This was the third game this season the Raptors have played against the Bobcats and you could be forgiven thinking the Raptors would be winning that series. Tonight they finally got a win against a team they really should be beating on a regular basis.
The great debate between winning games against teams we should beat and “Tank Nation” continues, but in the end this is a victory you want to have if you are a Raptor fan. The Bobcats are among the worst teams the league has ever seen. I mean, they’re bad. Another loss against this Charlotte team would say a lot more about our current roster than anything else.
On Tuesday night the Raptors found a way to win and sent some positive signs out to a fanbase that is quickly losing interest in anything outside of a free slice of pizza.
Demar Derozan once again looked good, Bargnani filled the net with 30 points and Linas Kleiza, Ed Davis and Aaron Gray provided support.
I know what most people are thinking; it’s the Bobcats, why should we care?
A loss against this team would be demoralizing and it would send the wrong message about our future core. We need to beat the Bobcats of this league. Derozan and Bargnani need to develop more confidence and it isn’t going to happen by losing. Plus Charlotte is a team that has owned us this year. This was a little bit of payback.
A win tonight doesn’t help us get closer to Anthony Davis or Kidd Gilchrist, but it does help build the confidence of young players that are going to be asked to do a lot more next year. Tonight Derozan and Bargnani answered the call and hopefully their stat lines look similar.
The Zan for Three
To Ed Davis, or not to Ed Davis?
I don’t know if Ed Davis read Tim Chisholm’s article on Tuesday afternoon that called into question his role on this team going forward, but he certainly came out and played a solid game. He’s actually strung a few strong games together. Call it good timing, a push back, whatever you want. Ed played well on Wednesday. He rebounded well, something he is consistently good at. He scored points, and didn’t look lost on the offensive end. He made the most of the limited minutes he was given and was a valuable contributor off the bench.
As Chisholm suggests in his piece, Ed’s contract is not difficult to move and with Jonas Valanciunas coming in next year there are far too many big men on the team. He would be the clear movable piece.
While Chisholm and others are calling into question Davis’s future in Toronto (with good reason), Ed is quietly going about his business. On Tuesday night he was everything he needed to be to keep his spot on this team. Whether he is showing he belongs on this team going forward or simply raising his trade value, Davis’s play the last few games is something to take note of. And maybe his fate isn’t quite cemented.
Where are the Fans?
It’s the end of the year. The Raptors are simply playing out the schedule, but where are all the fans? The ACC has looked less and less full and when it is full it sounds like a crowd at the Toronto Symphony not at an NBA basketball game. That is, of course, unless there is pizza on the line.
Tonight the crowd once again seemed deflated, almost from the get go. I’d like to believe it was because they found out Solomon Alabi wouldn’t be starting, but I have a feeling the fans just aren’t that into the Raptors right now.
The city has been absolutely deflated by the Maple Leafs collapse and the rough and tumble season the Raptors have been enduring. Fans are fed up and losing patience. Hopefully this is something Colangelo, Casey, Derozan, Bargnani, or whoever gives the end of the year speech to the ACC addresses.
Ed Davis provided a spark off the bench that lifted the Raptors to their first win of the season over the Charlotte Bobcats.
The ACC has always been a little reserved, but lately it’s been down right deadsville. Unfortunately the Charlotte Bobcats aren’t exactly crowd pleasing competition, but when the game is on the line with 40 seconds left the entire stadium should be on its feet. It doesn’t matter who they are playing. The fans need to know that though this year has been tough, there is a change coming.
Sonny Return
So Sonny Weems is back in Toronto. Now before I go creating a rumour that doesn’t exist, he is not coming back at the moment. The injury he sustained in Lithuania ended his season with Zalgiris and he is simply back to receive treatment on his sprained foot. But wouldn’t he look good playing at the ACC again? The Raptors could use a fast, athletic wing player off the bench to compliment James Johnson and Demar Derozan.
Weems proved while he was overseas that he still has plenty of game left and may have actually done himself a great service by heading over to play with Zalgiris. Sonny looked confident, took control of games when he as there and worked on becoming a more dominant player. Right now Toronto could use an exciting player that can score coming off the bench. With Udoh and Anderson, the Raptors have filled the roster with 10 day rentals. Weems would offer a more long term solution to their depth issues.
Plus this is where he belongs.
Zan of the Night
Demar Derozan
Once again “good Demar” came out to play tonight. He shot the ball well, got to the line and led the team to a tough victory. What was most impressive about Demar’s play against Charlotte wasn’t the 50% shooting or the 20 points he was able to accumulate; it was his aggression. Demar took the ball to the hoop and wasn’t afraid to draw contact. He’s been getting his fair share of calls recently and you can tell it is giving him the confidence he needs to attack the rim on a more consistent basis. Even though we are nearing the end of the year, it is nice to see Derozan playing well and his effort is a good sign for the team next year as well.
Not Zan of the Night
Amir Johnson
“Bad Amir” came out of the wood work tonight. Despite a few well-timed defensive plays he was non-existent on offense and took himself out the game by accumulating fouls. Ed Davis stepped up in Amir’s absence. Amir is a player that you can see has incredible potential, but he’s just not been able to put it together consistently. The fouls are a part of his game that completely take him out of the flow and often land him on the bench. He is one of my favourite players, but he continues to remind us that he still has some concerning habits.
The Zan Tabak Herald 