So, the past 4 games have given us a very deep look into this team, and it is very much in a state of flux. Our 4 main guys right now are Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon, who is hurting, Jermaine O’Neal, who is hurting as well, and Chris Bosh. Over the past week, their numbers look pretty good with Chris averaging over 30 points per game and 10.5 rebounds. He is shooting 54% from the floor with his first 3 point shot of the season, and 83% from the line. Andrea has stepped up his production as he continues to improve while adjusting to the SF position scoring 18.25 per game, 6 rebounds and 50% from outside the arc. Jermaine has become a very solid fixture on defense and hurt his knee during the Nets game. He has given us 11 points and 9 rebounds with the last two games being injured. It is obvious that he is becoming comfortable with Chris Bosh and his secondary role on this team which bodes well for the future as long as his knee keeps him on the floor, he will continue to add depth and strength up front. Jose Calderon missed one game this week but has continued to contribute 16 points and 10.3 assists per game and is still 100% from the free throw line to lead the league in that.
I won't dwell on last week as a wonderful review has already been put up and i can't add much except to say that we need to expect a lot less out of this Raptors team for the next month or so. Jose Calderon has been playing injured and Jermaine O'Neal has become an object of concern as his knee is obviously not in good shape after that Nets game. With no defense to speak of from our back court, Smitch looks helpless and hopeless on the bench right now. The guys are responding to his lack of ability to adjust with indifference. I really don't like what i have seen this past week from the team as a whole. BC not being at the game, as I see it, is a huge lack of respect and support for his sinking head coach.
That all off my chest, the front line guys are playing well on offense, but with nothing on the bench worth worrying about, I now wonder if teams are not just waiting for that first wave of substitutions with quiet resolve knowing that they will be outplayed by a good d-league squad most nights. This week ahead brings us the Bobcats who must be worried that this Raptors team will actually put a full game together and blow someone away one game soon. With Emeka Okafur, Jason Richardson, Gerald Wallace, D.J. Augustine and Raymond Felton, this team plays a decent brand of ball and could catch the Raptors reeling from the past week’s games. If we look past these guys, they will pick us off. We will need to continue to pound the ball inside as not many teams have the position guys to compete with us. The Bobcats will bring a balanced offense with decent guard play and solid wing play which, so far, we have not been able to contend with on a nightly basis. I think we should still win, but I look for Jose and Jermaine to play less minutes to try and keep them fresh for the tough weekend coming up. That being said, I also can see this Bobcats team making both work hard and take advantage of the replacements who will be forced to play a lot of minutes this week as they heal.
Next up, the Hawks bring their 8 – 5 record to the ACC. They are currently second in the Southwest division behind the Magic and are coming off a loss to the Cavaliers. They only have one game this week at home on Wednesday against the Bucks so they should be well rested as they begin a 2 game road trip with the Wizards on Saturday night after playing us Friday. With Josh Smith still out since they last played and beat the Raptors, this team has struggled going 4 – 5 in the 9 games since he went out. Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby anchor this team with Ronald Murray and Marvin Williams. Al Horford has continued his steady play and looks set to become the solid double double man they need to compliment them in the Post. The Raptors will have their hands full as Bibby and Johnson offer a back court that we could not stop in the first game. We could win if we take advantage of our inside offensive advantage, but unless we play better team defense, they will again kill us from the back-court!
Next Sunday we have the Lakers in Los Angeles. Having been thrashed by the Celtics, should we expect anything different from the Lakers? Kobe Bryant and the Lakers are healthy and have lost only 1 game this season to the Pistons. Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom and Dereck Fisher are all averaging over 10 points a game with Bynum and Gasol near 10 rebounds a game each. This team is balanced, fast and will look to destroy the Raptors from the outside in! I don’t think it will be close but I don’t see Kobe beating his 81 either!
Do I think we can win any of these games? Yes, we could win 2 of them. Will we? I am not sure this team has much heart left after this past week and having 2 of our 4 best players hurting. We don’t play well when the second unit is in, we play awful on defense and couldn’t play help defense to save ourselves. We have forgotten how to beat a zone, we get lost in transition as our guards struggle to push the tempo to take advantage of our front court. This week will be a period of adjustments for this squad. I hope they can get it done.

Is it sad that I am looking back at last years Raptors with fondness? I still feel that we can pull things together and it will be the guys on the court who will throw up the rally cry, not management.

Great post!

perhaps, but i am not sure what there is back there? futility, 47 win seasons... Vince, sigh, let's just keep looking ahead, that is bleak enough LOL