SB Nation - Jose Calderon

Game #23: Toronto Raptors (11-15) vs. Miami Heat (11-11)

DolPhanDave — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 06:41:31 -0000

More photos » by Wilfredo Lee - AP

Yeah...this about sums it up

It isn't often that I don't watch a game. Even when I know the results, and sometimes those results aren't pretty, I'll still watch. This time, however, I wasn't upset that I forgot to set my DVR before heading north to Jacksonville for the Dolphins game.

I kept track of the game for a while on my cell, and even without actually seeing any live game action, two free throws and six turnovers in the first quarter told me all I needed to know. I saw (or read) about Memphis getting to the foul line 17 times before the Heat took their first foul shot, which came with just seconds left in the 1^st quarter.

I had a bad feeling before the game even started though, as I first logged onto Twitter and saw that the Heat's starting small forward was going to be Yakhouba Diawara. Where the hell did that move come from? Spoelstra said after the game that he went with Kooba because he wanted to keep Dorell Wright within his role as the first perimeter guy off the bench, which I can understand.

But we have guys like James Jones and Daequan Cook who could use the minutes much more then Diawara. I think they need to give Cook as many minutes as they can spare because the only way he is going to get better and get out of this funk is by playing through it.

I'm hoping that the Heat use this game as some serious motivation. Immediately following the embarrassing home loss there was a team meeting that was about thirty minutes long. When asked about what was said in the meeting, D-Wade said that he kept quiet and only listened.

Udonis Haslem wasn't as quiet; talking to his teammates about the lack of effort they've put fourth of late, as well as the teams poor record at home. Bet you didn't realize that the Heat were under .500 at home (6-7) and over .500 on the road (5-4).

Looking at tonight's opponent, the Raptors are coming off of one of their better defensive efforts of the season, holding the Houston Rockets to just 88 points on 37% shooting in a 13-point victory. Keep an eye on Chris Bosh, Heat fans. We all know how much Pat Riley loves this guy, and more then likely is going to go after him more then any other free agent.

That being the case, just imagine what it will be like having this amazingly talented and athletic big guy dominating the post area and moving guys around in the paint, creating all kinds of space and lanes for Dwyane Wade to maneuver and score. Yea, I know that its way to early to assume anything...but if Bosh has any kind of inkling about playing in Miami with his boy D-Wade, you better believe that Pat Riley will make it happen.

GAME NOTES

After going 2-2 on a tough west coast road trip, the Heat are 0-2 so far on their 6-game homestand.
Toronto gives up the 2^nd most points in the league, allowing 108.0 points/game but are 6^th in the league in scoring, putting up 104.0 points/game.
On the other hand, Miami is right smack dab in the middle of the pack at points given up, surrendering 98.6. They aren't as good offensively, ranked 22^nd in the association by putting up 97.0.
The Raptors are a perfect 8-0 this season when holding their opponent under 100 points.
The 37 points surrendered by the Heat in the 1^st quarter against Memphis on Sunday was the second most points given up in a quarter this season by Miami. The most? So glad you asked...it was the 43 points scored in the second quarter of the Heat's visit to Toronto on November 20^th.
I wouldn't expect to see Quentin Richardson back in the lineup yet. He is officially listed as doubtful with his strained right hamstring.
For Toronto, guard Jose Calderon (hip) and forward Reggie Evans (foot) are both out.

Tuesday night tipoff from the AAA is set for 7:30.

Tip-In: Toronto Raptors Post Game Report - A Little Athleticism Goes a Long Way

Raptors HQ - Vicious D — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:46:47 -0000

More photos » by Ron Turenne - NBAE/Getty Images

The HQ has loved Sonny Weems for a while, and so should you. Here's just one example of why.

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Defeating one of the better teams in the Western Conference, the Toronto Raptors snapped their two game losing streak. Vicious D talks about the win and gives us a look at the game that was.

The fans wanted Jarrett Jack to start. With Jose Calderon out, they got what they wanted.

The fans wanted more athleticism on the floor, especially with regards to Sonny Weems. With fewer options as Jarrett Jack would need to play a lot of minutes at the point, the fans indeed got more Weems as well.

The fans wanted "the Legend" to get some burn. With the Rockets having few lumbering big men, Pops Mensah-Bonsu came into the game and showed the Rockets what they had let go.

Now that's not to say that every single opinion of every fan should be taken as the truth, but there's a reason why the Toronto Raptors took down a very capable Houston Rockets team 101-88 for their first Sunday win of the season. Jay Triano deserves quite a bit of credit for finally giving some burn to players we've clamored for all season, and Triano even went so far to start the second quarter without a single starter on the floor. As a result, the Raps were covering each other on defense, racking up nine blocks for the entire game. It was impressive seeing both Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Amir Johnson help each other out of jams with their tenacious defense. Both energized the crowd throughout the game with their tenacity and grit to get rebounds and to protect the Raptors' paint.

On the other end of the court, Sonny Weems gave the Raptors a fairly impressive boost from the bench. Scoring with drives and his jump shot, Weems managed to put up 11 points off the pine, a nice boost during the times when the Raptors offense stalled. Chris Bosh put in a fairly quiet 27 points leading all scorers, but the best player on the court yesterday had to be Jarrett Jack. Taking the ball inside and out, distributing effectively to his teammates, sticking his nose into the crowd to get rebounds, almost sitting on players in order to "defend" them, and even coming to the defense of teammates, Jack showed the heart that was sorely needed in the absence of Jose Calderon.

Sticking up for DeMar DeRozan after Trevor Ariza took a swing at the rookie, Jarrett Jack immediately stepped into Ariza and proceeded to defend the rook. All over the ACC, everyone was applauding the move as the Raptors have been too soft and too slow in the past to take such actions. It is this kind of heart that Jack has shown that has made him another leader in this team so far in this young season, something again, that this team sorely needs.

On the Rocket's end, you never really felt that the Raptors had complete control of the game as Houston managed to keep hanging around. And a late run brought Toronto's lead down to single digits. However with Ariza away from the game, the Raptors kept defensive pressure on the Rockets perimeter while making some key baskets down the stretch. Carl Landry and Luis Scola were both having their way in the paint, but beyond that, Houston just didn't get that many opportunities, especially on the break. Other than Aaron Brooks, who had 20 points, the rest of the Rockets team couldn't crack the 10 point plateau. The fatigue argument could be made for Houston but you still have to hand it to Toronto's defense on the afternoon.

With the next two games being their annual back-to-back trip to Miami and Orlando, the Dinos will need to sustain the effort that they put into yesterday's game. We've already seen that this Raptors team can overcome their defensive stigma if they only work on it a little and if the right personnel are given a chance. We are almost halfway through December and it's time that Jay Triano sticks with what works. Certain players have consistently shown a propensity to change the tempo of the game even when the starters sometimes have shown a lack of initiative.

So enough with the "set line-ups."

As the team draws near the trimester mark of the season, It's time they go with what works best in terms of playing time, even if this means injuring a few egos along the way.

After all, Bryan Colangelo talked about 50 wins to start the season.

With yesterday being only win number 11, this team still has a long ways to go but provided they can get near that 50 mark, I'm pretty sure both management and the fans won't care what line-ups help reach that plateau.

Game 23 Preview: Houston Rockets at Toronto Raptors 11:30AM CST

UofTOrange — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:12:30 -0000

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

5 days ago: Philadelphia 76ers' Samuel Dalembert, center, tries to hang onto a loose ball under pressure from Houston Rockets' Carl Landry, left, and Aaron Brooks in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Dec. 11, 2009, in Philadelphia. Houston won 96-91. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Point Guard
Aaron Brooks - He's like good and stuff. I wish he would attack the basket with fury every single night, but for a guy his size, not named Iverson, that's probably not as good of an idea as it sounds in my head. Either way, Aaron has taken a huge step forward, he's clearly a top 10 point guard right now, right? Can anyone name 10 better?
vs.
Jarrett Jack - I was surprised to find out that Jack has only been in the league for 4 years. I swear it feels like decades ago that he was with Portland. Good basketball player that really is a 6^th or 7^th man. He has a long career ahead of him in that role. Starting in the NBA is only a stop gap measure for a team though.
Edge: Rockets

Shooting Guard
Trevor Ariza - His shooting has picked up a quite a bit in the last 5 games and shot selection has a lot to do with it. Of course only playing one good defense, and having his worst shooting night of the five against Portland, has helped. Sometimes the NBA is all about momentum and I think this recent stretch can go a long way towards Trevor's confidence.
vs.
DeMar DeRozan - I like this kid. He was a good player at USC and while he's somewhat raw it may be exactly what the Raptors need. He's a strong attacker and finisher and he's energetic. Like most young players his shot leaves a lot to be desired, but that will come if he's willing to work hard.
Edge: Rockets

Small Forward
Shane Battier - Another season, another great season long effort by Battier. Every single team in the NBA would put him in their starting lineup no matter what it meant to other guys they have on the team. I think I can say that with supreme confidence.
vs.
Hedo Turkoglu - For Portland fans I'm ecstatic that this signing didn't work for them. For Raptors fans, I honestly thought it would be working out better right now. Not because Hedo is a superstar, he's simply a really good basketball player, but because there isn't a lot to take away from his taking another step. I don't know what has been happening with him, maybe it's the style of ball they are playing, but that 9MM contract is looking horrible right now
Edge: Rockets - Yes Hedo scores more but Battier's effect on the game is infinitely more.

Power Forward
Luis Scola -
vs.
Chris Bosh - With Calderon out, Bosh is the only guy on the Raptors that has the ability to scare you night in and night out. I am not in any way a fan of the Rockets signing him in the off season. He makes a team better, but not in max dollars ways. And the Rockets have two PFs that could be here for the next 4-5 years together pretty easily. And under no circumstances is Bosh a better center than even a hobbled Yao.
Edge: Raptors

Center
Chuck Hayes - Chuck has done his job for the most part all season. He has defended everyone that he has been asked to with heart and determination. Early in the season he seemed to take on the need for scoring, and has since realized it isn't necessary. Though part of me wishes he would go back to that same effort on the offensive end to score.
vs.
Andrea Bargnani - Shows sparkles all of the time, but never seems to truly break out. For Raptors fans, some of the best, and oddest, in the NBA I wish them more from him. Considering he makes 6.5MM, he's actually a heck of a basketball bargain at 16 and 6 a night.
Edge: Raptors

Injuries/Suspensions
Houston Rockets
OUT - Tracy McGrady
Toronto Raptors
OUT - Jose Calderon

My Prediction: Rockets build a lead early, keep it up most of the game, Raptors go on a run in the late third or early fourth and the Rockets pull back away to win by 8-14

3 In the Key: Toronto Raptors Game Day Preview vs. Houston

Raptors HQ - Vicious D — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:47:24 -0000

More photos » by Chris Young - AP

The Raptors are going to need a lot of this kind of play if they hope to keep pace with an extremely balanced Rockets team.

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Vicious D looks at today's game and is quite envious of the Houston Rockets who are extremely good despite not having their two best players. The Raptors will be in it tough today if they don't play like a team.

Oh hey.

If the last two Raptors games gave you a migraine, I don't blame you. I'm starting to think I'm a sadist as this will be the third game that I'll be attending in this young year. In all honesty, I usually make it a rule to go to games in the second half of the season after the Christmas break, just to make sure the team has started to hit their stride. The Raptors, after having a flash of "let's play defense" for two games against weaker opponents, have now lost against two fairly good teams who have exposed the Raptors' "improved defense" for what it is: a paper tiger.

Now you might say, "ok, the Raptors were down Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani as both weren't 100%". Ok, but our opponents today are the Houston Rockets. They're a team that has been arguably down at least one of their two best players for what seems like an eternity, and yet, they remain competitive, focused to win, and have depth in spades.

So much so that they could even cast off Pops Mensah-Bonsu without even batting an eye.

However, it's not like we were all gun-ho about all the moves that were made. It was back in the middle of the summer when most of the Raptors' Nation was in awe of Colangelo's Great Canadian Raptors Makeover Part Deux. Bryan Colangelo decided to let Pops walk, go for Hedo Turkoglu, fill his rosters with a coveted European and signed Jarrett Jack. At this point, while most of the Raptors nation was marveling at the moves, Franchise and Howland were both grumbling. We had one of our Raptors HQ meetings where I posed the situation and question:

Bryan Colangelo for all his flaws, has always been a good GM because he's left himself flexibility to get out from players that have underperformed. He's always seemed to have expiring contracts that he could trade away and get something back for. Now let's say this team is merely good at best, and at worst, terrible. Who can he trade away and change? Besides Chris Bosh, just about everyone is locked up for the next 3-4 years at least. That's starting and backup point guard, starting small forward, starting center. That doesn't exactly allow you make changes if you need to.

And so here we are, a team that will need to play extremely hard just to get a mediocre defensive effort. A team that has to rely on a high powered offense, which by the way, isn't all that high powered having lost in every good ol' fashioned shootout with just about every team out there this young season.

Yup, that almost just screams at Chris Bosh to stay.

But back to Houston. The Rockets are a team that have managed to stay relatively consistent thanks to some veteran leaders, some smart drafting, and keeping their roster full of athletes who have good basketball IQ. In fact, you could even argue that the Rockets are a much more dangerous team without T-Mac than with. Coming into today's game having won two in a row, having beaten both L.A. and Cleveland, the Rockets are a team that wins thanks to true balance throughout their roster. They are the well-oiled machine to the Raptors' own greasy mess, so our boys will have a tough time. To keep things competitive so that we can see a rare Sunday win, the Raptors will need to:

1) Minimalize the Loss of Calderon
Everyone's taken shots at the Spaniard this year. I've always defended Calderon over the years for his abilities, and he's been one of the players on this team who actually stands up for himself and his team. Those who wanted Jarrett Jack to start will now have a healthy dose of Jack for a while. The question is just how the bench will respond. We've long proposed to have a lot more Belinelli instead of Banks since he's comfortable with the ball and quick enough to defend against most point guards, but the trickle down effect should also mean that Sonny Weems will get more play time.

On the other hand, a lot of people have mentioned that this will maybe give Turkoglu more minutes handling the ball, but I'm not convinced that the reason the Turk has struggled has been because he doesn't have the ball enough. In any case, the Raptors have lost a leader, a guy who has been a fairly good shooter, and one of the hearts of this edition of the Raptors.

How the Raptors will overcome that will need to start today.

2) Team Play
The only way the Raptors will play good defense against the Rockets is if they communicate and act like a team. One of the reasons for the Rockets' success is that different players have stepped up over the course of the season to make big plays. The tough part about playing a team like the Rockets is that anyone can be a potential threat. So the Raptors will need to be organized on defense, they'll need players to have personal responsibility while they're defending their man, and they'll need to communicate. Otherwise, the Rockets will find that one or two weak spots and the whole defensive scheme will fall apart.

3) No Sleep For the Bench
In Friday's game against Philadelphia, the Rockets had six players in double figures. Their top scorer? Carl Landry off the bench. The Rockets are a team that are unabashed about playing their bench. With players who can get double digit nights when needed, and consistent rebounding that doesn't seem to drop off, the Rockets' bench has always seemed to be an X-Factor. Kyle Lowry and Chase Budinger are both ready to come in and steady the shop along with Landry when the starters aren't getting it done. It's allowed this Rocket team to weather storms and pull out some close victories.

Outside of last Saturday's win, the Raptors have lost on every single weekend game so far this season. This win won't be easy to come by, especially since the Raptors will need to make adjustments to compensate for the injured Calderon. But the Raptors have traditionally been fairly strong against the Rockets at home. Here's hoping the Raptors figure it out and manage to pull out a much needed quality win.

Tip-In: Toronto Raptors Post-Game Report - Fool's Gold

RaptorsHQ - Franchise — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:33:03 -0000

More photos » by Chris Young - AP

Story of the night for Toronto; one Atlanta player out-working and out-leaping three Raptors...

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Franchise has seen enough. After a second straight lopsided loss to the Hawks, it's clear that this team needs some major changes if they hope to return to the post-season...

Last year after the season had concluded, I wrote a piece asking if the Raptors were really as good as the Hawks , who last year had sewn up a fourth place position in the playoffs.

After all, when Bryan Colangelo spoke to the media at season's end, he stated that he felt last year's Raptors' club should have been on par with teams like Atlanta, fighting for one of the 4 to 8 seeds in the East.

While a 111 to 89 loss wasn't a throttling on the same level as the last time these clubs met, last night's loss to Atlanta was further proof of just how far this Dino team has to go to be on par with the Hawks. I said it last night and I'll say it again; the Raptors could take on the Hawks 10 times this season and I'm completely convinced they'd get throttled each and every time; this is just a nightmare match-up for Toronto between Atlanta's advanced talent and superior athleticism.

However that alone doesn't explain yet another lackluster effort by the Raps in a short season already full of them. While Toronto kept things close in the first quarter, they were unable to get much help from their bench (outscored 55 to 31 by the Hawks last night) and once again, the game was essentially over by halftime.

Last night's loss ran Toronto's record to 3 and 15 when they allow opponents to score 100 or more points. (Their record is 7-0 when holding teams below that 100 point plateau.)

The defence isn't there, and hasn't been all season really, and now even the offence is floundering. Toronto for the second straight game barely extended their "3-pointers made" streak, and in fact took only 10 long-range bombs last night. Simply put, this team is not nearly athletic or aggressive enough to score without a heavy dose of 3-point shooting so 10 on a night is not going to cut it.

And that three-game winning streak from last week sure looks hollow now doesn't it?

The club beat up on a terrible Bulls' team, lucked-out of an OT loss to Washington after Gilbert Arenas blew a game-winning lay-up, and barely beat a 3 and 20 Minnesota club.

And now, with a slew of tough games on the horizon, it's possible that win number 11 doesn't come until next Friday against the Nets.

The frustrating thing from my perspective, is the effort first and foremost.

It just ain't there.

I've been a Triano backer all season but it's getting pretty hard to defend him and his staff. I mean, last night marked the ninth time already this season that the Raps have been beaten by 13 or more points! I was never a big Sam Mitchell fan but it was pretty hard to argue with the effort he got out of his club on a nightly basis. Even in the Mike James era on a club devoid of talent, at least you knew you were getting a max effort each and every time the team stepped on the floor. The team scrapped and clawed on every possession and ended up upending some teams despite relying on a journeyman chucker at the 1, Chris Bosh...and Rafael Araujo. There's no arguing that this team is a lot more talented, however they don't have the fight previous incarnations of the Raps had.

That's a pretty strong statement in itself considering that it's been years since one could refer to Toronto as being a "tough" team.

At some point, and soon, something needs to be done here as it's pretty obvious that even after the vaunted "closed door meeting" the team had recently, some things haven't been fixed.

Unfortunately, aside from moving some starters around (which now seems a sure thing at least at the 1; Jose Calderon re-injured himself last night and while I have no idea why he played at all last night, he's likely to miss a big chunk of time), I'm not sure what else can be done. The problems start with this team's composition and the players themselves, and a coaching change or line-up swap is again only a band-aid solution.

The reality in my books is that once again Bryan Colangelo has put together a team in his own image; flashy on the outside but hollow beyond that. Sure, the offence looks nice most of the time, but that's all for naught if the defence is beyond paper-thin, the effort isn't there every night, and the team wilts at the slightest challenge. The Raptors shot over 55 per cent from the field in the first quarter last night, but again were still behind on the scoreboard. That's simply absurd, but a defining statement about this club, who again fell to pieces as soon as Atlanta made their second quarter push.

That's why it still blows my mind that Toronto thought maxing out on Hedo Turkoglu was a good idea. The team is already chalk-full of players in his ilk; ones who can do a bit of everything, but who can't take over games when need be or defend and get stops.

In many ways he's the perfect Bryan Colangelo player, a fool's gold specimen if you will. 12 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists with a block looks beautiful on paper (or on your fantasy team), but again this came in a very lopsided loss, one in which he barely had an impact.

He's not alone in this boat though as we're 25 games into the season and this team still has no identity. The team has been outplayed badly in over a third of the games they've played, and risk running their lone bright spot right out of town.

Something's gotta give here.

Unfortunately, I'm just not sure what BC can do to get out of the corner he's boxed himself into.

Raptors Rapid Recap - Toronto 95 Milwaukee 117

RaptorsHQ - Howland — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 03:37:09 -0000

- The Raps were short both Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani on this evening but even without two starters it is hard to defend what went on against Milwaukee. The Raptors, outside of Bosh, played with little intensity and the team couldn't continue their recent winning ways.

- Old habits die hard. The Raps allowed the Bucks to get open looks by getting into the paint and the defensive rotations were late more often than not. The Raps did a solid job making the likes of Luke Ridnour and Roko Ukic look good.

- Give credit where credit is due however. The Bucks played a great game. Their ball movement was more than commendable, the played some hard-nosed defense and the hit shots down the stretch. They also got a terrific performance from Brandon Jennings who is the real deal.

- Should we send out a search party for Hedo Turkoglu? The Raps needed someone to step-up tonight and help Bosh and one would think that the guy getting paid mad loot would be up to the task. Not so. Hedo was all but invisible in this game yet was smiling and hugging it out with the Bucks after the game. Good one.

- Bad loss. These are the opponents the Raps have to beat. They will be fighting with the Bucks for the lower playoff positions when it is all said and done.

Tip-In: Toronto Raptors Post Game Report - A Beautifully Ugly Win

RaptorsHQ - Franchise — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:41:33 -0000

More photos » by FRANK GUNN - AP

Hedo Turkoglu couldn't get it going from outside, but helped lead the charge to the free-throw line last night for Toronto; a crucial point in the Raptors' win.

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It wasn't pretty, but the Toronto Raptors got the win they needed in a 94 to 88 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves last night. Franchise breaks it down and tees up tonight's match against the Milwaukee Bucks...

If you missed last night's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, give yourself a round of applause.

If you stuck around and either watched the game live on TV or in person at the Air Canada Center, I hope you managed to grab a drink or two...

The Raps grinded out a 94 to 88 victory yesterday evening in a game that is probably best summed up Clint Eastwood style; the good, the bad, and the ugly:

-The Good:

Let's start with the most positive thing about last night's performance, Toronto in the end got the win. As one of our readers described it yesterday evening, this was the perfect "trap game;" a sure-fire win on paper that hardly played out the same way in reality. While the T-Wolves are lacking in talent, they don't take a possession off and fought this one down to the wire. I found the game quite similar to the Raps' second game of the season against a stubborn Memphis team, only this time, Toronto put in the necessary effort to ensure the match didn't end up in a loss.

This effort was especially apparent on the defensive end where Toronto did a fairly good job for the third straight game as well. We're not talking lock-down D here, but not all of Minny's 38 per cent shooting on the night was due to poor shot selection and simple misses. The Dinos dug in and got some key stops, especially down the stretch.

On the individual plus side, Jarrett Jack did a reasonable job replacing Jose Calderon, who sat out this game with a sore left hip, and Chris Bosh, despite missing practice earlier with a cold, threw down a workman-like 21 points and 16 rebounds.

Outside of the win itself though, the biggest plus for me was the number 48; as in the number of free-throws the Raps attempted on the night. In past years (and even past games this season it could be argued) Toronto has stubbornly continued to hoist up jumpers even when they weren't falling, neglecting one of their biggest strengths; free-throw shooting. Last night however, especially late in the game, players like Hedo Turkoglu and Jack were relentless going to the whole and considering Minnesota as a team only took 23 foul shots, this was the difference maker in the win.

-The Bad:

Outside of Bosh and maybe Jack, it sure is hard to give any other individual kudos on the night. Andrea Bargnani had some key rebounds but again struggled offensively going 6 of 18. And despite getting to the line 12 times, Hedo Turkoglu was a horrific 2 of 11 including 0 for 5 on 3-pointers.

And let's not even get into Toronto's bench, which was a combined 3 of 16 from the field chipping in a measly 10 points in 64 minutes of action.

Finally, while some may put the fact that Toronto extended its NBA record 3-point streak in the "Good" section of this recap, I'm placing it firmly in here. Andrea Bargnani dropped in a long-range bomb with about 5 minutes left to keep the streak alive but this topic became way too prevalent in a game that simply needed to be won, 3-pointers or no 3-pointers. Yes, it's an impressive streak and if the Raps can keep it up, great stuff. However at some points last night it looked like the Dinos were chucking them up just to keep the streak going, not because the 3-pointers were in the flow of the offense or necessary to get the W.

-The Ugly:

This was indeed a case of "winning ugly" as Toronto shot only 9.5 per cent from 3-point range and 32 per cent from the field. Jay Triano described it as a "lid on the basket" post-game and he was absolutely right - the Raps just couldn't buy a basket. If you're into stats, check the box score from this one because there are some hideous metrics indeed.

One stat that really stood out for me was Toronto's 14 assists on the night, a number that has to be close to a season low if not a season low. While I felt that Jarrett Jack did a good job overall (17 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists), the team really missed Jose Calderon's offensive leadership. The ball just didn't move at times and it seemed that there were more desperation heaves with the shot-clock winding down then there have been all season. This would account for some of the poor shooting numbers on the night and if Toronto wants any sort of shot at beating Milwaukee tonight, they need to get that offense running on all cylinders again.

And with the Bucks on the docket tonight, that brings us to our first key:

1) Offense vs. Defense:

Milwaukee is one of the least efficient teams in the league in terms of offense, but is one of the best defensively. They are holding opponents to 98 points a night on average, and force opponents into 17 turnovers a game on average, third best in the league.

Essentially, they are a bit of a mirror image of the Raps.

Therefore if Toronto struggles on O like they did last night, this one could be over quickly.

The Raps need to come out aggressive and attack from inside to out with Bosh leading the charge. If they can get some easy looks on the interior, or get to the free-throw line early, this should open things up on the perimeter.

Back-to-back scenarios have not been kind to the Dinos this season and considering TO's offensive woes last night, it's the latter point that's especially crucial this evening. Hopefully Jay Triano emphasizes it and we see players like DeMar DeRozan, Jarrett Jack and Chris Bosh going to the rim with abandon all night if the jumpers aren't clicking.

2) Point Guard Play:

The Dinos need to do a much better job tonight of running their offence and this falls not only on Jarrett Jack if Jose Calderon sits again, but also on the likes of Hedo Turkoglu and gasp...Marcus Banks. Banks hardly won over many fans with his play last night but hopefully this evening he can provide a bit more boost in terms of running the O. Banks' play had many of our readers last night clamoring for Marco Belinelli and I'd have to agree; while the Mad Bomber hasn't been able to get his offence going consistently of late, he's a terrific playmaker and perhaps some shot-creation duties will in turn help his shot-making abilities.

Outside of the match-up at center pitting a reborn Andrew Bogut (nearly averaging a double-double a game this year) against a struggling Andrea Bargnani, it's this positional match-up that I'll be keeping the closest eye on. Rookie Brandon Jennings hasn't been as unstoppable as he was earlier in the season but make no mistake about it, he and backcourt mate Luke Ridnour form a perfect PG combo and could give Toronto fits. Ridnour injured his left arm last night and did not return so he may not play tonight, but regardless, Jack and co. will need to keep Jennings and his penetration skills at bay as much as possible.

3) Sustained Effort:

A final quick point here; as much as last night's game was tough on the eyes, it was a strangely satisfying win because Toronto pushed through a poor-shooting game and did the little things necessary to eke out a victory. I've spoken at length this season about doing "the little things" and the past three games have been major steps forward in this area.

Tonight Toronto faces a Scott Skiles led club that specializes in "doing the little things" and if the Raps fail to execute or bring a sustained effort level throughout, the Bucks will certainly capitalize. The last three wins have been nice in terms of evening out the team's won-loss record, but tonight's match and the ones that follow this week should really go a long ways in showing fans if indeed this team is back on the right track.

Raptors Rapid Recap: Washington 106 - Toronto 102

RaptorsHQ - Franchise — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:16:33 -0000

-In what many considered a must-win game, Toronto fell yet again, this time 106 to 102 to the Washington Wizards despite big offensive games from Chris Bosh, Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani.

-The Wizards got good offensive production from their big 3, and a bigger boost from role players like Brendan Haywood (15 points, 9 boards and 3 blocks) and Earl Boykins (8 points and 5 assists.) This was one of the key differences in the end as outside of Jarrett Jack (18 points), the rest of the Raptors' bench was very quiet offensively, and as usual, the defence didn't exactly hold up.

-The goat of the evening was Mr. Turkoglu. With the ball in his hands down the stretch in a very close game he came up well short...

...unless you want to count his buzzer-beater which got the ACC fans their pizza.

Even in other key moments he failed to make necessary stops on D, or good decisions with the ball. His stat-line looked ok (13 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists) - but the Raps aren't paying Hedo $55 Million to fill the stat sheet - this team expected him to help deliver wins.

-Speaking of which, suddenly the w's look hard to come by. Tomorrow night the Raps face a tough test against the Atlanta Hawks, then later this week, it's Washington again before taking on the Bulls on the second night of a back-to-back.

3 In the Key - Toronto Raptors Game Day Preview vs. Boston

RaptorsHQ - Howland — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:00:15 -0000

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

These guys know what playing defense is all about. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Browse more photos »

After an embarrassing performance against the Charlotte Bobcats fans and media alike have had the opportunity to vent and discuss. It was a terrible performance but as they say in the business - "The Show Must Go On!"

Up next for the Raps...the Boston Celtics.

Remember when the Raps beat the Cavaliers on opening night? Remember the optimism? The positive vibes?

Well after Wednesday's game and the comments posted here, I think it's fair to say that optimism as left the building!

But hey, there's no better way to rebound from that performance than face the Atlantic Division leading Boston Celtics right?

Ugh.

Rather than harp on all the negatives and the unlikelihood of the Raps securing a win, let me focus on some of the things in the Raps favour.

First, despite the strong record the Celtics are just 6-4 in their last ten and three of their losses have come on their home court. Second, there have to be some holes in the roster if the team expresses interest in signing Allen Iverson before he retired. Third, Kevin Garnett just doesn't look like the Kevin Garnett of old.

All is not peaches and cream in Beantown. To get the down and dirty on the Celtics we reached out to Jeff @ Celticsblog for the traditional Friday Blogging With the Enemy segment.

HQ - The Celtics are off to a solid start but outside of the Cleveland game have suffered losses when matched up against the best in the East (Atlanta and Orlando). Is this a cause for concern? Do you think this team is as good as the one that hoisted the Larry O'Brien trophy? If not, why not?

Jeff - Of course there's cause for concern. In fact, there's panic and rioting in the streets as we speak. Well, not quite yet, but this is Boston after all, so expect it any time now. Only time will tell if this team is in a slump or if the window is closing on the aging veterans. I think they can and will recover but I'm not ruling out the possibility that this team is getting flat out old.

HQ - The big acquisition for the Celtics in the off-season was Rasheed. How has he fit into what the Celtics are trying to do?

Jeff - Sheed is fitting in just fine but he's in a massive shooting slump, which kind of offsets the good he's doing. Hopefully the law of averages will even out and he'll start hitting some shots for us. Till that happens, we're just treading water with him.

HQ - What do the Celtics have to do to secure a W on Friday against the Raps? What are the keys to the game for the Celtics?

Jeff - Against the Raptors the Celtics have to get back to what they do best, play suffocating defense. Everything else flows from that. Sure, some better ball movement and shot selection would help. Rondo needs to keep attacking and setting up his teammates, and Pierce needs to keep doing exactly what he's been doing. But without the D, none of that really matters.

A big shout out to Jeff for answering your inquiries.

His last answer speaks volumes about the difference between a team below .500 (the Raptors) and one considered to be an elite team in the East. It's all about the defense and as Jeff mentions, without it nothing else really matters. The great teams, even the good teams play defense. It is the only thing that can be a constant variable. Shooting comes and goes and you can't rely solely on your offense to win a lot of games. The Raptors, at some point have to learn that.

The other thing that really stands out for me is his concern over the Celtics being an "old" team, which brings us to the three key's for tonight's game....

1. Make the Old Men Run: Tonight the Raps need to take a page out of the play books in every YMCA. The Raps need to treat the Celtics as the old dude at the local gym. You know the guy I mean. The Celtics are the burley man with the moustache who throws his body around, whose only shot is a set shot (but a damn good one) and has no fear fouling you hard. He is uber effective...unless you run him into the ground. Well the Raps need to do just that, they have to run and run some more to increase the number of open looks and create open shots on the wing. If the Raps play at the Celtics pace it is going to be a beat down.

2. Stop Rondo: I have a bad feeling about the Jose/Rondo match-up on this evening. Rondo is one of the quickest guys in the league and except for his free-throw shooting he has developed into a complete point guard. He and Calderon couldn't be much more different. Rondo is a great on the ball defender who attacks relentlessly. Calderon is a great distributor and outside shooter. Which one wins out? Based on the premise that defense wins out you have to say Rondo...but whoever wins this battle will give their team a big leg up.

3. Bosh vs. Garnett: As much as I will be watching the PG match-up, the other key match-up is Bosh vs. KG. Up to this point Bosh's career has had some resemblance to Garnett's while in Minnesota. Like Garnett, Bosh is putting up big numbers on a losing team (thus far). The biggest difference is that Garnett was not only an offensive force in his prime but was a defensive beast (and still is). Bosh needs to add that element to his game. It is KG's defense that causes Bosh fits at times, despite the fact that KG is many years his elder. When you throw Rasheed Wallace into the mix, a player who has been a tough match-up for Bosh over the years, it makes for a tough night at the office for the Raptors franchise player. Can Bosh exert his will against the Celtics bigs like he has against the rest of the league thus far? He is going to need to do his best KG impression if the Raptors are going to steal a win.

Gameday Preview vs Toronto Raptors

David Arnott — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:42:42 -0000

Pump Up Music: Superdrag -- "Sucked Out"

The Big Picture: The Bobcats and Raptors are bizarro versions of each other. The Raps are first in offensive efficiency and last in defensive efficiency, while the Cats are second in defense and third-worst on offense. In other words, we're going to see a contrast in styles, if ever there was one.

Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani, and Hedo Turkoglu are all devilishly difficult to guard, but none of them have ever been considered defensive stalwarts, and Chris Bosh... well, Bosh has played the first 15 games of the season about as well as he's ever played over a long stretch. Even if his defense isn't the greatest in the world (I don't think he's as long as KG), it's certainly decent, and he's no walk in the park for anyone, let alone a tag team pair featuring a 32-year old who never played great defense to begin with and a defensive specialist coming off a back injury.

Key to Victory: I don't think there's a solution for the Raptors' front court. Bargnani is shooting threes at better than 40% this season, and Bosh is first or second among East centers right now with Big Bad Dwight, so it's kind of a pick your poison situation. I think we'll end up seeing Boris Diaw on Bargnani and Chandler/Mohammed on Bosh, and we can just hope Bosh doesn't draw them out to 18 feet then either shoot or put the ball on the floor, because they'll get eaten alive if the Raptors can consistently force that choice.

There are two things the Cats can do, though. First, they can make a concerted effort to dominate the glass on both ends of the floor. Gerald Wallace is our primary weapon here, since he'll be charged with guarding Turkoglu when both first units are on the floor. Hedo hasn't been anything special as a rebounder, but Wallace has been a monster on the glass. The Cats can't afford to give the Raptors any "extra" possessions.

The second thing they can do is give Diaw more minutes at center and hope he can give Bosh problems. That would put either Stephen Jackson or Wallace on Bargnani, and allow Ronald Murray and (dare I dream) Gerald Henderson to take on DeMar DeRozan or Jarrett Jack when they go small in the backcourt. It's less than ideal for rebounding purposes, but might make sense if it contains Bargs.

Detail That Might Interest .08% of You: The Raptors have only 9 players who came out of the NCAA Div I-A. They could play a lineup entirely of foreigners (Calderon, Belinelli, Turkoglu, Bargnani, Nesterovic), and then Amir Johnson came out of high school.