I didn’t think that was true, since I’d seen every game the guy had played against the Raps and almost every game he played with the Raps, and noticed no difference whatsoever. But I decided to check the stats, and thankfully, the stats backed me up. Check it:

So you see, the stats are virtually identical. His numbers were incredibly similar overall, vs. Toronto, and at home and away. In Toronto, where he hears the boos, his shooting percentages are down slightly, but his scoring and rebounding are up slightly, so it’s a wash. His free throw shooting is down across the board which is odd, considering he’s normally a great free throw shooter, but it’s likely just an aberration.

The only thing I really notice is the free throw attempts vs. field goal attempts in Toronto and Jersey. He seemed to take some more contact in Jersey, with 23 more FTs attempted in the same amount of games – and settled for more jump shots in Toronto, with 38 more FGs attempted.

Relevant? Probably not. The Nets won 13 of the 24 games during Carter’s time there, which is the most important thing, including 4 of the six playoff games of course, and that’s not a surprising thing considering they had the better team and coach most years.

In Orlando, I expect Vince’s stats to be down across the board as that team is pretty stacked and doesn’t need him to be the focal point of the offense; plus he’s not as young as he used to be. In the flip side, because they are a good team, he should probably experience his greatest team success there. I look at that roster and, assuming they fill out the bench with a couple decent guys, I have to believe they’re the Eastern Conference favourites – at least as long as Cleveland plans to head into 2009-2010 with the same undersized backcourt and under-athletic frontcourt (I fail to see how adding Shaq addresses the flaws exposed in the Orlando series).

So the question remains – will Vince be booed here in Toronto? Yeah… probably. Maybe not quite as much – New Jersey was a fun team to hate. But I’m sure they’ll still be plenty audible. And I’m OK with that. Most people seem to think it needs to stop… but really, who cares? Everyone loves a villain, and Vince brought it all on himself by quitting on the Raptors five years ago. As you can see above, it has zero impact on his play, so if people enjoy booing… I think they should go ahead and do so.

Quick Free Agency Update: Looks like Ariza’s going to Houston. That means, as far as I can tell, it’s all but a lock Shawn Marion will be back next year, and the Raptors will go into the 09-10 season with at least four of the five starters the same. Hardly a great recipe for improving on a 33-win team…

Well, I think we can all agree the Raptors got lucky last night.

Surging to a 12-point lead with 4:47 to go and getting just about anything they wanted on offense, the Raptors looked poised to cruise. But they continued to give up open 3-pointers - the Nets took 32 of them and I’m willing to wager 30 were taken without a defender in reach - and the Nets got right back in it, going on an 11-2 run in two minutes to cut the lead to 104-101.

After a solid possession that led to two Bosh free throws and a silly foul by Bobby Simmons that gave Parker a pair (though naturally, he went 1-2) the Raps stretched it back to six with 1:59 to go. Bobby Simmons then missed a three, the “crowd” quieted, and I started to feel comfortable again… silly me.

At the end of an absolutely abysmal Raptors possession that saw Bosh get the ball 20 feet from the hoop on the right wing, stand there for five seconds- literally, not even dribbling - and then pass the ball back to Jose with four seconds on the clock, Jose was forced to take a long three pointer (short, naturally), the Nets raced back and Vince Carter drained a triple. Three point game.

Bosh then pulled a weak-ass reverse move on Lopez on the baseline; there was contact, yes, and I guarantee had he taken it straight up strong he would have gotten the call - but the refs don’t (usually) reward players for going away from contact, so no call was made, and Harris walked right through the non-existent Toronto transition D to cut the lead to 1.

The next Raptors possession was virtually identical to the one two plays before - only Bosh was maybe a foot closer and the ensuing Calderon jumper was only a two. Another miss. Sigh. Nets ball.

What happened next deserves some scrutiny. First, one has to wonder why New Jersey didn’t call time out; with 19 or so seconds to go, and Lawrence Frank pretty good at drawing up end-of-game plays (alley-oop dunk to win, anyone?), you’d think they’d set something specific. Still, Frank obviously has confidence in his guys to do the right thing, and Harris’ crossover on Graham to create space was a thing of beauty. Luckily for the Raps, he simply missed the shot. There were about three seconds left when he released, it took a high rebound, Parker hauled it in and the clock expired. Game over (although according to reports, Matt Devlin thought it was going to OT - I was watching the Nets’ feed so I’m not sure, but we might have to start calling him Chris Childs).

So, the other oddity - combined with not calling a timeout - was why Harris waited so long - he didn’t really give his team a chance at a tip-in or second chance, or, if the Raps’ rebounded it, to foul right away and get the ball back after the Raptors’ free throws, down 1 or 2 with a chance at a last-second shot. Also, consider this; my memory (might be wrong) is that the Nets only had one timeout left, so when Harris didn’t call it, maybe the thought was, “we’ll save it for that last-second shot if we miss and they get the free throws, and we need to draw up a play.”

So he wasted the time AND the timeout. Clearly not the best clock management ever seen, but still… that unstoppable step-back crossover is a great move, and I’m willing to bet if he did that 10 more times, he’d hit eight of them. And of course, you can make the argument that if you make the shot, you don’t want to give the other team the chance for a last-second winner (though if you’ve watched the Raps in a close game this year, you can be pretty confident they won’t even get a shot off, let alone score.)

So yeah, the Raptors were lucky. But you know what, every team needs a break now and then. The Raptors have had a few bounces go the wrong way (like a Steve Blake three off an offensive rebound) so they deserved to have one go their way. And, I believe that good teams need a few breaks, and that such things can snowball into more good things. If I recall, the 06-07 team that made that huge run got a bunch of breaks too (like MoPete’s hail mary against Washington, or AP banking in a long jumper to seal a victory in Detroit) so maybe it’s a sign that this team is on the right track.

Still, three straight wins against sub-.500 opponents does not a season turnaround make - even if two of them are technically ahead of the Raptors. They still need to beat Milwaukee tomorrow night - and I really believe the Bucks have some Ewing Theory Potential with Redd out - and then the real test begins: Magic, Cavs in Cleveland, Lakers, Hornets in New Orleans. Can the Raps steal a couple of those? Until they prove they can beat some good teams, this team is still lottery bound in my eyes. Give me 5-3 in the remaining eight games before the all-star break and I’ll re-evaluate their chances.

Back to the game, well, I was dead wrong in my Bargnani prediction; he picked up three early fouls (at least two of them really chintzy calls) and another early in the third and never got into a rhythm. I felt like Triano left him sitting too long after he picked up #4 (I would have put him back in at the start of the fourth), but Jay said afterward the team on the floor (a smallball team of Calderon, Parker, Graham, one of Moon/Kapono and one of Bosh/O’Neal) was in a good rhythm, and he was right - when Andrea came out, with 7:38 left in the third, the Raptors were down by two, but by the end of three, were up 7, so why not stick with what was working. Hopefully Bargnani’s psyche isn’t so fragile that one game bad game will send him back into a funk like he was in earlier this year.

Bosh didn’t have a great game either, and he must have had a big bag of movie popcorn before the game - with extra butter. Four turnovers, only six boards? Sheesh. Why can’t he hang on to the ball all of a sudden? O’Neal had a decent contribution of 8 and 4, though I don’t know how he picked up 5 fouls in 20 minutes.

The Raptors got most of their production from the 1-2-3 spots. Shocking, I know. Calderon’s shooting finally cooled off and he committed two turnovers, but he still scored 17 and added 11 assists. Anthony Parker continued his great all-around play, scoring 21 with 7 boards and 6 assists. Kapono wasn’t completely awful - he even took a couple of threes! - and Graham and Moon each made their presence felt (combined 25 on 8-11 shooting, 9 boards, 3 blocks).

In fact I have to give Joey extra props here. In the fourth quarter as the Nets made a run, you had to be feeling that the Raps would sink back into their habit of shooting long jumpers. But not Joey - he was aggressive and attacking every chance he got, getting to the line nine times.

For the Nets, Harris is definitely the engine powering that team. The Raptors could not stop his penetration and he kicked it out for open threes from Vince, Dooling and Simmons, multiple times. He finished with 25 and 10 (though naturally, all anyone will remember is the miss) and he impacts the game whenever he has the ball. The entire defense has to react to him, he is that fast and that slippery in the lane. I have no doubt that he’s an all-star this season, and I suspect the coaches see that too.

Carter looked like he was gonna have one of “those” games - you know, the ones where he scores 40 - early on. He hit four threes in the first four minutes of the game! He ended up with 27, 10 and 5, on 9-21 shooting (I predicted 26, 7 and 5 on 10-18. I think I got this science down!). Simmons and Dooling hit 8-14 from downtown. 8-14! That’s crazy. Ryan Anderson was a non-factor as the Nets went small most of the night, but Brook Lopez made the most of his 35 minutes, going 7-10 and playing some decent D. Only four boards, though, and the Raptors - despite only getting 7 total boards from the “killer B’s” - outrebounded the Nets by 3.

It’s still a little hard to believe the Raptors have won three in a row. First time since the first week of the season… that’s insane. It’s nice to see though. Even if it doesn’t last, it was nice to get a couple quality wins and catch a break down the stretch of one. Let’s hope they can keep it up!

What can you say about two teams that have played each other three times already? Especially when each team has one easy victory and the other time, it was one of the most thrilling basketball games of the year?

As I’ve discussed before, the Raptors and Nets really had a chance to be a great rivalry, what with the trading of Vince Carter to New Jersey in 2004. Unfortunately the Raptors sucked the next two years; hard to have a rivalry when one side can barely win 30 games. Then in 2006-2007, both teams were pretty good, and they met in a classic playoff series.

But then the Nets sucked last year, and now, they both kinda suck. Fighting over the final playoff spot isn’t quite the same as fighting over a division title. Is a one playoff series a rivalry?

So, now you’ve got two mediocre teams going head to head, and when you look at what we’ve already seen- one classic game, two crappy games - you can expect tonight will likely be more of the latter. I mean, let’s face it, neither one of these teams is setting the world on fire. The Raps are 8-15 since their last meeting; the Nets are 8-14, and both teams have lost seven of their past 10. Not exactly seizing the moment, are they? (Each team also holds the “distinction” of having lost to the “Thunder”… ugh.)

Still, I guess this game does have meaning. The Raps are clawing for that playoff spot and they need to beat the teams in front of them; New Jersey is one of them. They also need all the wins they can get before they play the murderer’s row of Orlando, Cleveland, LA and New Orleans. For the Nets, well, same deal - they gotta keep beating the bad teams to hold their ground.

This is the Nets first home game back after a four game Midwestern trip. Generally, teams are either so happy to be home they blow the opponent away, or else they’re so tired they come out flat and get killed. I have to say, as much as I’m down on the Raps this year, I like them in this game, and the latter point is a big reason. The Nets already appeared tired in their Monday loss to the Thunder (Harris and Carter, combined 6-29), probably went out last night to celebrate VC’s birthday (I somehow doubt they went out and celebrated in Oklahoma City on Monday, his actual birthday), and now have to play a game against a well-rested Toronto team.

Meanwhile the Raps’ve had big leads on the Nets all three times they’ve played; yes, they blew them twice but I would really like to believe they’ve learned from their mistakes, and if they get up on the Nets this time, I believe fatigue will hold the Nets off from making a comeback.

Not only that, but I believe Andrea Bargnani will be a huge factor in this game. He was pretty invisible (coming off the bench) in the two meetings, but now that he’s starting, and his confidence appears to be at an all-time high, I think he’ll have more of an impact. Who on the Nets can guard his inside-outside attack? Brook Lopez? Ryan Anderson? Look, both those guys are having solid rookie years but can they hang with Bargnani on the perimeter? No way. Unless he makes it easy on them by bricklaying, he’s got a major advantage.

I suspect Anderson will start out on Bargnani and Lopez on Bosh; Lopez can be physical and bang on Bosh, and since Lawrence Frank wrote the book on defending Bosh (remember when Jason Collins and Mikki Moore completely took Bosh out of the playoffs two years ago?) I expect he’s passed the lessons onto young Brook - get up on him, hit him hard, force him to drive. Bosh HAS to realize he’s got the quickness advantage on Lopez (or anyone else on the Nets) and take advantage. Much like Bargnani, this one’s all on Bosh - if he does what he’s supposed to do, the Nets can’t stop him.

I guess the real question is whether the Raptors can stop Carter and Harris. Harris has abused Calderon in the Nets’ two victories and Carter, as we have come to expect, has had one good game, one great game, and one crappy game (and please don’t make me go into the Vince Carter Stats AGAIN). I suspect he’s due for another “good” game, probably about 26 points, 7 boards and 5 assists on 10-18 shooting. Parker’s gonna have a long night, because I bet he’ll see time guarding both Harris and Carter… poor bastard.

If I’m the Raps I simply lay off Harris and make him beat you from the outside. He’s a decent shooter but I’d much rather have him taking jumpers than getting into the lane for easy looks (and creating easy looks for teammates).

I think the Raps have got this one. It won’t be a blowout, but they’ll get the early lead and this time, hang on to it and pick up their third win in a row, this one by nine points.

You know, it’s nice to have a team to support, to cheer them on, to believe in them. But sometimes - all too often in these parts - it’s incredibly difficult.

Last night’s game, unseen by the masses of course (hence this less-than-detailed analysis, which really, is more of rant…), was just the latest in a series of bitter disappointments.

Toronto Raptors basketball… where no double digit lead is safe happens.

Of course, it’s the Goddamn Nets again, so it’s even worse. But how in the world does a professional basketball team - any team, I don’t care if you’re the Celtics or the Grizzlies - give up a 23-4 run to start the fourth quarter? At home!? That’s almost inconceivable. How is it even possible to go for more than nine minutes of the fourth quarter without scoring a field goal? What the hell were they doing out there?

I really believed the improved play we’d seen over the past three games was indicative of overall improvements. I had faith that they were finally on the right track. But they betrayed me by choking down the stretch of last night’s game.

It doesn’t help that we have a team of cowards afraid to take shots and make plays in the fourth quarter. And when your knees are wobbling, it’s that much harder to play defense.

Playing not to lose is no way to win, that’s for sure.

Sigh. They did so many things right in that three-game stretch - even in the Hornets game - that I’d really believed they were at a turning point. I thought that confidence would transfer over to exactly the kinds of situations you had last night - a fourth quarter lead with the opposing team making a run - and that confidence would enable them to keep their cool, to execute, to raise their play.

I was wrong. The played exactly like they played through the first 20 games. Scared. Playing not to lose is no way to win, that’s for sure.

Of course, it’s not all their fault. It’s pretty clear now that Colangelo’s failure to get a decent wing player, who can score when needed and can defend his own position, is going to be the death mark stamped on this season’s back.

If we had one guy who could stop some dribble penetration, and not leave our bigs on an island, they might be able to stay home and rebound. And if we had a guy who could create his own shot, when the team struggles on offense, we might have someone to kick-start everyone else by creating something from nothing and getting to the line.

Is Corey Maggette really the answer? Of course not. He’s not much of a defender and he’s not known for swinging the ball or kicking out on drives. And he’s got a bad attitude to boot. But… isn’t he better than what we’ve got? Don’t you think Jermaine and Bosh can keep him in line? Don’t you think it’s possible that, playing in Golden State without a PG, is killing his game? And don’t you think getting ANYTHING for Bargnani would be a bonus?

Sigh. I’m sure BC’s going to make a deal in the near future, but I don’t think it’s going to be for anyone of substance. No one’s giving us something for nothing - and nothing is all we have to offer. So, let’s enjoy the rest of this mediocre season with our mediocre team. Because remember, we’re all fans in the end - and we support our team through thick and thin.

Hard to be too disappointed in yesterday’s loss to the Hornets. They are, obviously, a much better team than the Raptors, and losing to them is expected.

But in a way, you have to feel a little like the Raptors let an opportunity slip away. After all, they kept it close all day, were only one or two shots away from changing the game. And when you consider that the Hornets were without Tyson Chandler, one of those high-energy defensive hustlers who’s a killer on the offensive glass - you know, the exact type of players who gives the Raptors fits - this was probably as good a chance as any for the Raptors to steal a win over a good Western Conference team.

Alas, the Raps got virtually nothing from the wing position on the offensive end, and it killed them in the end. Hardly a shocking story if you’ve watched the Raptors all year long, but considering that they’d gotten good contributions from Moon, Graham and Kapono the past two, and considering Anthony Parker was back in the mix, you had to figure things were finally on the right track. Not just yet it seems.

Moon played well defensively, pulling in another 8 rebounds - great to see him getting back on the glass - and blocking two shots, but he proved his jumper is still as erratic as ever, going just 2-7 and 1-4 from downtown. Still, he helped out a lot on Chris Paul and when the Raps needed a stop with 35 seconds left, he forced Paul into an incredibly tough driving layup that missed. (Naturally, Moon’s teammates didn’t back him and David West got the rebound and that sealed the game. Sigh).

Kapono got a lot of nice looks on the day, but simply couldn’t bury them. I’m not too concerned about this either way - he got two contested-but-good looks in the fourth quarter that would have brought the Raps within three I believe, and there’s not a soul on this team I’d rather have taking the shots. But, he couldn’t get them to drop; it just happens that way sometimes. Of course, unlike Moon, he didn’t do much else on the floor, notching just one board and three assists. And he was consistenly late on defensive rotations - though he wasn’t the only one - and James Posey and Rasual Butler droped in a combined 10 triples.

Rasual Butler… I mean, really. Rasual Butler is beating us with two late fourth-quarter threes and 16 points? Sigh. Good for him, and good on the Hornets for getting a contribution out of him. Naturally, the Raps can’t find quality second-tier players like him, and are forced to recycle duds like Jake Voskhul. Sigh.

As for the other wings, Graham and Parker just couldn’t find a groove and didn’t contribute anything.

Up front, Jermaine O’Neal was solid, with 7-10 shooting for 19 points, along with 7 boards. He was aggressive, which he needed to be; with Chandler out, JO had a big advantage against Hilton Armstrong and he worked it effectively.

But Chris Bosh struggled mightily from the field, going just 6-17, with most of them in the 17-foot range. He was working the drive effectively - he got the line 15 times and finished with 25 points - but when the jumper isn’t falling, he needs to be driving every time. And I know David West is a big, strong presence, but he doesn’t have great defensive footwork and I think with a couple more drives Bosh could have gotten him into some foul trouble, and gotten him out of the game. Alas. I just hope Bosh is keeping notes for next time.

And geez, Chris, if you’re gonna shoot threes - which I wish you wouldn’t, but if you are - at least get your feet set, man. No one’s coming to guard you out there, so you don’t need to rush it.

And our only big off the bench is Andrea Bargnani, and I’m probably beginning to sound like a broken record, but he struggled from the field. 2-7, four points. One board, only 11 minutes played. I wonder if Triano’s patience is wearing out? Those numbers are Jake Voskuh-esque!

Just kidding. Don’t wanna disrespect Jake, he’s been a professional his whole career and having another big on the bench never hurts. And since we’re up to 14 bodies a 2-for-1 style trade is a possibility, so I can’t complain about that.

Anyway, back to yesterday… at the end of the day, you gotta give the Hornets credit. We took away Paul’s ability to get to the hoop very effectively, but every time he kicked out, his teammates hit their shots. The Raptors struggled from the field, and the Hornets didn’t let them get back into it. I thought both teams played OK, but the Hornets were just a bit better, and they got a well-deserved win.

Now, tonight, it’s Vince’s second and final appearance at the ACC this season as the Nets are back in town. Nets played a back-to-back Friday-Saturday, this is a back-to-back for us, so both teams are probably a little tired. Luckily it’s a rare home back-to-back so the Raps got to sleep in their own beds; we’ll see if homecourt advantage has an impact.

Vince bounced back from his 0-13 game with a 33-point game against the Bulls Saturday night in Chicago, but the Nets still lost; they’re on a three-game skid. Raps of course have won two of three and the chance to take three of four is right there. Time to start winning consistently and not just trade wins and losses.

With two games under their belts, these two teams know each other pretty well. Raptors have to stop Harris and Carter and hope the bigs don’t dominate the glass; Nets have to stop Bosh and O’Neal and hope the wings stay cold. I always gave the Nets the big edge in coaching before, as Lawrence Frank always seemed to confuse the Raps with something, but with Triano at the helm, we’ve closed the gaps. I expect the Nets have made adjustments from Friday; previously, I’d expect the Raps to do the same old thing but now, under Jay, I expect some adjustments of our own.

I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw some more of Carter creating from the top, with Harris at a wing spot. That would allow the defense to react to Carter - and, knowing the Raptors, scrambling somewhat - and if he can kick out to Harris, Harris will have a much easier time creating against a defense that isn’t set.

Anyway, that’s just my idea. For the Raps, well, they need to find a way to get Bosh and O’Neal deeper post position; that’ll open the floor up for the shooters and for them. And we need Moon to continue to bring the same energy off the defensive end that he did early Friday.

By all accounts, no one was frustrated or upset after yesterday’s loss, no one was hanging their heads. The Raptors appear to have bought into the new coach and are playing with some renewed confidence. They’ve made some good steps the past week or so. I’m not ready to declare they’re back, but tonight would be another big step forward.

I think the Raps will pull it out at home: Toronto by 11.

Of course, I won’t be able to see the game, thanks to those bungling idiots at MLSE and the greedy bloodsuckers at TSN and Rogers. Fuck you, all of you. You’re a bunch of assholes. I can’t believe you fucking idiots haven’t solved this problem yet. I hope all of your advertisers love the 1800 viewers you get for tonight’s game. Fucking morons.

Well, the Raptors are inching back closer to respectability thanks to two straight wins. No, neither opponent was a world-beater, so it doesn’t make sense to get too excited, but the Nets are above us in the standings, and as I said the other day, wins are wins!

And, as we all know, there was a little extra motivation for last night’s game.

It sure seemed to pay off, as the Raps earned their first blowout win of the year - Chris Bosh and and Jose Calderon got the fourth quarter off! I didn’t see that coming.

As for Vince, you’ve all heard the story by now - 0-13, only 3 pts on 3-4 foul shooting. Hate to blow my own horn, but didn’t I just say he was due for a bad game? Now, maybe, can we stop the “he plays so great against the Raptors!” comments.

To be honest, I was more worried about Devin Harris going into the game than Vince. Harris has been playing so well, and our perimeter defense - especially that of Jose Calderon - had been so weak, I thought Harris would go off. But, credit Jay Triano for giving Harris a multitude of looks - Calderon, the strong Joey Graham and the long Jamario Moon - to keep Harris off-balance. He finished 4-10 for 14 points.

The first half sure was a sloppy affair, with only Bosh really finding a groove; both sides missed a ton of open looks and the combined 74 points at halftime wasn’t pretty.

But Jason Kapono found his groove in the third with three threes and the Raptors sealed the deal early.

For the second straight game the Raptors held an opponent under 35% shooting. Crappy opponents, or good defense? I’d like to think it was a combo of both. I mean, you look at the Pacers and Nets; both were averaging just over 100 points per game going into their contests with the Raps (on 45% shooting) and the Raps held them to 88 and 79 respectively, on 35% and 31% shooting, respectively. So you gotta give the defense some credit.

Credit the Raptors bench, too, for playing well, and not just holding the lead but building it. Raps won every quarter except the ugly third, where each team scored 16. Ukic, Graham and Bargnani all scored in double figures off the pine.

Unfortunately, Bargnani’s 11 came on 10 shots and he only hit two of them (got the rest of his points at the line). He was fine defensively - 11 boards and 4 blocks - but man, he has got to get that jump shot falling. Like last year, he’s rushing everything and nothing he shoots even looks like it has a chance to go in.

Jermaine O’Neal was also a non-factor; 2-9, 2 boards, 2 blocks. Bosh made up for the scoring, at least, going 6-8. But he only had 5 boards as the Raps were once again outrebounded 50-37.

Now, once again - as with the Indy game - the Nets’ low shooting percentage contributes to that number. You miss 57 shots, there’s a lot of offensive boards to be had - and the Nets got 20 offensive boards. At the end of the day, though, a 13-rebound differential is way too high, regardless of the shooting percentages.

So, once again, a quality win. Raps led most of the way, held every Nets run in check, and won going away. A much, much tougher test comes to town tomorrow with the Hornets, but at least these wins should give the Raps some confidence going into that one.

And yes… revenge is indeed, sweet. Thanks for another memorable one, Vince! See ya Monday!

It’s the Nets again, this time in New Jersey. I won’t go over the details of the last game against Vince and the boys - it’s too painful to think about - but we all remember it was a horrific loss, one of the worst in Raptors history.

It’ll also go down as one of the games - along with the Denver Debacle - that got Sam Mitchell fired. Hearing Colangelo say that he “just can’t get the New Jersey game out of my mind” following the coaching change was very telling.

The Raps may have won Wednesday, but they’ve still dropped 7 of their last ten. Meanwhile, the Nets lost Wednesday, but they’ve actually won 7 of 10.

Perhaps not coincidentally, both of those strings started that night in Toronto.

But, the past is the past and we’ll see tonight if the Raptors can avenge that loss, and we’ll see if “The Turnaround” really is in effect.

Devin Harris has been playing out his mind. Honestly, I never thought the guy was this good… but damn. 24.8 ppg on 49% shooting? 6.2 assists? Those are some pretty unbelievable numbers. Vince is putting up his usual 22/5/5, and together they form the highest-scoring backcourt in the NBA.

The Raps, obviously, need a repeat performance by the swingmen from Wednesday if they want to win tonight. If you’ll remember last game, Chris Bosh dominated the Nets up front - they really had no idea what to do with him - but I don’t think that’ll happen tonight, because Lawrence Frank is too smart for that. And he’s got history with shutting Bosh down.

He’ll realize this time out that letting Bosh get his isn’t the way to go, and that the better strategy - played out over these past 10 games - is to double and trap Bosh, and make the wings beat you. I’m certain we’ll see the Nets moving a lot faster on the double tonight.

That should free things up a little for Jermaine O’Neal, perhaps. O’Neal struggled last game, before going down in the third quarter with the knee injury, despite the fact that he was being guarded by rookie Brook Lopez. I’d really like to see Jermaine attack Lopez, especially if the Nets are paying extra attention to Bosh like I expect.

Defensively for the Raptors, I assume Jamario Moon and Jason Kapono will get the starting nods again tonight, and I assume we’ll see Moon guarding Vince and Kapono on Bobby Simmons. Simmons isn’t nearly as big a factor in the Nets offense as Carter, obviously - less than 7 shots a game and more than half of those are from downtown. So that should minimize Kapono’s defensive deficiencies, and if Moon can play with the energy he brought last game, he should be a little more effective at slowing down Vince than Kapono.

Bosh and O’Neal should have an advantage over Yi and Lopez, the real challenge - as always - will be keeping them, and their reserves Josh Boone and Ryan Anderson off the glass. Crafty vets like Bosh and O’Neal should be able to do so. I’d like to see both of them with double-doubles tonight.

Unfortunately, I really don’t really know how Calderon is going to be able to slow down Devin Harris. Harris has shown he can take just about anybody, and Calderon has trouble keeping guys in front of him, so this spells mismatch from start to finish. I just hope Calderon continues his aggressive play from the past couple of games and makes Harris work on the other end.

To be honest, these teams are a pretty cool mismatch on paper - the Nets are strong in the backcourt, the Raps are strong in the frontcourt. The former won game one, which will come out on top in game two?

Not only that, but we all know Lawrence Frank has owned Sam Mitchell for the past two years, so now we get a chance to see if a new coach can make some adjustments in turn. I think this is a great test for Triano; when the teams are evenly matched, the coach can make a big difference. Let’s see if Triano earns his pay tonight!

I have decided that positivity is the way to go, especially in games where the teams appear to be evenly matched. I choose to believe that the win the other night was the start of a good thing, and I believe they’ll continue that - and build on it - tonight in New Jersey.

Raptors by 7.

By the way, after hearing several people say, “Stop booing Vince Carter, it only makes him better/try harder!” I decided to do some research. Is that sentiment true? Does the negative attention make him better?

Carter’s performance last week was an absolute classic - that was one for the ages. But was that indicative of his play in Toronto, or an aberration?

Here’s his stats from Friday:
November 21, 2008: New Jersey 129, Toronto 127 (OT)
Carter: 17-28 FG, 3-7 3PT, 2-2 FT, 9R, 6A, 39PTS

Here’s his stats when playing in Toronto since the trade, including playoffs:

April 15, 2005: New Jersey 101, Toronto 90
Carter: 15-26 FG, 3-8 3FG, 6-7 FT, 9R, 4A, 39PTS

Nov 11, 2005: New Jersey 102, Toronto 92
Carter: 9-17 FG, 2-7 3PT, 0-0 FT, 7R, 6A, 20 PTS

January 8, 2006: New Jersey 105, Toronto 104
Carter: 18-35 FG, 3-5 3FG, 3-5 FT, 10R, 3A, 42 PTS (including the three-pointer at the buzzer to win)

December 15, 2006: Toronto 90, NJ 78
Carter: 4-17 FG, 0-6 3PT, 4-8 FT, 6R, 2A, 12PTS

February 14, 2007: Toronto 120, NJ 109
Carter: 5-15 FG, 3-5 3PT, 4-7 FT, 6R, 10A, 17PTS

April 21, 2007: NJ 96, Toronto 91
Carter: 5-19 FG, 1-3 3PT, 5-8 FT, 7R, 3A, 16PTS

April 24, 2007: Toronto 89, NJ 83
Carter: 8-24 FG, 1-7 3PT, 2-4 FT, 11R, 5A, 19PTS

May 1, 2007: Toronto 98, NJ 96
Carter: 10-22 FG, 4-7 3PT, 6-10 FT, 5R, 2A, 30PTS

Feb 13, 2008: Toronto 109, NJ 91
Carter: 5-15 FG, 1-2 3PT, 4-4 FT, 3R, 7A, 15PTS

April 11, 2008: Toronto 113, NJ 85
Carter: 9-15 FG, 1-5 3PT, 4-4 FT, 6R, 2A, 21PTS

As you can see, some real ups and downs. But, average it all out, and after 11 games in Toronto, we have:
FG: 105-233 (45%)
3FG: 22-59 (37%)
FT: 40-59 (68%) (5.4 FTA per game)
RPG: 7.8
APG: 5.7
PPG: 24.5

Now, take a look at his overall stats since he joined the Nets:
FG: 2642-5858 (45%)
3FG: 509-1387 (37%)
FT: 1670-2074 (81%) (6.8 FTA per game)
RPG: 5.9
APG: 4.7
PPG: 24.4

In other words… ALMOST EXACTLY THE SAME. So there is absolutely zero evidence that booing makes him any better or worse. Basically, this is a non-argument.

What I find most interesting is that before Friday, since the last time he beat us at the buzzer, he’s actually been in a real funk at the ACC; here’s his stats from the past seven Nets games in Toronto before Friday, including the playoffs:

FG: 46-127 (36%)
3FG: 11-35 (31%)
FT: 29-45 (64%)
RPG: 6.3
APG: 4.4
PPG: 18.6

Those are significantly down, as you can see. But do I think the boos contributed to a bad stretch of games? Not at all. You can attribute that to the Raptors getting better as a team, and to New Jersey declining (note that the Raptors won 6 of those 7 games), and to Vince’s general indifference to playing hard every night.

Basically, what I’m saying is, I doubt the boos affect the guy at all, positively or negatively. We all saw Carter for long enough to know that sometimes, he just doesn’t bring it, and sometimes, he gets it going like no one else. There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to it - and it’s one of the main reasons we dislike the guy so much.

So don’t stop booing for Vince’s sake - I don’t imagine he cares at all. If you’re going to the game, and - like me - you enjoy having a villain to boo, then keep on booing. If you don’t enjoy it, then no one’s gonna force you! They’re your tickets, it’s your night out, enjoy it how you like.

The Raps play their first of four straight home games tonight against our old friends from New Jersey, the Nets. Of course, this isn’t your father’s New Jersey Nets team; in fact, there’s hardly anybody left from the hotly contested playoff series of 18 months ago.

Jason Kidd’s gone, Richard Jefferson’s gone, Nachbar, Collins, Moore, Williams, Krstic, Robinson… The only two left are Josh Boone (who’s hurt) and some ther guy, you may have heard of, named Vince Carter.

They’d added some nice young pieces in Devin Harris and Yi Jianlan, but they’ve filled out the roster with journeymen like Bobby Simmons, Keyon Dooling and Jarvis Hayes. Of course I call them journeymen but in their journeys, if I recall, each of them has had big games against the Raptors in the past…

Anyway, the focus of this New Jersey team is clearly Carter and Harris. Harris has been very impressive, averaging 23 points and 6 assists a night. He’s also averaging 11 free throw attempts per game! That’s, um, kind of insane for a point guard. And given that none of our point guards are exactly defensive stoppers, look for a lot of Harris going to the hole tonight.

As for Carter, well… I have to admit my hatred of the man has dulled to a slow-buring loathing. Don’t get me wrong, I’d still boo till I was hoarse if I were going to the game, but it’s just not the same anymore, now that New Jersey’s, well, kind of crappy.

I’m actually disappointed in the way this New Jersey team has gone into rebuilding mode, because with Carter playing the central villain, things were really lined up for a great rivalry. I blogged about this two years ago - that even though Carter was old news, that the team had moved on, that booing was maybe even immature - that Carter made a great villain, and villains make things interesting, so we should totally continue to boo him and hate him and build this thing up.

Rivalries are great, and of course, being a relatively “new” team, and being the only team in Canada, there aren’t any natural rivals for the Raptors. Two years ago, given that New Jersey had been successful for several years and the Raps were trying to get to their level, given Carter’s presence, given that the two teams are in the same division… it seemed as close to natural as we’d get. Then you get to the great playoff series in 2006-2007, and the rivalry seemed to be on.

When the Raps came out and completely obliterated the Nets in the second game of the regular season last year, I thought, “it’s definitely on, our guys showed it means something, and we got our revenge for the playoffs, let’s see how they respond.”

Well, they responded by trading Kidd, missing the playoffs, and going into full rebuilding mode. Given that they’re not very good right now and not a real playoff threat, and given that Carter’s tenure here is that much further in the past, this rivalry is pretty much dead.

I have to imagine that a lot of other people feel the same, and I have to imagine the booing - while still present - will be toned down a little tonight.

Unless Vince gets going. Then it’ll be back on in all its full-throated glory.

The Raptors should win this game. New Jersey is small, and I don’t see anyone on their roster that can slow down O’Neal or Bosh. Or even Bargnani, should he decide to show up tonight. Of course, Lawrence Frank proved two years ago that he can outcoach Sam Mitchell with a blindfold on, so you can bet he’ll have something cooked up to counter the big line-up, whether it be a zone or soft double or whatever.

I would like to believe that Wednesday’s game was a turning point for the Raps. I would like to believe that, three games in, the three-bigs experiment is a success. I would like to believe Anthony Parker is an offensive threat again. I would like to believe Sam Mitchell smacked some sense into Will Solomon in the past two days.

I would like to believe that the Raptors will win tonight, by 12 points.

(If it sounds like a less-than-confident prediction, it is. That’s how much Sam and Will Solomon have shaken my faith in this team.)

That’s what TJ Ford called it. Everyone else may have downplayed the notion. Everyone may have been saying there was no revenge factor involved after what happened in May. Everyone may have said it was just another game, #2 of 82.

I say: No way.

You have the believe the Raptors came in to New Jersey with pretty clear memories of what happened in New Jersey a few months ago. Heck, what’s happened in NJ over the past year and a half - six straight losses. You have to believe those memories inspired them as they laid an absolute beating on the Nets last night in Jersey, outscoring them 85-48 after the first quarter.

This was a game the Raps dominated in every way. They held both Jason Kidd and Vince Carter to single digits - combined! They outrebounded the supposedly bigger and stronger Nets by three. Shot 50%, and 60% from downtown. Just 100 per cent mastery.

Now, yes, it is only game two. And you know the Nets will now have revenge on their mind come February, the next time these two play.

But the Raptors exorcised a lot of demons tonight. They proved - to themselves at least - that they can win in this building. They proved that they can, in fact shut down two of the Big Three (Jefferson still scored 27 on 8-14). They proved they can build a lead - and keep it (unlike the other night against Philly). They also proved they can play some good defense; they packed it in inside, didn’t allow Magloire or Krstic to go off, kept Carter out of the paint and Kidd from sparking the transition game.

Carter, in fact, looked horrible. Out of shape and slow. It’s clear he’s still using his offseason training program of doing nothing, and working himself into shape. Either that or he’s hurt, although we know Vince Carter doesn’t play hurt.

The Raps offence really showed what it can do when it’s clicking. A 22-4 run in the second quarter to blow it open, followed by an 18-2 run to start the third, taking the Nets right out of the game. And after a lackluster showing in game one, the bench showed that it’s once again one of Toronto’s biggest strengths in this game. They outscored the NJ bench 29-3 in the first half!

Bargnani was awesome again, draining threes from everywhere, and hitting that nice turnaround in the lane. Much like the Sixers, the Nets just didn’t know how to handle him. Bosh was solid, going 5-7 in 27 minutes. Hopefully the limited minutes will pay off and he’ll be in game shape by the end of next week. His half-court heave was certainly memorable, a mirror image of the one he nailed on Washington last year. That’s always a great way to end a half, keeping momentum in your favour!

Delfino was fantastic this game, he seemed like he was all over the court. Dixon’s played well in the first two games as well; Kapono, meanwhile, still seems to be finding his rhythm. But I don’t mind him starting and Delfino coming off the bench - I like the energy he and Calderon bring to the second unit.

Of course, another great thing about beating the Nets is we get the surly Vince Carter post-game interview, where he tries to pretend that he both A) cares about the loss and B) that even though it’s the Raptors it doesn’t matter. Why doesn’t anyone ever admit that losing to their old team sucks? Well, whatever, I never get tired of the patented Vince Carter “I don’t care” shrug, at least not now that he’s on another team.

Ah, I’m basking. Nothing makes me happier than the Raps beating the Nets. A great win against an arch-rival, and a great confidence booster going into Sunday’s big matchup with the new-look Celtics!