Quick Reaction: Raptors vs. Clippers

by A-Dub December 9, 2012

Toronto Raptors

102

Los Angeles Clippers

	Linas Kleiza, SF 30 MIN \| 5-11 FG \| 2-3 FT \| 3 REB \| 2 AST \| 17 PTS \| -6 Probably kept the Raptors in the game longer than they should have with some answer-back threes. He looked like he could have been a threat in the post, but this advantage was not exploited by the Raptors. FOCUS FACTOR: Very focused (when shooting threes)
	Andrea Bargnani, C 33 MIN \| 5-15 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 2 AST \| 12 PTS \| -10 When you take more shots than points, that`s not good. For a guy who`s main (only?) skill is offense, he`s having quite a few of these games. Question: Is Andrea Bargnani at 27 already starting to decline as a player? Conditioning/dedication is what allows good players to maintain their performance (see: Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash vs. Vince Carter, Steve Francis) FOCUS FACTOR: Off the charts (One word: Caliper)
	Jonas Valanciunas, C 19 MIN \| 0-3 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 3 REB \| 1 AST \| 1 PTS \| +1 Foul trouble and the looong arms of DeAndre Jordan were a little too much for our kid warrior to handle on this day. He`ll respond once he`s back to the friendly confines of the ACC. Could be rebounding a little better, actually a lot better considering who his starting mate in the front court is. FOCUS FACTOR: High
	Kyle Lowry, PG 32 MIN \| 2-6 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 6 REB \| 9 AST \| 4 PTS \| -13 It seems like he decided he would be more of a facilitator before the game, and it produced a controlled effort. But the approach seened top scale back his aggressiveness, and the team needs him to put up points, especially when one of DeRozan/Bargnani is not producing. 0 free throw attempts is especially disappointing. Hope he doesn`t check out, he`s the best we got. FOCUS FACTOR: Declining
	DeMar DeRozan, SG 42 MIN \| 10-17 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 5 REB \| 4 AST \| 24 PTS \| -18 One of his more complete games this season. Great third quarter. But he was nowhere to be found in the fourth when the team needed him during a very dry run. That three he hit was a nice surprise, but honestly, good shooting guards should be able to make that kind of play on a regular basis. FOCUS FACTOR: 75 (three quarters)
	Ed Davis, PF 17 MIN \| 2-6 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 3 REB \| 0 AST \| 6 PTS \| -9 Could have rebounded better, the size of the Clippers front court gave him troubles just like it did for Val. You would think he`s deserving of 20+ minutes after his recent stretch of games. Apparently his GM thinks he has inconsistency issues. FOCUS FACTOR: Very high except when Bryan Colangelo is watching
	Amir Johnson, PF 27 MIN \| 4-7 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 12 REB \| 0 AST \| 11 PTS \| -20 One of his better games in what`s been a disappointing season. Trying to put on a show for friends/family? Maybe the Raptors can bring them along for every game. FOCUS FACTOR: Average + hometown boost = Slightly above average
	Jose Calderon, PG 16 MIN \| 1-5 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 3 REB \| 2 AST \| 5 PTS \| -6 He was left on too long in the 4th, game was over by the time Lowry subbed back in. Just not enough aggressiveness for a team that lack`s clutch scoring. FOCUS FACTOR: Low
	John Lucas, PG 1 MIN \| 0-0 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 0 AST \| 0 PTS \| 0 FOCUS FACTOR: Most intense, focused minute played in Raptor history. Not very talented though (Shhhhh!)
	Terrence Ross, SG 23 MIN \| 1-7 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 2 AST \| 3 PTS \| -14 Not a good game. Bryan Colangelo just realized that the kid has no handles. Kinda late don`t you think? The shooting has been sporadic, although some shots were contested. His man defense is legit, however. FOCUS FACTOR: Too low

Guest

Acy was sent to the D-League
- cesco
  
  He also doesn’t know Andrea is the starting PF since the beginning of the season . To-day he did very well defensively against an all-star ( Griffin ) . He deserve at least a c- .
  - Truthkiller
    
    19 pts on 7/11 shooting for griffin, what an all nba defensive performance put on by all accounts the best man-2-man defender on the team Andrea Bargnani… its a true shame he cannot play consistent defense like he did today.
    - Woytkoha
      
      Bargs actually played good D on Grifffin, Blakes game looks much better this year. He hit a bunch of fade aways and his post game looks very improved. Now we all know Bargs isn’t a defensive stopper but Blake wouldn’t hit most of those shots last year.
      - Destro
        
        Whoa now lets not go overboard on a couple of post ups he did his job and used his size on Blake that doesnt merit extra credit or some kind of recognition..THATS what big men in the NBA do every night thats there damn job…
        
        Its funny every 5 games Primo Gluten free plays half decent man to man D in the paint (Which truthfully doesnt require alot of skill or brains ONLY size) and he is given all this over the top silly recognition as doing sumn great…
        
        NOOOOOO for one game in the paint he did his damn JOB…
        
        and guess what
        
        He still sucked overrall
        
        *loser horn*
        
        hound
        
        you know what Destro. You really don’t understand basketball, or more importantly, how to debate/discuss issues in a mature manner. I seriously hope you are no more than 13 years old. Otherwise, I am embarassed for you.
        
        Destro
        
        Who gives a what you think whiteboy…ur a cac so by defacto you’ll never know as much about basketball as me…This is the problem with CACs like urself you think ur opinions are more important than they are…its a message board so STFU and stick to the topics….
    - cesco
      
      Andrea did a lot better than Lowry who had 4 points vs 16 points for Paul ( point out how we did against their all-stars ) . Lowry with 4 points and 5 turnovers , no wonder Casey kept JC in the game longer than he should have in the fourth .
      - what the
        
        …and Dribbles almost won the game for us bla bla , Kyle had more rebounds than AB13 bla bla also one of those rebound fell in to AB13 hands.
      - Destro
        
        When he left him in TOO long and was getting torched by Paul and Bledsoe is where the game got away doofus…
      - Destro
        
        No he didnt….
        
        He leaves JV out to dry and causes him game after game to pick up quick fouls…..His spacing on both ends is killing us (smirk)
    - hound
      
      Actually, if you watch the game, Griffins points came against others. 6 points were when Bargs was on him, which was most of the game. Don’t let the facts interfere with your opinion.
      - Destro
        
        FACTS are hes having a terrible season and posters like you overrate how great his defense has been….
- Jamshid
  
  I don’t think anyone is surprised !!
  BC has been here for 7 years and how many of his 2nd round picks have actually become a player in NBA ?? None … So add Acy to the list.
  - OneLuv
    
    Wrong! P J tucker was selected in the 2nd round in the same draft when AB was the 1st pick.
- BCBargnaniJoseCaseyGots2Go!!!
  
  #BooBC@TheACC
enlightenment

I dont know how DC doesn’t call a time out until we are 19 points down from 2 in the fourth. We lost against their bench in the 4th, there had to be SOMETHING coach Casey couldve done! We were playing so well until the 4th, and I felt everyone just gave up.
mike, prague

Amir a C+? Really he played fairly well as you mentioned whats up? ADD COACHING MARK …. if possible that is … its been kinda key in some of these games.
- Jamshid
  
  For a guy who makes 7 million and shows up 1 every 5 games, this is a pretty good grade.
  - FAQ
    
    Rap’s roster salary sorta looks like those ‘mortgage-based investments”…. that cause the last global recession … many parallels here… ya think?!!
    - cesco
      
      The global recession is/was caused by too much debt of individuals and countries . The Raps owners are not in debt , they can afford to pay those players , they are all overpaid anyway .
      - FAQ
        
        Okay… so the mortgage-based investments only triggered the global recession by causing bank failures that had to be rescued by governments… and that created an economic tipping point that sucked everything down.
        
        Looks like the Raptors are experiencing a form of ‘recession’ that may plunge the team into bankruptcy and restructuring.
        
        Maybe if we got Carney as the next GM … ya think??
        
        cesco
        
        The British hired him already to be their bank manager .
JHP

Guess it’s going to be a very long long year. I thought 36 wins were possible. I was wrong !!!
- arsenalist
  
  36 wins still possible, just need to carry over the total from last year.
  - cesco
    
    Let us see how the rest of the season unfold . They were 2 points behind
    with less than 9 minutes to go . The missed shoots afterward were due
    to tiredness caused by a lot of defending up to that point , I think .
    - FLUXLAND
      
      Oh, so they are just out of shape? If only Casey had a full training camp.. ooh, wait. So we’re a young team that’s out if shape? Awesome.
      
      Or maybe it was the air in LA? Pollution got to them, right? p00ka, you got any links of studies on this?
      
      Also, what are shoots?
      - FAQ
        
        Maybe they just lack ‘gelatin’ …. ya think?!!
        
        FLUXLAND
        
        Here we are 20 games in. No alpha hierarchy established, just guys looking at each other saying “I’m better than HIM!!”, I haven’t heard of BC denying any trade rumors, and there’s meetings. Sounds like a fun locker room to me!
        
        FAQ
        
        Could Pau Gasol come in and act as the team leader, leading us into the playoffs… or would he only use the TRaps as his retirement home this and next season (and also collect $40+Mill causing seat prices to hike)..??!!!
        
        FLUXLAND
        
        Pau in a Raps uni would be a career travesty, but that’s def a Raps facilitating an accounting move for the NBA, like the Shaq Tour, situation.
      - cesco
        
        Stop the sarcasm , they are not out of shape but when you are playing against a superior team on their home turf you need to have expanded a lot of energy to keep it close , which they did for over 3/4 of the game . The second unit ( with DD ) played shitty in that fourth quarter but apparently the Clips have a far superior second unit to ours .
        
        FLUXLAND
        
        Ya, my bad.
        
        Sure, throw in “end of road trip games” and LA city lights, and the unfolding of what was EXACTLY the opposite of what should happen on a road trip, they made my eyes bleed a little less. Tmrw, for moi, will be a far more telling game.
        
        Do you recall the “Our bench is DEEEEEPPPP!!” posts and articles? Good times.
        
        FAQ
        
        But FLUX… the TRaps are rather consistent in their mid 4th quarter collapses. What does that tell you and the coaching staff?? Surely there must be a message in this madness..!!!
        
        FLUXLAND
        
        From your 8:16 post I couldn’t tell if you are paying attention to this, but he’s continually playing checkers while the other guy is playing chess. Or they let him think it’s checkers and than BAM! It’s chess, son!.
        
        Destro
        
        DD’s scoring was the only reason we were in the game in the first 3 quarters,i think he expected Bargnoodles to step up and join him in the 4th qtr…as usual Trashnani didnt show up when the game mattered in coward like fashion….
    - what the
      
      wrong ! it all went to shit when Dribbles came in for KL in the 3rd quarter .
      - Woytkoha
        
        Has anyone else noticed that when the Raps are actually playing well, JC comes in for Lowry and it all goes for shit. Impressive it took JC till the 4th quarter before he gave the game to the Clippers
      - j bean
        
        Somehow Jose wasn’t traded before the start of the season and that has screwed the chemistry of the team. Sure bring in someone to take his starting role and make him the backup. That has as much chance of success as bringing in a new head coach and making the previous one his lead assistant. Not Jose’s fault but incredible arrogance by the “brains” of the organization.
    - BCBargnaniJoseCaseyGots2Go!!!
      
      You win the ‘I am stuck on stupid’ badge for the day….
      
      Pound the Pasta- baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaby!!
  - Statement
    
    Lol.!
Doug Smith

Still to early to panic.
- Jamshid
  
  Hahahahahah, Rap of the Day :) :)
  We love you Doug Smith …
- FAQ
  
  I think we are in a stage of “pani_”.. let’s “c” what happens now ..!!!
- BCBargnaniJoseCaseyGots2Go!!!
  
  Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiittttttttttt (Clay Davis voice)
  
  We are currently in the Panic Zone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpkJRocQPiM as far as Raptors (4-17) basketball is concerned…..
FLUXLAND

I wonder how our boy Rucker feels.
@Alex_Rucker: I am
now officially happy with our offseason: Ross + Lowry + Fields. Add in Jonas
and a healthy Andrea and let’s play some games.

Get this cat on the Rapcast pronto.

Also, Bryan.. how about you FOCUS = Fuck Off Cuz U’re Stupid.
- tmk
  
  You just don’t understand do you?!
  
  This team lacks FOCUS™ because it’s only season games, this team was built for the PLAYOFFS. Season games mean absolutely nothing once the playoffs roll around, and this is why this team can’t take things seriously You just wait till playoffs start, this team’s FOCUS™ will jump so many levels that you will feel so stupid as they steamroll through opponents.
  - FLUXLAND
    
    Touche! No sense in giving away the playoff rotations this early.
    
    Without doubt, this is the OKC blueprint. Sure, the record may be bunk, but how the team is coming together, the evident camaraderie, the trust, the chemistry….Ubuntu 2.0, really. Jax and Doc are calling DC for some pointers.
    - FAQ
      
      I think the Rap’s t.h.f.’s are inferior… and that somehow makes the Raptors inferior too… ya think..??!!!
      - FLUXLAND
        
        Nah. Never the fans.
        
        Look at that tweet. A+B+C? Really? That’s the only thing that’s inferior, the “on paper” method approach and shootout winning philosophy.
        
        Players come here to get paid, the accept that inferiority with the organization, not become it. They won just by stacking that paper.
- John
  
  I heard that Focus joke by a teacher friend of mine. Classic
  
  By the way, any homeland fans out their? Doesn’t Colangelo look exactly like Nicholas Brody?
  - FLUXLAND
    
    Our friends share vocations. : )
  - sleepz
    
    Yeah, right after Estes agent dude stuck the knife in his hand during interrogation.
Sig

I thought Demar deserved at least a B+ today, he had a good game.
- A-Dub
  
  Can`t give one of the main guys an A when they fade that badly in the 4th. That`s when the majority of NBA games are decided. Sorry.
  - hound
    
    A – Dub. You need to take a sabbatical. That was a terrible article, and the grades must of been pulled out of your ass. I expect a lot of stupid comments from the masses, but it would be nice if the contributors of this site gave us more to think about than Bargs Suck, JC sucks, fire BC, Amir only shows up every 5th game, and all the other bullshit. If you think you are clever disrespecting John Lucas, you probably think making fun of the fat guy/homo/ugly girl in high school was cool too.
    
    I would like to discuss OUR team with a little more intelligence and leave the snipes to the trolls.
    - p00ka 427/401
      
      here is something to think about dog “must of” ” most of” “must have” .
Brandon

Great job on the court again, Clips had no chance. Also agree with everything Colangelo said in his interview. He’s been right so often, how can he be wrong now?
- FAQ
  
  … and the deevelopment continues.. unabated…. onwards and downwards!!!
- FLUXLAND
  
  Allow me to quote the amazing Matt52:
  
  “One
  of the arguments, and I paraphrase, is the Raps have always been bad and/or
  Colangelo has made mistakes and that is what we can expect in the future. That
  doesn’t make a lot of sense to me.
  
  The
  Raps have been awful far more often than good in the history of the franchise
  but what does that have to do with where they currently are situated?”
  
  ==
  
  “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme” – Mark Twain
  - FAQ
    
    Let’s get a grip on ourselves, and prepare for the next game @POR Tomorrow 10:00 PM TSN2 …
    
    POR are 8-12 so it might be another ugly surprise but what the hey … they’re our Raptors for better or worse.
    
    I hope something crystalizes soon with all this deevelopment sh*t..!!!
Jamshid

“see: Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash vs. Vince Carter, Steve Francis”
I was thinking about this Kobe vs Vince couple of days ago after watching the highlight for both Lakers and Dallas. Just few years ago, reporters were asking Kobe about Vince and how some Dumb asses thought Vince is better than Kobe and is a real Heir to the MJ throne !!

“Bryan Colangelo just realized that the kid has no handles”
I could not believe how BC talked about Ross. It was like he thinks Ross was a big mistake and is already ready to move on and get over it !!

We can blame the coach, players and … but this is all BC’c fault. It is his fault for over paying for marginal talents and not drafting poorly over the years.
- Matt52
  
  I see him subtly shifting blame towards Casey in that interview. Focus talk, playing time for players. Ross selection was also heavily influenced by Casey.
  - Jamshid
    
    I agree and I felt the same way. I am surprised though , does he really think he can fire the 3rd coach in 7 year and save his job ?? He should know better than that.
- FAQ
  
  BC now wants to amnesty TRoss…????!!!!
gizzly73

BC needs to be held accountable for his lack of focus comment BC = BS. The fact the Raps can compete most night for 3 quarters shows they have the focus and determination. It’s crunch time when the real talent steps up and it’s painfully obvious they dont have it. T Ross and JV look like kids playing against men. I thought TR could shoot! He hit the side of the board om an uncontested 3. Embarassing.
- what the
  
  weee need shooters says pound of crack
Ppellico

Don’t forget to give Gray his F!
BCBargnaniJoseCaseyGots2Go!!!

4-17. Most Ls in the NBA so far.

BC tried to shift blame onto Casey (focus) instead of on himself (roster talent level)- wow.

BC will most likely fire Casey, if I can read between the lines, before he takes the fall for this mess called Raptors basketball.

BC shitted on TRoss on live tv- why didn’t he draft ADrummond (whom BC said he had rated lower than TRoss on Raps draft big board) who is playing better than Val?

Btw TRoss had weak handles at the University of Washington which is why he doesn’t attack the rim with regularity of his athletic ability that being said DD had worse handles than TRoss when he was drafted but has gotten better via hard work.

What did Casey say in his post game presser?
- p00ka_is_a_fish
  
  Correct me if I’m wrong but were you pushing for Ross to be drafted or were you saying that BC might be stupid enough to draft him
  - BCBargnaniJoseCaseyGots2Go!!!
    
    You are wrong.
    
    I would have drafted Drummond the way the draft unfolded on draft nite but TRoss is still going to be a solid consistent NBA player in 2-3 years.
    
    TRoss is a solid draft pick but not over ADrummond.
  - Destro
    
    If BC is hinting that the Ross pick was a coach pick thats ultimately showing his own lack of leadership…Coach is there too coach not draft players and handle Free agency for the team….If BC tries to wipe himself free of that then thats another damning strike on his resume…
    
    Who cares who Casey wants,your the GM its YOUR call if he didnt want Ross you override the coach…
    - FLUXLAND
      
      But if we assume for a moment, that in fact, it was a DC pick, (which was more than hinted by DC himself during draft interview, with talk of parents etc., ) what does this tell us about DC? Pause. Full Stop. Double Question Mark.
      
      Could it be that in a world where he had to accept JV, BC gave him TR?
    - voy
      
      you cant make the argument bc is a control freak but then all of a sudden he decided to let casey make the draft pick. its either one or the other.
      
      it was definately weird though how bc threw t.ross under the bus today. he could have made the exact same point by saying ”this year’s expectations were high because last year we overachieved”. and thats it. simple. but then he added the t. ross bit. I’m wondering if he essentially bashed t.ross today because he is going to be included in a package deal and he wanted to soften the blow for the fans who’d be disappointed we’re getting rid of last year’s draft pick.
Sig

Jesus Christ… what is with this awful minute distribution by Casey? Why was the bench on so late in the 4th quarter when they were getting fucking dismantled?
NS

GOOD DAY. BC SEALED HIS FATE>
Ppellico

so the NEW Raptor avoidance of fous…,don’t plAY DEFENSE!!!!!!!!!!

Awesome!
Amir stays in with rebounds and stays out of foul trouble by just letting em by.
Its the new team plan, basically.
Stay out of foul trouble by allowing them to get what they want…THEN try for YOURS!!!!
Johny

I completely agree with your last point about Colangelo, what a joke. He says talent is not an issue on a 4-17 team, a team with no all stars and no players realistically close to being all stars. How on earth does someone who talks like that still have a job?
desktom

9 minutes left in the game we are down 2. Time to put the scorers back in and see what happens . Kleiza has hit 4 three pointers lowry should be able to take it to the hole and maybe Bargs and Val will show up with the game on the line . By the 6 minute mark we are down thirteen and the game is gone and the same second unit still on the floor ???????? WTF HAPPENED
- FAQ
  
  Maybe Casey is dyslexic and can’t read the score or tell the time …!!!!
Johny

Here’s a prediction: Colangelo gets fired tomorrow. Reading between the lines in his comments during the game, he was clearly defending himself while trying to put it on the coach (focus, preparation, not talent issue). I think Colangelo is worried. It also might explain why he was in LA, he’s probably shoring up contacts hoping to land another job.
- FAQ
  
  You mean he would include himself in any trade with the Lakers… can he do that…??!!!
desktom

Seriously Kleiza is playing with grit and his shot is starting to drop and he doesnt hit the floor in the fourth until a minute left , and then he hits a nothing three i think just for his satisfaction . Kleiza is the guy that is hanging with Val you think this bull isnt going to effect these guys come on.
- FAQ
  
  If they throw in Kleiza with Jose and Bargs in a trade for Pau Gasol, rookie sensation JonasV would lose his countryman Kleiza… and possibly suffer a homesickness type of mental breakdown …. be careful BC ….!!!!
nba_socrates

Bring back Bayless
- FAQ
  
  We’d be a playoff team with Pau.. and less JC and AB … sooo obvious!!!
  - what the
    
    it’s not that i want PAU on our team , i just want Dribbles and AB13 gone it’s going on 7,8 years now #7 and # 8 has to get the FAQ outta here.
Gregast

AB’s defense on Griffin was good, sometimes ( man on man ) it was very good. Which only makes me wonder why this Defensive Focus doesn’t show up every game. Whatever AB ate or whatever BC said to him today before the game should be packaged and used again. Oy! There’s a job for Brian – he can follow the team around and give AB a pep talk before every game.

Griffin was distracted by Bargnani and many of his points were scored on ED and Amir coverage.

For 3/4 there I thought the 2011/12 Raps had showed up on D. Knowing the Raps I switched to an NHL gaame replay from 1964 – the Leafs won!!
- hound
  
  Bargs generally plays really well man to man, it’s when he is asked to hedge and get back, rotate or do transition defense, he is fucked. I have never seen anybody so bad at team, but then so relatively good at man to man defense. Just like his entire, puzzling
  - What the
    
    please read desktoms post at 7:48 pm
Cal S

Honestly, if losing encourages MLSE to fire BryCo then I’m all for it. I’ve had it with BC and I’ve had it with Bargnani. Time to start fresh by obtaining draft picks and trading away the current pieces
- FAQ
  
  Unlikely, if not impossible… what you see is what you got… in TO
FAQ

It was smooth sailing until about the 7 minute mark of the 4th quarter, and then the hammer was lowered!!!

LAC just upped their defense and started scoring at will. The Raps just hit a wall only registering 80 pts. and then the tsunami overwhelmed… they were swamped at both ends.

Why did everything fall apart for the Raptors? Was it a stifling defense? an offensive wave? or was it fatigue?? The Clippers just stopped the Raps cold and the Raps looked like fish out of water. Perhaps the coaching staff will puzzle it out…. soon… I hope… otherwise…….. onwards and downwards..!!!
- what the
  
  “What happen” it was Dribbles go watch the FAQ in tape and you’ll see .
  - hound
    
    No it wasn’t. He was subbed off down by 2 and came back at the 6:30 mark down by 11. But blame him if it makes you sleep better.
    - what the
      
      please read desktoms post at 7 48
- CJT
  
  Well to be honest, it looked like the Raps had plenty of makable shots, they just didn’t make them, so I don’t give the Clippers credit for defensive intensity at all. Amir missed several layups, so did Davis. Jose was terrible again tonight shooting the ball as was Lowry.
Slick_r1

Why isn’t Ed Davis getting 25 plus minutes. What wrong with Dwayne Casey I’ve been sticking up for this guy. Now he’s starting to annoy me. Why is andrea on the court!!!!! Jose sucks!!!! This team has talent colangelo says. I really hope this guy coms to his senses. The talent is on the beh. Stop playing andrea and jose. If your going to lose games give other guys the dammm opportunity now!!!
- FAQ
  
  Talent??? Maybe we should have a tv show entitled “So You Want To Be a Basketball Player?!”…..!!!!!
Slick_r1

Bench jose and andrea play Ed Davis and Lucas simple. Ride with those guys until a deal is done! You need tougher style of play.
what the

The FAQ in guy keeps on calling KYLE a streetballer/tunnel vision point guard. do you like him this way?
- FAQ
  
  When did I ever say that about Kyle… what are you insinuating …??!!!
  - what the
    
    holee FAQ guy does this ring a bell “HERO BALL,STREETBALL,TUNNEL VISION”
    - FAQ
      
      Okay… I do recall calling him a ‘ballhog’… and a ‘shoot-first’ PG … and the t.h.f.’s hero because he trow da ball inta da hol a lots…
Tee

I think Casey might have been trying to save the players’ legs for the game tomorrow.
Thats the only explanation I have for that oddly coached game. Bad game management and poor calls on timeouts.

When your coach does that it seems as if he is giving up.

Clippers have one of the deepest teams in the NBA.
LK on the bench in the 4th?
Bargnani played solid D.
Jv needs PEDs.
Ross vs Bledsoe? no surprize he is young

This team is young and will have growing pains. The coach is inexperienced and he is not helping them gain confidence…..yet.

I would leave everything in place for the rest of the year(excluding favourable trades) and then see what happens.

I am a homer for liking the core players on this team?
- Tee
  
  Am I?
  - arsenalist
    
    The only guys I see myself really “following” on this team are DeMar and Jonas, as in those are guys I track from game-to-game, see how they`re improving, what the tendencies are turning to be, etc. Lowry to a much lesser extent because I think he’s a known commodity at this point.
    
    The rest? Meh.
    - FAQ
      
      But, Arse…. you must take a ‘holistic’ view of this Raptor team that was touted as heading into the playoffs by no less than BC at the start of the regular season when the push for season tickets came… remember?
      
      If you don’t take a ‘holistic’ view of the team then you are no better than a hero-worshiping t.h.f. … which you most certainly cannot be..!!!!
      
      Everybody hold you in high regard on both TRap forums (well, maybe not by FLUX, but he’s struggling mightily with his cynicism… poor fella)… so you must take a more conciliatory tone about the faltering Raptors, otherwise all is lost.
      
      As for myself, I refuse to join FLUX in his cynicism or you in your apparent deefeatism…. because I am an eclectic aficionado of b-ball and I enjoy watching and admiring both teams in the contest. Of course I would like to see the Raptors win sometimes, but they are in a downward cycle talent-wise, so we must persevere a tad longer. Never give up …..
      - FLUXLAND
        
        : )
        
        I’m more snarky than cynical, if cynical at all. I’m just holding the bar high, defeatism would mean not watching at all. I will never give up on a franchise here, it was long overdue to begin with.
        
        And I dunno what gives you the impression I have issue with Arse, least all would I call his approach as defeated. Heavily cautioned optimism I would offer instead; his writing can be conciliatory, but that’s cause he’s almost nailed the blogger/AP balancing act.
        
        While I’m here, unlike him I think DD is more of known commodity, his marginal improvement this year hasn’t warranted more. JV, KL and LK (when he’s not being stupid) get my t.h. viewer time, they only guys playing like they are not getting paid.
        
        CJT
        
        Well said. I am disappointed with KL so far, but understand that he has been injured and is playing through it. He is tough and I think he will get better as time goes on.
- FAQ
  
  Now, you are the lonely voice of reason on this fine but lugubrious fan forum!!!
  
  For the record, I predicted a 1-9 stretch with the only win against Detroit, and at the ACC. I see this as an inevitable consequence of the team and player deevelopment with no malice intended… well, not much malice…
- what the
  
  ‘I would leave every thing in place for the rest of the year” sir are you on drugs or something.
  - Tee
    
    advil
et-man

Well it was interesting for a while anyway.

I know Bargnani didn’t shoot well but to give him a D is not right. His defence was really good against Griffin. I wish he would play that well on “D” all the time.

Bargnani is taking too many low percentage perimeter shots because that’s where his shots are going to come from. I noticed that sometimes the point guards don’t look for him when he cuts to the basket. I also noticed he boxes his man out really well.

Casey’s coaching needs to be evaluated in this game. He left the second unit on way too long. He left Kleiza on the bench for almost the entire 4th quarter and Keiza was hitting bombs all day long. Why would Casey leave Ross on for so long when Ross had a terrible game instead of putting Kleiza on?

They really need to guard against 3 pointers much better. The wheels start to fall off when the other teams start hitting one 3 pointer after another.

Lowry didn’t particularly have a good game although he did get 8 assists. He also turned the ball over 5 times and looked a little disinterested to me.

Anyway I am at a loss for words. I think they need some good luck as well. The balls will start to fall in the hoop.

I’m not giving up yet.
- Destro
  
  Please stop….
  
  He wasnt selected 1st overrall to play defense for a few possessions…
  
  He had a miserable offensive night and thats expected to be his bread n butter…
  This guy continues to get passes because every 5 games he tries to do his damn job which is expected of every other 4 and 5 in the damn league….
  
  So were excusing his 40 % shooting and 30% from 3 now cuz for a few possessions he played like a man..NOOOOOOOPE
  
  get em off my TV and get em the fck outta here !
  - Raptorss_Fan
    
    You need to look at this team from an unbiased view. One player doesn’t make a whole team. Look at the team that way, so you might be taken seriously. This is a team game, not the other way around. If you want to crucify AB for his play, do it for everyone else.
    - Destro
      
      I dont care to be taken seriously on this board…Its nothing but a bunch of agendas round here….Im crucifying a player and a particular fan type that deserves it…Ive been giving nothing but unbiased views of this team breh so hop off my nuts….
      
      If THIS player in question was playing with some heart and doing his job consistently night in and night out,i wouldnt need to call out his lack of heart and testicular fortitude….
      
      See you just are most likely a fan of said player and cant look at it any other way…He is expected to be our best player or at least our 2nd best….Look at the body of work and numbers on both ends…
      
      I dont harp on Aaron Gray or Lucas they arent integral either way to this team…AB’s performance this season is directly tied to this 4-17 record…its worth talking about…
      - Raptorss_Fan
        
        This is a team sport, one person doesn’t define a team. Andrea’s hasn’t been good this season, I agree. But for you to say he is the reason for our record is unfair
        
        Destro
        
        Breh our best player declining at age 27 coinciding with a 4-17 record is a pretty big deal….This isnt football..in basketball a few good players can make a diff between 25 wins and 50 wins….
        
        Its not unfair….hes shooting record lows and is the worst rebounding 7 footer in league history…Its not unfair,you need ur best players to be ur most consistent players….
        
        Apologists like you make me sick…
        
        Destro
        
        Show me where i said he was the sole reason for our record ? You looking for things not typed…
        
        You cant deny he is the biggest disappointment or has been the leading problem of this teams dysfunction so far..thats not even debateable…
        
        IF it were he wouldnt be hotly rumored to be moved right now….
  - NyAlesund
    
    Shut up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    
    Bargnani is playing like a perimeter guy, this year. Yesterday for three times he had a perfect position to receive the ball in low-medium post with a mismatch and he didn’t get the ball!!!!!! And it wasn’t difficult for Lowery a teammates to give him the dman ball.
    
    Why on earth is it difficult for you hater to see , that AB, never receives the ball correctly? When you force him to stay behond the arc tell me how can you expect 50% from the field. It is impossible.
    
    This team is designed for KL and DD, I don’t know if this is correct or not, but to relegate a 7footer 8 meters away the basket is a nonsense.
    
    To read grade D on him when he was the only guy of the team able to guard the beast is ridicolous.
    
    But the only thing is the ratio between shots and points. Never mind if the shots are taken from 6 or more meters from the rim.
    
    Lowery. C-. Sure.
    
    I hope AB will be traded, and Colangelo fired, like Casey. Casey showed us how the rotations and the decisions-making are suspects. The reason why he left on the floor the second unit when it sinking is a mistery for me.
  - et-man
    
    First of all, when a player has a lousy shooting night which can happen to the best in the league, you expect contributions in different ways. Bargnani had a lousy shooting night, but his ‘D” was excellent on Griffin one of the most difficult players to cover in the league.
    
    If you are going to single Bargnani out for poor shooting then you have to single out Lowry and Ross and others who also had a lousy night shooting. NyAleslund’s comments are bang on. Bargnani will have the worst shooting percentage of his career this year no doubt if most of his shots come from the perimeter.
    
    This team is built around DD and KL. Like I said before, run and gun looks good when it works and weakens the team even more when it doesn’t. It hasn’t worked!
    
    We are giving our opinions of the game here not the entire season. When Bargnani plays poorly, there are an abundant of comments crucifying him so give it a rest. What else can we do but to take it one game at a time when your losing. There just isn’t any point to keep bringing up past performances when a player does have a good game one way or another.
    
    These aren’t excuses.
    
    Frustration is getting the best of us all.
- FAQ
  
  “luck” is for lottery players… and Casey is still struggling to find harmonious lineups that will jell and juke effectively.
  
  The TRaps obviously have a player personnel problem… the older and newer veterans and rookies just can’t seem to jell and sustain their game when put under intense offensive and defensive pressure by other teams, particularly in the 4th quarter. This suggest inherent weaknesses which will be exploited by opposition coaches and players.
  
  The solution? Pay me several Million$$$ and I will solve the problem.. ya think?!!
Thetruth

Can’t wait till it rains boos on BC in the ACC. Let him call Daddy for help.
- FAQ
  
  You mean the t.h.f.’s will become nasty lil’ rodents with sharp teeth and get all snarly about ‘no wins’…. IOW, they become monstrous and demanding vengeance against BC??
KJ-B

The Republis is officially on Red Alert: where this smoke there’s gonna be fire! Who will get the axe 1st, Casey or Colangelo… -7 getting traded is a given, was nice seeing TRoss but I think he’s gonna be another convenient scapegoat–who kills a Rookie like that?! At least send him to the D-League for a wake-up call or something…

Funny, he never outed THE WORST PICK IN RAPTORS HISTORY –> -7
- KJ-B
  
  “Republic on Red Alert”–excusez moi…
- Jamshid
  
  I can see Ross being trade to Lakers in a package that includes AB to beat other teams for Gasol. The only thing is that I don’t think BC has enough time to just wait for Nash to come back and Lakers and … He will be gone by then
  - FAQ
    
    Somebody on the forum suggested that BC was in LA possibly looking for new employment opportunities. Could it be that BC would follow AB to the Lakers if the trade was made for Gasol..??!!!
    
    If Gasol becomes a Raptor, I see doom and disaster for the TO franchise..!!!
  - KJ-B
    
    Things are bad but BC was sooo unprofessional…talk about being near sighted but I guess when your seeing ur job go up in flames it’s not really time to be poetic–adversely, he could’ve been telling the truth regarding Casey’s <3 affair with him… Dwane seems to fall in love with a guy and being blind to all their faults–a true assistant coach..!
    
    Another wasted year, it's really looking like…How do I give 3 hours of my time to this garbage is waaay beyond me!
Roarque

Bledsoe was interesting to watch. Wht did OKC let him go to the Clippers after they drafted him? Future 36 minute man on any NBA contender. My 2 cents
Mike P

lol @ john lucas’s review, and the raptors team in general. fuck thot. i bought league pass to watch this…. sold the hype and now i pay, pun intended.
Sheptor

DWANE CASEY IS THE WORST COACH FOR LINE-UPS IN THE NBA, AND HAS ZERO CLUE WHO NEEDS TO BE ON THE FLOOR AND WHEN. P-L-U-G…PLUG!

hey guys, idk if you all saw the Strombo show last night on CBC with GM Masai Ujiri, but I was in the audience taping and there was some stuff that didn't make the 15 minute interview. The interview was over a half an hour long. Some very interesting things:

1) He retold the Lowry story about sitting down with him at the beginning of the season and challenging him to change the stigma of his reputation.

2) He said had a chat with Terrence Ross on Sunday March 23rd, about his sleeping habits, that he needs to get more rest.

3) He retold a story about meeting Nelson Mandela in Africa with Dikembe Mutombo, DeSagna Diop, and a couple of other younger players. Dikembe yelled at the younger players for not dressing better (they were in sweats) and told them to go back up into their hotel rooms and dress proper to meet Mr. Mandela.

4) George asked Ujiri about Phil Jackson's impact coming to the Knicks and he said "He said he didn't care, and that it wasn't a factor to him" Then he just plainly stated and I quote "I HATE THE KNICKS!" - M. Ujiiri

5) I was in the crowd yelling "Raptors" loudly a couple of times during the applause and at one point, I yelled "RESIGN LOWRY" and GM Ujiri was looking straight at me. He had a deer in headlights type look, but then kinda smiled.

6) Talked to George afterward and asked him about asking him about resigning Lowry, He said he couldn't ask that and that he wanted to ask him and also about Amir's knee instead, but didn't also.

7) Masai repeatedly made it known throughout the interview, that Toronto is his home that he loves it here and that he is fully committed to making the Raptors a top team over time. That he really doesn't leave town in the summer, and his phone is always on for work purposes 24/7.

8) He credited BC for bringing him into the Raptors and making the draft picks of DD, Big V, and getting Amir. He says that the Raptors fans should give Colangelo more credit.

9) He thinks its crap that people perceive Toronto as a place players don't wanna play at. He says look at the top teams in the east, Miami is nice sure, but he personally hates the city, and how anyone thinks its warmer or better in Indiana or Chicago is beyond him. Toronto is the best in his opinion.

10) When he walked out by me, I bowed to him and personally thanked him for fixing the Raptors. Just a very awesome person, who I am glad is the GM of my favorite sports team.

I was disappointed that they edited the interview so much to only about 10 minutes. George S. did a great job and he truly is a huge raps fan. If you watch the episode, I am the guy in the old school purple raptors JYD jersey at the end waving the jersey for a split second as they zoom into the person holding the placard at the end. Not an april fools post BTW

Alexey Ots

	Linas Kleiza, SF 30 MIN \| 5-11 FG \| 2-3 FT \| 3 REB \| 2 AST \| 17 PTS \| -6 Probably kept the Raptors in the game longer than they should have with some answer-back threes. He looked like he could have been a threat in the post, but this advantage was not exploited by the Raptors. FOCUS FACTOR: Very focused (when shooting threes)
	Andrea Bargnani, C 33 MIN \| 5-15 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 2 AST \| 12 PTS \| -10 When you take more shots than points, that`s not good. For a guy who`s main (only?) skill is offense, he`s having quite a few of these games. Question: Is Andrea Bargnani at 27 already starting to decline as a player? Conditioning/dedication is what allows good players to maintain their performance (see: Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash vs. Vince Carter, Steve Francis) FOCUS FACTOR: Off the charts (One word: Caliper)
	Jonas Valanciunas, C 19 MIN \| 0-3 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 3 REB \| 1 AST \| 1 PTS \| +1 Foul trouble and the looong arms of DeAndre Jordan were a little too much for our kid warrior to handle on this day. He`ll respond once he`s back to the friendly confines of the ACC. Could be rebounding a little better, actually a lot better considering who his starting mate in the front court is. FOCUS FACTOR: High
	Kyle Lowry, PG 32 MIN \| 2-6 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 6 REB \| 9 AST \| 4 PTS \| -13 It seems like he decided he would be more of a facilitator before the game, and it produced a controlled effort. But the approach seened top scale back his aggressiveness, and the team needs him to put up points, especially when one of DeRozan/Bargnani is not producing. 0 free throw attempts is especially disappointing. Hope he doesn`t check out, he`s the best we got. FOCUS FACTOR: Declining
	DeMar DeRozan, SG 42 MIN \| 10-17 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 5 REB \| 4 AST \| 24 PTS \| -18 One of his more complete games this season. Great third quarter. But he was nowhere to be found in the fourth when the team needed him during a very dry run. That three he hit was a nice surprise, but honestly, good shooting guards should be able to make that kind of play on a regular basis. FOCUS FACTOR: 75 (three quarters)
	Ed Davis, PF 17 MIN \| 2-6 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 3 REB \| 0 AST \| 6 PTS \| -9 Could have rebounded better, the size of the Clippers front court gave him troubles just like it did for Val. You would think he`s deserving of 20+ minutes after his recent stretch of games. Apparently his GM thinks he has inconsistency issues. FOCUS FACTOR: Very high except when Bryan Colangelo is watching
	Amir Johnson, PF 27 MIN \| 4-7 FG \| 3-4 FT \| 12 REB \| 0 AST \| 11 PTS \| -20 One of his better games in what`s been a disappointing season. Trying to put on a show for friends/family? Maybe the Raptors can bring them along for every game. FOCUS FACTOR: Average + hometown boost = Slightly above average
	Jose Calderon, PG 16 MIN \| 1-5 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 3 REB \| 2 AST \| 5 PTS \| -6 He was left on too long in the 4th, game was over by the time Lowry subbed back in. Just not enough aggressiveness for a team that lack`s clutch scoring. FOCUS FACTOR: Low
	John Lucas, PG 1 MIN \| 0-0 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 0 REB \| 0 AST \| 0 PTS \| 0 FOCUS FACTOR: Most intense, focused minute played in Raptor history. Not very talented though (Shhhhh!)
	Terrence Ross, SG 23 MIN \| 1-7 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 2 REB \| 2 AST \| 3 PTS \| -14 Not a good game. Bryan Colangelo just realized that the kid has no handles. Kinda late don`t you think? The shooting has been sporadic, although some shots were contested. His man defense is legit, however. FOCUS FACTOR: Too low

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