So much for unfounded optimism in calling games (my pre-game call), I will be sticking to my gut feeling from now on (my podcast call). Pitiful display by the Raptors last night. We’ve owned the Heat over the last few seasons, so you knew they were due for a win, but not like that. After what we did to the Rockets? After that team meeting that was supposed to be the key to the season? Looks like what ails the Raptors requires a shuffling of players/coach, and not Alvin Williams facilitating communication workshops while Gherardini translates.
I’m still pretty embarrassed from that loss to the Magic a month ago. The one where our genius marketing/PR team thought it a great idea to pay tribute to Vince Carter, while he was playing against us that same day. The one where he declined the offer, then proceeded to pace the Magic to the win, with a perma-grin plastered on his face the whole time. I ask one thing of the Raptors marketing team: please don’t spawn any new gimmicks for games where we play Vince Carter. We are 0-2 in these situations, and I fear the worst for all of our sanity if you fail miserably one more time.
I don’t like playing Orlando this year because I’m constantly reminded of what the Raptors SHOULD have done the last two off-seasons, namely go after Pietrus and Barnes since they represented exactly what this team was missing and continues to need at a reasonable price tag.
Tonight against the Magic is going to be bad. The Magic by the numbers:
- 7-3 in their last ten
- 8-2 at home
- 14-3 against the East
- +5.8 scoring differential (5th best in the league)
- 43.1 rebounds a game (7th in the league)
- 21pts 23rebs by Howard Monday against the Pacers
- 28pts 7rebs 3ast by VC Monday against the Pacers
You see where I’m going with this right? The Raptors need to do exactly the opposite of what they did against the Heat last night.
Bosh/Bargnani need to attack Howard early and get him into foul trouble. They need to hit him and get between him and the glass. You aren’t going to out jump the guy, so get in there and fight. Rashard Lewis will stretch the defense, so one of Bosh or Bargnani will be out of position to rebound, means the rest of the girls need to pull up their knickers and compensate. Bosh needs to grab more then 2 rebounds, regardless of who he’s covering. We had mixed results against Houston/Miami, but with Orlando grabbing so many rebounds, the Raptors have to do better then the last time around when the Magic’s offensive rebounding was brutalizing our girls.
Turkoglu needs to be kept under control. I know this is going to be an emotional night for him returning to Orlando after playing there for 5 years, but he isn’t the kind of guy who can just damage a team on his own. I do like giving him the ball and letting him create for Bosh/Bargnani though, but that’s it. His one-on-one moves need to be minimized, and his shots should only come in the natural flow of the offense…whatever that means for the Raptors.
Vince had a monster night Monday against the Pacers that helped pace Howard to a monster night of his own. We know VC can score, we know he can create, but lets hit him a few times. I bet if DeRozan/Weems elbow him a couple times in the kidneys, he stays away. Let him shoot the lights out, I just don’t want him getting to the rack and laying it up gracefully as he does. While we’re at it, how about not letting JJ Reddick have another career night. The guy can shoot, so lets not double Howard down low, letting him kick out to one of his open shooters (in this case Reddick) who will knock it down. If you didn’t know, that is what Orlando wants everyone to do. The team is built on this one thing.
Jimmy’s sim says Orlando will win 101-88. The gamblers have the Magic as -11 and the money at -750. I had the Raptors losing this one in the podcast, it’s the second night of a back-to-back, so I’ll be damned if I change my mind; Magic win 114-89.
39 Raps
I’m gonna say the Magic put up 130 tonight
im gonna go qith 126-91
seriously
were gonna get murdered
Yup…I concur….we’re dead
i bet you that raptors will have it close if not win.
Yup, that’s as close as it gets :)
Practice scrimmage game for Orlando and a development game for our Raptors ???!!!!
I hope not … let us pray … Dear Lord and Santa Claus … please please …. etc.
This is a no-contact basketball team. It is obvious that the raps are playing for stats and not to win. There should be a no free dunk policy- and that should mean taking a guy out regardless of yyour foul situation. Maybe reggie evans will help, but he has to start. We need a tough guy in the lineup somewhere.
J J REDICK THATS ALL AM GOING TO SAY ( the guy kills us every single game we play)
As long as we dont lose by 30 Ill be happy. Its bad time around these parts and we are only 5 games under.
i agree, losing by 10 is a success story
122-73. You know it. I know it. Get out the scotch.
sadly thats quite possible, fml and those useless piece of crap of players wearing our logo….
Why not bump that from 114 to over 115?
At 115, the Raps are a perfect 0-10. Seems appropriate.
RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAPE!
Just please keep it under 152.
It’s pathetic that I’d be satisfied with that.
I’m just waiting for Bosh to disappear already. Where was he last season when our team hit rock bottom? And the season before that against Orlando in the playoffs? Orlando destroyed us and Bosh was nowhere to be seen.
He played video games and had dinners with Dwight Howard through out there series, from what I have heard? Yep, that’s a franchise player alright.
Now, during a contract season he decides to play hard and stay injury free. LOL
And the guy puts more effort into making and distributing his new DVD then he spends on making us a better team. Look at is Twitter for christ sakes. The guy doesn’t give a shit about winning, he’s a paycheck player.
Fill in the blank space in this sentence with whatever comes to mind:
I am expecting the Raptors to ________ by at least 25 points tonight.
“Up after the 1st quarter”
And how does that Monkey looking thing Calderon keep getting injured? What does this guy do during the offseason. Bargnani has anxiety issues about rebounding a basketball, Bosh has panic attacks playing against Boston and any elite team, Turk looks stoned all the time and got paid already so who cares about winning. Triano looks like a fucking High school principal and has no business being a part of the NBA.
Colangelo is also looks like he’s never been in a fight before and his teams reflect that. Does this guy ever swear or get mad? Didn’t this idiot want to draft Tshvivilli instead of Amare Stodaumire but his dad vetod it at the last minute?
Gherardini – I got news for you buddy this is the NBA not a Euro League team in Siberia. I know it was this fool who convinced BC to Draft Bargs or he wouldn’t come to Toronto. What has this guy done for us? What’s his Job?
No need to diss people’s looks…
But yeah, Bargnani isn’t a 1st pick, we could have gotten a way better play than him. Bargnani is like a 10th pick.
Ok now, name me 9 players of that draft better than Bargnani and I’ll try not to laugh
just for arguments sake, in the 2006 draft any of these guys drafted after Andrea could be considered comparable picks.
Aldridge
Roy
Gay
Sefolosha
Brewer
Rondo
Farmar
Sergio Rodriguez
Milsap
ty thomas
Foye
sheldon williams
jj reddick
kyle lowry
daniel gibson
leon powe
some are clearly better than Andrea and many of these guys that have turned out to be decent role players- or who have tons of talent but havent tapped into it yet. either way, if you were GM, you could probably find a few you like better
sorry phd, I have to disagree with you (doesn’t happen often). While I am ready to admit that Gay, Aldridge, Roy, Millsap and Rondo are surely better at this stage than Bargnani the other ones are, to me, already now either slightly worse or plain worse than him. And of those five 2 went to the second round (so many Gms didn’t do their scouting properly) and 1 is the carbon copy of Bosh.
That pick might have been better used, but it was not a tragedy.
“Triano looks like a bleeeping High school principal and has no business being a part of the NBA.”…………..lol TRUE DAT
and I fully agree that BC is a spoiled “daddy’s boy” who is completely unqualified to be a real NBA GM!!!
Craptors loose by 30+ tonight BOOK IT!!!!
We can win this game by playing HACK-A-HOWARD! Phoenix did it and they won. Hell they limited him to 1 FG. Get Howard pissed and he will miss his FT’s. LET THE HACK-A-HOWARD BEGIN!
Except he’s shooting FT’s stupidly well against the Raptors for some reason. Definitely not due to the fact that the Raptors rarely put pressure on him to tire him out.
I think Hedo plays amazingly well. Bosh does too. We still lose, but it will be closer than you think.
I guess I was wrong, and the Raps did get blown out – surprise surprise.
I say we start with a lineup of Banks, Johnson, Weems, Bellinelli and Rasho…or maybe POB. Why not start garbage time early because this is over before it begins.
Too much talent vs. too little heart. I will watch this the way I watch most horror movies…popcorn and a blanket so the splaying blood doesn’t get on me.
If Hedo plays amazingly well, they win.
I yet have to see him playing amazingly in Raptors jersey.
I second that opinion.
I smell a win .. sniff sniff snitt … yup a win … GO RAPS !!!!
at this point i hope raps keep getting blown out so triano gets the boot
Magic is shooting 69% for the half. I dont know which is worse…this stat. or Kobe going off for 81. Can someone choke somebody to make the humiliation stop?
How is Hedo doing?
Loving the blowouts. Keep it up boys…
More 3’s please.
This team needs a change, next on the docket, Alex English. Why didn’t he get the up to head coach? He’s a legendary player and I think could coach these guys well, or get someone else, like Byron Scott.