Score 1 [or 29] for Kapono

He's averaging less playing time than in Miami. He's not playing with Shaq and Wade. He's sometimes a forgotten man, regardless of his out of this world shooting stroke. He has, however, never publicly complained. He just uses his minutes efficiently, by shooting a high percentage from both within, and beyond, the three point arc. These facts have led me to wish Mitchell played him more often. Yes, Moon is long, athletic, and a block machine. Parker is probably the Raptors best defender in the half court set, and Delfino seems to bring a bit of everything to the table. I hoped, however, that Mitchell could find SOME consistent use for Kapono, as his percentages were just too high to ignore.
You can understand my joy, therefore, after Toronto's fourth straight win tonight, this time at the expense of the Indiana Pacers. Kapono simply went off, scoring 29 points, including 6-7 from three. In the fourth quarter alone, Kapono scored 17 points and was a perfect 4-4 from three, including one ridiculous looking two-handed push shot that was just about the quickest release I had ever seen. Of course, he might play all of 15 minutes against Boston, even after this performance, but at least he showed the fans that he is certainly worth the money he got in the off season, and will be a valuable piece of the Raptors puzzle this season.

Now, onto the game:

The fact that the Raptors came back from 17 points, on the road no less, speaks volumes about where the team is at mentally right now. Furthermore, the win came with Ford on the bench, Rasho ineffective, and Bargnani still MIA. What worked was the career high in point by Kapono, the career high in assists by Calderon, the 'still riding high' play of The Hump, and the rounding into all-star form from Chris Bosh.

Box Score Worthy
- Jose Calderon: 18 points, 16 assists, 2 turnovers, 5 rebounds
- Chris Bosh: 22 points, 16 rebounds, including 8 offensive
- Jason Kapono: 29 points on 9-14 shooting, 6-7 from 3, 5-5 from FT line
- Kris Humphries: 17 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals
- Carlos Delfino: 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 1 big, big block

The Raptors record stands at 14-10, which puts them in sole possession of 4th in the Eastern Conference, a couple games behind Detroit/ Orlando, and a game up on Washington. It also puts them at 10th in the league, which means they should make it into the top 10 in monday's ESPN and NBA.com power rankings. If they beat Boston, they could potentially jump up to 8th. If they lose, they shouldn't drop further than 11th, considering two of their four wins came on the road against .500 teams, and their two home wins came against two of the Western Conference powers [Houston still needs to be considered a power, record aside].

The Update

Okay, it's been too long. I've put my blogging duties aside [xmas shopping, job hunting, laziness], but I am back now and will catch up on what was missed.

Quarter Point

Power Rankings
- We have more or less reached the quarter point of the NBA season. The power rankings are getting more and more difficult, as the Suns and Magic have hit a bit of a slide, the Spurs are trying to hang on without Duncan, and Boston still hasn't played a tough opponent recently. By record, Boston leads the NBA by a landslide [2 losses, SA with 5], and San Antonio, Phoenix, Detroit, and Orlando rounding out the top 5. Amazingly, the East has more teams in the top 5 record-wise than the West. However, if you get rid of the top 3 teams in each conference, the West still produces 6 other teams with winning records, while the East has only 2.

Surprises
- There are good and bad surprises. I am surprised that Boston is 18-2, but would not be surprised if they don't win the East.
- I am amazed that Chicago is 7-13, but not surprised that New York and Miami have joined them at the bottom of the East.
- I am surprised that New Orleans has a better record than Dallas, Utah, and Houston, and, matter of fact, surprised that Dallas is a 6 seed in the West right now, Utah is a 7, and Houston is out of the playoff picture.
- I am surprised that the Oden-less Blazers are 10-12.
- I am not surprised that the worst team in the league is Minnesota, the team KG left to play, oddly enough [?], for the best team in the league.

Come on, MVP?
- Just as muddled as the power rankings right now. Dwight Howard has the stats, and his team is playing at a high level. Lebron has more stats, but his team is struggling. Nash is too easy of a pick. KG is on the best team in the league by record, but doesn't really have the stats of the other three. Either of those 4 could take it right now.

Raptors
- Three in a row for the Raps: one win on the road against a .500 team, followed by two nice home wins against two of the big three from Texas. All this without two healthy point guards, and one MIA big man [Bargnani]. Luckily, Calderon has played incredible, Kapono has been as steady as a shooter as the Raptors have had since Curry, Bosh has been bringing the energy and intensity the team sorely needs, Delfino has been making Joe Dumars look silly, and a guy named Hump has been making Hoffa look like... well, Hoffa who?
- With all that being said, the Raptors need healthy bodies. They can hang on for now, but they could be a very dangerous team with Ford AND Calderon leading the charge, and Bargnani scoring 15 and grabbing 6. When that day comes, hopefully soon for when the schedule turns in their favour, the Raptors can maybe put together a nice string of victories to give them a cushion in the East, and maybe secure a 3-5 spot.

Hand hits head, head hits court
- It was unintentional, but stupid. Luckily, Ford will be okay, and Horford said, and did, all the right things afterwards. He'll know next time to grab the guy by the waist, and not just swing away. Even so, the one game suspension was justified, a good call, and I cannot see any appeal on Horford's part.
- What made the situation worse was the comments LeBron made. Yes, the Raptors may lack toughness, and if, as Doug Smith pointed out, another player besides Ford was knocked down, Ford would probably have been the first one in the guys face, but we have to look at the severity of the fall. If it's a hard foul, usually the first one to get upset is the guy who was taken down, and it snowballs from there. If the guy who was taken down can't get up, and has to get taken off on a stretcher, I hardly think that toughness needs to be shown. How about, the players show concern for the hurt player, which they did, and settle things on the basketball court, which they did. A week off because of a sprained finger doesn't make LeBron out to be the toughest of characters either, so I don't know why he was the one to talk [did Calderon play after dislocating his finger? Thought so...]

The Raptors After 20 Games

01-02: 12-8
02-03: 7-13
03-04: 12-8
04-05: 7-13
05-06: 3-17
06-07: 7-13
07-08: 10-10

Considering the two seasons before this they were a combined 10-30 after 20 games each, we can't be too hard on a 10-10 record. Especially when you look at the state of the Eastern Conference these days, where there are only three teams sporting above .500 records as of Sunday morning. What is a cause for concern though, is injuries. Forget Charlotte, the Raptors need Bosh and Bargnani back ASAP. If one of them is healthy, they will be okay for a game or two, but they need both bigs back together, because it is putting far too much pressure on Hump, Rasho, and Baston. Moon and Graham can play big on occasion, depending on matchups, but with Garbo already out, the Raptors are thin up front. With all that being said, I think the Raptors should be happy with a .500 record at the end of 2007, and then make a push in the new year again.

Raptors players vs. the rest of the NBA
- Jamario Moon has cracked the top 20 in blocks per game at 1.7
- Calderon is 9th in the league in assists at 7.7 a game [in 26 mins]
- Ford is 12th in the league in assists at 6.9 a game [in 26 mins]
- Ford is tied for 10th in the league in FT% at 90%
- Bosh is 11th in the league in FT attempts, averaging 7.5 attempts a game [and 11th in the league in FT makes, making 6.6 of the 7.5 for an 87.6 success rate]
- The Raptors have FOUR players in the top 16 in the league in 3FG%:
- 1st. Kapono. 51.7%
- 6th. Parker. 49.3%
- 12th. Bargnani. 45.2%
- 16th. Delfino. 44.7%

Raptors leaders
- Bosh is leading the team in points with 18.8 a game
- Moon is leading the team in blocks at 1.7 a game
- Delfino is leading the team in steals with 1.2 a game
- Calderon is leading the team in assists at 7.7 a game
- Bosh is leading the team in rebounds at 7.9 [Moon hot on his heels with 7.6]

Raptors vs. the other teams
- The Raptors are right in the middle of the league [15th] in ppg at 99.2, and are 10th best in the league by giving up 96.9 ppg.
- Even with Moon's block party, the Raptors only average 3.9 blocks a game [Josh Smith averages 3.6 a game himself], and sit tied for 3rd worse in the league
- The Raptors are 4th best in the league at taking care of the ball, averaging only 12.2 turnovers a game
- The Raptors are 7th in the league in assists, averaging 23 a game
- Not surprisingly, they sit in the bottom third in the league in rebounds per game
- Once again, the Raptors are great when they're at the line [2nd in the league], but never get there [dead last in attempts]
- The Raptors lead in the league in 3 point percentage, shooting 43.7% as a team, but are right in the middle of the league in FG%, at 45.4 percent.

Conclusion
- Bosh's line of 18.8 and 7.9 is not what was expected from the all star, but he was showing signs of turning it around before he got injured. I think, by the end of the year, he should be back up to 23 and 9, maybe 10.
- Bargnani is averaging 12 points and almost 5 boards a game. To be fair though, he's only playing 25 minutes a game. To be more fair though, he would be playing more if he could stay out of foul trouble.
- Jamario Speedwagon is filling up the statsheet nicely: 8.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and 1.1 steals. If only he stopped shooting 3's and attacked the rim [26% from three, only 1.1 attempts a game from the FT line]
- Delfino and Moon have both played great, and Parker is rounding into last years form, but I wish we saw more of Jason Kapono. He is shooting over 50% from the field and from three, but is averaging less than 23 minutes a game.

Player of the Year so far....
I'm going to cop out and give it to no one. Because of injuries, and depth, no Raptors really plays enough time to stand out on the statsheet. If I had to pick the best player in the last 10 games or so, it'd be Calderon.

Week 5 Power Rankings

I had to. I had to toss 'win-loss' record aside and focus on the little things. While the teams are the same, the order is different.

1. San Antonion [15-3]
Sure, Duncan is out. But, it shouldn't be for very long, and with the way Manu and Tony are playing, it might not even matter. A brutal schedule ahead though for the Spurs: Dallas, Utah, Golden State, LA LAkers, Denver.

2. Orlando [15-4]
They've played 12 of their 19 games on the road, beat the Celtics [in fact, they're 9-1 against the East overall], and the combined record of the teams they lost to is 39-12. They could be #1.

3. Phoenix Suns [13-4]
Grant Hill for comeback player of the year? Sure, and Super Jamario for ROY, and Delfino for 6th man. All unlikely, but not out of the question. Hill just had a monster game for Phoenix, who are right in the thick of things at the top of the league.

4. Boston Celtics [14-2]
ESPN tells us that they have only beaten four teams with winning records - Toronto, Denver, Golden State, LA Lakers [barely winning records] and have played 9 of their 16 games at home. This is why they're #4 even with a 14-2 record. Their upcoming schedule means they won't be returning to #1 anytime soon. Not because it's brutal, but because the combined record of their next five opponents is 31-47. And their previous five games [a 4-1 record over those five]: combined 33-50 record.

5. Utah Jazz [12-5]
The Jazz are 7-2 against the rest of the West, and 12-5 overall, but are mostly locked into this 5 spot until a team above them makes a big slip. Expect the Jazz to hang around for the long haul though.

____

On the Rise:
- Detroit has won 3 in a row, pushing their overall record to 11-5. I have a feeling the Celtics and Magic are going to have competition at the end of the year for the East crown.
- Golden State is the hottest team in the league. They've won 6 in a row, 9 of 10, and could be in the top 5 if not for their awful first 6 games.

Stumbling:
- As soon as I give Milwaukee some recognition, they lose four in a row, dropping out of first in the division, and dropping below .500.
- The Raptors may have caught a break. They are without Bargnani, Garbo, Ford, and Bosh for tonight's contest against Charlotte, but the Bobcats have lost 5 in a row, and are only 1-5 on the road.
- Maybe Portland does need Oden after all. After showing promising signs, the Blazers have lost four in a row, dropping to 0-9 on the road, and 1-9 in their last 10.
- LA Clippers... injury prone, and bad. A 4-1 record all but forgotten due to 5 straight losses and a 2-8 record in their last 10.

The Raptors
- There's certainly no salami and cheese out yet for tonight's game, but it will be a big win if they can hold on. The Raptors big 3 will need to be healthy if they have any chance of winning their next three games [after Charlotte] against Phoenix, Boston, and Houston. A 10-8 record would put them around 11th or 12th in the league, and that's about where I would have them in the rankings. Not top 10 yet, but not far off.

I [and Doug Smith] don't want to hear it...

The Raptors have won three in a row. COINCIDENTALLY, this stretch has come with Jose Calderon starting. Now, that might mean something if, say, we beat Houston, Dallas, and Phoenix with Jose starting, and lost three in a row with TJ starting against Minnesota, Seattle, and Philly. Instead, TJ got injured [after I named him Raptor of the year so far], Jose started, and our three straight wins have come against Chicago [awful], Memphis [see Chicago] and Cleveland [Lebronless...see Chicago]. Now, this is NOT anything against Jose. I think Jose is just as good as TJ, and he could start on almost any team in this league. His numbers have been incredible as starter. However, who knows what numbers Ford would have put up if he wasn't injured? Basically, Calderon can't play 42 minutes a night for the rest of the season, and neither can Ford. Both point guards are going to share minutes, and we'll continue to have the best 1-2 PG combo in the league.

Now, onto the games.

Memphis: I was lucky enough to be at the game for spanish night. It was great to see the Raptors pull out a big win with Bosh and Bargnani getting injured, and with Ford already on the bench. The box score was the definition of balance. Parker had 19, 8 and 6... Calderon 13, 5 and 10, Bargnani 11 and 7, Delfino 14 and 7, and Kapono 14, 4 and 3. Memphis didn't look into it at all in the second half, and the Raptors did what they had to do to make sure the Grizz never got back into the game. Seven players on the Raps scored in double figures, and they won the battle on the boards, 46-38. Then, tonight, King James came to town.

Cleveland: The King-less peasants couldn't keep up with the ... Bosh... less... Raps. The last time these two teams met, the two stars combined for over 70 points, yet neither could play in the rematch. Luckily for the Raptors, their bench is way deeper, and better, than Clevelands'. Andrea Bargnani had the breakout game offensively that we have longed for all season, pouring in 26 points to go along with grabbing 6 rebounds. Delfino was equally as impressive offensively, adding 24 points and 8 rebounds. Rasho and Moon eached pulled down 9 boards, with Parker adding 6, as the Raptors beat the Cavs at their own game [rebounding] 44-39. Ford had 6 assists in 16 minutes off the bench in his first game back, while Calderon had another solid outing of 11 points and 10 assists.

The Raptors play again tomorrow in Washington, meaning they have one more game to prove they deserve to rise some places in Monday's power rankings [who am I kidding...]. Washington has been as inconsistent as the Raps for much of the season thus far, but have been playing fairly solid basketball since Agent Zero [nnnnnnnnaaaaaaaccccccchhhhhhhhoooooooo!!!!!] went down. Washington is certainly NOT known for their defense, and they don't really have anyone that matches up well against Bargnani or Bosh. Of course, if the game is a nail biter at the end, maybe we can do what happened last time we played them in Washington.... Mo Pete anyone?

Week 4 Power Rankings

1. Boston Celtics [11-1]
They didn't lose after I put them in the top spot [although Ray Ray saved them from such fate against Charlotte], so there was no reason to drop them. For all you conspiracy theorists out there, do you think the NBA wanted the Celtics to dominate? Check out their next 7 games: Cleveland, New York, Miami, Cleveland, Philly, Toronto, Chicago. Favourable strength of schedule anyone?

2. Phoenix Suns [11-2]
Riding an 8 game winning streak, Phoenix has returned to their high scoring ways, and are doing it with balance. Nash leads the team in points and assists, Marion in rebounds and steals, and Amare in blocks. Games against Golden State, Houston, and Orlando will put their #2 ranking to the test.

3. Orlando Magic [12-3]
The second best team in the East, and the only team to beat the best team in the East, has lost only three games - to Detroit, San Antonio, and Phoenix. If Dwight Howard keeps playing like an MVP, the Magic look primed to go 4-1, or 5-0, on their upcoming west coast road swing.

4. San Antonio Spurs [12-2]
The Spurs could easily be #2, or even #1, but that would get boring. They have four winnable games coming up before tough home games against Dallas and Utah.

5. Utah Jazz [10-4]
The Jazz are playing like they did last year, which was very well, but fly lower on the radar than the Spurs. Four of their next five games come against sub .500 teams, followed by back-to-back road games against the Spurs and Mavs.


On the Rise:
- In a division with Detroit, Cleveland, and Chicago, who would've thought that Milwaukee was leading the way? The Bucks are 7-4, have won 5 in a row, and just beat Cleveland, LA, and Dallas.
- Cleveland has won 3 in a row, and LeBron put up back to back triple doubles. Scary to imagine what his stat line will be like at the end of the season.

Stumbling:
- Chicago has lost 4 in a row, they're 2-10 on the season, and they just dont look good right now... little energy, little excitement.
- Seattle and Minnesota are a combined 3-22, including 9 losses in a row. Enough Said.

The Raptors:
- A 7-7 record to start the year is okay when comparing it to last year. The fact that Bosh is playing better is definitely a positive, and the emergence of Moon will help even more if the rumours are true about Garbo. A .500 record puts the Raptors tied for 6th in the East, and tied for 13 in the league. They'd be right about there in the rankings, somewhere betwen 13 and 15.

A Toast To Sam

With the win today over Chicago, Sam Mitchell now has more wins as Raptors coach [114] than any other coach in franchise history. Doesn't mean a lot, per se, considering the Raptors have never had a coach with a winning record, and only two of the teams six coaches have even made it to 75 wins [something Avery Johnson did for the Mavs in what, a season and a half?]. Here is how Sam stacks up against the rest of the Raptors coaches:

1995-1996: Brendan Malone. 21-61 record, 0.256 winning percentage. It would've taken him almost 6 seasons and over 450 games to get to 114 wins with that pace.

1996-1998: Darrell Walker. 41-90 record, 0.313 winning percentage. Another 240 games or so, and Walker could've got 114.

1998-2000: Butch Carter. 73-92, 0.442 winning percentage. With the second best winning percentage of any of the Raptors coaches, Carter could've broke 114 after 260 career games, which would've put his record at 114-145 or so.

2000-2003. Lenny Wilkins. 113-133, 0.459 winning percentage. The man Mitchell just beat for all time wins still holds the franchise record for best winning percentage while coach.

2003-2004: Kevin O'Neil: 33-49, 0.402 winning percentage. The experiment that never really worked, O'Neil was the only coach that took a step backward in terms of winning percentage. He was canned after only one season.

2004-present: Sam Mitchell: 114-146, 0.438 winning percentage. 3rd place all time when it comes to winning percentage, Mitchell can take over 1st place in that category too if the Raptors finish the year 45-37. That would give him a career winning percentage of 0.461.

Raps vs Bulls, 4th Q live blog

Final 12 minutes...
- the Raptors cant settle for jumpers with the lead in the 4th [see: Warriors game]
- Calderon and Bosh coming in after only 3 minutes. The Raps with no movement in their offense
- Bulls look bad, Raps dont look much better
- Delfino struggling with his shot. Parker sighting maybe?
- Crowd is feeling it... half a quarter to go, they want the win
- Delfino misses a layup
- Bulls aren't hitting either
- Moon with the most athletic play of the night... did the crowd howl?
- Raptors up 9 with 4:26 to play
- Calderon with his first turnover in about 80 minutes
- Parker in the game, not for Delfino though
- Moon with two offensive rebounds in a row
- Parker with the three! Raps up 10 with 3 mins to go
- Bosh with 13 rebounds
- 82-70 Toronto, 2:45 to go, crowd into it, Chuck brings out the Salami and Cheese.


Final Minutes...
- Chicago with a three, now putting full court pressure on the Raps
- Beautiful pass by Calderon to Delfino for an easy layup
- Up 9 with 1:15 to go
- UNOS DOS TRES! big three for Calderon, he looks pumped, Raps up big.
- fitting finish... block by Moon. Crowd on their feet.
- Raptors win! 93-78

Final Thoughts:
- Big games from Bosh, Calderon, and Moon
- CB4: 16 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists
- Calderon: 19 points, 14 assists, 1 turnover
- Moon: 15 points, 6 blocks, 9 rebounds, 3 steals
- Parker, Delfino, Kapono: 30 points, 14 rebounds, 5-9 from three
- Raptors as a team had 10 blocks, 9 steals, only 9 turnovers, and outrebounded the Bulls 45-44.

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Raps vs. Bulls, 3rd Q live blog

Starting the 2nd half...
- Calderon with the first points of the second half
- Bargnani with a foul... a questionable foul...
- Raptors having trouble with their man to man. They don't know who to guard it seems.
- Raptors up 62-54 with 5:30 to play in the 3rd
- As soon as Nocioni came in, same as in the 1st, the Bulls make a comeback
- Speaking of Nocioni, he just won a jump ball against Calderon

Less than 4 minutes left in the 3rd...
- Calderon 7 quarters without a turnover
- Calderon looks great
- 68-62 with two and a half minutes left in the 3rd
- Raptors having trouble with end-of-quarter plays. Parker had to rush a shot and got blocked
- Raps lead 70-64 after three.
- Moon has 11 points, 3 blocks, 2 steals, 4 rebounds
- Calderon and Bosh both with 14 and 10

Raps vs Bulls, 2nd quarter live blog

Beginning of the 2nd
- Calderon, Hump, Bosh, Delfino, Kapono on the floor
- 23-7 run for the Bulls: Chuck
- Dixon in for Calderon
- three point streak extended after a 3 by Kapono
- Delfino 0-4

2nd Q continued...
- 35-33 Bulls, both teams shooting bricks
- Hump not looking good, no energy
- Bargnani in for Hump, right on cue
- Calderon also in
- Raps tie the game, 39-39, started with D

Middle of the 2nd...
- Delfino misses another shot on one end, commits a foul on the other
- Parker, Bosh, Calderon, Delfino, Bargnani on the floor
- Raps take 46-43 lead, 2 minutes left in the half
- 40 seconds left, Calderon Bosh, Moon, Bargnani, Parker
- Moon with a nice offensive rebound and putback at the end of the half
- Raptors up 50-44

1st half thoughts:
- Besides a 5 minute stretch, the Bulls are playing very poorly
- Calderon with 8 points, 8 assists, still no turnovers
- Bosh with 10 points, 8 rebounds
- Moon 9 points, 3 blocks
- Raptors closed the rebound gap to 3, losing 23-20

Raps vs. Bulls, 1st quarter live blog

11:40am:
Raptors game starts in about 30 minutes. The Bulls are the surprise team of the league, but for all the wrong reasons. Ben Wallace is hardly the Big Ben of the Pistons, Deng is hurting, Gordon and Hinrich are struggling, and they to lost the Knicks. How much worse can it get?
Raptors fans aren't all that pleased with their performance either thus far this season. A 6-7 start isn't what was envisioned after last years' 47 win campaign, and with three key injuries, the team needs everyone to step up in order to make a run to get over .500, and stay over. Bosh has finally turned his season around and is coming off a few terrific performances, Kapono is starting to find a groove in the rotation, and Bargnani's offense is heating up too, even if his defense and rebounding are still sub-par. This afternoon's game is big for the Raptors, as a loss will drop them to 6-8. The way the Bulls have been playing, the Raptors SHOULD win this game, which usually means a flat performance on their part.

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Pre-game time.
- Chuck gave the bad new, Ford isn't playing this afternoon
- Chicago was the team a few weeks back that Jamario got his first start
- Moon, Bargnani, Calderon, Parker, and Bosh are the starters

Tip-off.
- Tip goes to Toronto
- First play goes to Bargnani on the baseline
- First points go to Bosh on a nice jumper
- Block party early on for the Raps
- nice pump fake and jumper by Bargnani - good move for him
- Chicago is looking bad. No one wants to shoot
- Beauty post move by Bargnani against Wallace
- first stoppage in play, Raps 14, Bulls 10. Moon with 4 points 3 blocks.

midway through the 1st:
- I couldn't pull it off, but Mitchell looks good in his off-brown suit
- Bulls on a 11-0 run.
- Finally. Moon with a bucket and foul.
- Raps offense looks stagnant. Delfino, Calderon, Hump, Mooon, and Kapono on the floor.
- Bosh back in as soon as I write that.
- 3 seconds left in the quarter, and for some reason Hump gets the ball and tries to go end to end.
- Raps down 33-26 after 1
- Raps outrebounded 14-5 in the quarter
- Moon with 7 points and 3 blocks

CB4 vs. LBJ

How good is LeBron James? 37, 12, and 12 is incredible... and that isn't even his best stat line this season. He has three triple doubles, and two one-assist-shy-almost-triple doubles in only 13 games so far this season. Sure, big Z added 16 and 15, and Boobie Gibson and Damon Jones each had 17 points... but LeBron is LeBron, and LeBron is the Cavs.
Looking just at the box score, the Raptors could've been the winner. They shot 49% for the game, only committed 5 turnovers, made 20 free throws to the Cavs' 12, and CB4 had 41 points. The problem, minus LBJames, was that the Raptors were outrebounded 47-28... I repeat, 47-28... and shot only 6-21 from behind the arc. Bosh, Bargnani, and Moon combined for just 14 rebounds, and the team lead went to Parker with 7. Three other high points for the Raptors, minus CB4 and his 41, were the play of Bargnani, Kapono, and Calderon. Bargnani shot 6-9 from the floor for 14 points, Kapono had 17 points on 7-11 shooting, and Calderon 7 points and 13 assists with no turnovers. Could the Raptors have won that game if they had Ford? Well, a better question might be could the Raptors have won that game if they had any of the three starters from last years' 47 win team that are currently injured - Ford, Rasho, Garbo. How many playoff teams can lose 3 starters and still be afloat? There is no question the Raptors need Ford back soon, and Rasho would certainly be helpful when the Raptors play the Cavs next friday to help bang against Z. There are reports that Garbo may miss the rest of the season, and the truth is likely to come out later this week after he meets with a specialist. If he is gone, it will be a big blow to the Raptors [and Spanish night on Wednesday]. Although he did not play a lot yet this season, you get the feeling that wasn't due to a lack of skill, but due to his injury. He was an integral part of the team last year, and I thought that as the season was going to wear on, he might get more and more time. We'll have to see now if he even plays another minute.

Visit to Graceland

Bosh, check. Bargnani, Check. Small but effective bench... check.

Mitchell used 11 players, but only 4 of those played less than 10 minutes. The main 7 all played over 20 minutes, so the small but effective bench is a reference to that. Kapono, Delfino, and Parker combined were 13-24 from the field, 6-10 from three, for 34 points. The two bigs, Bosh and Bargnani, each had big games for the Raps. While struggling early on, Bargnani hit 4 of his last 5 shots, but more importantly for the Raps, he grabbed 11 rebounds [and added 4 assists]. If he can learn to stay on the floor more, his scoring will no doubt increase. Bosh had his second big game in a row, going for 22 points on 50% shooting and grabbing an incredible 19 rebounds, 7 on the offensive end. Super [ja]mario had 12 and 5 for the Raps, for all those Moon fans out there.

Next up is Cleveland, and a guy named Lebron. The Cavs don't have a lot of depth, but they do have Lebron, Z, and Gooden. Bargnani will have to stay out of foul trouble against those bigs, and expect Parker, Delfino, and Moon to call get time guarding LBJ. An advantage for the Raps is that whomever is defending Lebron should always have fresh legs, as the Raps have a few players who can guard him over the course of the game. It'll be a tough game, but one that the Raptors can definitely pull out.

24 in 24

Okay, they didn't give up their 24 point lead in 24 seconds, but the point is that they gave it up. Dirk took over in the 3rd, and the Raptors couldn't pull it out in the end. Any other team, or at least any of 20 or so other teams, and the Raptors may have won that game. I thought the Raptors could get on a good stretch of wins if the following happened: Bosh played at his last year level, Bargnani took a step forward not back, Parker/ Kapono find ways to get touches without hindering anyone else, and Mitchell gives the starters more minutes. Yesterday's game featured 3 of the 4, so that is why I think they may have won if it were not Dallas. Bosh had maybe his best game of the year, not only by points and rebounds, but by being aggressive and getting to the line. Bargnani had one of his better games since the beginning of the season, Parker/ Kapono did NOT really get the touches and shots they need to get, but Mitchell did use only 9 players, and gave heavy minutes to the main players. I think the Raptors will be fine. I didn't include point guard play in my list, because the point guard play will always be there. To win, the Raptors need solid play from Ford and Calderon, but my list was only the things I thought the Raptors need to start doing that they haven't been. The PG play has been outstanding, thus it's not included in the list.
I would not be surprised if Delfino gets a few games as starter coming up soon. When Parker, Bargnani, and Kapono are all on the floor, it is too easy for the defense to know the play. High screen and roll with Bosh and Ford, and either a drive and kick to one of the shooters, or a Bosh 18 foot jump shot. With Delfino, he won't just stay up at the 3 point line, and that is also a reason I think Moon is getting the minutes he is getting. If Moon takes a few less 3 pointers and long range jump shots, but instead uses his athleticism to get to the rim, I think he will remain a starter for the long haul. Leave the three pointers to Bargnani, Kapono, and Parker. I think Parker and Kapono will both have excellent seasons with the Raptors this year, but both they, and Mitchell, need to figure out the best role for them. The starters just can't be too 3-heavy. If you're starting Kapono and Parker, than maybe keep Bargnani for the bench. If Bargnani and Parker are starting, have Moon start also and Kapono come off the bench, and so on and so on. The Raptors depth gives them the opportunity to be offensively successful no matter who is on the court, but the right matchups need to be found or it all becomes a waste.

The Raptors After 10 Games

The Raptors are 5-5 after ten games, which puts them tied for 5th in the Eastern Conference, and tied for 14th in the league. Considering last year they were 2-8 after ten games, we can't really be too upset. Here's a look at how the Raptors as a team, and individually, match up against the rest of the league.

Individual:
The Raptors don't have much to show for in terms of placement in the top 10 or 20 in the league in many categories. Ford is 6th in the league in assists at 8.1 per game, and he does that in less than 30 minutes of playing time a game. He is the only player in the top 10 in assists to not play more than 30 minutes. His partner in crime, Jose Calderon, is in an even more exclusive club. Calderon is averaging 6.1 assists a game, while playing only 19 minutes each contest. He is the only player in the NBA to average more than 4 assists per game [about 50 players] while playing less than 20 minutes.
Aside from assists, the Raptors have representation in the three point field goal percentage category. Not Kapono, but Anthony Parker, who is 3rd in the league by shooting 56.7% from beyond the arc.

As a Team:
The Raptors are averaging 99.2 ppg [15th in the league], and giving up 95.2 ppg [9th best in the league]. The differential of 4 ppg is the 9th best differential in the league. Categories that the Raptors are near the bottom in the league include blocks per game [4 per game] and rebounds a game [40.9]. While the Raptors are second in the league from the FT line with an 82.5% success rate, they only average 20.6 attemps a game, which is 3rd lowest in the league. The Raptors are a top 10 team when it comes to turnovers, at 13.9 a game, and are 5th in assists at 23 a game. Finally, their sharpshooters have them shooting 42.9% from beyond the arc, good enough for 2nd in the league behind New Orleans.

Raptors Leaders:
Bosh leads the team with 16.2 ppg, with Ford right behind him at 15.2, and Bargnani and Parker the only others averaging double digits with 10.8 ppg.
Bosh is also leading the team with 1.6 blocks a game, but a couple more games like yesterday and Moon could take over soon.
Delfino leads the team in steals with 1.5 per game, with Moon and Ford tied for second with 1.3 each,
Bosh, unfortunately, leads the team in turnovers with 2.5 per contest, with Ford second at 2.4.
As mentioned previously, Ford and Calderon lead the team in assists with 8.1 and 6.1 respectively.
Bosh is first on the team in rebounds, grabbing 6.9 a game, with Moon second at 5.8 and Delfino third with 5.1 a game. Bargnani is down a bit further with only 3.8
Parker leads the team in three point percentage at 56.7%, with Kapono shooting an impressive 46.9%.
Kapono leads the team, however, in FG% at 51.4%, with Calderon second at 50%, and Ford third at 48.8%.

Player of the Season so far...
Has to be TJ Ford. Ford is averaging career highs in points [15.2], assists [8.1], turnovers [2.4], FT% [86.2], and FG% [48.8], while playing less minutes than his previous two seaons. If Bosh can turn it around and get back to his normal self, it will help spread the floor a lot more, so players like Parker and Kapono can get more shots. And considering their high percentages, more shots can't be bad thing, and Ford and Calderon will have no problem getting them the ball.

Week 3 Power Rankings

Figures.

The last two teams I had in my top spot lost almost immediately after being crowned. So, it only seems fitting that Boston loses on the night I was going to put them #1. That being said, Boston will still be the number one team, as they are still the only team with fewer than 2 losses, and their one loss came against a very good opponent in the Magic, and on the Magic's home floor no less. Surprisingly, the East has two spots in this weeks top five, although neither team is Detroit.

Dropped out: Houston, Detroit. Added: New Orleans, Orlando.

1. Boston Celtics [9-1]
The Celtics own the best record in the league, but after blowing out their opponents, save Toronto, during their first seven games, they had a too-close-for-comfort win against Miami, followed by a loss to the surging Magic in Orlando. They may follow suit with the previous number 1's and not be here next week.

2. New Orleans Hornets [9-2]
New Orleans? Really? Well, when they are first in their division, and their division includes San Antonio, Dallas, and Houston, you get the top spot in the West without question. The Hornets are playing great ball, and Mo Pete has had some big games for them in the past week. Seven of their first eleven games have also come on the road, where the Hornets are an impressive 6-1.

3. Phoenix Suns [8-2]
Without much of a bench, and with Amare still recovering, Nash and Barbosa are carrying these Suns on a five game winning streak, which included road wins over Orlando and Houston. Their schedule for the next five means they may have a chance at another double digit win streak, just like last year.

4. Orlando Magic [9-2]
Dwight Howard is a beast. The Magic started off hot last year before cooling down very quickly, and barely making the playoffs. We'll have to wait to see if that is going to happen again, but the win over Boston was impressive. Oh, and Dwight Howard is a beast.

5. San Antonio Spurs [8-2]
The only team to be in my rankings every week so far, the Spurs play below the radar as well, and as often, as anyone in the NBA. Four wins in their last five games, including wins over New Orleans, the Lakers, and Houston, keeps the Spurs in the top 5, no question.

Surging teams:
- Naaacccchooooooo. Washington has reeled off four straight wins after starting the season 0-5. [see Gilbert Arenas' blog if you don't understand the nacho reference]
- Dallas, at 7-2, would be the #6 team if I went past 5. They beat San Antonio with ease, and have won three staight and four of five.
- The Denver Nuggets sit atop the Northwest Division with a 7-3 record, including wins in their last five games. They could be a dangerous team come playoff time, if not a lot sooner.

Slumping teams:
- The Knicks have lost Stephon Marbury six games in a row, the longest losing streak in the league.
- The Nets have lost five in a row, and Vince is injured. Somewhere, thousands of Raptors fans are smiling.
- Houston, my number 1 team last week, has lost four in a row to drop to 6-5. They need T-Mac back fast.
- I thought Memphis was going to have a much better year this year than last. A 2-7 start, including dropping their last three, doesn't leave room for much optimism.

The Raptors.
5-5 after ten games isn't bad considering they started 2-8 last year and won the Atlantic. The East is once again very forgiving, as a .500 record still gives them a playoff spot without breaking a sweat. That being said, I'd put them about 15th in the league right now. They need to show some consistency, especially with their offense, and play 48 minutes each night.

Done in by the Fourth

Through the first three quarters, there was a sense that the Raptors were just about to break the game wide open and come away with a big win. They just finished a solid third quarter, and found themselves up 8 with 12 minutes to go. But then, everything started to go wrong. The Raptors shot a pitiful 4-22 in the fourth quarter, but worse was that two of those made field goals came in the last 30 seconds when the game was already over. The Raps could only muster 12 points in the fourth, including only 7 over the first eleven and a half minutes when the Warriors pulled away. The Raptors did an okay job on the boards, losing 47-46, but they gave up 12 offensive rebounds, 5 of them to Biedrins. Chris Bosh once again struggled, though he did finish with a double double. Bosh had 11 points on 4-12 shooting, including only 3-6 from the FT line, and grabbed 11 rebounds, but turned the ball over 6 times. The Raptors as a team only turned the ball over 13 times. The best Raptors player by far was TJ Ford, who led the team in points [29] and assists [9], while also adding 6 rebounds and 2 steals. The sharpshooters of Bargnani, Delfino, Kapono, and Parker combined for 35 points but shot only 4-15 from three. For the rookie watch, Moon had a solid defensive game with 3 big blocks and by grabbing 7 rebounds, but his shot was a bit off, shooting only 30% for the game, and failing to hit a three pointer on three attempts.
The Raptors just needed to play average basketball in the fourth to win the game, but failed to do so. The started off slow again today, but were able to climb all the way back to take a large lead before giving it up with an awful 4th quarter performance. The Raptors have games against Dallas and Cleveland coming up, so let's hope they find away to start, and finsh, games more effectively, very soon.

From Michigan, a 6'9 Forward, number 9... Maceoooooo Baston!

Kapono out, Moon in; Bargnani out, Rasho in; Rasho out... Baston in?

Yes, tonight's starting lineup against the Pacers included Moon and Maceo Baston. The fearsome twosome combined for one of the plays of the night, with Moon supplying a huge block, and Baston finishing at the other end with a one handed dunk. I've given up trying to decide what is going on in Mitchell's head, but as long as the Raps don't slide down the East rankings, there's no need to question. Mitchell is putting more athleticism into the starting lineup, and there's nothing wrong with that. The one cause for concern with tonight's lineup was that the Raps were badly beat on the boards, losing 47-35. The other big low point was Bargnani's stat-line of 0 points, 0 assists, 0 rebounds, 1 shot, 1 turnover, 3 fouls, 4 minutes. Still, he's young, in a slump, and will get out of it. Positives for the Raptors included Moon's 7 rebounds and 2 blocks, Garbo's 6 points and 8 rebounds, Bosh's 22 and 2 blocks, Kapono and Delfino's 23 points on 5-10 shooting from 3, Parker's 15 points [including a 70 foot three] and, of course the point guard play. Ford and Calderon combined for 30 points, 17 assists, and only 4 turnovers. The Raptors as a team shot 52% from three, 88% from the FT line, and had an impressive 7 blocks.
The Raptors caught Indiana at the right time. The Pacers, after starting the year 3-0 [and getting mention in the week 1 power rankings], are in a major slump, and the Raptors were able to take advantage. Next up for Toronto is a matchup against another slumping team, the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors are coming off their first win of the season, an impressive victory over the Clippers, and the Raptors will have to look past their 1-6 record if they want to win the game. Even still, the Raptors CAN win this sunday's game, which would see them improve to 6-4 heading into next week's games against Dallas, Memphis, Cleveland, and Chicago.

Week 2 Power Rankings

1. Houston Rockets.
The Rockets are 6-1, T-Mac and Yao are playing incredible, and they beat San Antonio. They just look like a number 1 team right now.

2. Boston Celtics.
Boston has convinced me that they will be a very good team, and may even win the East. But, until they beat a Western powerhouse, I'm not convinced they will challenge for the title.

3. San Antonio.
I said last week that the number 1 spot was theirs until they lose it; well, they lost to Houston to knock them out of the top, but a 6-1 start still easily merits a top 3 ranking.

4. Detroit.
Still playing with swagger, the Pistons are 5-1 after six games, and are looking ready to challenge Boston for East supremacy.

5. Phoenix Suns.
This spot could've easily gone to New Orleans, Orlando, or Utah, but Phoenix has won four of their last five, including wins over Cleveland and Orlando, and this is with Amare playing seldom, if playing at all.


Misc.
- Minnesota, Seattle, and Golden State are a combined 0-17 to start the season.
- Over in the East, three teams that made the playoffs last year are off to 1-5 starts [Chicago, Washington, and Miami].
- Indiana has lost three straight games since getting praise on this blog for their fast start
- Portland has won three in a row to climb to .500
- The Atlantic Division are sporting THREE clubs with records above .500

Raptors
- I predicted a 3-1 record from those 4 games in 5 nights, and the Raps came away with 2-2. Their four wins and three losses have right them in that 11-14 range in the rankings. Their three contests this week are against Utah, Indiana, and Golden State. Expect Moon to get playing time against all three, and I think they should still come away with two victories. The game against Golden State looks like a good old fashioned shootout.

What Game Was I Watching Part 2

Mitchell made a gamble by having Moon play all of crunch time against Philly, and having him start against Chicago, and both times it paid off. My criticism of Mitchell after the Bucks game came not from just his inserting Moon into the game early, but his removal of ALL the starters. However, I was not at the game, I was not in the huddles, and I have not been to any practice [minus Fanfest of course]. Moon has obviously show the coaching staff something in practice to merit starting, so the decision to put him in the game against Milwaukee so early is understandable, especially when they needed someone to match up against the athletic Desmond Mason, who was hitting one handed hook shots over everyone the Raptors threw at him. In hindsight, then, the problem to me wasn't inserting Moon, but instead that the lineup I felt they had on the floor was not one to make a run to bring the came closer. Denver just showed Indiana that a 26 point deficit is surmountable, so being down double digits in the first quarter is nothing to fret about. Yes, it was the starters who created the deficit, but I felt some mix of starters and bench could've POSSIBLY been a bit more effective. However, the game is over, what happened happened, and Mitchell has shown in the past two games that he wasn't foolish to put Moon in the game, as I'm sure he knows a lot of things that we don't. That's why he's the coach.

Back Over .500

Here's the pattern: When the Raptors play the Philadelphia 76ers, or when the Raptors play Eastern Conference teams who made the playoffs last year on the road... they win. BUT, when the Raptors play Eastern Conference teams who made the playoffs last year at home, or when they play teams who didn't make the playoffs last year and who are not named Philadelphia... they lose. Simple as that, now go and make money betting on that pattern.
But seriously, that was a big win. Yes, it was against a team that is playing pretty terrible basketball, but it was a victory to get them over .500, and it was on the road against a team that still has had their number over the last many seasons. The win was a team effort in every sense of the phrase. Starting Jamario Moon was a surprise to say the least, but it makes sense given the matchup against the long and athletic Luol Deng. The great thing about the depth of the Raptors, is not just playing everyone to keep players fresh, but to capitalize on matchups. Sometimes it will make the most sense to have Moon or Graham start at the 3, sometimes Garbo, sometimes Kapono, and sometimes even Bargnani. Moon, in his first career start, had 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals in 23 minutes. The point guard play was outstanding, as Ford and Calderon took a combined 3 shots, but had 23 assists and only 3 turnovers. Delfino continued to impress, scoring 16 points off the bench and adding 7 rebounds, while making 4 three pointers on 7 attempts. The other Raptor sharpshooters - Kapono, Parker, and Bargnani - combined for 5 three pointers on 9 attempts, finishing with 37 points. Not to be forgotten was the work on the boards done by Rasho, grabbing 8. In fact, only one Raptors failed to grab a rebound against Chicago - Bargnani. Furthermore, of the 12 Raptors who played, only 2 failed to collect a point [Dixon and Calderon] and 3 who failed to get an assist [Moon, Hump, Garbo]. As a team, the Raptors shot a staggering 54% for the game from the field, 50% from three, while holding the Bulls to only 33% shooting.

Tomorrow will be the updated Power Rankings for the week, and after the Raptors play their 10th game, there will be a post breaking down their first 10 games, including statistics about their strength of schedule, their statistical ranking in a range of categories against the rest of the league, and which individuals have been playing the best, and worst, thus far.

Consistently Inconsistent

Two more games, two different outcomes... again. Against the Magic, Toronto fought back late in the game, took the lead briefly, only to continue to have defensive lapses, lose the lead, and lose the game. Against Philly on Friday, the Raptors had the lead, lost the lead, had defensive lapses, but regained the lead, and won the game. This is the kind of thing that drives coaches [and fans] mad.
The Raptors let the Magic shoot 50% against them, and the Magic starters outscored the Raptors starters 92-65. The Raptors once again shot below 40% as a team, and were outrebounded 51-41. On the bright side, the Raptors only turned the ball over 8 times, and had 7 steals. Few individual performances merit attention here, save maybe Bosh's 26 and 10, and Bargnani's 16 and 8. Overall, the Raptors lacked effort and energy for much of the game, and their defense is hardly good enough to win games when they decide not to bring their offensive A-game.
Luckily, they were able to travel to Philly, and get their 3rd win of the season, only a few days later. While they almost squandered a late 4th quarter lead, and I mean 48th minute late 4th quarter lead, the important thing is that they didn't because Lou Williams couldn't connect on a three point play seconds after converting a four point play . While Bosh put together an impressive FT line performance for the second straight game, the story of the game was the play of Jamario Moon. Yes, I thought having Moon in the game against Milwaukee was a mistake, and I still 100% believe it was a poor coaching move, Moon DID have a solid game tonight, and Mitchell showed a lot of faith in the youngster. Moon was on the court for all of crunch time, finishing with 9 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, and no turnovers in 22 minutes of court time. Equally as important was the 15 minutes Calderon played, where he poured in 9 points and 7 assists. Delfino once again showed off his knack for rebounds, finishing with 9 boards, and he'd get more praise if not for his 1-4 FT shooting in the final minute which made the game more tense than it should've been. The jury is still out on how the change in the starting lineup worked, with Rasho grabbing 8 boards in 12 minutes, but Bargnani struggling to the tune of 9 points and only 2 rebounds off the bench. Another plus for the Raptors this game was the play of Anthony Parker. While AP has been struggling over the first 5 games, he had a breakthrough performance tonight, finishing with 22 points and adding 6 rebounds, while making 4 of his 7 three point attempts. The Raptors as a team outrebounded the 76ers, and held them to under 46% shooting.
Next up for the Raptors is a game against the struggling Chicago Bulls. If the Raptors can pull off a victory, it should be a major confidence booster for the team. If not, Sam Mitchell might have to tweak his lineups once again, to try to finally find some consistency.

What Game Was I Watching?

One bar, two games, similar outcome. While most of the people in the bar were moaning and groaning with every Sens goal scored on the Leafs, there were a handful of us silent [minus the swearing] in disbelief at what was transpiring in Milwaukee. Here were the top 10 Toronto Raptors being manhandled by the Bucks. The game was rough from the beginning; the refs let it be known in the first quarter what the game would be like. Not only were there phantom calls against the Raps, but there were enough flops that soccer players would be embarrassed. The Raptors, however, didn't adjust to how the game was being called. That was reason number 1 for the blowout. Reason number 2, was the unconscious shooting of the Bucks. Porous defense aside, the Bucks couldn't miss [and Desmond Mason didn't], and it hurt the Raptors all night long. The third, and in this writers opinion main reason, that the game was a blowout, was because of the substitutions made by Sam Mitchell. Now, I have been a Mitchell supporter from day one. He is an excellent motivator and communicator. He brings out the best in a lot of his players, and he takes no guff. BUT, he hurt the Raptors in this game. Case in point #1: JAMARIO MOON PLAYING IN THE FIRST QUARTER. Nothing against Moon, but seriously, when the Raptors are down double digits in the first quarter, don't throw in the towel by playing 10 guys. Keep your top 7 or 8 players in and see what happens. Sure, I'm just a casual observer, but from watching the game, it seemed like Mitchell DID throw in the towel in the first half, assuming either that his bench could handle the Bucks, or that they were going to lose regardless, so might as well keep his starters fresh for tomorrow. Case in point #2: of the starters, only TJ Ford played more than twenty minutes, and that was only twenty three. Yes, the Raptors have 4 games in 5 nights, and the health and energy of the players is important, but I'm sure the starters could've handled more than 20 minutes. Being down 15 at the half is still comeback territory, but not when you refuse to play your best players, and just hope your bench is good enough. Let's just hope I am wrong about all this.

Week 1 Power Rankings

The Raptors Blog Power Rankings will be a very brief and abbreviated version of team rankings. Not all 30 teams will be ranked, but instead the top 5, followed by some key gainers and losers, as well as where the Raptors fit.

1. San Antonio.
Being the defending champions, and being undefeated after three games, means that there is no reason that they should be anywhere but here. Simple as that.

2. Detroit.
3-0 to start the season, 2 wins coming on the road against solid teams, and the Pistons are showing no signs of slowing down quite yet.

3. Dallas.
Yes, they lost to Atlanta, and destroying Cleveland isn't that impressive, but beating Houston, who was going to be my #2, puts them into the 3 spot.

4. Houston
I considered still having them at #2, even with the loss to Dallas, because they beat the Lakers and Jazz on the road, followed by a comfortable home win against Portland.

5. Indiana.
New Orleans has a case here too, as does Boston, but the Pacers get the nod over the Hornets due to the opponents they beat, and over Boston because of the extra game played.

Teams surprised to be in the bottom half:
- Cleveland: How did this team make it to the Finals?
- Golden State: 0-3 start to the season not what was expected from last years' giant killers
- Chicago: 0-3, including losses to the Bucks and 76ers, for the team many think are in the top 3 in the East
- Portland: Even without Oden, their talent has them coming close to a .500 season
- Washington: Arenas needs to find his shot, and Washington needs to win a game
- Miami: Not really a surprise. Without Wade, the Heat don't have much.

Toronto: The Raptors are a top 10 team, who have 4 games in the next 5 nights, including matchups against Orlando and Chicago. I think 3-1 is reasonable, which will keep them in the top 10 in rankings for next week.

Polar Opposites

First, the Raptors destroy New Jersey, IN New Jersey, by 37 points. Only Richard Jefferson reached double digits for the Nets, Mr. Triple Double had a mere 2-3-6, and the Nets as a team shot less than 37% from the floor. Add to that the Raptors outrebounding them, getting more assists, more steals, and less turnovers, and the game becomes a box score demolition. On the Raptors side, they shot over 50% from the field, 59% from three, and 93% from the FT line. You'd think the Raptors just became Steve Nash. Individual performances include Bargnani's 21 points and 6 boards, Delfino's 10 points, 4 steals, 4 assists, and 6 rebounds, and Calderon's 10 points and 8 assists. Their defense wasn't too shabby either, holding the Nets to just 28 second half points.

Then, Boston came to town. Our first glimpse of the new Big 3. Though the Raptors lost, and played awful for most of the game, there were positives to come out of match. Amazingly, the Raptors had a chance to win the game, even though they shot less than 37% from the field and only 40% from three. The two Raptor big man combined to shoot only 7-28, but did combine for 18 rebounds and 6 blocks. The biggest positive was the play of TJ Ford. The Raptors needed all of his 32 points, and were only still in the game at the end because of his 3 three-pointers [on only 4 attempts]. The Celtics certainly didn't look dominant, even with 69 of their points coming from the Big 3.

After three games, the Raptors look pretty good, and the league seems to recognize that. Both NBA.com and ESPN.com have them in the top 10 in their power rankings, and their defense is in top 5 of the league in terms of points per game against. This season, it seems like Bosh could average less than 20 points a game, but the Raps could win more games. Bargnani looks like he could average 16 and 6, and Ford looks ready to take the next step in becoming one of the league's premiere point guards. I see Sam Mitchell shortening the rotation to 9 men shortly [Calderon, Delfino, and Dixon, plus one of Hump, Rasho, or Garbo] and adding a 10th man when foul trouble is an issue. Not much can be said about a team after only three games, but the Raptors look as though they have as good a chance as anyone on being atop the Eastern Conference standings at years end.

Let's Go Red, Let's Go Raptors

I'll be doing this in point form, as there is a lot to cover before tonight's game:

- Luke Jackson was let go. No surprise really, he was one of the cheaper players to buy out, and had less potential that Graham or Moon.
- The Raptors played a solid, but not spectacular game against New Jersey.
- Ford and Bargnani were the two players of the game
- Calderon looked great
- Parker looked great
- I was very happy with Delfino [points and boards]
- I was very happy with Kapono [big baseline shot when we needed one]
- Bosh was good in the time he played
- Mitchell kept Dixon on WAY too long during the Philly rally
- Mitchell played 3 or 4 too many players... all in the first half
- I witnessed no reason why the Raps can't improve on last seasons record.

The Raptors have a big game tonight against New Jersey, who won a big game of their own against Chicago to start their season. The Raps always seem to play better against NJ when they are in Toronto, but one day they will have to change all that. Carter is going to be guarded by many different players and be giving many different looks on D, but for the Raps to win the game, they really have to slow down NJ's transition game, and also play smart help D and not bite too much on double teams. Mitchell, I hope, learned a lot from the playoff series last year, so I don't see why the Raps can't start the season 2-0 before their big showdown versus the overrated Celtics on Sunday.

nba.com/raptors reports....

Luke Jackson has been waived... analysis to come.

Raps - Cavs

One of the great things about seeing the Raptors live is that you catch a lot of things you can't normally see. You can look at players' positions and movements without the ball, you can see how many deflections they get, their overall hustle, if they take charges, if they help on D, and numerous other things that is difficult to catch on tv, and impossible to know about just staring at the boxscore on yahoo! waiting for it to refresh. Unfortunately, this is sometimes how we must check on the Raptors. What this means is that I may say someone played a great game, but only because I don't know about their inept defense. Or, I may say someone played awfully, but am unaware of all the great things they did on D that don't show up on the box score, or even if they consistently made the pass that led to the pass that led to the basket [see: hockey assist on Fanhouse blog]. Two Raptors that I think this happens to a lot are Garbo and Parker. Consistently underrated by others, but never by their teammates and coaching staff. So, If I sing someones praises during a post, or lash out about a poor shooting percentage and fouling out, feel free to tell me the things they did that isn't visible through a boxscore.

With all that in mind, the Raptors played another preseason game today, and seem to be starting to put togther solid games against NBA teams. It always helps, of course, when CB4 is back in action. For today's domination game, the 'box score star of the game' goes to Carlos Delfino. After a lacklustre Euro trip, and being talked about unfavourably to the media by his coach, Delfino has been playing solid since the team returned to Toronto. He is playing exactly like the player we need on this roster: someone who can score if needed, but mostly a non-big man who can, and will, rebound. Playing pre-garbage time minutes, Delfino finished with 18 points, 3 assists, and 9 rebounds. He was also 5-5 from the FT line, and finished without a turnover. BSSG runner-up would have to be TJ Ford, who continues to put up incredible assist numbers, while displaying a low assist-to-TO ratio as well. While struggling from the field, Ford did have 13 assists and only 2 turnovers in 23 minutes, while also adding 3 steals. Other box-score highlights include both Kapono and Parker going 2-2 from behind the three point arc, and Bargnani grabbing 5 rebounds. For the team as a whole, not only did the Raptors out-rebound the Cavs 43-41, but they also won the turnover battle 8-20, and had 14 steals to the Cavs' 8. Oh, and they outscored the Cavs 61-33 in the second half. What remained unsettled, however, was who will be victorious in the fight for the 15th man. Graham, Moon, and Jackson all played less than 5 minutes, with no one surprisingly standing out in those minutes. There is only one preseason game left, with the paint balling, car stealing, hibachi grilling Gilbert Arenas coming to down, so unless Mitchell already knows who is leaving, they have just one more chance to show'em what they got.

GM Survey

The Raptors flew under the radar last season. They started off poorly, didn't have a lot of big names, and were, some may say, still underappreciated even when they won the Atlantic division. This year, I thought it would be different. Reigning Atlantic champs, star in Chris Bosh, COY in Sam Mitchell, EOY in Colangelo, and ROY runner-up in Bargnani, what more can you ask for? Well, according to the NBA GM's... the Raps still have some respect to gain. At the beginning of last season, GM's were asked who they thought would win the Atlantic division. 29 replied, with 27 picking New Jersey, 1 picking Boston, and 1 picking Philly. We all know how it turned out, especially for the ones picking Boston and Philly. This year, however, I had to assume the Raps would get SOME love. The results: none. Roughly, 28 GM's replied this year, with 20 picking Boston, 7 picking New Jersey, and 1 picking... THE KNICKS. Now, if you want to pick Boston, fine. Even New Jersey... fine. But the Knicks? 1 GM picked the Knicks to win the Atlantic before Toronto???

Anyway.

Moving On.

- 19 different players got votes on who would have a breakout season, but no Raptors.
- 5 different players got votes on who is the best power forward in the NBA, but not Bosh [he had stiff competition though: Duncan, Garnett, Dirk, Dwight Howard, Amare]
- 5 different teams got votes on which team is the Most Fun to Watch, no Raps love [the Spurs getting a vote?]
- 9 different teams got votes on which team has the best Home Court Advantage, no sea of red love


Now, how about categories the Raptors DID have a representative.

- Most Surprising Offseason Move: 1 vote for the Kapono signing
- International Player Most Likely to Have a Breakout Season: Bargnani 1st, Calderon 2nd, Delfino tied for 8th with one vote
- Best Pure Shooter: Kapono 3rd with a handful of votes [behind only Ray Ray and Redd]
- Fastest with the Ball: AI 1st, Ford second with only a vote difference
- Player that does the Most with the Least: Garbo and Kapono each getting a vote

So, in the end, a little bit of love for the Raptors. Maybe it's better this way. Maybe, it's what they prefer.

Euro League

There has been much talk over the past few years about expanding the NBA overseas. Kenny Smith at Yahoo! Sports recently wrote an article about it, writing in favour of the expansion for the near future. He suggests adding six teams at once, putting them all in a new Euro division, having NBA teams head to Europe for a few weeks during the season, and shortening the season to 70 games to accomodate the extra travel. I, for one, am far from sold on this topic. I would like to wait until the league displays more parity before expanding the league by 6 teams and, subsequently, 90 more players. In the past nine seasons, only once has a team not with a Shaq or Duncan on their team won the title. In the past 28 seasons, there has only been 8 winners, with just two of those 8 [Philly and Miami] winning only once. Will expansion increase the parity in the league? More teams means more chances for an upset right? In the long run that may be true, but how often do you see expansion teams winning right out of the gate? What may very well happen is that you suddenly have 6 more bad teams in a league that already has a lot of them. The last thing I would do in any of the major sports is add another team, let alone 6. Besides, how do you think players will feel about being traded to a Euro team? Some players don't even want to come to Toronto, let alone Madrid or Rome. Sure, great sights and food, but how easy will it be to get home to see the kids when you get a few days off? Is it worth it even for the all star break? While I am all for a shorter season, I hope it doesn't take a European expansion to make that happen. And I'm also not sold on the whole, 'sending NBA teams to Europe for a few weeks' part. Does that mean that teams in the Euro division never have to come to North America? It probably doesn't, and yes, I'm basing most of this argument on what Smith wrote, but he hardly convinced me that it would be a great idea to expand the NBA to Europe. If anyone can, I'd be glad to hear your case.

Raps - Bulls

A big win for the Raptors. Yes, it was a pre-season match, and I am a firm believer that it means little [see 06-07 Raptors pre-season], but during that first quarter, the Raptors showed the kind of team they have the capability of being. Even without Bosh, the Raptors showed a sweet shooting touch, while displaying brilliant ball movement. Just imagine, Ford and Bosh running a picture perfect pick and roll, with Bargnani on a wing, and Kapono and Parker at the corners. Go under the pick and Ford finds the open shooter; go over it and Ford blows by you... and then finds the open shooter when the defense collapses. And what about the bench? While Delfino hasn't shown a consistent shooting touch, his rebounding and ability to get to the basket is something that the Raptors desperately need. Moon showed the athleticism that the Raptors thought they were getting in Joey Graham, and Rasho continued to be one of the Raptors better players, with Hump being one of the better rebounders. Even Juan Dixon, who many thought may be the odd man out, has been giving the Raptors an effective scoring touch off the bench. So, with 16 men playing but only 15 men allowed on the roster for opening day, who WILL be the odd man out? The short list includes Dixon, Moon, Martin, Jackson, Baston, and yes, even Graham. Some say Martin should go, and have Dixon fill in as the 3rd string point guard. The problem, however, is that Martin as a teacher and mentor is invaluable, regardless of his on-court skill. Baston will be needed if a big man goes down, and Dixon, although he may be undersized, has shown that he can score in the Raptors system. The battle, it seems, boils down to Moon and Jackson. Both have a lot of potential, but neither seems to have wooed Mitchell or Colangelo into believing that they are the one to stay. The battle may not be decided until the day that it needs to be, but for all we know, all the winner gets is a ticket on the end of the bench, stuck behind 14 other Raptors.

Post Pre-Game and Post-Game

I missed the pre-game post for last nights Raptors game, so here is the 'post' pre-game post and the post-game post all in one. Before the game, questions swirled around the starting 5, specifically at the 3 spot. While this is still the preseason, and the entire starting 5 gets shuffled because Bosh is out, the fight for the right to start at the 3 [and the 5 too?] will be played until someone proves Smitch that he's the man. The battle gets increasingly complicated with even Parker struggling at the 2, but his defensive smarts and 'high basketball IQ' makes it doubtful he will lose his starting spot. Rasho has come to camp in great shape, which comes after a terrific off-season with the Slovenian national team. Colangelo certainly doesn't want to stunt Bargnani's growth, however, and having him come off the bench, even as the 6th man, might be something they can do for the first month, but likely seldomly after that. So, going into last night's game, the final score wouldn't matter as much as who among Delfino, Kapono, and Graham stands out the most, and if Bargnani can play well enough to prove that he can start at the centre position from the outset. Rebounding plays a big part in games against international opponents, as they love to shoot'em'up from downtown, so if Bargnani can't get a half-dozen rebounds against a three point shooting team, there may be cause for concern [and Smitch might have to run another big-man-only practice].
With the game now over, and the Raptors victorious, has anything been settled? The bigger question, it seems, is CAN anything be settled in a preseason tilt? Kapono, the starter, shot 50% from 3 for the game and 5-9 overall; Joey had 4 points and 2 boards in only 13 minutes; and Delfino had 7 points and 6 rebounds in 17 minutes. Based on this performance, if the Raptors need a scorer, Kapono is their man [1 assist, 1 rebound, 1 steal to round out the stat-sheet], but if they need rebounds, defense, and just a bit of scoring, they may look to Delfino [no assists or steals, but three of his rebounds came on the offensive end]. If Delfino can show Mitchell in practice that he can put together a strong performance consistently, than he might have a better shot at playing more minutes.
Bargnani and Rasho both put together solid performances, although with Bosh out, both are likely to play at the same time more often than when Bosh returns. Bargnani struggled a bit with his shot [as he did at the beginning of last season], but did end up with 8 points, 8 rebounds, 1 blocked shot, and only 1 turnover. Rasho shot 6-9 from the field for 12 points, and also added 8 rebounds. This is, however, just the preseason. The Hump got 8 rebounds as well, to go along with 12 points, but lets hope that Doug Smith's column doesn't get flooded with people saying that Hump should start, etc etc. And what about the player most fans seem to have beef with? Well, TJ Ford was the player of the game last night, pouring in 13 points, adding 11 assists, and committing only 2 turnovers in 24 minutes of play.
As for the overall performance of the Raptors, it was poor at best. Nothing against Zalgiris, but the Raptors have to show more spirit against international opponents. Of course, it couldnt have helped with the pro-Lithuanian crowd being almost as large as the pro-Raptors crowd.

Preseason Basketball

Summer is officially over [aside from the weather aspect], and the new basketball season is just around the corner. A lot happened over the offseason, and it's difficult to tell who will emerge as the league elite. The West is loaded as usual, with the Spurs, Rockets, Jazz, Suns, and Mavs all capable of making the finals, and the Lakers and Nuggets are as dangerous as anyone in the league. The East doesn't quite have that depth, but do have very good teams that will battle it out for a spot in the losers circle of the finals. Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, and even Toronto have a chance, with Washington, New Jersey, and Orlando rounding out the playoff picture. None of these teams can really be considered favourites, and as we saw last year with Lebron Cleveland making the finals, ANY team in the East can keep playing into June.

So, have the Reptors done anything to improve on their 47 win season last year? Absolutely. No, they did not land an all-star [though Kapono did participate in the weekend festivities], and they didn't have a pick in the draft. But as Mike Ulmer pointed out on his nba.com/raptors blog, their biggest change and best weapon for the new season might be the development of Andrea Bargnani. The last few games of last years playoff series and the first few games of the preseason seem to suggest that he is on his way to improving on last years numbers. I would put money on him improving in nearly every category this year. Bosh and Barg will form a formidable duo for years to come, and they will still be reaching their prime when teams like Boston, New Jersey, and Detroit begin their rebuilding years. The Raptors are a young team, and with each year their core will get better. Ford, Bosh, Bargnani all still have many years until they reach their peak, and many of their foreign players like Calderon and Garbo should improve with having another year of NBA ball under their belts.

The most intriguing battle that will be taking place from now until Halloween, and probably for weeks after that, is who will emerge as the starter at the 3 spot. Right now, it seems like it is Kapono's to lose, but I can easily see some tweaking during the season depending on who the Raptors opponent happens to be. In some situations, it may make more sense for Kapono and his long-range threat to come off the bench [considering they will already have sharpshooters like Parker and Bargnani on the floor], and have a slasher like Delfino or Graham start. The great thing about this Raptors team is that they possess unparalleled depth. Their second team could beat almost any other second unit, and their 10-15 could probably be competitive with many teams' 6-10. Therefore, depending on the matchups on any given night, Sam Mitchell could tweak the starting lineup without much of a dropoff in production.

Most 'experts' are picking the Raptors to finish in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, anywhere from 5th to 7th. Most don't expect them to win the division again, but many think they will put up a fight for it. A team like Boston might be great in the regular season, but they may also be the perfect team to play in the playoffs. They lack depth, and their 3 stars all have many years on our 3 stars... so the grind of a long season may catch up to them at the wrong time. The Raptors may be underdogs going into the playoffs, but after another year of Ford/Calderon at the helm, another year of Bargnani's Italian trash talking, and another year of Bosh's revenge [see: Bosh's 06-07 playoff performance], and the Raptors will be ready and prepared for anything.