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.