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Remember what I wrote yesterday about how Colangelo needs to focus on improving the Raptors' defence this off-season? The Atlanta Hawks bolstered my case while beating the Raptors 118-110 last night. The Hawks came in to the game as a middle-of-the-pack team in field goal percentage and three-point shooting, but the Raptors' perimeter D made them look like sharpshooters as they shot 50 percent from both two- and three-point range. Maurice Evans, Joe Johnson and Josh Smith shot a combined nine-for-14 from beyond the arc — and excluding a halfcourt miss at the end of the third quarter, the Atlanta made their last six three-point shot attempts.
The primary points of interest for Raptors fans last night were the performances of Patrick O'Bryant and Quincy Douby as they logged 16 minutes and 9 minutes of playing time, respectively. O'Bryant continued to remind everyone why he's been a miserable failure at two previous NBA stops. He's a soft, lazy stiff who was really only noticable last night when he was committing fouls or bricking free throws. As one RealGM poster aptly put it, "He makes Loren Woods look like a gym rat."
Douby, on the other hand, showed enough that I'd like to see him get significantly more playing time over the Raptors' final five games. He's a slasher with a great motor who could be a useful reserve at both guard positions if he can improve his jumpshot. Plus, he's got something all-too-rare in the NBA: a spectacular unibrow.
If he sticks with the Raptors next season, he'll combine with Andrea Bargnani's neckbeard, Jose Calderon's pencil-thin sideburns and Chris Bosh's "Predator hair" to make this the most oddly-groomed team in the NBA. I wonder if Colangelo will try to include an "aesthetician clause" in Douby's next contract.
The Raptors take on the Pacers tonight in a game that figures to only be interesting if Stephen and Joey Graham switch jerseys before tip-off just to fuck with everyone. Before I sign off, I'll leave you with something positive — Calderon's averages from the last eight games: 15.9 points, 9.9 assists, 2.3 turnovers and a 55 percent field goal percentage. Not too shabby. 
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