The Toronto Raptors (11-15) make their first trip into Miami as they go toe-to-toe with Dwayne Wade and the Heat (11-11) tonight. The Raptors are coming off one their best defensive effort of the season. On Sunday they held the Houston Rockets to only 36.8 percent from the floor, rolling to a 101-88 victory. Hedo Turkoglu had his best performance as a Dino, scoring a season high 23 points, pulling down six boards while adding five assists. Chris Bosh continued to lead Toronto. He had 27. Jose Calderon missed another game with a hip injury and it’s highly unlikely he’ll be in the line up tonight. Jarrett Jack continues to start in his place. Since stepping in as the starter, Jack is averaging 14.8 points and 6.5 assists per game. Miami on the other hand is coming off their worst home loss this season. They got pummeled 118-90 by the Memphis Grizzlies (yes, you read that correctly – Memphis Grizzlies). The Heat are on a two game losing skid and have dropped four straight at home. To make matters worse they’ve lost three in a row to Toronto in Miami.
It was a night of firsts for the Toronto Raptors last night. The Toronto Huskies paid a tribute to the NBA’s roots, be unveiling their Toronto Huskies retro look for the first of six games this season. Back on November 1, 1946 the Toronto Huskies played the New York Knickerbockers at Maple Leaf Gardens in the first game of the Basketball Association of America. The Raptors beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 94-88, winning their third straight game for the first time this season. Guard Jarrett Jack got his first start of the season, replacing an injured Jose Calderon. Jack filled in nicely scoring 17 points and dishing out eight assists. Tonight Toronto (10-13) is back at it again. They’re in Milwaukee to take on rookie sensation Brandon Jennings and the Bucks (9-11). Milwaukee sits two games in front of Toronto in the East, but the Bucks are on a four game losing skid. Last night they were in Boston and they lost 98-89. If the vote for rookie of the year were today, Jennings would win by a land slide. He’s averaging 21 points per game and just over 5 assists per game. Back on November 14, he lit up the Golden State Warriors for 55.
On the ice, the Toronto Maple Leafs are at home to take on the New York Islanders. On Monday night, the Leafs had five even strength goals in the second period and cruised to a 5-2 win over the Atlanta Thrashers. Now the last time the Leafs played the Isles, they peppered goaltender Dwayne Roloson with 61 shots and lost in overtime 4-3. Don’t look now, but since their horrible start the Leafs have been gaining ground in the East and are only five points back of the eight seed. The Islanders are one team of five teams that stand in their way. New York played last night and they took a beat down from the Philadelphia Flyers, losing 6-2. John Tavares scored his teams lone goals. Tavares leads all rookies with 13 goals and 23 points, but has yet to register a point at the ACC.
There is a Klingon on proverb that ‘revenge is a dish best served cold’. You can be sure the Toronto Raptors have some revenge in mind as they take on the Washington Wizards in the nation’s capital south of the border. Three nights ago the Wizards were in TO and they edged the Raptors 106-102. The very following night Toronto was in Hot-lanta and they were pummeled 146-115, their worst lost this season and fifth worst in franchise history. The Raptors porous D has given up a hundred points in 11 straight games and have sunk to the very bottom of the league in points allowed (111). Chris Bosh was held to only two points in the loss. Following the slaying, reports began to surface that the players (Jarrett Jack and Antoine Wright) were unhappy with coach Jay Triano and how the lack of criticism he has for select players (maybe Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderone and Hedo Turkoglu?), especially on the defence side of things. On the other hand Washington played Milwaukee the next night and they squeezed out another close one, beating the Bucks 104-102. Gilbert Arenas lead the team with 22 points and 9 assists, but it was 5-5′ Earl Boykins who was the star. The game was tied and was one second away from going to overtime. Boykins was fouled and he drained both free throws to ice the game. Tonight will be a true test to see what the Raptors are made of and if they can bounce back from adversity.
In the things that make you go huh category, former Raptors coach Sam Mitchell watched the Atlanta game from the second row. Mitchell resides in the ATL so it’s not that odd, right? Well one year ago the day of the game with Atlanta, the Raptors were blown out in Denver 132-93 and Mitchell was fired the very next day, December 3, 2008.
On Sunday the Toronto Raptors hosted a former player and tonight will be no different. Both former Raptors help the team reach the play offs. Public enemy number one, Vince Carter and the Orlando Magic were in town over the weekend and showed Toronto how a team goes about finishing a game. At one point the Raptors led by double digits only to see Carter heat up in the second half and lead his team to the 106-94 win. It’s pretty evident why the Magic traded for Carter, making Hedu Turkoglu expendable. Carter had 18 points in the second half when his team was down. Turkoglu had 4 points (all on free throws), two missed lay ups, and three fouls in the fourth quarter when his team was trailing and needed a spark.
Tonight the Raps welcome TJ Ford and the Indiana Pacers to the ACC. Ford was in the middle of the guard controversy in Toronto when team president Brian Colangelo chose Jose Calderone to be his man. Ford was traded to the Pacers and the rest is history. There’s more six degrees of separation between the Raps and Pacers. Jarrett Jack and Rasho Nesterovic were in Indiana last season. Nesterovic was part of the Ford trade. Pacer’s centre Roy Hibbert was drafted by Toronto, but was included in the Ford deal as well. Jermaine O’Neal, who ended up in TO as part of the trade, has since been jettisoned to Miami. Indiana comes into this game losers of their last three, but they sit a half game ahead of Toronto in the East. For the Raptors, tonight is the first of a back-to-back games. Tomorrow night they welcome the Charlotte Bobcats. A W tonight and tomorrow would go a long way. Their next six opponents include Boston, Phoenix, Atlanta, Chicago and Washington (twice).
Jack started last season as Ford’s back up, but eventually took the starters spot from the former Rap.
The Toronto Raptors are coming off a big win 110-99 over the Detroit Pistons. All the talk surrounding the Raptors is about defence. Prior to their game with the Pistons the Raps were giving up an average of 110 points per game. On Wednesday night Toronto clamped down and gave up less then 100. Granted Detroit was missing Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton because of injury. Down the stretch the Raptors relied on three players to control the ball and run the point: Jose Calderone, Hedo Turkoglu and Jarrett Jack. Turkoglu ended the night with 16 points and 6 assists and the trio only turned the ball over two times. Chris Bosh has been great early in the season. Bosh is average 29.5 points per game and 13 boards. Andrea Bargnani has also been a major contributor. ‘Il Mago’ is average 22 points per game and is shooting almost 53% from beyond the arc. Things get significantly tougher for Toronto over the next eight games. Including tonight seven are on the road against top tier teams like San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz and their one lone home game is against the surging Chicago Bulls. Tonight the Raps are in New Orleans to take on uber-guard Chris Paul and the Hornets. The Hornets have gotten off to a slow start this season. Their 2-3 and both Paul and head coach Byron Scott have already been critical of the team’s play. In their three losses this season the teams has given up an average of 110 points. Obviously tonight’s game will boil down to however plays better defence. Pretty easy…right?
I was a Cleveland Cavaliers fan last night, and not just because I hate the Celtics.
It also had a lot to do with tonight’s season opener, when the new-look Raptors will try to knock off LeBron James and the Cavs. The Raps have always been powerless to stop superstars, let alone angry superstars. And you can bet LeBron and Shaq will come out swinging after a tough 95-89 loss at home. I figured we might see a somewhat complacent opponent if Cleveland had won, but it’ll be just the opposite. Now, nothing will surprise me… LeBron scoring 50? Shaq going 30 and 15? Honestly, both could happen and I wouldn’t bat an eye.
Like I said, I really wish the Cavs had won.
They didn’t, though, and the Raptors still have a chance. Maybe opening night provides an extra boost of adrenaline, and perhaps this team gels for the first time. It’s difficult to predict the kind of game we’ll see from Toronto, considering any solid effort would be radically different from the performance we saw in Minnesota last week. If the team plays anything like they did during the preseason, it’ll be a long night. I think we’ll find out very early whether the Raps can compete – Yes, tonight the first quarter will be telling.
Let’s break down the matchup:
Point Guard
If the Raptors hope to make any noise this season, they need Jose Calderon to play well on a nightly basis. He looked terrible early in the preseason, but rounded into form towards the end. Ideally, Calderon will look to turn the corner on the high screen-and-roll, and spot up for 3’s when Hedo runs the point. On the other side, Mo Williams is probably too quick for Jose to contain, but he played 35 minutes against the Celtics. Hopefully, a healthy Calderon can take advantage and make Williams work on the defensive end. Two years ago, it’s advantage Jose. Last year, advantage Mo. Who plays better tonight will go a long way towards determining the outcome.
Shooting Guard
This will be a lot of fun, as we’ll get to see rookie DeMar DeRozan up against former Raptor and fan-favourite Anthony Parker. It’s actually a great first matchup for Toronto’s rookie, sparing him the task of guarding say, Ray Allen. Parker played a surprising 40 minutes last night, meaning the onus is on DeRozan to make him work. We saw plenty of this in the preseason – It’s clear that his strength is running the floor and getting to the line. On the defensive side, DeRozan has to be aware of Parker’s preference to shoot corner 3’s, while staying focused on chasing him around screens. AP wasn’t particularly effective against Boston and DeRozan certainly has the tools to make it tough on him tonight. Once Parker gets in a rhythm, he’s tough, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see that against Toronto’s perimeter D.
Small Foward
LeBron is a beast who can’t be stopped, just contained – force him to take outside jumpers and hope for the best. Hedo Turkoglu can’t be expected to defend James by himself, and it’s a situation that needs to be a total team effort. Expect a few blown assignments leading to huge dunks, but hopefully they’ll make James work hard. It’s the only way to guard him, and it’s never pretty. On the offensive end, look for Turkoglu to drive the lane and get teammates involved, allowing Calderon to spot up and shoot more often. If the atrocious preseason shooting numbers improve, so will Hedo’s effectiveness.
Power Forward
Alright, Chris Bosh, show us what you got. Against Anderson Varejao, Bosh is clearly the superior player, but probably can’t match the hustle. We’ve seen this too many times – Bosh struggles against energy players and eventually settles for too many jumpers. Will that change tonight? Let’s hope so. Numbers-wise, this matchup won’t be close, but their play will dictate how the Raptors run the offense. It’s also Game 1 of Bosh’s contract year, so let’s hope that translates to even better play. He’s the leader of this team and it’s time to show it.
Center
Andrea Bargnani vs Shaq is a battle of complete opposites. Neither can guard the other, as Bargnani likes to go outside, while Shaq clogs the lane. There will be pressure on Andrea to box out and grab rebounds, while there’s no question that Shaq will find it difficult to guard Bargnani away from the basket. O’Neal looked gassed in the second half last night and Bargs should have the advantage, but it’s easier said than done. Expect open 3’s for our big man, that he absolutely has to knock down.
Bench
I have to admit, I giggled watching Jamario Moon launch a three-pointer in transition last night. Get used to that, Cleveland. Overall, I was shocked by the lack of talent on the Cavs bench, but I suppose much of that is due to Delonte West’s issues. Still, Boobie Gibson, Big Z and Jamario don’t scare me, and I certainly prefer Jarrett Jack, Amir Johnson, Rasho Nesterovic and Antoine Wright. If Toronto’s starters get the job done, the bench won’t let them down.
Final Thoughts
The Cavs will be pissed, and THAT scares me. Really, though, LeBron is the story. The Raps need to somehow contain him and play better team defense than we’ve seen in the preseason. On offense, Toronto needs to shoot much better and spread the floor. Finally, rebounding is key, and they need everyone active against a powerful Cleveland frontcourt. I’m more confident than I was last night, but I also never count out an angry LeBron. It’s great to have basketball back, and this should be fun.
There’s a lot going on right now – Hockey season’s in full swing, with basketball just around the corner. Meanwhile, we’re starting to get a clearer look at the NFL picture, while just two teams remain in Major League Baseball. Locally, things aren’t pretty, but there’s plenty to talk about.
Are the Toronto Maple Leafs awful, unlucky, or both? It’s a little confusing when you watch them play, but that third period on Saturday night summed up their season nicely. Even when the effort is there, and it was, there simply aren’t enough finishers up front. Sure, Ron Wilson, blame Luongo’s stellar play… Have you noticed that most goalies seem to be on their “A” game against Toronto? Reminds me of Raptors fans justifying the outside shooting of an opponent – “Come on, Shane Battier will never go 7/8 from three-point land again”… If something happens enough, it’s time to look in the mirror.
That being said, Phil Kessel will help. The cynic will say there’s nobody to get him the puck, but the guy can score. Toronto had plenty of chances to even the score on Saturday, but lack a sniper to get the job done. Speaking of Kessel, let’s talk about the No. 1 pick fiasco. The trade looks horrible right now, but is it? Yes, the Leafs may end up with the first pick in next year’s draft, but it’s still quite possible to move up. In any case, there’s absolutely no guarantee Burke lands a young player with as much potential as Kessel. And really, that’s all the draft is. That first round pick is an imaginary player – If Burke still had the pick and used it on this year’s Phil Kessel, what’s the difference? He’s young, great, and locked up. The GM was certainly banking on a better season from his team, but it’s still possible to view the trade with the glass half full.
Who wins first – The Leafs or the Raptors? I’ll say the Raps win on Friday in Memphis, so it’ll be tight.
Speaking of the Toronto Raptors, their first month could be pretty miserable. Games against Cleveland, Orlando, Detroit, New Orleans, San Antonio, Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, Denver and Utah would be tough for anybody, and especially a team that still hasn’t gelled whatsoever. I’m not saying it’s time to panic – Quite the contrary, actually… But reasonable fans should expect to get killed in at least a few of the early contests. Toronto showed very few signs of improvement throughout the preseason, and going 5-10 out of the gate shouldn’t surprise anyone. The playoffs are still attainable, but the start will be rough. If the team improves, there will be plenty of time to right the ship.
Despite Frank Zicarelli’s objection, it’s the right call to start DeMar DeRozan. I really think Frank has it completely wrong on this one – He talks about hiding rookies, but the second unit is no place for this. The Raptors backups are having enough trouble scoring and it makes no sense to give DeRozan that responsibility. Instead, let the kid do what he’s been doing – filling the lane, cutting to the hoop, and getting to the line. The starting unit is filled with scoring, meaning DeRozan will get his without having plays run for him. It’s the perfect spot to get him minutes, and it’s not like anybody else has earned them. Antoine Wright? Please, you don’t earn minutes by sitting on the bench, especially when you’ve accomplished next to nothing in this league.
More important than the starting lineup is the finishing lineup. Right now, I’d say the Raps end games with a lineup of Jose Calderon, Jarrett Jack, Hedo Turkoglu, Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani. Obviously, it’s somewhat dependant on the situation.
Vince Carter is going to have a huge year for the Orlando Magic. Huge.
What happened to the Miami Dolphins yesterday? As well as New Orleans played in the second half, it was perplexing to watch Miami abandon their game plan. This team is built on running, but insisted on throwing with a huge lead. It made absolutely no sense, and ended in disaster. On the other side of the ball, the Saints continued to prove they are among football’s elite.
On the other hand, the New York Giants had every opportunity to beat Arizona, but insisted on handing the game to the Cardinals. Last week, it was the defense. This week, it was the offense. Tom Coughlin has to get them ready for a tough Eagles squad before the wheels completely fall off.
I hate the Dallas Cowboys, but Tony Romo is a very good quarterback. It’s ridiculous what people say about him, despite the way he carries that offense. Nobody is a “winner” until they win. Peyton couldn’t win in the playoffs, until he did. Same goes for Eli. One of these years, a whole lot of people will be eating crow with regards to Romo.
Troy Polamalu completely changes the Steelers defense. They were average in his absence, and beastly in his return.
How depressing is this world series matchup for Cleveland Indians fans? The starting pitchers for Game 1 – CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee – both played for the Indians last season. At least they still have LeBron James… for now.
As for Philadelphia vs New York, it’s too close to call. Two powerful lineups, two good pitching staffs. The series goes six or seven.
My “wows” for the week go to Anze Kopitar, Vernon Davis, Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Howard.
For Raptors fans, the second pre-season game was undoubtedly better than the first. That’s not saying much, based on Toronto’s pathetic performance on Tuesday, but there were certainly encouraging signs. One night after giving up 65 first-half points, the Raps played impressive defense and held Philly to 35% shooting in the rematch. The energy level was higher, despite using a depleted roster on the second night of a back-to-back.
Some specific thoughts on the game:
While he showed flashes of potential, DeMar DeRozan has a long way to go. Expectations for this kid had gone way up since the draft, but fans should remember that he was never supposed to make a huge impact in year-one. It’s pretty obvious why, after seeing the rookie in person. He needs to develop his left-handed dribble if he wants to be an effective slasher, and it’s something Jay Triano is trying to enforce. DeRozan was yanked for the second straight game after settling for jumpers, and had some trouble getting involved in the flow of the offense. Still, there were positives – He filled the lane and finished with a power dunk off a pass from Quincy Douby, and he scored on a finger-roll after stealing the ball. DeRozan also knocked down a three-pointer for the second straight game, but I wouldn’t expect that to be a trend just yet. Defensively, he struggled against Andre Igoudala and is still adjusting to the speed and athleticism of the NBA. On one play, Igoudala grabbed an offensive rebound right over DeRozan – How often do you think that happened at USC?
Jose Calderon rebounded (somewhat) from a brutal first game, finishing with six assists and zero turnovers. That was the good news, but Calderon still looked passive on the offensive end. Remember when Jose would turn the corner on the pick-and-roll, going all the way to the basket for lay-ups? We need that guy back. There’s no doubt that Calderon is more effective when he’s surrounded by talent, and I expect improvement once Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu are in the lineup.
I really like Marco Belinelli. He was out of control at times, but the kid is skilled. Belinelli scored 12 points, while struggling from the three-point line. I’m not worried about his shooting – Instead, I was impressed with his ballhandling and passing ability. With more playing time and an elevated comfort level, Belinelli should be a valuable part of Triano’s ball-movement offense. I also think his shot selection improves when Bosh and Hedo are on the court.
Andrea Bargnani was quiet, but continues to prove he’s the guy we saw in the final third of last season. He still can’t rebound, but has developed into a very good offensive player. Bargnani’s baseline drive for a dunk was beautiful, but it hardly seemed like he was trying for most of the night. Again, I’m excited to see what he can do with Bosh and Hedo attracting attention from opposing defenses.
The real bright spots for Toronto were Sonny Weems and Amir Johnson. Acquired together in the Carlos Delfino trade, both players brought a ton of athleticism and hustle to the building on Wednesday night. Both were all over the court, forcing Philly into tough shots, while running the floor and showing a nose for the rim. Johnson might have the agility to play a little bit of small forward, while Weems treated the crowd to three huge dunks. After leading the team in minutes (and deservedly so), he’s making a case for playing time when the real games begin.
I really can’t talk about the defensive end without mentioning Reggie Evans. Like JYD, the fans have fallen in love fast. Evans was a beast, grabbing nine rebounds to go along with four steals. On the other hand, he forced tough shots in traffic and TWICE dribbled up the court. While his work ethic and determination are much appreciated, this needs to stop. There is no way Reggie Evans should be leading the break, and grabbing an offensive rebound shouldn’t entitle him to shoot immediately after. If he can control his game, Evans will be a fan-favourite all year long.
Jarrett Jack was fine. He made a few nice plays in the second half, including a sweet behind-the-back pass to Weems on a fast break. Jack didn’t really stand out, but he was solid. He stole the ball twice and played good defense.
Once again, Marcus Banks played better than expected. It’s hard to imagine him seeing much of the court this season, but I expected absolutely NOTHING from him. I guess it’s a case of lowered expectations, but I was impressed with his overall game on Wednesday. Put it this way – Calderon and Jack were no better, while Quincy Douby was worse. I still think Douby can be an effective scorer in limited minutes, but he didn’t show it last night. Meanwhile, maybe (it’s a long shot) Colangelo can find a way to trade Banks if he plays decent for any extended stretch. Don’t count on it.
Up front, Patrick O’Bryant and Rasho Nesterovic both played like…well, themselves. O’Bryant still hasn’t figured out how to use his 7-foot frame, but did block three shots. Still, he has a long, long way to go. Rasho was solid in very limited minutes, reminding us that yes, he only shoots from the baseline.
Overall, the Raps were much, much better on Wednesday, but it’s tough to say much without Bosh and Hedo in the lineup. Without say, Igoudala and Elton Brand, the 76ers would have plenty of problems. Defensively, though, Toronto challenged Philly to make difficult shots, improving drastically from Tuesday’s weak effort. At the shooting guard spot, both DeRozan and Belinelli have room to improve, while Antoine Wright has yet to play. Hopefully, the Raps are healthy in the near future, so we can see what this team will really look like on the court.
Toronto Raptors fans have gotten used to seeing Marcus Banks this way – On the bench, in a suit.
Heading into the season, many writers and bloggers have ignored Banks altogether in their depth charts and previews. Since coming to Toronto with Shawn Marion, he’s done absolutely nothing on the court, with even fewer expectations for this year. With Jarrett Jack in town to back up Jose Calderon, there is nowhere for Banks to play.
On the other hand, Calderon says he was “embarrassed” by his play last season, despite posting some pretty decent numbers. Plagued by a hamstring injury, Calderon was useless defending opponents and had trouble getting to the rim effectively. Supposedly, things were going to be different this year. Jose sat out of EuroBasket and claimed to be 100% healthy during training camp.
He sure didn’t look it last night at the John Labbatt Centre in London, Ontario.
In Toronto’s first pre-season game, Calderon was repeatedly burned by Louis Williams as the Raps gave up 65 first-half points. He also looked sluggish running the offence, holding the ball too long and turning it over on telegraphed passes. Calderon should have been the best point guard on the floor – Instead, he was the worst.
Now, I know it’s pre-season. Jose hasn’t played in a long time, and it’s understandable that he’d be rusty. Still, with talk of improved defence, it’s disconcerting to see such a pathetic display from the start. Calderon will have a shot at redemption when the teams meet again tonight – Hopefully, he’ll adjust and play better.
On the other hand, Banks actually played well. He easily exceeded his non-existent expectations, throwing a nice alley-oop and showing off a decent handle.
It would be great if Toronto can actually get something from Banks this year. We heard nothing about him in training camp, and it was assumed that his big contract would waste away on the bench for another season. But again, it’s pre-season, and nothing matters. Or so I hope.
Because if Banks and Calderon play anything like last night, the Raps have problems.
