The Raptors with a healthy Andrea Bargnani scoring 21 points were not able to beat the Pacers in their home opener losing 90-85. Now After Dwane Casey has proclaimed Andrea is unlikely to go and is listed as day to day the chances of a Raptor win tonight seem bleak. It is also a safe bet you will have a much smaller crowd than you did on opening night. Demar DeRozan did actually lead the Raptors scoring in that game with a flurry late in the 4th quarter. But as we discussed in an interview with Jack Armstrong last night here on the blog Demar has been struggling. The fact he will become the number one scoring option and even more of a focus of the defence is not likely to help that.
The Raptors will have Linas Kleiza who was not around for the first game. Given the lack of production they have had from the small forward position that can only help. In that game with the Pacers it was a typical night of failure on offence for Butler and Johnson combining to go 4-11 with just 9 points. Where the Raptors can make up the 22 points that Andrea Bargnani averages will be the major problem for how ever long he is out. Barry Davis a reporter for Sportsnet speculated that Andrea missed 4 games with a similar injury last year. Bargnani did go for an MRI yesterday on the injured calf. Strange as it sounds the Raptors will miss Bargnani's presence on the defence as well. The Raptors defence without Bargnani in the 4th vs the Kings was clearly not the same.
3 Keys To Game
By George You Better Stop Him- Paul George is one of the most unique covers at his position in the NBA. After all there are not to many giant shooting guards in the league. Listed at 6 foot 8 but likely is closer to 6 foot 9 or 10 the guy is a match up headache. He was a big factor is the Pacers win on opening night with 18 points. Demar DeRozan will not only have to try to find the hoop more on offence he will have to try to stop this guy on defence.
Center of Attention- We often joke in the DNB and call him a former Raptor. Which technically Roy Hibbert is. But the loss of Bargnani gives the Raptors one less big in the rotation that is already missing Aaron Gray. Could be a big night for the former Georgetown star in the place that he should have called home.
Point Guard Battle- Last time around Darren Collison owned this match-up doubling up Calderon in assists and being the straw the stirred the drink for the Pacers. Tonight Calderon like some others may feel more pressure to score and depending on his shooting could do just that. But on that defensive side of things, Collison is the prototype of the new, young and fast point guard entering into the league that have exposed Jose Calderon.
Let's face facts if Bargnani can't play tonight or tomorrow in Chicago it is very unlikely we see anything but 2 more losses added to the tally. This once .500 surprising team would be a not so surprising 4-9 if that were to take place. So as the snow finally falls in Southern Ontario so to do the Raptors. One is just a lot prettier than the other.
1/12/12
Season Debut of The Starting 5 With Jack Armstrong
One of the things at the Dino Nation Blog I am most proud of is The Starting 5. It has been the driving force that has made this blog as well known as it is. Given how the NBA Season was sprung on all of us, I did not want to impose on guests during the holiday season as they tried to prepare for an NBA Season, that none of us were sure would happen and when. So, it has been awhile now and we are back at it with the Starting 5. There have been many guests we have had the thrill of having over the years. But this man is by far our favourite he is the colour analyst for the Raptors since the last time we had a lockout prior to this one on Radio at first and now for many years on T.V. Hello Jack Armstrong and welcome back to The Starting 5 for another season. In this episode we talk about the NBA and it's crazy schedule. Jack shares his thoughts on everything from Pounding The Rock to the age old question of if he will ever be joining the rest of the world on Twitter. An in depth look at the struggles of Demar DeRozan. Thoughts on Dwane Casey and the new coaching staff. As well as his thoughts on the new and improved Andrea Bargnani and why he can succeed potentially where Chris Bosh could not. It is all in there in a in depth 30 minute chat with our good friend Jack Armstrong.Thanks to Jack and now that the Starting 5 is back you can expect all of the guests we have had in the past like Paul Jones, Matt Devlin and our ever growing list of regular guests to be popping by. In addition to any new ones we come across along the way. So hope you enjoyed this one and thanks for your support of the Starting 5 and please make sure to visit us daily for all our work covering the Toronto Raptors. It has been a 4 year plus ride of a lifetime for me. I am so thrilled to have the chance to bring you quality guests like Jack and hopefully some quality info and opinion on a daily basis.
Raptors Lose More Than Just Another Game.
The Toronto Raptors did not exactly come out like gangbusters after what most would consider an embarrassing performance in Washington. Both teams looked pretty awful to start this game. In fact the whole first half was borderline unwatchable but fair close. Andrea Bargnani was rebounding but wasn't scoring. Which considering how the rest of this roster was scoring was a big issue. Leandro Barbosa off the bench was picking up some of that scoring slack, while Demar DeRozan was still continuing to struggle. He would end the night just 5-9 with 13 points and 3 turnovers in just under 30 minutes. Barbosa on the other hand would lead the Raptors in scoring with 24 points off the bench shooting 11-18 from the field.
The Raptors were not playing exceptionally well but would manage to head to the 4th quarter tied at 63. But the Raptors would also be without Andrea Bargnani who had been ruled out for the rest of this game with a calf injury. They would miss him in that forth quarter as Demarcus Cousins would take over this game late and be a huge factor down the stretch. He had a 21 points and 19 rebound on the night, and despite some typical Cousins stuff like getting teched up for taunting after a dunk, when the game was still in the balance. it did not take away from his performance. Kings would win the 4th quarter 35-28 and the game overall 98-91.
While the Raptors watch Bargnani go out they also got to watch Linas Kleiza come in and look pretty good almost a year after his injury that led to micro-fracture surgery. Given the fact Rasaul Butler and James Johnson have pretty much no offence individually or combined it was a welcomed site. In 14 plus minutes Kleiza was able to go 3-6 and got to the line 5 times making 4 which totalled for a 10 point night. Johnson and Butler combined for 1-9 performance with just 3 points (Butler had 3, Johnson 0).
That being said Kleiza being back is not going to make up for no Bargnani if he is unable to play. The thought of this team being without Bargnani against the Pacers and or Bulls is a scary one. His status for those games on Friday and Saturday is not known as of now. If you needed any proof of how much a change there has been in how much the Raptors rely on him, it was evident in that 4th quarter with out him on both ends of the floor.
Later today the Starting 5 returns to the DNB and our guest is the one and only Jack Armstrong. So be sure to come back and have a listen to that later tonight or tomorrow.
The Raptors were not playing exceptionally well but would manage to head to the 4th quarter tied at 63. But the Raptors would also be without Andrea Bargnani who had been ruled out for the rest of this game with a calf injury. They would miss him in that forth quarter as Demarcus Cousins would take over this game late and be a huge factor down the stretch. He had a 21 points and 19 rebound on the night, and despite some typical Cousins stuff like getting teched up for taunting after a dunk, when the game was still in the balance. it did not take away from his performance. Kings would win the 4th quarter 35-28 and the game overall 98-91.
While the Raptors watch Bargnani go out they also got to watch Linas Kleiza come in and look pretty good almost a year after his injury that led to micro-fracture surgery. Given the fact Rasaul Butler and James Johnson have pretty much no offence individually or combined it was a welcomed site. In 14 plus minutes Kleiza was able to go 3-6 and got to the line 5 times making 4 which totalled for a 10 point night. Johnson and Butler combined for 1-9 performance with just 3 points (Butler had 3, Johnson 0).
That being said Kleiza being back is not going to make up for no Bargnani if he is unable to play. The thought of this team being without Bargnani against the Pacers and or Bulls is a scary one. His status for those games on Friday and Saturday is not known as of now. If you needed any proof of how much a change there has been in how much the Raptors rely on him, it was evident in that 4th quarter with out him on both ends of the floor.
Later today the Starting 5 returns to the DNB and our guest is the one and only Jack Armstrong. So be sure to come back and have a listen to that later tonight or tomorrow.
Labels:
Andrea Bargnani,
Demarcus Cousins,
Kings,
Linas Kleiza,
Raptors
1/11/12
Embarrassed Raptors Return Home To Play Kings
If you are not embarrassed by last night's loss to the Wizards you should be. I felt embarrassed and was just watching the game. It is one thing to lose to a team searching for it's first win. It is another to come out and get destroyed. Raptors blamed themselves in the post game comments last night and they were right to do so. It is not that the Wizards played exceptionally that is not what happened. Raptors played flatter than a pancake and made so many silly errors you lost count fairly early on in the night.
In to the ACC roles another team in terrible shape. The Kings have already fired there coach and have a unhappy young star in DeMarcus Cousins. Kings come in 3-7 off a 112-85 loss to Sixers last night. It is all there on the table for a quick bounce back for the Raptors if they choose to take it. That said, it is also there on the table for another epic failure. As inconsistent as the Raptors have been it is hard to know which is more likely. But just from a personal pride standpoint you hope the Raptors can find a way to get a win. You also look ahead to Friday and Saturday and see it very unlikely to get a win vs the Bulls and Pacers.
3 Keys To Victory:
Value Possessions: The Raptors did not value the ball last night at all. They gave it away far to many times and had lazy and stupid passes that you can go to a local high school game and not see. It is also important to get quality shots and try making a few of them. We saw ugly jumpers, missed lay ups and air balls last night.
Drive More, Shoot Less: These are not your dad's Raptors. The days of the Raptors being able to save themselves with three point shots is over. They can make some three's on occasion but by and large this team is better severed to take mid range shots and get into the paint. The only guys on this Raptor team that should have a green light to shoot the three are Andrea Bargnani and if he is hitting it Jose Calderon. The rest of them need to leave there three pointers in the locker room unless the shot clock is at :01.
Don't Sing It, Bring It: There were a lot of interesting things said after last night's game. Bargnani said the team was mentally soft. Demar said he has to step up and play better. That is wonderful that people understand there is problems. But you can talk about it all you like, till you do something about it nothing will change. Let your actions reflect your words.
I understand that not a lot was expected from this team. I also understand that lots of people would love to see the Raptors lose as much as possible to cash in come May in the draft lottery. But what also has to be understood is at this point this young core that Colangelo claims we have to go into the future with is not good enough at this point. If they are to ever be good enough they need to play much better than what we saw last night. You can take Jonas and whatever player you want in the upcoming draft, that alone will not fix this. Dwane Casey was brought in to change the culture of the Raptors. Pounding a rock is all well and good. However if you slap a rock a million times it will never break. The Raptors have had four games this year where they didn't pound a damn thing. They did however make many pound their heads.
If there is one thing I have come to respect about Casey it is nothing is candy coated. He tells it like it is. After sitting listening to Jay Triano say his team's effort was good time after time when it clearly wasn't this is refreshing. So I am pulling for Casey to get the job done. But he is starting to realize how tough a job it will be.
In to the ACC roles another team in terrible shape. The Kings have already fired there coach and have a unhappy young star in DeMarcus Cousins. Kings come in 3-7 off a 112-85 loss to Sixers last night. It is all there on the table for a quick bounce back for the Raptors if they choose to take it. That said, it is also there on the table for another epic failure. As inconsistent as the Raptors have been it is hard to know which is more likely. But just from a personal pride standpoint you hope the Raptors can find a way to get a win. You also look ahead to Friday and Saturday and see it very unlikely to get a win vs the Bulls and Pacers.
3 Keys To Victory:
Value Possessions: The Raptors did not value the ball last night at all. They gave it away far to many times and had lazy and stupid passes that you can go to a local high school game and not see. It is also important to get quality shots and try making a few of them. We saw ugly jumpers, missed lay ups and air balls last night.
Drive More, Shoot Less: These are not your dad's Raptors. The days of the Raptors being able to save themselves with three point shots is over. They can make some three's on occasion but by and large this team is better severed to take mid range shots and get into the paint. The only guys on this Raptor team that should have a green light to shoot the three are Andrea Bargnani and if he is hitting it Jose Calderon. The rest of them need to leave there three pointers in the locker room unless the shot clock is at :01.
Don't Sing It, Bring It: There were a lot of interesting things said after last night's game. Bargnani said the team was mentally soft. Demar said he has to step up and play better. That is wonderful that people understand there is problems. But you can talk about it all you like, till you do something about it nothing will change. Let your actions reflect your words.
I understand that not a lot was expected from this team. I also understand that lots of people would love to see the Raptors lose as much as possible to cash in come May in the draft lottery. But what also has to be understood is at this point this young core that Colangelo claims we have to go into the future with is not good enough at this point. If they are to ever be good enough they need to play much better than what we saw last night. You can take Jonas and whatever player you want in the upcoming draft, that alone will not fix this. Dwane Casey was brought in to change the culture of the Raptors. Pounding a rock is all well and good. However if you slap a rock a million times it will never break. The Raptors have had four games this year where they didn't pound a damn thing. They did however make many pound their heads.
If there is one thing I have come to respect about Casey it is nothing is candy coated. He tells it like it is. After sitting listening to Jay Triano say his team's effort was good time after time when it clearly wasn't this is refreshing. So I am pulling for Casey to get the job done. But he is starting to realize how tough a job it will be.
Labels:
Andrea Bargnani,
Demar Derozan,
Dwane Casey,
Kings,
Raptors
1/10/12
Raptors Recap Of Washington Debacle With Round Ball Review
Tonight's game was awful. It was just terrible. I figure doing a recap of this one would only add to your pain. So instead we call on our friends Joey G and J.B to recap this one. They will give you some laughs and actually tell you a little about the game. So take it away guys:
Hopefully you got a laugh or two from that. The Raptors performance tonight in Washington was no laughing matter. It was pretty awful. It is the 4th time this season where the Raptors pretty much got blown out. Raptors look for a much better effort as they return home to face the Kings. Demar DeRozan really is struggling and it is something to be concerned about. Does cutting Rasaul Butler fix things no. But should Butler be gone. You bet your life. I have never been a huge fan of Linas Kleiza but he can not return soon enough. For the brave souls who want to check out the Boxscore here it is. But be warned it isn't pretty. Nothing was about the Raptors performance in Washington.
Hopefully you got a laugh or two from that. The Raptors performance tonight in Washington was no laughing matter. It was pretty awful. It is the 4th time this season where the Raptors pretty much got blown out. Raptors look for a much better effort as they return home to face the Kings. Demar DeRozan really is struggling and it is something to be concerned about. Does cutting Rasaul Butler fix things no. But should Butler be gone. You bet your life. I have never been a huge fan of Linas Kleiza but he can not return soon enough. For the brave souls who want to check out the Boxscore here it is. But be warned it isn't pretty. Nothing was about the Raptors performance in Washington.
Labels:
Linas Kleiza,
Raptors,
Round Ball Review,
Washington Wizards
Raptors Look To Keep Wiz Winless
No one wants to be the first team to lose to a team that is struggling. The Raptor at 4-5 need to be on high alert as they hit Washington D.C to take on the 0-8 Wizards. There are not to many teams the Raptors can say they have more talent than in the NBA. But the Wizards might be the exception to that. John Wall is great and all but when you look beyond him you do not see a lot of people that can score a ton of points. Who leads this team in scoring? Nick Young is the answer with just 15.4 points per game. What the Wizards do have is some shot blocking in the form of Blatche and McGee. But what they have most of all is desperation and that can be a positive and a negative. The positive is the Wizards lack the true confidence it takes to win. The negative is they are doing anything they can to try and win just a game. Raptors had to work extremely hard to beat Minnesota at home last night and the tank may be a little empty tonight. Andrea Bragnani played 45 minutes last night and might be at the top of that list.
3 Points for Wiz and Raptors:
Strong Starts On Both Ends- When you play a losing team the key is to make them give up. How best to accomplish that is fast starts in the first quarter, 2nd half and 4th Quarter. These are key points in any basketball game and if you can jump on the Wizards at these points they may just accept their fate. Let them build confidence and hang around and you have a fight on your hands.
Attack Attack Attack- The best way to attack a shot blocker is take it right at him. Demar DeRozan should leave his 3 point shot in his bag of tricks tonight and slash to the basket early and often. What the Raptors don't want to do his hang outside and take jump shots. Andrea Bargnani can help draw bigs out of the paint and clear the runway for himself to drive or others.
Make Wall a Scorer- John Wall wants to get others involved. So don't let him and force him to be the scorer and not the distributor. If John Wall is taking more jumpers than driving and kicking the odds the Raptors are winning is increased by a large degree. So back it in even use the zone more than normal and dare Wall to beat you as shooter.
Obviously the Raptors will need some people to step up. Ed Davis, Demar DeRozan, Barbosa all can make this easier if they can contribute something on offence in this one. These are two teams that at times are challenged to score. But the challenge for the Wizards to score is far greater. If the Raptors can score 90 points and play defence to the level they have been that should almost guarantee them a 5-5 record and 0-9 record for the Wizards.
3 Points for Wiz and Raptors:
Strong Starts On Both Ends- When you play a losing team the key is to make them give up. How best to accomplish that is fast starts in the first quarter, 2nd half and 4th Quarter. These are key points in any basketball game and if you can jump on the Wizards at these points they may just accept their fate. Let them build confidence and hang around and you have a fight on your hands.
Attack Attack Attack- The best way to attack a shot blocker is take it right at him. Demar DeRozan should leave his 3 point shot in his bag of tricks tonight and slash to the basket early and often. What the Raptors don't want to do his hang outside and take jump shots. Andrea Bargnani can help draw bigs out of the paint and clear the runway for himself to drive or others.
Make Wall a Scorer- John Wall wants to get others involved. So don't let him and force him to be the scorer and not the distributor. If John Wall is taking more jumpers than driving and kicking the odds the Raptors are winning is increased by a large degree. So back it in even use the zone more than normal and dare Wall to beat you as shooter.
Obviously the Raptors will need some people to step up. Ed Davis, Demar DeRozan, Barbosa all can make this easier if they can contribute something on offence in this one. These are two teams that at times are challenged to score. But the challenge for the Wizards to score is far greater. If the Raptors can score 90 points and play defence to the level they have been that should almost guarantee them a 5-5 record and 0-9 record for the Wizards.
Labels:
Demar Derozan,
John Wall,
Raptors,
Washington Wizards
1/9/12
Raptors Refused To Lose
Somethings stand the test of time. The Raptors have not lost to Minnesota in Toronto since 2004. That was so long ago K.G was still on the T-Wolves. However what was different was how the Raptors would beat the T-Wolves this time around. The Raptors are making you redefine what you have come to expect from this team. The poster boy for that change is Andrea Bargnani. In his 6 years prior to this one he was never good enough to live up to his selection at number one in the NBA draft in 2006. But it is not like that draft was without other failures. A draft that saw Adam Morrison go number 3 to Charlotte, Former Raptor Patrick O'Bryant was picked in lottery at number 9 by Golden State. Brandon Roy was not a bust talent wise but he now sadly is no longer around. But there is something about that tag of first overall pick that makes you either a complete bust or a franchise changing superstar. It was 6 years of trying to avoid that label of being a bust. But this year everything we thought we knew about Bargnani has changed or it seems that way. He can't defend but this year he can. He can't be consistent but this year he has been the most consistent Raptor night in night out. In a season that Demar DeRozan was suppose to take the mantel as the face of this franchise, DeRozan has been more like Bargnani than Bargnani.
The Raptors as group have with few exceptions in there history won games based on their offence and three point shooting and flashy dunks. This Raptor team can at times be challenged to score and they feature some players who clearly have nothing going for them on offence at all. Tonight James Johnson did nothing much on offence. He did make a three pointer but by and large his shooting is not good enough for most D-League teams. What he is though is the Raptors best defender. The Raptors lack the scoring and 3 point shooting that most teams get from the small forward position. But the defence part they seem to have covered. Still it is hard to watch Johnson and even harder to watch Rasaul Butler on the offensive end of the floor. In football this wouldn't be a problem but in basketball you need to play both offence and defence. It is probably the reality that the Raptors will be looking for a small forward in the draft or spend some of that cap room to find a true starter at the position. Truth is since Rob Babcock (who now works with T-Wolves) traded Vince Carter there has never been anyone close to replacing him.
Not everything has changed with the Raptors though. Amir Johnson is still the same player he just has a lot more help in terms of defence. His chemistry with Jose Calderon remains the same. But actually one thing has changed about Amir. No it isn't his bigger muscles that he bragged about here in the DNB. He has found a way to remain in the fight. In a game that was foul filled Amir Johnson managed to stay out of foul trouble and contribute. He was able to balance five fouls and play 30 minutes having a fantastic night with 19 points and 11 rebounds and 8 of those came on the offensive end extending possessions. That was the grit to go along with fantastic 31 point and 9 rebound night for Andrea Bargnani who played 45 minutes of a possible 48.
It was a scrappy night that featured a fired up Jose Calderon that was taking on his fellow countryman Ricky Rubio. Which in the end proved to be a pretty even battle in the boxscore. Claderon finished the night with 14 points 6 assists and a steal. Rubio had 10 points the same 6 assists and 3 steals. Kevin Love meanwhile did get some numbers but had a night full of struggle to get them. He had 13 points and 14 rebounds but shot 3-16 and T-Wolves as a team shot just 33. 8% on the night.
But perhaps the biggest change came in the 4th quarter. The Raptors nearing the end of the 3rd quarter had a 12 point lead and by the early stages of the 4th quarter it was gone. That is nothing new for the Raptors. However what happened next was. The Raptors had an extra gear on this night and picked up their defence and got their offence on track, in the end building back the lead they had given away. They fought through and were able to find a way to win. They had no breaks the whole night from the refs as the T-Wolves got to the line 33 times making 26 of those free throws. Dwane Casey earned one of those free throw attempts with a technical foul. However unlike in the past the Raptors did not complain about it, they did something about it. In the end they got a much needed 97-87 win to start the first game of 3 straight.
The Raptors move on to Washington to face a desperate Wizards team that is the only team yet to register a win in the 2011-12 season at 0-8. They have already had one of those famous players only meetings and Rashard Lewis missed their last game for apparently getting into a fight with assistant coach Sam Cassell prior to tip of the game. It is clear who is in charge in Raptorland his name is Dwane Casey. He has brought an accountability back to this franchise that has been lacking for a long time. Maybe not since Charles Oakley laid down the law in the locker room as a player. Casey demands maximum effort and will accept nothing less. It doesn't mean he will always get it as the last two games before this one proved. However he is always going to demand it. His demands might just have changed the reality that we have known as the Raptors. Change has come to the Raptors and it is starting to take shape.
The Raptors as group have with few exceptions in there history won games based on their offence and three point shooting and flashy dunks. This Raptor team can at times be challenged to score and they feature some players who clearly have nothing going for them on offence at all. Tonight James Johnson did nothing much on offence. He did make a three pointer but by and large his shooting is not good enough for most D-League teams. What he is though is the Raptors best defender. The Raptors lack the scoring and 3 point shooting that most teams get from the small forward position. But the defence part they seem to have covered. Still it is hard to watch Johnson and even harder to watch Rasaul Butler on the offensive end of the floor. In football this wouldn't be a problem but in basketball you need to play both offence and defence. It is probably the reality that the Raptors will be looking for a small forward in the draft or spend some of that cap room to find a true starter at the position. Truth is since Rob Babcock (who now works with T-Wolves) traded Vince Carter there has never been anyone close to replacing him.
Not everything has changed with the Raptors though. Amir Johnson is still the same player he just has a lot more help in terms of defence. His chemistry with Jose Calderon remains the same. But actually one thing has changed about Amir. No it isn't his bigger muscles that he bragged about here in the DNB. He has found a way to remain in the fight. In a game that was foul filled Amir Johnson managed to stay out of foul trouble and contribute. He was able to balance five fouls and play 30 minutes having a fantastic night with 19 points and 11 rebounds and 8 of those came on the offensive end extending possessions. That was the grit to go along with fantastic 31 point and 9 rebound night for Andrea Bargnani who played 45 minutes of a possible 48.
It was a scrappy night that featured a fired up Jose Calderon that was taking on his fellow countryman Ricky Rubio. Which in the end proved to be a pretty even battle in the boxscore. Claderon finished the night with 14 points 6 assists and a steal. Rubio had 10 points the same 6 assists and 3 steals. Kevin Love meanwhile did get some numbers but had a night full of struggle to get them. He had 13 points and 14 rebounds but shot 3-16 and T-Wolves as a team shot just 33. 8% on the night.
But perhaps the biggest change came in the 4th quarter. The Raptors nearing the end of the 3rd quarter had a 12 point lead and by the early stages of the 4th quarter it was gone. That is nothing new for the Raptors. However what happened next was. The Raptors had an extra gear on this night and picked up their defence and got their offence on track, in the end building back the lead they had given away. They fought through and were able to find a way to win. They had no breaks the whole night from the refs as the T-Wolves got to the line 33 times making 26 of those free throws. Dwane Casey earned one of those free throw attempts with a technical foul. However unlike in the past the Raptors did not complain about it, they did something about it. In the end they got a much needed 97-87 win to start the first game of 3 straight.
The Raptors move on to Washington to face a desperate Wizards team that is the only team yet to register a win in the 2011-12 season at 0-8. They have already had one of those famous players only meetings and Rashard Lewis missed their last game for apparently getting into a fight with assistant coach Sam Cassell prior to tip of the game. It is clear who is in charge in Raptorland his name is Dwane Casey. He has brought an accountability back to this franchise that has been lacking for a long time. Maybe not since Charles Oakley laid down the law in the locker room as a player. Casey demands maximum effort and will accept nothing less. It doesn't mean he will always get it as the last two games before this one proved. However he is always going to demand it. His demands might just have changed the reality that we have known as the Raptors. Change has come to the Raptors and it is starting to take shape.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
