Learning to be Clutch

I’m sure I wasn’t the only one disappointed with the Raptors home loss to the Cavaliers on Wednesday night or the one to the Washington Wizards on Monday.  For the first time in, I don’t know how long, fans are scoreboard watching to see if other teams can help improve the Raptors playoff chances (yes, I said playoff chances).  The Raptors didn’t help themselves out turning in one of the uglier performances we’ve seen from them this year.  In a game that would’ve helped them keep pace with the other contenders for the 8th spot, they faltered.  Looked lethargic and did not capitalize on an opportunity.

Then last night in Cleveland they did the unthinkable and made the loss to the Wizards look like a clutch playoff performance. The Raptors gave the ball away, shot themselves into a hole and made defensive miscue, after defensive miscue.  They simply gave the game away.

In the end the Raptors missed an opportunity to make up key ground on the 8th place Bucks and are beginning to  watch their slim playoff hopes slowly evaporate in front of them.

But this is to be expected with a younger team.

Even with the addition of Rudy Gay, the Raptors are still a little ways away from truly competing for a playoff spot in the East.

Many of the young players on this Raptors squad haven’t had much of a sniff of playoff intensity basketball.  A number of the core players on this team have had some small brief playoff experience, but too many haven’t really truly experienced the importance of ‘must-win’ games this late in the season.

They don’t know how to close out games of this magnitude, they haven’t had enough experience being in a position to play for something meaningful.  Their play of late seems to indicate that the Raptors have a lot of growing up to do still.  These tough, excruciating losses are what help a young team learn what it takes to win when it matters.

You can’t look past the Cavaliers or the Wizards of the NBA in a stretch run.  There is no such thing as an easy victory.  Every game is an important game and needs to be closed out.

But there will be more important games to come.  Some will take place this year, but more will likely take place next year.

This is a team on the rise.  You can tell that this young Raptors squad is just beginning to scratch the surface of what they are capable of, but they’re still a couple of moves away from true contention.

DeMar DeRozan, Jonas Valanciunas, and Terrence Ross have never seen anything close to NBA playoff basketball in their short NBA careers, while others like Rudy Gay, Kyle Lowry and Amir Johnson have only had a brief sniff of that playoff type pressure.

For a young squad like the Raptors this year is serving more as a learning experience, a dress rehearsal for the real thing.  The young players on this team are beginning to see what it takes to close games out late in the season when there is something on the line.  Even games against teams that seem to be “sure shots” on paper, become tough tests of will.  Every possession is important, defense is king, mistakes come back to haunt you.

Case in point the last two games against Cleveland and Washington.  Games the Raptors should have won handily. Instead they looked out of rhythm and seemed to be forcing things on both ends of the floor, giving their opponents plenty of extra opportunities to score.

This is clearly a team that isn’t quite ready for playoff basketball.

But they’re close.

Once upon a time the Raptors had another group of young players on the verge of making a dent in the NBA playoff picture.  Young guns on the team in Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Alvin Williams were getting crowds in this city excited about competitive basketball for the first time in the franchise’s history.  While they clearly possessed talent and future upside, they were not able to make the playoffs right away.  They needed to go through some growing pains and needed savvy veterans added to the roster to teach the young stars what fighting for a playoff spot was all about.

Even with a wealth of talent during the “Vince years”, the Raptors needed to learn how to lose before they could achieve greater heights.

The Raptors of that time were all about Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Alvin Williams, but key additions in Charles Oakley, Antonio Davis and Dell Curry helped get that young Raptors squad over the hump and into the playoffs.

When they finally got there, they were schooled by a well oiled, veteran Knicks team and the upstart Raptors were sent packing in three straight games.  It wasn’t until the next season that this team showed enough maturity to actually win a playoff series.

They were able to succeed because they knew what defeat tasted like, they made mistakes and learned from them.  They learned first hand how important games, like the one on Wednesday night, are to being a successful franchise.

That is where the current edition of the Raptors hope to get to.  They’re close, but they lack the veteran leadership and discipline necessary to make the playoffs.

Rudy Gay, Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson with Jonas Valanciunas are a nice young core going forward, but they’re going to need to learn how hard you have to work to get into the playoffs and if/when they finally get there they’ll have to learn how much harder it is to win a series.

There are signs that this young squad will get there, but games like the one against Cleveland on Wednesday night indicate that the fans may have to wait a little longer before this team finally breaks through.

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Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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Who are These Guys?

So the Toronto Raptors are all of a sudden playing like a team that could put a scare into a higher seeded team in the playoffs.  What has happened? Or more to the point, what took so long?

No Bargnani, no Calderon, no Bayless, no Problem.

Dwane Casey started a lineup that would have been considered a joke at the beginning of the year and came away with an impressive and decisive victory over a very good Atlanta Hawks team.

The last time the Raptors won in Atlanta, it was 2007 and Peyton Manning was winning his only Super Bowl championship with the Indianapolis Colts.  Yep, it was that long ago.

I don’t know what Dwane Casey has told this team or what he has done to make them so much better than they should be, but he has really turned the fortunes of this team around.  He is winning with a roster that shouldn’t be.

On Sunday night his defensive system held the high-octane, playoff bound Atlanta Hawks to 86 points on 40% shooting.

Much will be made of the effect this game will have on the Raptors eventual first round draft pick and on the “Tank Nation” movement, but how can you not like the way Dwane Casey has this team playing?

Break up the Raptors!!

Zan for Three

Kudos to the Coach

While many will thumb their nose at another victory and chalk it up to hurting our chances at a top pick in the NBA draft, much needs to be made about the way Dwane Casey has turned this team around.  While (arguably) three of his best players were out with injury, Casey willed his band of castaways to consecutive victories over Boston and Atlanta; both teams heading to the playoffs in two weeks.  His defensive system and preparedness has got this team playing the best ball they have played all season regardless of the names on the back of the jerseys.

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

With a roster that sports 3 D-League players and a host of others that would be hard pressed to crack the Bobcats lineup this year, Casey has gotten a lot out of this team.

Alan Anderson is playing his way into the hearts of the Raptor faithful and Justin Dentmon and Ben Uzoh are showing that they belong in the NBA.  Most importantly, for the Raptors moving forward, Demar Derozan is looking every bit a top flight player.

All of the success goes to the coach.

You may not know a lot them, but this Raptor team is playing some very inspired ball over the last few weeks. Dwane Casey deserves all of the credit for the turnaround.

Casey has his team playing hard and giving their all.  They’ve bought in to the “pound the rock” mantra and the results are becoming more and more consistent.

I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time to talk extension.

10 Day Factor

There are some out there who believe you have to be wary of players that are on 10 day contracts as they tend to play very hard until they get a full contract.  I say it’s time to test that theory.

All three of Toronto’s 10-day club have earned the right to be a part of the team this year and possibly beyond.  Alan Anderson has been an absolute revelation and deserves a guaranteed contract with the big club for next year.  His 16 points on 6 of 9 shooting has been a regular kind of statline and he is often the hardest working player on the court every night he plays.

If you’re a believer in rewarding hard work then you almost have to give this guy a guaranteed deal.  A great find by Colangelo and great faith shown by Casey.

Where do you buy the Anderson Jerseys?

Breaking out of the Dog House

James Johnson hasn’t been the same player since he was benched by Dwane Casey for unspecified reasons a few weeks ago.  He’s looked lost and he hasn’t seen anywhere near the minutes he was seeing before being benched.  He lost his starting spot to Aaron Gray and never got it back.  It’s been a bad month for JJ.

Tonight he got his groove back.  He played hard and made the most of his 23 minutes scoring 15 on 6 of 8 shooting and chipped in with 4 rebounds and a steal.  He was all over the defensive end and did a great job containing Atlanta’s high scoring forwards.

Hopefully, he’s back. 

Zan of the Night

Demar Derozan

Not enough is being made of the complete turnaround in Derozans game over the last month.  He has shed his rough first half and is looking every bit the player the Raptors brass envisions him to be going forward.  Dwane Casey has cracked the code with Demar and has him playing the best ball, possibly of his career.

This all bodes very well for next year as the Raptors will be gunning for the playoffs.  With a confident, effective Derozan that goal becomes a lot more realistic.

Not Zan of the Night

Joe Johnson

A rough night at the office for Johnson.  One of the better veteran shooters around, he had a simply dreadful game shooting 2 for 12 with only 7 points.  He was held completely in check by the Raptors defense and could not get his team going at all.  A lopsided loss to the Raptors says a lot about Atlanta’s playoff chances.  If the Hawks have any hope in the Eastern conference playoffs it will be Joe Johnson that must lead them.  Tonight he was a non-factor.

…finally

An Alabi Sighting!  0 points in 2 minutes of play, but he did get a shot off! More to come, I’m sure.  Free Alabi!

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Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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@kpedlar

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Raptors Playoff Hopes Grow Dimmer

It was a big game.  Probably the biggest game of the season.  A game that separates the men from the boys, the players from the pretenders and playoff teams from lottery teams.  It was a must win.  As “must win” as a game can get.

The Raptors fell short.  Plain and simple.

The team could not buy a bucket for large stretches of time.  They settled for jump shots instead of driving the net and did not play an ounce of defense on the other end of the floor.

When your best offensive player is out and, arguably your best defender, someone needs to step up.  No one did.  Derek Rose was a one man show and without the inside presence of Chris Bosh, Joakim Noah had a field day in the low and high post.  On the other end, the Raptors could not put a solid run together and looked discombobulated on offense.

All hope is not lost as there is still two games left and the Raptors do hold the tie-breaker.

With two games left the Raptors need to find leadership and a hunger from within, if they intend on fulfilling their goal at the beginning of the season and make the playoffs.

Derek Rose was in total control in a pivitol match against the Raptors.

The Zan for Three

Spotlight

In a game of this magnitude players need to step up.  These are the types of games that players use to make names for themselves.  Hedo Turkoglu has made a name for himself throughout his career by playing big in games such as these.  Tonight, for the Raptors, no one was able to take control.  No player made a name for himself.  Hedo had a great game, mind you, but it wasn’t the type of game that propels a team to victory.  19 rebounds is nothing to laugh at but his 2-1o shooting doesn’t cut it.

On the other side, the Raptors allowed players like Taj Gibson and Flip Murray to make a name for themselves.  These players, role players, stepped up and helped propel their team to victory.  Where was Marco Belinelli? Demar Derozan?  Jose Calderon?  This is the time to step up.  If not now, when?

The Importance of Chris Bosh

So, still think this team will be just fine without Chris Bosh next season?  This was not a good indication that the Raptors will be able to fill the void a Chris Bosh will leave if he chooses to go elsewhere this summer.  The Raptors were abused inside and could not get anything done on the offensive end.  Chris Bosh gets stops on the defensive end and he scores on the offensive side.  Amir Johnson and Reggie Evans were not able to do the job that #4 does on a nightly basis.  With Bosh in the lineup this is a much different game.  No way Joakim Noah goes off for 18 boards with CB4 playing.  If this is how the Raptors play without Chris Bosh, it could be a long, long season in Toronto next year.

Italian Meat Ball

Andrea Bargnani has been an enigma wrapped in a puzzle during his Raptor tenure.  He shows flashes of absolute brilliance and then disappears for no known reason for large stretches of time.  He is, quite possibly, the player the Raptors will look to if/when Chris Bosh leaves as a free agent.  Maybe he has been playing beside an All-star for too long, but he needs to learn to take control of a game.  When you’re shooting 50% and your team is down, it’s okay to shoot the ball a bit more.  When you drive the net and get calls, it’s okay to do that more often.  Even at the expense of being labelled a bit “selfish”.  After all these years in the league and after all the wonderful words of praise, he still looks hesitant to take control and allow himself to be the focal point.  Stars in this league demand the ball, hell, even guys who come off the bench demand the ball.  This is a player that needs to demand it and do whatever he wants with it.  With Bosh out, Bargnani should be the focal point of this offense.  Why hasn’t he figured this out yet?

…Plus the Foul

Keep Hope Alive

It is easy to get discouraged after a big loss like this, but there is an even bigger game tomorrow and another on Wednesday.  This game was rough, but we get a second chance tomorrow.  The Raptors hold that all important tie-breaker and Chicago has a tougher remaining two games (Boston and Charlotte).  The Raptors must go into Detroit tomorrow and play like winners.  Shrug this loss off and go get the prize.  The Raptors are still very much in the playoff race. We mustn’t hang our heads.

Zan of the Night

It's easy to hang your head after a tough loss like this one, but there are still two games remaining in the race for eighth.

Derek Rose and Joakim Noah.  In a game that could have effectively eliminated them from the playoffs, it was important that the Bulls’ stars show up and control the game.  These two played like stars.  18pts and 18 rebounds is a pretty good day at the office.  Noah took full advantage of a Bosh-less Raptor squad.  Rose was in total control.  He used Calderon as a pylon for most of the game and scored and dished the ball at will.

Not Zan of the Night

Marco Belinelli. It is hard to choose just one Raptor as there were so many to point the finger at, but Belinelli really disappointed me tonight.  He could have been an x-factor tonight.  He has a great three-point shot and plays well on the defensive end.  Tonight he was useless.  His statline looks like a Tim Hortons’ display case.  Maybe Don Nelson was right.

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Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald

Raptors in Free Fall and Bosh is Pissed

Curry has been a revelation this year and continued his strong rookie season with a big win over the Raptors.

It was like deja vu all over again for the Raptors.  A strong first half from the Raptors saw the team carry a four point lead into half time.  Then the third quarter reared its ugly head.  The Raptors gave up 43 on Wednesday night in an embarrassing loss to Sacramento and followed it up by giving up 41 to the third worst team in the association.  The defense disappeared, the offensive sets went nowhere and the Raptors found consistency out of no one.  Chris Bosh, the teams best player, couldn’t help but notice the lack of effort from himself and his teammates.   “Act like you care, you know,” he said. “We need to do the things that win, we don’t do the things that win.”  Tough love from the teams’ best player who seemed absolutely enraged after the game.

There’s reason to be pissed.  The Raptors are now treading dangerously close  to falling out of playoff contention.  They sit in the 8th spot at the moment, only one and half games ahead of Chicago, for the final playoff spot in the East.  They must come together quickly or risk wasting a season that had the makings of something special.

The Zan for Three

Star Power

If you want to win games consistently in this league, your best players have to step up and lead the way.  The Raptors didn’t get that kind of effort from their stars and the Warriors did, plain and simple.  Monta Ellis, Stephen Curry and Corey Maggette went off on the Raptors scoring 31, 35, and 20 respectively.  Chris Bosh scored 24 for the Raptors but  Hedo Turkoglu scored a whopping 4pts, Andrea Bargnani added 11 and Jarrett Jack tossed in 7.  If the Raptors have any design of playing playoff basketball they need to start getting production from their main guys.  In a playoff atmosphere it will be these players that will  be called on to lead.  But there won’t be any playoffs to play in if the players don’t start stepping up now.

Rookie Class

What a great rookie class this year turned out to be.  Jennings, Curry and Evans are in a sprint to the finish for Rookie of the Year.  Evans looked great on Wednesday and Curry had his opportunity to impress tonight against the Raptors.  He took advantage of terrible defensive positioning and got to the rim at will.  He made shots and got his teammates involved as well.   Curry looks like a player the Warriors should build around in the coming years.  He just has the mentality of a winner and isn’t afraid to take big shots.  He has many qualities of his father, former Raptor Dell Curry, that make him a dangerous player to play against. A great mix of skill and smarts.

Piss and Vinegar

Good teams go through bad spurts all the time.  It is impossible in the long NBA season not to go through stretches where the team doesn’t play to their potential and ability.  The Raptors have chosen the wrong time to play their worst ball of the season and someone needs to do something about it.  Chris Bosh looked downright angry after the game and the Raptors could use a little bit more of that fire.  I have been waiting all season for someone to call the team out and take charge of the locker room.  Call all the team meetings you want, fly in Colangelo to talk to the team if you like, but something or someone has to light a fire under the players.  Tonight Chris Bosh called his teammates out.  It was long overdue but someone had to do it.  Someone has to do the dirty work of reminding this team that they are not doing the things that need to be done to win.  Let’s see if this can ignite a fire in that dressing room.  I expect an angry squad on Sunday night in Portland.

Towel.

Zan of the Night

Stephen Curry

He is looking every bit a star this year.  He has ice in his veins and has qualities of a leader at this young stage of his career.  He shot the lights out tonight and propelled his team to, what ended up being, an easy victory.  He has the makings of a star in this league.

Not Zan of the Night

Take your pick. Every Raptor, outside of maybe Calderon, played horribly at some point in the ball game.  Hedo Turkoglu is an obvious target with his four point night.  He didn’t score a single point after the first quarter.  The $53 million dollar man is looking lost and lethargic.  He personifies everything that is wrong with this team right now.  They are not playing with energy, not making smart decisions, aren’t playing defense and don’t seem to care.  He was signed to be a leader.  To be an example.  And to get us to the playoffs.   He hasn’t led all season. He is setting the wrong example as his laissez-faire attitude seems to be catching on.  And there is a very real chance we might miss the playoffs.  Not acceptable.

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Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald

The Raptors could use some help from their diehards.

Toronto is a city that’s passionate about sports. We vilify players who play poorly. We idolize players who play hard. Our fan base, regardless of what team we support, is ferocious. We love our teams. Yet over the past five years the city hasn’t had much to cheer for.

The Leafs, our dear Leafs, have been nothing short of atrocious;  regardless of  the recent addition of Dion Phanuef.

The Blue Jays may never see the playoffs again. Not until Major League Baseball implements a salary cap or changes the playoff structure.

The TFC have yet to see a playoff game period.

And the Argos are in a league many Canadians tend to ignore regardless of whether the team wins or loses.

But then we come to the Raptors. The only team in the city with a winning record. A ship that’s pointed in the right direction. A team that is competitive every single night; full of youth and talent. If ever there was a time for the Raptors to take market share in the form of fans, it’s now.

Yet growth has been marginal at best. More fans aren’t tuning in. Only the regulars. Guys and gals like you and me; the diehards who read blogs like this one on a daily basis. What’s it going to take to turn more heads?

Talking.

I’m going to talk Raptors’ ball to people I know. Friends who aren’t fans. I’m going to ask acquaintances if they’ve been watching games. If they’ve heard about how the Raptors are playing. And when they say they haven’t, I’m going to tell them they should check the team out. Because I believe this team is damn good and I believe basketball is the best damn sport in the world.

I also believe that if 10 people I know, friends who are not Raptor fans, had tuned in to watch the Raptors play the Lakers two Sundays ago that this city would have 10 more Raptor fans to scream at games.

And maybe one person I mention it to, mentions it to someone else. Maybe it steam rolls from one person to the next. That’s how these things work, right? But it can’t be an army of one.

We get about 300 people reading this a day. So let’s start talking Toronto! Let’s start the buzz. The team is doing their part, maybe it’s time the diehards do theirs. Let’s talk to people we know. Let’s encourage people to tune in.  They, like us, will like what they see.

We all know the Raptors are going to need the support come playoff time. Hell, this city could use a little playoff time to support.

Let’s Rap it forward.

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Jeremiah McNama

The Zan Tabak Herald

Reggie Evans: Man or Myth?

Reggie Evans is expected to bring defensive energy and intensity when he returns to the Raptors' lineup later this month.

When the Raptors traded Jason Kapono this off-season for Reggie Evans General Manager Brian Colangelo was banking on getting back an X-Factor, a game changer, and someone who could anchor the defence with his strong physical presence.  The guy is a beast and has a reputation around the league as someone you don’t want to match up with.  He embodies everything that has been missing from the Raptors lineup this season: hustle, defense, intensity and physicality.  Since his injury, and with the Raptors defensive struggles during the early part of the season, his importance to the Raptors has been discussed regularly by fans and pundits alike.

Reports are indicating that Evans may return some time during the month of January and from listening to Raptor Nation you’d think the Raptors were getting Charles Barkley circa 1993 back, or maybe Kevin Garnett.

His legend has grown during his time on the shelf and with every Raptor loss it grows more still.  When the Raptors get abused inside the announcers always mention “it would be nice to have Reggie Evans back”, “How much do the Raps miss this guy?Dominique Wilkens even strode up to the Raptors announce table during the debacle that was the Atlanta game and said two words to Devlin and Jack Armstrong: “Reggie Evans”.  In his mind, and in the minds of many, he is the missing ingredient that could help transform this team into a defensive presence in the East.

The Raptors have been playing very well recently and are starting to “turn a corner” as Jay Triano gets more consistent with his rotation, the players get to know each other better and the defensive effort becomes more consistent.  The presence of Reggie Evans can only expediate that process.  He could be the added shot of energy this team needs: a human can of Red Bull to lift them during the second half of the season.

Reggie Evans has built a career on rebounding the ball

In his time with Philadelphia, Reggie earned a reputation as a player you did not want covering you.  Ask Al Horford, ask Kevin Garnett, ask Jermaine O’neal, Ask Chris Bosh.  This is a tough guy to play against.  There are no easy baskets against Reggie Evans; he is going to make you earn every bucket you get.  On top of that, if you miss, he won’t let you get the rebound.  That ball, fine sir, belongs to Reggie Evans.  That sense of dominance and energy has been missing for the Raptors for large periods of time this season.

With Reggie coming back it will mean less time for Amir Johnson who has been consistently reliable and occasionally exceptional.  It may cause Triano to have difficulty figuring out how to distribute minutes.  A nice problem to have but one that could also disrupt the recent cohesion of this group.   His return will likely push Bargnani, Bosh and the young gun Johnson in practice and improve the help defense for the perimeter players (Calderon, I’m looking at you). It will also certainly mean more emotion from the Raps.  An intangible element that is contagious and incredibly beneficial in a seven game series, which the Raptors seem destined to be a part of.

…And the Legend continues.