Tonight the Raptors take their first trip to Indiana to take on TJ Ford and the Pacers. As I indicated the last time these two met, it’s pretty clear to say the trade has been a bit of a wash; neither team is better than they were before the trade. You could argue that, although the Pacers have the worse record, the Raptors had the higher expectations and thus appear to be worse… but either way, both teams have struggled.

Not that I’m saying the new players are to blame. It’s not O’Neal’s fault that the Raptors don’t have a wing player and it’s not TJ’s fault the Pacers can’t defend the paint. But both players have missed time due to injuries (big surprise) and probably haven’t had the impact their teams hoped they would.

But all that aside, these are a couple of teams that need to go on winning streaks, starting now, if they have any dream of getting back into the playoff race. The Raptors remain 3 full games back of Philly - who has won five straight - for the oh-so-coveted eighth playoff spot, and Indy is a game-and-a-half behind the Raps.

Suffice to say, these teams are running out of time.

Injury-wise, Toronto still doesn’t have Jose Calderon, and O’Neal, if he plays, is likely to come off the bench in limited minutes. Meanwhile, while Indiana finally appears to be healthy. Indiana got Mike Dunleavy back last week and he looks to be starting again; he’s averaged 15/5 since his return from a knee injury. TJ Ford is back after a back and a groin injury, and in a somewhat familiar turn of events… is no longer starting. Jarrett Jack has been getting the nod. How long will TJ sit still for this? Really, I wish I had been paying closer attention because I’d love to see if this plays out like it did last year with TJ and Jose.

With all their bodies, the Pacers are a fairly deep team and as we know, the Raps are thin when completely healthy. Give the Pacers a huge depth advantage here.

Up front, Bosh and Bargnani (and O’Neal, if he’s not too rusty) should still have an advantage over the Pacers front line. I love Rasho, obviously, but Troy Murphy is not a great defender and even though Jeff Foster always has great games against us, he shouldn’t be able to hang with our faster bigs. The key is gonna be for our guys to keep the Pacers off the glass. Murphy cleaned more glass than a maid in a house of mirrors last time these two teams played; we need to win that battle to stay in it.

I think Danny Granger had a terrible outing in the teams’ last meeting but I expect that to change tonight. His scoring is now over 26 a game. Who’s going to slow him down? No one but himself and the Raps can’t expect him to have another off day… but hoping he’ll toss up another dud is basically all we’ve got.

Frankly, I’m not looking forward to this game at all. I think the Pacers are gonna blow the Raptors away. Now that they’re healthy, their strengths - wing scoring from Granger and Dunleavy, scrappy rebounding from Murphy and Foster - are our exact weaknesses. We can’t guard the wing and we can’t rebound. That’s a regular disaster right there.

Pacers by 15.

Tags: Indiana Pacers, Jermaine O'Neal, TJ Ford, Toronto Raptors

That feels a little better, doesn’t it? I’d almost forgotten what it was like to see the Raptors win.

Now, obviously, you can’t put too much stock into beating the 7-win, last-place Pacers. But when you’re coming off five straight losses, any win will do and besides, beating the teams you’re “supposed to beat” is the first step to becoming a good team.

So I’d hardly call it a great win, but it’s a start.

Most important thing the Raptors did last night, in my mind, was hold the lead. We’ve seen them blow enough double-digit leads this year to never feel safe, but the Raptors actually won every quarter - first time all year they’ve done that. The Pacers made a few small runs but the Raptors never let anything get out of hand.

Coach Jay Triano - picking up his first win, congrats - has said that a defensive priority would be to pack in the middle, taking away drives and easy baskets and making opponents beat them from the outside. That strategy seemed to work last night; the Raptors tried to take away the paint any time Marquis Daniels and TJ Ford drove the lane, and the Pacers shooters couldn’t connect from long range on the kick-outs. Of course, the Pacers still scored 34 points in the paint, so there’s still some work to be done; and you can’t expect all teams to shoot as poorly from range as the Pacers did (7-25 from three). But, it appears there is a system in place, and it appears that the Raptors might be starting to “get it.” Let’s see if it carries over to the Jersey game…

Rebounding was again an issue last night; the Pacers pulled down 18 offensive boards, and outrebounded the Raps 52-47. Now, give that an asterisk because the Pacers only shot 35% and missed 62 shots - a lot more opportunities for offensive boards than the Raptors, who only missed 41 of their 81 shots. But Troy Murphy and Jeff Foster - as expected - were dominant on the glass, with a combined 32. The Raptors simply need to box out better. And that’s on everybody - I saw Bosh fail to box out, and I saw Ukic leak out too soon. Top to bottom, every single player on this team needs to improve their rebounding efforts. As they’ve proven already this season - all too often - you won’t get many wins if you don’t hit the glass.

While Murphy and Foster were bringing their usual scrappiness, I have to say, I was particularly unimpressed with Danny Granger last night. This is a guy I thought was making “the leap” this year. I thought he had taken his game to the next level with a nice mix of inside and outside stuff. But he started out settling for long jumpers, and when they weren’t dropping… he continued settling for long jumpers. I thought he’d mix it up, find another way to get into the groove, but he didn’t look at all interested in the game. In fact, he looked like Bosh has looked for the past two weeks - disinterested and unmotivated. If he’d bother to read a scouting report, he’d know Jamario Moon jumps on every head fake he sees, but only once did I see him use one. He still led the Pacers with 22, but he was only 9-25 from the field - and 3-11 from downtown - and had just two foul shots, and no assists or steals. Just an energy-less performance.

As for Bosh, well, he coasted a bit last night as he’s been doing, but I’m pretty sure I also saw some pick and rolls with him and Jose, where he got the ball at the elbow, face-up - that’s where I like to see him get it. I also saw a number of times where he fought for good post position but the Raptors didn’t get him the ball. Is it just me, or is this team terrible at making entry passes to the post? Still, when he did have the ball, Bosh had some drives and some jumpers (most straight-up, not fadeaways), and thankfully, no three-point attempts. All in all, a decent game, and hopefully, one that gets him back on track.

Now, obviously, the big story last night - aside from the win - was actual, real, tangible wing play. Don’t laugh, I’m serious! The Raptors got production from the 2 and 3 spots!

Moon started in place of Bargnani - I for one didn’t see that coming - and he played his best game of the season. 17 points on 7-12 shooting, with 8 rebounds and that monster put-back dunk that was probably a goaltend. I can’t believe how high Moon was on that play. Meanwhile, although Granger coasted most of the game, Moon deserves a little credit for Granger’s 9-25 - he was getting a hand up and not making the shots easy ones.

Now, it wasn’t all great; while Moon had a couple of drives, I did feel like he settled for too many jumpers on the night. For once they were going in but until he starts hitting the 15-20 footer consistently, I’ll be cringing every time he rises up.

Kapono, meanwhile, started for an injured Anthony Parker, and played HIS best game of the season. 11-16, 3-7 from downtown, and he really mixed it up with some runners and floaters. He also pulled down eight rebounds! Yes, Marquis Daniels beat him to the rack on several occasions (finishing with 21) but Kapono was… adequate on defense. Hey, as long as he’s outscoring his counterpart, he’s doing his job!

Finally, our man Joey Graham proved yet again who is the superior Graham, with 12 points and a number of aggressive drives to the hoop. Stephen, meanwhile, didn’t score and picked up two offensive fouls in 8 minutes of play. I’d like to see Joey get more rebounds - only 2 in 25 minutes - but he played smart, under control, aggressive ball, which is exactly what we need from him.

Finally, we come to the men of the hour, Jose Calderon and TJ Ford. Ford was a non-factor; really, there just isn’t much to say. 2-8, 4 points, 4 assists. Calderon wasn’t at his best either, but he was solid - 11 points, 14 assists, and the dagger three to seal the victory.

As for the other tradees, Jermaine O’Neal and Rasho Nesterovic, Jermaine had a quiet 10-9 while Rasho had an even quieter goose egg (with 3 boards).

On the night it looks like the Raptors won the trade but really, none of the four was a big factor in the outcome. It was mainly decided by the wings. Graham, Kapono and Moon finished 22-35 for 55 points, while Granger, Daniels and Brandon Rush combined were 19-50 for 49. It’s been a long, long time since our wings outplayed anyone else’s. Lots of room for improvement, but good job, fellas.

Of course, not every Raptor got lifted by the good vibes. Andrea Bargnani had possibly his worst game of the season, notching a big fat zero in the points column. Four shots, four rebounds, four fouls, three turnovers. Looked completely lost on offense, like he had no idea where to go or what to do. Some of it’s on the coaches, no doubt; please, somebody, define this kid’s role and find some way for him to contribute! I note that he didn’t get much an opportunity to showcase his improved D last night, as he was playing against Rasho and Foster who don’t look to score much. But four fouls and four boards indicate he wasn’t exactly at the top of his game. Just really, really, disappointed in him the past couple of weeks. I really thought his improved play earlier in the year meant he was going to start finally reaching that elusive potential. Well, shame on me for believing. He fooled us all again.

Thankfully, the Raps didn’t need him last night. But overall they do need him. If he keeps having games like that, the Raptors aren’t going to win many.

So, anyway, not a great win, but a win nonetheless. The Raptors needed it. Is it the start of something special? Has “The Turnaround” begun? We’ll find out on Friday. A road win - they haven’t had a quality road win since… well, I guess maybe since the very first game of the year, at Philly? They’ve also beaten Charlotte on the road, but it’s Charlotte, and Miami, but they came thisclose to blowing that one.

Anyway, a road win in Jersey - a measure of revenge - would go a long way to restoring a little more of my faith in this team.

Tags: Chris Bosh, Indiana Pacers, Jermaine O'Neal, TJ Ford, Toronto Raptors

TJ Ford, Jermaine O’Neal, big trade, first game, Ford-Jose, blah blah blah. We know all about that and I blogged about the reception I expect TJ will get before (a likely mixture of boos and cheers, when it should be, in my opinion, all cheers) and while it makes for nice drama, it doesn’t matter one damn bit tonight.

If both teams were playing well and in the thick of it, I’d love the added drama. But both teams need a win in a big way so I really don’t give a crap about the rest. Winning is all that matters.

And besides, we all know the real matchup we want to see is Stephen Graham vs. Joey Graham!!

Seriously, looking at these two teams, you have to think that realistically the Pacers are actually better on paper than the Raptors. They’ve got a good point guard (obviously), but also a solid back-up in Jarrett Jack. There’s Danny Granger, who’s blossoming into an all-star. They’ve got Troy Murphy and Jeff Foster, who are pests around the glass (and Murphy can shoot, too). They’ve got our old friend Rasho Nesterovic, still solid in the middle, with 10 points and 5.4 boards in 25 minutes. Somehow, Marquis Daniels has resurrected his career, to the tune of 16 points and 6 boards a game as the starting 2-guard. And, they’re still missing Mike Dunleavy with some kind of knee trouble.

In other words, they’ve surrounding their budding star, Granger - who is capable of creating his own shot - with actual NBA talent. Actual NBA talent that has beaten both the Lakers and Celtics, and took the Celts to overtime last game before losing on Sunday.

Meanwhile we’ve got three quality NBA players in Bosh, O’Neal, and Calderon, and they’re all struggling. None of them can create their own shot. And the rest of our roster is a mess. We’re on a five-game losing streak with a point differential of minus-20.

All right, all right, I’ll stop taking shots at the roster, it’s getting tired. It’s not good. We all know it.

No word yet on whether or not Jay Triano switches Bargnani out of the starting lineup; I wasn’t sure yesterday if this was the right move, but today - after watching Bargnani struggle to do anything productive even in garbage time - I’m pretty damn close to calling Joey Graham’s number. In fact I may have down so this morning but I was still kinda fuming from the game and not really in my right mind. Look at the numbers it seems clear that Joey’s earned it… But I still hesitate because we’ve all seen enough “bad Joey” to know this might be a huge mistake.

Still, anyone can see that Bargnani can’t guard threes. At least it’s Graham’s natural position. No one knows what the hell Bargnani is, but it’s becoming clear, it’s not a three.

And with Humphries still sidelined, doesn’t it make sense to keep Bargnani on the bench to back up JO and Bosh? I dunno… I fully understand the “play your best five guys” mindset… but it doesn’t appear to be working right now. How long do you stick with it?

Now, I know Triano is installing his new offense, and I like a lot of the movement that we see out of guys like Parker and Kapono. But you can’t forget the pick and roll. It shouldn’t be used every play, obviously, as it was earlier this year, but you can’t deny that Chris and Jose are effective out of it. So even though we need new things on offense, I’d still like to see those two in the pick and roll a few times a game. We need to get Chris going and the pick and roll is a way to do that. The play itself was never bad, but the amount we were using it was. So don’t throw the play away “just because.”

And when you consider that Murphy isn’t a great defender, Bosh should have an advantage there.

Rebounding continues to be an issue for the Raptors. I just don’t understand why they don’t box out. I know it’s “easy to say, harder to do” but come on… this is basic basketball, and you know, basic common sense - as Jack pointed out yesterday, a long shot from the left corner is likely going to bounce long right. So be prepared on that side! (Joey wasn’t in this case yesterday). And it’s not like we’re running a small lineup out there! Box out, for fuck’s sake.

I spoke earlier of “The Turnaround.” I’m capitalizing it now because it’s that important. We need something to swing our way, and we need it to last for a decent stretch, and we need it soon. Even a four wins/two losses stretch over the next six games would do, just to give the team - and its fans - some confidence.

If The Turnaround started against TJ and the Pacers, well, that would be just a little sweeter, wouldn’t it?

You know what, fuck the negativity. We may be down, but we’re not out, right? I still have faith in my team. Not much - I’m digging down low to get it - but it’s there. I believe in the Raptors. I believe they’ll come out fired up, because it’s the Pacers, and because they need a win and they know it. I believe they’re tired of losing. I believe they’re getting Triano’s system down and that it’s gonna start coming together.

I believe! The Turnaround starts tonight!

Raptors by 10.

Tags: Chris Bosh, Indiana Pacers, Jermaine O'Neal, Jose Calderon, TJ Ford, Toronto Raptors

So it seems the early word is that a number of Raps games (possibly as many as 23, though no confirmations yet) will be on the new “TSN2″ sports channel.

This channel can is currently only available on about half the cable providers in Canada, and only if you have a digital box.

I’m not going to go into a rant here - because I already ranted about this with the Raps games on Raptors TV two years ago. The same points stand - when you are building a market, you need to make your product available to as many people as possible and anything less is unacceptable. Actually this may be worse since I think most, if not all, cable networks could potentially get Raptors TV - although again you needed a digital box - and while it didn’t help in building the brand, it didn’t hurt the existing fans, most of whom would shell out for Raptors TV.

In this case, it doesn’t matter whether or not you are willing to shell out the extra dough for TSN2, if your cable provider doesn’t carry it, you’re outta luck.

And the worst thing of all - is that the station isn’t available on Rogers, the ONLY cable provider (unless you want satellite) in Toronto. Meaning the TORONTO Raptors have made the brilliant decision to suddenly remove games from the TV schedule in their own home town.

No, I’m not kidding. You’d think it was a joke, it’s such a boneheaded thing to do… but it’s not.

Just who the heck is making these decisions over there? Yikes.

Word is they’re working on getting it on Rogers, but why would Rogers care? The relatively small number of Raptors fans isn’t a blip to them. And even if they do, I doubt they’ll carry the HD version of the channel.

It’s an absolute disgrace that A) Rogers would not carry this channel; B) TSN would relegate the only NBA team in the entire country to some second-tier channel; and C) that MLSE would allow this to actually happen. I’m sorry, you don’t have some sort of power or words in the contract stating that the games can’t be relegated like this? You DEMAND that the games be shown nationally, ignoring whether or not most of the nation actually GETS the channel the games are on? Shame on all of you. You all suck, and I extend not one, but two, middle fingers at you all. And a nasty look. So there.

On TJ Ford
This originally started as a much longer piece but then it went on too long when a writer is getting bored writing something, you know it’s probably not very good. The point was I hope the crowd doesn’t boo TJ Ford when the Pacers come to town (Dec. 11 for those who want to know).

No, I didn’t like the way Ford handled things last year, and yes, I agree that Calderon is the better PG For this team.

But the thing is, Ford lost his job due to injury, when the unwritten sports rule is that you don’t lose your job to injury. He handled it poorly, sulking until he got his job back, although he never quit and always played hard (he just didn’t play the right way).

And then he was traded and it looks like both the Pacers and Raptors are (or at least should be) better for it.

So what is there to boo about? That he sulked for a half-dozen games? Come on. I don’t know about you, but I try not to lose sight of the fact that these guys are human beings too, and like all human beings, their emotions sometimes get the better of them. I don’t honestly think it would have made an ounce of difference either way in the final results of last season. Maybe they’d have won that game in March - was it against Orlando? - where he forced something like 8 shots in 11 possessions… but they still would have lost in round one. The problems with last year’s team ran much deeper than the Calderon/Ford debate.

Anyway, my point is, I think Ford is a good guy and a good player, and he’s worked his way back through a couple of serious injuries, was a major part of the second-most successful Raptors season ever (2006-2007) and he deservers better than boos. Not a standing O or anything, but at least the polite applause you give any respected opponent. So please don’t boo him.

PS Please still boo Vince Carter. And don’t ever stop.

On the election, or, “How to Waste $300 million in 60 days”
So, nothing changes except Stephane Dion is probably going to lose the Liberal leadership. Did we really need this election to tell us that? Heck, all we needed were the debates - where he could barely hold his own - to tell us he’d be a terrible leader. What was the point?

We have got to change the willy-nilly way we call elections here in Canada. Why can’t we stick to a regular schedule? At a time when the economy is struggling we just threw $300 million dollars away.

What a colossal waste.

On BC and Andrea Bargnani
I love how some people are ripping Bryan Colangelo for defending Andrea Bargnani, as if he’s got some blind devotion to him because he was Colangelo’s #1 pick, “Bryan’s guy.”

Because, apparently, it’s acceptable for a GM to rip his players in public.

Seriously. Do you ever, in a million years, think Colangelo is going to say “Yep, made a mistake with that Bargnani pick!” Of course not! He’s not an idiot - it’s clear, in hindsight, to anyone with eyes that Brandon Roy would have been perfect for this team and that LaMarcus Aldridge and Rudy Gay will likely have better careers than Bargnani. But BC isn’t going to admit that - he’d never throw one of his own players under the bus.

And it’s not because Bargnani is “Bryan’s guy.” It’s just because that’s the way a good GM operates.

It also doesn’t mean “Bryan won’t trade him because he’s Bryan’s guy.” Really, you think BC slagging Bargnani is going to make Bargnani valuable trade bait? All that does is decrease his value!

And hey, you know what, TJ Ford was a “Bryan’s guy” too - remember, he brought Ford in with the idea that this would be a Bosh-Ford-Bargnani triumvirate. Well that didn’t work so he swapped Ford for O’Neal and it’s now clearly a Bosh-Calderon-O’Neal triumvirate. If he was willing to trade Ford, he’ll be willing to trade Bargnani if the right deal comes along.

Colangelo has a brilliant basketball mind, and he knows more about basketball than me and every single Raptors fan out there. He’s smarter than all of us and if the opportunity arises, he’s pretty adept at turning negatives into positives.

On Stephon Marbury
He has a tattoo of his sneaker logo on his head. ‘Nuff said.

On the Wizards
Man, the Wiz caught a break that Antawn Jamison’s knee is OK. Imagine if they lost Gilbert Arenas, Brendon Haywood and Jamison? As it is, I think they’re in trouble - they could be in a big hole by January, when Arenas comes back, and even then, Haywood isn’t expected back for six months.

But let’s not forget that they were missing Arenas most of last year and still leapfrogged the Raps in the standings at the end - because Jamison is always solid and Caron Butler is really freakin’ good. You can never completely count a team out, no matter how many injuries they’ve got.

On the Tampa Bay Rays

Kudos to this good young team for making it to the big show. They’ve got a solid line-up that’s played well all season; they deserve it. But kudos also to the Sox for at least making it interesting! I checked the score Thursday night and it was 7-0. Turned off the TV and started reading.

Little while later I checked Sportacular on my iPhone. 7-4 now. Hmm.

Few minutes later, I check again. 7-6 in the bottom of eight! And since Sportacular is awesome enough to give me up-to-the minute details including count, I can see Coco Crisp is batting, with a runner on second, with a 3-2 count and two outs.

I could not turn the TV on fast enough! What a finish. It’s rare that I actually care about baseball but that finish, as well as game 6, were great. Game seven was a little less exciting - not enough scoring, too many runners stranded - but nevertheless, it was a good series.

I think Tampa’s got enough to win it - in six games.

Tags: Andrea Bargnani, MLSE, TJ Ford, Toronto Raptors, TSN2

That was an ugly game from start to finish. Missed dunks and layups, awful turnovers, brutal shooting, some curious calls… just ugly.

Much as I have been a TJ Ford supporter, I honestly believe he lost that game for them. OK, that’s not entirely fair, the game was lost because Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani are stinking the joint out. But TJ did blow their chance to win.

Let’s recall the two sequences before that three that he hit - on the offensive end, he missed a three from the corner (when they were down two). He was open, yes, but open enough that he could have taken the drive.

Then, back the other way, Kirilenko lost the ball out of bounds, with six on the shot clock. The Jazz inbound… and TJ turned his back and let Deron Williams score on a layup. A layup! I know Jerry Sloan is great at creating those inbound plays, but come on… it’s like Ford wasn’t even paying attention. And now they’re down four.

So yes, TJ hits the three, great shot, fine. But the final shot… I mean, whether he was “in the moment” or not… it took him three tries to just get open (and it was still contested by Okur, meaning he had to fade away). But that 10-11 seconds worth of time could have been used A) getting the quick two, or B) penetrating and kicking to an open shooter. Speaking of which… why didn’t they use their timeout there to get another three-point shooter on the floor? Maybe not Bargnani, who couldn’t throw it in the ocean at this point, but Kapono or Delfino? Is Bosh, Hump, Moon, Parker and TJ your best lineup when down three?

As I said yesterday, I didn’t expect them to win. I guess the disappointing thing is - much like the Boston game - I feel like they wasted a great effort from the defense (at least until the last couple of minutes when they couldn’t get a stop when they really needed it). The Jazz were averaging 111 points and shooting 50%… the Raps held them to 92 on 39%. Jamario Moon kept Andrei Kirilenko in check. Carlos Boozer struggled. Even Williams didn’t take advantage of his size as much as I expected. And even though Bosh, Bargnani, Ford and Calderon all shot the ball poorly (14 of 47!?! Ugh) and turned the ball over a ton (8)… they still had a chance, and the point guard, who’s supposed to be the best decision maker, makes a TERRIBLE decision… I mean at the end of the day, all you ask is for a chance to win… and when a guy blows it as badly as that… well, no other way to put it, that just plain sucks.So what the hell is wrong with Bargnani? His shot looks way off. I mean before, whenever he released it, I always thought it was going in. Now? It looks awful, and I don’t think anything has a chance to go in. As for Bosh… the guy gets to the line 30 times in two games, hitting 28… and he’s been there 4 times in the last two. When you know you can get the calls and you know you can hit the FTs… take it to the rack! Sigh. This “settling for jumpers” routine is starting to scare me, like “shades of Vince Carter” scare me…

I am happy about they way Anthony Parker is playing (especially since he’s on my fantasy team). I don’t know if it’s the new lineup or he’s just getting into form, but whatever, it’s good to see. And Kris Humphries’ contribution was huge (14 boards, 5 offensive!), and we’ll need that if Rasho Nesterovic misses any time with his sprained ankle.

Moon was great again; he’s really contributed in the last three games. If they kept a stat of “altered shots” he probably had like, 5; he probably added 5 more deflections too. If he can be consistent, his emergence will go a long way towards the Raps shortening the rotation to the 8 or 9 I want it to be (he essentially replaces anything Dixon, Graham and Garbo give you).

Anyway. Tough loss, but it wasn’t a “bad loss” like the Milwaukee game - they did enough on the defensive end to stay in it, and the things they did wrong - silly turnovers on fast breaks, forced shots - are easily corrected. I’m confident they’ll get the offense in sync… frankly, they have to. The defense isn’t good enough to have too many nights like this. More often that not, teams are gonna blow the Raptors away if they can’t hit shots.

Tags: Andrea Bargnani, Andrei Kirilenko, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Deron Williams, TJ Ford, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz

Tonight the Jazz come to town, with a 6-2 record… and riding a four-game winning streak.

It’s the start of a three-game home stand for the 4-3 Raps… who are merely 1-2 at the ACC this year.

Oh, and the Jazz have swept the season series the last two years.

So basically, it doesn’t look good for the Raptors tonight.

Still, all streaks end sometime and you know eventually the Raps will start winning on the home court. Overall the Jazz are averaging 111 points a game and shooting 50 % from the field… one has to assume that like a streak, those numbers have to come down too, right?

Could tonight be the night?

Utah is a tough matchup for Toronto’s offense at any time, let alone when the Jazz themselves are lighting it up on offense; at virtually every position, they are bigger and stronger. Even Mehmet Okur, their center who likes to bomb from long range, is an effective rebounder and big body. Carlos Boozer is the type of physical forward that gives Chris Bosh fits; Andrei Kirilenko can help on penetrators and close out on shooters with those long arms; they rebound the ball well; overall they’re just well disciplined, they rotate well, and they don’t make a lot of mental mistakes.

Defensively, I wouldn’t be surprised if Bosh and Rasho Nesterovic switched some, and and Rasho guards Boozer for stretches, and Bosh guards Okur. That might help keep Bosh fresh and out of foul trouble.

Deron Williams is turning into a great point guard. He’s definitely not as fast as TJ or as good a shooter as Calderon, but he’s got a knack for hitting big shots, and he’s got a big upper body that allows him to get into the lane and finish. Basically TJ and Jose are going to have their hands full.

Meanwhile there’s Kirilenko who, for all the drama surrounding him, is still a great help defender and rebounder, and he can shoot and slash; at a legit 6′9″, he’s a difficult matchup for whoever ends up starting at small forward for the Raptors - Kapono, Moon, I don’t know at this point.

The Jazz bench isn’t all that deep, but it’s nothing to scoff at. Second-year man Ronnie Brewer is starting, leaving shooters Gordon Giricek and Matt Harpring to come in firing off the pine. They’ve also got rebounding beast Paul Millsap and backup center Jaron Collins. Williams is backed up by Jason Hart, who frankly, should get eaten up by Calderon. I’d definitely give the Raptors bench the edge; in addition to Jose we’ve got shooters of our own in Bargnani and Kapono, and Delfino has been fantastic.

Still… I think the disciplined, physical game of the Jazz will wear the Raps down, and though they won’t run away with it, they’ll hold the Raptors off for a 12-point win.

Meanwhile… how about that Stephon Marbury? I mean if you had any doubts about the Knicks being the most dysfunctional team in sports, they had to have been obliterated by this latest mess, right? Well, whatever. What’s bad for the Knicks is good for the Raptors, as far as I’m concerned. I hate the Knicks.

Tags: Andrei Kirilenko, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Deron Williams, Stephon Marbury, TJ Ford, Toronto Raptors, Utah Jazz

Finally, a win! Seems like it’s been forever since New Jersey… the last week felt like about six months for Raptors fans.Last night’s win in Philly was a decent win, although the Raps sure made it harder than it should have been. They should have put the Sixers away! But they allowed them to hang around and then, with some untimely misses from the free throw line, almost gave it to them.

Thankfully, the Sixers added a big FT miss of their own and we got the win.

So last night was the first night with the switch back to Rasho Nesterovic in the starting lineup. While his contribution offensively was, um, non-existent (0 points in 12 minutes) he did have eight rebounds. I definitely think he made his presence felt on the defensive end, clogging the lane and altering shots.

And I don’t know if you can say for sure that Rasho starting had anything to do with it, but Chris Bosh finally had a breakout game. He was taking the ball strong to the hole on isolation plays, and getting to the free throw line, going14 of 16 on the night.

Most important of all may have been the play of Anthony Parker. He finally had a solid game from start to finish. He was hitting his shots, including a big three towards the end, and the rotation and release looked picture perfect.

Now, let’s talk about the final few minutes. With a small lead, the Raps basically allowed second-year player Louis Williams to take over the game. Now, granted, you’d rather have Louis Williams taking the big shots than Andre Igoudala or Kyle Korver (who had an awful game and is killing my fantasy team) or even Andre Miller. But here’s my problem… why in the hell are the refs protecting Louis Williams? He’s a second year guy who barely gets off the bench! Yet in the final minute he got a three-point play and a four point play opportunity! The four-point play was an egregiously awful call. He jumped right into Anthony Parker, who was actually leaning away from him to avoid contact… and Parker gets the foul. I thought the league was going to stop calling the plays when offensive players clearly jump into defenders? But even so, he still BARELY grazed Parker. Why was he sent to the line? Maybe you give Igoudala that call… but not Louis Williams.

Anyway, he missed the game-tying free throw, and that saved our skins… because Carlos Delfino went 1-4 in the final minute from the line! Sheesh. How does Delfino go 2-4 from three, and 1-4 at the line? I thought I might have a heart attack… anyway, Chris Bosh grabbed the offensive board on Delfino’s final miss, and that was that. Thank God.

The big surprise last night was definitely the play of Jamario Moon. The 27-year old rookie scored his first NBA points - on a dunk no less - and threw in 7 more, along with 8 rebounds and 2 steals. He definitely was an energizing factor for the Raptors… I don’t have the fast break numbers but it felt like they definitely had more fast break opportunities than they’ve been getting so far this year. Even more odd, he got Andrea Bargnani’s crunch time minutes!

Speaking of Bargnani… I’m not sure what’s going on with him. He went 3-8 last night, 2-4 from downtown. The problem seems to be his post up game. Basically, he doesn’t have one. Yet the Raps keep posting him up! Meanwhile, he’s knocking down threes with deadly accuracy, and opposing bigs don’t know how to guard him out there… why isn’t he running that screen and roll from the top and popping out. That’s the play he’s money on, why are they going away from it?

For his part, Bargnani needs to develop a back-to-the-basket dribble and dropstep. These are the basic post moves, the rest of the stuff can come later. But even when he’s got smaller players on him, he faces up - which allows them to swipe the ball. On three straight Bargnani post-ups last night, the results were turnover, miss, turnover. Meanwhile he hit 50% from three. Go with what works!

But back to Moon… anything they get from him, obviously, is a bonus. They took a gamble on signing him and it paid off last night.

Few other notes…

• The Raps got Sam Dalembert in early foul trouble, which was key. He missed almost the entire first half and only ended up playing 20 minutes; he didn’t control the paint the way he did in game one. The Raps also held Reggie Evans to 7 rebounds, something which I think having Rasho in the lineup helped with. It was a pretty intense, physical game, and the Raps actually held their own.
• The Sixers seem to basically play playground ball… they grab rebounds and run, and don’t really seem to have any plays in the halfcourt besides “Isolate Igoudala on the wing” and “point guard penetrates.” (Not that the Raps are running an offensive clinic, but still… young teams like that need some kinda structure.)
• Our two point guards continued their rock solid play. Combined: 25 points on 10-16 shooting, 12 assists, 3 steals and 4 turnovers.

All in all it was a tough, gritty contest that the Raps were able to grind out - these are the type of wins you sometimes need to help get everything back on track.

As for tonight’s contest in Chicago, I can’t figure out the Bulls… they have pretty much the exact same team as last year, except Joe Smith has replaced PJ Brown… other than that, they’re the same team that won 50 games. So what’s the problem? I’ll have to see them to get an idea. But let’s keep in mind they started slow last year (3-9 as I recall) before they came on, so don’t count them out yet. The prediction: Bulls by 9.

Tags: Andre Igoudala, Andrea Bargnani, Chicago Bulls, Chris Bosh, Jose Calderon, Phildelphia 76ers, TJ Ford, Toronto Raptors

So at what point do we officially push the panic button? Is it now?

No, I don’t think so. (Though I am dusting off said button and getting it ready.)

Yes, three straight losses is bad. Yes, the play of Bosh and Bargnani has been a concern. Yes, the lack of offense is disconcerting.

But… it’s still early in the season. Let’s not forget that - this is only game #5.

Granted, before the season, it looked like the Raps had an easy early schedule - I expected a 5-1 start heading into the Chicago game. That makes this stretch hard to stomach.

At least last night wasn’t one of the “bad” losses.

After an awful start in which the Raptors - like Tuesday - repeatedly failed to get back in transition, Sam Mitchell called a timeout and the Raptors finally seemed to get it - they finally started to actually run back down the floor. For the rest of the game, the Raptors played pretty solid defense; they were a little slow to rotate a couple of times on Keith Bogans and Hedo Turkoglu, but for the most part, they packed it inside well, doubled quickly and rotated well.

In fact I’d say they handled Dwight Howard pretty well, “limiting” him to 17 - but he never got in a rhythm. Lewis and Turkoglu hit some very impressive, very difficult shots, and Bogans, well… You kind of expect Lewis and even Turkoglu to get theirs, but Bogans? I didn’t think Keith Bogans was still in the league! And he killed us. Sigh.

When the Raps finally caught up, it was Jameer Nelson - the worst shooter on the floor and the one guy I don’t usually mind the Raps leaving open - who buried us with a three followed by a driving layup. Another Bogans three didn’t help either, and the Raps couldn’t hit a shot, and that was that.

That was pretty much the story of the night really - other than the sloppy D in the opening five minutes - the Raps’ inability to hit the shots they normally hit. In fact overall on offense, they didn’t look good; they weren’t moving the ball, weren’t getting the penetration they need to kick-start things… if it wasn’t for Dixon and Bosh simply deciding the go to the hole, they never would have gotten back into it.

For most of game, I felt like the Magic - who were moving the ball around the perimeter, working the drive and dish, passing out of double-teams to open shooters - were playing “Raptors basketball.” That kind of play is what the Raptors need - it’s what made them successful last season and in the first two games. For some reason they’ve gone away from it. As I said, Bosh and Dixon kept them in it last night, but at some point, you gotta hit some shots. This is a team built on shooting - they have got to work the offense to get good shots. And it’s not like it’s a complicated offense - it isn’t even really an offense, it’s just fundamental basketball. Swing the ball, hit the open man. The Raptors simoly have to start doing that.

The most upsetting thing last night - really, the last three games - has been the play of Jason Kapono and Anthony Parker: combined, 4-17, 11 points, 4 rebounds, 0 assists. And they each played 28+ minutes. Completely unacceptable contributions from the swingman positions, especially when you consider their opponents - Bogans and Lewis - went a combined 15-27 for 41 points, 13 boards, and 7 assists.

• As for bright Raptors spots…
• TJ and Jose continue to take care of the ball - only one turnover for TJ, zero for Jose last night.
• Bosh going 14-14 from the line.
• Bargnani driving the lane when the shot wasn’t dropping. (Though what was with the ticky-tack fouls he kept picking up in the post? Terrible calls. Let ‘em play, ref!)
• And how about Bargnani, getting back in transition after a turnover, altering a Keyon Dooling layup (forcing a miss), then running back down, and nailing an open three on the delayed break. That’s transition basketball! More, please
• Humphries’ energy. So, he got himself taken out by trying to take Howard on the baseline. Dumb play But other than that, he was hustling and crashing the boards… we need more of that, too.

So, tomorrow night in Philly. The Raps really, really need this one. Good teams simply don’t lose four in a row. They have some positives to take forward from this one - let’s hope they continue to get back on defense, and take the ball to the hole, especially when the shot’s not dropping.

Tags: Andrea Bargnani, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Jose Calderon, Orlando Magic, Rashard Lewis, TJ Ford, Toronto Raptors

Damn you, Ray Allen… Damn you.

Jesus Shuttlesworth came through in the clutch once again, and the Raptors fell to the Celtics yesterday.

What an ugly game that was, until about 3 minutes left in the fourth. The Raptors couldn’t hit a shot to save their lives, and the Celtics were turning the ball over on seemingly every other possession. It was sloppy and disjointed and not at all fun to watch, unless perhaps you were a fan of the 1990s Knicks and Heat. 38-31 at halftime? Yikes.

Ray Allen was the only player in the gym shooting the ball with any consistency; TJ Ford kept the Raptors in it only because Rajon Rondo couldn’t guard him to save his life. I’ll give Carlos Delfino some credit too for hitting some big second-quarter shots that kept the Celtics from pulling away.

Thankfully the Raptors offence finally woke up in the fourth, with Juan Dixon and Jason Kapono hitting huge shots to get the Raptors back in it. TJ then beat Rondo around a screen again for the tying bucket, sending the game into OT. He also hit a huge three in OT to tie it again, but then it was time for Allen’s heroics.

Now, I know they’re gonna let the guys play on the final shot, but you can’t tell me that screen that KG set on Anthony Parker was anywhere close to legal? He practically bear-hugged him! Yeah, I know, sour grapes on my part. But still.

Of course, the other thing that no one mentioned during yesterday’s broadcast… but there’s no way Boston wins that game if Doc Rivers is involved, right? No way does Doc draw up that pay for Allen. Heck, he probably would have left Garnett and Perkins in to foul out before OT anyway, or played Eddie House and Rondo together or something.

While the offense struggled, I have to admit the Raptors did play some solid defence in the game - though I have to question why they doubled KG all game long, then left Bosh (with five fouls) on him all alone in OT. Regardless, they packed it in tight all game, not allowing KG to go off inside or for Paul Pierce to get into the lane like he usually does. Allen’s hot hand from the outside was the only thing the Raptors couldn’t contain, but I don’t think anyone can contain Ray Allen when he’s shooting like that.

The Celtics also played decent defence, I have to admit. The Raptors had a lot of open looks, to be sure - open looks they usually hit - but the Celts rotated well, negating a lot of the advantage that the Raps’ ball movement usually generates, and they played solid interior D as well - Bosh and Bargnani were smothered anytime they got into the paint.

It does make me feel pretty good, though, that in a game where the Raptors couldn’t score, their defence was good enough to keep them in it. It also makes me feel good in a game where they shot a ton of bricks, they didn’t get outrebounded (each team finished with 42).

Couple other thoughts…

• CBC’s presentation was fine for their first Raptors game, although the cheesy into by George Strombolopolous was about two mintues too long and he was taking himself way too seriously. I did notice they used their standard scoredboard display, instead of the new, smaller, centre-of-the-screen scoreboard that The Score and RapsTV used (which I much prefer).
• The Celtics bench is incredibly thin. I’m shocked that they don’t have another PG on the roster. Rondo was fine on offense, but TJ played like Rondo wasn’t even there on defense, and when he went out with foul trouble… Eddie House took over? Sheesh. Up front, the Raps managed to get five fouls on both Kendrick Perkins and Garnett at one point, leaving Brian Scalabrine to guard Bosh, and Pierce to guard Bargnani. Too bad neither Raptors could shot the ball well enough to take advantage.
• How about Bosh’s five blocks? He’s averaging 3.3 over the first three games. Is that something he worked on in training camp?
• Joey Graham didn’t dress, and Jamario Moon was activated for the first time, though he didn’t play - neither did Kris Humphries, in fact, marking the first time this season the Raps didn’t play all 12 guys.

Well, a tough loss, but again, there were enough positives on the defensive end that the Raptors shouldn’t be hanging their heads after this one. Let’s not forget, everyone expected the Celtics to run away with the East, but the Raptors played one of their worst games in recent memory, and still took it to the final play. I’m pretty sure the Celtics aren’t forgetting the Raps anytime soon!

Tags: Boston Celtics, Chris Bosh, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, TJ Ford, Toronto Raptors

Statement game.

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!

Tags: Andrea Bargnani, Chris Bosh, Jason Kidd, New Jersey Nets, TJ Ford, Toronto Raptors, Vince Carter