Knowing Jose Calderon it is unlikely he is going to say a bad thing about Ricky Rubio. However it has always been a tense relationship between the two as they have battled for playing time in the summer for Spain over the years. That battle now hits the floors of the NBA and the first one will take place in Toronto. Rubio has dazzled the NBA after his long awaited debut. Drafted all the way back in 2009 he finally has made his way to the NBA. So if you are upset having to wait a year for Jonas Valanciunas think how people in Minnesota have felt. The Raptors only hope the transition for him goes as well as it has for Rubio. Personally I took a flyer on Rubio in fantasy basketball and am one happy owner. He has impressive stats across the board with 9.9 points per game, 7.6 assists, 1.1 steals and is averaging 50% from behind the 3 point line with a hair under 4 rebounds a game at 3.9 rebounds per game. Calderon has better numbers overall with 12.4 points per game, 9.4 assists the one major difference is in 3 point % where Rubio has the clear advantage with Calderon at just 38.7%. Spain will be watching even if North America in general might find the T-Wolves vs Raptors a snooze.
So three points for tonight's Match-Up:
Ed and Demar Please Stand Up- It has been a rough go for the Raptors two most recent draft picks on the roster. Both are in bad need of good nights. As the Raptors begin this back to back to back it is vital these guys get going in the right direction.
Energy Level- Raptors will have a tough time dealing with Kevin Love who is taking his "Numbers" to incredible levels. I mean his stats not his cheesy PR driven fragrance for men. The Raptors will need to match the T-Wolves energy and battle hard on the glass. If they don't you can see a result like they had vs the Nets or worse like they had vs the Sixers.
Limit Rubio- If there is anyone that would have a good scouting report on what Ricky Rubio can do it has to be Jose Calderon right? So will see if Jose is able to help his Raptor amigos in how to stop the Spanish Fly that is Ricky Rubio on defence.
Win lose or draw Raps will hop on a plane and head for Washington. They will not get to visit Obama though. The Mavs are doing that today and Vince Carter is meeting the President. Doesn't that just turn your stomach? Leave it to Vince to find a way to meet the President of the United States without winning a championship. That being said Lebron James has met him several times and campaigned for him in the last election. When people liked Lebron in Ohio which in politics is a big swing state. But that is a different story for another blog. In terms of this blog we are not asking for much, just a game that I can watch and not feel like I am being punished for doing something wrong.
1/8/12
62 Ways To Get Your Butt Kicked In Philly
Think of the worst Saturday Night you had in your life. You got a clear picture of it in your mind? This game in Philadelphia might be worse than that. Jack Armstrong's jokes and funniness were the only things that would keep you sane at times. This was poorly played basketball game by both teams in the beginning and by the end just one team and that team was the Raptors. As bad as the Raptors were vs the Nets this was perhaps 10 times worse. Raptors failed to score 20 or more points in any quarter and had a season low 62 points. I thought the K.O comparisons were over but maybe not. K.O did manage to kill offence even worse than this. Three times under K.O the Raptors scored less or the same as tonight. The low mark a 73-56 classic loss to Minnesota on November 1st 2003 who ironically the Raptors play Monday. Also on my birthday (November 23rd) of that same year they only scored 62 points in a 82-62 loss to the Bucks. There was also a 60 point game as well that year. Andrea Bargnani scored 21 of the 62 points meaning the rest of the entire roster only managed 41 points in 4 quarters. Raptors as a team shot only 31.8%. Take Bargnani away and the Raptors shot 19-66 which is 28.7%. The Raptors failed to rebound last night but did improve on that tonight it was just everything else that sucked.
Rather than go through the blow by blow of this game which may cause people to lose their will to read. The Game although very hard to watch was close at times. The Raptors would actually come out of halftime and cut the Sixer lead down to 3. Doug Collins would call a time out and before you could blink the Raptors were down 12 and basically done from that point moving forward. Sixers outscored the Raptors 56-28 in the second half. It was awful and ugly.
The Raptors have picked the worst possible time to go cold as the chances of improving during this stretch of games is going to be tough from a physical stand point. Casey saying his team had effort but just gave in physically is not what you want to hear when the team is on the verge of the dreaded back to back to back. People were half joking and half fearful in wondering just how bad it would look by the end of this stretch of 7 games in 9 days when the Raptors face the Bulls and Pacers.
In a game like this one there is any number of players you could blame for it. But when you perform as a unit so horrible on offence really to single out individuals would be pointless. They as a collective group wearing red jerseys were awful. On a night where you wondered how the Raptors would respond they simply didn't.
If there are many more games like this one the Raptors may just make even their most loyal and passionate fans look away. There was nothing pretty about that performance in Philly. Safe to say the Raptors days of being a .500 team for this season are done. I will doubt they can ever get back to that mark again this season. Raptors improved defence has gone away to a great degree. Casey said he was seeing signs of how the Raptors played last season but even last season they could score some points. This season was never suppose to be fun and it is looking like it will be much as it was advertised, after the Raptors teased us with some reason to hope. Watching that game last night left you feeling hopeless.
So hopeless that is the original draft I forgot to post the final score which was 97-62 Sixers.
Rather than go through the blow by blow of this game which may cause people to lose their will to read. The Game although very hard to watch was close at times. The Raptors would actually come out of halftime and cut the Sixer lead down to 3. Doug Collins would call a time out and before you could blink the Raptors were down 12 and basically done from that point moving forward. Sixers outscored the Raptors 56-28 in the second half. It was awful and ugly.
The Raptors have picked the worst possible time to go cold as the chances of improving during this stretch of games is going to be tough from a physical stand point. Casey saying his team had effort but just gave in physically is not what you want to hear when the team is on the verge of the dreaded back to back to back. People were half joking and half fearful in wondering just how bad it would look by the end of this stretch of 7 games in 9 days when the Raptors face the Bulls and Pacers.
In a game like this one there is any number of players you could blame for it. But when you perform as a unit so horrible on offence really to single out individuals would be pointless. They as a collective group wearing red jerseys were awful. On a night where you wondered how the Raptors would respond they simply didn't.
If there are many more games like this one the Raptors may just make even their most loyal and passionate fans look away. There was nothing pretty about that performance in Philly. Safe to say the Raptors days of being a .500 team for this season are done. I will doubt they can ever get back to that mark again this season. Raptors improved defence has gone away to a great degree. Casey said he was seeing signs of how the Raptors played last season but even last season they could score some points. This season was never suppose to be fun and it is looking like it will be much as it was advertised, after the Raptors teased us with some reason to hope. Watching that game last night left you feeling hopeless.
So hopeless that is the original draft I forgot to post the final score which was 97-62 Sixers.
1/7/12
Philadelphia's Finest
Many felt the Eagles would be on their bye week waiting to see who they would play in the playoffs. The "Dream Team" of football was a flop. The Phillies never made it to the World Series. For the purposes of research I am told the Flyers are in 4th in NHL's Eastern Conference. The team on top of their Division and the best team in Philadelphia with no Allen Iverson required is the Philadelphia 76ers. Perhaps they are not that. However it is true that Sixers lead the Atlantic Division thanks in part to slow starts from the Knicks and Celtics. But Doug Collins after a very rough start in Philly last season has not looked back since.
Sixers started the season with a very long road trip that covered a lot of miles. They managed to survive it and come out of it with a 3-2 record. They just had their home opener last night if you can believe that and took care of business whacking the Pistons 96-73. The recipe for wins is one of a team philosophy. The Sixers have 6 players averaging 10 points or more through 6 games played. A major reason for there success has been the development of Jrue Holiday. He had a rough night scoring last night vs the Pistons with just 5 points but he dropped 9 dimes to keep the offence humming along.
So here are 3 points to consider for tonight's game vs Sixers.
Rebound, Rebound, Rebound: The Raptors would have had an easy win over the Nets last night if they just did their job on the glass. Any defence even the schemes used by Dwane Casey can be exposed if you fail to finish off defensive possessions with rebounds. Nets got on the offensive glass and did a solid job. Sixers have the people on the roster to do the same.
Work on Holiday: Deron Williams did damage last night to the Raptors defensive effort. He made Jose Calderon a weak link in the chain. Jrue Holiday is capable of doing the same. The Raptors must do a better job of stopping him at the point of attack. If they do not it will be a race to recover the rest of the possession.
Bounce Back For Raptors Duo: Demar DeRozan was MIA last night. Andrea Bargnani looked a lot like the Andrea Bargnani from the last 6 years and not the 6 games of this season. Bottom line is the Raptors need to have both of these guys to perform if they are going to have a chance to beat anyone. There is a drop off once you get past these two in terms of scoring. Both need to step up and do their share on offence while doing there part of the other end of the floor.
This will be a big game not in terms of if the Raptors win or loss but how they respond after what was by all accounts their worst effort of the season last night.
Sixers started the season with a very long road trip that covered a lot of miles. They managed to survive it and come out of it with a 3-2 record. They just had their home opener last night if you can believe that and took care of business whacking the Pistons 96-73. The recipe for wins is one of a team philosophy. The Sixers have 6 players averaging 10 points or more through 6 games played. A major reason for there success has been the development of Jrue Holiday. He had a rough night scoring last night vs the Pistons with just 5 points but he dropped 9 dimes to keep the offence humming along.
So here are 3 points to consider for tonight's game vs Sixers.
Rebound, Rebound, Rebound: The Raptors would have had an easy win over the Nets last night if they just did their job on the glass. Any defence even the schemes used by Dwane Casey can be exposed if you fail to finish off defensive possessions with rebounds. Nets got on the offensive glass and did a solid job. Sixers have the people on the roster to do the same.
Work on Holiday: Deron Williams did damage last night to the Raptors defensive effort. He made Jose Calderon a weak link in the chain. Jrue Holiday is capable of doing the same. The Raptors must do a better job of stopping him at the point of attack. If they do not it will be a race to recover the rest of the possession.
Bounce Back For Raptors Duo: Demar DeRozan was MIA last night. Andrea Bargnani looked a lot like the Andrea Bargnani from the last 6 years and not the 6 games of this season. Bottom line is the Raptors need to have both of these guys to perform if they are going to have a chance to beat anyone. There is a drop off once you get past these two in terms of scoring. Both need to step up and do their share on offence while doing there part of the other end of the floor.
This will be a big game not in terms of if the Raptors win or loss but how they respond after what was by all accounts their worst effort of the season last night.
1/6/12
Just When You Think The Raptors Are Better....
Honestly being a Raptor fan is a tough existence. They have a way of playing with your mind. Most Raptor fans came into this season expecting the worst. But after 6 games they had been pleasantly surprised. Confident...maybe even a little cocky. The Nets were not going to be a problem. O.K... Deron Williams and Kris Humphries were back for Nets but we got this. Not so fast. The Nets came into the ACC and the crowd was going after Hump and he in the end would get the last laugh.
It didn't start off like it was going be a bad night. But if you looked closer the signs were there. New Jersey had just a one point lead after 1 quarter 23-22. But the Raptors were getting killed on the boards. Also the Nets were not shooting well but were from beyond that 3 point line. That with second chance points and Deron Williams looking to be 100% would be the theme for the rest of the night. Williams had 24 points 9 assists and 5 rebounds with a couple of steals in his return to the Nets line-up.
The Nets would have their best quarter of the game in the 2nd outscoring Toronto 26-19 and taking a 8 point lead to the break. While Raptor fans would boo Kris Humphries, which is honestly pointless and stupid. He would do what he does and had a huge night on the glass with 9 offensive rebounds and 16 rebounds overall. He only had 6 points on 2-8 shooting but the Nets had more than enough offence on this night.
Anthony Morrow was the biggest contributor for the Nets from behind the arc going 6-10 and ending up with 24 points to match Williams scoring effort. That would be Deron Williams. The Nets actually made some obscure NBA History with at one point having 4 Williams on the floor at the same time. This was not the excuse for the Raptors troubles though as the Nets shot 48.4% behind the arc despite shooting 38.8% overall. If the Raptors could have just shown up on the glass this win was there for the taking. Amir Johnson had 10 boards and Ed Davis had 8. but they needed some help. Davis had a nice night with 11 points as well and that will get lost in the fact the Raptors did not play well as a group.
Demar DeRozan after a magical performance on Wednesday had one of his worst nights of his NBA career to this point. Just 3 points on 1-6 shooting with a couple rebounds and a couple assists. Andrea Bargnani finally came down to earth tonight. His improved defence was MIA and his numbers across the board were down. He had just 17 points shooting 6-12 with just 4 rebounds on the night. Jose Calderon had a nice stat line but his lack of ability to guard Deron Williams was on full display. Even when the Raptors put him on someone else he was getting exposed. If he is on your fantasy team you will be happy with the 19 points and 8 assists. But in reality he was not that good.
Nets outscored the Raptors in every quarter and I have consulted with math experts and they assure me that means the Raptors will lose 100% of time in this situation. Dwane Casey will no doubt have lots to say to a captive audience on a plane to Philadelphia. The Final Score was flattering to the Raptors as this game was over in the early 4th quarter. Nets get just there 2nd win of the year 97-85 at the ACC.
While tonight was no doubt disappointing. I will wait to see how the Raptors respond tomorrow night in Philly before I get to upset with anything. Raptors can ill afford to go on a bad skid now as the games will be flying at them fast and furious. After Saturday in Philly they have the dreaded back to back to back to deal with. Which includes a trip to Washington and back right in the middle. The Raptors will not have time to improve relations and meet with Obama. Tonight started a murderous 7 games in 9 days a daunting task for the Dinos or any NBA team.
It didn't start off like it was going be a bad night. But if you looked closer the signs were there. New Jersey had just a one point lead after 1 quarter 23-22. But the Raptors were getting killed on the boards. Also the Nets were not shooting well but were from beyond that 3 point line. That with second chance points and Deron Williams looking to be 100% would be the theme for the rest of the night. Williams had 24 points 9 assists and 5 rebounds with a couple of steals in his return to the Nets line-up.
The Nets would have their best quarter of the game in the 2nd outscoring Toronto 26-19 and taking a 8 point lead to the break. While Raptor fans would boo Kris Humphries, which is honestly pointless and stupid. He would do what he does and had a huge night on the glass with 9 offensive rebounds and 16 rebounds overall. He only had 6 points on 2-8 shooting but the Nets had more than enough offence on this night.
Anthony Morrow was the biggest contributor for the Nets from behind the arc going 6-10 and ending up with 24 points to match Williams scoring effort. That would be Deron Williams. The Nets actually made some obscure NBA History with at one point having 4 Williams on the floor at the same time. This was not the excuse for the Raptors troubles though as the Nets shot 48.4% behind the arc despite shooting 38.8% overall. If the Raptors could have just shown up on the glass this win was there for the taking. Amir Johnson had 10 boards and Ed Davis had 8. but they needed some help. Davis had a nice night with 11 points as well and that will get lost in the fact the Raptors did not play well as a group.
Demar DeRozan after a magical performance on Wednesday had one of his worst nights of his NBA career to this point. Just 3 points on 1-6 shooting with a couple rebounds and a couple assists. Andrea Bargnani finally came down to earth tonight. His improved defence was MIA and his numbers across the board were down. He had just 17 points shooting 6-12 with just 4 rebounds on the night. Jose Calderon had a nice stat line but his lack of ability to guard Deron Williams was on full display. Even when the Raptors put him on someone else he was getting exposed. If he is on your fantasy team you will be happy with the 19 points and 8 assists. But in reality he was not that good.
Nets outscored the Raptors in every quarter and I have consulted with math experts and they assure me that means the Raptors will lose 100% of time in this situation. Dwane Casey will no doubt have lots to say to a captive audience on a plane to Philadelphia. The Final Score was flattering to the Raptors as this game was over in the early 4th quarter. Nets get just there 2nd win of the year 97-85 at the ACC.
While tonight was no doubt disappointing. I will wait to see how the Raptors respond tomorrow night in Philly before I get to upset with anything. Raptors can ill afford to go on a bad skid now as the games will be flying at them fast and furious. After Saturday in Philly they have the dreaded back to back to back to deal with. Which includes a trip to Washington and back right in the middle. The Raptors will not have time to improve relations and meet with Obama. Tonight started a murderous 7 games in 9 days a daunting task for the Dinos or any NBA team.
Raps Face Atlantic Division Back to Back
Toronto Raptors are going to be some busy damn Dinos in the next little while. The NBA Sked offers them 5 games in just 6 days. It starts tonight at the ACC vs Nets. That means the most hated player in the NBA comes to town. What a joke that is. Kris Humphries is far from that. He is a good dude and I have been saying on Twitter Toronto Fans should cheer hump because we know better. He has become a much better player since his days in Toronto. All that being said with Williams banged up and Brook Lopez out it has been a struggle for the Nets. Even Hump himself has been banged up and missed the Nets last game on Wednesday. Deron Williams also practised with the Nets yesterday and will play.
In terms of the Raptors Jerryd Bayless did practice a little but I think is likely doubtful. Raptors might be wise to save him till Monday if he is ready. Given the way Jose Calderon has played of late it is not like he would get a lot of minutes anyway. After this one the Raptors travel to face believe it or not the Atlantic Division leading 76ers. But first thing is first let's give you three keys to tonight's Nets vs Raps Game.
1. Make It Tough On Deron- I have actually had cracked and bruised ribs. It is a terrible amount of pain. But the pain is not the really problem it is the fact it makes ever breath you take hard. So the Raptors should make sure to bump and bang Deron Williams as often as possible within the rules and hey maybe even outside of them a little. If he is not back to 100% (Which is likely) he will feel it.
2. Battle of the Boards- Humphries is a fantastic rebounder now. It is why he will survive this whole marriage gone wrong. But I meant on the basketball court. The Raptors despite the win vs the Cavs did lose the battle of the boards. It has been a team effort on the glass this year under Casey. So they have to do that tonight to have a chance at winning their 3rd in a row.
3. Lots of Bargnani- The Nets really don't have anyone that can match-up with Bargnani so feed him early and often and let him do his thing. Bargnani is like a player in NBA Jam on fire right now and the Nets have no fireman to put him out. So make sure you take advantage of that. It should be simple for Andrea to get 30 but against the needs be greedy and get him 40.
So that is all. If your heading down to the ACC #CheerHump because the idea of him being the most hated player in the NBA is a joke. Raptors are on a nice roll and if they could sweep this back to back might even go somewhere they haven't been in a long time. Sitting on top of the Atlantic Division. In a short season these games in the division take on more significance.
In terms of the Raptors Jerryd Bayless did practice a little but I think is likely doubtful. Raptors might be wise to save him till Monday if he is ready. Given the way Jose Calderon has played of late it is not like he would get a lot of minutes anyway. After this one the Raptors travel to face believe it or not the Atlantic Division leading 76ers. But first thing is first let's give you three keys to tonight's Nets vs Raps Game.
1. Make It Tough On Deron- I have actually had cracked and bruised ribs. It is a terrible amount of pain. But the pain is not the really problem it is the fact it makes ever breath you take hard. So the Raptors should make sure to bump and bang Deron Williams as often as possible within the rules and hey maybe even outside of them a little. If he is not back to 100% (Which is likely) he will feel it.
2. Battle of the Boards- Humphries is a fantastic rebounder now. It is why he will survive this whole marriage gone wrong. But I meant on the basketball court. The Raptors despite the win vs the Cavs did lose the battle of the boards. It has been a team effort on the glass this year under Casey. So they have to do that tonight to have a chance at winning their 3rd in a row.
3. Lots of Bargnani- The Nets really don't have anyone that can match-up with Bargnani so feed him early and often and let him do his thing. Bargnani is like a player in NBA Jam on fire right now and the Nets have no fireman to put him out. So make sure you take advantage of that. It should be simple for Andrea to get 30 but against the needs be greedy and get him 40.
So that is all. If your heading down to the ACC #CheerHump because the idea of him being the most hated player in the NBA is a joke. Raptors are on a nice roll and if they could sweep this back to back might even go somewhere they haven't been in a long time. Sitting on top of the Atlantic Division. In a short season these games in the division take on more significance.
1/5/12
Bigger and Badder But Same Amir
Since Amir Johnson arrived in Toronto he has really embraced it. In fact sometimes the L.A native sounds like he is Canadian. In talking with him about his new more bigger look for the 2011-12 season he sure sounded like one. "Can you tell" Johnson said while flexing his bicep like a WWE Wrestler, " Like I said this summer the beer has been good to me, been drinking a lot of beer and it has been helping my arms." That sounds like most Canadians workout program in the summertime. But Amir Johnson is not looking like that typical Canadian guy and is not sporting any Molson Muscle that you can see. But when getting serious about things Amir talked about the work he put in while he was recovering from surgery on his ankle. "Real talk, I've been hurt all summer and I had chance to work on my body and gain some muscle," Johnson continued "So the injury kind of helped me put on some muscle and then I rehabbed on my foot all summer."
Johnson has had his position on the floor change some what playing more at the center position with move of Andrea Bargnani to the power forward. But be it at 4 or 5 according to Amir it is pretty much the same. "For me, It really doesn't matter 4 or 5, in the mean time your guarding in the same positions on the floor it doesn't matter." Johnson says. In terms of his roll on this team he sees it as the same. "I have the same role which is to play hard, play defence and rebound and block shots and control the defence." Johnson stated. Another thing that has not changed is his chemistry with Jose Calderon. It has been on full display in the Raptors first few games of this new season.
Prior to last night's match-up with Canada and Toronto's own Tristan Thompson I asked Amir for his memories about when he returned to his home in L.A for the first time. "Absolutely man, I remember myself like him being very excited to play in front of family and friends." Johnson continued and talked about the future for Thompson, " Sky is limit for him I think he is going have a bright good year this season." Amir ended up being part of the defensive effort that made it a rough homecoming for Thompson. But there will be many other chances for Thompson as perhaps the most famous Canadian baller of all time said on Twitter. Steve Nash was on Twitter late last night wishing he was able to watch Thompson make his return. He offered some encouragement to Tristan via Twitter "@RealTristan13 will be back in Toronto showing out for years. Good to get the 1st 1 out the way."
Amir Johnson has made his own impact since coming to Toronto and making it a second home for himself. He has along with Demar DeRozan and when he was here Sonny Weems as the Young Gunz turned Young Onez have reached out and touched a lot of the youth in Toronto. Amir is aware of the impact that the Raptors have on the youth of not just Toronto but across the country. "It's like a cycle and it is big" according to Johnson. We are only at the tip of the iceberg in terms of the impact of the NBA in Canada. Be it Tristan Thompson, Amir Johnson, Demar DeRozan or Steve Nash, Canada's youth have NBA stars that they now get to see on T.V or live down at the ACC. It is something that I as kid growing up never had. Amir said that he is happy to have the NBA Back and I think all of us that love the sport agree with that.
Amir is a little bigger, playing now with the starters but ultimately is the same person on and off the floor that he has been since his arrival in Toronto. Which is a fun loving warrior that gives all he has both on and off the floor. He is an example of someone that has a good balance between working hard and still having fun. Which makes for a pretty good role model even though Charles Barkley says NBA guys are not suppose to be those. If I had a son and he was an Amir Johnson fan and that was his guy, I would be cool with that.
Johnson has had his position on the floor change some what playing more at the center position with move of Andrea Bargnani to the power forward. But be it at 4 or 5 according to Amir it is pretty much the same. "For me, It really doesn't matter 4 or 5, in the mean time your guarding in the same positions on the floor it doesn't matter." Johnson says. In terms of his roll on this team he sees it as the same. "I have the same role which is to play hard, play defence and rebound and block shots and control the defence." Johnson stated. Another thing that has not changed is his chemistry with Jose Calderon. It has been on full display in the Raptors first few games of this new season.
Prior to last night's match-up with Canada and Toronto's own Tristan Thompson I asked Amir for his memories about when he returned to his home in L.A for the first time. "Absolutely man, I remember myself like him being very excited to play in front of family and friends." Johnson continued and talked about the future for Thompson, " Sky is limit for him I think he is going have a bright good year this season." Amir ended up being part of the defensive effort that made it a rough homecoming for Thompson. But there will be many other chances for Thompson as perhaps the most famous Canadian baller of all time said on Twitter. Steve Nash was on Twitter late last night wishing he was able to watch Thompson make his return. He offered some encouragement to Tristan via Twitter "
Amir Johnson has made his own impact since coming to Toronto and making it a second home for himself. He has along with Demar DeRozan and when he was here Sonny Weems as the Young Gunz turned Young Onez have reached out and touched a lot of the youth in Toronto. Amir is aware of the impact that the Raptors have on the youth of not just Toronto but across the country. "It's like a cycle and it is big" according to Johnson. We are only at the tip of the iceberg in terms of the impact of the NBA in Canada. Be it Tristan Thompson, Amir Johnson, Demar DeRozan or Steve Nash, Canada's youth have NBA stars that they now get to see on T.V or live down at the ACC. It is something that I as kid growing up never had. Amir said that he is happy to have the NBA Back and I think all of us that love the sport agree with that.
Amir is a little bigger, playing now with the starters but ultimately is the same person on and off the floor that he has been since his arrival in Toronto. Which is a fun loving warrior that gives all he has both on and off the floor. He is an example of someone that has a good balance between working hard and still having fun. Which makes for a pretty good role model even though Charles Barkley says NBA guys are not suppose to be those. If I had a son and he was an Amir Johnson fan and that was his guy, I would be cool with that.
Raptors Steal The Spotlight In Thompson's Homecoming
The focus heading into last night's game was the return of Tristan Thompson coming home to Toronto. At the end of the night it was the home town team he watched as a kid at Skydome. In his NBA debut Thompson had a pretty impressive outing against the Raptors despite his team dropping their home opener. It would end up a disappointing night for the estimated 200 or so people that came specifically to see Tristan Thompson's debut in Toronto. What was also disappointing was the crowd beyond those 200 friends and family that were in attendance. Officially the attendance was listed at 14,468 but it seemed like less. That did not include the media presence which was strong for this one. In the end Thompson had just 1 point and 3 rebounds in 16 plus minutes of action.
Andrea Bargnani would have 30 more points than that and continue this amazing run he has had to start the season. Again getting 7 rebounds to go along with that impressive scoring night and 3 assists. Shooting a lights out 11-16 from the field. You keep expecting Andrea Bargnani to come back to earth but to this point he has not. On the day that All-Star voting has begun he is putting up All-Star worthy numbers to this point. Demar DeRozan who last season made a total of 5 three pointers matched that Wednesday night in a single game. He credits the work he put in during the off-season in which he would make 300 threes while working on the shot in a given day. He was 9 of 18 overall and finished the night with 25 points. While Jose Calderon had 13 points and 11 assists shooting 6-8 from the field. The Raptors have a Big 3 now? Really? Maybe not just yet but on this night they sure did.
The other thing that should be pointed out is the Raptors defence actually was better the second time around against the Cavs. Holding them to just 77 points from 94 points in the opener and from 41.2% shooting percentage, to I believe a season low for an opponent of 29.4% from the field last night. This is significant because the Cavs players and coaching staff obviously had video to break down of the first meeting and ultimately still could not find weaknesses to exploit. That is an encouraging sign. It is also lends some credit to the fact that Casey says this defence continues to evolve and improve. He seemed very encouraged from the effort last night based on his post game comments.
Aside from the obvious numbers that jumped off the page from the 3 main Raptor players their were some other positives. Ed Davis had another solid outing against the Cavs with 8 points and 7 rebounds. James Johnson had 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. The main issue for the Raptors coming out of this game might lie on the offensive end at the small forward position. Butler was 0-6 in 16 minutes and Johnson just 1-8 while Gary Forbes was 1-4. That adds up to 2-18 for those keeping score at home. Still Casey in the post game presser was more focused on the defensive effort of Johnson and seemed less concerned with the lack of production on offence. The bench as a group combined for 20 of the Raptors 43 rebounds on the night. Raptors actually lost the battle on the glass 45-43. But they won where it counts on the scoreboard 92-77 to even there record at 3-3.
I came to watch Tristan Thompson debut and ultimately walked away impressed with the Toronto Raptors. In the beginning my concerns that Raptors basketball was heading back to the dark days of Kevin O'Neil seem to be fading away. This Raptor team is proving they can score while playing on a defensive level to a point that we have not seen perhaps since O'Neil. While the people that remain pessimistic will point out their wins are just 2 over the Cavs and a win over the struggling Knicks who lost to the Bobcats on this night. Even in the loses the defence has been "The Rock" or constant in this equation. Which is the most encouraging sign. Casey talks about wanting to play with playoff style intensity on defence. There is no guarantee that leads to the actual playoffs for this group. But enough eyes have opened up to at least not just dismiss the idea as crazy. Casey has brought along with defence some accountability back to this basketball team. You will work hard on the defensive end or you will not be seeing much time on the floor. It really is as simple as that.
Andrea Bargnani would have 30 more points than that and continue this amazing run he has had to start the season. Again getting 7 rebounds to go along with that impressive scoring night and 3 assists. Shooting a lights out 11-16 from the field. You keep expecting Andrea Bargnani to come back to earth but to this point he has not. On the day that All-Star voting has begun he is putting up All-Star worthy numbers to this point. Demar DeRozan who last season made a total of 5 three pointers matched that Wednesday night in a single game. He credits the work he put in during the off-season in which he would make 300 threes while working on the shot in a given day. He was 9 of 18 overall and finished the night with 25 points. While Jose Calderon had 13 points and 11 assists shooting 6-8 from the field. The Raptors have a Big 3 now? Really? Maybe not just yet but on this night they sure did.
The other thing that should be pointed out is the Raptors defence actually was better the second time around against the Cavs. Holding them to just 77 points from 94 points in the opener and from 41.2% shooting percentage, to I believe a season low for an opponent of 29.4% from the field last night. This is significant because the Cavs players and coaching staff obviously had video to break down of the first meeting and ultimately still could not find weaknesses to exploit. That is an encouraging sign. It is also lends some credit to the fact that Casey says this defence continues to evolve and improve. He seemed very encouraged from the effort last night based on his post game comments.
Aside from the obvious numbers that jumped off the page from the 3 main Raptor players their were some other positives. Ed Davis had another solid outing against the Cavs with 8 points and 7 rebounds. James Johnson had 8 rebounds and 2 blocks. The main issue for the Raptors coming out of this game might lie on the offensive end at the small forward position. Butler was 0-6 in 16 minutes and Johnson just 1-8 while Gary Forbes was 1-4. That adds up to 2-18 for those keeping score at home. Still Casey in the post game presser was more focused on the defensive effort of Johnson and seemed less concerned with the lack of production on offence. The bench as a group combined for 20 of the Raptors 43 rebounds on the night. Raptors actually lost the battle on the glass 45-43. But they won where it counts on the scoreboard 92-77 to even there record at 3-3.
I came to watch Tristan Thompson debut and ultimately walked away impressed with the Toronto Raptors. In the beginning my concerns that Raptors basketball was heading back to the dark days of Kevin O'Neil seem to be fading away. This Raptor team is proving they can score while playing on a defensive level to a point that we have not seen perhaps since O'Neil. While the people that remain pessimistic will point out their wins are just 2 over the Cavs and a win over the struggling Knicks who lost to the Bobcats on this night. Even in the loses the defence has been "The Rock" or constant in this equation. Which is the most encouraging sign. Casey talks about wanting to play with playoff style intensity on defence. There is no guarantee that leads to the actual playoffs for this group. But enough eyes have opened up to at least not just dismiss the idea as crazy. Casey has brought along with defence some accountability back to this basketball team. You will work hard on the defensive end or you will not be seeing much time on the floor. It really is as simple as that.
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