Raptors Rap; Jan 24-31

Game 18- @ Phoenix (W 99-96 / 5-13 / streak W1) Tuesday January 24, 2012.

The Raptors halted an eight-game losing streak with a big win over the Phoenix Suns. It had become clear in the preceding two weeks that the Raptors needed Andrea Bargnani on the floor to generate offence, and Bargs' return brought 36 points and six rebounds, including 12-for-12 from the free-throw line. Raps coach Dwane Casey said after the game, "Andrea makes everything easy for everybody else." After the win, the way the Raptors announcers were reminding everybody how long it had been since the Raptors last beat the Suns (14 games) made viewers at home think the Raptors hadn't won in 365 million years. Aaron Gray started the game for the Raptors and played 15 minutes. James Johnson had 18 points and ten rebounds and Gary Forbes also grabbed ten rebounds. Marcin Gortat had 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Steve Nash finished with 17 points and 14 assists in the loss.

Raptor Highlight of the Night; DeRozan throws down the alley-oop from Jose Calderon

Bargs carries the Raptors to victory (raptorshq)

Game 19- @ Utah (W 111-106 2OT / 6-13 / streak W2) Wednesday January 25, 2012.

Andrea Bargnani battled through a strained calf that kept him out of six games to score 36 points Tuesday night, but he may have tried to carry the Raptors too soon. Bargnani had to pull himself out of the game in overtime when his bad calf wouldn't let him continue. He had 25 points when he left the game and he may be out for "a while." The Raptors came back from 18 points down in this game to force overtime and won the extra periods led by Linas Kleiza's 25 points. The Raptors hit 10 three-pointers including a couple clutch threes by Jose Calderon. The hard-fought win broke an 11-game losing streak to the Jazz. Paul Millsap had 31 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.

Raptor Highlight of the Night; Calderon nails the deep dagger three in double-overtime


Game 20- @ Denver (L 96-81 / 6-14 / streak L1) Friday January 27, 2012.

Without Bargnani in the lineup after he reaggravated a calf injury and left the Utah game on crutches, the Raptors struggled to score. In the first quarter the Raps started out 1-for-15 from the field and at one point missed 12 shots in a row. Barbosa and Bayless scored 19 and 18 points respectively. Nene scored 20 points and grabbed ten rebounds and Rudy Fernandez hit five three-pointers en route to 23 points. Dwane Casey's quote after the game just about sums up the Raptors situation right now; "Our guys have to believe. We can't sit back and wait for Andrea to come back. As it was said famously before, he's not walking through that door. It's us against the world for a while, we don't know how long it's going to be, and we've got to play like it."

Raptor Highlight of the Night; James Johnson skies for the put-back slam


Game 21- @ New Jersey (W 94-73 / 7-14 / streak W1) Sunday January 29, 2012.

DeMar DeRozan got the breakout game he needed, scoring 19 of his 27 points in the second half and leading the Raptors to their first win in eight tries this season without Andrea Bargnani. With the win, the Raptors finish 3-2 on their five-game roadtrip. Bayless added 17 points and threw down a point-guard-to-point-guard alley-oop while Toronto elected to go with a small lineup. Despite the Raptors lack of presence down low they shot 51.5% from the floor. Deron Williams had 24 points in the loss.

Raptor Highlight of the Night; PG Calderon to PG Bayless alley-oop


Game 21- vs Hawks (L 100-77 / 7-15 / streak L1) Tuesday January 31, 2012.

The Raptors came up flat in a losing effort to the Hawks shooting just 37% from the field. The Raps looked like they'd hang around in the first two quarters, but the Hawks pulled away in the second half led by Joe Johnson's 30 points in 30 minutes on 13-18 shooting. The Raptors simply had no answer defensively for JJ who made shot after shot all night. Ed Davis had 11 points and 11 rebounds and Jerryd Bayless led the team with 14 points. The scoring slump returns for Toronto who will try to regroup before playing in Boston Wednesday night

Raptor Highlight of the Night; Defense leads to offense and DeMar delivers the perfect pass


The Week Ahead

Wednesday, Feb 1 - @ Boston Celtics. 7:30pm

Friday, Feb 3 - vs Washington Wizards. 7pm

Sunday, Feb 5 - @ Miami Heat. 1pm

Monday, Feb 6 - @ Washington Wizards. 7pm

Dunk VS: Part 6

LeBron James over John Lucas vs Blake Griffin on Kendrick Perkins

Watch LeBron's dunk / Watch Griffin's Dunk

     These two dunks happened in the span of two days. On Sunday night, LeBron rocked the basketball world with an alley-oop finish right over the head of John Lucas III. The very next night, Blake Griffin 'topped himself again' performing what has become known as "the Mozgov" on a higher-profile interior defender named Kendrick Perkins.

     When LeBron's dunk happened, play continued. People in the arena and watching on TV weren't sure if what they'd just seen had actually just happened. LeBron didn't have time to celebrate, he had to get back and play defense. Only later did we get confirmation that the cow had jumped over the moon. Upon further review LeBron jumps clear over a rotating John Lucas who somehow hopes to close off the baseline to a driving James. When Wade lofts the pass high in the air, James goes up and gets it, completely disregarding Lucas' presence below him. Like Vince Carter over Frederic Weis in the Sydney Olympics, or the lesser-known Kirk Snyder over Von Wafer, vaulting over a player is a rare occurrance that should be rightly celebrated. Carter's dunk has become the concensus best dunk of all time, but it didn't happen in NBA action. Sure the seven-foot Weis was at least twelve inches taller than Lucas, but LeBron's dunk was on an alley-oop that he caught with one hand. LeBron didn't even have to spread his legs to hurdle Lucas, simply flicking his legs after already clearing him.

     Blake Griffin's dunk caught the world by storm. Perkins has been dummied before, but he's a solid presence in the lane. Perk is listed at 6'10", 270 pounds, and though he's slimmed down he's a far larger opponent than the 5'11", 165 pound John Lucas. As Perkins jumped at Blake with his forearm extended, Blake rose even higher in a dunk that he patented last season over then-Knicks centre Timofey Mozgov. When that initial Mozgov happened, critics debated endlessly about the criteria of a dunk and how much rim a player must grab or how a "downward throwing motion forcing the ball through the hoop" literally defined what a dunk was. Blake at least caught a little bit of rim, grazing it with his fingertips. More than a year after the original, the "Mozgov" has become an accepted form of dunk, patented by Blake Griffin and reinforced on Kendrick Perkins.

     We've now learned that "Mozgoving" and "Weising" are verbs that apply to the language of dunk, and both are very impressive for different reasons. Both dunks came in a win against a conference rival. Both are also worth just two points no matter how you look at it, except Blake was fouled by Perkins on his dunk and made the following free-throw for the three-point play.

     The crowd's reaction undeniably elevated the Blake Griffin dunk as well as the announcer's exclamation of "Oh me, oh my!" While both LeBron and Blake's dunks happened in their home arena, the Staples Center crowd in Los Angeles had a chance to stand and applaud after the play was stopped for the foul. The crowd at AmericanAirlines Arena didn't get a chance to react and punctuate LeBron's dunk with their reaction, until they got a second look and soaked it all in. DeAndre Jordan wrapping up Blake after the dunk was more noticeable than Wade's grimmace after LeBron's dunk and added teammate excitement to the slam.

     While the better of these two impressive slams is subjective and open to debate, LeBron tweeted while watching the Thunder-Clippers game "Dunk of the Year!! @blakegriffin just dunked on Kendrick Perkins so hard!! Wow!! I guess I'm #2 now. Move over #6," conceding defeat.

     They are two different dunks that both deserve to be in consideration for best dunk of all time. LeBron's dunk was the best of his career, and Griffin's dunk redefined his highlight formula. Both are worthy of interrupting whatever you're doing at the time and watching in awe while collecting your jaw from the floor. Blake's was more powerful, LeBron's was more unique. While players will be posterized again, and again, and again, dunking OVER a player almost never happens, nevermind on an alley-oop. This time, LeBron comes out on top.

Winner: LeBron James over John Lucas

 

Raptors Rap; Jan 18-24

Game 15- @ Boston (L 96-73 / 4-11 / streak L6) Wednesday January 18, 2012.

Aaron Gray's return didn't give the Raptors the surge they needed to pull out a win, but his return to the court was great to see. The Celtics got off to a hot start and led 29-14 after the first quarter behind the solid play of Rajon Rondo. Rondo, however, left the game after falling hard on his right wrist on a drive to the basket close to the end of the third quarter having scored 21 points. Bargnani remains on the sidelines for the Raptors and again they struggle to score, led by Gary Forbes who had 18 points.

Raptor Highlight of the Night; Ed Davis dunks on Jermaine O'Neal off the Amir assist

image from cbc.ca

Game 16- vs Trail Blazers (L 94-84 / 4-12 / streak L7) Friday January 20, 2012.

LaMarcus Aldridge was picked with the number two overall selection in the 2006 NBA draft, just after Raptors star Andrea Bargnani, but with Bargnani still out with a calf injury it was Aldridge's night to shine. The 6'11" potential all-star scored a season-high 33 points while grabbing a career-high 23 rebounds in the win. The Johnson-Johnson frontcourt could not stop LA, and the Blazers finished the game with a combined 15 offensive rebounds. James Johnson led the Raptors with 23 points and 6 rebounds and a highlight assist you can watch below.

Raptor Highlight of the Night; DeMar DeRozan finishes the James Johnson lob pass with an oop


Game 17- @ Los Angeles Clippers (L 103-91 / 4-13 / streak L8) Sunday January 22, 2012.

The first play of the game was a Blake Griffin alley-oop. Exciting, yes. What the Raptors needed, no. At least they got it out of the way early if it was inevitable. But this is just a microcosm of the Raptors struggles on defense. Surely Dwane Casey, one of the better defensive-minded NBA coaches, told his team what to watch out for, but it's about the team's ability to follow through and live up to their defensive mantra. Scoring has been an issue with Bargnani out, but the defense should be improving every game. Little things like this defensive breakdown show how far the Raptors really are from the upper echelon of NBA teams. Chauncey Billups and Mo Williams played well with Chris Paul out for the Clippers, who out-hustled the Raptors too with Blake sliding across the court for a loose ball in the first quarter. The Raptors had more fouls than points in the first quarter and finished with just 33 total points from their starting lineup.

Raptor Highlight of the Night; Linas Kleiza dunks all over Randy Foye

The Week Ahead

Tuesday, Jan 24 - @ Phoenix Suns. 9pm

Wednesday, Jan 25 - @ Utah Jazz. 9pm

Friday, Jan 27 - @ Denver Nuggets. 9pm

Sunday, Jan 29 - @ New Jersey Nets. 6pm

Raptors Rap; Jan 12-17

Game 12- vs Pacers (L 95-90 / 4-8 / streak L3) Friday January 13, 2012.

With Andrea Bargnani sitting out with a strained left hamstring the Raptors jumped out to an early lead but blew a 16-point lead. Danny Granger was assessed a second technical foul and ejected for staring down Ed Davis after a block, which may have been the turning point for the Pacers. Down three with the clock winding down the Pacers intentionally fouled Jamaal Magloire who missed both free throws, and is shooting just 14% from the stripe on the season. Though DeRozan finished with 23 points, it was evident that scoring depth behind Bargnani is significantly lacking.

Raptor Highlight of the Night; Jose Calderon alley-oop to James Johnson


Game 13- @ Chicago (L 77-64 / 4-9 / streak L4) Saturday January 14, 2012.

If last game was a hint that the Raptors would struggle offensively without Bargnani, this game proved it. The Raptors struggled to score and ended up with just 64 points, led by Leandro Barbosa with 15. James Johnson had 12 points against his former team before rolling his ankle and leaving the game, but he would be okay. Derrick Rose had a game-high 18 points and 11 assists, Taj Gibson had 11 points and 12 rebounds, and Joachim Noah collected 12 rebounds as the Bulls start the season 5-0 at home.

Raptor Highlight of the Night; DeMar DeRozan finishes with two hands on the fast break


Game 14- @ Atlanta (L 93-84 / 4-10 / streak L5) Tuesday January 16, 2012.

On Martin Luther King Day, the NBA had its annual basketball marathon with the Raptors playing at 4pm in Atlanta. Josh Smith had a huge game with 28 points, 15 rebounds and a dependable jump shot. Jose Calderon had 13 points and Barbosa had 22 in the loss, the Raptors third game without Andrea Bargnani.

Raptor Highlight of the Night; Jamaal Magloire swats Josh Smith

The Week Ahead

Wednesday, Jan 18 - @ Boston Celtics. 7:30pm

Friday, Jan 20 - vs Portland Trail Blazers. 8pm

Sunday, Jan 22 - @ LA Clippers. 3:30pm

Tuesday, Jan 24 - @ Phoenix Suns. 9pm

Hindsight is 20/20: NBA Draft

part 2/3

Sometimes draft picks just don't work out. As we saw in part 1, many factors can contribute to a surprising draft dud. For draft experts, words like "potential," "upside," and "raw" turn into curses. Draft effectiveness can determine the future of a club and wasted picks can put the development of a team on permanent hold. But sometimes smarts and amazing good luck brings out a star late in the draft and the teams fortunate enough to discover these second-round gems get an immense boost from an unlikely source. Where a draft bust can make a team look pretty silly in retrospect, a steal in the second round makes a team look savvy and can push them to the next level.

Biggest Draft Second-Round Steals of the Aughts

1999 - Manu Ginobili 57th

- Ginobili is such an international gem and draft steal that he warrants stretching the decade back by a year to 1999. Numerous teams have tried unsuccessfully to draft an obscure European talent late in NBA drafts to try to replicate the Manu Ginobili phenomenon. Ginobili has been an All-Star twice and helped his Spurs to three NBA titles. The Argentinian guard once won Sixth Man of the Year and his international resume is extremely decorated. Ginobili has averaged 15.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game and even more in the playoffs. Ginobili is 34 years old now, but is still one of the most dangerous playoff performers.

2001 – Gilbert Arenas 30^th

- Gilbert Arenas made coming out of the second round a personal challenge. Gil took it upon himself to prove that he belonged in the first round as a lottery pick, and to toast all of those who doubted that his undersized combo-guard skill set would translate in the NBA. Nicnamed "Agent Zero" after the number he donned while with the Wizards, Arenas became the lovable underdog. A popular and clutch player, Arenas played in three All-Star games and averaged 21.2 points, 5.4 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals in Golden State, Washington, and finally Orlando, where he last played. Though Gil is still dealing with fallout from a 2009 incident involving bringing a handgun to an NBA locker room, and is temporarily unsigned, his mark on the NBA was dramatic, and his status as a cult hero for late draft picks was cemented at his explosive and short-lived peak.

2005 – Monta Ellis 40^th 

- The speedy shooting guard has been dubbed the Mississippi Missile and can score with the best of them in the NBA. Bursting through after his first season in Golden State, Ellis has averaged 19.4 points, 4.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. In the past two seasons he has led the league in minutes played per game and averaged 25.5 and 24.1 points per game. Often knocked for not being a traditional ball-distributing point guard, Ellis has yet to crack an NBA All-Star team, but his exciting style suits Golden State's uptempo offense perfectly. Monta still may end up an All-Star, but his easiest path to league stardom rests with his ability to carry the Warriors on his back.

2002 – Carlos Boozer 35^th

- Boozer has struggled to look like an All-Star since arriving in Chicago, but he earned these lofty expectations through his breakthrough play in Cleveland and Utah alongside LeBron James and Deron Williams. Boozer was also a part of the 2004 bronze and 2008 gold-medal winning USA Olympic teams. Having averaged 17.3 points and 10.1 rebounds per game over his career and appearing twice in the NBA All-Star game, Boozer has definitely overachieved for a second round pick. His play with the Bulls this season and next will determine whether the Bulls keep him around while seeking a title under the competitive pairing of MVP Derrick Rose and coach of the year Tom Thibodeau.

2007 – Marc Gasol 48^th

- An afterthought in the deal that brought his All-Star older brother Pau to the Lakers, the draft rights to Marc ended up with Memphis. Marc has quickly established himself as one of the best post players in a league devoid of solid centres. The 7'1" Spaniard helped Spain to the gold medal game in the 2008 Olympics, and helped his #8th seeded Grizzlies team upset the #1 seed San Antonio Spurs in the 2011 NBA playoffs. Gasol has averaged 12.6 points per game on .545 shooting and 7.8 rebounds and is in the conversation for second-best centre in the NBA. Still just 26, Gasol has room to improve too, not bad for the 48th pick.

2000 – Michael Redd 43^rd

- All-Star and Olympic gold medalist, Michael Redd's sharpshooting career came to a premature end with a series of injuries. Redd recently resurfaced in Phoenix but is in the twilight of his NBA career. Redd was an explosive long-range scorer once hitting a record eight three pointers in the fourth quarter on February 20, 2002. He has only played in 61 games since 2007-08, but still holds a 20.0 career points per game average, which peaked at 26.7 in 2006-07.

2003 – Mo Williams 47^th

- Williams became an All-Star playing Robin to LeBron's Batman in 2009 for the Cavaliers when he averaged 17.8 points on 47% from the field, 44% from three-point range and 91% from the free-throw line. Williams has averaged 12.0 points per game for his career, and been a consistent point guard in Milwaukee, Cleveland and now as the sixth man for the Clippers.

2006 – Paul Millsap 47^th

- Millsap is the only player to lead the NCAA in rebounding for three consecutive years, an impressive stat that earned him just the 47th overall selection in the 2006 NBA draft. Since entering the NBA Millsap has improved each season averaging 17.3 points and 7.6 rebounds in 2010-11. For his career Millsap has averaged 11.3 and 6.7, and is still just 26 years old.

2005 – Louis Williams 45^th

- Lou Will was drafted 45th overall out of highschool after becoming the second all time leading scorer in Georgia high school basketball history and winning the 2005 Naismith Prep Player of the Year award. An adept scorer, Williams has given the surprisingly deep Sixers an important weapon off the bench averaging 10.7 points per game for his career along with 2.9 assists.

2005 – Marcin Gortat 57^th

- Dubbed the Polish Hammer, Gortat helped the Orlando Magic to the 2009 NBA finals as Dwight Howard's backup and has grown into a daily double-double threat in Phoenix. In his 55 games as a Sun last season, Gortat averaged 13 points and 9.3 rebounds, dramatic improvements over his career averages of 5.9 and 5.5. Gortat is an improving post player and already one of the better centres in the league.

Honourable Mention

2004 – Trevor Ariza 44^th, 

2008 – Mario Chalmers 34^th

Recent Draft Pick Potential Steals

2011 – Josh Selby 49^th, 

2011 – Isaiah Thomas 60^th

Hindsight is 20/20: NBA Draft

Part 1/3

You really never know what you're going to get with a draft pick in the NBA. Sure a highly touted first-rounder has been scoped out, scouted and scrutinized for years before they shake Stern's iron fist, but sometimes players don't live up to all we thought they could be. In hindsight, we play the role of GM and think of who we could have drafted and how that may have changed the fortunes of different teams, but the process isn't easy. Here are some of the major blunders of the past decade either by management, scouts, or the players themselves so we can all go back and wonder, "what if?"

Worst Draft Picks of the Aughts

-one draft pick from each year of the 2000-2009 decade, ranked from worst to least-worst, with players who were drafted later than them and have had more successful careers.

Darko Milicic 2003 2^nd – b4 Melo, Wade, Bosh, Kaman, West, Barbosa, Perkins

- Darko has become the poster child for draft busts, being picked among the greatest draft in modern NBA history second overall. He never worked himself into the rotation on a title-contending Pistons team, and has since played for the Magic, Grizzlies, Knicks and Wolves averaging a career 6.1 points per game and 4.3 rebounds.

Kwame Brown 2001 1^st – b4 Chandler, Gasol, Richardson, Battier, Joe Johnson, ZBO, Tony Parker

- Kwame may have ruined the highschool to the pros trend after he was selected first overall fresh out of prom. Michael Jordan directed the Wizards to select Kwame to play alongside in Jordan's twilight years, but Kwame never developed the way experts thought he could. Kwame has since played for the Lakers, Grizzlies, Pistons, Bobcats and Warriors averaging a career 6.8 points and 5.6 rebounds.

Jay Williams 2002 2^nd – b4 Amar’e, Nene, Butler, Prince, Salmons, Boozer, Scola

- after a promising rookie year with the Bulls, Jay Williams suffered severe injuries in a motorcycle accident and never made it back to the NBA. Some poor decision-making and a violation of his NBA contract, and Willams' career was over. An unfortunate casualty, but a draft bust all the same.

Rafael Araujo 2004 8^th – b4 Iguodala, Telfair, Al Jefferson, Josh Smith, Nelson, Varejao

-  the Brazilian was drafted by Toronto and later shipped to Utah, but ended up out of the NBA in Russia and then back home in Brazil. A limited player, 'Hafa' averaged just 2.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in his short NBA career, and led to the firing of GM Rob Babcock.

Joe Alexander 2008 8^th – b4 Augustin, Lopez, Hibbert, Hickson, Ibaka, Batum, Chalmers

- unlike Araujo who didn't posses an NBA-level athleticism, Alexander was known for being hyper-athletic. Unfortunately his ability was never complemented by skill and he played just 67 career NBA games averaging 4.2 points and 1.8 rebounds and currently plays in Russia.

Hasheem Thabeet 2009 2^nd –b4 Curry, Jennings, Harden, Evans, Rubio, DeRozan, Holiday, Lawson

- Thabeet was supposed to be the next Mutombo but has struggled to be an effective NBA player. The 7'3" Tanzanian has dabbled in the D-League and through two seasons in Memphis and one in Houston he has averaged just 2.3 points and 2.8 rebounds. Thabeet may end up higher on this list by the end of his career, but he will need time to develop having first picked up a basketball at age 15.

Adam Morrison 2006 3^rd – b4 Roy, Gay, Redick, Rondo, Millsap

- Adam Morrison had a great college career and was named co-player of the year alongside JJ Redick. Morrison was known for his show of emotion after his Gonzaga team was eliminated in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA tournament. Morrison was also the first pick by the Bobcats under Michael Jordan (which, as we've seen, is not a good sign). Morrison averaged just 7.5 points and 2.1 rebounds playing for the Bobcats and Lakers and currently finds success playing in Turkey.

Stromile Swift 2000 2^nd – b4 Crawford, Mike Miller, Hedo, Q, Magloire, Redd

- The Stro Show was as athletic as they come, but never developed a consistent NBA game. He played for the Grizzlies in both Vancouver and Memphis, and journeyed from the Grizzlies to the Rockets, Nets, Suns, 76ers and finally to China. In his NBA career, Stromile averaged 8.4 points and 4.6 rebounds and never lived up to his pre-draft hype.

Greg Oden 2007 1^st – b4 Durant, Horford, Conley, Noah, Stuckey, Chandler, Marc Gasol

- It isn't Greg Oden's fault for his many injuries that have limited his career, but he still ends up as a bust. There is still hope for a return, but expectations have been tempered significantly after Oden missed his entire rookie season and since being drafted in 2007 has only played in a total of 82 regular-season games. Oden has remained with the Trail Blazers organization throughout his stunted career averaging 9.4 points and 7.3 rebounds (when healthy). 

Marvin Williams 2005 2^nd – b4 Williams, Paul, Felton, Bynum, Granger, Lee, Monta

- The Hawks missed out on some of the greatest point guards of a generation of point guards by taking UNC's sixth man off of 'potential upside;' a dangerous concept. He has found a role on the Hawks similar to his in college coming off the bench, but that's not the type of player you look for in a second overall pick. In six seasons in Atlanta, Williams has averaged 11.7 points and 5.3 rebounds.

Raptors Rap; Jan 4 - 11

The past week in the Raptors schedule...

Game 6- vs Cavaliers (W 92-77 / 3-3 / streak W2) Wednesday January 4, 2012.

The Raptors got their third win of the season in their second clash with the lowly Cavaliers. This was to be Tristan Thompson's debut in his hometown, but the Brampton native finished with just one point. Bargnani finished with thirty-one points and seven rebounds, DeMar had twenty-five points and the Raptors keyed in from deep. Solid win for the Raptors.

Raptor Highlight of the Night; DeRozan throws it down


Game 7- vs Nets (L 97-85 / 3-4 / streak L1) Friday January 6, 2012.

The optimism of the previous two wins faded with this lop-sided affair against the New Jersey Nets. The Nets have struggled this season and Deron Williams has expressed his frustration and displeasure. Tonight however, Williams and the Nets looked like a much better team. Deron Williams was dominant and New Jersey's bench outscored the Raptors bench by a significant margin. Jose Calderon had a decent game recording nineteen points and eight assists.

Raptor Highlight of the Night; José throws the assist from the hardwood


Game 8- @ Philadelphia (L 97-62 / 3-5 / streak L2) Saturday January 7, 2012.

The Raptors once again underperformed, but this time against a slightly better team. The Doug Collins-led Sixers have broken through in the Eastern Conference as a young, deep team that is playoff-bound. They proved their place among the Eastern Conference's best by holding the Raptors to 62 points and forcing careless turnovers.

Raptor Highlight of the Night; Ed Davis and James Johnson combine on offense-defense


Game 9- vs TimberWolves (W 97-87 / 4-5 / streak W1) Monday January 9, 2012.

I attended this game in the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, and it was a great game to watch; the only Raptors win on the season not against Cleveland or an Amar'e-less Knicks squad.  Rubio, Love, Darko, Anthony Randolph, Luke Ridnour, and more were interesting players to watch. Kevin Love struggled scoring just thirteen points while grabbing fourteen rebounds. The key matchup was the Spanish point guard pair of José Calderon and Ricky Rubio. Rubio came out strong and flashy dishing three no-look passes as soon as he entered the game, but he struggled with his shot a bit as did the rest of the Wolves. Kevin Love shot 3-16 from the field and an abysmal 5-10 from the free-throw line, as he was bothered by the hounding defense of Amir and James Johnson. The Johnson-Johnson-Bargnani frontcourt gets a new nicname from me; "Bangers and Mash." José Calderon has also become "The Mad Scientist." The Raptors almost crumbled in the early fourth quarter once again giving up a 17-2 run to the Wolves, but some clutch shots by Bargnani and Calderon sealed the game. DeMar DeRozan struggled and almost got a breakaway highlight dunk but he was wrapped up by Luke Ridnour. Andrea Bargnani led this game for the Raptors with a thirty-one point, nine rebound effort, but it was the energy and defense of Amir Johnson that subdued Kevin Love and promoted the defense that the team needed.

Raptor Highlight of the Night; Calderon half-court oop to Amir Johnson


Game 10- @ Washington (L 93-78 / 4-6 / streak L1) Tuesday January 10, 2012.

The Raptors seemed tired after traveling to Washington to play the second game of a back-to-back, as the Wizards picked up their first win of the season against a Raptors team that struggled all game long. The Raptors had seemed so promising the past couple of games that people were jumping back on the bandwagon and saying a compact season would benefit the youthful Raptors, but the lack of depth was evident in this loss. DeRozan has been struggling of late, and scored just eleven points on 4-16 shooting. Bargnani scored twenty-two points but finished with just two rebounds. Hopefully this loss knocked some sense into the Raptors, and it was about time the Wizards got a win.

Raptor Highlight of the Night; Bargnani sweeping reverse lay-up


Game 11- vs Kings (L 98-91 / 4-7 / streak L2) Wednesday January 11, 2012.

The final game of the Raptors only back-to-back-to-back was home at the ACC and they came up just short against Demarcus Cousins and the Kings. Demarcus Cousins absolutely dominated with twenty-one points and nineteen rebounds, while Evans wreaked havoc on the Raptors defense scoring twenty-nine points of his own including 14-14 from the free-throw line. Bargnani struggled to 2-13 shooting and just ten points before leaving the game with a strained calf. Leandro Barbosa scored a team-high twenty-four points, but couldn't carry the Raptors to the win. The Raps get a day off before playing consecutive games on Friday and Saturday, capping off a stretch of seven games in nine days.

Raptor Highlight of the Night; Amir Johnson hits a three-pointer, just the third of his career

The Week Ahead

Friday, Jan 13 - vs Indiana Pacers. 7pm

Saturday, Jan 14 - @ Chicago Bulls. 8pm

Monday, Jan 16 - @ Atlanta Hawks. 4pm (MLK Day)

*next Raptor Rap tuesday*

NBA 2011/12 Season Preview

NBA 2011-12 Predictions

East

Miami – 56/10

Chicago – 53/13

Atlanta – 46/20

Boston – 44/22

New York – 42/24

Orlando – 41/25

Indiana – 39/27

Philadelphia – 38/28

Toronto – 30/36

Detroit – 30/36

Milwaukee – 25/41

New Jersey – 22/44

Charlotte – 20/46

Cleveland – 18/48

Washington – 12/54

West

Oklahoma City – 51/13

Dallas – 46/20

Portland – 44/22

LA Clippers – 42/24

LA Lakers – 41/25

Memphis – 38/28

San Antonio – 38/28

Denver – 37/29

Utah – 33/33

Phoenix – 28/38

Houston – 26/40

Minnesota – 26/40

Golden State – 25/41

New Orleans – 23/43

Sacramento – 20/46

MVP – Kevin Durant

Finals MVP – LeBron James (Heat beat Thunder 4-2 in Finals)

Defensive Player – LeBron James

6^th Man – Jason Terry

Most Improved – DeMar DeRozan

Biggest Bust – Stephen Curry/ Joe Johnson

Rookie – Kyrie Irving

Coach – Nate McMillan (Portland)

Scoring Champ – Kevin Durant

Highlight OTY – Blake Griffin on somebody

All First Team – Rose, Wade, James, Durant, Howard

All Second Team – Paul, Bryant, Nowitzki, Griffin, Love

All Third Team – Williams, Westbrook, Anthony, Stoudemire, Aldridge

Raptors Rap - January 4

This year I've farted around with the format of my Raptors Recap blog. From now on, Raptors Rap will be a weekly column coming on Wednesdays. From now until the end of the season, the Raps will have a game every Wednesday night making it an appropriate day to look back at the week and talk about the upcoming matchup(s). It'll free up some time for me to be more creative in writing occasional pieces and staying with exciting current trends.

So far this shortened season the games are coming fast and heavy and the Raptors have been... well, they've been the Raptors. The defense has been better and they've challenged some tough teams, and came up short, but the concensus is that we like what we see here in Raptorland. Dwane Casey is doing big things with limited talent and it's taking the pain out of thinking about the future just a little bit.

Here's what happened in the past week.

Game 3- @ Dallas (L 99-86 / 1-2 / streak L2) Friday December 30, 2011

It was a good defensive effort by the Raptors, but when Ian Mahinmi scores 19 points you need to refocus on  your defense in the paint. This was coach Dwane Casey's first game back in Dallas after helping the Mavs win the 2011 championship as an assistant. Bargnani vs Dirk is always a fun matchup for Raptors fans and dreamers alike who wish Bargs could develop into half the legend that Finals MVP Dirk has become. Ultimately the Raptors were outclassed even though they briefly held a lead in the third quarter. They couldn't cover Dirk, gave up too many threes, and couldn't get enough scoring outside DeRozan and Bargnani who finished with a game-high 30 points and 7 rebounds.
* Raptors highlight of the game - DeRozan through dunks off his own miss

Game 4- @ Orlando (L 102-96 / 1-3 / streak L3) Sunday January 1, 2012

Happy New Year! 2012 is going to be an exciting year for the Raptors who approach next season with Jonas Valenciunas, a fresh lottery pick, and cap room to facilitate some signings and/ or trades. In the meantime, there is much the young Raps can learn this season. This game should have been a Raptors win, but they collapsed in the fourth quarter, giving up a 16-0 run after leading by 11 going into the final frame. Dwight Howard was his usual self (19 points, 15 rebounds) pummeling the Raptors interior defenders (poor Amir Johnson), but who knew Ryan Anderson (24 points) would be leading the Magic in scoring this year, and leading the league in threes? Calderon had a big 18 point, 13 assist outing, and Bargnani was aggressive (28 points, 7 rebounds) but to no avail against Dwight Howard's block party. Again, the Raps struggle to defend the three-pointer and can't come through in the clutch.
*Raptors highlight of the game - Bargnani crams it off the pump-fake

Game 5- @ Knicks (W 90-85 / 2-3 / streak W1) Monday January 2, 2012

With four of the Raptors first five games coming on the road, the Raptors have battled tough and were rewarded with a win over the Knicks at MSG. It's really nice to see the Raptors win with defense. The Raptors were without Bayless, Gray and still awaiting Linas Kleiza's return, but the Knicks were missing Amar'e which more than equaled the Raptors losses. Toney Douglas and Carmelo Anthony (35 points, 11 rebounds) led the way for the Knicks, but they struggled to score as a team. Bargs and DMDR both scored 21 and the rest of the team chipped in, especially on the defensive end. The Raptors once again allowed the opposing team to creep back into the game in the fourth quarter, but this time they had some answers.
*Raptors highlight of the game - Bargnani hits the and-1 fadeaway over Chandler

Game 6- vs Cavaliers / Wednesday January 4, 2012. 7pm

The Raptors beat the Cavs in their season opener, and both teams have only gotten better since.
This game is a big deal because it'll be #4 pick, and Brampton Ontario native, Tristan Thompson's NBA debut in Canada.
Prediction: Raptors win 103-95


The Week Ahead

Friday, Jan 6 - vs New Jersey Nets. 7pm

Saturday, Jan 7 - @ Philadelphia 76ers. 8pm

Monday, Jan 9 - vs Minnesota Timberwolves. 7pm (I will be in attendance)

Tuesday, Jan 10 - @ Washington Wizards. 7pm