The Roll Call is all the post-game coverage you need but for habit’s sake, let’s complete the formality. An easy win over the Bucks which you just didn’t see coming. I was expecting to see some Bobcat-type hunger from Milwaukee but instead it looked like the Clippers had just switched jerseys. For a team that’s spitting distance away from the playoffs and playing a beatable opponent, the Bucks sure did disappoint. The Raptors jumped on them early and then jumped on them some more in the second, played even in the third which meant the fourth was garbage time. As with every remaining game the result hardly matters and we’re looking for individual progress and something to cling on to for next year.

You have to start with Bargnani. Is he teasing us so we can build hopes over the summer only for them to be crushed by the return of VL? I sure hope not because right now he’s playing…dare I say it…#1 pick worthy basketball. When was the last time you could say that without someone calling you demented? Now the 23/2/2/2 with 3 turnovers isn’t jaw-dropping by any means but that line doesn’t tell you just how aggressive he was with and without the ball. He showed us his entire arsenal last night: baseline drives, curling drives, two-handed dribble post-ups and of course, threes. He used the ball-fake as well as he’s done all season and faked out Charlie V and Elson enough for them to exchange accusing looks. The 2009 Bargnani is the only Raptor that has the ability to consistently draw a help defender and thus force defensive rotations, Bosh used to be that player but not this season. His three wasn’t falling tonight and he missed some good looks otherwise he would’ve gone off for 40.

Bargnani’s movement after setting the high-screen has also improved, he was either finding a seam to the rim or stepping out to an open area, how many times he was found is a different issue. Earlier in the year he used to set that screen and go right to the top of the three-point line which made the pass harder for Jose and the recovery easy for the defender. In the first half he was always open after setting the screen because he cut hard and Charlie/Elson/Sessions weren’t communicating. Calderon missed him a few times (even though he has his hand up, like, all the time) but did hit him twice for scores, once recognizing a good mismatch on a smaller player.

Calderon started the game by having Session blow by him but after that it was all him. He had 19 points and 11 assists and I’m happy to say that those 11 assists were sweet, not just Bosh jumpers. The distribution went like this: 5 to Bargnani, 2 each to Bosh and Marion and one each for Kapono and Parker. He also found Marion and Parker on the break a few times off the early outlet but they happened to get fouled – the NBA needs to start keeping track of that stat, it’s getting lost in the mix. He took it to the rim in 1-1 and 2-3 situations as Parker, Bosh and Marion were making a much better effort to run ‘n gun and it resulted in 13 fastbreak points and as I said, it should’ve been more but for the FTs. Marion must’ve taken Jose aside at practice and communicated secret signals because those two were in-sync! The no-look alley-oop they executed was as nice a play the Raptors have run all season.

Charlie V never got going for them, he had some clumsy early turnovers and his shot looked cold, with no Redd in there the next man in line was Richard Jefferson and he finally went off against the Raptors. Jefferson had 12 of the Bucks’ first quarter points and was making Marion look average. Good hesitation material, a smooth jumper and a threatening slashing game have always made Jefferson a favorite of mine and if it weren’t for him this blowout would’ve started early. As it was we had to wait till the second quarter which was the best offensive quarter the Raptors have had all season. 40 points on 11/15 shooting and 12/13 FTs.

The Raptors hit 6 threes in the second quarter and it was an example of some great quarterbacking by Jose and some very unmotivated Bucks defense. Jose usually just passes to Bosh after the initial screen action but today he made an honest effort to look for Marion and Bargnani instead of Bosh who instead went directly to the rim to contest for rebounds. The result was a Bucks defense that had to pay attention to two other players instead of just Bosh. It helped that Marion and Bargnani did a good job of getting open by flashing to the mid-point area, elbow and by sealing off their man making the pass more obvious for Jose. Whatever it takes man, whatever it takes to get Jose to pass you the ball I’m all for it. Scott Skiles described his players’ inability to keep up with what the Raptors had going:

We’ve covered the stuff ad nauseam, as much if not more so than any other team in the league. I’m absolutely positive of that. The game started and we were behind their actions, we weren’t in front of them, we weren’t anticipating what was going on.

He’s right, the Bucks seemed a step too slow all night long, or at least when it ended up mattering which is in the second quarter.

Bosh assumed the role of garbage-man for this game, his rebounding and boxing-out was excellent, the only lapse that I noticed was when he failed to put a body on Charlie V and gave up a put-back dunk in the first. Other than that he was trying to get offensive rebounds, putting a body on his man and always helping on Sessions and Jefferson’s penetration (albeit sometimes unsuccessfully). When all five starters score at least 17 points you can get away with taking only 8 shots.

Here’s my take on Bosh’s personal issues. Leave him alone and stop writing about it. I’ve seen about 10 blog posts that are either questioning his character, questioning Feschuk’s professionalism, dissecting its impact on his game blah blah blah, who cares? Just give it a rest and let the man deal with his problems as I’m sure he will. This site has criticized the crap out of the guy but the last thing the man appears to be is unreasonable. Having said that, I always new big-forehead-girl was trouble.

Let’s play a game, it’s called Jason Kapono: Points or turnover? It’s pretty simple, all you have to do is pick whether Kapono, after coming off the bench, will either score first or turn the ball over first. So, what’s your pick? He was 4-7 for 14 points and 3 threes but did have 2 turnovers. So, what’s your answer? Well, if you answered “Points” you’re wrong. Kapono graced us with his presence at the start of the second quarter and at 11:07 of that quarter he threw a terrible pass. Folks, that’s been Jason Kapono: Points or turnover?, thanks for playing! A word about +/-. How does Bargnani who was arguably our best player tonight end up with a -2 and Kapono ends up with a +18? Well, it’s because Bargnani played in a garbage-time stretch of the fourth quarter where the Bucks knocked down 6 threes and Kapono didn’t.

Finally, Roko needs some playing time. 10 minutes in a blowout while Calderon and Parker get 38? That makes no sense and Triano needs to see things for what they are. He needs to literally free Roko and give him at least 25 minutes, if not at the expense of Calderon, than at Parker or Kapono’s. Shove him there with Jose if you have to and switch Jose to off-guard for a few minutes, does it really matter anymore?

Easy win, enjoy it if you can.

Liners:

• Charlie V promised to deliver before the game but never did.
• Pops missed the game due to a knee problem.
• The half-court shot for a million bucks literally rimmed out for the guy. That must suck.
• Shawn Marion (17/9) was eying for the rebounds tonight, he even snatched one away from Jose. Probably knows this is a game that’ll get more than a boxscore on ESPN tonight because of its playoff implications.
• So we put a dent in the Bucks’ playoff hopes. It doesn’t feel as good as I thought it would. Golden State has “overtaken” us for 7th worst and has a game and a half “edge”. League standings.
• The girl who’s always doing the promotions at the ACC is pregnant.
• I thought Charlie V’s foul on Marion could’ve been called a flagrant. No reaction from any of the Raptors, would’ve liked to seen one.
• Nathan Jawai got in for 35 seconds and didn’t do anything. Literally.
• Dwayne Wade missed a three that would’ve won the game. Check Moon’s smile at the end of the video here.
• Here’s a picture taken before the game of Andrea Bargnani with Carolina Morace – the best Italian women’s soccer player. Ever.
• 17,401 my ass. That was one of the worst crowds this season. I though we were down 20 at one point.

Thanks for swinging by the site even though the season’s over. We appreciate every “rap”. Tweet tweet.

Does anyone remember the last time the Bucks came to town? I do. It was a Friday night back in January. I was at Philthy’s with a group of friends ready to enjoy a very rowdy Raptor Fan Friday game party. The place was packed! Everyone was hyped because the Raps were playing at home; they were riding a 3-game winning streak and were only 1 game out of the 8^th seed held down by the Bucks. This was the game every Raptors fanaddict expected the team win. Plus Milwaukee had just lost Michael Redd for the season. This was a supposed to be a no-brainer win for the Raps. Inside the bar, we were chanting “BEAT THE BUCKS” early and often. Than the game started. (Let’s get it on!) And what transpired over the course of the next two and a half hours epitomized the season.

Two months later, we’ve got the Bucks are back in town. (Oh joy).

This Bucks team has performed like a typical “fighting for a playoff berth down the stretch, but just don’t seem to have the necessary tools to make it this year”. Although they currently sit a mere two games out of the 8^th seed, they are coming off a season-long 6 game home stand in which they went 2-4. They have also lost 11 of their last 15 games. Their current slump is due to the fact they’ve shot .417% over the past 10 games. Even though they’ve slumped in March, they still have a chance.

The Bucks still have a chance. After losing their two best players mid-season, they still have a chance. That’s nice.

As for our once-beloved Raptors, I find it funny how the players (Bosh) and coaches (Triano) were talking about making a playoff run after beating the Clippers, which happened to be only their second win in their past 11 games. Kids, playoffs and futility don’t mix. Even NBATV have dismissed the Raptors chances by not including them when discussing the race for the 8^th seed in the East. “Now that’s real to a brother like me baby”.

Here’s a poignant fact. Both the Bucks and the Raps share the same road record 11-24, but at home, the Raps are 14-20 while the Bucks are 20-16. “If you don’t win at home, you don’t deserve to make the playoffs”.

Before we get into our match-ups, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Quincy Douby’s 10-day contract. If you don’t know much about his game, just think “fluid jump shooter”. But if you want to know more about the man behind the game, check out this 2-part documentary of him after being drafted from Rutgers.

I’d be guilty of even more remission if I forgot to add that Bango is out with a torn ACL.

The injury report is thin but substantial for the Bucks: Redd and Bogut are out.  On our end Banks and Humphries.  Matchup time:

Calderon vs Sessions
The Edge: Calderon – Even though Sessions lit it up the last time we played and scored 40+ in a game about a month ago, I expect Calderon to continue his effective play making his lateral passes to our jump shooters and scoring assists from baskets made outside the painted area. That’s how it is.

Parker vs Mbah a Moute
The Edge: Parker – Parker’s playing for a contract now, so it’s time to the league that your off-balance 360 fade-away baseline jumper is money in the bank against even lesser competition! I don’t know much about MBah a Moute’s game, but I’m sure the fact he’s starting is a reason the Bucks are shooting less than 42% in their past 10 games.

Marion vs Jefferson
The Edge: Jefferson – Every time Marion has matched-up against an equally skilled opponent, he’s fizzled out. I’m looking for Jefferson to repeat Gerald Wallace’s performance. Sure he’s got a high standard to live up to, but I don’t expect Marion will be in formidable headspace to outplay RJ.

Arse’s pick – Bishara

CB4 vs CV31
The Edge: CB4 – Nicknames, Twitter and baby-momma-drama issues aside, this is the match-up of the night! CV31 loves playing in Toronto. He always comes out hard in the first half of games, but back in January he played a complete game. Because I’m counting down the remaining days I expect to see CB4 in a Raptors uniform, I’m giving him my nod for the rest of the year.

Bargnani vs Elson

The Edge: Bargnani – Bargs is the team’s future franchise player and it’s players like Elson he has to beat on offence. Elson doesn’t have the tools or the talent on offence to have much on an impact. Look for Bargs to continue his strong play with another 20-6 game.

The line has the Raptors laying 3.5  I’m picking the Bucks by 5 – Sessions and CV31 take it to us again.

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Somebody come over here and slap me silly for thinking that the “red hot” Raptors would cruise at home against the Redd-less Bucks. A three game winning streak against Chicago, Sacramento and New Jersey wasn’t exactly highly impressive but it did signify one of the best stretches of ball we’ve played all season. So coming into this one you’d think the momentum, playoff hunger and desire to salvage this season would push them through against the Bucks on their home floor. The first half had me feeling exactly the way I did against Memphis, you know, not a good half but the opposition isn’t exactly great and if we just wake up in the third and play with a little bit of intensity and passion, we should be able to push this team around. Right? Wrong. This is what happened in the third quarter where we shot 25%. I haven’t seen so many jumpers since the three-point contest.

We shot too high of a percentage in the first quarter which always makes me nervous because it gives us a false sense of confidence, we start thinking that we can shoot like that all game long and our defense lets up because things are coming too easy on offense. Those percentages always even out and they did again last night. At the end of the first quarter we were shooting 60% and the Bucks were at 45%. By the end of the evening we were at 43% and the Bucks were at 47%. ‘Tis better to shoot consistently well rather than spectacularly in one quarter and flame out for the other three.

Andrea Bargnani went 5-7 for 13 points in the first quarter, he was receiving the ball at the top of the key/arc after the high screen and nailing his jumpers. He was shooting over Bogut, driving past Charlie V, and drawing fouls leaving the Bucks defense utterly confused as to how to stop him. Turns out we did the job for them, Bargnani did not attempt a single shot in the second quarter as the Raptors got outscored 25-17. He was taken out at the 3:15 mark of the first, brought back at the 8:37 mark of the second and taken out at 5:13 of the second for good. Is Triano alright? He had our hottest player play only 3:24 seconds in the entire second quarter? Insane coaching.

Bargnani was asked to close-out Ridnour

The defense was never great to begin with but with Bargnani out of the picture the offense dried up and we went back to seeing Chris Bosh try to draw fouls on jumpers by getting the defender in the air on pump-fakes. It worked in the second quarter but failed in the third and fourth, that’s how jumpers work. Charlie V and Francisco Elson must be laughing it up as Bosh tried to multi-fake them 18-feet out and try to draw contact against a vertical defense. The refs didn’t buy it and neither did the fans, he’s supposed to be the leader of the team and when he plays as passive as he did last night how can you expect anybody else on the team to be aggressors? A scout once said that Charlie V has more basketball sense than Chris Bosh. I agree and so do his seven ubiquitous turnovers agree. Elson was giving him the space up top and Charlie V was playing him tight in the block challenging Bosh to beat him for quickness. Bosh tried but failed and looked unsure, uncoordinated and unnatural in the process. That’s what a lack of a post-up game does to a player, it forces him to beat a player for quickness when he should be beating him for height and strength in the post. Everybody agrees that the +/- is a red-herring of a stat but Bosh’s game-high -18 says something.

Give credit to the Bucks, they’d lost 5 out of 7 and smelt blood coming into the building and why not. Ramon Sessions, Charlie Bell and Charlie V beat their man off the dribble all night long without the help of a pick forcing the Raptors defense to rotate, which it did to some degree. But after the second rotation you’ll end up having a matchup like Bargnani or Bosh trying to check a guard on the perimeter and if that guard decides to ball-fake and drive there’s just no way your defense can handle it. Case in point was Jermaine O’Neal unsuccessfully trying to guard Mbah a Moute one-on-one on the perimeter in the fourth quarter or Bargnani stepping out to close-out Sessions only for him to whiz past him as he’s coming out. Our perimeter defenders always over-commit on anything they’re trying to do, if they have to challenge a shot they’ll challenge so hard that a simple fake will get the defense a clean look. If they have to close-out their footwork and stance will be such that it’ll give the offensive player a clear path to the rim. Against an unmotivated team you might even get away with it but the Bucks meant business and we didn’t.

The other problem of course is the unnecessary shading. If Charlie V is catching the ball in the low-block, there is zero reason for the weak side defense to be out of position or lose track of their man. I lost count of how many cross-court passes were thrown by a Bucks post-up player for an open look on the weak side which invariably led to a score. Inexcusable and confusing stuff because we have no idea whether this is some sort of strategy to deter drives or just plain bad perimeter defense, nobody in the post-game interviews seems to ask that question. They did ask Triano about effort:

“I give them credit because they outworked us. We told our guys we can’t be outworked and we were. They’re a good defensive team, they locked our guys up. Jose Calderon couldn’t shake their defense and (Bosh) couldn’t shake their defense. We got behind and that was it.”

The Bucks came out with great intensity and effort in the third and went on a 13-4 run to start the quarter as Jefferson finally hit a couple shots. The Raptors were the complete opposite, we simply refused to drive the ball and settled for jumper after jumper, ending with a whopping 2 PINP in the frame. The plan at halftime was to get Bargnani involved and he came out looking for his shot but if you haven’t taken a shot for 40 minutes you’ll be cold. To his credit he tried to mix it up by going to the rim when his jumper didn’t fall and managed to throw off the defense which came to help but there were no offensive rebounders to take advantage of a scrambling Bucks defense. We’re dead last in the NBA in offensive rebounding and this quarter was an example of why – nobody wants to hit the glass. Even when Triano called a timeout to settle the team they came out shooting two straight jumpers which were missed. Nothing was working, it was as if they were shocked that the Bucks had dared to compete with them with Michael Redd being out.

SF on Bosh = Bosh neutralized

The Bucks never felt a need to double Bosh as Elson, Charlie V and Mbah a Moute were keeping him in check. This meant that somebody else needed to step up on offense and it wasn’t going to be Jose Calderon. Much like Bosh, his game is primarily perimeter oriented and if his off-the-screen jumper is working then the offense opens up but if he’s firing blanks he becomes a non-factor. He’s supposed to be the #2 scoring option on the team and he went 3-11. Still did a good job of sprinkling the shooters with the ball and racked up 11 assists but pulled back in transition too many times opting to go for a wing option rather than straight to the cup. It’s not like the Bucks were making a serious effort to get back, a little aggressiveness was needed and Jose didn’t bring it. Watching Ramon Sessions attack the paint you can’t help but feel that that’s an element of the game that Calderon needs to add to his arsenal before he is seriously talked about as “one of the best PGs in the league”.

The fourth quarter was pointless, the Bucks had built a 70-59 lead and the Raptors offense remained toothless. Our best weapon on the night was Jermaine O’Neal who finally figured out that Charlie V is too weak to defend his post-up game and went straight at him for 10 fourth quarter points. Unfortunately, Richard Jefferson, who had been quiet most of the night, knocked down key fourth quarter jumpers and Charlie V continued his assault against Parker, Kapono and Bosh by continually slashing and creating/scoring. Their big guns held down the fort for them, Chris Bosh and Jose Calderon had 2 and 3 fourth quarter points, respectively.

The only mini-run we made in the fourth was Bargnani hitting a three and then Calderon getting a mid-court steal for a layup. That cut the lead to 10 and got the crowd back into it but the Bucks responded quickly with a hard Bogut dunk after he cut and O’Neal/Bosh lost track of him. There were definitely a couple questionable calls in this game, Jermaine O’Neal was called for an offensive foul when Mbah a Moute was incorrectly adjudged to be outside the circle. O’Neal picked up a technical for arguing. Later on with the Bucks up 9 with 2 minutes left, frustration kicked in and he shoved a Buck after the fact, Charlie V took offense and after the double technical his night was over. He finished with a tidy 16 points (7-10 FG), 8 rebounds and 2 blocks, easily one of his best games this month. Should help the trade value.

A word about Charlie V. He seems exactly the player the Raptors need, an athletic scoring option that can slash. There’s no doubt he’s an inconsistent offensive player and that his defense is shoddy, but so was TJ Ford’s and so is Jermaine O’Neal’s. It’s a joy to watch a player when he’s playing hard and in the groove and he was in it tonight. He had a couple drives against a clogged paint tonight that he had no business finishing. He was emotionally into it and his aggressive play gave his team an example to follow.

One-Liners:

• It seemed like Sam Mitchell was coaching this game.
• Very disappointing result, especially on the heels of a 3-game winning streak. As always, just when you think this team might have an outside shot at showing some character and resolve they come out with a performance like this.
• Jason Kapono played the first 9:13 of the fourth quarter and went 1-4. For a guy that’s put in entirely for his offense in a game he sure provide enough of it. I’m sure you can guess just how much he was exploited off the bounce in this stretch. BTW, our three main wings (Parker, Kapono and Moon) have the three worst PER48 PPG on the team.
• Best Lineup: Kapono, Bargnani, Bosh, Calderon and O’Neal going +8 in a fourth quarter stretch. It’s mainly due to to O’Neal getting his scores one-on-one. Worst Lineup: Graham, Kapono, Parker, Bosh and O’Neal. -9 in the early second quarter where we went all jumpery.
• Not enough is being done to make Joey Graham an effective player. We need to recognize that he has strength over players like Mbah a Moute, Charlie Bell and even Charlie V, something as simple as setting a screen for him on the elbow so he can slash to the block and catch the ball in the post would be nice. We saw it earlier under Triano and I have no idea why it doesn’t happen enough.
• Has Chris Bosh checked out? I’d hate to think so but his play in the second half spoke of a man that didn’t seem to care much about which way the game went.
• Jamario Moon played good enough defense to earn him a hate-free post, certainly played much better than Anthony Parker who despite all his recent successes cannot guard a player with a half-head of steam under him earning him a deserving -16. We need to trade him ASAP!
• Roko Ukic and Will Solmon got the call, Triano tried everything he could to find a spark to light up this dead time and maybe find a defensive answer for the Bucks’ guards. Nothing worked. I have to give Roko credit for continually trying to drive the ball despite getting rejected almost 50% of the time he gets to the rim.
• Hopefully Victor didn’t lose too much money.
• Maybe a loss like this is needed to remind everybody that this team isn’t going anywhere and can expedite the process of fixing it.
• Jose Calderon’s FT streak ended.

Up next we have…get ready for this…Orlando, Cleveland, Lakers, and New Orleans. There’s a great chance that this season will be put to bed in the next four games.

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• Raps shoot 55% and lose. Raps Fan will have the post-game report. about an hour ago
• Ukic did not play the final 3:56 after being red hot in the quarter. about an hour ago
• Question, where the hell was Ukic? Why did Will Solomon take two terrible jumpers late on? Horibble decision by Triano. about an hour ago
• Bargnani misses corner two (contested). Misses. It’s foul time. about an hour ago
• Do we go 2 for 1 here? about an hour ago
• Raps need a stop but Ridnour drills one in Bosh’s face after the switch. 102-97 with :34 left. Bosh gave Rinour way too much space. about an hour ago

• Charlie V off a curl from 20 feet..bam! Will’s three is in and out!!!! Aaahhh about an hour ago
• This should be Raptors ball right now but ther’s no excuse for leaving Bell open in the corner. Moon is terrible. about an hour ago
• Bell is left open on the corner for three. Will takes a bad shot..97-97 1:19. Refs screw us. Elson dribbles off his own foot. Refs suck. about an hour ago
• Ridnour for three after more DP…Bosh ges fouled and makes 2. 97-94 Raps 2:00 left. about an hour ago
• Solomon with a deeep 2. Wow..production from Moon and Solomon in the fourth?? Solomon fouls Redd. 95-91 2:39. about an hour ago
• I don’t like Moon jumpers but he sticks it and then Bell travels after faking Moon out of his pants. 93-91 3:00 left about an hour ago
• Bosh draws the foul on Elson…he’s so sneaky. If I’m on the other team, I hate Bosh for pulling that stuff. Bosh goes 1-2 FTs again. 91-91 about an hour ago
• We exchange turnovers and finally Bosh hits a fade…its good when its going…CV answers, he’s got 23..11 in the fourth. about an hour ago
• MIL TO and Triano calls timeout. Bosh has it going on and AP/Roko do too. If only we could play some D and stop Sessions from DPing. about an hour ago
• CV with another score in the lane..Bosh draws the foul on Moute who I thought played good defense. Bosh goes 1 for 2. 89-88 about an hour ago
• Parker comes up with a steal and pushes on the break to setup Roko for a layup. about an hour ago
• Bosh turnaround jumper is good. Moon is called for a foul on a Redd drive. CV gets three OREBS for a score..WTF? about an hour ago
• Roko makes FTand Bosh is back. Session dribble peneration results in a score..-4, 8:00 left. about an hour ago
• If Roko makes the FT it’ll be a 2pt game and Bosh would have had a good rest. This will come down to clutch scoring and perimeter defense. about an hour ago
• Roko’s looking for his shot, nice drive, spin and a soft jumpe…Redd’s three is in and out..Moon’s got to check him. Roko with an And1!! about an hour ago
• Bargnani with a deeeeep three. Back to back scores, 81-76 Raps. …Ukic blows the layup after turning the corner on the PNR about an hour ago
• CV with an offensive rebound, Redd with another score..no Bosh on the court…oh wait..CV with another three…wow. 81-73 Bucks. Raps TO about an hour ago
• Redd makes two FTs…74-71 Bucks End 3rd. The Raps have blown a double-digit lead yet again. about an hour ago
• Yup, the bastard refs gave it to him, FTs for Redd about an hour ago
• Roko loses the ball on the final play of the quarter and the Bucks run on the break..Kapono fouls Redd…question is when did he do it? about an hour ago
• Charlie V takes a rebound away from CV and gets the 3pt play..Raps lose the lead…72-71 about an hour ago
• Kapono passes a WIIDEEE open look and steps in…but alas..travels…I hate him. about an hour ago
• Uki splits the double and finishes nicely. Playa!! about an hour ago
• Roko is brought in. Sessions knocks down after DP and JK throws it away. Graham playing good D on CV. JK mises open 3. Sessions for 2. +2 about an hour ago
• Jamario Moon is losing track of Redd way too often in his quarter and without Bosh in there we’re struggling cuz we’re not looking for Bargs about an hour ago
• Will out of control, AP with a nice one-on-one score and finally Redd knocks down anothr three off of DP. 66-63. about an hour ago
• Charlie V scores off DP, 64-60. We got to look for Bargs more. about an hour ago
• MIL on 5-0 win thanks to Bell’s three. Hleter-skelter game now..very high temp. Raps commit a shot-clock violation. Offense not smooth. about an hour ago
• Great drive by Parker, swings it out to Will who passes up the shot and swings it to Bargnani for three! Bargs is 4-5 from three! about 2 hours ago
• AP with some great D on Redd, forcing him into a bad off-balance three. 59-53 about 2 hours ago
• High-tempo game in the fourth quarter, Redd’s already got two threes. Got to keep him in check AP about 2 hours ago
• The lead was gone but Bargs 3 gives it back. 55-53 Raps. about 2 hours ago
• Raps D comes up with a steal and Moon finds Will but he’s rejected on the break. 48-45 HT. Typical Raps so far, get a lead and blow it. about 2 hours ago
• JG denied on teh drive, Redd three means its a 3pt game about 2 hours ago
• Will trying to do a bit too much and the Bucks are climbin back in. RJ aggressive. Refs with another bad call on the jump ball. 48-45 about 2 hours ago
• Raps shooting 61%, Bucks at 40%. Raps winning 16-14 on the boards. about 2 hours ago
• I hate Bosh’s waiting game. Redd and Solomon exchange threes..we’re up 8 but this lead is precarious…Bargnani’s coming in after a break about 2 hours ago
• charlie bell with another jumper and bosh responds with same…bucks are creeping in..41-35. Raps aren’t as active on D about 2 hours ago
• The D fuels the O. Solomon/Bosh trap forces steal and Will sets up Joey running the lanes. 39-29 6:51 2nd about 2 hours ago
• Ukic breaks down the D after a broken play, misses the layup but Hump cleans up LARGE. This is what we’ve been missing! about 2 hours ago
• Roko gets called for a foul he didn’t commit. He doesn’t moan to the refs like Will though. about 2 hours ago
• CV heating up now..Bargnani challenging him to shoot, make him drive instead. 31-26 Raps 8:57 third. about 2 hours ago
• Remember how Ramon Sessions was torching Calderon last game, he’s not doing that against Ukic. about 2 hours ago
• JK found Hump for a dunk after some beautiful two-man game….JK is great at that. about 2 hours ago
• Roko with a sweet drive in semi-transition, switches to his right hand in traffic for the finish. Calderon can’t do that. about 2 hours ago
• It happened, Hump got in the game. He’s in there with Kapono, Graham, Roko and Bosh about 2 hours ago
• Raps shooting 56%, Bucks at 36% about 2 hours ago
• Bargnani with a nice three and an ice find for Big Jake. Raps up 27-19 about 2 hours ago
• Sunday hero Roko is in. about 3 hours ago
• AB passes up a three and drives, call it aggressive. I thought he should’ve taken the three. Redd is getting by his check (Parker) too easy about 3 hours ago
• Another stream: http://www.justin.tv/tnt181 about 3 hours ago
• Bosh goes to the bench and its Voskuhl that gets the call. 21-8 Raps. Bargnani with a nice OREB over CV about 3 hours ago
• Will’s got some nice looks but hasn’t finished, he’s still under control though. MIL missing a lot of shots. about 3 hours ago
• Bosh drives ‘n kicks for a AB three, the Raptors early perimeter rotations are solid. DP is there but its not hurting them so far. 19-8 TOR about 3 hours ago
• Our man Charlie V is in the game now…this should be fun. Scott Skiles looks a lot like Charlie V..kinda about 3 hours ago
• Raptors vs Bucks Stream, Chat and (Twitter) Blog http://tinyurl.com/a8svfk about 3 hours ago
• 14-6 Raps, Timeout. Bosh with a 3pt play on a jumper. about 3 hours ago
• Sweet full-court pass by Solomon finds Parker who blows the dunk but gets fouled. about 3 hours ago
• Raps looking to get points early in the shot clock. Bargnani’s aggressive drive draws the foul. A little to much DP through. 10-6 Raps about 3 hours ago
• Will sets up Moon nicely on the break. Gadzuric is 2-2 early and so is Bosh. Bargnani’s a step slow. 6-6 Bucks about 3 hours ago
• Andrew Bogut is out with back spasms. Malik Allen is out with sore ribs. about 3 hours ago
• The Raptors look to go 3-0 in 2009 after beating the Magic and Rockets. This is the 1st of a 2 game trip which ends in MIL on Wednesday. about 3 hours ago
• Jermaine O’Neal and Jose Calderon are out for this game. about 3 hours ago

Grab the Opening Tip PDF here.

…it is more then possible. They dispatched two better teams to start the season, and after a hard fought game (that I missed because of last minute quality time with the girlfriend…she doesn’t understand I need to watch these games. I’m open to suggestions on how to communicate this to her, I need help…please), the Raptors jump on a plane and head to Milwaukee to play a team that isn’t as good as they appear they to be.

They are an interesting lot though, with scoring galore on the starting lineup (finding enough shots for everyone is going to be a challenge), but not much defensively. And on the bench, all they have is defense, without much offense. Dare I say, this is one of those games the Raptors HAVE to win?

Winning a tough game to open the season on the road against a division rival; then following that up with another close one at home to a well coached team who have long, athletic, talented players is the path to 50 wins…but only if they capitalize on games against teams like the Bucks.

Starting Lineups

Calderon / Ridnour
The Edge: Raptors – Ridnour is a nice player, I have liked him since college, but he isn’t that offensive threat that will consistently punish Calderon on defense. He does make smart decisions with the ball, hits open jumpers, and attacks the rim from time to time, but like I said, nothing that JC shouldn’t be able handle. Calderon needs to play off Ridnour, and make him beat us from the perimeter. On the offensive end, Calderon should be able to have his way, and dictate tempo and pace. I’d like to see Jose open up some space for himself by shooting a few more jumpers then he normally does, this should keep Ridnour on his heels, and allow for better ball movement.

Parker / Redd
The Edge: Milwaukee - After a great showing against Maggette last night, Parker will have his hands full again with Redd, especially if he is sent to double Bogut in the paint -> Redd will bury open J’s & Treys all night. Maggette is one of those kamikaze forwards who attacks the rack with reckless abandon and gets to the line as good as anyone in the league. Redd likes to work on the perimeter. He has the ability to drive, but likes to pop those j’s. On offense, I want to see Parker run the baseline, and curl off screens. Have to make Redd work on defense in order to slow his offensive production.

Moon / Jefferson
The Edge: Milwaukee – Jefferson has been a Raptor killer for as long as I care to remember. He can shoot, drive, and gets to the line like a champ. Oh, and he rebounds extremely well at the 3 spot. Moon can’t duplicate his performance from last night (0 rebounds) and hope to keep Jefferson in check. He needs to keep Jefferson in front of him, and not try to swat him into the first row. I’ll pick my poison with Jefferson, and it is to make him beat us from the perimeter. Moon has the ability to keep Jefferson in front of him, and should do so at all times. I don’t expect much on offense from Moon in this matchup, and Jefferson will be getting a pass on defense as Moon is in love with that jumper he apparantly has the green light for.

Bosh / Villanueva
The Edge: Raptors – Charlie V is a tough check, an athletic big who can score from all over, but Bosh…he has him in this one. After two monster games (27/11 against the 76ers and 31/9 against the Warriors), I have to say, Bosh looks much different this season. Dude has swagger. He runs differently, he attacks the basket, finishes clean, gets to the line, grabs boards, and paired with O’Neal in the low blocks, is a beast for anyone attacking the rim.

O’Neal / Bogut
The Edge: Raptors – Don’t get me wrong, I am a Bogut fan, but the offense is never run through this guy. Boggles the mind. The guy does 15/8 a game, which are solid numbers, but with the way he moves, and his feel with the ball, he should be 20/10. O’Neal has been playing pretty well. He suffered a bad shooting night against the Warriors which is understandable given their athleticism and size, but made up for it by grabbing a couple boards and swatting 3 impressive blocks around the rim (one a guaranteed dunk that was followed up with a Mutombo-finger shake). With the offensive focus likely to be on the perimeter for the Bucks, O’Neal should have a easier go at boxing out Bogut, and grabbing defensive boards.

Rebounding, not-so-shockingly, remains a cause for concern for the Raptors. They only grabbed 33 against the Sixers, and 36 against the Warriors. For the last couple seasons, rebounding was an issue from the perimeter/guard positions, not the center position. Adding O’Neal has improved interior defense, and low post scoring, but Rasho grabbed 7 or 8 a game, not an improvement there.

I need to stress this, beating the Sixers and Warriors, then losing to the Bucks isn’t what a team that has designs of going deep into the playoffs does. Winning of 2 of 3 to start to the season is something any team will take. However, games like this against a lesser team are the ones that get you home court in the first round, and build that whole winning culture necessary for the stretch run into the playoffs and beyond.

Prediction

Vegas has the Bucks at -110 (with the spread at -1). I take that bet, and one up, having the Raptors squeak out a grinder on the second night of a back-to-back for no other reason then they have too. They need to go into next week, where they play Detroit and Altanta on a hot streak.

I’m 2-0 so far this season in predictions (I reserved the right to change my earlier predictions from the summer).

On a side note: The Bucks have the Raptors outclassed in one department…best player names. They lost Royal Ivey to Philly, but this years award goes to Luc Mbah a Moute, I’m serious. The greatest NBA name since Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean-Jacques Wamutombo.

Live blogging starts at 8:30PM EST. Come out for it, there’s free booze.