in it was Roy Hibbert.
8. Raptors Can Be Spoilers- When you look at the Schedule remaining the Raptors could have a impact on the playoff race. Starting tonight with Pacers two games ahead of Boston for 3rd in the East, followed with games vs Sixers, Celtics, Hawks twice, Heat and Bucks. It gives you some motivation to go out there and try and win games. It is also the reason that people hate tanking in general. Tanking has an impact on the teams that are actually in the playoff race. This is why David Stern needs to step in and do something dramatic to the NBA Lottery System. It was designed to prevent this sort of thing. Still if you look around the league it isn't working. The concept of tanking is talked about far more than it ever was back in 1985 when there was legit concern teams would tank to land Patrick Ewing one of those Georgetown centers we mentioned earlier. I say this with all due respect to Anthony Davis, if he has half the career the Patrick Ewing had, he would be a fortunate young man. However, with all the hype surrounding him you would think he was better than that and going to project to be the next superstar of the NBA. I would venture to say that is vastly optimistic. He could turn into a fine NBA player and likely should. That said is he going to be better than a hall of famer or some great recent top picks? I don't see that. Don't believe me it is ok. I will rest easy knowing that I also never was impressed with this guy named Greg Oden and said Kevin Durant would be better. I am sure that I was laughed at for that and I will use the obvious line of who is laughing now?
9. Reality Math- What we knew before this season even started is now fact. The Raptors based on their loss in OKC and some other things last night have officially been eliminated from the playoffs. Still with nine games left which for fans feel pretty pointless, it is still important for some folks on this team. No matter what happens in these final games it will not change the fact this summer is going to be a huge off-season for the Raptors. What guys do down the stretch of the season may help shape/decide if they are going to be a part of this team moving forward. If for no other reason than that, this is ultimately why the concept of tanking is stupid. Players fighting for jobs and their place in the food chain are not going out to try and lose or even think of losing. Especially when you look at guys on 10 day contracts. They are fighting for their very NBA lives every night and day they step on the floor.
10. Time Flies Even When Your Losing- At some points this season has been very painful to endure. The losing combined with this crazy schedule can make your head spin. At least it has seemed to go by fairly quickly and the fact this NBA Season was only 66 games and not 82 games was a blessing given the state of this franchise. There has been so much blind hope for the future this year, it has bordered on the insane. While I do think the Raptors are heading in the right direction, the speed in which some think things will change is likely not going to be the reality. As bad as this season has been the Raptors ultimately did improve as hard as that is to believe at times. It speaks to how bad they were last season and how much it was needed to make a coaching change. I was one of the few that had been saying that long before it was cool. Funny how the people that weren't in favour all love Dwane Casey now and the change in direction of this franchise. I think one of the things I find most frustrating is how people change with the wind and are never truly brought to task for it. Yet when I go out of the box of and say something that ends up being right, I take abuse at the time for it and no one other than me says that I was right. Maybe people just have got use to the fact that I will tell them that I was. Whatever the case, I am proud of my track record on things and do take comfort in the fact that it must mean I know what the hell I am talking about at the end of the day. That is in many ways it's own reward.
So I decided to do this instead of a preview and it ends up being twice as long. Oh well the off-season and a bit of a break will be here soon enough. Happy Monday all and hope you had a pleasant holiday weekend.
1. The Result Was Obvious- There was not a doubt in my mind last night's Raptor game would end up with the result it did. The Thunder were in bad need of a win coming in and the Raptors provided that perfect springboard to do just that. OKC had sat a top the Western Conference for the majority of this season and getting passed by the Spurs made losing to the Raptors not an option.
3. Bargnani Tough?- I really am starting to have serious doubts about the future of Andrea Bargnani. Again this calf injury becomes an issue and he sits the 2nd half. No the Raptors were not tanking, as I mentioned earlier this result was an obvious one. I am left to question what kind of pain threshold Bargnani truly has. This is aside from the debate on if he has truly turned the corner as player. Even if I am to believe that, which I remain unconvinced, it becomes a moot point if he is not healthy in the long term. I don't mean to diminish a calf injury but this has become rather ridiculous on some level.
4. James Johnson Saga- I have no idea what James Johnson did. I don't care what he did to be blunt. I do support what Casey has done in sending a message. That said enough already. It was pretty hilarious watching the Raptors try and guard Kevin Durant with James Johnson on the bench. Matching the potential MVP of league on a 10 day contract player is not just punishing Johnson, it is punishing the team as a whole. Casey was quick to get him in there. Let's all move on now though and give Johnson his spot back. Credit to both Casey and Johnson, along with team for keeping whatever happened on the down low. Sure we all would like to know what happened but honestly we really don't need to know.
5. Jaamal's Impact- If I hear one more time this year about the impact of Jaamal Magloire, I swear that I am going to puke. Tell me has there ever been a player in the history of this team praised for doing so little? I mean seriously. I guess it is a situation not unlike the one with Jay Triano, in which because he is Canadian people are wanting to give him the benefit of the doubt. Here is what he has been in reality. A trash talking tough guy that still knows how to commit a foul in the NBA and can occasionally show you he use to be a good to great player 10 years ago. That is all. He likely isn't coming back and I would seriously wonder if the Raptors had not come along, if he is even in the league at all. Sadly this is the guy that will go in the history books as the first ever Canadian Raptor. It makes me sad for all the young up and coming talent we have in this country that could have been that. The only old Canadian I would want to have that honour played basketball for his country and is a two time NBA MVP.
6. Barbosa Is Back- If you are not at least a little happy for Leandro Barbosa getting a chance to play for a playoff team you may have no soul. This is a guy that game here and never once complained and went out and did his job for the past couple seasons. Given this crazy NBA Sked, I confess I have not seen much of Barbosa since leaving. But based on the boxscores and random comments I see on Twitter he is doing what he does in Indiana and I am happy for him.
7. Roy Hibbert- I have said this consistently for awhile, it pains me to watch this guy play and know he will go down as a draft pick of the Toronto Raptors. Now it should be noted if not for the trade with the Pacers he would have never been picked by the Raptors. They felt he was too slow for their up tempo style of basketball at the time. That said, I at the time thought he was a great answer for the Raptors at center. He is never going to blow you away but he does all the things that you would hope that a center would do. On top of that having met him once he is a pretty great young man. Georgetown has not produced to many stiffs at the Center position over the years. It is one of the safest bets in the NBA draft when you take a center out of Georgetown. When you look back on that trade that brought J.O to Toronto the biggest loss in it was Roy Hibbert.
8. Raptors Can Be Spoilers- When you look at the Schedule remaining the Raptors could have a impact on the playoff race. Starting tonight with Pacers two games ahead of Boston for 3rd in the East, followed with games vs Sixers, Celtics, Hawks twice, Heat and Bucks. It gives you some motivation to go out there and try and win games. It is also the reason that people hate tanking in general. Tanking has an impact on the teams that are actually in the playoff race. This is why David Stern needs to step in and do something dramatic to the NBA Lottery System. It was designed to prevent this sort of thing. Still if you look around the league it isn't working. The concept of tanking is talked about far more than it ever was back in 1985 when there was legit concern teams would tank to land Patrick Ewing one of those Georgetown centers we mentioned earlier. I say this with all due respect to Anthony Davis, if he has half the career the Patrick Ewing had, he would be a fortunate young man. However, with all the hype surrounding him you would think he was better than that and going to project to be the next superstar of the NBA. I would venture to say that is vastly optimistic. He could turn into a fine NBA player and likely should. That said is he going to be better than a hall of famer or some great recent top picks? I don't see that. Don't believe me it is ok. I will rest easy knowing that I also never was impressed with this guy named Greg Oden and said Kevin Durant would be better. I am sure that I was laughed at for that and I will use the obvious line of who is laughing now?
9. Reality Math- What we knew before this season even started is now fact. The Raptors based on their loss in OKC and some other things last night have officially been eliminated from the playoffs. Still with nine games left which for fans feel pretty pointless, it is still important for some folks on this team. No matter what happens in these final games it will not change the fact this summer is going to be a huge off-season for the Raptors. What guys do down the stretch of the season may help shape/decide if they are going to be a part of this team moving forward. If for no other reason than that, this is ultimately why the concept of tanking is stupid. Players fighting for jobs and their place in the food chain are not going out to try and lose or even think of losing. Especially when you look at guys on 10 day contracts. They are fighting for their very NBA lives every night and day they step on the floor.
10. Time Flies Even When Your Losing- At some points this season has been very painful to endure. The losing combined with this crazy schedule can make your head spin. At least it has seemed to go by fairly quickly and the fact this NBA Season was only 66 games and not 82 games was a blessing given the state of this franchise. There has been so much blind hope for the future this year, it has bordered on the insane. While I do think the Raptors are heading in the right direction, the speed in which some think things will change is likely not going to be the reality. As bad as this season has been the Raptors ultimately did improve as hard as that is to believe at times. It speaks to how bad they were last season and how much it was needed to make a coaching change. I was one of the few that had been saying that long before it was cool. Funny how the people that weren't in favour all love Dwane Casey now and the change in direction of this franchise. I think one of the things I find most frustrating is how people change with the wind and are never truly brought to task for it. Yet when I go out of the box of and say something that ends up being right, I take abuse at the time for it and no one other than me says that I was right. Maybe people just have got use to the fact that I will tell them that I was. Whatever the case, I am proud of my track record on things and do take comfort in the fact that it must mean I know what the hell I am talking about at the end of the day. That is in many ways it's own reward.
So I decided to do this instead of a preview and it ends up being twice as long. Oh well the off-season and a bit of a break will be here soon enough. Happy Monday all and hope you had a pleasant holiday weekend.
4/8/12
Come Party With Us Again
Last Season we had a party for the Raptors vs Miami Heat when Chris Bosh returned to Toronto. This season we are having a party to celebrate the guy that called Chris Bosh a fake tough guy as Kevin Durant and his Thunder host the Raptors in OKC. I in Toronto will be hosting a party for all of you. At St Louis Wings at the Atrium location on Bay St.
It Looks Like This:
So will be there all night and game tips at 7pm. Everyone is welcome to stop by and say hello and enjoy the game with me and everyone else that comes out. If the Easter Bunny wasn't good to you be good to yourself and come out and have some fun with us. It is the team I have been calling The Best Team In The World vs the Raptors. But OKC has lost 3 straight. No matter the result it will still be lots of fun at St Louis Wings as they have always been fantastic hosts for any events we have done with them.
4/7/12
Amir Johnson Is Always Rolling With His Fans
It is easy to become jaded about professional athletes. Just look at the stuff going on in Orlando with Dwight Howard as case and point. Amir Johnson may not be Superman, but he is super to the fans that support him. He is just a good person in general. I have spoke with him many times in his time here and my time covering the team. You get to hear the interviews and read the quotes, but we also just talk and shoot the breeze. That doesn't happen with many guys to level it has with Amir. He takes the time with everyone to make them feel important and special, that is a gift. I am not there on a regular basis but Amir is one of the guys that has gotten to know me. He asked me if I lost weight. No idea if I have or not. It lead to us having a conversation about the positives of working out. He had some good things to say on the subject so instead of cutting out the tail end of that conversation I decided to leave it in their and maybe it can inspire someone. So we start with me joking about getting Amir to be my personal trainer.
Obviously the chances the Raptors would sneak into the playoffs is remote. That said, it is important as you heard from Amir that this team finishes strong and heads into the off-season feeling good about itself. That is the thing that folks that are all on board with Tank Nation don't seem to grasp. Amir Johnson wants his team to play hard and keep fighting. Which is true of everyone you would hope in that locker room. If not you wouldn't want them to be part of the team. Dwane Casey sure is not any less intense or focused on winning either. Let the ping pong balls fall where they may. Sometimes, even with this team giving it's best effort they fall short. Regardless of what comes of the Lottery, the Raptors will be adding two new pieces to the puzzle that can help building this thing to where we all want it to be, as a team that is winning and not worrying about ping pong balls. Also you have to give a lot of credit to Amir for remaining the same person no matter what the situation for his team or himself. He stays consistent in his presence with the fans through his actions and through social media. He really does things that go above and beyond what you would expect an athlete to do. He is a special guy and an athlete that "gets it" in how you treat people. He treats his team, the media and fans all with the same genuine passion, love and energy that he attempts to display on a nightly basis on the floor. He is a guy that has earned my respect beyond being a basketball player but as a man and as a person. Next time some of you just casually assume this team might move him or toss him aside you might want to consider the character that you are tossing away along with that. Yes it is a business in sports, but it is also still about people which I think a lot of times seems to be forgotten. So keep on the lookout @IamAmirJohnson for the details on the Roll With Amir Contest that he does because he wants to give back to all of you that support him. A true class act is what Amir Johnson will ALWAYS BE.
Obviously the chances the Raptors would sneak into the playoffs is remote. That said, it is important as you heard from Amir that this team finishes strong and heads into the off-season feeling good about itself. That is the thing that folks that are all on board with Tank Nation don't seem to grasp. Amir Johnson wants his team to play hard and keep fighting. Which is true of everyone you would hope in that locker room. If not you wouldn't want them to be part of the team. Dwane Casey sure is not any less intense or focused on winning either. Let the ping pong balls fall where they may. Sometimes, even with this team giving it's best effort they fall short. Regardless of what comes of the Lottery, the Raptors will be adding two new pieces to the puzzle that can help building this thing to where we all want it to be, as a team that is winning and not worrying about ping pong balls. Also you have to give a lot of credit to Amir for remaining the same person no matter what the situation for his team or himself. He stays consistent in his presence with the fans through his actions and through social media. He really does things that go above and beyond what you would expect an athlete to do. He is a special guy and an athlete that "gets it" in how you treat people. He treats his team, the media and fans all with the same genuine passion, love and energy that he attempts to display on a nightly basis on the floor. He is a guy that has earned my respect beyond being a basketball player but as a man and as a person. Next time some of you just casually assume this team might move him or toss him aside you might want to consider the character that you are tossing away along with that. Yes it is a business in sports, but it is also still about people which I think a lot of times seems to be forgotten. So keep on the lookout @IamAmirJohnson for the details on the Roll With Amir Contest that he does because he wants to give back to all of you that support him. A true class act is what Amir Johnson will ALWAYS BE.
We Should Have Seen This Coming
The Toronto Raptors no matter what era of this team we are talking some things seem to remain the same. It always seems at certain times when there is a general consensus that Raptors will win or lose a game more often than not the opposite will happen. If you took a poll of fans on last night's game prior to it you would have got a positive response on the Raptors winning their 4th in a row against the Cavs. After all the Raptors were 3-0 vs Cleveland this year and through 3 quarters It looked like everyone would be right.
Atwan Jamison who was a Raptor for all of 10 minutes till Vince Carter was traded for. He went off in the 4th quarter and took this game over. He along with some guy named Lester Hudson who was one of many players you likely need to google search to know who the hell they are? Being honest about this game it was hard to watch through a lot of it. I joked to a few people it was a cross between Vegas Summer League and the D-League All-Star Game. That might be mean and unfair but it just had no flow to it.
In the end if you allow a team to score 33 points in the 4th Quarter you are likely not going to win many games. This game also pointed out how we likely take for granted what Jose Calderon can do on the offensive send of the floor. His eye looked pretty messed up and I would be surprised if we see him in the next couple games. I still have some questions about Andrea Bargnani going forward. He just has not matched his overall performance from early in season prior to his injury. We had many questions about Demar DeRozan early in the season but he seems to be answering them all of later with another fine night of work in this one. In the end Cavs take it 84-80.
Up next is a meeting with an OKC team that has lost 3 straight a season high for them. Kevin Durant dropped 44 I believe it was last night. However no matter what watching the Thunder is entertaining. Hence why I made this the game for our Party at St Louis Wings on Sunday. Tip Time is 7pm and were at the Bay St location at the Atrium. So come party with us after the Easter Bunny has rolled through.
Atwan Jamison who was a Raptor for all of 10 minutes till Vince Carter was traded for. He went off in the 4th quarter and took this game over. He along with some guy named Lester Hudson who was one of many players you likely need to google search to know who the hell they are? Being honest about this game it was hard to watch through a lot of it. I joked to a few people it was a cross between Vegas Summer League and the D-League All-Star Game. That might be mean and unfair but it just had no flow to it.
In the end if you allow a team to score 33 points in the 4th Quarter you are likely not going to win many games. This game also pointed out how we likely take for granted what Jose Calderon can do on the offensive send of the floor. His eye looked pretty messed up and I would be surprised if we see him in the next couple games. I still have some questions about Andrea Bargnani going forward. He just has not matched his overall performance from early in season prior to his injury. We had many questions about Demar DeRozan early in the season but he seems to be answering them all of later with another fine night of work in this one. In the end Cavs take it 84-80.
Up next is a meeting with an OKC team that has lost 3 straight a season high for them. Kevin Durant dropped 44 I believe it was last night. However no matter what watching the Thunder is entertaining. Hence why I made this the game for our Party at St Louis Wings on Sunday. Tip Time is 7pm and were at the Bay St location at the Atrium. So come party with us after the Easter Bunny has rolled through.
James Johnson MIA Because of an Internal Matter?
You might have noticed James Johnson has not seen the floor in the last two games. Dwane Casey says there is nothing wrong with Johnson. He apparently is being disciplined for some incident between him and Casey. Although no one is talking about what caused this. Here is what Johnson had to say to Reporters post game.
Will have thoughts on the game itself tomorrow as the Raptors winning streak came crashing to an end in the 4th quarter at the ACC. As for Johnson's status going forward Casey said he would be available for the Raptors next game in OKC. That doesn't mean he will be back though because according to Casey he was available tonight he just decided not to use him. If I were to have picked a guy to butt heads with Casey on the roster Johnson would not rank high on my list of suspects. It seems that this matter is staying in house as both Casey and Johnson have nothing to say on what caused this punishment. Although Casey says James Johnson is not in his dog house. If he isn't than he at the very least sleeping on the couch or bench for a few nights.
Will have thoughts on the game itself tomorrow as the Raptors winning streak came crashing to an end in the 4th quarter at the ACC. As for Johnson's status going forward Casey said he would be available for the Raptors next game in OKC. That doesn't mean he will be back though because according to Casey he was available tonight he just decided not to use him. If I were to have picked a guy to butt heads with Casey on the roster Johnson would not rank high on my list of suspects. It seems that this matter is staying in house as both Casey and Johnson have nothing to say on what caused this punishment. Although Casey says James Johnson is not in his dog house. If he isn't than he at the very least sleeping on the couch or bench for a few nights.
4/6/12
Cavs vs Raptors in Friday Under Card
It is Toronto vs Cleveland this Easter Weekend. It kicked off with a bang yesterday with the Blue Jays and Indians. That is why there was no blog yesterday. I didn't plan on watching a 5 hour long baseball game. the streaking Raptors and the struggling Cavs are not likely to provide as much excitement tonight at the ACC. The Raptors can not say they have dominated much this year. They can legitimately say that about the Cavs beating them in all 3 meetings this season. Tristan Thompson has still yet to experience what it is like to beat his hometown team. He has got to experience what it is like to start in the NBA though since he last saw the Raptors. On March 19th Thompson opened eyes to his potential with a career high 27 points shooting 12-16 from the field and grabbing 12 rebounds. Against the Raptors has only averaged 7.3 points and in his only visit to Toronto had just one point. Kyrie Irving who was selected 1st overall had a very uneventful NBA debut vs the Raptors. Since that time he has been on a steady rise and likely will be taking home the Rookie of the Year award. Against the Raptors he has improved as well with 6 in the opener than 12 and 14 in the latest time they met for an average of 10.6. What both Thompson and Irving never experienced at Texas, Duke or in high school is losing 7 games in a row. The Cavs longest losing streak of the season. There was a time this team was on the edge of the playoff race. However they hit the skids in a major way.
So why have the Raptors been so successful against the Cavs? Well we already mentioned one reason and that would be containing Kyrie Irving fairly well. Jose Calderon seldom matches well with the new rookie point guards that enter this league. This might be the exception to the rule. The secret to the Raptors success becomes very obvious when you look at the three boxscores. The answer is defense as the Raptors in three games have held the Cavs to a 35.1% shooting percentage including a season best 29.4% on January 4th in Toronto at the ACC. The Raptors of late have seen their defense be lacking despite their three wins. Will see if they get back in that frame of mind tonight.
The Raptors should be welcoming Gary Forbes back to the mix tonight. Demar DeRozan left the the last game twisting his left ankle will see what his status will be. This is one of those games that people in the whole tanking mode will point to as key. The Cavs entering play today are 13th in the East and a game and half in front of the Raptors in terms of the 11th place Raptors in the lotto standings. I find it hard to believe the Cavs will want to lose tonight and get swept in the season series. Still if that is the result no one would be upset by it come May. In terms of the Raptors they have ended up right around where I expected them to be this season. They were never going to be as bad as some people were projecting but they were never going to be good enough to contend for the playoffs.
I am going to be down in Toronto to cover this one. I will also be in Toronto on Easter Sunday Night for our party at St Louis Wings on Bay St to take in the Raptors vs OKC. Hope to see many of you come out and have some fun with me on that night.
So why have the Raptors been so successful against the Cavs? Well we already mentioned one reason and that would be containing Kyrie Irving fairly well. Jose Calderon seldom matches well with the new rookie point guards that enter this league. This might be the exception to the rule. The secret to the Raptors success becomes very obvious when you look at the three boxscores. The answer is defense as the Raptors in three games have held the Cavs to a 35.1% shooting percentage including a season best 29.4% on January 4th in Toronto at the ACC. The Raptors of late have seen their defense be lacking despite their three wins. Will see if they get back in that frame of mind tonight.
The Raptors should be welcoming Gary Forbes back to the mix tonight. Demar DeRozan left the the last game twisting his left ankle will see what his status will be. This is one of those games that people in the whole tanking mode will point to as key. The Cavs entering play today are 13th in the East and a game and half in front of the Raptors in terms of the 11th place Raptors in the lotto standings. I find it hard to believe the Cavs will want to lose tonight and get swept in the season series. Still if that is the result no one would be upset by it come May. In terms of the Raptors they have ended up right around where I expected them to be this season. They were never going to be as bad as some people were projecting but they were never going to be good enough to contend for the playoffs.
I am going to be down in Toronto to cover this one. I will also be in Toronto on Easter Sunday Night for our party at St Louis Wings on Bay St to take in the Raptors vs OKC. Hope to see many of you come out and have some fun with me on that night.
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