T-Mac has the Last Laugh

Call it the bottom-feeder bowl or just a game amongst bad teams, but if there was even a game for the Raps to get it together and claim a much needed victory this game was it. After this game they would head out on a 5 game roadtrip against several of the elite team and they could use some momentum heading into those games. So how would they do on a Friday night game against T-Mac and the Detroit Pistons.

This game started off with both teams pretty much going back and forth and trading buckets. The Raptors were first to get on the scoreboard first off a Jose feed leading to an Amir flush. Jose then gets a steal and DeMar scores in transition, and the Raps had a quick 4-0lead and it looked like it may just be one of those nights. Prince quickly answers to give Detroit their first points. The back and forth effect would kick into 6th gear from here. T-Mac, who has really stepped his game up as off late, was hearing it from the ACC crowd, but he didn't seem to let that phase him as he went to work and finished with 9 points to go along with 3 assists in the quarter. Seems like he may not be washed up yet and is out to prove it. He's also looking a lot more comfortable in that play-maker role. On the Raptors side of things, they seemed to be in a sharing mood as they had 9 assists on their 12 made FG's, highlighted by a DeMar dunk and a few jumpers by Bargnani. When the buzzer sounded to signal the end of the quarter the Raps trailed 31-26, Bargnani was their lead scorer with 10.

Toronto was first to score again in the 2nd quarter and continued to share the love with the assists, but the Pistons will then take control of the game led by Charlie V and Ben Gordon and would claim an 44-33 lead at the 8:30 mark. This was mostly due to the Raptors playing sloppy basketball and turning the ball over several times. That lead would peak at 14 before things got interesting and the Raptors started to make their run and it all started with a guy by the name of Ed Davis. After getting a put-back dunk at the 4:41 mark, Davis would block a Stuckey layup attempt, which lead to a DeMar score in transition and just like that it was a 10 point game. DeMar would then pick up a tech about two minutes later after arguing a call, then Triano would pick one up not too long after. From there it seemed like the Raps had all the momentum as they would go on a run to go into the break trailing by on 7 points, with the Pistons up 61-54. On the not so bright side, Leandro Barbosa left the game with 8 seconds left with what seemed like a hamstring injury and had to be carried to the locker room. Hopefully it wasn't as bad as it seemed.

So will that momentum continue into the third or would the Raps let the Pistons regain control of this game and rebuild that lead?

It didn't seem that way as the Pistons would draw blood first in the second half and would regain that double digit lead they once had, despite some made baskets from Bargnani and Calderon. I'm not sure what Triano said at halftime, but it didn't seem like he stressed boxing out as the Pistons were grabbing a ton of offensive boards, especially Chris Wilcox. DeMar on the other hand had his hands fulls with T-Mac and would ultimately pick up his 4th foul and head to the bench for a while. The Pistons would once again start increasing that lead, but it would peak at 15. The Raps made several attempts at putting a string of makes together but Detroit always had an answer. Their final run would be initiated by an Amir dunk, as they would finish the quarter on a 11-5 run to pull themselves within 6, but T-Mac would have the final say as he hits a three to silence the crowd to bring the lead back to 9. He also had a pretty sweet driving dunk in that stretch. Linas Kleiza who was silent for much of the game came alive dunking that run and scored 6 on the 11 points.

Trailing 83-74 heading into the forth, will the Raptors be able to make one final push to get the victory or will Detroit get yet another victory at the ACC. For much of the first few minutes in the quarter neither team couldn't seem to get an offensive flow going, but eventually they would and this game would have a pretty exciting ending. After getting the lead to 7 and 8 several times it seemed like Detroit just wasn't going to let Toronto have any chance of completing the comeback, as they did a month again in Detroit. They were even hitting nearly impossible shots, evident by Tayshaun Prince's high arcing desperation shot just as the shot clock expired. But then Andrea Bargnani decided to take over and try to lead his team to victory. After hitting two consecutive shots to pull his team within 5, one of which can off an offensive put-back, it seemed like maybe the Pistons would once again collapse to the Raptors team, but T-Mac quickly answered with a reverse layup. DeMar then joined in on the action and made a shot with 55 seconds left to pull the Raps within 5 once more. McGrady would miss his next shot giving the Raps another opportunity to chip away at the lead, but Calderon threw a pass to Amir that he wasn't prepared for and just like that this game was over. Detroit would hit a few FT's and jose would hit one last shot, but in the end the Raptors fell 101-95.

T-Mac led the Pistons with 22 points and added 5 assists, while Bargnani led the Raps with 31 points and pulled down 9 rebounds( if only he could do that more often). DeRozan chipped in with 15 points. In a game that they really needed to win before heading out on the road, the Raps once again let the efforts of Andrea and DeMar go to waste down the stretch and end their 3-game home stand with a 1-2 record. Up next they head to Washington for a Saturday night showdown with the Wizards tomorrow.

Additional Game Notes:

• Richard Hamilton did not play in this game
• Leandro Barbosa's injury's has been diagnosed as a right hamstring strain, not sure he'll be able to go tomorrow
• the Raptors 5-game streak of shooting 50% or above from the field came to an end tonight
• Greg Monroe's streak of 4 straight double doubles ended tonight, he finished with 11 points and 7 boards
• 2 of Detroit's 4 road wins this season have come in Toronto

Last Game Before Heading Out on the Road

Let's start this off with a quick Raptors roster update. The team announced yesterday that they have signed Sundiata Gaines to a 10-day contract and he may get a chance to play tonight if Jerryd Bayless can't go after tweaking his ankle in practice yesterday. They have also recalled Solomon Alabi from the Erie Bayhawks today and he will be available for tonight's game as well.

Now on to the preview. After pulling off the biggest comeback in franchise history against the Pistons in the first meeting of the season, the Raptors fell to Detroit 11 days later at the ACC behind 35 points from Richard Hamilton. T-Mac wasn't too bad in that game either, as I was in attendance for that game and witnessed his play that night. With the season series now tied at 1-1, the team that wins tonight will go ahead 2-1, before the final meeting on March 16.

The Basics: Toronto 13-25 (8-7 vs. teams below .500), Detroit 12-26 (11-4 when scoring 100+)

When We Last Saw Them: In the last game the Raptors lost a heart-breaker to the Atlanta Hawks after being unable to execute in crunch-time. They gave a valiant effort for the entire game and even led going into the 4th, but in the end the Hawks walked away with the 104-101 victory, due to great play from Jamal Crawford and some clutch shooting by Mike Bibby.

Key Match-ups: Though T-Mac is not close to being the player he once was, he has been playing great as off late and DeMar should have his hands full with him. DeMar's athleticism would also be tough for T-Mac and those old legs to handle as well. Andrea Bargnani and Greg Monroe is also a critical match-up in this one. Monroe is the Pistons' young rookie out of Georgetown, and since Big Ben went down with injury he has really stepped up to the plate. Having recorded a double-double in his last four games, Monroe has shown that he is a force to be reckoned with on the boards. If Bargnani doesn't get in the paint and fight for some boards, Monroe could end up with another 10+ performance on the glass. Bench play would also be key in this one as Detroit has guys like Richard Hamilton and Austin Daye coming off their bench. Leandro Barbosa has been a huge spark off the Raptors bench lately, but other guys will have to produce as well tonight.

Other Things of Note:

• James will be at the game tonight repping the DNB
• This would be Toronto's last home game before embarking on a 5 game roadtrip, starting in Washington on Saturday. Raps are 4-1 in Friday home games
• The Raptors have shot above 50% from the field in the last 5 games
• Jose Calderon has the second best assist-turnover ratio in the league behind Chris Paul
• Leandro Barbosa is currently the 4th best scorer off the bench with 13.8
• Detroit is 8-4 when having a higher FG% than their opponents
• Detroit is 3-17 on the road

Where is It On: TSN at 7pm or listen in on the FAN590

Raptors are 15 once more.

The Toronto Raptors have signed guard Sundiata Gaines to a 10-day contract who was playing in the NBDL with the Raptors former affiliate the Idaho Stampede. Here is a the Official Press Release from the Raptors on the signing:

Gaines, 6-foot-1, 195 pounds has appeared in 40 regular season games with Minnesota and Utah averaging 3.2 points, 1.1 assists and 7.0 minutes. He was signed by Minnesota on November 12 and saw action in eight games totaling 21 points, six assists and 65 minutes. He was released by the Timberwolves on January 4. Gaines played in 32 games with Utah in the 2009-10 season. He signed two 10-day contracts with the Jazz in January before being inked for the remainder of the season on January 25. He averaged 3.3 points, 1.2 assists and 6.8 minutes in 32 contests. He appeared in five postseason games where he totaled 11 points (5-for-6 FG) in seven minutes.Gaines also played in the NBDL last season with the Idaho Stampede. He averaged 23.9 points with 4.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists in 14 games. A 2008 product of the University of Georgia, Gaines began his professional career with NGC Cantu in the Italian League in the 2008-09 season. He averaged 13.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 30 outings. Toronto’s roster now stands at 15 players.Gaines is scheduled to participate in today’s practice and be available to the team for Friday’s game when the Raptors play host to the Detroit Pistons at Air Canada Centre. Game time is 7 p.m. (TSN/FAN 590).

The thought had been the Raptors were hunting for a 3rd point guard to add as some insurance with both Bayless and Calderon having their injury issues of late. It would appear they have done so. After the 10 day contract is done the Raptors would be able to sign Gaines to two more 10 day contracts before ultimately having to decide on him long term

Thanks to the folks on Twitter here is something from You Tube on your Newest Raptor:

"Behind Enemy Lines"

The Raptors are on a 3 game road trip after hosting the Pistons at the ACC on Friday and need to consider two things about their opponents: the depth of their bench and sustaining a lead for more than 2 quarters. We are seeing some pretty good basketball from the Raptors and their starters putting up better numbers but their downfall has been playing consistently. This week they are up against Detroit, Washington, New Orleans and San Antonio. Consider the points I mention below when watching these games. I look at each game individually and analyze what the Raptors need to do to win. Yes, even against the Spurs who are first in the Western Conference because I believe the talent is there. Let's get to it.


Detroit Pistons @ Toronto Raptors - Friday, January 14

• These two teams have played twice already this season and split the wins.
• Their last meeting on December 22, saw Detroit win 115-93 over the Raptors.
• During this game, Detroit's top 4 starters averaged about 24-28 playing minutes. Toronto's top 4 averaged a significant amount more at 33-37 minutes. Not much difference in production from the top 4, the difference came from the bench.
• Detroit Pistons Inactive List: Jonas Jerebko (right Achilles tendon - partial rupture), Terrico White (broken right foot) - both have missed 37 games so far and Ben Wallace.
• The Raptors need to watch: Richard Hamilton and Tracy McGrady who had 35 and 17 points respectively coming off the bench during their last meeting with the Raptors.
• The Key for Raptors: Go hard in the first two quarters and go into the 3rd quarter with a respectable or sizable lead. During their last meeting with Detroit, the Pistons dominated the 2nd quarter producing 38 points to the Raptors' 21. The Raptors' fought to catch up after that.

Toronto Raptors @ Washington Wizards - Saturday, January 15

• These two teams played twice this season and split the wins.
• Their last meeting on November 16th saw the Wizards win 109-94.
• Washington lead the first 3 quarters of this game. Three of their 5 starters put up double digit points, including Gilbert Arenas with 20 and Andray Blatche with 22.
• The key to this game was Washington had a more consistent and productive bench: Nick Young with 20 and Hilton Armstrong with 10.
• Washington's Inactive List: Josh Howard and Hamady Ndiaye.
• Key for the Raptors: Do not let the lead change hands and if it does change, keep it to a minimum and of course, on the Raptors side. And shut down Nick Young. Young had 43 points in the Wizards' last meeting with Sacramento which saw the lead change 5 times and tie 8 times. Be consistent and solid.

Toronto Raptors @ New Orleans Hornets - Monday, January 17

• This will be the first of three meetings for these two teams this season.
• New Orleans currently sits at 6th in the Western Conference and is on a two game win streak as of Thursday morning.
• New Orleans pulled off a 92-89 win in their last game versus Orlando where they lead the 1st and 4rth quarters.
• This will the first time the Raptors will meet their former teammate Jarret Jack since he was traded to New Orleans. He has played 27 games in a Hornets jersey - none of them as a starter. (As a Raptor this season, he played 13 games all of which were starts).
• The next time they meet after Monday's game will be on March 1st in Toronto.
• Key for the Raptors: stay strong in the first half and even stronger in the 4rth quarter. The Hornets have guys like Chris Paul and Marcus Thorton who can be counted on for key shots and for putting up solid numbers.
• Hornets Inactive List: Marcus Banks and David Anderson.

Toronto Raptors @ San Antonio Spurs - Wednesday, January 19

• This will be the first of two meetings for the Spurs and Raptors.
• San Antonio currently sits at 33-6, is in 1st place in the Western Conference and is on a 4 game win streak as of Thursday morning.
• Their last game against the Bucks saw a 91-84 result in favor of the Spurs. They only lead the 3rd and 4rth quarters of this game.
• Spurs Inactive List: James Anderson.
• Key for the Raptors: Don't count out the Spurs if you are leading at the half. They are a team who has proven their ability to re-group and score points. And forget about their record and standings - they are just like any other team in the NBA - a team to beat.

Thanks for joining me today. As always, I love hearing your comments and suggestions. Please add me on Facebook and Twitter - I am the one with a purple jacket and a red microphone. Or you can leave a comment after this article and I will add you. (Go to the friend page not the "public figure page". The "public figure page" just popped up and is not authorized).

As always have a great weekend and I will see you here on Tuesday for more NBA coverage in "NBAz in 7 Dayz".

Good Game, Terrible Finish

Well I did this game for The Score and after the Raptors had been crushed by the Hawks 96-78 the last time they hooked up. I don't think if I was being completely honest I expected a competitive game that would come down to the final minute. But that is what we got last night at the ACC. Here is how it went down live as it happened on The Score Live Blog last night.

The Raptors would hang around the entire night it was a slow and sloppy start for both teams starting shooting just 1 for 4 from the field. The bad shooting would continue for the first half of the first quarter as the Hawks had a 10-8 lead and were 5-13 from the field while the Raptors were 4-12. Raptors would get out on break and Calderon would hook up DeRozan for the slam tied at 12. Calderon would nail a 3 after the Hawks answered with 2 and Raps had a 15-14 lead. Jamal Crawford noted Raptor killer would come of the bench and nail a 3 ball. Hawks had a 19-18 lead with 2:33 to play in 1st Quarter. Raptors would regain the lead only to have Crawford strike again with another 3 ball and the Hawks led 22-20. Crawford would later get a basket and 1 to make it 9 points in just 3 minutes of the bench. He would add two more before the Quarter ended and he had 11 points and DeRozan lead the Raptors with 9. On the Scoreboard it was 27-21 Hawks with one in the books at the ACC.

The Hawks would maintain the lead and build on it slightly to 35-27. Raps would get things rolling and would go on a 7-0 run to close the gap and force the Hawks into a time out still leading 35-34. This was after back to back turnovers that the Raptors turned into points. Both teams were having trouble and neither could play any kind of consistent defence. Bargnani would emerge and DeRozan would fade in this quarter. Raptors were hanging around as a result of the effort now being led by Bargnani trailing 45-42 with five and change to play. Raptors were also getting a good performance by Barbosa off the bench and had a rare slam dunk off steal would light up the crowd and the Raptors were back to down just 1 with score 49-48. But as good as Barbosa was Crawford was better and he was hitting almost everything he shot. He had yet another 3 pointer and gave the Hawks a 56-50 lead. By the time the half was over he had 25 points and the Hawks had a 60-55 lead at the half. DeRozan was shut out in the 2nd quarter stuck on 9 points. Bargnani had 15 to lead the Raps and Barbosa had 13 off the bench.

The Raptors came out in the 2nd half and to their credit shut down Crawford in the 3rd Quarter where they would shut him out. It was a sloppy start to the 3rd quarter much like it was to start the game. But if one Raptor killer was finally being shut down it was ok because the Hawks had another. Mike Bibby hit a three pointer and the lead was 67-61 Hawks. The Raptors had been playing a lot of zone that was making the 3 point shot available to the Hawks. Risky business but it was working to a degree as the Raptors were still being able to hang around. They would do more than that in fact as they would take the lead 74-72 late in the 3rd. It was their first lead since 18-17 in the first quarter. Barbosa was driving the bus to lead the Raptors charge back and they would hang on to lead 79-77 entering the 4th quarter.

The Raptors would fight and scrap to keep their lead and would hold it till the score was 91-88 and a Joe Johnson three pointer would tie it at 91 with 4:20 left to play. Raptors a few times in this game broke a fundamental rule of defence in basketball fouling a 3 point shooter. Crawford was fouled went to the line and dropped all 3 to give the Hawks a 99-98 lead with under a minute to play. Raptors would respond, with an Amir Johnson basket plus a foul, and he would make that extra free throw too and Raptors led 101-99. Crawford missed a corner 3 to take the lead the Raps got the rebound and it looked like they were going to pull of the upset. But a moving screen on Amit Johnson who seconds earlier had appeared to ice the game. Cue Mike Bibby and he would fire it up from 3 and nail it but he did not wait till the buzzer leaving the Raptors some time for an answer. Out of a Triano time out the Raps would run a pick and roll with Amir and Jose and Calderon drove to the basket with Horford on him. There was not one moment that Jose looked like he had a chance to make the shot. He would not and it was blocked and after a video review overturned the call on the floor and it was Hawks ball with just two seconds left. Some may say Calderon was fouled but in my view he was clearly playing to be fouled and not to make the shot. You can debate about if Horford fouled him or not. But the fact was based on the play Calderon had zero chance to score, and why was the play not for Barbosa who had been on fire. Hawks would get fouled make two free throws that left Raptors a single second. Bargnani actually got a look at a 3 to tie but it only caught rim. The Hawks fly out of Toronto with a 104-101 win.

A tough way to lose but the Raptors just did not execute down the stretch. But this is what happens when you are a young team with a losing record down the stretch some times. Hopefully the Raptors can store away how they felt after this one and the next time they remember that feeling and play hard to avoid it.

Weems Could Return To Face The Dirty Birds.

Well it has been an exciting day. I have joined the world of mobile technology. Yes I finally have a blackberry and that should be helpfully in our coverage of games at the ACC. Which I will be doing Friday as the Raptors take on the Pistons at the ACC. But before we get there, it is Raptors vs Hawks tonight at the ACC. I will be live blogging it for The Score Mobile and The Score.com which you can tune in at about 6:45. Mother nature dealt a blow to the Raptors chances tonight as the Hawks were suppose to play last night but due to bad weather their game was postponed. So no second night of a back to back for them. Raptors took it on the chin 96-78 facing the Hawks earlier in the year. Some more help at least as Sonny Weems has been upgraded to a game time decision for tonight. He has missed 11 games with a bad back. It would be unlikely he starts if he is back in the line-up.

The Basics: Atlanta 25-14 ( Won 9 of last 10) Raptors 13-24 ( 8-10 at ACC)

When Last We Saw Them: Way back on Sunday it was the Raptors able to topple the Kings with no Evans in the line-up for them. Andrea Bargnani and Demar DeRozan both showed up in this one and led the charge for the home side.

Key Match-ups: Mike Bibby has traditional been a Raptor killer be it as a Hawk, King or way back in the day as Vancouver Grizzlies. Jose Calderon will draw the assignment most likely. Bibby was always been able to light it up from 3 point range vs the Raps. Be on RED ALERT in terms of perimeter defence on him. Al Horford is a beast and will be a force on the glass. But not sure if the Hawks will match him up with Andrea Bargnani. They might go the unconventional route and perhaps put the athletic Josh Smith on him. Will see what happens. Joe Johnson and Demar DeRozan makes for an interesting match-up as well with Demar starting to catch fire of late in terms of scoring. Joe Johnson is proving worth the cash despite Raptor fans chanting he was over paid in his last visit to the ACC. He is averaging 18.6 points per game. But he did pour in 24 in the Hawks last game.

Other Things Of Note: I got a blackberry....Oh wait I said that already. Hawks are 12-2 when they shot above 50%. Given the way the Raptors have play defence that is worth noting. In the last match-up vs Toronto the Raptors only scored 11 points in 3rd Quarter and 32 points in that second half which are season bests for the Hawks. Raptors are 5-7 at home vs Eastern Conference opposition. When you think of the Hawks you think about and athletic team that get blocks and steals but stats suggest otherwise. Raptors actually average more steals with 7.3 to Hawks 6 a game and Hawks only average 4.3 blocks a game.

Where is it on?: Scoremobile with Me and TSN 2 on T.V ( The Streak on main stream T.V Dies at 4)

DNB Top Ten: Floor Generals

This is the first installment of a new segment here at the DinoNation Blog, called the Top Ten in which I'll be ranking various things across the NBA. This week we'll be looking at the top ten floor generals, also know as point guards. A floor general is basically a player who can effectively run the teams offense, make key shots and plays when the game is on the line as well and initiate things on the defensive ends, because if a point guard can't keep his guy in front of him, the entire teams defense will collapse and can result in kick-outs to wide open perimeter shooters.

10. Raymond Felton (18.1 PPG, 8.8 APG, 1.9 SPG, 3.4 TO)

After having a let down year last season, Felton has really rebounded and thriving in this Knicks system. Maybe a change of scenery and some new teammates like Amare and Gallo was all he needed as he is averaging career highs in points, steals, and assists. His turnovers are also at a career high, but when you are playing as well as he has been lately it doesn't seen that bad. The Knicks are a team not known for their defense though, but his 2 steal per game shows that he is active on the defensive end.

9. Chauncey Billups (16.5 PPG, 5.0 APG, 1.3 SPG, 2.9 TO)

Since leaving Detroit, Billups has yet to see the kind of playoffs dominance that he was a part off in Detroit, in which he won an NBA championship and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals for six consecutive seasons. Though he is entering into the final seasons of his career, he still processes that lethal three point shot, especially in crunchtime, which is why he's still called Mr. Bigshot. Though his assist numbers have been on the decline in the last three seasons, he can still make those crucial passes to get his teammates open looks when the game in on the line. With rumours circulating of him heading to New Jersey with Melo, let's hope he can remain focused and still hit those key buckets in crunchtime, when they are needed.

8. Jason Kidd (8.0 PPG, 8.7 APG, 1.9 SPG, 2.4 TO)

Kidd's not to guys whose going to got out there with a mindset to score 20 or even 15+ each night. The last time he even surpassed 15 points was November 15th when he scored 16 against the Hornets. Kidd's mindset is to go out there, run the offense, play defense, rebound, hit a few clutch buckets when he has to and most importantly to get his teammates into great scoring position. This can be clearly see as 44.04% of his possessions have resulted in an assist. As he enters the final stretch of seasons in his career, this future Hall of Famer still continues to impress and climb the NBA leader-boards.

7. Tony Parker (17.4 PPG, 7.0 APG, 1.4 SPG, 2.5 TO)

With Duncan and Ginobli already in their 30's Parker has shown that he can run that Spurs offense and take over games with his variety of scoring methods and still be able to keep the other guys involved in the game. Aside from the off-court drama earlier in the season, Parker remains a huge part of this Spurs franchise going forward and would like to add another championship or two to the three has has already won with the Spurs.

6. Steve Nash ( 16.9 PPG, 10.6 APG, 0.6 SPG, 3.5 TO)

Probably, if not the greatest, NBA player to come out of Canada( sorry Leo Rautins), Nash has just continued to get better as he ages. With the departure of Amare Stoudemire in the summer, and after acquiring a few new pieces a few weeks ago in the biggest trade of the year thus far, the Suns struggling and Nash now has to try and lead them to the playoffs. There are also rumours of him being traded, but what team wouldn't want to have Steve Nash on their roster. Though he struggles defensively, Nash has to ability to make those around him better and thus he's still remains amongst the elite players in the league.

5. Russell Westbrook ( 21.9 PPG, 8.0 APG, 2.0 SPG, 3.8 TO)

Probably one on the most enthusiastic young players in the league, Westbrook has stepped out of Durant's shadow and proven that he will be a star in this league. With his scoring average up by 5 from last season, Westbrook has become a lethal scoring threat, and has really improved his jumpshot. As he continues to develop, the tandem of him and Durant will be tough for many opponents to defend and a title may be in his future.

4. Derrick Rose ( 24.3 PPG, 8.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 3.6 TO)

Since arriving in Chicago, Rose has helped propel the Bulls from a bottom-feeder in the East to a legitimate playoff, if not title contender. Currently averaging career highs in almost every stat category, Rose has become an all-around threat for opposing players. Though he still struggles on the defensive end and isn't the most consistent jumpershooter, he will only get better and in time he may be leading the Bulls to their first championship since 1998, and dunk on a few more people in the process.

3. Rajon Rondo (10.6 PPG, 13.4 APG, 2.5 SPG, 4.1 TO)

If there was ever an award for a player who makes his teammates better, Rondo would automatically win it. Like Kidd he isn't a guy who's concerned with how many points he scores, because he would rather get his teammates in positions in which they will have easy shot (48.70 % of his possessions result in an assist). Not many people thought he would have become such a great player, especially playing alongside the Big 3, but he has shown that he is a great player and may be the best player on that Celtics team. He may not be the greatest shooter and currently leads the league in turnovers(4.1), but he play-making and defense makes up for that.

2. Chris Paul ( 16.7 PPG, 9.7 APG, 2.8 SPG, 2.4 TO)

After missing most of last season due to injury, Paul has come back to that he is one of the best PG's in the league when it seemed like he was forgotten about. With the Hornets missing the playoffs last season, Paul has once again led them back into playoff contention and are currently holding on to that 6th playoff seed and hoping to rise in the standings. His scoring and assists have decrease slightly in the last three seasons, but he hasn't had to do much scoring due to his teammates ability to score. Come playoff time we'll see if he can regain the form that made him the best PG in the league.

1. Deron Williams (21.8 PPG, 9.3 APG, 1.1 SPG, 3.4 TO)

After last season Deron was quickly became viewed as the best PG in the league due to his stellar play. He's been running the Jazz offense for a while now and led then to the playoffs in four consecutive seasons. Currently averaging his career high in points, Deron has taken a larger part in the Jazz offense and have helped lead the team back to several comeback victories this season and he's only getting better. Though he has been in the league for six seasons he only made his first All-Star appearance last season, but is poised to make several more if his great play continues.

So there you have it, my top ten floor generals currently in the NBA. At first I thought it would have been easy to ranked these guys, but with so many great PG's out there it slowly became difficult, but in the end this is the rankings I'm more confident with. If you disagree feel free to chime in in the comments and stay tuned for the next installment next week.