They are the sole survivors of the Post-Bosh era of the Raptors. Amir Johnson and DeMar DeRozan are the only two guys on the roster that remain from when Bosh last wore a Raptors jersey. It has been a tough few years to be Raptors fans let alone on the front line in the battles on the court.
Johnson has in a sense filled the role that once was Chris Bosh’s maybe not in terms of being the Raptors' best player but clearly it’s most visible and socially active. Bosh once was the twitter darling or the Raptors' fan base but that role now clearly is the title for Amir Johnson.
Amir holds the distinction of being the last ever high school player to be drafted. He continued his education in Detroit on a scholarship to the NBA. Johnson learned a lot from his time there as he reflected on at Media Day on Monday:
“It was huge because it was kind like my college days. I didn’t really know anything; I didn’t know how to play in the NBA coming from high school to the pro level. What do I need to learn? What do I need to do? They kind of took me under their wing and taught me how to play. “
Amir also talked about how he is trying to pass along that knowledge to younger players like Jonas Valanciunas, as well as being a more vocal leader. This is something that DeMar DeRozan talked about as well being more vocal on the floor and off it. DeRozan also talked about being tired of watching friends of his go to the playoffs while he sits on the sidelines. You see it in his eyes and feel it in his voice when he says this. This makes this whole concept of asking players about tanking a silly one. Players on every team always want to win and when they fail to feel that way you have a serious problem.
DeRozan has grown so much from the shy young man that I met back in Ottawa when he and Johnson first joined the Raptors' franchise. They saw Bosh take his talents to Miami and they were left to endure the fallout. DeRozan feels that frustration of enduring through the losing but desperately wants to see the good times.
“I hate to say it feels like we’re the last men standing but we just got to take advantage. Myself and Amir, this is where we want to be. We went through the bad times, we definitely want to be here when the city gets (what it is) deserving, the enjoyment and the good times.”
DeRozan enters into his much talked about contract extension that he received prior to the start of last season from Bryan Colangelo. DeRozan is starting to accept the responsibility that comes with the money. He agreed when asked that he now a young veteran and you can sense he feels ownership of this team.
Much like Bosh had things thrust upon him far too soon with the departure of Vince Carter, the same can be said for DeRozan when he came in just prior to the exit of Bosh. He has grown and developed but not always to the rate that people wanted him too. He has grown up a lot in the 5 years and you see the changes in him. Both in life and on and off the basketball court a great deal has changed.
Regardless of what happens with this Raptors season be it positive or negative, you hope that DeRozan and Johnson can make it to that other side when things do turn for the better for this franchise. You can not deny how both have fought through losing and improved as individual players and people to become the guys that had to lead this franchise through the Post-Bosh era.
Showing posts with label DeMar DeRozan.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DeMar DeRozan.. Show all posts
4/30/12
Demar DeRozan Can See The Light At The End Of The Tunnel
Dwane Casey long before the season ended made it clear his thoughts on what he wanted from Demar DeRozan and Ed Davis this off-season. He wanted to see both hit the weights and get bigger and stronger. Casey gave some motivation to get that accomplished by creating an identity for this basketball team. I asked Demar about if he felt this team now had that identity in his exit interview. Later that night before the Raptors game vs the Nets I was able to catch up with DeRozan to follow up with him.
Demar in past interviews and in talking with him has made it known he plans on spending more time in Toronto this off-season. That is something he still plans on doing. He had plans to try to bring back a charity game like Vince Carter use to do back in the day. No word on if that will happen this summer but it still seems something Demar is interesting in making happen. Given the fact he is from L.A and the number of players that call L.A home it could lead to an impressive roster of talent for a game like that. This was a tough season for Demar, but he fought through it and by the end of it was able to restore the promise and hope for the future that people have in him. In past interviews he has mentioned how much he looks forward to a normal off-season, in which he will be able to be guided by Dwane Casey and the staff in his off-season work. The one thing you should never question is how hard this kid will work. Maybe it isn't even fair to label him with kid anymore but he was the youngest player on the roster this season. That will change with the coming of draft picks this off-season. It has been great to have someone that came into the Raptors world at the same time that I was welcomed in with access. Over the last three years there has been a ton of change with the Raptors but one of the constants has been Demar and he has always been a go to guy for us. Both he and Andrea Bargnani seem unconcerned with who's team this actually is. They are more concerned with getting this team to the post season which is something they both crave desperately. It will be interesting to see what they do and what their general manager Bryan Colangelo does in order to reach that goal.
Thanks to Demar for always being willing to take time to talk with us in the Dino Nation Blog. He has been a constant contributor in terms of our coverage of Raptors for his three years in Toronto. Next season we hope to see a bigger, badder and better version of Demar next season.
Demar in past interviews and in talking with him has made it known he plans on spending more time in Toronto this off-season. That is something he still plans on doing. He had plans to try to bring back a charity game like Vince Carter use to do back in the day. No word on if that will happen this summer but it still seems something Demar is interesting in making happen. Given the fact he is from L.A and the number of players that call L.A home it could lead to an impressive roster of talent for a game like that. This was a tough season for Demar, but he fought through it and by the end of it was able to restore the promise and hope for the future that people have in him. In past interviews he has mentioned how much he looks forward to a normal off-season, in which he will be able to be guided by Dwane Casey and the staff in his off-season work. The one thing you should never question is how hard this kid will work. Maybe it isn't even fair to label him with kid anymore but he was the youngest player on the roster this season. That will change with the coming of draft picks this off-season. It has been great to have someone that came into the Raptors world at the same time that I was welcomed in with access. Over the last three years there has been a ton of change with the Raptors but one of the constants has been Demar and he has always been a go to guy for us. Both he and Andrea Bargnani seem unconcerned with who's team this actually is. They are more concerned with getting this team to the post season which is something they both crave desperately. It will be interesting to see what they do and what their general manager Bryan Colangelo does in order to reach that goal.
Thanks to Demar for always being willing to take time to talk with us in the Dino Nation Blog. He has been a constant contributor in terms of our coverage of Raptors for his three years in Toronto. Next season we hope to see a bigger, badder and better version of Demar next season.
4/27/12
Raptors Last Day Of School
It was a long day in Toronto for me yesterday. First there was the annual end of the year press conference for the players. Normally commonly refereed to as locker clean out day, but the Raptors still had a game to play. A concert by the Red Hot Chilli Peppers allowed this uncommon event to take place. The common theme of those exit interviews was a general consensus that things had changed for the Raptors. This was stated from longest serving Raptor Jose Calderon to second year man Ed Davis. What was also a common theme was a desire to grab the brass ring and make it to the NBA Playoffs next season. To say it is one thing, to believe it is another. The respect this team seems to universally have for Dwane Casey has been obvious throughout the season. Ultimately the Raptors seem to feel they now have an identity and blue print to build on towards that goal of returning to the post season.
No one seemed to have any answers or be willing to share thoughts of what they needed in terms of additions to the roster that will help in that goal of being a playoff team in 2012-13. They all deferred to Bryan Colangelo who has a massive off-season in front of him. The days of everyone just accepting the genius of Bryan Colangelo is no longer just accepted anymore. The first thing that he will be judged on is his draft choice from last season in Jonas Valanciunas who if you hadn't heard will be coming next year. While the Raptors odds of landing Anthony Davis seem bleak at this point, if Valancinus lives up to the considerable hype it might not be the disaster it appears to be for some. In my opinion the Raptors would actually be better served in some respects to wind up the runner-up and select Michael Kidd-Gilchrist also of Kentucky. The Raptors need a better option at the small forward position. James Johnson can be a good player for this team but ultimately does not have the overall skill set to be in the starting line-up. Johnson spoke of his late season blow up with coach Casey and said it is in the past and that he respects him. If the Raptors add someone that ultimately will play in front of him, it will be vital that he is able to stay motivated and contributing. While he still strongly believes in his game on the offensive end, it will be his defensive game that will be what is required for him to be part of the solution.
Andrea Bargnani looked like another person when this season began. When asked what was his best memory from this season, he said it was two minutes prior to ultimately re-injuring his calf muscle in Utah. When that happened you saw some rare raw emotion from Andrea Bargnani. After that we saw little of Bargnani and the Andrea we saw after that point looked a lot more like the Bargnani we had seen in the past. Dwane Casey in his post season remarks today praised Andrea for allowing him to push him. Ultimately heading into next season there will be two main questions. One is if Andrea Bargnani can be healthy and when injures happen can he grind and play through them. The fact this same injury was a factor no less than three times this season has to be a major concern. In addition Andrea Bargnani needs to prove the guy that many were saying was playing at an all-star level is the guy that shows up next season. Italy will not be going to Olympics so Andrea unlike some other players will not be part of things in London. He will have a entire off-season to figure all this out.
Jose Calderon will be in London and likely playing major minutes for Spain given the fact Ricky Rubio is no longer an option for the Spanish Team. Raptor fans outside of Spain may not be so thrilled with that. The Raptors have not exactly had the best of luck in terms of players participating for Spain. Calderon had one of the more solid seasons he has had in the past few years. Colangelo dismissed any thought that Calderon will be going anywhere in his remarks to the media today. He praised Calderon's defense which has improved to some degree under Casey. I would debate how much it has in comparison to Colangelo's assessment.
There seems to be a common consensus that both Ed Davis and Amir Johnson can not both remain as part of this team moving forward. I would tend to disagree with that given the uncertainty to Bargnani's health moving forward. You can throw Linas Kleiza is in that mix as well but given the coming of Jonas, if for no other reason than to help with his transition to life in the NBA and North America it would make sense that he remains on the roster.
In terms of Ed Davis this off-season will be vital for him and his long term future with the Raptors. He has yet to have a full off-season and training camp based on injuries and the NBA Lockout. I personally have concerns about Ed and his ability to develop. He seems to need to be constantly pushed. Casey consistently as mentioned his desire to see Ed and Demar both hit the weights in the off-season and get stronger. Davis when asked about it responded in a rather concerning way. He felt that people will always be questioning his size throughout his NBA Career. This sounded a lot like what use to be said by a young Chris Bosh. That said, the comparison between Bosh and Davis ends there. It is one thing to put up 24 points in a game that the other team had no desire to win and doing it in a game that matters. The organization has stated that he will be the primary focus of the Raptors Summer League team in Las Vegas. Colangelo in his remarks today basically stated that Ed Davis will be held more accountable moving forward and there will be less tolerance in terms of allowing him to develop.
There will be not much said about Demar DeRozan in this post because I had a chance to talk with him later in the day prior to the game last night. Colangelo in his remarks today said that the sky was the limit for DeRozan and he mentioned the same things that Coach Casey has stated about Demar getting bigger and stronger. He also made the point that Demar was the youngest player on this roster on a team full of young players. Colangelo also broke some news in his remarks as he stated that Dwane Casey has got his contract extended. He also made reference to Casey earning bonuses based on this teams dramatic improvement on defense.
That sums up the interviews of the players and we touched on what Casey and Colangelo had to say. Will have more on that later today or tomorrow. However let's shift to the game from last night briefly and touch on a few points.
First the crowd was addressed by Jaamal Magloire and as I had mentioned I was not looking forward to this. It was all I expected and even more. Keeping in mind that Magloire is not even under contract for next season at this point. It is thought that the Raptors might be willing to keep him around and it is clear he is desperate to be around. All of that said he when out and thanked the fans and encouraged them to stick with the team. That is your standard stuff no shock in that. The next part was, in which he more or less gave a promise of the playoffs next season. I am fine if that is Andrea Bargnani talking or Demar DeRozan stating that. We are confident they are going to be here and be a huge part in making that happen. Jaamal Magloire for all of the praise he gets has little impact directly on the floor. Everyone will tell you about his impact off of the floor and that is hard to evaluate in it's actual impact. If he is back I would not be happy about it, but that will not shock anyone.
This game was a utter shame on so many levels. The Raptors and Nets played in effect a glorified Vegas Summer League game. The only thing that made this somewhat bearable was the performance of Ben Uzoh. He got a triple double and became the first Raptor to do so since Alvin Williams in 2001. Sure this game was utterly without meaning in almost every way. That said to get a triple double under any circumstances is not easy to achieve. If it was than surly someone on the Raptors would have done it in 12 years. If you want to earn some respect or dough in the future remember the name Ben Uzoh and triple double and you will have the ultimate trivia question in about 5 years. Who is to say what the future holds for Alan Anderson and Ben Uzoh and if they will ever wear a Raptor jersey again. What you can say is good for them in doing a solid job in building a case for themselves to be in the NBA even if that isn't here in Toronto. They had an opportunity and they ceased it and took advantage of it.
Ultimately this season was about Dwane Casey establish a positive identity for the Toronto Raptors. Everyone from the players, to the fans, to other NBA Teams now have an understanding of what it means to be or face the Toronto Raptors. It seems almost comical now how some people at this time last season were still convinced that Jay Triano would still be the coach of this team heading into this season. The best decision the Raptors made this past off-season was hiring Dwane Casey and nothing else comes even close to that. The fact he earned an extension based on his performance this season will surprise no one. The Raptors will pick up the option year on his contract. He has brought back an accountability to the Toronto Raptors that had been lacking for years. When you go in the Raptor locker room it is very clear who the boss is on this team and it is him. To earn the respect of NBA players and be able to get them to buy into what you are selling is a tough job and a constant struggle. In a season that was challenging for any coach in the NBA, it allowed Casey to thrive and survive his first season exceeding almost all expectations that may have been made on what he could realistically achieve.
Up next on our off-season madness of work will be taking a look at Demar DeRozan and hearing his thoughts on what lies ahead for his future and off-season. So be on the look out for that. Also as I was making people aware on Twitter I have lined up a number of guests to talk with us about the season that was and get their thoughts on the future. That begins with my favourite guest Jack Armstrong sometime next week. Many of you missed him on the broadcasts during the final stretch so you will get you fix of Jack here in the DNB. He always has some interesting thoughts on what is going on with the Raptors and I just love having him in the blog. He even helps me learn some things when he is. So that said the season is over but the Dino Nation Blog marches on the entire off-season for the most part. So make sure to stick with us through the off-season which promises to be an eventful one for the Raptors.
No one seemed to have any answers or be willing to share thoughts of what they needed in terms of additions to the roster that will help in that goal of being a playoff team in 2012-13. They all deferred to Bryan Colangelo who has a massive off-season in front of him. The days of everyone just accepting the genius of Bryan Colangelo is no longer just accepted anymore. The first thing that he will be judged on is his draft choice from last season in Jonas Valanciunas who if you hadn't heard will be coming next year. While the Raptors odds of landing Anthony Davis seem bleak at this point, if Valancinus lives up to the considerable hype it might not be the disaster it appears to be for some. In my opinion the Raptors would actually be better served in some respects to wind up the runner-up and select Michael Kidd-Gilchrist also of Kentucky. The Raptors need a better option at the small forward position. James Johnson can be a good player for this team but ultimately does not have the overall skill set to be in the starting line-up. Johnson spoke of his late season blow up with coach Casey and said it is in the past and that he respects him. If the Raptors add someone that ultimately will play in front of him, it will be vital that he is able to stay motivated and contributing. While he still strongly believes in his game on the offensive end, it will be his defensive game that will be what is required for him to be part of the solution.
Andrea Bargnani looked like another person when this season began. When asked what was his best memory from this season, he said it was two minutes prior to ultimately re-injuring his calf muscle in Utah. When that happened you saw some rare raw emotion from Andrea Bargnani. After that we saw little of Bargnani and the Andrea we saw after that point looked a lot more like the Bargnani we had seen in the past. Dwane Casey in his post season remarks today praised Andrea for allowing him to push him. Ultimately heading into next season there will be two main questions. One is if Andrea Bargnani can be healthy and when injures happen can he grind and play through them. The fact this same injury was a factor no less than three times this season has to be a major concern. In addition Andrea Bargnani needs to prove the guy that many were saying was playing at an all-star level is the guy that shows up next season. Italy will not be going to Olympics so Andrea unlike some other players will not be part of things in London. He will have a entire off-season to figure all this out.
Jose Calderon will be in London and likely playing major minutes for Spain given the fact Ricky Rubio is no longer an option for the Spanish Team. Raptor fans outside of Spain may not be so thrilled with that. The Raptors have not exactly had the best of luck in terms of players participating for Spain. Calderon had one of the more solid seasons he has had in the past few years. Colangelo dismissed any thought that Calderon will be going anywhere in his remarks to the media today. He praised Calderon's defense which has improved to some degree under Casey. I would debate how much it has in comparison to Colangelo's assessment.
There seems to be a common consensus that both Ed Davis and Amir Johnson can not both remain as part of this team moving forward. I would tend to disagree with that given the uncertainty to Bargnani's health moving forward. You can throw Linas Kleiza is in that mix as well but given the coming of Jonas, if for no other reason than to help with his transition to life in the NBA and North America it would make sense that he remains on the roster.
In terms of Ed Davis this off-season will be vital for him and his long term future with the Raptors. He has yet to have a full off-season and training camp based on injuries and the NBA Lockout. I personally have concerns about Ed and his ability to develop. He seems to need to be constantly pushed. Casey consistently as mentioned his desire to see Ed and Demar both hit the weights in the off-season and get stronger. Davis when asked about it responded in a rather concerning way. He felt that people will always be questioning his size throughout his NBA Career. This sounded a lot like what use to be said by a young Chris Bosh. That said, the comparison between Bosh and Davis ends there. It is one thing to put up 24 points in a game that the other team had no desire to win and doing it in a game that matters. The organization has stated that he will be the primary focus of the Raptors Summer League team in Las Vegas. Colangelo in his remarks today basically stated that Ed Davis will be held more accountable moving forward and there will be less tolerance in terms of allowing him to develop.
There will be not much said about Demar DeRozan in this post because I had a chance to talk with him later in the day prior to the game last night. Colangelo in his remarks today said that the sky was the limit for DeRozan and he mentioned the same things that Coach Casey has stated about Demar getting bigger and stronger. He also made the point that Demar was the youngest player on this roster on a team full of young players. Colangelo also broke some news in his remarks as he stated that Dwane Casey has got his contract extended. He also made reference to Casey earning bonuses based on this teams dramatic improvement on defense.
That sums up the interviews of the players and we touched on what Casey and Colangelo had to say. Will have more on that later today or tomorrow. However let's shift to the game from last night briefly and touch on a few points.
First the crowd was addressed by Jaamal Magloire and as I had mentioned I was not looking forward to this. It was all I expected and even more. Keeping in mind that Magloire is not even under contract for next season at this point. It is thought that the Raptors might be willing to keep him around and it is clear he is desperate to be around. All of that said he when out and thanked the fans and encouraged them to stick with the team. That is your standard stuff no shock in that. The next part was, in which he more or less gave a promise of the playoffs next season. I am fine if that is Andrea Bargnani talking or Demar DeRozan stating that. We are confident they are going to be here and be a huge part in making that happen. Jaamal Magloire for all of the praise he gets has little impact directly on the floor. Everyone will tell you about his impact off of the floor and that is hard to evaluate in it's actual impact. If he is back I would not be happy about it, but that will not shock anyone.
This game was a utter shame on so many levels. The Raptors and Nets played in effect a glorified Vegas Summer League game. The only thing that made this somewhat bearable was the performance of Ben Uzoh. He got a triple double and became the first Raptor to do so since Alvin Williams in 2001. Sure this game was utterly without meaning in almost every way. That said to get a triple double under any circumstances is not easy to achieve. If it was than surly someone on the Raptors would have done it in 12 years. If you want to earn some respect or dough in the future remember the name Ben Uzoh and triple double and you will have the ultimate trivia question in about 5 years. Who is to say what the future holds for Alan Anderson and Ben Uzoh and if they will ever wear a Raptor jersey again. What you can say is good for them in doing a solid job in building a case for themselves to be in the NBA even if that isn't here in Toronto. They had an opportunity and they ceased it and took advantage of it.
Ultimately this season was about Dwane Casey establish a positive identity for the Toronto Raptors. Everyone from the players, to the fans, to other NBA Teams now have an understanding of what it means to be or face the Toronto Raptors. It seems almost comical now how some people at this time last season were still convinced that Jay Triano would still be the coach of this team heading into this season. The best decision the Raptors made this past off-season was hiring Dwane Casey and nothing else comes even close to that. The fact he earned an extension based on his performance this season will surprise no one. The Raptors will pick up the option year on his contract. He has brought back an accountability to the Toronto Raptors that had been lacking for years. When you go in the Raptor locker room it is very clear who the boss is on this team and it is him. To earn the respect of NBA players and be able to get them to buy into what you are selling is a tough job and a constant struggle. In a season that was challenging for any coach in the NBA, it allowed Casey to thrive and survive his first season exceeding almost all expectations that may have been made on what he could realistically achieve.
Up next on our off-season madness of work will be taking a look at Demar DeRozan and hearing his thoughts on what lies ahead for his future and off-season. So be on the look out for that. Also as I was making people aware on Twitter I have lined up a number of guests to talk with us about the season that was and get their thoughts on the future. That begins with my favourite guest Jack Armstrong sometime next week. Many of you missed him on the broadcasts during the final stretch so you will get you fix of Jack here in the DNB. He always has some interesting thoughts on what is going on with the Raptors and I just love having him in the blog. He even helps me learn some things when he is. So that said the season is over but the Dino Nation Blog marches on the entire off-season for the most part. So make sure to stick with us through the off-season which promises to be an eventful one for the Raptors.
4/24/12
The Winner Losses And The Loser Wins
Herm Edwards the NFL Head Coach of the Jets at the time told us all that "You Play To Win The Game", which was totally turned upside down last night in Milwaukee. The team that won, the Bucks, had already been eliminated by virtue of the Sixers win over the Nets that concluded before this game ended. Something that both teams in the end were not happy about. As stated that win clinched a playoff spot for Philly and it also didn't help the Raptors who were tied with the Nets in the Lottery Standings. The Raptors did start off this game like a team that wanted to win and they were the ones battling for their playoff lives. This would fade away as the night went on. Demar DeRozan upped his fan base by getting tossed from this game for tossing a ball into the stands after he felt he deserved a call he didn't get. This was to the delight of the folks in Tank Nation who may in fact have plans to build a DeRozan Statue should the Raptors land the first overall pick. Maybe not. In any case at times we have seen a DeRozan this year that has become frustrated and angry over the lack of respect he seems to get from refs on a nightly basis. Demar is a pretty low key individual but when these things happen you see the inner fire that burns inside him. If he ever can embrace that and use it on the basketball court he will be well on his way to being a superstar.
Brandon Jennings a good buddy of DeRozan would lead the scoring charge for the Bucks in this one. He had 25 points but just shot 9 for 23 with 5 assists and 3 steals. In this blog we have speculated at the idea of Jennings and DeRozan being paired up in Toronto. There is no doubt Jennings is by far a better defensive option than Calderon, but there is also no question he is a very different player on the offensive end. Jose Calderon needs to almost be motivated into taking his shot. Brandon Jennings is happy to chuck up shots from the moment the ball is tipped. Still I see it as a realistic option for the Raptors, if they truly believe in DeRozan and want him here for the long haul. These two guys already have a built in chemistry and are close friends of the court. It might just be what both need to get each other to the next level. Jennings has stated after next season that he plans to look to go to a larger market. Toronto is a larger market depending on what is meant by the term.
Colangelo no doubt is going to be exploring every option at his disposal and this one might be a solid one. The problem becomes what exactly do the Raptors have to land a Jennings and what the price would be. It has become common practice in the NBA to unload a guy that says he wants out before it is to late and you get nothing. That said the Bucks are still in the driver's seat and don't have to do anything. They clearly are looking to change direction with the move they made with Golden State trading away former first overall pick Andrew Bogut to the Warriors for Monta Ellis along with some other parts to that trade. There is also talk the Bucks could make a move at both the head coaching position and G.M position, so who is to say if they will be as high on Jennings as the current management was and maybe still is.
That is a story for another day as for the story of this game the Bucks win 92-86 and like the Raptors can plan for the off-season starting Thursday. Jennings and DeRozan could be working out together by next week in L.A. Oh right I said that was a story for another day. It should be noted that James Johnson seems back in the good graces of coach Casey and started and delivered with 22 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists.
Brandon Jennings a good buddy of DeRozan would lead the scoring charge for the Bucks in this one. He had 25 points but just shot 9 for 23 with 5 assists and 3 steals. In this blog we have speculated at the idea of Jennings and DeRozan being paired up in Toronto. There is no doubt Jennings is by far a better defensive option than Calderon, but there is also no question he is a very different player on the offensive end. Jose Calderon needs to almost be motivated into taking his shot. Brandon Jennings is happy to chuck up shots from the moment the ball is tipped. Still I see it as a realistic option for the Raptors, if they truly believe in DeRozan and want him here for the long haul. These two guys already have a built in chemistry and are close friends of the court. It might just be what both need to get each other to the next level. Jennings has stated after next season that he plans to look to go to a larger market. Toronto is a larger market depending on what is meant by the term.
Colangelo no doubt is going to be exploring every option at his disposal and this one might be a solid one. The problem becomes what exactly do the Raptors have to land a Jennings and what the price would be. It has become common practice in the NBA to unload a guy that says he wants out before it is to late and you get nothing. That said the Bucks are still in the driver's seat and don't have to do anything. They clearly are looking to change direction with the move they made with Golden State trading away former first overall pick Andrew Bogut to the Warriors for Monta Ellis along with some other parts to that trade. There is also talk the Bucks could make a move at both the head coaching position and G.M position, so who is to say if they will be as high on Jennings as the current management was and maybe still is.
That is a story for another day as for the story of this game the Bucks win 92-86 and like the Raptors can plan for the off-season starting Thursday. Jennings and DeRozan could be working out together by next week in L.A. Oh right I said that was a story for another day. It should be noted that James Johnson seems back in the good graces of coach Casey and started and delivered with 22 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists.
4/20/12
Some Early Reflections On The Season That Was
First off I apologize for no blog yesterday. Just was a lot of stuff going on life wise to take care of. We never did recap the Raptors loss to Miami but basically it could be summed up in one line. Lebron James is awesome. You may not like the guy as a person but he is a hell of a basketball player however you care to cut it. His detractors will point out his lack of rings and the fact he has had sometimes in the 4th quarter where he can go missing. All that said he is a pure athletic freak that it is fun to watch perform if you can get over all your hate.
The season is winding down for the Raptors with just 3 games left to go. It honestly has seemed to fly by, as it seemed like the Raptors had a game every other night. Oh wait, with the NBA Lockout schedule they pretty much did. They say time flies when you are having fun. I am not sure much about this season was all that fun. It would appear though that the Raptors have at least hired the right coach. Dwane Casey has been nothing short of fantastic this season. I am not sure if many believed he could actually turn around the Raptors miserable defense into something respectable but he has. That fact alone it pretty amazing but when you consider how he was able to with all the disadvantages the lockout offered it is flat out beyond logic. On top of all of that you have a season in which your squad was injury plagued. Miracle worker might be going to far, but whatever comes just before that would some up what Dwane Casey has done this year.
That was a success, what was not a success to any large degree was the moves Colangelo made in the off-season. When Aaron Gray looks like the best signing that you made there is a problem. This talk of the Raptors adding all of this leadership they so desperately needed was about as believable as the "It's not you, it's me" line someone gives you when breaking up with you. Carter and Butler didn't even last the season and Jaamal Maglorie might be the most over hyped Raptor for doing next to nothing that I have ever seen. Aside from that band of veteran leadership brought in there is Gary Forbes who even after 63 games remains a bit of a riddle as to what he is or can be? The Raptors did find a decent player in Alan Anderson with their 10 day contracts. There is no guarantee he will be around next season.
Demar DeRozan after starting off having all kinds of trouble has rallied in the second half of the season. He still looks like he has the potential to grow into the star many hoped he could be. Ed Davis meanwhile has perhaps shown why he slipped into the draft down to the Raptors at 13. He until very recently had shown zero signs of improvement or even life. Still, the giant question left by this season will be which was the real Andrea Bargnani? Was it the guy that started the season like gangbusters and after 13 games was being hyped and an All-Star Candidate? Or is it that guy that came back after his calf injury that hobbled him for most of the season. That guy looked a lot like the Andrea from the past 6 seasons before Casey arrived.
Then we have hype in two forms. Let's get the obvious one out of the way first. That would be the Raptors insistence on hyping up their draft choice that never got to play this season. I think his name is Jonas something. You might have heard of him a time or two or 2 thousand times from the Raptors this season. I think they have made a huge mistake in building all of this hype. It will bite them in the butt if Jonas Valanciunas does not come through right away. They will then whine to their fans to be patient. Well maybe they would be if you hadn't run a year long hype campaign about the kid. I am convinced by the time he gets here he will walk across Lake Ontario to his first practice with the Raptors. At the end of the day I don't blame him at all for all of this. A dose of reality on all of this hype is that big man in the NBA seldom just show up and take over. It takes a long time to develop them generally. So why you would tie a rocket to this kids back and send expectations to the moon? It is short sighted and ultimately stupid.
Now to the less advertised hype. Bryan Colangelo has consistently laid out a plan that is centered on this upcoming off-season. He basically in his actions and words wrote this season off before it ever started. I think he might be as shocked as anyone that Dwane Casey has been able to get 22 wins and counting out of this group. It almost feels like a wrestling hype job when I say what comes next. This is likely the most important off-season of Byran Colangelo's career with the Raptors. I feel like we say that almost every summer. Just like ever wrestling or UFC show is going to be better than the last one. However, this is the truth if for no other reason than Bryan Colangelo has made it the truth in how he has approached talking about this season and next. If all he has is another top draft pick and his boy wonder Jonas than he is in trouble. Don't expect the changes to come through free agency though. Colangelo is likely to use his cap space in trades to look to improve the Raptors. Given his track record at free agency that might be a wise idea. Although a lot of his trades have not exactly worked out that well either especially lately.
It promises to be an interesting off-season and given how Colangelo has set things up the off-season moves could come very early on. The trade of Barbosa made that possible. It is safe to say the Raptor fan base will expect and demand much more next season. The pressure is on MLSE and Colangelo to provide a winner and not an apology and excuses.
The season is winding down for the Raptors with just 3 games left to go. It honestly has seemed to fly by, as it seemed like the Raptors had a game every other night. Oh wait, with the NBA Lockout schedule they pretty much did. They say time flies when you are having fun. I am not sure much about this season was all that fun. It would appear though that the Raptors have at least hired the right coach. Dwane Casey has been nothing short of fantastic this season. I am not sure if many believed he could actually turn around the Raptors miserable defense into something respectable but he has. That fact alone it pretty amazing but when you consider how he was able to with all the disadvantages the lockout offered it is flat out beyond logic. On top of all of that you have a season in which your squad was injury plagued. Miracle worker might be going to far, but whatever comes just before that would some up what Dwane Casey has done this year.
That was a success, what was not a success to any large degree was the moves Colangelo made in the off-season. When Aaron Gray looks like the best signing that you made there is a problem. This talk of the Raptors adding all of this leadership they so desperately needed was about as believable as the "It's not you, it's me" line someone gives you when breaking up with you. Carter and Butler didn't even last the season and Jaamal Maglorie might be the most over hyped Raptor for doing next to nothing that I have ever seen. Aside from that band of veteran leadership brought in there is Gary Forbes who even after 63 games remains a bit of a riddle as to what he is or can be? The Raptors did find a decent player in Alan Anderson with their 10 day contracts. There is no guarantee he will be around next season.
Demar DeRozan after starting off having all kinds of trouble has rallied in the second half of the season. He still looks like he has the potential to grow into the star many hoped he could be. Ed Davis meanwhile has perhaps shown why he slipped into the draft down to the Raptors at 13. He until very recently had shown zero signs of improvement or even life. Still, the giant question left by this season will be which was the real Andrea Bargnani? Was it the guy that started the season like gangbusters and after 13 games was being hyped and an All-Star Candidate? Or is it that guy that came back after his calf injury that hobbled him for most of the season. That guy looked a lot like the Andrea from the past 6 seasons before Casey arrived.
Then we have hype in two forms. Let's get the obvious one out of the way first. That would be the Raptors insistence on hyping up their draft choice that never got to play this season. I think his name is Jonas something. You might have heard of him a time or two or 2 thousand times from the Raptors this season. I think they have made a huge mistake in building all of this hype. It will bite them in the butt if Jonas Valanciunas does not come through right away. They will then whine to their fans to be patient. Well maybe they would be if you hadn't run a year long hype campaign about the kid. I am convinced by the time he gets here he will walk across Lake Ontario to his first practice with the Raptors. At the end of the day I don't blame him at all for all of this. A dose of reality on all of this hype is that big man in the NBA seldom just show up and take over. It takes a long time to develop them generally. So why you would tie a rocket to this kids back and send expectations to the moon? It is short sighted and ultimately stupid.
Now to the less advertised hype. Bryan Colangelo has consistently laid out a plan that is centered on this upcoming off-season. He basically in his actions and words wrote this season off before it ever started. I think he might be as shocked as anyone that Dwane Casey has been able to get 22 wins and counting out of this group. It almost feels like a wrestling hype job when I say what comes next. This is likely the most important off-season of Byran Colangelo's career with the Raptors. I feel like we say that almost every summer. Just like ever wrestling or UFC show is going to be better than the last one. However, this is the truth if for no other reason than Bryan Colangelo has made it the truth in how he has approached talking about this season and next. If all he has is another top draft pick and his boy wonder Jonas than he is in trouble. Don't expect the changes to come through free agency though. Colangelo is likely to use his cap space in trades to look to improve the Raptors. Given his track record at free agency that might be a wise idea. Although a lot of his trades have not exactly worked out that well either especially lately.
It promises to be an interesting off-season and given how Colangelo has set things up the off-season moves could come very early on. The trade of Barbosa made that possible. It is safe to say the Raptor fan base will expect and demand much more next season. The pressure is on MLSE and Colangelo to provide a winner and not an apology and excuses.
4/16/12
A Cold, No Net And Another Win
So it has been a bad 24 hours here at DNB HQ. I had a lousy spring cold and to make matters worse had no internet access, so the combination of those two things made it pretty impossible to offer much opinion on the Raptors second win in a row vs the Hawks in Atlanta. The first time the Raptors have won in the ATL in awhile as they had lost 7 straight there until last night. That included a thrashing on the MLK holiday for the Raptors with much more health bodies. Based on that win the Raptors match their win total from last season in a shorter season this year. The Raptors are already 4 games better on the road this season as well with 10 wins and still 3 more road games to play. It proves the old phrase that defense travels to be true.
The Raptors are as Tank Nation will point out, really messing with there lottery odds winning a couple games they were not suppose too against Boston and Atlanta. They now are tied with the Nets and a half game behind the Pistons. Both of whom they will play down the stretch and will have a direct impact on their lottery odds. They play the Pistons on the road on the 22nd with 3 days rest prior to that game and close out the season against the Nets on the 26th. Golden State also is one of 4 teams with 22 wins but have 2 fewer losses than the Raptors. What you love about Casey is the exact thing that is costing the Raptors in terms of the lottery. He refuses to allow his team to quit and they continue to bring effort. What it might cost you in the draft might be worth it in terms of what you have in a coach.
Also the way Demar DeRozan has been playing down the stretch has to be impressing some folks. Even Ed Davis has shown signs of life in this late part of the season. I can't imagine the Raptors finding a way to win the next two games. An angry Hawks team rolls into Toronto tonight and then playing the Miami Heat on Wednesday should be losses. What you can take good from these games is the Raptors have competed well against some teams with everything to play for. If you choose to see the glass half empty you can say that the Raptors are playing with no pressure on them and the teams they are beating have simply overlooked them. I can't deny either of those things being true. Still you are building some confidence for some players and showing that this team will not roll over and die like it has in the past.
While I won't go as far as some have said that this team could be a playoff team if not for injuries, I will say that this is a team heading in the right direction. In terms of what happens with the Lottery if they win or lose is not the point. Let's say they did lose all of these games down the stretch and still find a way to not win at the Lottery than where are you at? At least players are ending the season on a high note and enter the off-season more motivated to improve for the future. The Charlotte Bobcats will have the best chance to win the Lottery and that has been clear for awhile. Even if they were to win and land Anthony Davis does anyone think that takes them to the next level? Worse if they don't where are they at? If the Raptors don't get Anthony Davis it likely allows them to not have to decide on if they have to say good bye to Amir Johnson or Ed Davis. They still may ultimately make a decision on those players but if they do they won't be forced into it. Besides at the end of the day isn't Jonas Valanciunas basically the guy you have for that spot? If the Raptors landed at the 3rd spot and got a shot at Kidd-Gilchrist that would be a much easier guy to fit into what you already have without having to be forced into altering the roster.
Not to mention the simple fact of you are not getting any joy out of the Raptors pulling off two pretty unexpected wins. But however those lottery balls end up your number still has to come up to win it. It would be nice if the Raptors got into the top 3 and land another good young player to add to the mix. That said this is a draft that is fairly deep and it doesn't have that break out star at the top and huge drop off beyond that. While Davis is the consensus number one pick it is not like people honestly can say he will be a giant superstar. He can be a very good NBA Player but the jury is out if he gets to that rare air of a huge superstar. There are lots of good to very good players that will be available no matter where the Raptors happen to end up selecting. There is also nothing that says Bryan Colangelo would not swing a deal to move up if he wanted to do that. He has all that cap room earlier from the Barbosa trade to play with for a reason. It could include moving up in the draft or acquiring a second first round pick. Time will tell.
The bottom line of everything is do you do not feel at least more optimistic than you were at this time last year? That is a good thing and a sign that this thing might be finally heading in the right direction.
The Raptors are as Tank Nation will point out, really messing with there lottery odds winning a couple games they were not suppose too against Boston and Atlanta. They now are tied with the Nets and a half game behind the Pistons. Both of whom they will play down the stretch and will have a direct impact on their lottery odds. They play the Pistons on the road on the 22nd with 3 days rest prior to that game and close out the season against the Nets on the 26th. Golden State also is one of 4 teams with 22 wins but have 2 fewer losses than the Raptors. What you love about Casey is the exact thing that is costing the Raptors in terms of the lottery. He refuses to allow his team to quit and they continue to bring effort. What it might cost you in the draft might be worth it in terms of what you have in a coach.
Also the way Demar DeRozan has been playing down the stretch has to be impressing some folks. Even Ed Davis has shown signs of life in this late part of the season. I can't imagine the Raptors finding a way to win the next two games. An angry Hawks team rolls into Toronto tonight and then playing the Miami Heat on Wednesday should be losses. What you can take good from these games is the Raptors have competed well against some teams with everything to play for. If you choose to see the glass half empty you can say that the Raptors are playing with no pressure on them and the teams they are beating have simply overlooked them. I can't deny either of those things being true. Still you are building some confidence for some players and showing that this team will not roll over and die like it has in the past.
While I won't go as far as some have said that this team could be a playoff team if not for injuries, I will say that this is a team heading in the right direction. In terms of what happens with the Lottery if they win or lose is not the point. Let's say they did lose all of these games down the stretch and still find a way to not win at the Lottery than where are you at? At least players are ending the season on a high note and enter the off-season more motivated to improve for the future. The Charlotte Bobcats will have the best chance to win the Lottery and that has been clear for awhile. Even if they were to win and land Anthony Davis does anyone think that takes them to the next level? Worse if they don't where are they at? If the Raptors don't get Anthony Davis it likely allows them to not have to decide on if they have to say good bye to Amir Johnson or Ed Davis. They still may ultimately make a decision on those players but if they do they won't be forced into it. Besides at the end of the day isn't Jonas Valanciunas basically the guy you have for that spot? If the Raptors landed at the 3rd spot and got a shot at Kidd-Gilchrist that would be a much easier guy to fit into what you already have without having to be forced into altering the roster.
Not to mention the simple fact of you are not getting any joy out of the Raptors pulling off two pretty unexpected wins. But however those lottery balls end up your number still has to come up to win it. It would be nice if the Raptors got into the top 3 and land another good young player to add to the mix. That said this is a draft that is fairly deep and it doesn't have that break out star at the top and huge drop off beyond that. While Davis is the consensus number one pick it is not like people honestly can say he will be a giant superstar. He can be a very good NBA Player but the jury is out if he gets to that rare air of a huge superstar. There are lots of good to very good players that will be available no matter where the Raptors happen to end up selecting. There is also nothing that says Bryan Colangelo would not swing a deal to move up if he wanted to do that. He has all that cap room earlier from the Barbosa trade to play with for a reason. It could include moving up in the draft or acquiring a second first round pick. Time will tell.
The bottom line of everything is do you do not feel at least more optimistic than you were at this time last year? That is a good thing and a sign that this thing might be finally heading in the right direction.
4/14/12
Taking The Starting 5 Down To The ATL
Thanks to Andre as always it was great to talk with him. Nice to hear some positive things about Dwane Casey and Demar DeRozan coming from someone outside of the market. It will be tough for the Hawks to get out of being stuck in that middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference.
4/12/12
Double D Returns To The DNB
Demar DeRozan has been one of the guys we have talked with a lot in the Dino Nation Blog. He came in the year I started having access to the Raptors and he has been someone that I enjoy talking with. This time around we talk about how the absence of Andrea impacts on his game in a basketball sense and how his mental approach has changed since the start of the year when Andrea is out of the line up. We also chat about his plans for the off-season which includes spending some more time in Toronto. He also is excited to have some normalcy back to his off-season with the NBA CBA issues now out of the way. His thoughts on the season and what has changed from last season as well as his feelings on his first year under coach Casey.
I think this was a pretty good interview with Demar and it looks like he is motivated to get to work this off-season. Coach Casey has stressed how much he wants to see both he and Ed Davis hit the weight room hard this off-season. Something that should be helpful in DeRozan taking his game to the next level. It is also great to hear he will be spending more time here in the off-season and still wants to bring back some form of charity game to the city. While not many folks miss Vince Carter in Toronto the charity game he established in the city was a great way to get your basketball fix in the summer time. It also gave me my first opportunity to interview NBA Players which was a great learning experience for me. Learning and growing are still very much a priority for Demar DeRozan. It will be interesting to see what he can accomplish now with the input and guidance of Casey and the organization to help him in that process. Keep in mind if things were different that DeRozan would be finishing his college career at USC and about to enter the NBA Draft. In this modern world it is rare to see any player stay till that senior year. Which is something that I understand and support. If a young man is talented enough to be in the NBA he should do that as soon as possible. It is the best thing he can do in terms of his own and his families future. DeRozan, in knowing him from when he has arrived, I have seen that he has grown and matured, but the one thing that remains the same is his dedication and determination to improve. To use a line he has used in past interviews, this a young man on a quest to be "not just good, but great", as the years pass the pressure from the outside to do that increases. This season you saw Demar have his struggles but he has fought through them and is starting to look again like the young man that could end up being something pretty special.
I think this was a pretty good interview with Demar and it looks like he is motivated to get to work this off-season. Coach Casey has stressed how much he wants to see both he and Ed Davis hit the weight room hard this off-season. Something that should be helpful in DeRozan taking his game to the next level. It is also great to hear he will be spending more time here in the off-season and still wants to bring back some form of charity game to the city. While not many folks miss Vince Carter in Toronto the charity game he established in the city was a great way to get your basketball fix in the summer time. It also gave me my first opportunity to interview NBA Players which was a great learning experience for me. Learning and growing are still very much a priority for Demar DeRozan. It will be interesting to see what he can accomplish now with the input and guidance of Casey and the organization to help him in that process. Keep in mind if things were different that DeRozan would be finishing his college career at USC and about to enter the NBA Draft. In this modern world it is rare to see any player stay till that senior year. Which is something that I understand and support. If a young man is talented enough to be in the NBA he should do that as soon as possible. It is the best thing he can do in terms of his own and his families future. DeRozan, in knowing him from when he has arrived, I have seen that he has grown and matured, but the one thing that remains the same is his dedication and determination to improve. To use a line he has used in past interviews, this a young man on a quest to be "not just good, but great", as the years pass the pressure from the outside to do that increases. This season you saw Demar have his struggles but he has fought through them and is starting to look again like the young man that could end up being something pretty special.
My Day was Much Better than the Raptors Day
To bring this back to the Raptors, making the walk from the building I will always call Skydome toward the ACC, it got me thinking of what an opportunity has been lost for the Raptors. One of the Leafs was in attendance at the Jays game and he was introduced to the crowd to a loud boo. Take that in contrast to the loud cheer from the smaller crowd at the Raptors game for Ricky Romero. The point is that Leafs are in rough shape and Toronto sports fans are desperate for a winner. MLSE has not provided that in hockey, basketball and soccer. The Jays owned by soon to be part owner of MLSE Rogers, have provided a buzz of excitement and optimism surrounding the team they own.
This would have really been a chance for the Raptors to make up some ground on the giant that owns the city that is the Maple Leafs. Instead it would appear that the Jays have taken that ball and are starting to run with it. While the Raptors are optimistic for their future as well, the Jays have much more to be optimistic about. The Raptors have Jonas and whatever comes out of the draft to add to the mix next year. The Jays have a minor league system full of exciting prospects that people are high on. Obviously baseball is different and you get a chance to have more opportunities to develop players. If Jonas was a baseball player it is likely you wouldn't see him for not just this year but a view more years.
That really is off the topic somewhat, but the real point I am making is the Leafs franchise has never been in a more weak a fragile state since perhaps the days of Harold Ballard owning them. There was no basketball team back then, trying to compete for attention, but there is now. The Raptors may not get their act together in time if they do at all as it seems clear that Toronto is on verge of going back to the days of the early 90's when the Jays were the biggest thing in town. If you are not old enough to remember those days it was quite amazing. The Jays would fill Skydome on a nightly basis and have crowds pushing 50,000 every night. They are still a long way from that now but they are creating a buzz and the Raptors have absolutely no buzz at all right now.
In terms of the game last night if I was ever to be inclined to feel sorry for Jose Calderon it might be now. I mean to get cut open for a second time in a game that ultimately means little to your season already being eliminated from the post season. This in the face of your supposed star Andrea Bargnani out for a 3rd time with the same calf injury. I would bet we might see Jose back this year but I would also bet we have seen the last of Bargnani. I will say this for Calderon he does do his best to play through things and try and compete. He was at the Blue Jays game the night before and threw out the first pitch. Trying to get the rub of that Jays Magic to come over to the Raptors. It obviously didn't work.
The game itself aside from more injures to Calderon and Kleiza pretty much went as you might expect. A desperate Philly team that had been embarrassed at the hands of the Raptors a week earlier was not going to have it happen a second time. The Raptors did a good job trying to hang around for a half but the Sixers came out guns a blazing in the final quarter against an undermanned Raptors squad.
The focus seems to be towards the coming off-season now and Dwane Casey gets his first chance to guide his players through an off-season something he was not afforded with the NBA Lockout this past summer. Given the excellent job Casey has done you wonder how much it could have had an impact. Ed Davis as an example finally seems to be turning a corner. He himself based on the Lockout and injury has yet to have a full NBA off-season and training camp to improve. This year if he stays healthy for the last 7 games and throughout the summer, he should finally have that chance. I had a chance to talk with Demar DeRozan and he is looking forward to a more normal off-season and plans on spending more time in Toronto during it. You can hear all of that in an interview we did, that should be up later today or tomorrow.
I have one more game that I will be covering this season (In Person) the last one vs the New Jersey Nets on the 26th. For many Raptor fans that game can not get here soon enough. In a season that has been shorter it has seemed so much longer. It sure doesn't seem like the Raptors are better than they were last year. However they in fact have made a minor improvement in winning % and major improvement on D.
Still losing year after year can be rough. Just ask a Leaf fan if you happen not to be one. They know all about it.
3/23/12
DeRozan Leads Raps To Big Win, Before Going Down Late.
The Raptors prior to this one took the advice the Dino Nation Blog has been offering from the start of the season They waived which is a nice way to say cut Rasaul Butler who had been a major disappointment the entire season. He had been buried on the bench for quite some time. Raptors may be looking at bringing in some guys on 10 days now with both Carter and now Butler released and the roster down to the bare minimum. That is in the days to come as for tonight they take on the New York Knicks and Jeremy Lin returns to the site of one of the big moments of his Linsanity to run here at the ACC. Knicks are in a tight race to hang on to a playoff spot so expect them to be going all out against the Raptors tonight.
DeRozan opens up the scoring with a baseline jumper and that is followed by a Bargnani three and Raptors open up with 5-0 lead. Bargnani with a nice move draws a foul on a nice pump fake by Bargnani sending him to the line for a pair and Raptors had a 9-2 lead. Raptors had an 11-4 lead and Mike Woodson who was a perfect 5-0 coming into this one as Knicks head coach wanted a time out. Raptors were taking 3 pointers and not making them giving the Knicks a chance to get back in this game but they were not taking full advantage still down 15-9. DeRozan with a nice two point effort nails it. Lin answers with a drive and score to mix of cheers and boos. Raptors were on fire early 8/15 from field and another DeRozan bucket. Amare Stoudemire with a nice score in the paint and the Raptors still had a 19-14 lead. Jeremy Lin had a turnover and was getting the John Cena treatment from the Toronto crowd some cheers and some boos. Raptors had an impressive start with a 25-16 lead in the first quarter. DeRozan the more efficient but both he and Bargnani had 9 points a piece.
Knicks on shot 36.8% in that first quarter. Ed Davis after a sloppy turnover makes up for it on the next possession getting the Raptors lead to 10 at 29-19. Raptors lead kept growing and was up to 12 with a time out on the floor. Knicks cut that lead in half to 6 with 7:26 to play in the half. Knicks had a chance to cut the lead further but after a missed three they would turn it over on a bad Davis pass looking for Chandler in the lane. Again the Knicks had a chance to cut into the lead and the Raptors switched to zone which leads to a deep three from Lin that doesn't fall. But you had the feeling the Knicks were going to get back in this if they cleaned some things up. Anthony got the lead down to 4 but Bargnani nailed a jumper in the lane to make it 35-29 with just over 4 to play. James Johnson took a ill advised three made up for it with a steal and a pretty lay-up to make the lead 6 once again. Despite shooting 5/19 in the quarter the Raptors still lead this game 37-31 with 1:20 left to go in half. A missed dunk by James Johnson on an air ball Raptor attempt summed up the Raptors offense in the 2nd quarter nicely. A Novak three in corner at the buzzer made this a 3 point game at the half in favour of the Raptors. It was 39-36 and these teams looked hard pressed to to get to 80.
An Aaron Gray turnover looked to be a sign of more of the same. Jeremy Lin to cheers followed by Boos hit a 3. Stoudemire scored to get the Knicks as close as they have been with the score 41-40. Back to back Bargnani buckets with an Anthony deuce in between. Raptors would get the lead back to 5 as the Knicks seemed content to chuck up three attempt, after three attempt. The Raptors went on an 10-2 run after the Knicks got to with in one. Demar DeRozan would force the Knicks into a time out with an amazing finish on the alley oop. He had 20 and the Raptors had a 9 point lead. The Knicks offense was just awful in this game. A Chandler dunk over Bargnani out of the time out was nice though. But Amir Johnson answer with two on the other end and Knicks went right back to chucking three's as Lin missed another. Andrea Bargnani with a nice turnaround and the Raptors lead was 11 and trending upwards. Demar DeRozan wanted a three but settled for a long two and the Raptor lead was up to 14. Another DeRozan bucket made it 16 and for DeRozan he had 24 on the night and we still had 15:30 of game action to go. J.R Smith finally made a basket for the Knicks but Amir Johnson answered that score and it was 64-46 Raptors with just over 2 to play. Knicks showed a little life near end of 3rd with back to back hoops but DeRozan added two more to give the Raptors a 70-53 lead to take to the 4th.
Knicks were 1/17 from three point land. Safe to say that will need to improve for them to get back in this one that they have never led. J.R Smith makes it 1/18 from three to start the 4th. Smith would get an old fashion three with a shot and one foul to cut the lead to 14. Knicks started on a 7-0 run capped by a Novak three to make it 70-60. Gary Forbes gets back to back hoops to get the Raptors back on top by 14. Novak another 3 though and Knicks were trying to make a push. Gary Forbes was keeping the Raptors alive with 6 big points in the 4th and Bargnani had a nice slam after a J.R Smith bucket and Raptors had stabilized things and got lead back to 15. DeRozan would take it back to where we started with a huge slam and it was 82-65 Raptors. Salami and Cheese for everyone? It sure looked like it. Back to back steals finished with dunks would look similar to what the Knicks did to the Raptors earlier in the week. This time it was the Raptors rubbing the salt in the wounds on this night. Unfortunately at the end of this one with game pretty much decided Demar DeRozan would land awkwardly trying to block a shot and he would head straight for the locker room with 30 points and not returning. Solomon Albi even got in this one and scored. But the injury to DeRozan cast a damper on what was a tremendous win for the Raptors 96-79.
It was a great night for both DeRozan and Bargnani on this night. More for DeRozan but his late injury makes it hard to get the full satisfaction this win should have provided. Gary Forbes as mentioned really stepped up in the 4th and when the Raptors were on the ropes a bit he was the one that came out swinging. If DeRozan is seriously hurt it is unlikely we see him tomorrow in Chicago. The injury update on him will be vital. Ironically he would have tied Alvin Williams for the most consecutive starts in Raptors his if he were to suit up tomorrow in Chicago. That is in serious doubt now.
UPDATE 9:55PM: News on DeRozan is good. Eric Smith tweeted that DeRozan has tweeked his left ankle but should be good to go tomorrow in Chicago but will be reevaluated. So it appears he will travel with the team and will see from there.
DeRozan opens up the scoring with a baseline jumper and that is followed by a Bargnani three and Raptors open up with 5-0 lead. Bargnani with a nice move draws a foul on a nice pump fake by Bargnani sending him to the line for a pair and Raptors had a 9-2 lead. Raptors had an 11-4 lead and Mike Woodson who was a perfect 5-0 coming into this one as Knicks head coach wanted a time out. Raptors were taking 3 pointers and not making them giving the Knicks a chance to get back in this game but they were not taking full advantage still down 15-9. DeRozan with a nice two point effort nails it. Lin answers with a drive and score to mix of cheers and boos. Raptors were on fire early 8/15 from field and another DeRozan bucket. Amare Stoudemire with a nice score in the paint and the Raptors still had a 19-14 lead. Jeremy Lin had a turnover and was getting the John Cena treatment from the Toronto crowd some cheers and some boos. Raptors had an impressive start with a 25-16 lead in the first quarter. DeRozan the more efficient but both he and Bargnani had 9 points a piece.
Knicks on shot 36.8% in that first quarter. Ed Davis after a sloppy turnover makes up for it on the next possession getting the Raptors lead to 10 at 29-19. Raptors lead kept growing and was up to 12 with a time out on the floor. Knicks cut that lead in half to 6 with 7:26 to play in the half. Knicks had a chance to cut the lead further but after a missed three they would turn it over on a bad Davis pass looking for Chandler in the lane. Again the Knicks had a chance to cut into the lead and the Raptors switched to zone which leads to a deep three from Lin that doesn't fall. But you had the feeling the Knicks were going to get back in this if they cleaned some things up. Anthony got the lead down to 4 but Bargnani nailed a jumper in the lane to make it 35-29 with just over 4 to play. James Johnson took a ill advised three made up for it with a steal and a pretty lay-up to make the lead 6 once again. Despite shooting 5/19 in the quarter the Raptors still lead this game 37-31 with 1:20 left to go in half. A missed dunk by James Johnson on an air ball Raptor attempt summed up the Raptors offense in the 2nd quarter nicely. A Novak three in corner at the buzzer made this a 3 point game at the half in favour of the Raptors. It was 39-36 and these teams looked hard pressed to to get to 80.
An Aaron Gray turnover looked to be a sign of more of the same. Jeremy Lin to cheers followed by Boos hit a 3. Stoudemire scored to get the Knicks as close as they have been with the score 41-40. Back to back Bargnani buckets with an Anthony deuce in between. Raptors would get the lead back to 5 as the Knicks seemed content to chuck up three attempt, after three attempt. The Raptors went on an 10-2 run after the Knicks got to with in one. Demar DeRozan would force the Knicks into a time out with an amazing finish on the alley oop. He had 20 and the Raptors had a 9 point lead. The Knicks offense was just awful in this game. A Chandler dunk over Bargnani out of the time out was nice though. But Amir Johnson answer with two on the other end and Knicks went right back to chucking three's as Lin missed another. Andrea Bargnani with a nice turnaround and the Raptors lead was 11 and trending upwards. Demar DeRozan wanted a three but settled for a long two and the Raptor lead was up to 14. Another DeRozan bucket made it 16 and for DeRozan he had 24 on the night and we still had 15:30 of game action to go. J.R Smith finally made a basket for the Knicks but Amir Johnson answered that score and it was 64-46 Raptors with just over 2 to play. Knicks showed a little life near end of 3rd with back to back hoops but DeRozan added two more to give the Raptors a 70-53 lead to take to the 4th.
Knicks were 1/17 from three point land. Safe to say that will need to improve for them to get back in this one that they have never led. J.R Smith makes it 1/18 from three to start the 4th. Smith would get an old fashion three with a shot and one foul to cut the lead to 14. Knicks started on a 7-0 run capped by a Novak three to make it 70-60. Gary Forbes gets back to back hoops to get the Raptors back on top by 14. Novak another 3 though and Knicks were trying to make a push. Gary Forbes was keeping the Raptors alive with 6 big points in the 4th and Bargnani had a nice slam after a J.R Smith bucket and Raptors had stabilized things and got lead back to 15. DeRozan would take it back to where we started with a huge slam and it was 82-65 Raptors. Salami and Cheese for everyone? It sure looked like it. Back to back steals finished with dunks would look similar to what the Knicks did to the Raptors earlier in the week. This time it was the Raptors rubbing the salt in the wounds on this night. Unfortunately at the end of this one with game pretty much decided Demar DeRozan would land awkwardly trying to block a shot and he would head straight for the locker room with 30 points and not returning. Solomon Albi even got in this one and scored. But the injury to DeRozan cast a damper on what was a tremendous win for the Raptors 96-79.
It was a great night for both DeRozan and Bargnani on this night. More for DeRozan but his late injury makes it hard to get the full satisfaction this win should have provided. Gary Forbes as mentioned really stepped up in the 4th and when the Raptors were on the ropes a bit he was the one that came out swinging. If DeRozan is seriously hurt it is unlikely we see him tomorrow in Chicago. The injury update on him will be vital. Ironically he would have tied Alvin Williams for the most consecutive starts in Raptors his if he were to suit up tomorrow in Chicago. That is in serious doubt now.
UPDATE 9:55PM: News on DeRozan is good. Eric Smith tweeted that DeRozan has tweeked his left ankle but should be good to go tomorrow in Chicago but will be reevaluated. So it appears he will travel with the team and will see from there.
3/16/12
Raptors Fight Themselves, Grizzlies and Refs To Win In OT
We start with kudos to Rogers Sportsnet who did the right thing and postponed showing the end of a tennis match in favour of showing the Raptors on time. TSN has screwed over the Raptors in the past for meaningless college bowl games and even NLL Lacrosse games. Sportsnet actually showing Raptor fans an element of respect. Now replace Leo with Jack Armstrong and I could be in love with this network. It is the only major sports network that I have yet to cash a check from so you never know. But for now the DNB is independently owned and operated. Speaking of jobs, Barbosa now works for the Pacers and Sam Young for the Sixers. While both Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph return to work tonight.
After Memphis took a 4-0 lead the Raptors would fight back and take the lead on Jerryd Bayless first shot of the night a 3 ball to make it 7-6. Grizzlies were wearing some hideous throw back uniforms and were not talking the teal ones with angry bear from Vancouver days. These were yellow and green and ugly as hell. Still it is not how you look it is if you win or lose. In that regard Gasol scored to give the Grizzlies the lead back in this one. Bargnani with some good defense and it angered Marreese Speights and he would get a technical foul. Raptors to their credit and the dismay of the idiots that still see tanking as good idea, were hanging around in this one leading 16-14 with 4:43 to go in the 1st. Raptors kept things rolling as DeRozan drove to the hoop and scored to make it 22-18 with just over a minute to play. The returning Zack Randolph barreled his way to the who and scored and made the and 1 free throw he picked up along the way. Demar DeRozan closed out a solid first quarter for him making the final shot to give the Raps a 26-24 lead after one. Demar had 12 points was 5-8 shooting and had a couple dimes as well.
Considering it was his first game back in quite awhile, Z-Bo looked in pretty good form not much rust. He was in the middle of everything early in the 2nd. Gave the Grizzlies the lead at the line 29-28, after Amir Johnson hit on the head like one of those gophers that pop up in the old arcade/carnival game. Gary Forbes was one of the guys that should see more time with Barbosa's departure. Nails a big three to give the Raptors a 33-29 lead. After the Grizz split a pair at the line Bargnani got his 3 ball game going and it was 36-30. Raptors got away with an over and back on a pass by Amir Johnson and he would get an offensive rebound as well but the Raptors couldn't cash in. Instead of being up 7 or 8 the Raptors would be up 3 as Rudy Gay also back after a mild concussion nailed a jumper making it 37-34 Raptors. Both Bayless and Forbes each had 8 points and were on the floor together. Still no Jose Calderon but Raps using both their options and point guard together. Grizz were starting to try and get it together as Gasol scored to make it a one point game. They had a chance to take the lead but Gasol would throw it away on the flashy pass. Raptors were doing a solid job wrestling these Grizzly Bears with a 47-46 halftime lead. It should have been a 4 point lead but a sloppy pass by Bargnani is picked and Memphis hits a buzzer beater 3.
Raptors have a sloppy possession as Gasol blocks a shot but eventually ball ends up in Bargnani's hands and he nails a long two. James Johnson would extend the lead to five points as the Raptors had first two baskets of the 2nd half. Mike Conley nailed a jumper to end a 6-0 start for the Raptors. Andrea Bargnani had not had his 3 ball working till tonight since returning, he nails another one making it a 9-2 start to the half for the Raptors. Make it 11-4 with a James Johnson basket and it was 60-50 Raptors. While most of the world was enjoying Duke dying a horrible death in the NCAA tournament, the Raptors kept chugging along looking for their own upset on a lesser level. They had lead up to 12 before a Memphis three made it 67-58 Raptors. A turnover and Zach Randolph dunk cut the lead to 7 points and cause Dwane Casey to call a time out. Time out could not stop the One Man Gang that was Zach Randolph who scored again. Memphis had picked it up on defense as well it was 67-62 Raptors. Bayless nails a much needed three to try and fight off this Grizzlies push getting the lead back to eight. It was more like a band aid though as the Grizzlies made back to back baskets and had lead down to 4. Raptors again another of those brain cramps up 5 appeared to commit a foul just prior to the buzzer. Refs would review it so score after 3 was for now Raptors 72 and Grizzlies 67 subject to change.
It would change as Grizz would go to the line and .6 seconds was added to the clock. Both free throws count and it is only a 3 point lead instead of 5. Little mistakes that if the Raptors go on to lose this game will be the difference. Jaamal Maglorie gets nailed with a flagrant foul add that to the stupid mistakes. But it ends up not costing the Raptors but not a smart decision. Raptors got it going again and after a great first Demar had done little, but came out to play with a jumper to make it a 77-71 Raptors lead. Amir Johnson follows that with a rain making jumper that went in and the Raptors had a 8-0 run and 79-71 lead. The broadcast was giving love to Jaamal Magloire. I say screw him and give some to Gary Forbes with a couple big buckets to keep Raptors on top. Jaamal meantime takes a stupid charge and goes back to the bench where he belongs. Raptors were hanging tough up 86-79 with 5:40 to play. Bargnani makes 2 at the line and with under 5 to play the Raptors were up 88-80. Marc Gasol was taking over for Z-Bo in dominating the action. He stepped to the line and mad a pair to give him 24 on the night and cut lead to 6.
This was heading toward a March Madness like finish potentially Raptors lead was down to 5. But maybe not as James Johnson got an NBA style continuation call, count the basket and the and 1 and lead was 8. Still the Raptors had no answer for Gasol as he scores to cut it to 6 with just under 3 to play. Demar with a clutch mid-range jumper makes the lead 8 once more. Bayless the blow by to the hoop with under 2 to play restores the 8 point lead. Z-Bo was back and he scores and Amir Johnson gets called for a foul as well. Could not hit the and one though. Raptors commit a turnover though and Z-Bo draws a foul on Bargnani and heads back to the line. He misses another and hits the 2nd to make it a 95-90 game in favour of the Raptors. Another turnover and Raptors again not closing out a quarter correctly. Gasol this time drawing a foul on Amir as it is a parade to free throw line for Memphis. He makes both with 42.5 seconds left and it was 95-92. This was NBA Style March Madness with a lot more on the line for Grizzlies in the Western Conference playoff race. Bayless almost turned it over but got the ball back and gets the lay up down the open lane 97-92. James Johnson lost a shoe and lost his man and Grizzlies score quick and it was three point game again with 22 seconds left. Bayless is fouled right away and heads to the line. He misses the first and makes the second to make it a two possession game. Grizz miss their initial shot but Z-Bo cleaned up the mess and scored to cut the lead to a deuce with about 14 seconds left. So Bayless is fouled and the Refs decide to add .7 seconds to the clock leaving 13.7 to play. That could mean something. Bayless 2 for 2 this time and makes it 5 point lead. Grizz get a quick three from Rudy Gay and Bargnani is fouled with 6.6 to play. Even if he makes both Grizz could tie with a three. He does and it is 102-99 Raps. James Johnson decides to foul that is one way to avoid a three. But that was not what Dwane Casey had in mind. Johnson had fouled out. Still 5.7 seconds left and Conley missed the first at the line and makes the second. Forbes is now fouled with a two point lead and 5.4 seconds to play. Makes the first and the key second one he missed. Rudy Gay nails a 3 and this game was tied with 0 on the clock but Refs were huddled and may be adding time to the clock. If not were heading to over time.
Regardless of how this turns out Raptors closing of quarters has been brutal on this night. The verdict would be .5 added to the clock. Raptors inbounding from their baseline. Refs were again conferencing and making a mess out of this. Raps did get a chuck up from Bargnani but it didn't fall. O.T here we come tied at 103. Gary Forbes drives and got a foul on Rudy Gay. His 6th and he joins James Johnson as a spectator. Forbes missed one that got us to OT and he misses one to start overtime. Mayo now was heading to the line on a foul on DeRozan. he makes both and Memphis has it's first lead since 29-28. They had a chance to add to it and turned the ball over on travel. Bayless misses a fading jumper and Forbes get the rebound and throws it back in for a career high 20. It was 106-105 Toronto with Austin 3:16 left in OT number 1. The strange things continue as Mayo misses a dunk. DeRozan drives on the other end and doesn't get a foul call. Raps and Grizz trade bucket and it was 108-107 Raps. Randolph would score and Bayless would answer it was 110-109. Let's add to fun as Andrea Bargnani with a huge rebound. Why not and Raptors have the ball up one with just under 1:30 to play. Bargnani misses a shot but Tony Allen fumbles the ball out of bounds. Gary Forbes has the ball stripped and Bayless bails him out on the other end drawing a charge with under a minute to go. Bayless misses a jumper and DeRozan picks up a foul with 26.7 to play. Amir Johnson alter a shot and got the rebound he might have blocked it but it happened fast. Bayless would be sent to the line and would make both but there was a lane violation on the 2nd? Apparently so Bayless foot was over the line on the 2nd? Well that leaves it a 2 point game with Raptors up 111-109 with 15.7 to play in OT number one. Memphis than gets called for the often done but never called carry in the NBA. This would end up with Amir Johnson at the line with 9.4 seconds left. Made the first missed the 2nd and it was 112-109 with 8.8 seconds left. So now Conley is fouled by Bayless in the act of shooting a 3? To the replay booth and this game may never end. 4.8 second left in OT number 1. It would be three free throws for Mike Conley. Bayless would also be out of the game with his 6th foul joining Johnson and Gay on the sidelines. First is made...Second is not and now will he try to miss the 3rd...he does but it ends up out of bound Raps ball with 3.8 seconds to play. Raptors after a time out can't inbound the ball but unlike earlier in the season with Butler the Raps do get a time out called in this one. DeRozan is fouled as he attempted to catch the inbound pass. Demar end this insanity please!!! And he does with two clutch free throws and that is it....114-110....Raps win!!! I am dead tired. So check the box score for all the goodies.
After Memphis took a 4-0 lead the Raptors would fight back and take the lead on Jerryd Bayless first shot of the night a 3 ball to make it 7-6. Grizzlies were wearing some hideous throw back uniforms and were not talking the teal ones with angry bear from Vancouver days. These were yellow and green and ugly as hell. Still it is not how you look it is if you win or lose. In that regard Gasol scored to give the Grizzlies the lead back in this one. Bargnani with some good defense and it angered Marreese Speights and he would get a technical foul. Raptors to their credit and the dismay of the idiots that still see tanking as good idea, were hanging around in this one leading 16-14 with 4:43 to go in the 1st. Raptors kept things rolling as DeRozan drove to the hoop and scored to make it 22-18 with just over a minute to play. The returning Zack Randolph barreled his way to the who and scored and made the and 1 free throw he picked up along the way. Demar DeRozan closed out a solid first quarter for him making the final shot to give the Raps a 26-24 lead after one. Demar had 12 points was 5-8 shooting and had a couple dimes as well.
Considering it was his first game back in quite awhile, Z-Bo looked in pretty good form not much rust. He was in the middle of everything early in the 2nd. Gave the Grizzlies the lead at the line 29-28, after Amir Johnson hit on the head like one of those gophers that pop up in the old arcade/carnival game. Gary Forbes was one of the guys that should see more time with Barbosa's departure. Nails a big three to give the Raptors a 33-29 lead. After the Grizz split a pair at the line Bargnani got his 3 ball game going and it was 36-30. Raptors got away with an over and back on a pass by Amir Johnson and he would get an offensive rebound as well but the Raptors couldn't cash in. Instead of being up 7 or 8 the Raptors would be up 3 as Rudy Gay also back after a mild concussion nailed a jumper making it 37-34 Raptors. Both Bayless and Forbes each had 8 points and were on the floor together. Still no Jose Calderon but Raps using both their options and point guard together. Grizz were starting to try and get it together as Gasol scored to make it a one point game. They had a chance to take the lead but Gasol would throw it away on the flashy pass. Raptors were doing a solid job wrestling these Grizzly Bears with a 47-46 halftime lead. It should have been a 4 point lead but a sloppy pass by Bargnani is picked and Memphis hits a buzzer beater 3.
Raptors have a sloppy possession as Gasol blocks a shot but eventually ball ends up in Bargnani's hands and he nails a long two. James Johnson would extend the lead to five points as the Raptors had first two baskets of the 2nd half. Mike Conley nailed a jumper to end a 6-0 start for the Raptors. Andrea Bargnani had not had his 3 ball working till tonight since returning, he nails another one making it a 9-2 start to the half for the Raptors. Make it 11-4 with a James Johnson basket and it was 60-50 Raptors. While most of the world was enjoying Duke dying a horrible death in the NCAA tournament, the Raptors kept chugging along looking for their own upset on a lesser level. They had lead up to 12 before a Memphis three made it 67-58 Raptors. A turnover and Zach Randolph dunk cut the lead to 7 points and cause Dwane Casey to call a time out. Time out could not stop the One Man Gang that was Zach Randolph who scored again. Memphis had picked it up on defense as well it was 67-62 Raptors. Bayless nails a much needed three to try and fight off this Grizzlies push getting the lead back to eight. It was more like a band aid though as the Grizzlies made back to back baskets and had lead down to 4. Raptors again another of those brain cramps up 5 appeared to commit a foul just prior to the buzzer. Refs would review it so score after 3 was for now Raptors 72 and Grizzlies 67 subject to change.
It would change as Grizz would go to the line and .6 seconds was added to the clock. Both free throws count and it is only a 3 point lead instead of 5. Little mistakes that if the Raptors go on to lose this game will be the difference. Jaamal Maglorie gets nailed with a flagrant foul add that to the stupid mistakes. But it ends up not costing the Raptors but not a smart decision. Raptors got it going again and after a great first Demar had done little, but came out to play with a jumper to make it a 77-71 Raptors lead. Amir Johnson follows that with a rain making jumper that went in and the Raptors had a 8-0 run and 79-71 lead. The broadcast was giving love to Jaamal Magloire. I say screw him and give some to Gary Forbes with a couple big buckets to keep Raptors on top. Jaamal meantime takes a stupid charge and goes back to the bench where he belongs. Raptors were hanging tough up 86-79 with 5:40 to play. Bargnani makes 2 at the line and with under 5 to play the Raptors were up 88-80. Marc Gasol was taking over for Z-Bo in dominating the action. He stepped to the line and mad a pair to give him 24 on the night and cut lead to 6.
This was heading toward a March Madness like finish potentially Raptors lead was down to 5. But maybe not as James Johnson got an NBA style continuation call, count the basket and the and 1 and lead was 8. Still the Raptors had no answer for Gasol as he scores to cut it to 6 with just under 3 to play. Demar with a clutch mid-range jumper makes the lead 8 once more. Bayless the blow by to the hoop with under 2 to play restores the 8 point lead. Z-Bo was back and he scores and Amir Johnson gets called for a foul as well. Could not hit the and one though. Raptors commit a turnover though and Z-Bo draws a foul on Bargnani and heads back to the line. He misses another and hits the 2nd to make it a 95-90 game in favour of the Raptors. Another turnover and Raptors again not closing out a quarter correctly. Gasol this time drawing a foul on Amir as it is a parade to free throw line for Memphis. He makes both with 42.5 seconds left and it was 95-92. This was NBA Style March Madness with a lot more on the line for Grizzlies in the Western Conference playoff race. Bayless almost turned it over but got the ball back and gets the lay up down the open lane 97-92. James Johnson lost a shoe and lost his man and Grizzlies score quick and it was three point game again with 22 seconds left. Bayless is fouled right away and heads to the line. He misses the first and makes the second to make it a two possession game. Grizz miss their initial shot but Z-Bo cleaned up the mess and scored to cut the lead to a deuce with about 14 seconds left. So Bayless is fouled and the Refs decide to add .7 seconds to the clock leaving 13.7 to play. That could mean something. Bayless 2 for 2 this time and makes it 5 point lead. Grizz get a quick three from Rudy Gay and Bargnani is fouled with 6.6 to play. Even if he makes both Grizz could tie with a three. He does and it is 102-99 Raps. James Johnson decides to foul that is one way to avoid a three. But that was not what Dwane Casey had in mind. Johnson had fouled out. Still 5.7 seconds left and Conley missed the first at the line and makes the second. Forbes is now fouled with a two point lead and 5.4 seconds to play. Makes the first and the key second one he missed. Rudy Gay nails a 3 and this game was tied with 0 on the clock but Refs were huddled and may be adding time to the clock. If not were heading to over time.
Regardless of how this turns out Raptors closing of quarters has been brutal on this night. The verdict would be .5 added to the clock. Raptors inbounding from their baseline. Refs were again conferencing and making a mess out of this. Raps did get a chuck up from Bargnani but it didn't fall. O.T here we come tied at 103. Gary Forbes drives and got a foul on Rudy Gay. His 6th and he joins James Johnson as a spectator. Forbes missed one that got us to OT and he misses one to start overtime. Mayo now was heading to the line on a foul on DeRozan. he makes both and Memphis has it's first lead since 29-28. They had a chance to add to it and turned the ball over on travel. Bayless misses a fading jumper and Forbes get the rebound and throws it back in for a career high 20. It was 106-105 Toronto with Austin 3:16 left in OT number 1. The strange things continue as Mayo misses a dunk. DeRozan drives on the other end and doesn't get a foul call. Raps and Grizz trade bucket and it was 108-107 Raps. Randolph would score and Bayless would answer it was 110-109. Let's add to fun as Andrea Bargnani with a huge rebound. Why not and Raptors have the ball up one with just under 1:30 to play. Bargnani misses a shot but Tony Allen fumbles the ball out of bounds. Gary Forbes has the ball stripped and Bayless bails him out on the other end drawing a charge with under a minute to go. Bayless misses a jumper and DeRozan picks up a foul with 26.7 to play. Amir Johnson alter a shot and got the rebound he might have blocked it but it happened fast. Bayless would be sent to the line and would make both but there was a lane violation on the 2nd? Apparently so Bayless foot was over the line on the 2nd? Well that leaves it a 2 point game with Raptors up 111-109 with 15.7 to play in OT number one. Memphis than gets called for the often done but never called carry in the NBA. This would end up with Amir Johnson at the line with 9.4 seconds left. Made the first missed the 2nd and it was 112-109 with 8.8 seconds left. So now Conley is fouled by Bayless in the act of shooting a 3? To the replay booth and this game may never end. 4.8 second left in OT number 1. It would be three free throws for Mike Conley. Bayless would also be out of the game with his 6th foul joining Johnson and Gay on the sidelines. First is made...Second is not and now will he try to miss the 3rd...he does but it ends up out of bound Raps ball with 3.8 seconds to play. Raptors after a time out can't inbound the ball but unlike earlier in the season with Butler the Raps do get a time out called in this one. DeRozan is fouled as he attempted to catch the inbound pass. Demar end this insanity please!!! And he does with two clutch free throws and that is it....114-110....Raps win!!! I am dead tired. So check the box score for all the goodies.
3/8/12
Things To Consider When Bargs Is Back
The Raptors are on the verge of welcoming back Andera Bargnani to the line-up fairly soon. Which on the surface seems like a major bonus for the Raptors. Which it very well could be. That being said, this will be an important moment for this season in a season that doesn't offer many of those given the Raptors 13-26 record. The Raptors in the 13 games that Bargnani did play, were 6-7 and with 27 games left, it is not like his return is getting them into the NBA Playoffs even as bad as the Eastern Conference is. However, this is still important for a lot of reasons.
First one is likely the most obvious one. After his miraculous transformation under Dwane Casey people were throwing all kinds of praise the way of Andrea Bargnani. He was a legit All-Star player according to some people and should garner consideration for a trip to Orlando. Bargnani was in Orlando but it wasn't as anything more than a spectator. When Bargnani returns we will get to see if people that thought that were right or just drunk on Raptor Kool Aid. While no one will deny the 13 game stretch from Bargnani has been perhaps the best of his career. Not just because of his offensive numbers but the fact he was more aggressive on the other end of the floor. He seemed to fit well in the new defensive scheme of Dwane Casey. Really what we saw was the effort that we had not in seasons past.
So, does Andrea Bargnani return and just continue on his redemption season, for a guy that this off-season some fans, would not have minded seeing him traded and moved along. If we do than that is great and Raptors can feel very happy to have a legit piece to build around. If we don't than many will be quick to question if that was just a mirage at the beginning of the season. Even if we get the same Andrea Bargnani back this season, it has at least for me, called into question his durability and ability to recover from injuries. This is basically a calf strain here it is not like Bargnani has had to have any kind of procedure and needs to recover from that. The fact he re-injured that same calf is troublesome too. While most will say the long lay-off has been based on the Raptors having not much to play for and are not upset at the fact they have lost a lot of games with out him. That might me the case. Still you saw Amir Johnson bang a knee and sat one game and was right back in their fighting hard. Alvin Williams back in the day was that type of guy. Vince Carter wasn't that type of guy and would miss large amounts of time for even what seemed as a pretty minor injury. It sure seems to me that Andrea trends more to the Vince side of this equation than the Williams or Johnson side. You can say so what? He is the star player and both he and the Raptors are being cautious. Still, the guys in the looker room might not see it that way. Demar DeRozan takes a beating on a nightly basis but always pops back up and never seems to miss anytime. So do they believe Andrea is injured or hurt? Wait isn't that the same thing? If you are injured, you can't play and would not help your team by being out there and could damage yourself more in the process. If your hurt, but can still contribute without any risk to your long term career, or even maybe a minor one, you owe it to the guys in that room to be out there. There were a lot of reasons Vince Carer fizzled in Toronto but one of the biggest was he lost the respect of the guys in his locker room.
Will assume that Andrea has been injured and not just hurt, but still we have more to consider. This team is just 7-19 without Bargnani this season. Early on this team might not have been able to beat some D-League teams without him. However, over time and after some embarrassing losses, this team has found a way to be competitive and even win a few games without him. Demar DeRozan after struggling out of the gate as emerged to be the second best option on this team on offense and shown some consistency of late. Many guys have stepped up their game and as team this group has played hard and fought. When the time comes that Andrea Bargnani comes back will this continue? That becomes a big question. The Raptors have got contributions from throughout the line-up from Barbosa, Kleiza, James Johnson, Calderon even Aaron Gray. Will this team continue doing those things or will they take a collective sigh of relief that Bargnani is back. As an example of what I am talking about let's take Jose Calderon, who has in the time Bargnani has been out shown some of the most aggressive nature in terms of looking for his shot that we have seen in his career. Will it continue or does he revert back to the Jose Calderon that rarely would take his own shot and was more happy to defer to others. How will other people that have seen more shots than they normally would react to getting less of them all of the sudden? There is lots of things to consider.
Will everyone be glad to see Bargnani back in the fold. Obviously the answer is yes. Still if you think that this will just magically turn into the Raptors winning games all of the sudden it might not be that simple. If they can maintain how they have played and add Bargnani's offense to that mix a lot of these close games could start falling the other way. The trick is can they still maintain that effort. It isn't as easy as it seems. That is the great thing about basketball it is a great example of a group dynamic in action. Dwane Casey we at least know will crack the whip should some folks revert backwards, for the Raptors to actually benefit from Bargnani returning need both him and them to keep playing at the same level that he did and they have.
First one is likely the most obvious one. After his miraculous transformation under Dwane Casey people were throwing all kinds of praise the way of Andrea Bargnani. He was a legit All-Star player according to some people and should garner consideration for a trip to Orlando. Bargnani was in Orlando but it wasn't as anything more than a spectator. When Bargnani returns we will get to see if people that thought that were right or just drunk on Raptor Kool Aid. While no one will deny the 13 game stretch from Bargnani has been perhaps the best of his career. Not just because of his offensive numbers but the fact he was more aggressive on the other end of the floor. He seemed to fit well in the new defensive scheme of Dwane Casey. Really what we saw was the effort that we had not in seasons past.
So, does Andrea Bargnani return and just continue on his redemption season, for a guy that this off-season some fans, would not have minded seeing him traded and moved along. If we do than that is great and Raptors can feel very happy to have a legit piece to build around. If we don't than many will be quick to question if that was just a mirage at the beginning of the season. Even if we get the same Andrea Bargnani back this season, it has at least for me, called into question his durability and ability to recover from injuries. This is basically a calf strain here it is not like Bargnani has had to have any kind of procedure and needs to recover from that. The fact he re-injured that same calf is troublesome too. While most will say the long lay-off has been based on the Raptors having not much to play for and are not upset at the fact they have lost a lot of games with out him. That might me the case. Still you saw Amir Johnson bang a knee and sat one game and was right back in their fighting hard. Alvin Williams back in the day was that type of guy. Vince Carter wasn't that type of guy and would miss large amounts of time for even what seemed as a pretty minor injury. It sure seems to me that Andrea trends more to the Vince side of this equation than the Williams or Johnson side. You can say so what? He is the star player and both he and the Raptors are being cautious. Still, the guys in the looker room might not see it that way. Demar DeRozan takes a beating on a nightly basis but always pops back up and never seems to miss anytime. So do they believe Andrea is injured or hurt? Wait isn't that the same thing? If you are injured, you can't play and would not help your team by being out there and could damage yourself more in the process. If your hurt, but can still contribute without any risk to your long term career, or even maybe a minor one, you owe it to the guys in that room to be out there. There were a lot of reasons Vince Carer fizzled in Toronto but one of the biggest was he lost the respect of the guys in his locker room.
Will assume that Andrea has been injured and not just hurt, but still we have more to consider. This team is just 7-19 without Bargnani this season. Early on this team might not have been able to beat some D-League teams without him. However, over time and after some embarrassing losses, this team has found a way to be competitive and even win a few games without him. Demar DeRozan after struggling out of the gate as emerged to be the second best option on this team on offense and shown some consistency of late. Many guys have stepped up their game and as team this group has played hard and fought. When the time comes that Andrea Bargnani comes back will this continue? That becomes a big question. The Raptors have got contributions from throughout the line-up from Barbosa, Kleiza, James Johnson, Calderon even Aaron Gray. Will this team continue doing those things or will they take a collective sigh of relief that Bargnani is back. As an example of what I am talking about let's take Jose Calderon, who has in the time Bargnani has been out shown some of the most aggressive nature in terms of looking for his shot that we have seen in his career. Will it continue or does he revert back to the Jose Calderon that rarely would take his own shot and was more happy to defer to others. How will other people that have seen more shots than they normally would react to getting less of them all of the sudden? There is lots of things to consider.
Will everyone be glad to see Bargnani back in the fold. Obviously the answer is yes. Still if you think that this will just magically turn into the Raptors winning games all of the sudden it might not be that simple. If they can maintain how they have played and add Bargnani's offense to that mix a lot of these close games could start falling the other way. The trick is can they still maintain that effort. It isn't as easy as it seems. That is the great thing about basketball it is a great example of a group dynamic in action. Dwane Casey we at least know will crack the whip should some folks revert backwards, for the Raptors to actually benefit from Bargnani returning need both him and them to keep playing at the same level that he did and they have.
3/7/12
Raptors Get A Redo Vs Rockets
So Raptors get ready to go back to wear this second half of the season began with Houston Rockets. It was another one of those close but no cigar scenarios in which they lost 88-85. Kyle Lowery torched the Raptors in that game with 26 points shooting 8-12 and having 5 assists to lead the way. The Raptors got 17 points from Demar DeRozan and 16 from James Johnson. It was another one of those games where the Raptors also got off to a slow start as they were down 27-15 after the first quarter. So seeing as not a lot has changed about the match up let's just cut to the keys to the game.
3 Keys:
Contain Lowery: This was one of those games where you got to see Jose Calderon at his defensive worst. Raptors need to figure out a way to make someone else beat them.
Better Start: Raptors the last time as mentioned dug a large hole early and could not fight all the way back. In recent games the Raptors have had better starts and they need one tonight to have a chance to win.
Keep At It On The Glass: Part of what kept the Raptors in that game with Houston was there work on the glass. They out rebounded Houston 47-37 and you put that together with a better start maybe you can find a way to win.
So that is all. There is news that an Andrea Bargnani return could be coming soon perhaps Saturday or Sunday. This info comes from an article by Eric Koreen in the National Post. Anthony Carter is gone as well according to everyone. Never was a press release about it. But maybe you didn't need one. After all that is how little Carter did.
3 Keys:
Contain Lowery: This was one of those games where you got to see Jose Calderon at his defensive worst. Raptors need to figure out a way to make someone else beat them.
Better Start: Raptors the last time as mentioned dug a large hole early and could not fight all the way back. In recent games the Raptors have had better starts and they need one tonight to have a chance to win.
Keep At It On The Glass: Part of what kept the Raptors in that game with Houston was there work on the glass. They out rebounded Houston 47-37 and you put that together with a better start maybe you can find a way to win.
So that is all. There is news that an Andrea Bargnani return could be coming soon perhaps Saturday or Sunday. This info comes from an article by Eric Koreen in the National Post. Anthony Carter is gone as well according to everyone. Never was a press release about it. But maybe you didn't need one. After all that is how little Carter did.
3/6/12
The DNB In the DNB
This is a new little mini blog idea. It is pretty simple really. A topic starting with D, one with N and one with B. Simple as ABC right? So let's give this a shot.
D- (Defense) It has been talked about a lot, but really it is pretty amazing what Dwane Casey has been able to produce in his first season, with all the obstacles this season has provided by it's very nature. Raptors currently rank 11th in points allowed, 9th in FG%, 19th at defending the 3. Last year the Raptors were 26th in points allowed, 29th in FG%, 28th (tied) with Utah at defending the 3. Pretty much any stat new school or old school will show you that Raptors have improved significantly on defense. Is it the system or the guy running the system? It likely is both as Dwane Casey has changed the mentality of this team and that is him as a coach. While his system has made even a guy like Jose Calderon look like an average defender at times. That is some amazing stuff to do that. So credit to Casey and if the Raptors add a few more defensive minded guys it could even get better.
N- (No More Jonas Talk Please?) One of the guys that will help improve that Defense is likely Jonas Valanciunas. Still, why the Raptors are continually throwing him out there and promoting the hall out of him I both get and also don't get. It is nothing more than simplest media trick in the book really. The art of distraction at it's finest. When you learn Magic the art of it is all about distracting the eye. Get your focus and attention away and distract you. Then suddenly where the hell did that quarter go? But here is the thing, while the Raptors are busy distracting you from the fact that they are not good. Getting you to dream of the future, they are setting this kid up for more pressure than he deserves or needs. Honestly the Raptors should know better based on their experience with Andrea Bargnani. Thanks to all of the hype for the coming of Jonas and huge expectations, what happens if he doesn't explode out of the gates? The odds in general suggest big men regardless of where they come from have a tougher time adjusting to the NBA. It will take this young man time not only to learn in the NBA but adapt to a whole new culture. So why would you create this hype and added pressure on this kid? It is irresponsible and short sighted on the part of the Raptors. There has been more than enough praise for the pick outside of the organization that this PR driven distraction was not needed or required. I hope for the sake of this kid, he can overcome this hype and deliver right away. If not people who have bought into the hype will be quick to turn on him. You don't believe me? It didn't take long for Andrea Bargnani to find his critics and it likely is part of the reason his path has been so long. He had the unfortunate situation that he was drafted first, so it was hard to avoid it. In this case, Jonas wasn't the first pick and there was no real reason to hype this kid other than to distract from this awful season and get people to buy season tickets next year. MLSE is great at filling their pockets with money that has never been a question. However, in doing that, they sometimes cost themselves in terms of that whole idea of winning.
B (Balls) As in Lottery Balls. Tired of this stupid tanking stuff. The ship has sailed. The Raptors are not tanking their way to anything better than the 4th worst record overall. Losing has an impact and you saw it in the recent Twitter outburst from Demar DeRozan. It seems to have got Demar back on the right path now though. Still, losing never does you any good at the end of the day. The Raptors need to have the odd win here and there to keep this thing heading in the right direction. While some folks won't be around, like Anthony Carter who is expected to be released, many will be. In terms of the guys like DeRozan, Ed Davis, James Johnson and others they need to see glimpses of the light at the end of the tunnel. It is not like this team is two players away from winning an NBA Championship. If you think that you really are a little crazy. So whatever comes based on your merit, take it and roll with it. Chances are in this draft you can find a good player picking anywhere in the lottery. What is also true is as far as I am concerned, there is not that Franchise Changing Superstar in this draft. Not to mention the stats on the NBA Lottery are pretty clear in that being the worst only gives you a top 4 pick guaranteed. It seldom works out for the team with that worst record. It is a moot argument at this point because there is no way you can convince me the Raptors can be worse than the Bobcats, Wizards and Hornets.
So that was it DNB in the DNB. Will it last as a feature? As long as we can keep finding topics that start with D N B it will.
3/1/12
Big 4th Quarter Squashes Bugs
The one thing the Raptors have failed to be in many ways in consistent. This game has a good example of that in one night. If the Raptors have been consistent at anything, it is getting off to slow starts and that was the case on this night with the Hornets getting off to a 10-2 start. But the Raptors would storm back and make this a game in short order. The Raptors after the slow start caught fire shooting the basketball. Toronto after missing 4 of their first 5 shots many of which were in the paint the Raptors would get hot from long range. Jose Calderon made a couple of three pointers which would be his only two makes from long range on the night. The Raptors would eventually take the lead 22-21, their first lead since 2-0 on a Calderon jumper for 2. The quarter would end with Barbosa hitting a buzzer beater 2 giving the Raptors a 29-25 lead after one and they were shooting above 60% from the field.
The second quarter would be the most even the two teams would play all night. The Raptors would get the lead to lead to 10 on a couple James Johnson free throws to make it 36-26. But the Raptors would let that advantage slip away. The Hornets on a couple of Jarrett Jack free throws had cut the lead to 40-38 with 4:18 to play in the half. The Raptors would re-establish an advantage leading 51-42 with 44 second to play in the half. Some sloppy stuff to close the quarter. Casey would sub in Anthony Carter to guard Jarrett Jack with 10 seconds to play and he would get blown by for an easy layup and to add to an earlier buck and those 4 points made a 9 point lead just a 5 point lead at the half with the score 51-46.
That sloppy ending would lead to a terrible 3rd quarter for the Raptors. How bad was it? Well remember how the Raptors were shooting above 60% after the first? They would be below 40% after the third quarter was done. Raptors only made 4 field goals in the entire quarter 3 of which were made by Demar DeRozan. In total the Raptors managed just 11 points in the 3rd Quarter. So given that information, it was not a case of if the Hornets would take the lead, just when did they take the lead? Surprisingly, it took longer than you think, as with 3:59 left in the 3rd Trevor Ariza would make a 2 point shot to give the Hornets a 60-58 lead. There were points where both teams were just jacking up threes and missing them. There is a reason these teams are not all that good and it was on full display in the 3rd. Unlike the Raptors did down the stretch in the 2nd, the Hornets would do what you are suppose to do with a lead by adding to it. They held the Raptors to just 4 points in the final four minutes and had a 69-62 lead to take to the 4th quarter.
It only took the Raptors 1 minute and 17 seconds to tie the game at 69. Linas Kleiza who had a strong night hit a three as part of that 7-0 run to start the 4th. After a Hornet bucket to get back ahead by two it would be Kleiza again with 3 to give the Raptors a 72-71 still less than 2 minutes into the 4th. The Raptors had a 10-2 run to answer the one the Hornets had to start the game. Former Raptor Marco Belinelli would hit a three to answer to give the Hornets a 74-72 lead. It is the last time the Hornets would lead in this game as it turned out. The game would be tied at 77 and Bayless would make two at the line to give the Raptors the lead back. After that a Barbosa three pointer and the Raptors would not look back from there. The Raptors would pull away in the final seven minutes and change to end up with an eleven point win for their 11th win of season with a final score of 95-84.
DeRozan was big in this game after not being happy about being benched for the 4th quarter in Houston he had 21 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists on the night. He tied for the scoring lead in this game with Linas Kleiza who was hot from long range going 5-7 from the 3 point line accounting for15 of his 21 points. Barbosa had 15 points as well off the bench with only one made three as part of that total. Those 3 guys were the main reason the Raptors got a win on this night. It was not how you would want to script it. The Raptors did have their ugly moments in this game. However when you come out and score 33 points in the 4th quarter and only allow your opponent to score 15 a lot can be forgiven. When you only have 11 wins on the season you are not going to be picky in how you get a win at the end of the day.
The second quarter would be the most even the two teams would play all night. The Raptors would get the lead to lead to 10 on a couple James Johnson free throws to make it 36-26. But the Raptors would let that advantage slip away. The Hornets on a couple of Jarrett Jack free throws had cut the lead to 40-38 with 4:18 to play in the half. The Raptors would re-establish an advantage leading 51-42 with 44 second to play in the half. Some sloppy stuff to close the quarter. Casey would sub in Anthony Carter to guard Jarrett Jack with 10 seconds to play and he would get blown by for an easy layup and to add to an earlier buck and those 4 points made a 9 point lead just a 5 point lead at the half with the score 51-46.
That sloppy ending would lead to a terrible 3rd quarter for the Raptors. How bad was it? Well remember how the Raptors were shooting above 60% after the first? They would be below 40% after the third quarter was done. Raptors only made 4 field goals in the entire quarter 3 of which were made by Demar DeRozan. In total the Raptors managed just 11 points in the 3rd Quarter. So given that information, it was not a case of if the Hornets would take the lead, just when did they take the lead? Surprisingly, it took longer than you think, as with 3:59 left in the 3rd Trevor Ariza would make a 2 point shot to give the Hornets a 60-58 lead. There were points where both teams were just jacking up threes and missing them. There is a reason these teams are not all that good and it was on full display in the 3rd. Unlike the Raptors did down the stretch in the 2nd, the Hornets would do what you are suppose to do with a lead by adding to it. They held the Raptors to just 4 points in the final four minutes and had a 69-62 lead to take to the 4th quarter.
It only took the Raptors 1 minute and 17 seconds to tie the game at 69. Linas Kleiza who had a strong night hit a three as part of that 7-0 run to start the 4th. After a Hornet bucket to get back ahead by two it would be Kleiza again with 3 to give the Raptors a 72-71 still less than 2 minutes into the 4th. The Raptors had a 10-2 run to answer the one the Hornets had to start the game. Former Raptor Marco Belinelli would hit a three to answer to give the Hornets a 74-72 lead. It is the last time the Hornets would lead in this game as it turned out. The game would be tied at 77 and Bayless would make two at the line to give the Raptors the lead back. After that a Barbosa three pointer and the Raptors would not look back from there. The Raptors would pull away in the final seven minutes and change to end up with an eleven point win for their 11th win of season with a final score of 95-84.
DeRozan was big in this game after not being happy about being benched for the 4th quarter in Houston he had 21 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists on the night. He tied for the scoring lead in this game with Linas Kleiza who was hot from long range going 5-7 from the 3 point line accounting for15 of his 21 points. Barbosa had 15 points as well off the bench with only one made three as part of that total. Those 3 guys were the main reason the Raptors got a win on this night. It was not how you would want to script it. The Raptors did have their ugly moments in this game. However when you come out and score 33 points in the 4th quarter and only allow your opponent to score 15 a lot can be forgiven. When you only have 11 wins on the season you are not going to be picky in how you get a win at the end of the day.
2/29/12
Raptors Take On The New Orleans Stern's
Things have been going rough this year so you think David Stern could let us have this one? Make a phone call, refuse to clear someone to play on his team? I mean he had no problem refusing a trade right? Maybe he could order that Andrea Bargnani has to play? Alright enough jokes. The Hornets have an even worse home record than the Raptors which is saying something. If the Hornets franchise is every going to turn around being better than 3-14 at home would be a start. They actually have a better road record at 5-12. Still, given how the Raptors have performed in situations where you expect them to win, if you were a little bit afraid it would only be human.
If nothing else two losses to Wizards and one to the Bobcats has taught us anything the Raptors can not afford to overlook anyone in the NBA. The Raptors continued the trend that has gone on for most of the season with starting off slow in games. However, what might have been more concerning was some of the reactions last night based on some rather interesting choices made by Dwane Casey down the stretch. Demar DeRozan seemed less than thrilled with his seat on the bench. Given the Raptors struggles to score at times I would tend to agree. That said it was likely more about his defensive effort that saw him on the bench. While I may not endorse the moves he made I do like the idea of Casey sticking to his guns.
It will be interesting to see if anything lingers from last night in what we see tonight. But faces don't lie and there were not many happy ones on the Raptors bench last night. In what was a close games there seemed to be a general disinterest on the part of some. At some point the reality of losing sets in for a team and perhaps the Raptors have reached that point. Although to Casey's credit, he does put the guys on a given night that are willing to fight on the floor. If your not performing in his eyes your not playing. The is the accountability that has been missing on this team for quite some time.
While the Raptors have struggled with Andrea Bargnani the Hornets have been without the centerpiece of the Chris Paul trade to the Clippers in Eric Gordon. He only played two games before injuring his knee and requiring surgery. It makes the 13 games that Bargnani has played seem like a lot. Former Raptor Jarrett Jack has replaced Paul and is having a nice season averaging 14.9 points and 6.3 assists. As for the other parts to that Paul trade Chris Kaman has had 11.8 points and 7.7 rebounds. Al-Farouq Aminu barely makes it worth knowing how to spell his name with 4.9 points and 3. 9 points. Wonder how many teams will be calling the Hornets come trade deadline given the whole Paul mess prior to the season? If Hornets have a trade can Stern slip it in 5 minutes after the deadline. Technically any deal the Hornets make is already in the league office right?
While I ponder this and many other things about NBA owned Hornets a basketball game will be played. Here are some keys on the Raptors can win this basketball game:
1. Start Strong: This is a broken record by now go back and read old previews for the full explanation.
2. Ball Movement: It was sorely lacking least night at times and it led to some pretty awful choices in shot selection.
3. Demar Defense: Demar needs to have a good two way game. After last night it is important we see an engaged and active DeRozan on both ends of the floor.
If nothing else two losses to Wizards and one to the Bobcats has taught us anything the Raptors can not afford to overlook anyone in the NBA. The Raptors continued the trend that has gone on for most of the season with starting off slow in games. However, what might have been more concerning was some of the reactions last night based on some rather interesting choices made by Dwane Casey down the stretch. Demar DeRozan seemed less than thrilled with his seat on the bench. Given the Raptors struggles to score at times I would tend to agree. That said it was likely more about his defensive effort that saw him on the bench. While I may not endorse the moves he made I do like the idea of Casey sticking to his guns.
It will be interesting to see if anything lingers from last night in what we see tonight. But faces don't lie and there were not many happy ones on the Raptors bench last night. In what was a close games there seemed to be a general disinterest on the part of some. At some point the reality of losing sets in for a team and perhaps the Raptors have reached that point. Although to Casey's credit, he does put the guys on a given night that are willing to fight on the floor. If your not performing in his eyes your not playing. The is the accountability that has been missing on this team for quite some time.
While the Raptors have struggled with Andrea Bargnani the Hornets have been without the centerpiece of the Chris Paul trade to the Clippers in Eric Gordon. He only played two games before injuring his knee and requiring surgery. It makes the 13 games that Bargnani has played seem like a lot. Former Raptor Jarrett Jack has replaced Paul and is having a nice season averaging 14.9 points and 6.3 assists. As for the other parts to that Paul trade Chris Kaman has had 11.8 points and 7.7 rebounds. Al-Farouq Aminu barely makes it worth knowing how to spell his name with 4.9 points and 3. 9 points. Wonder how many teams will be calling the Hornets come trade deadline given the whole Paul mess prior to the season? If Hornets have a trade can Stern slip it in 5 minutes after the deadline. Technically any deal the Hornets make is already in the league office right?
While I ponder this and many other things about NBA owned Hornets a basketball game will be played. Here are some keys on the Raptors can win this basketball game:
1. Start Strong: This is a broken record by now go back and read old previews for the full explanation.
2. Ball Movement: It was sorely lacking least night at times and it led to some pretty awful choices in shot selection.
3. Demar Defense: Demar needs to have a good two way game. After last night it is important we see an engaged and active DeRozan on both ends of the floor.
2/28/12
Back To Work For The Raptors
Andrea Bargnani was well enough to go shake hands and kiss babies at All-Star weekend, but it would appear is not ready for basketball still. When exactly do we start to worry about this? The rest of the Raptors who won just their 4th game without him before the break have re-assembled in Houston. Not sure how many people saw the Rockets being so successful so fast in the post Yao era. Pretty sure not to many people saw Kevin McHale as a great hire. He was not exactly a great GM in Minnesota. He had two stints behind the bench as well in Minnesota with little success. In 2004-05 he was 19-12 and had a second tour of duty in 08-09 went 20-42. After taking a couple season off in the media working for NBA TV he was hired by the Rockets. Yet the Rockets sit at 20-14 coming out the All-Star Break sitting in 6th in the West.
The Rockets only representation at the All Star Game in Orlando was Chase Budinger in the dunk contest. How he got hooked up with P Diddy is another story for someone else to care about. On paper you look at this Rockets line-up and it has a few nice pieces, but it does not scream Western Conference Playoff team. They have Kevin Martin who they acquired from the Kings. He is there leading scorer with 18 a game. Some felt Kyle Lowery deserved a trip to Orlando. He has had a solid season. Luis Scola has always been a nice big body to have. They did land Samuel Dalembert in free agency. The rest of the roster is a collection of cast offs from other organizations. Like Courtney Lee, Goran Dragic, Johnny Flynn to name just three. They also have a few draft picks from last few years in Patrick Patterson and Jordan Hill and former Nets draft pick Terrence Williams.
Still it seems hard to figure out how this team wins. The Raptors have the unfortunate case of playing them in Houston where they are 14-4 and they headed into the break winning 7 of their last 10. Raptors were playing good basketball for most of their home stand but ended up 2-5. We mentioned Bargnani but Linas Kleiza has been out the last couple games as well, we will see if he is in the line-up tonight.
Jose Calderon was the most consistent player in the recent home stand with a few games scoring out of his mind. Trade rumors continue to circle around him and the Raptors continue to deny they are shopping him. They do admit that they are answering the phone when teams call. Leandro Barbosa is also likely getting some interest as well. There will be no all day trade deadline show for the NBA so we will inform you that the trade deadline in NBA is March 15th. Orlando was a team that was rumored to have interest in Calderon. But they have denied that. The Lakers might have some interest in a point guard and a guy like Barbosa wouldn't hurt them either. But unless Calderon is demanding to leave, the Raptors need to see a young point guard with upside coming back the other way. It seems unlikely they move Calderon this season given that fact. Barbosa is likely going to go to the highest bidder at the end of the day. If he were to fetch the Raptors a late first round pick or early second round pick that would be considered a win for them. It would bring a name like Myck Kabongo into the mix when you start talking draft and point guards. Kabongo is a freshman at Texas and most feel he will enter the draft. This despite having a season with the Longhorns that did not match the high expectations people had for him this season. The Raptors never had a shot at Tristan Thompson and claim that even if they did, they were not going to select him. They got their guy in Jonas. If Kabongo was on the board with a second draft pick it would be interesting if they passed on him as well being another hometown product.
We still have 33 games before we have to worry about the draft though. The Raptors 10-23 record sees them with the 5th worst record in the NBA. Washington, Charlotte and New Orleans I would think all finish worse off than the Raptors which would leave them at best 4th worst. Raptors could actually have a better chance of dropping to worse position by doing the unthinkable and winning some games. Teams like the Pistons, Kings and Nets are all right around the Raptors in the standings. When you examine the Raptors schedule it is a lot easier to see some wins for them especially once Bargnani were to return. I would think at the end of it all they exceed my 20 win forecast for them at the start of the season.
3 Keys for Tonight:
1. Aggressive Demar: This second half of the season we need to see a much more consistent DeRozan. He had a very up and down first half. It would be nice to see him start the half being aggressive and play well on both ends of the floor.
2. Battle The Bigs: Raptors need to get on the boards and compete on the glass. Scola and Dalembert will offer problems on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor on the glass. The Rocket average 42.5 rebounds a game.
3. Shake off the Rust: Raptors had a lot of time to practice prior to the All-Star break that might help them be a little more sharp coming off the All-Star break than the average team. In a season of few practices the Raptors have had quite a few based on the schedule of late.
The Rockets only representation at the All Star Game in Orlando was Chase Budinger in the dunk contest. How he got hooked up with P Diddy is another story for someone else to care about. On paper you look at this Rockets line-up and it has a few nice pieces, but it does not scream Western Conference Playoff team. They have Kevin Martin who they acquired from the Kings. He is there leading scorer with 18 a game. Some felt Kyle Lowery deserved a trip to Orlando. He has had a solid season. Luis Scola has always been a nice big body to have. They did land Samuel Dalembert in free agency. The rest of the roster is a collection of cast offs from other organizations. Like Courtney Lee, Goran Dragic, Johnny Flynn to name just three. They also have a few draft picks from last few years in Patrick Patterson and Jordan Hill and former Nets draft pick Terrence Williams.
Still it seems hard to figure out how this team wins. The Raptors have the unfortunate case of playing them in Houston where they are 14-4 and they headed into the break winning 7 of their last 10. Raptors were playing good basketball for most of their home stand but ended up 2-5. We mentioned Bargnani but Linas Kleiza has been out the last couple games as well, we will see if he is in the line-up tonight.
Jose Calderon was the most consistent player in the recent home stand with a few games scoring out of his mind. Trade rumors continue to circle around him and the Raptors continue to deny they are shopping him. They do admit that they are answering the phone when teams call. Leandro Barbosa is also likely getting some interest as well. There will be no all day trade deadline show for the NBA so we will inform you that the trade deadline in NBA is March 15th. Orlando was a team that was rumored to have interest in Calderon. But they have denied that. The Lakers might have some interest in a point guard and a guy like Barbosa wouldn't hurt them either. But unless Calderon is demanding to leave, the Raptors need to see a young point guard with upside coming back the other way. It seems unlikely they move Calderon this season given that fact. Barbosa is likely going to go to the highest bidder at the end of the day. If he were to fetch the Raptors a late first round pick or early second round pick that would be considered a win for them. It would bring a name like Myck Kabongo into the mix when you start talking draft and point guards. Kabongo is a freshman at Texas and most feel he will enter the draft. This despite having a season with the Longhorns that did not match the high expectations people had for him this season. The Raptors never had a shot at Tristan Thompson and claim that even if they did, they were not going to select him. They got their guy in Jonas. If Kabongo was on the board with a second draft pick it would be interesting if they passed on him as well being another hometown product.
We still have 33 games before we have to worry about the draft though. The Raptors 10-23 record sees them with the 5th worst record in the NBA. Washington, Charlotte and New Orleans I would think all finish worse off than the Raptors which would leave them at best 4th worst. Raptors could actually have a better chance of dropping to worse position by doing the unthinkable and winning some games. Teams like the Pistons, Kings and Nets are all right around the Raptors in the standings. When you examine the Raptors schedule it is a lot easier to see some wins for them especially once Bargnani were to return. I would think at the end of it all they exceed my 20 win forecast for them at the start of the season.
3 Keys for Tonight:
1. Aggressive Demar: This second half of the season we need to see a much more consistent DeRozan. He had a very up and down first half. It would be nice to see him start the half being aggressive and play well on both ends of the floor.
2. Battle The Bigs: Raptors need to get on the boards and compete on the glass. Scola and Dalembert will offer problems on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor on the glass. The Rocket average 42.5 rebounds a game.
3. Shake off the Rust: Raptors had a lot of time to practice prior to the All-Star break that might help them be a little more sharp coming off the All-Star break than the average team. In a season of few practices the Raptors have had quite a few based on the schedule of late.
2/21/12
Looking Back On The Season So Far.
I have to say it has been nice to have a break form the grind of this season. Sunday I even decided to take a day off. That will change from now on at least on Sundays. We are going to starting doing a 30 minute Podcast called "This Week in Raptor Land". It will take a look back on the week that was for the Raptors. It should be something fun to try and do. Hopefully it grows into one the the staple things we do here in the DNB. As we close in on the unofficial half way mark of the NBA Season maybe I will just give some random thoughts on the Raptors. Will likely have some of that in the podcast on Sunday as well.
Raptor Surprises?
I will start with a guy that I really don't care a lot for, Jose Calderon has been a surprise to me in many ways. First and foremost, the fact he is playing at all. Given the amount of games, the schedule and the fact Jerryd Bayless has been out more than he has been in that shocks me. I am not alone in having had questions about Calderon's durability in the past. However, this season he has been there night in and night out. He has done more than been there, producing to levels we have not seen in a long time from him. It pains me to say it, but if he wants to remain and play out the final year of his deal, the Raptors might not have any better options. No point guards in the draft look to be the answer long term for Toronto at least not to start in their first season. While I haven't studied it to any great degree, there is no real stud point guard that will be a free agent in this upcoming class either. The idea to amnesty Calderon seems silly at this point. This is not to say that I would endorse going any further with Jose beyond this contract. I still think that he has had a long run here and the team has failed to produce under his leadership or lack of it at the point guard position. He too seems like he would welcome a change, maybe he hasn't said it and never will, but ultimately both he and Raptors have been unsuccessful overall. That said his numbers and durability have been a surprise. You might even be able to trade him in that final year of his contract, or the Raptors can keep him and let him walk and take a run at Brandon Jennings or someone else with the 10 million plus in cap space him leaving would create. But Calderon in a season of a lot of underachievement has overachieved to a great extent. I have even seen flashes of effort on defense.
If you had told me at the start of this season that the Raptors best pick up in the off-season would be Aaron Gray I think I would have laughed you out of the room. After a rocky start with his health issues with his heart, he has been a contributor to the team. He lacks any real skill on offense, but for a team that let it's best rebounder walk away in Reggie Evans he has helped out in that regard. He also is a decent defender, nothing spectacular but decent. He is the best signing in part based on how awful everyone else has been. Rasaul Butler has been a train wreck from the word go. Jamaal Magloire is so bad that the fact he is Canadian does not keep people from stating the obvious that he has been awful. There was lots made about him coming home and playing in his hometown of Toronto. But honestly, did any other NBA team want him at this stage of his career? If they did would they now? Anthony Carter is no Jeremy Lin. In fact he maybe no Darrick Martin and maybe only slightly more valuable than Marcus Banks. Gary Forbes might be the only guy that you would even consider, but he has barely seen the floor and is pretty much a non factor most nights. So is it by omission that Aaron Gray is the Raptors best pick up. Yes in part, but he has done something which is more than can be said for the others.
Dwane Casey's impact on this team. I admit the whole "Pound The Rock" thing didn't play with me a bit. It still doesn't to any large degree. However, the fact the Dwane Casey has been able to make progress with this group on defense so quickly is a surprise to me. I know, he won a ring in Dallas and was the guru behind there D that shut down Miami. However, this was the Raptors, a team that for the majority of their existence have been a team challenged to play even average defense. The fact he has been able to even get Andrea Bargnani to look like he is actually trying to play defense is pretty amazing. In that building of defense first mindset, Casey has brought back something that had been lacking for a long time in Toronto. Accountability was something we never saw under Jay Triano and to be honest you are left to question how much the Raptors truly respected Triano in the role of head coach. No one is questioning if they respect Dwane Casey. I recently came up with an expression I like about Casey. In terms of how he deals with the media. He is a less entertaining version of Sam Mitchell. He like Sam did tells it like it is, but just does it in a very low key way. While Sam Mitchell might have said of the loss to Bobcats, that we let the Washington Generals come into our home and kick our butts. Casey said of his great disappointment in how his team performed and failed to show up. Sam's makes the better quote, but the honesty is there from both. All the candy coating losses and players is pretty much gone. Which is something we can all appreciate.
Raptor Disappointments
Demar and Ed were suppose to be part of what made this season somewhat bearable at the end of the day. To watch them develop into part of this young core that Colangelo keeps telling us we have. Both have failed to show consistency from night to night. They also have shown very few signs of improvement. Beyond the fact that now and then Demar DeRozan can make the occasional three point shot not much has improved. While there are some very legitimate excuses as to why this has been, it does not change the fact it has been. It seems that when Ed Davis has big days, it is on days when the Raptors as a whole struggle. Case and point the last game vs the Bobcats. While DeRozan has had his fair share of issues on both ends of the floor. Andrea Bargnani not being around has shifted the spotlight to DeRozan and made his flaws more glaring and obvious. While Andrea has proven he can play some defense under Casey, the same can not be said for Demar. Also when you are playing along side the team's best defender for many in James Johnson that makes it more obvious as well. While on offense he has at times drifted away from his strengths and been exposed for his below average handling of the basketball. This off-season for both and what is left of this season, are going to be vital for both Davis and DeRozan to step up and be counted. At this point you have to say in terms of both, we have seen regression not progression.
On a team that lacks a roster that is very talented in comparison to many other teams around the league, the last thing you need is injuries. While in the brief amount of time he has played we have seen a much improved Andrea Bargnani, that does very little to help when he is not playing. In fact it does nothing at all. His injury and subsequent re-injury of his calf has been the most glaring and obvious issue. But the Raptors have seen Jerryd Bayless barely play at all on top of it. We touched on this earlier in talking about both Carter and Calderon. Missing Bayless has been also a big deal, if for no other reason than it allows Jose Calderon to have more gas in his tank. You started the season without Linas Kleiza and Aaron Gray both who when healthy have contributed. It has been a season in which we have seen very little of the Raptors at 100% in terms of healthy bodies. This is not unique to them in this crazy NBA season. Almost every team has had to endure injuries and some teams to key players like Al Horford in Atlanta who is out for the season. But the Raptors given their lack of talent to start with are hurt more by this than other teams.
Were almost halfway through this season. When I look back on this year five years from now I probably will just be thankfully that I survived it. This has not been one of the more fun times in the history of the Toronto Raptors or the NBA in general. Sure there have been moments. But aside from looking back on the start of Jeremy Lin's hall of fame career what will I honestly remember? Maybe nothing, and maybe Jeremy Lin is not even around. But at the end of the day as much as we may love basketball, this season will not be one that has made you more of a fan, it will be one that you have endured and looked for reasons to be excited. That maybe a contributing factor in the rise of Linsanity. While it is a great story it makes up for all the ugly basketball that has been seen throughout this season. There has been a lot of that. Raptor fans have seen some of it first hand just like they got to see Linsanity come to town.
But in any case we are almost halfway home in a season that from the outset had never been promised to be anything but a hard season to deal with. It has delivered on that promise to a great extent.
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