Call me a fan of the Pacers; they are the type of team I try to build in fantasy basketball, but always end up with something closer to the Wizards (I suck at fantasy). The last game saw the Raptors put up a lot of really bad jumpers, while the Pacers annoyingly hit a lot of open ones. The Raptors offense has gotten better since that game, but the Raptors need to get some cheaper baskets to open things up some.

Tim Donahue and Jared Wade from Eight Points, Nine Seconds (a Reggie Miller reference) were gracious enough to answer a few of my questions:

True or False: David West was the best free agent signing of the summer.

Tim True – Granted, I haven’t done an exhaustive comparison, but I’m hard-pressed to imagine any other free agents bringing as much of what their new team needed – toughness, maturity, leadership – as David has brought the Pacers. Despite individual numbers that are low for him (18.3 PER, .430 eFG%), he has been a big part of Indy’s 7-3 start.

Jared True. Look at West’s individual numbers and he doesn’t jump out as someone who has been a major difference-maker so far, but just his presence has been huge. He has been a key cog in the spacing and ball movement that has helped Indy’s starting lineup be the second best 5-man unit in the league so far among those that have played at least 100 minutes. And this doesn’t capture his effect off the court. He is a no-nonsense, grown-up presence in the locker room who all the players have praised for being a team leader since day one.

There’s been some rumblings about Grangers role on the team moving forward with the emergence of Paul George; does he finally get traded, and what will the Pacers want in return? (who are you pining for?)

Tim I have never really put much stock into any Granger trade rumors. He’s what I call a “zero sum” trade asset – meaning it’s hard to do a trade where you significantly improve the team after taking Danny off of it. Paul George isn’t ready yet, and wing depth isn’t great for the Pacers. Indy can get more value out of Danny on the floor than they can in any trade – at least for now.

Jared I don’t see any way Larry Bird trades Granger this season. Perhaps if he can’t pull out of this shooting tailspin, but then you’re not going to get much back. In the summer, I could see it. But George would have to show more. Danny remains the most dynamic offensive player on the team and while West and Hibbert have shown something up front, the Pacers would need to get an equivalent perimeter threat back in return.

Is it time to start mentioning Larry Bird in the same breath with the other top executives in the league?

Tim I think it’s time to recognize that Bird is a good, solid head of the Pacer organization, but so many test remain before you can consider him a top exec. Keep in mind, the Pacers haven’t won more than 37 games since he took over from Donnie Walsh. I love his patience, and that alone may put him in the top half of the execs of the league – but it all has to translate to success on the floor and in the playoffs first.

Jared It’s too early for that, but he has done a much better job navigating the salary cap hell Indiana was in than most people were giving him credit for even six months ago. He just waited and waited and waited. His endgame was seizing an opportunity to trade for a guy every team would love on their bench in George Hill and signed West to a top-notch contract, all the while stacking up young, cheap, promising assets. The roster is probably still one big piece away from being any more than the Hawks have been the past few seasons, but even that is a big leap forward from the doldrums this franchise has muddling through the past four years.

Match-ups

Point Guard
It pains me to say this, but we’re missing Bayless; Jose needs some relief. Collison made a lot of things happen for his teammates last game, and has show range on his jumper. I’d rather Calderon keeps him on the perimeter and gets a hand up on him when he shoots then let him start attacking the defense off the bounce then kicking to an open wing for a three.
Edge: Even

Shooting Guard
DeMar can’t give Paul George 7 open looks from beyond the arc like he did last game; or the guy is going to hit 4 of him like he did. Not sure wtf is going on with DeRozan, but he’s had since Wednesday off, and needs to do better. An easy way is to get to the line, which requires him to attack paint, which requires him to get his head in the game. Put some pressure on George on defense, and hopefully his legs wont be in every shot he takes.
Edge: Indiana

Small Forward
It’s great to have Kleiza back; Wednesday against the Kings he took away 14 minutes from Butler/Johnson. It’s not like he’s going to play 30 minutes tonight, but a gradual increase in court time will only help things out. I can deal with 10 minutes each for Butler and Johnson a game; max. Good luck with Granger tonight.
Edge: Indiana

Power Forward
I like the different looks Indiana can throw at the 4. Between Hansbrough and West, they can trot out beast after beast. If Bargnani can’t go tonight (listed as questionable), Davis wont be cutting it. If he can, he’s going to be playing injured, which could make things worse.
Edge: Indiana

Center
Get used to seeing this tonight: Hibbert  backs Johnson/Magloire down from the elbow for a layup. The play from any forward other than Bargnani has been inconsistent at best. While Amir has had some big games recently, he’s had a tough time with large centers, only mustering 2 points the last time out (although he did grab 10 boards). I’m not high on this match-up at all.
Edge: Indiana

Injuries

Toronto
Jerryd Bayless – Ankle, day-to-day
Andrea Bargnani – Calf, questionable
Aaron Gray – Heart, out

Indiana
George Hill  - Back, should play
Tyler Hansbrough – Eye, should play
Danny Granger – Ankle/Food Poisoning, should play

Keys to the Game

• Rotate on the perimeter; the Pacers had 10 very clean looks from beyond the arc the last time out. Have to make them work for their baskets, and not give them 3 Mississippi’s to shoot
• Defend the paint; Magloire did a good job on Hansbrough, frustrating the kid. The front court needs to throw elbows, knock people down, and not concede an inch
• No second chances; I’d like to see the Raptors give up less than 10 offensive rebounds tonight. The Pacers will take plenty jumpers, with plenty rebounds
• Control the pace; can’t get into an up-and-down game with the Pacers. They have a lot of guys who can get out on transition and open things up. Need to slow it down and grind them into the ground

The Line

Nothing has been posted yet, but with Bargnani injured and possibly out, I don’t like the Raptors chances.

Photo Credit: Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images

The Raptors are on the second night of a back-to-back, and rolling into Indiana (9-9) who are two games ahead of the Raptors for 7th in the East. Yes, the Raptors currently hold the 8th playoff seed; half a game ahead of Milwaukee. Could be a nice win for the Raptors who play the Knicks again on Wednesday and will be looking to exact some revenge after yesterdays loss.

Injuries

Toronto
Reggie Evans – Out
Peja Stojakovic – Out

Indiana
Niente

Match-ups

Point Guard
I guess that settled that: Jose Calderon is the better PG. Since Jack got moved, Calderon has been averaging 10pts 8.6ast; numbers approaching the levels that had us all saying he was a top flight point guard when he got that big contract. The good news is that Jose is playing like the Jose we all know he can play like, the bad news is that he has another speedy point guard to deal with tonight in Darren Collison, who the Pacers landed in a damn good deal for themselves in the summer (only cost them Troy Murphy).

Collison was one of the prizes of the summer, and Bird somehow managed to engineer a trade that opened up playing time for Hibbert to shine, and land the point guard he desired, all in one-swoop; not to bad! Darren sees the court very welle, and is able to create off the dribble. He wont kill us from the perimeter, but his jumper is pretty good, have to get a hand up on him and things should work out. I like the energy Jose’s been-bringing on defense; hasn’t been stellar, but he’s not making it easy for the other point guard either. I’d like to see him continue that and make Collison beat the Raptors with his jumper and not his play-making when he gets going.

Should be noted that Collison is a pretty good defender, so Jose can expect to be tested on both ends of the floor.
Edge: Even

Shooting Guard
It’s going to be a long night for DeRozan/Barbosa, I just have a feeling. Dunleavy seems to be one of those guys that always gets up to play against the Raptors. Fortunately for us he comes off the bench, and DeMar will have to deal with Rush for longer stretches. Rush was one of the guys we wanted to draft when we drafted Hibbert (talk about this later on) and traded to Indiana for Jermaine O’Neal *shudder*. The kid is very athletic, blocks shots, and a solid defender on the perimeter. DeMar will be wise to attack him as he has some intensity issues that render him useless at points; something DeMar knows all too well.

There are massive match-up issues for Barbosa when he’s in with Dunleavy, this is where Triano/Carlessimo have to get creative with their line-juggling, but Barbosa can’t defend Dunleavy; and neither can Dunleavy guard Barbosa. Depending on who’s playing, the Raptors can have the advantage in this match-up. The Pacers are a big team overall, so unless the Raptors small-ball unit is playing off the chain, it will tough to get Barbosa playing time at the shooting guard. Bayless could see reduced minutes tonight as Barbosa would most likely get some of his minutes at the back-up PG.
Edge: Indiana

Small Forward
The wing situation is going to be a rough one for the Raptors tonight, where the Pacers are deeper than the Raptors, and able to throw different looks at us all night. Fortunately Weems (and DeRozan) have both started to play a little better the last couple games. Weems especially is finishing aggressively around the rim, when he’s actually engaged in the game. Granger is approaching elite-level scorer status the last couple seasons, and could easily go off for 35 (although we’ve been able to manage him rather nicely the last couple years).

I’m sure Posey’s good for a 3 pointer, if that…maybe he’s not, but the guy is a serviceable back-up off the bench in limited playing time; he’s a two-time world champion, that counts for something at the end of the day. The key will be to play Granger hard on both ends, and getting him into foul trouble. Since Weems is one of the two best finishers on team with a head of steam, running it at Danny can prove effective since he’s a tweener on defense who likes to swat balls (he’s not a bad shot blocker either, but you can’t block them all). Weems needs to rebound from a gawdawful game against the Knicks yesterday, and wont have an easy time of it. Still, he’s shown some resilience so far.

As an aside, I’ve lost confidence in Kleiza. It’s not that he can’t be a good player for the Raptors, as a spot up shooter off the bench he could still be a solid contributor, but he’s taking on too much and can’t deliver. Maybe Karl had it right with his usage in Denver…
Edge: Indiana

Power Forward
Amir has really stepped up in Reggies absence, with a couple monster games. He’s been able to play under control and not get foul happy which leads me to believe that the coaching is getting through to him. The Pacers front court isn’t very strong after the starters, McRoberts is a good shooter from the perimeter, but can’t handle Johnson in the block on either end of the floor. I expect to see situational match-ups with Josh covering Bargnani, which will only lead to more trouble for the Pacers.

On Amir, McRoberts can’t defend and is a poor rebounder for his size; all the makings for a 20/10 night for our Young One. Ed Davis is making some significant contributions given that he’s coming off a pretty brutal injury. I’m really liking this kid a lot, and he too will have an advantage against Josh on the glass and in the quickness department.
Edge: Toronto

Center
Like I said earlier, the Raptors front court is better than the Pacers. Hibbert, much like McRoberts, is a big lumbering player who can’t keep up with either Bargnani or Johnson (or Davis or Dorsey). He does, however, pose some problems since he’s a traditional center who can score from 15ft-in. Bargnani didn’t play heavy minutes yesterday (33), so he should have the legs to get after Hibbert and/or McRoberts, doesn’t really matter who’s covering him tonight, he will own.

His rebounding has improved, and should be able to contribute on that front. My only hope is that Jeff Foster doesn’t find the fountain of youth and make an impact off the bench; he’s really feasted on the Raptors front court over the years with his hustle and grit.

The Raptors front-court has the horses to really make a positive impact on this game; had this not been the second night of a back-to-back, it could have gotten messy for the Pacers.
Edge: Toronto

Side Note:
Does it upset no one else that the Pacers have two players, Granger and Hibbert, who by all rights should be a Raptor, that are thriving at positions that we currently need filled? Anyone?

Keys to the Game

Don’t get Down Early
The Raptors are on the second night of a back-to-back, so they need to use their energy effectively, and not to play catch-up; the game could be put away early if they come out flat. To Triano’s credit, he managed minutes pretty well last night, so the Raps won’t be totally worn out to start the game. The easiest way to stay in the game will be to pound the ball into Amir and Bargnani (depending on match-up and court positioning) and let them molest the Pacers front court. Getting into an up-and-down match to start the game may prove difficult to sustain and put them into a hole.

As always, the 3rd quarter push will be crucial, so catching a collective second wind at the half will be important. Jose might want to go back to handing out Gatorade in the locker room; seemed to help.

Rebounding
This would have been a perfect game for Reggie’s hustle, he could have easily grabbed 17 rebounds against a slow footed Pacer front court.

The Pacers are 3rd in the league in rebounding, with the whole team chipping in on the glass. Boxing out and crashing the boards should be the minimum requirement to see the floor tonight. Anything Bargnani can give us above 6 rebounds will be massive.

Perimeter Defense
Two words: Julian Wright; the kid Is our best defender on the perimeter, and can help. He’s clearly not the answer, but he has the size, length and athleticism to both all three of Granger, Rush and Dunleavy. Won’t hurt, right?

Make Your Free Throws
The Raptors went 11-22 from the line yesterday against the Knicks. Not saying if they hit them they would have won (they wouldn’t have), but they could have changed the complexion of the game. 50% from the the charity stripe is unacceptable.

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It’s hard to pinpoint where it’s coming from, but there has been considerable speculation about a trade which would send Jose Calderon trade to the Pacers. Michael Grange had reported this on July 14th and at that time Roy Hibbert was Colangelo’s apparent target. Recently Hoopsworld reported further interest in a trade so I’ll go ahead and believe for a second that where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Whether Calderon is a better fit than Jack doesn’t matter very much at this point. Jack’s lower salary, better perceived defense, durability and ability to switch over to play the two in spots, puts him ahead of Calderon in the depth chart. His appearance at summer league had to have gone well with the club and his recent 7 pound weight drop and fitness routine has also got to be respected by the franchise.

What would we want in a Jose Calderon trade? I’d be willing to take a defensive center, a small-forward or another point guard. Since the Pacers are looking to cut costs and taking on Calderon goes completely against their current thinking, you would have to believe that any deal would see the Raptors taking on more salary, thus using their TPE. So you can throw out individual trades like Calderon for Dunleavy out the window, especially since the latter is an expiring contract valued at $10.5M. Same goes for Troy Murphy, who is expiring at $12M. The Pacers have a lot of faith in A.J Price, but he’s not ready to start just yet, and it is conceivable that they’d want him to be Calderon’s understudy of sorts for a season or two, but that alone isn’t worth it for them.

If the Pacers are looking to cut costs, the only way a Calderon deal makes sense is if they’re willing to trade Danny Granger, one of only two pacers (Dahntay Jones) to have a guaranteed contract beyond 2011-12. Whereas Calderon is owed $29.2M through 2012-13, Granger is owed $49.9M through 2013-14. Granger has missed 35 games over the last two season and Calderon has missed 28; it’s safe to say both have had trouble staying on the floor, but you can actually make a case that Calderon is the more valuable player. In Granger’s five season in Indiana, the team has made the playoffs once, losing in the first round. The win totals in those five seasons are also disappointing: 41, 35, 36, 36 and 32.

With the NBA lockout looming, teams would be reluctant to take on a contract like him; even if you leave that aside, it’s difficult to sell him as a player because he’s shown very little other than being a good player on a bad team. At this point in his career, you can argue that he’s either reached his ceiling or is very close to it and no team would take him on expecting him to improve on what he’s already shown. That’s close to $50M for an injury-prone player who hoists seven more shots than anybody on his team while the team racks up mid-30s win totals. If the Pacers are to truly rebuild, can they afford to have a player like him on the roster? They can’t, but it makes sense for the Colangelo-led Raptors.

If Colangelo is aiming for a quick fix or a way to revitalize interest in Raptors basketball, all he has to do is acquire Granger and the fans will love him. We already have fond memories of Granger because we passed on him twice, once in favor of Joey Graham, so getting him now would be like the prodigal son returning home. Colangelo could sell him as part of the “Young Gunz” package and tomorrow we’d be talking about making a run at the fourth seed. Talking that is, not actually doing it. Throw in Roy Hibbert, a young center with that dreaded word ‘potential’, and you could even say the Raptors won the deal and used their TPE most wisely. Colangelo would make a big splash in the summer market just like he has in the last two. The Raptors would have a starting five of: Bargnani, Johnson, Granger, DeRozan and Jack; backing them up would be Hibbert, Davis, Weems, Belinelli and Barbosa. On paper, that reads like a solid core which you can sell some season tickets on.

With seven expiring contracts the Pacers are in rebuild mode, and the final piece of the puzzle for them could be shipping off Danny Granger so that they can lose 60 games, get a high pick and go from there. From their perspective, they just shed $20M in salary which is a lot in today’s economic climate, even if it happens to be over four years. Calderon’s overpaid, but his contract could be considered reasonable by a team who’s looking to get some stability and become more conservative in the back-court, especially in a year or two, so it is possible that the Pacers could parlay him into something else down the road. There’s a good chance that as Granger goes older, he’s going to become more injury prone. It’s a trade-off the Pacers could be willing to make, and more importantly, so could Colangelo.

The Raptors roll into Indiana for the second game of a home-and-home; they are 3-1 in these games, 2-0 in the second game. In the podcast, I called the Raptors to go 3-1 in the next week (with the loss coming to Philly), but am leery about the game tonight. Winning the second game of a back-to-back is normally very difficult. The opposing team has a chance to make adjustments and come at you with a totally different game plan.

I checked in with Jared Wade from Eight Points, Nine Seconds to get his take on this game:

What will the Pacers have to do to beat the Raptors?
Pray. Seriously though, they certainly have to play better defense than they did the other night. It’s virtually impossible to win when you let the other team shoot 60.2% from the field. That’s just despicable. But despite what you saw the other day and despite the way Bosh and Amir got all medieval on Indy in the paint in the first quarter, defense hasn’t usually been the problem so much as the team’s inability to score. As bad as I’m sure it sounds, that game wasn’t nearly as frustrating as many of the other losses I’ve watched this year. I don’t expect a team with Troy Murphy, Mike Dunleavy and Roy Hibbert to be the 2004 Pistons or anything. And overall this year, Indy has been right around league average — often better — than the league average in opponents points per possession. I’m not sure how they do it, but teams don’t shoot that well against them. More often, the problem is just that they can’t keep up. Given their 43.3% shooting for the season (29th in the league, only above the Nets hard-to-believe 42.1%), it’s easy to see why they can’t score. But at home, against a Raptors team who I’ll just politely call “not intimidating,” it’s quite possible they get their jumpers to fall. If they can shoot at least 45% from floor, hit 11 or 12 threes and not turn the ball over too much, they can win.

Granger is an interesting player, he takes a lot of shots, and doesn’t seem to hit a high percentage. What are your thoughts on him?
He’s one of the best shooters in the league, but you wouldn’t know it by watching him this season. He has taken a lot of bad shots this season and gotten very few good looks. Given the problems I was discussing in the last answer, an off-balance three from Danny really isn’t even that bad of a shot for this team, honestly, but it’s still not a high-percentage look. In past years he has gotten his points as a “finisher.” He hits open jumpers on catch-and-shoot looks as well as anyone in the NBA, but he isn’t getting those this year as much. There is no one who drives and kicks. There usually isn’t enough good ball rotation to give him those 2-3 “there’s no one within 8 feet of him” threes per game that he knocks down in his sleep. He also isn’t getting many of those finishing buckets in the paint. The offense just doesn’t generate much of that stuff for anyone, let alone the one guy who defenses are gameplanning against. So he has to create open shots for himself off the dribble, which is something he is capable of but not elite at by any stretch of the imagination. Don’t get me wrong, he isn’t Michael Redd and is probably even better at “getting his” than Antwan Jamison or Rashard Lewis, but he’s not the type of guy you can just clear out for and let go to work. And he is so often frustrated out there that he ends up just settling for contested jumpers. The fact that he’s been hurt all year (starting out with a gimpy knee then missing a month with a torn plantar fascia in his right foot) also hasn’t helped him evolve into a better penetrator/creator off the bounce.

Who poses a bigger problem for you guys defensively: Bosh or Bargnani?
Bosh. Jim O’Brien’s defensive system is OK giving up the three, so although it will suck if Andrea starts banging em, it won’t exactly shatter the game plan. But this roster has no one who can even consider guarding CB4. He’s probably going to dominate in the paint again — early and often.

Anything else you want to add?
Injuries have really taken their toll on the Pacers this year, which while far from the biggest issue with this team, should be taken into account when you mock them. By all means, mock them — they deserve it. But just know that the front court has been decimated over the past month without Jeff Foster (with serious and potentially season-ending back issues) and Tyler Hansbrough (who had shin issues early in the year followed by an inner ear infection that has left him unable play due to dizziness/vertigo). Those are two guys who the team expected to rely on for defense, rebounding, energy and all the in-the-paint, hard-hat stuff that Troy Murphy and Roy Hibbert simply can’t do. I’m not saying Tyler would have prevented that Jose-to-Amir alley oop the other night or all of Amir and Bosh’s other interior dominance, but it probably wouldn’t have been quite as bad.

This wont be an easy game by any stretch. You could tell the Pacers were missing Foster/Hansborough on Sunday, now with Foster gone for the season, defending Bosh in the paint becomes even more an issue. The Raptors need to work the inside-out game from the tip. Pound the ball into Bosh, let him draw the double, and kick out to Bargnani for a three. At the very least, he can get Pacers bigs in foul trouble one-by-one. Bargnani was so efficient on Sunday, I’d like to see him get 15-16 shots tonight.

Given how poorly Granger shot last game, you can expect him to pick it up a bit tonight. Wright will have his hands full, but he has given us great defense on the perimeter over the last few games against some of the best in the business. A full game battling with Granger should be interesting. If Wright just contests every shot, and keeps Danny’s efficiency down, even if he drops 30 it wont hurt the Raptors very much. I count on Grangers suspect shot selection.

With Turkoglu out, the game has been taken off the board; I imagine that the line would be tight regardless. I’m thinking along the lines of a two possession game, with the Raptors holding on for a win.

February is a key stretch of games for the Raptors as their schedule, seemingly, gets lighter in that 6 of the 10 teams they play are under .500. It starts today with a home-and-home with Indiana. This will be the third time this season they have played a home-and-home, with the Raptors going 3-1 in those games; the only loss coming to Milwaukee on the road.

In addition, not only are there no back-to-backs, but there is at least a day off between games. If the Raptors can steal one of Memphis, Portland or Cleveland (all home games) then they have a great chance of finishing February 32-25. Miami on the other hand has two back-to-backs in the same week, and a much tougher schedule. Considering where this team was two months ago, to put things together and make this run is quite the accomplishment.

The goodness can start today against Indiana; the Pacers are 16-31 heading into this game, 4-6 in their last 10 with the last two games 20+ point losses to the Lakers and Cavs. What’s worse is that the fan-base holds out zero hope of this lot making the playoffs. The Raptors seemingly have a better chance of moving up to 4th in the East than the Pacers have of making the playoffs.

Tim Donahue from Eight Points, Nine Seconds (a great Pacers blog) projected where the Pacers will end up, and even though I’m not much of a Pacers fan, it depressed me how bad this team is and their outlook for the rest of the season. When words like; spitballing, battered, on pace to win only 28 games are being said and no one is disagreeing, the team is done.

With how the Raptors have been playing, and the manner in which they have been closing out games, the Raptors still can’t take this Pacers team lightly. They still have big guns in Granger, Murphy and Dunleavy. All of whom represent a type of player that the Raptors have historically been unable to defend properly.

Of the three, Murphy poses the biggest problem for the Raptors. For some reason, these mobile power forwards who can spread the floor with perimeter shooting give us big problems. When they pull Bosh or Bargnani away from the paint, they open the lane for penetration. More often than naught, Granger will just jack a gawdawful three and rim out, negating the space. In terms of strategy, though, you can’t count on an ill-advised shot as your way out of a situation.

Fortunately, Antoine Wright has been giving the Raptors EXACTLY what they need at the 2/3 with his defense, and occasional spot up shooting. With late game defensive duties falling on his shoulder, and the bulk of the offensive burden on Weems and Belinelli, the shooting guard by committee should be strong.

So after watching that Knicks game again, Hedo actually didn’t get that many more touches than he normally does. I mean, he did, but he seemed to do more with the ball than he normally would, and by that, I mean shoot it. Where normally he would try and create for a teammate, he created for himself. He averages 10 shots a game, and took 16, but got 2.4 less assists than he has been averaging for the year. Maybe ‘ball’ means to let him do what he wants, which doesn’t sit that well with me. Regardless, I think we can all agree that he has been under utilized this season, and based on his game and post-game comments, the ball (*groan* sorry) is squarely in Triano’s court.

I’m looking for both Italians to bounce back tonight after pretty rough performances in New York. The Pacers just don’t have anyone to defend against Bargnani, and with Bosh probably getting the most attention once he gets the ball inside 15ft, Bargnani will have a field day. As far as Belinelli goes, that step back-fade-away three point off one leg should be looking good after 3 days of rest.

The gamblers have the Raptors as 9 point favourite, with an over/under of 217.5. Should be an exciting one, and the Raptors should extend their winning streak to 5 for the first time this season.

#freeamir

Some games you just lose, I don’t know why, and you go on from there…We pretty much have to beat every team, that’s how I feel. I take a loss as a loss…You lose too many and you get tired of taking a positive out of a negative.

I like hearing that from Bosh, the man is all about business this year.

The Raptors host Indiana on the first night of a back-to-back, and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth to say so, but we have to take this one. Indiana is currently sitting a half game ahead of us, holding on to the 8th spot in the East. Since we sit a game and a half ahead of Charlotte, the next two games are crucial for the Raptors if they intend to make the playoffs. They have to beat these types of teams.

Match-ups

The Point: You all know I was (still am) in Ford’s corner when the Forderon controversy erupted two seasons ago, but you have to feel for the guy. He lost his starting role, on two different teams, to two different players he has to match-up with today. He’s having a decent season, but from what I’ve seen (through limited exposure), he hasn’t hit his groove in Indiana. Regardless, he will be a handful tonight. When he takes Calderon off the dribble, he will have lots of options to kick out to for a good shot. I actually like Calderon/Jack in this match-up, but TJ’s speed, and playmaking ability can’t be slept on.
The Edge: Toronto

The Skill: With Belinelli and Wright questionable, DeRozan will have little relief chasing Jones around the court. While some thought that DeRozan played passable defense on both Wade and Carter, I think we can all agree that it wont be getting any easier for our boy as the season continues. Jones is having a career year and is a nice defensive player. I thought he was a great pick-up by Indiana in the off-season, and he hasn’t disappointed with a career year so far. As long as DeRozan slashes to the rim, grabs some boards, and stays in front of Jones, he should be alright. He wont win this match-up, but he can play Jones tight.
The Edge: Indiana

The Wing: This will be an interesting match-up. Granger is a high-volume shooter, he is quick off the hop, and likes those threes. Hedo has done a great job of distributing the ball over the last few games, and can really put a hurt on the Pacers off of the pick-n-roll with Bosh.
The Edge: Even

The Power: Don’t like this match-up for one reason: Murphy will be pulling Bosh away from the basket on defense, leaving defensive rebounding in the incapable hands of Bargnani. Murphy is a poor man’s Chris Bosh, but he’s slow. Bosh can attack him on offense, and should. With our boy coming off a 5 rebound showing against Orlando, and what he’s been saying in practice the last two days, I expect him to come out like gangbusters.
The Edge: Toronto

The Big: Foster is being inserted in the starting lineup to counter Bargnani’s quickness. Hibbert wouldn’t have been able to keep up with our boy. Great call by O’Brien. For all the points Bargnani will score, I shudder to think of all the rebounds and cheap garbage points he will concede to Foster. I don’t like this match-up one bit.
The Edge: Indiana

Injury Report

Raptors
Reggie Evans
Marco Belinelli *
Antoine Wright *

Pacers
Mike Dunleavy
Travis Diener

The Line

The Raptors are -5 with an over/under of 213.

The Prediction

Visser‘s sims are 11-3 this year and this time the crystal ball is predicting a 114-94 Raptor win.

As far as my prediction: It wont be a walk in the park, but the Raptors have this one, not in the bag, but they should pull it out: 106-98.

I know it's just preseason but they should have gone out and won this one seeing as it's the last game!!! I'm pretty sure this game mattered to everyone on the team…& Doc might be right maybe there is something just not right about this team…

Timberwolves regroup in the third to beat Toronto 98-90 – NBA – Yahoo! Sports

"We got hesitant and had too many turnovers in the second half," Toronto coach Jay Triano said. "You've got to take care of the ball."

Chris Bosh Ends Preseason Ready To Go – Brothersteve’s Green & Red Raptor Blog

Fortunately these preseason scrimmages have accomplished one thing, Chris Bosh is officially ready to start playing for real. Bosh played over 36 minutes for the first time this preseason and as importantly, Bosh played over 16 minutes in the second half and was on the floor for the final 7:05. And Bosh played big with 27 points, 14 rebounds, and three blocked shots.

Doug Smith’s Toronto Raptors blog

The three-point inefficiency was troubling last night ? one of the two three-pointers was a heave from about 35 feet by Jack to beat the third quarter buzzer so it was a fluke ? and it?s been a bit of a bubbling issue all camp.

Breaking Down a Box Score – Part-II – Raptors HQ

The Raps played their last preseason game in Sioux Falls, SD and by the looks of things it wasn't pretty. The Raps, whose starters (save for Hedo Turkoglu who twisted his right ankle) played heavy minutes, lost to an undermanned and less talented Minnesota Timberwolves squad missing K Love and Al Jeff.

Timberwolves regroup for pre-season win over Raptors

The Minnesota Timberwolves used a burst of second-half energy to take over a 98-90 pre-season win against the Toronto Raptors on Friday night. Minnesota (3-5) fell behind by 14 points early, only to regroup in its third game in four nights for its second win in as many nights. "I felt like we were a little lackadaisical the first half, but I knew if we run our stuff and brought some energy we could get a win. That's what we have to do," said Corey Brewer, who had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Timberwolves.

T’wolves take down Raps in pre-season finale – sportsnet.ca

An 11-2 run pushed the Timberwolves to an 11-point lead in the third quarter. The surge came with Toronto's leading pre-season scorer, Andrea Bergnani (13.0) on the bench after getting his fourth foul less than 2 minutes into the period and didn't return until the fourth. Bosh took over, scoring nine of Toronto's 16 points in the quarter. Flynn scored on a drive and Brewer had a three-point play on a breakaway with about five minutes to play to put the Timberwolves in control. DeMar DeRozan's drive with 5:47 remaining gave Toronto its largest lead of the first half, 38-30. Flynn scored six of Minnesota's final eight points to pull the Timberwolves within 46-44 at halftime.

Flynn, Brewer lead Timberwolves past Toronto – NBA – Yahoo! Sports

The Minnesota Timberwolves used a burst of second-half energy to take over a 98-90 preseason win against the Toronto Raptors on Friday night. Minnesota (3-5) fell behind by 14 points early, only to regroup in its third game in four nights for its second win in as many nights. I felt like we were a little lackadaisical the first half, but I knew if we run our stuff and brought some energy we could get a win. That?s what we have to do,? said Corey Brewer(notes), who had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Timberwolves.

Playing the numbers game – The Globe and Mail

Having spent most of his working life in the NBA, Toronto Raptors president Bryan Colangelo believes putting a team together is more black art than science. “I always say there?s a gut you have to listen to,? he said. ?It?s your gut instinct on draft picks, on trades, on who might play and give you a chance to win that night.” But hey, there’s nothing wrong with getting a second opinion. Which is why this week the Raptors listened to a presentation by an unidentified consulting firm on everything from what spot on the floor yields the lowest points per shot in coach Jay Triano’s defensive schemes to the NBA player that best blocks shots and gains possession for his team. (It’s the Los Angeles Lakers: Pau Gasol, by the way.)

PREVIEW: Plenty of new star power among top three teams in East

The Toronto Raptors landed Turkoglu, signed combo guard Jarrett Jack and drafted guard DeMar DeRozan, hoping a playoff berth will convince impending free agent Chris Bosh to stick around. The Philadelphia 76ers also have a new coach in Eddie Jordan. They hope Elton Brand can remain healthy and Lou Williams can replace the departed Andre Miller at point guard. The Detroit Pistons and Miami Heat reached the playoffs last season but may have trouble getting back. The Pistons may have done too much, hiring rookie coach John Kuester and signing Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. The Heat may not have done enough, adding little around impending free agent Dwyane Wade. The Charlotte Bobcats need a star who commands a double-team. The Indiana Pacers have an All-Star in Danny Granger but a weak backcourt. And the Milwaukee Bucks need a cleanup crew after an off-season fire sale that saw Villanueva, Richard Jefferson and Ramon Sessions exit.

The Canadian Press: Ten players to keep an eye on during the new NBA season

Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors – The Italian centre's confidence soared under the guidance of coach Jay Triano last season, and he finally showed signs of why the Raptors took him with the No. 1 pick in the 2006 draft. Armed with a lucrative contract extension, the seven-footer appears poised for a strong season.

Raptors 90, Timberwolves 98 – Box Score

Raptors 90, Timberwolves 98 – Box Score

Bill Simmons’ NBA season preview and 33 most intriguing NBA people – ESPN

18. Hedo Turkoglu
New team, different offense, overpaid, can't be hidden as well on defense because he doesn't have a shot-blocker behind him, signs of decline last season, high expectations, bad karma from boning over the Blazers after a verbal agreement, the day-to-day frazzles of living in a Canadian city ? my s— detector is going off. Sorry, Raptor Truthers. I always trust the s— detector. Just last week, it went off even as Balloon Boy's balloon was still floating through Colorado. Never fails me. I predict a surprisingly disappointing first season for him. And maybe even a goofy injury like plantar fasciities or a partially torn hip labrum. Always gotta trust the s— detector.

Eric Smith on POB’s Tweet idea

One man (amongst many — including me) that's been swept up by the momentum of Twitter is Raptors center Patrick O’Bryant. But his story just got a little more interesting in the past week…

More questions than answers for Raptors – sportsnet.ca

But the picture could get fuzzy over the coming months as Bosh heads into a season of uncertainty and the Raptors may be seeing the last of their team captain and poster boy. The six-year veteran appears poised to join an illustrious free agent group this coming off-season that could include LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Questions about the fate of the Raptors' franchise player are sure to swirl around the team as it tries to bounce back from a dismal 2008-09 season — and just how well it can do that will go a long way in determining what jersey Bosh will be wearing come this time next year.

The fact that teams are cutting costs these days is nothing new ? the fact just about every corporation in the world is cutting costs these days is not new, in fact – and the Raptors point was hammered home a little bit yesterday. Counting heads when we got into practice ? it’s something we do every day – there was one guy missing: Assistant coach Micah Nori. Figured he hadn’t gone off to help the Evil Empire Yankees hit with men in scoring position (he was a Mighty Yankees hitting consultant this summer) but where in the world could he be? Then it him me: He had to be off scouting the Cavs before opening night.

Raptors? Johnson back on familiar turf

Johnson, a reserve forward with the Toronto Raptors, spent 22 games, or the better part of three months, in South Dakota three years ago, playing for the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the National Basketball Development League. He’ll be back there Friday, when the Raptors close out their NBA pre-season schedule against the Minnesota Timberwolves. It was pretty good, Sioux Falls. It kind of grows on you, Johnson said. ‘there’s not too much to do. The fans are great. The food was great, actually. Johnson might not know everything about Sioux Falls – population: almost 155,000, as of last year; area code 605 – but the Raptors might learn a little bit about themselves there Friday.

In Raptors’ final pre-season tuneup, Johnson knows role – thestar.com

Johnson's had a solid pre-season and, with an injury to Reggie Evans taking one Toronto big man out of the rotation, seems poised to play significant minutes once the regular season begins Wednesday.

Toronto Raptors-roster analysis 2009-2010 NBA preview – NBA – SI.com

DeMar DeRozan is going to be a premier rookie, Hedo Turkoglu was a good get and they have better backups up front and at point guard. I like this team now. They're going to be back in the playoffs. The big story is going to be whether they can keep Chris Bosh as a free agent this summer. It's important for them to have a good year because if they don't make the playoffs, it will be devastating.

Quincy Douby loves Toronto, despite the trade that wasn’t – Posted Sports

The situation was this: Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo had signed free agent Hedo Turkoglu, but he was in the midst of turning that signing into a four-team sign-and-trade to ensure the Raptors could keep some of their salary cap exceptions that they would otherwise have had to forfeit.

Raptors just what Toronto needs

But for the Raptors, who open the NBA regular season against Cleveland next Wednesday at the Air Canada Centre, things might just be getting good. Toronto is craving a winner, and winning creates bandwagons crammed with casual fans that, once upon a time, helped the Jays set those attendance records.

Can Toronto Build a Winner Around Bosh? – The Wages of Wins Journal

The Toronto Raptors appear to be on a mission. Somehow, someway, this team needs to convince Chris Bosh to stay in Canada. The issue for the Raptors isn’t money. To convince Bosh to stay, Toronto must convince Bosh that he will someday play for a winner. So far, though, the facts presented to Bosh haven’t been too convincing.

HIP HOOP JUNKIES – The blog highlighting the Canadian flavour of the NBA: The Throwback: Where in the World is Bryant “Big Country” Reeves?

Not Raptor related, but I always wondered what happened to Bryant Reeves: After six seasons as a Grizzly, "Big Country" retired from the NBA in 2001 at the ripe old age of 28, with chronic back pain. The big man from Gans, Oklahoma (population 208) was a big scorer at Oklahoma State University and also a great rebounder.

What Makes A Great Scorer? : The Picket Fence

Bargnani's big enough to score over smaller defenders inside, which makes him a bit of a matchup nightmare. It’s no wonder many Raptor fans foresee stardom in Bargnani’s future. The problem, however, is that despite Bargnani being a great shooter, he’ll simply never become a great scorer. Why? The answer lies with his inability to get to the line.

Match Ups – Toronto Raptors v/s Indiana Pacers – Heels on Hardwood

A lot of the hopes for moderate success in Indianapolis hinge on the health of Mike Dunleavy, Jr. The offseason loss of Jarrett Jack means that TJ Ford, Danny Granger and the recently acquired Earl Watson are really the team’s only capable perimeter ball-handlers other than MDJ, who was essentially the Pacers de facto “point forward” much of the time he was on the floor the last time he was, you know, actually on the floor. So if he can’t suit up and be 100% for more than, say, 60 games, that doesn’t bode well at all for Indiana.

Is 2010 Jose Calderon’s All-Star Year? | Bleacher Report

But this year, Jose Calderon has slipped below the radar of many NBA analysts and, sadly, many Toronto Raptors fans. Sometimes we need to be reminded that each season Toronto fans have witnessed the development of one of the better point guards in the NBA.

Toronto Raptors Starting Shooting Guard Dilemma – Brothersteve’s Green & Red Raptor Blog

The contrarian view says DeRozan just isn’t ready to start. He is too young and too inexperienced to be asked to guard a NBA starting shooting guard on a nightly basis. A bad experience could hurt his confidence and retard his development. This is definitely a decision best left up to the coaches. If Jay Triano believes DeRozan’s development is best served by starting, he is in the best position to make this determination.

RAPTORS: Raptors Video Player

Devlin And The Czar: Part 1 – Oct. 22, 2009
Check out part one of Matt Devlin's audio interview with Mike Fratello!

First up, very disappointing to see Jason Kapono throw up a 14 in the finals of the three-point contest. He was the only pure shooter in the competition and for him to lose to a cast that didn’t even crack 20 is a shame. I’m sure the result last night didn’t affect his trade value in the least but a win would’ve gone some ways in reminding GMs that there is a shooter to be had, albeit at a rather expensive price. Also, as he was going through his rounds I was half expecting him to pump-fake, step in and get called for a travel.

Caught the skills competition which I thought was zzzzzz…Derrick Rose won as Tony Parker got booed by the Phoenix crowd and couldn’t nail a 16 footer to save his life. Then we had the dunk contest and it reminded me of how there’s a fine line between hyping something and over-hyping something. The 12-foot dunk was cool but the phone booth was lame, especially when he came out of it with the cape in his hands. I don’t recall Superman ever doing that. Howard built up too much hype and then came up short, I thought he should’ve saved his 12-foot dunk for the finals instead of opting for the same-old same-old. I’m guessing Kevin Johnson got on the panel because he dunked on Hakeem once or twice and he happened to play for Phoenix. Nice touch by the NBA, they always seem to get those things right. Why is Thunder Dan a judge? Oh right, he also played for Phoenix. Where’s HotRod Williams when you need him?

Let’s stop giving the crowd scoring signs because frankly, I don’t care what some little kid with a West All-Star jersey thinks of Rudy Fernandez’s dunking ability. Speaking of Fernandez, whipping out the Fernando Martín Espina jersey might not be a good idea if 1) Nobody knows who he is 2) It reminds people of Darrick Martin and 3) Nobody knows who he is. I thought he got judged quite harshly on his first dunk which hadn’t ever been done before. Maybe he should’ve slipped on a Pau Gasol jersey just to motivate him to throw a pass that wasn’t behind him. If he makes that dunk on his first try it’s a 50 – those judges are confused.

My favorite moments of the night were seeing Nate Robinson talk junk into the camera after each dunk and watching Devin Harris keenly use the focus feature on his 1998 camcorder. I have no doubt it records on beta tape. Back to Nate, using Wilson Chandler as a step-ladder has to be the dumbest decision ever made by an NBA player and I’m referring to Chandler whose spine came oh so close to cracking. But Nate, he’s so gangsta, isn’t he? Dwight Howard opting to go for the FT line dunk was a high-risk move because of his height. It didn’t look good on Brent Barry (with the warm-up jacket on, BTW) and it didn’t look good on Howard, it did look okay on Jamario Moon, though. The lamest part about the FT line dunk is that it’s NOT a FT line dunk. There’s not a single player that has actually taken off from outside the FT line, they’ve all either stepped in or stepped on the line. They should really call it the “lane violation dunk”.

Here are some players that I would’ve liked to see in the three-point shootout over Danny Granger: Ray Allen, Vince Carter, Kyle Korver, Matt Carroll, Joe Johnson, Mike Miller, Sasha Vujacic and Jason Terry. Note that this list could easily be longer. This is easily my favorite event of the night but it’s gotten a little boring as all we see is guys launching shots as a clock ticks its way down to zero. It needs more pazzaz, for starters they should have the players shoot at the same time so there’s no target score. They should have it tournament-style with four guys making the finals and then have a semi-final and final with both shooting concurrently.

Secondly, a lot of three point shooting is catch-and-shoot which there is none of in the current format. They should let them pick a teammate to pass them the ball for a couple racks so there’s an element of uncertainty added to the whole affair. Imagine if Kapono lost the three-point contest because Calderon threw a pass too high? That would be a subject of conversation for months and isn’t that really the whole point of this night?

Finally, let the players try an optional 30 footer from straight up which if they make they get 5 points, but if they miss it they get a couple points subtracted. C’mon, don’t tell me that wouldn’t be fun?

In case you missed it, Mo Williams probably should’ve advanced to the next round of the skills competition if it weren’t for a ball boy coming in his way forcing him to pull back on the pass which cost him about a second and a half. He lost by that margin. You could actually hear him on the sideline saying “He messed me up, man”. Yes, indeed he did.

If you’re wondering why I’m not talking about the H-O-R-S-E, it’s because I never saw it. I suppose we should watch the game tonight and hope it stay close for three quarters so that we can at least see one decent quarter of basketball.

–

The O’Neal-Marion swap sure has made the remainder of the season interesting. We’ll finally get to see how Bosh meshes with a slasher who can also play defense, hopefully he’ll have better chemistry with Marion than he did with O’Neal. I do believe Bosh when he says that the major reason why O’Neal and him never got clicking is on the defensive end, it was almost like the entire team wasn’t on the same page when it came to man-assignments, interior rotations and boxing-out. Substituting Marion for O’Neal doesn’t solve the problem as I still think the major issue with this team is dribble penetration at the point-of-attack but with Marion we have the luxury of having him guard the best opposing wing, thus hopefully eliminating part of the problem.

Are we going to be able to make a run at the playoffs? Probably not, but now we have the “player getting used to the system” excuse which we’ll hear Devlin and Leo mumble over and over again. How much time before Marion gets “integrated” with Triano’s “system”? 5 games? 10 games? I have no idea but l do believe Marion’s the type of player that you don’t actually run set plays for, he’s got a high basketball IQ and reacts to defenses very well. It’s going to be up to Jose Calderon to find Marion in the right positions if we have any hopes of resurrecting the Marion of Phoenix where Nash fed him the ball to perfection.

Should be fun to watch.

I didn’t see the game, but the loss to Chicago cheapened the effort the Raps gave against the Celtics. All-in-all, three losses in a row doesn’t sit nicely with me, regardless of who they come against. For all the progress Bargnani has made, his efforts seem to be wasted since the Raptors don’t go to him during crunch time. He has shown the ‘look’ and ability to take those tough clutch shots (dating back to his rookie season).

With the Raptors heading into Indiana, and the specter of O’Neal rejoining the team looming, the Raptors enter into a potentially dark stretch of unknowns where team chemistry could potentially be thrown under the wheel. With absolutely no news over the last couple weeks, O’Neal has been absent from the bench while he gets ‘treatment’. Apparently it was getting the right anti-inflammatory drugs, so the master plan has come full-circle. The severity of his injury has not been disclosed, but all of a sudden, with a road games against the Pacers, the chatter of him joining the team has begun. He is saying the right things about his role on the team, but saying and doing are two different things.

The Pacers are the owners of the toughest schedule of any team in the NBA thus far. They have gone through a changing of the guard with the dispatch of O’Neal, and the emergence of Granger as a solid NBA talent who can put up points from the wing. TJ Ford has even won them a few games on his back.

Fresh off a home win against the Pistons, Indiana must be feeling good. Although Jack has replaced Ford in the starting 5, it was TJ who sparked the win against the Pistons with a solid 23pt 6reb 4ast game. In his last game against the Raptors, he had a poor showing, but this can be attributed to the excitement of coming back to the ACC for the first time. I imagine tonight will be his redemption. He might even start, which would

The Raptors? They lost 3 in a row. They suck, and there is no reason to think otherwise, it’s not Alice Fine. It seems they are tanking their way to the lottery, and I’m good with that. Hopefully some rash moves aren’t made in the meantime that will set AltRaps on a murderous rampage. seriously, I’d be afraid of him if he gets mad, big dude.

“I made the mistake of picking my dribble up after he cut off the baseline,” Bosh said. “It’s not going to be the last time we’re in a situation like that, or I’m in a situation like that. You just learn from it and keep going.”

Learn? He does this all the time. He picks up his dribble all the time in favour of jacking a jumper. I’ve learned he hasn’t learned not to do this.

The Match-up

Solomon vs Jack
The Edge: Toronto – Solomon has been a pleasant surprise since JC went down. He has played under control, taken relatively good shots and has minimized his jump-passing. Maybe I’m just settling here because Roko can’t play a full game (30+ min) yet, but he hasn’t been frustrating me as much as he used too. Jack on the other hand has been a bit of a disappointment for me since leaving Georgia Tech. He’s not a bad player by any stretch, but he isn’t great, he’s just good. Solomon should be able to take him off the bounce, and Roko should have no problem dropping the tear drop over him in the paint.

Parker vs Dunleavy
The Edge: Indiana – Dunleavy is coming into his own. I’m a big fan of him, the kid has talent, makes good decisions and is a match-up nightmare at the 2, Parker will have his hands full, there is no doubt. I predict a huge game for Dunleavy (25+pts 8+rebs 5+ast). Sending a double will open up Granger for even better looks. Parker will have to stay at home on Dunleavy, and not allow him to open space for Granger. This is a key match-up for this game.

Moon vs Granger
The Edge: Indiana – Granger was G*d awful last game at the ACC. He missed a ton of shots and effectively took himself out of the game. This wont be the case again. As good as Moon has recently played, Granger has played loads better. The wing spot is going to kill the Raptors tonight, especially if Ford (or Jack if he doesn’t start) is on. Dribble penetration galore.

Bosh vs Murphy
The Edge: Toronto* – The asterik is because Murphy grabbed 87 rebounds the last time around, his offense was limited, but he hit the boards something fierce. This will be even more crucial at home since they are fresh off a win and are feeling good about themselves. Bosh needs to make a huge commitment to boxing out and crashing the boards tonight. 10 boards isn’t going to cut. He needs to grab 12+. A good way to take Murphy out of the game is for him not to shoot it, but drive to the rack, every single freaking time. Also, don’t forget NOT to pick up your dribble when a lane closes, you’re an Olympian, you can figure something.

Bargnani vs Foster
The Edge: Toronto* – Another asterisk, since Foster has been a Raptor killer as far back as I can remember. Active bigs who run around and crash the boards, with little regard to having plays called for them kil the Raps. I expect Voshkul and Hump to contribute in this department during relief time. The good news is that with VL on the perimeter, he will keep Foster away from the boards. Bargs has been doing a pretty decent job on the defensive boards as well, a real commitment needs to be made here.

The Line

VegasInsider.com has the spread at Indiana -4.0 with an o/u of 213.5. Safe bet here.

The Prediction

Pacers. Raptors probably should win given their advantage up front, but dribble penetration and the wings are going to kill us tonight.

Come join us at Philthy’s tonight for Raptor Fan Friday’s, and you might even catch Arse dancing on the table after he gets jacked up on jalepeno poppers.

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