"You Gotta Knock Them Out"- Raps-Bulls 4

BULLS 94, RAPTORS 92

"It's like beating the Champ; you gotta knock them out"- Jack Armstrong

Guys, I've got to tell you, I'm all-in on the Raptors needing to "establish a defensive identity". It's a really good deal. You know why? Apparently, being known as a tough defensive team means you get to hack your opponents constantly, and somehow avoid being called on any of them. If tackling is your thing, you're in luck, because when a 'tough defensive team' tackles one of the opposition players, it's a simple loose-ball foul. If the player who was tackled has the audacity to be upset by this occurring, they'll be hit with a tech.

Seriously people, what is going on here? NO, the Raptors did not lose the game because of the officiating. But, in my opinion, they did totally ruin the game. Watching games where a team simply cannot get one whistle to go their way is just unbearable. And the way Jack Armstrong constantly justified the officiating due to Chicago's reputation drove me up the wall. Officiating due to reputation is such a ridiculous concept. Look at the way the entire Chicago team carried on when Taj Gibson was called for a foul when he hit Demar DeRozan across the face on a lay-up attempt; this is clearly a team that is entirely used to having calls go consistently go their way. Credit is due to Chicago, then, for establishing this reputation. What a fantastic deal to have with the referees. As an opposition supporter, however, it is completely frustrating. Please, by all means tell me that I'm wrong.

Check the above quote from Jack Armstrong on the TSN broadcast. What sport are we playing here? You don't get an advantage from referees depending on circumstances, and the fact that I'm probably viewed as naive for writing this truly annoys me.

Now that this whinge is out of the way, I'll say this; the Raptors were awful, and not themselves against the Bulls. In a game that was a direct battle for the 3rd seed, the Raptors dug themselves an early hole, and were never able to climb out of the hole and take the lead. The Bulls, whose big men absolutely destroyed their Raptor counter-parts, looked like the playoff-toughened team they are, withstanding run after run from the Raptors. Joakim Noah, while only scoring 8 points, had a significant influence on the Bulls' victory with his incredible passing. Noah's ability to find the open man garnered him 13 assists, and was probably the difference between the two sides. The fact that on a back-to-back, the Raptors again fought hard to keep the game close, and even had a couple of plays to win the game late, speaks to the ever-growing character of this team.

Do not panic though, Raptor fans. Not only do we have the easiest remaining schedule of any team in the league, this is exactly the sort of game the team needs to play to learn about playoff intensity, and to build that 'winning culture'. Look at the way Tyler Hansbrough excelled tonight, with 8 points and 7 rebounds in just 24 minutes; Tyler is a product of the Indiana Pacers system that has developed into a title contender, and that has competed in tough, scrappy playoff series' such as the 7-game epic against the Heat last season. Toronto players who have not yet had the opportunity to play playoff ball need to get a feel of what it is like. While the Raptors move to 29-25, and just 0.5 games above the 4th placed Bulls, the Raptors remain in the box-seat to win the Atlantic Division as well as the number 3 seed.

Check those eyes..

In funnier news, Kyle Lowry gave us another hilarious reaction to a referee's call tonight. After being hit with his fifth personal foul, Kyle just sprinted away and chilled on the bench. Clearly fearful of picking up a second technical, he sat back and let every other Raptors player and coach argue on his behalf.  It was fantastic. Kyle continues to prove himself as one of the best NBA players at reacting to bad calls. If you throw in his sprint to the locker room in the Sacramento game, we're halfway to a Mount Rushmore of Kyle Lowry reactions. If you've got any nominations, by all means.


PLAYER VOTES

3 votes- DEMAR DEROZAN (32pts, 11/25FGs, 5rebs). The performance of a leader, and of an all-star. I fear what this game would have looked like without DeRozan. Made his own offense, made play after play. One criticism, however; Demar needs to get smarter in clutch situations. Demar's got to use your mobility when isolated on a big like Carlos Boozer, although it's much harder to criticize the final play where Jimmy Butler's defense was exceptional.

2 votes- TYLER HANSBROUGH (8pts, 4/7FGs, 7rebs). Loved what Tyler gave us tonight. That's his kind of game; a 'street-fight', a scrap. Tyler scrapped better than anyone out there.

1 vote- KYLE LOWRY (16pts, 4/13FGs, 7asts, 5rebs). I feel like Lowry's contribution was slightly more than Amir Johnson's, but this wasn't a great game from Kyle by any means.

NEXT- FEBRUARY 21 vs CLEVELAND. Cleveland, Orlando, Cleveland, Washington reads as a lovely run to move well above .500, and potentially clear at the number 3 seed.

Follow me on Twitter @mitchymitchy4

Raps Scrap, Cruise Past Atlanta

RAPTORS 104, HAWKS 83

In a classic 'tale of two halves' kind of game, the Atlanta Hawks brought the worst out of the Toronto Raptors for 24 minutes, before collapsing miserably in the second half. The victory shakes up the Eastern Conference playoff picture, with the Raptors moving to 28-24, with a 1.5 game lead over the new number 4 seeded Chicago Bulls. The Hawks fall to 25-26, and the 5-seed. 

- Demar DeRozan is a legitimate star in this league now. The word 'classy' springs to mind in relation to this game against the Hawks; after a scrappy first half, the game was begging to be taken over, and Demar stepped right up. He literally bashed Kyle Korver in the second half, scoring at will with Korver no chance of stopping him. Demar also got to the free-throw line 7 times, which reminded us that, in terms of guards, Demar is second in the league at getting to the stripe. The guy in front of him? James Harden. Elite company. Remember, Korver was picked for the USA Basketball player pool, and DeRozan was not. Did Demar send a message tonight? Definitely. 

-While this was a key Eastern-Conference matchup in terms of the race for the 3rd seed, the Raptors showed, again, that they are a cut above the chasing pack. The first half was an ugly scrap, with the Raptor defense unable to keep the Hawks out of the paint, whilst struggling for any flow offensively. The second half, however, was a vast improvement; as highlighted above, DeRozan took the game over, the Raps only turned the ball over once, and dropped 7 three-balls. Way to handle business with only one half of quality play. 

- Go with me on this one; our big-men are so mediocre, yet so good at the same time. Jonas; 1/9 shooting but 14 boards. Tyler; no offensive game, but scraps for 7 hustling rebounds and gets to the line 7 times. Patterson; he's potentially over-utilising the three, but is money from mid-range. Novak; can only shoot the open three, but he's quite good at that. Amir missed the game tonight, for the record.  The point I'd like to try and make is this; if our big men click, and have their best possible games, they're going to be very effective and can compete with most teams, but at their worst, will lose us games. It's the biggest variable about the Toronto Raptors right now; you know what you're going to get from Lowry and DeRozan, but the bigs are much more unpredictable.

-Looking forward to All-Star weekend. We don't get a lot of recognition around the league, so it will be cool to see Jonas Valanciunas, Terrence Ross and Demar DeRozan represent Toronto this weekend. I bet Terrence will get robbed and Demar won't get the ball, but still, good luck to the boys and I hope they makes us proud. 


PLAYER VOTES

3 votes- DEMAR DEROZAN (31pts, 11/19FGs, 5rebs, 3asts, 2stls). Great way to head to the All-Star game, in reminding everyone that he truly deserves to be there. 

2 votes- PATRICK PATTERSON (14pts, 6/15FGs, 6rebs). Quickly becoming one of my favourite Raptors. Plays with top energy on both ends of the floor. Stretches opposing defenses out with his mid-range game, then gets on the glass and competes. If he's coming off the bench behind an energised and healthy Amir Johnson, the Raptors become an even tougher prospect to handle. 

1 vote- KYLE LOWRY (16pts, 5/14FGs, 13asts, 6rebs, 2stls). I was really excited to see that the Raptors appear likely to hold Kyle Lowry post trade deadline. It's the right call; make your playoff run with him, let him get a taste of what this team will be capable in 2-3 seasons, pay him $10mil-ish come the off-season and make him a key piece in a championship run. Played well tonight, too.


NEXT- FEBRUARY 18 @ WASHINGTON.

@mitchymitchy4

RAPS-KINGS: DMC, RUDY HALT RAPTORS

KINGS 109, RAPTORS 101

In the team's most frustrating performance since January 20 at Charlotte, the Raptors essentially forgot to play defense for three quarters, and fell short of another remarkable comeback against the Sacramento Kings. In his first game against Toronto since 'The Trade', Rudy Gay had a relatively uninfluential 24 points and 10 rebounds, but, largely thanks to his dominant big-man DeMarcus Cousins, was able to have the last laugh.

-For three quarters of play, the Kings did whatever they wanted on offense. The non-existent Raptor D was a little embarrassing, and really not what we have come to expect from this team. The Kings were able to drive to the basket with ease and either score, or shoot free throws (51 free-throw attempts for the game...).  Also, with Cousins and Thompson patrolling the offensive glass, the Kings could get their mid-range game going easily, with the confidence that any misses would be cleaned up and turned into points.  With such little defensive pressure, and while allowing second/third/fourth chance points, the hopes of a Raptor comeback were minimal. 

-Look at the Sac-Town shot chart- they shot horribly from pretty much everywhere, and still manhandled us. Learn from this game, please; allowing offensive rebounds is a killer, and getting to the free-throw line is absolutely crucial. 

-I'm hoping this was another game we can put down as an 'off-night', but the Raptors again seemed content to settle for jump-shots rather than attacking the rim. While the Kings did the opposite, and racked up free throws, the Raptors continued to shoot their comeback chances down with countless inefficient possessions. 

- I love that this Raptor team will never quit on a game and always fight to the end, but let's not get carried away with this one. You can't give up 92 points in three quarters, and then be disappointed that you've lost. What changed in the last quarter? Defensively, the boys were switched on, limiting the Kings to only 3 field goals for the quarter. The main change, though, was that Steve Novak hit a number of shots from distance. When we're relying on a guy who only plays when we need a miracle, and does literally nothing but chuck up bombs, I'm not going to pretend like this loss was particularly hard to take. That being said, however, that offensive foul call on Lowry was an absolute disgrace.

-I'm not blaming him for the loss, because singling out individuals after the whole team has played pretty poorly is unfair. But, what is up with Amir Johnson lately? There seem to be a lot of games where he will go absolutely unnoticed. 3 of the 4 games on this road-trip, Coach Casey has given Amir limited minutes throughout games, and then not even bothered bringing him back in crunch-time. And you know what? I really can't complain with that decision. As has been widely said, particularly on various Rapcasts, Amir Johnson without his heart, hustle and energy is an extremely mediocre player. I haven't been seeing these important characteristics recently.

-We're putting this down to a combination of the Kings being a terrible matchup for the Raptors (Jonas and Amir are no match for an in-form Cousins) and the Raptors just having a bad night, so, the Raptors move to 26-23, and there is absolutely no reasons to panic. After this road-trip concludes with a Clippers rematch, the Raptors next 8 games are very winnable. The goal for this season is now, surely, to finish with the 3-seed in the Eastern Conference, and this stretch of upcoming games will be crucial in building distance away from the chasing pack of teams.

PLAYER VOTES

3 votes- KYLE LOWRY (21pts, 7/16FGs, 8asts, 7rebs, 2blks). Had a real crack, like he always does. Lead the team back into the game late with quality play-making. 

2 votes- PATRICK PATTERSON (14pts, 4rebs, 3asts). When our offense was totally misfiring in the first-half, Patterson was the only guy keeping us even vaguely close. Mid-range game is money.

1 vote- STEVE NOVAK (12pts, 4/7FGs, 2rebs).  I'm just not a Steve Novak believer, but we honestly had no chance in this game without his fourth-quarter shooting. 

NEXT- FEBRUARY 7 @ LA CLIPPERS.

All-Star Demar Continues To Roll

RAPTORS 94, JAZZ 79

Demar DeRozan lead the Toronto Raptors to a comfortable, yet at times tricky, victory over the Utah Jazz. After trailing at the end of the first quarter, the Raptors allowed the Jazz just 52 points for the rest of the game, and in the end ran away with a 15-point win.

-I was mightily impressed with Dwane Casey's early gameplan; feed Jonas Valanciunas in the post in order to build an early lead. Jonas was far too skilful posting up on Enes Kanter, and dropped 8 first-quarter points. Jonas would go on to have a strong influence on the victory, getting involved defensively by blocking and altering shots, and by grabbing 9 rebounds, an area in which the Jazz were able to have some success. Great showing by Valanciunas, but credit needs to go to Casey for running the offense through him early, allowing the big man to get his confidence up for the remainder of the game. 

-When Utah made their fourth-quarter run, and cut the Raptor lead to just 5, Demar DeRozan continued to show his class and pure skill, pulling the Raptors out of danger with big plays. DeRozan, who early in the game showed his continuing evolution as a player with great court-vision leading to assists, turned on the scoring in the final quarter, dropping 9 points. With Kyle Lowry remaining out of the game with knee soreness, the Raptors needed a clutch performance from Demar, and he duly delivered. This was an All-Star calibre game for DeRozan, who is on a pretty great tear since he missed a couple of games last week. Again, +/- is not a defining statistic, but Demar was a +30 tonight.

-The 'Toronto Kings' had another really good showing, out-scoring the Jazz bench by 10 points, and by being the catalyst behind the defensive improvement. Patterson, Salmons, Hayes and, to some extent, Vasquez always seem motivated when called upon to re-focus the Raptor defense. Offensively, Salmons continued to provide a solid scoring option, draining 3 three-pointers on his way to 13 points. The idea of having an entire bench of players from another team seems to be working, as the chemistry they display on both ends of the floor is terrific. 

-Statistics that I liked: the Raptors threw 21 assists on the night, while only turning the ball over 6 times.  The Jazz shot just 3/17 from three-point range, showing effective close-out defense from the Raptors. Johnson and Valanciunas combined for 20 rebounds, 9 of which were offensive. Also in terms of rebounds, the Raptors, who trailed the Jazz 22-19 after the first half, ended up winning the rebounding 44-39. The lack of rebounding was the key reason the Jazz could build a lead in the first place, but fixing this up was what sealed the win for the Raps. 


PLAYER VOTES

3 votes- DEMAR DEROZAN (23pts, 7/13FGs, 4asts, 4rebs).

2 votes- JONAS VALANCIUNAS (18pts, 8/14FGs, 9rebs).

1 vote- JOHN SALMONS (13pts, 5/9FGs, 3/5 3pts, 4asts).


NEXT- FEBRUARY 5 @SACRAMENTO. So we finally get a chance to play the Kings, whose lineup of course now features former Raptors Aaron Gray, Quincy Acy, and Rudy Gay. This should be a fun game; I'm particularly hoping that Demar and Rudy get a chance to go head-to-head. DeMarcus Cousins will be a very big test for Jonas Valanciunas, too.

Handling Business in Denver

RAPTORS 100, NUGGETS 90

The Toronto Raptors extended their current winning streak to three games with a comfortable performance against a depleted Denver Nuggets side. Missing Ty Lawson and Nate Robinson, the Nuggets were able to hang with the Raptors for the first half, before the Raptor defense switched on for the second half and sealed the victory. 

- If you haven't seen Terrence Ross' ridiculously brutal dunk over Kenneth Faried, then watch it. Right now. Your life will not be complete until you have seen it. Seriously though, this was probably the biggest talking point of this match, which says a lot about what a routine victory this was. I don't know whether this was dunk of the year, but I'll say this; Terrence's jam was FAR superior to Paul George's candidate. Sure, George's was extremely flashy, but it was a fast-break, open-court jam with nobody even attempting to stop him. Terrence smashed over a 6'8 beast, and, at least in my opinion, this pure brutality was the far more difficult, and in turn, more impressive jam.
Also, as I noted on Twitter, the boys' reaction to that dunk was really quite special, and maybe even a little bit heart-warming. Watching them all jump up and collectively lose their minds, then chase after Terrence as they went to the rooms at halftime, all smiles and shouting praise at him, to me illustrated how much this roster loves playing with each other, and how they all take pride in each other's success. 

-Ridiculous dunks aside, this was a nice game from the Raps, and a particularly tidy second half. After the Nuggets had scored in the paint with ease throughout the first half, and found shooters like Evan Fournier in loads of space, the Raps picked up the defensive energy in a big way. Forcing 9 turnovers in the third quarter, the Raptors can particularly thank Tyler Hansbrough and Amir Johnson for the lift, as well as John Salmons and Patrick Patterson who always bring the energy off the bench. The Raptors are making a habit of stringing together multiple stops and building leads off the back of this.

- Maybe I say this too much, but this was another important win for the Raptors. This game tipped off a tough five-game road-trip (Denver, Portland, Utah, Sacramento, LA Clippers), and when considering the Nuggets injuries, this became a relatively straightforward game. While this win rewrote history a little, in that this was the first Toronto win in Denver since 2003, Randy Foye was pretty much their best offensive option. This was not a game we should have been losing, so it was nice to see the boys handle business without much of a hassle. 

-Injury notes: Demar DeRozan started, played 33 minutes, and looked solid. The ankle seemed not to trouble him, so look for Demar to keep playing and coming up big on the rest of the road-trip. Tyler Hansbrough chimed in with 13 minutes (up from the 6 he played against Orlando) and looked terrific. He did classic Tyler Hansbrough things, scrapping for rebounds and drawing insane amounts of contact  when putting the ball back up. I'm hoping Tyler can keep making an impact off the bench, because he can be the leader of this bench unit.

PLAYER VOTES

3 votes- TERRENCE ROSS (18pts, 7/10FGs, 3asts, 3blks). Smart play, efficient scoring, dunk of the year candidate. I rave about Jonas' potential all the time, but I've got to say that this kid's potential is just as large. Has the ability to become an all-round player through lockdown defense, too.

2 votes- JOHN SALMONS (11pts, 4/9FGs, 9asts, 2stls). Might be reaching a little bit here, but I really liked Salmons sharing the ball on offense. Sure, he played some Rudy Gay-ball at times, but he provided a nice spark off the bench, fed Jonas late when he recognized the big-man's great positions, and was very involved on the defensive end as well. 

1 vote- JONAS VALANCIUNAS (13pts, 4/10FGs, 8rebs). Much better than what the numbers suggest. Appreciated guys like Lowry and Salmons recognising Jonas in good spots, and this meant that Jonas got to show-off his ever-evolving offensive game, particularly with his back to the basket. He made his free-throws, too, a skill that a lot of bigs in this league seem not to possess. 


NEXT- FEBRUARY 1 @ PORTLAND. Tough one, especially on a back-to-back. Look for the boys to continue to show their fighting spirit, and keep the game competitive, but other than that, this isn't one we should count on winning. Utah and Sacramento both look winnable, and I do wonder whether T-Ross will still be on the LA Clippers scouting report as 'just a dunker'. 

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Raptors Week Recap- Vets or Youth?

We've raced passed the halfway mark of the Toronto Raptors 2013-14 NBA campaign, and after a 2-2 week, the Raptors sit just two games in front of the resurgent Brooklyn Nets. This week saw a number of truly special individual performances from certain Raptors, yet left Raptors fans wanting more. It was another fun week of Raptors Ball, but a couple of things troubled me. Which leads me to a mini-rant...

VETERANS OVER PROSPECTS

If you've ever read any of my blogs before, then you'll likely know I'm a huge believer in Jonas Valanciunas as a key building block for this team's upcoming title run. He's a raw talent with all the potential in the world; offensively gifted, a solid defender (who is getting better with each game, despite clear flaws at times) and an active rebounder.  Dwane Casey's tendency to bench Jonas in favour of veteran big Chuck Hayes really worries me, especially when Hayes is given the responsibility of closing out games; maybe Chuck will play slightly better defense, but I'd like to see Jonas given the opportunity to learn and develop. 

To me, it seems like if Jonas' opponent scores a couple of early buckets, Casey gets it in his mind that Jonas is outmatched and refuses to trust him for the rest of the night. Jonas only playing 18 and 19 minutes, like he did against Charlotte and Philadelphia respectively, is, for me, not enough.

The same situation applies with Terrence Ross, who aside from his ridiculous outing against the Clippers, had a pretty quiet week. Terrence, who brings terrific energy on D, is being left out of late game situations in favour of veteran John Salmons, and backup guard Grievis Vasquez. Again, get him in there, Coach. You know what you're going to get from Salmons, sure; fundamentally sound play on both ends of the floor, but Terrence is more than capable of delivering what Salmons can, especially when given the experience the opportunity will bring.

The theory I'm throwing out there is this; Casey is, at least partly, ignoring what must surely be his goal moving forwards, to make stars out of Valanciunas and Ross, and instead chasing wins, in the hope that a 45 win season would bring him a new contract. Casey is much more content to put his faith in the hands of seasoned veterans like Hayes and Salmons over Valanciunas and Ross. Which I do understand completely, as winning is obviously just as important, but I just wish some sort of balance could be found between the two co-occurring goals. And just by the way, Coach Casey, look at the Dallas win; you threw Jonas in the game and said "bring it home for me, big fella", and look what he did- 5 points and 5 key rebounds down the stretch.



BOBCATS 100, RAPTORS 95

Not pretty. Not pretty at all. The Raps continued what is becoming a really worrying trend, dropping behind by a huge margin and relying on fourth quarter heroics to try and steal a victory, and in this game, it failed. Down 30 at one stage, Kyle Lowry missed a high-pressure free throw late in the fourth that would have tied the game, and the Raptors bid to set a new franchise-high comeback would fall just short.

The slow start? The Raptors' pick and roll defense was simply non-existent in the first quarter, with Charlotte able to establish their lead off of 8/12 shooting in the paint. While the defensive energy clearly lifted throughout the game, for which credit should go the bench unit of Patterson-Salmons-Hayes, I'm a bit sick of getting stuck in these 30-point holes. I love that we fight, and there is just no quit in this Raptor lineup right now, but let's work on our starts so as not to rely on unlikely comebacks.

3 votes- GRIEVIS VASQUEZ (15pts, 6/13FGs, 9asts, 7rebs, +23)
2 votes- CHUCK HAYES (12pts, 5/9FGs, 13rebs)
1 vote- KYLE LOWRY (21pts, 9/22FGs, 4asts, 4rebs)



RAPTORS 93, MAVERICKS 85

Demar's career night

This was a pretty impressive bounce-back game after the Charlotte loss, although, again, the Raps trailed big (21 points) early. This was Demar DeRozan's night, though, as he carried the Raptors back from the early hole, going 15/22 from the field for a career-high 40 points. Demar, who I've criticized recently for an over-reliance on the mid-range game, did still settle for a lot of those types of shots, but he was feeling it on this night. He also took the ball to the rim a heap (6/9 from the paint), and shot a stack of free throws. Kyle Lowry had a poor, yet forgivable night; 0/10 shooting, but let's not forget that he's been the catalyst behind this team's success. 

3 votes- DEMAR DEROZAN (40pts, 15/22FGs, 3rebs, 3asts)
2 votes- GRIEVIS VASQUEZ (17pts, 5/13FGs, 7asts)
1 vote- JONAS VALANCIUNAS (12pts, 3/6FGS, 10rebs) 



RAPTORS 104, SIXERS 95

Let's keep this brief. The Raptors won a game of basketball, that was mildly entertaining. Kyle Lowry took his one bad game so far this season pretty badly, clearly, and responded with a triple double. Demar dropped a less-efficient 34, but was influential nonetheless.

3 votes- KYLE LOWRY (18pts, 7/11FGs, 13asts, 10rebs)
2 votes- DEMAR DEROZAN (34pts, 10/22FGs, 9rebs)
1 vote- JOHN SALMONS (12pts, 5/7FGs)


CLIPPERS 126, RAPTORS 118

Terrence dropping 51

In a game where defense was totally inapparent, the Clippers and Raptors traded blow after blow, in a high-paced, entertaining thriller at the ACC. Terrence Ross was burning hot, and took over the Raptor offense, in a performance that closely resembled Carmelo Anthony's 62 point game the previous night. Ross ended up tying the Raptors' franchise record with 51 points. While this was one of the most special individual performances I've ever seen, I left this game with a real sense of disappointment; the Raptors had a chance to mark a young player's best game ever with a special win, but missed the opportunity off the back of a lack of defense. 

Was this Ross' coming of age? I hope so. I'm not getting carried away, but consider this; Terrence's career night showcased every skill he has to offer as an NBA pro. Elite long-range shooting, mad handles and pure athleticism. This 51 point night was everything clicking and going right; Terrence has a bag full of tricks which will be fine-tuned with time, and lead to him being a more-than-capable Pro for seasons to come.

3 votes- TERRENCE ROSS (51pts, 16/29FGs, 9rebs)
2 votes- JONAS VALANCIUNAS (17pts, 5/9FGs, 12rebs)
1 vote- KYLE LOWRY (11pts, 2/10FGs, 12asts, 4rebs)


NEXT WEEK- @BROOKLYN, ORLANDO, @DENVER, @PORTLAND. Hmmmm. 2-2? 3-1? 1-3? Brooklyn is a big, tough game but I think we can maybe pinch it. Orlando is an easy win. The next two are both very tough but we've made a habit of competing/beating good teams on the road. For the record, I'll predict 2-2.

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Nick Young, Lakers Humble Raptors

LAKERS 112, RAPTORS 106

Cheer up, Sophomores.

Despite leading big in both the second and third quarters, the Toronto Raptors couldn't hang with the Los Angeles Lakers down the stretch, falling to a second defeat in three games. Nick Young, playing with a point to prove after his recent suspension, led the Lakers with 29 huge points, including five 3-point buckets. The Raptors fall to 20-19 on the season, and should feel as though this was another missed opportunity to move further above the fourth-placed Atlanta Hawks.



- I've said it before, and it looks like I'm going to have to say it again; this is not a team that should be jacking up 30 3-point attempts in a game. Terrence Ross is becoming completely reliant on the three, failing to use his ridiculously athletic body to drive the ball. The Amir Johnson "summer three" is funny and entertaining when it drops, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a far too risky shot, and Amir throwing up 4 threes is way over the top. It's really disappointing, because shooting 30 threes tells me that we're having extreme trouble creating good looks on offense. 

-Pau Gasol taught Jonas Valanciunas a lesson this game. The Lakers kept feeding Gasol the ball in the deep post, and he would continuously spin to the basket, or score right over Jonas. Jonas needed to keep a body on Gasol and defend with a little more strength, and as a result only saw 14 minutes of action; while I'd normally complain about Jonas being limited in this way, he was getting killed out there, and we needed to curb Gasol's influence. Chuck Hayes actually did a much better job, making a number of key stops on Pau down the stretch. 

DeRozan- 2/10 from midrange and deep.

-This was the sort of game Raptor fans seemed to fear from Demar DeRozan upon Rudy's departure; very hero-ball centred, and way too much jump-shooting. It's been pretty clear that the difference between the Raptors before and after the Rudy Gay trade has been crisp ball movement offensively, so I really do have to wonder why we're moving away from this, especially in clutch situations. While I respect Demar a lot and continue to enjoy his development into an All-Star, he needs to stop trying to always be the hero, or at least draw contact driving to the rim and make some easy points at the line.

-Twice we lead by huge margins (19 points up in the second, 17 points up in the third). In the second quarter, the Raptors earned the lead on the back of brilliant defense, only allowing 4 points in the first six minutes of the quarter. However, the energy level on D clearly declined, and the Lakers were able to score 21 points in the next six minutes, seeing the Raptor lead only 4 points at the break. The third quarter saw a similar scene, where Nick Young and Ryan Kelly found their range and quickly ate up the Raptor lead. The point is this: the Raptors can't play tight defense for only halves of quarters and expect to remain in the lead. Imagine what a quality team like Miami would do to us, if we gave them 6 minutes of lacklustre defense.

-Swaggy P. It was always happening, wasn't it? Fresh after his suspension for fighting the entire Suns line-up, Nick Young came off the bench to score 29 points, including big threes down the stretch to kill of the Raptor fight. Yes, he shoots too much, he takes terrible shots, and has a seemingly terrible attitude, but when he's feeling it, Swaggy P is a whole lot of fun. 

PLAYER VOTES

3 votes- PATRICK PATTERSON (17pts, 7/12FGs, 7rebs). Maybe I'm sick of having to call Lowry our best player every night, but I loved what Patrick did off of the bench. He drained his first 5 shots, only taking premium level looks, harassed the Lakers' bigs on both ends, and had some nice second chance points too. Earned the right to close out the game, especially with Jonas' poor night. 

2 votes- KYLE LOWRY (21pts, 8/13FGs, 9asts). Kept the team in the game late with some big buckets. Continue to love his ability to find the open man, especially him combining with DeRozan for that curling wing jumper. As good as he was, I wanted a little more out of Kyle, maybe making a couple more of the open shots he found, but nevertheless, a good showing.

1 vote- GRIEVIS VASQUEZ (11pts, 5/11FGs, 8asts, 5rebs). Grievis has been heavily criticized recently, and I still feel that the backup Point Guard role remains the need requiring the most urgent attention. This, however, was a pretty good night from Grievis, aside from his 1/5 shooting from downtown. 


NEXT- DECEMBER 20 @ CHARLOTTE. Raptors need to get back to their winning ways and handle the Bobcats tomorrow. This is the second flat performance from the Raps in the last three games; the wheels haven't fallen off, but the standard of play is certainly decreasing. The next few games will likely tell us whether we really are the 3rd best team in the East, or if the boys have just been playing at a ridiculous level.

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Raps Week Review !!

So, I just wanted to do a quick little Raptors week recap, to keep my Raptor of the Season votes rolling. This was a solid, yet not amazing week from the Raptors; while a 2-1 week is nothing to worry about, losing in the ugly fashion they did to the struggling Boston Celtics does raise a number of questions.


vs Milwaukee-  RAPTORS 116, BUCKS 94

Just a regulation win for Toronto, in which the Ersan Ilyasova- lead Bucks showed exactly why they hold a 7-30 record. In yet another sign of this Raptors resurgence, the Raptors demolished the Bucks in the second half; consider past seasons, where the Raps would often let teams back into games they had dominated.

3 votes- KYLE LOWRY (23pts, 6/8FGs, 4/5 3PTs, 5asts). Money from distance, dropped 23 points off 8 shots. Continues to lead the team on both ends. 

2 votes- DEMAR DEROZAN (19pts, 8/16FGs, 7rebs, 7asts). Filled up the stat sheet. Two Raptor All-Stars....what a ridiculous concept...

1 vote- JONAS VALANCIUNAS (17pts, 5/10FGs, 10rebs). Did his thing.



vs Boston-  CELTICS 88, RAPTORS 83

You could take this loss in a number of ways; an unacceptable performance against a team that hadn't won in 9 games, or just a mere blip on the radar, a flat performance where a basic lack of fundamentals killed the Raptors. While I give a lot of credit to Jared Sullinger for his 25 point, 20 rebound night, this was an awful game from Valanciunas and Johnson, who were only able to combine for 13 rebounds in their time on the court. We all consistently praise Amir for his heart and hustle, but I didn't see any of that on this night. I think Tyler Hansbrough would have made a difference in this game, but there's no excuse for this performance either way. 13 missed free throws killed any chance of a heroic late comeback. Don't stress Raptors fans, we hadn't had a horror night like this since December 18 against Charlotte.

3 votes- DEMAR DEROZAN (23pts, 9/22FGs, 8rebs, 3asts). So what he took 22 shots, Demar made play after play to fight the team's way back into the game. 

2 votes- KYLE LOWRY (18pts, 6/17FGs, 12asts, 7rebs). Not one of Kyle's better games, but there wasn't much to choose from here. The Boston defense was actually noticeably decent which culled a lot of his usual playmaking. 

1 vote- JOHN SALMONS (13pts, 5/9FGs). I've got to admit, I love having a reliable veteran on the bench who you know is going to come into the game and provide a solid offensive option, to go along with tight defense.  



vs Minnesota- RAPTORS 94, WOLVES 89

Toronto needed to respond from the Boston performance, and did so with a quick early start, and then leading the game all the way after. The Wolves helped our cause by shooting a poor 3/18 from 3 point range, but credit must be given for another tough defensive night from the Raptors. 

3 votes- KYLE LOWRY (24pts, 7/12FGs, 6/9 3PTs, 6asts, 5rebs). His six 3-pointers were the difference between the two sides in the end. Limited Rubio's offensive input to the point where Barea closed the game in his place.

2 votes- JONAS VALANCIUNAS (4pts, 2/6FGs, 11rebs). Only 4 points, but his work on the glass was a massive factor in this Toronto victory. Pekovic and Love's input and ability to dominate the boards was not very apparent, and when you consider Amir only pulled in 2 rebounds, we've got to thank Jonas for keeping them at bay (shout out to my boy Chuck Hayes for his 9 rebounds, too). Surely earned more than 23 minutes, Coach.

1 vote- TERRENCE ROSS (16pts, 6/14FGs, 4rebs, 2stls). Didn't need the three-ball to be dropping to contribute, showed off his ability to score off the dribble. 


NEXT- DECEMBER 19 vs LA LAKERS

Looking ahead, we should comfortably handle the Lakers at the ACC, then travel to Charlotte for a rematch with a team we just keep losing to. The rest of the sees Dallas come to Toronto, a quick trip to Philly to battle the Sixers, then home to take on the Clippers. I'll call we'll finish with a 4-1 record; if we keep up the form from the Minnesota game rather than the Boston one, we'll pinch one of the home games against Dallas and the Clippers. 

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Drake Night Thoughts!!

RAPTORS 96, NETS 80.

I took a lot away from this victory over Brooklyn. This was a truly special win, in that the Raptors, in playoff-like atmosphere, again came from behind to roll the Nets. A few quick notes + votes...

-I think that was the most hyped-up Toronto game I've ever watched. Sold-out crowd, intro video, player introductions broadcast on the coverage; this was as close to a playoff game as you could get. Sure, the Nets were missing Garnett and Williams, but this game felt like a really big deal, and is exactly the sort of atmosphere/pressure the boys need to get used to for the development towards a title run. When you also consider that this was a divisional contest, and that the Raptors trailed 10 and looked awful late in the third period, this was most certainly an important win.

- I'm not from Toronto (writing this from Melbourne, Australia), but hearing Drake talk about Toronto with such passion genuinely made me very proud. Toronto, to me, is that underdog city/team that the rest of the league considers one huge joke. Hearing Drake raving about how good Toronto has been to him was pretty awesome, and I really do hope he can have some sort of influence in changing the perception of the team.

-Man, our Sac-Town bench was superb tonight. John Salmons didn't miss a shot, Patrick Patterson dropped 14 points and grabbed 12 big rebounds, and Chuck Hayes provided vaguely solid relief for the starting bigs. I'm still a bit worried about the backup Point Guard role, as Grievis Vasquez has shown he is an inconsistent shooter and a horrible defender, but it's definitely nice to see the bench carrying the team to wins. Don't agree that it was the bench that won us the game? Patterson was +40, and Salmons was +32.

-I've been thinking; if one Raptor is an All-Star, who is it going to be? Lowry or DeRozan? I think currently it should be Lowry, based on him being the leader of this team's resurgence, but it is a truly close contest at the moment. There are a lot of moments when DeRozan keeps the team in games essentially single-handedly, so I do understand the case for Demar to be in front of Kyle, too. As much as we love to rave about both of their play, I highly doubt both will make the cut, but, due to Toronto's resurgence and high-placing in the Eastern Conference, I really do think one of the two must make the team.

PLAYER VOTES

3 votes- PATRICK PATTERSON (14pts, 5/12FGs, 12rebs, +40). I feel like I had to reward Patrick for a really strong performance, because his energy off the bench was really what changed the game. I remember that Patterson had a very solid reputation on leaving Kentucky, and it seems as if he is finally playing up to that promise.

2 votes- DEMAR DEROZAN (26pts, 9/18FGs, 7rebs, 5asts). Another terrific performance from Demar. Matt Devlin always says about Demar that he is "sick of losing", and I really think Matt is spot on. His huge first quarter throw-down reminded me of what a crazy dunker he can be, and I really he dunked more.

1 vote- KYLE LOWRY (12pts, 4/11FGs, 4asts, 6rebs). Kid's a beast, that's really all there is to say. How about that smirk after one of his huge threes, just cheeky Kyle saying "yeah, I just did that". Too good right now.

NEXT- 14 Januray vs MILWAUKEE.

As always, thankyou for reading, please comment or share or anything like that, and please follow me on Twitter @mitchymitchy4

Valanciunas Dunk Party: Raps Crush Pistons

RAPTORS 112, PISTONS 91

Didn't think I'd be typing this at halftime, when the Toronto Raptors trailed the average-at-best Detroit Pistons 54-50, but this was a quite enjoyable game that provided plenty of entertainment. Raptor fans got to watch another showcase of Jonas Valanciunas' potential, Kyle Lowry continue to prove himself as a top-flight Point Guard, but, most importantly, we got to watch a team that will be, for the most part, centred around Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings; high-level humor.

- Jonas Valanciunas kept throwing his pump-fake, and the poor Detroit defenders just kept falling for it. It was really quite comical. I love to get carried away when Jonas has big games like this, I acknowledge that, but this was a great, fun performance from the Lithuanian. With DeRozan struggling, it was nice to see Jonas get the team going with his play to start the second half. I'm still sold on the fact that Jonas will be an absolute beast Center, and it's awesome to see his game developing with leadership like this.

- The 75 seconds to start the second half really were perfect. If I were Dwane Casey, I would have had a fair crack at the team at half time, so the response was extremely positive. Terrence 3. Amir huge block. Demar transition layup. Detroit shot clock violation. Terrence 3. 8-0 run. 54-50 Detroit becomes 58-54 Toronto, and we're then playing from the front. This set the tone for a terrific half on both ends of the floor. 

- A big contributing factor to the first-half struggle was the three-point shooting, I feel. Taking 11 three-point shots in the first quarter alone seems a touch unreasonable; sure, some of them were dropping, but a lot of these were not good looks, and the team seemingly feel into a rhythm of relying on the three. The three-ball is fun, but I'd like to think we can come up with a lot better offense than that. 

- I don't see a lot of potential for the Detroit franchise right now. Call me overly negative, but Josh Smith and Brandon Jennings are fundamentally selfish, and take really awful shots. Drummond and Monroe is a cool front-court duo, but they both looked poor on defense. Drummond showed his ridiculous free-throw technique, too, which provided endless laughs. Josh Smith shot 3/9 at the line, got angry at the refs and his teammates, and showed, to me, what an overrated player he really is. By all means prove me wrong Detroit, but I don't see that team going anywhere at all.

-Brooklyn. Milwaukee. Boston. Minnesota. LA Lakers. Charlotte. There's 6 very winnable games coming up. If we're the third best team in the Eastern Conference, we're winning 5, if not 6 of these games. We've done so brilliantly in our recent tough stretch (think of our wins at Dallas, Oklahoma City and Indiana) and our schedule is now levelling out; time to start racking up the wins.


PLAYER VOTES

3- JONAS VALANCIUNAS (16pts, 7/9FGs, 11rebs, 2blks). Terrific performance, threw down 4 dunks that made Raptor fans across the globe collectively lose it. Some nice defensive involvement, too.

2- KYLE LOWRY (21pts, 4/9FGs, 9/9FTs, 9asts). Sign. Him. Up. Kyle is getting paid this off-season. Can we get him to commit long-term, and keep bringing this energy and commitment on a nightly basis? We can only hope.

1-TERRENCE ROSS (17pts, 6/13FGs, 5/10 3PTs). Eh. He made a lot of threes. He also took a truckload of them, so he'd want to be making a few. I like Terrence shooting with confidence, but shooting 10 threes just seems a bit over the top. Hope he doesn't forget he is a freak athlete who should use his gifts to get to the rim with ease.

NEXT- DRAKE NIGHT. Enough said.