Why the Raptors stood pat, why fans are upset, and what’s next | Getting Benched
If the Raptors are bounced in the first round for a third-straight time, then you have to question the wisdom of devoting half the cap to the two-man core of Lowry and DeRozan. And if you decide against that, then where is this team really going?
This is doomsday thinking, but it’s not wholly unreasonable. Fans deny it now, but half the franchise was out on Lowry after how he played in the playoffs last season. Sentiments soured, too, on what to do with DeRozan’s expiring contract. The two went on to have career years to quiet those feelings, but there isn’t some unshakeable faith in the core.
Hell will be raised if they fail a third time.
Raptors should consider lineup change | TSN
Outside of his unexpectedly efficient three-point marksmanship, an area of his game that has remained consistent throughout the campaign, his production has dipped across the board. A pleasant surprise early in the season, the nine-year vet was averaging 10.3 points and 6.1 rebounds on 47 per cent shooting prior to Jan. 1. Since then, he’s hitting just 40 per cent of his shots and those numbers have fallen to 7.7 and 3.9 respectively. However, the biggest area of concern is on the defensive end. The Raptors are allowing a whopping 113.8 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor in 2016. They’re surrendering just 97.5 without him over that span.
With that in mind, many would ask why didn’t Masai Ujiri and company try to find an upgrade at the deadline? The answer remains the same: they did try, aggressively in fact, but the asking price for the players on their wish list was too great to justify pulling the trigger. So they didn’t and here we are.
Raptors grind out victory over Memphis Grizzlies | Toronto Star
“Whenever you see you’re going to play Memphis it’s going to be a grind-it-out game, that’s the type of team they are. That’s the type of team they’ve been for a long time,” he said.
“When you get closer to the post-season, defences start to clamp down. Good teams, winning teams, play good defence. As the post-season approaches I feel like there are going to be a lot of games like that.”
“It’s a good win for us, just in general,” Lowry said. “(Snapping) a two-game losing streak, to get back off of that, we just have to continue to get better and worry about the Knicks.”
Raptors avoid falling into rut, top Grizzlies | Toronto Sun
But player of the game Cory Joseph had a second-straight superb outing for the Raptors, including two huge three-pointers. One gave the Raptors momentum, as it came at the first-quarter buzzer, the second extended the lead to 10 points with 1:09 remaining in the game and stuck a fork in the plucky visitors.
“He is doing a great job and we are happy he is here,” Casey said of Joseph’s continued development and improvement.
“He is getting better at something, especially late in the game, because he is in crunch time (and) defensively, he is a godsend.”
Casey had wanted his team to take advantage of playing at home for the first time in three weeks, a franchise record for time away, due to all-star break preparations. The team did just that, winning its eighth-straight in Toronto.
Raptors have more important things to worry about than Vince Carter’s return | Sportsnet.ca
It was a two-point game midway through the third quarter before Toronto pushed it to double figures at the end of the third. Toronto can’t do these things the easy way, however. Memphis cut the Raptors’ lead to five with 1:44 left – Carter did his part with a season-high 16 points – before Cory Joseph, who grew up watching Carter star with the Raptors, drilled a decisive three to push the lead to 10 with 1:09 left. Joseph had 14 off the bench for Toronto, who were led by Kyle Lowry’s 18 points and seven assists and DeMar DeRozan’s 21 points, including 9-of-10 from the stripe.
It was an important win in that it settled things down after the trade deadline came and went without the Raptors making any moves to bolster a club that’s firmly in control of the second seed in the Eastern Conference, but shadowed by last season’s fall.
Having lost games on either side of the all-star break, keeping a slump from becoming a slide was essential. Job done as they head to New York Monday and then return for a seven-game homestand.
Raptors scrap with Grizzlies, get 98-85 win | Raptors HQ
While those three starters continued their tear, the deterioration of Luis Scola and James Johnson continued, threatening the Raptors at various points. Johnson was a miserable 1-for-6 in this game and for a long stretch, Scola had taken more shots than anyone on the floor, finishing just 3-for-11. After getting popped in the eye with a stray elbow in the first quarter, he was forced to leave for an extended period, which actually helped Toronto. Patrick Patterson had just 11 points tonight, but his +23 speaks both to Scola’s poor play and his effectiveness in lineups with DeRozan and Lowry. Ironically, if the Raptors continue to win in games where Patterson proves his worth, the rotation will probably stay the same.
Final Score: Grizzlies Fall To Toronto Raptors, 98-85 | Grizzly Bear Blues
With Gasol being out, the Grizzlies interior defense was definitely lacking, and they allowed the Raptors to grab 9 offensive rebounds. In the third quarter, things remained tight as the Grizzlies kept the game within a couple of possessions but couldn’t grab the lead. With less than 5 minutes to go in the quarter, Kyle Lowry drained a three to put Toronto up by 8. The Grizzlies found themselves down 10 going into the fourth quarter. The Grizzlies were shooting 38% from the field going into the fourth. Mike Conley really struggled tonight and was only 2-11 from the field, but Mario Chalmers had 17 points himself. In the end the Grizzlies’ interior defense and not being able to convert in the paint really hurt them.
Grizzlies fall to Raptors in Lance Stephenson’s debut | Commercial Appeal
Despite Conley’s offensive struggles, the Griz had a chance to put pressure on the Raptors with two minutes left to play. Stephenson missed a layup attempt that would have made it a one-possession game.
The Raptors tacked on two free throws and benefited from a Cory Joseph 3-pointer after a Carter miss from just inside the 3-point arc.
Toronto took a 95-85 advantage with just a minute remaining.
The Griz were competitive mainly due to their defensive intensity. Toronto was shooting just 42 percent from the field through three quarters.
Memphis all but wiped out a 12-point first-half deficit and trailed 46-43 at halftime.
Toronto Raptors get back on track vs Grizzlies | Raptors Cage
Offense: A-
The Raptors were able to put up close to 100 points against a traditionally good defensive team. After a poor first-half in which the Raptors committed 8 turnovers, they tightened up and only committed 4 turnovers the rest of the game. Through penetration and kick-outs, they created great shots. Unfortunately, the Raptors were only able to knock down 7 of their 28 attempted threes. But they still put up 98 points on a grind-it-out offensive night.
Years later, ex-Raptor Vince Carter’s still soaring | Toronto Sun
Carter only makes one trip a year to the ACC these days and it’s possible he will only be back one more time, with only one more year on his contract with the Grizzlies (Carter has said he wants to play two more though, giving him an even 20 campaigns in the NBA).
He was busy with his family last weekend, which was why he didn’t attend all-star weekend.
Carter remains Toronto’s franchise leader in points per game (23.4), player efficiency rating (21.8) value over replacement player (22.9) and winning percentage (.498).
Sunday marked Carter’s 15th regular-season game here as a visitor, though he had not scored in double-figures at Toronto in five years, before dropping a season-best 16 on the Raptors.
Raptors-New York Knicks: Monday game preview | Toronto Star
Key matchup:Luis Scola vs. Kristaps Porzingis.
Luis Scola has seen it all in his 35 years, but there are very few that possess the total package of problems that Kristaps Porzingis will throw at him on Monday. The seven-foot-three 20-year-old loves to get to the basket and the contact that it creates. When that isn’t there, he’s more than capable of stepping back to shoot the three. Add in the almost two blocks a game he gets and the Latvian is problematic on just about every inch of the court.
Raptors at New York Knicks: Preview & 3 keys to victory | Raptors Rapture
The Knicks’ bench isn’t much to brag about. They have scraped together some kids (Jerian Grant, Cleanthony Early, who’s out for an extended period after being shot(!) in the knee), retreads (Lou Amundson, Derrick Williams, Kevin Seraphin), D-League “graduates” (Langston Galloway, Jimmer Fredette, if he signs in time)…not much to build on.
Yet the Knicks manage to hang around a lot of games. It’s rather silly to say they have taken on the personality of their coach; Rambis just got there. But he was perhaps the least talented player I’ve ever seen enjoy a lengthy career in the NBA. He hustled, tipped passes, battled on the boards (like Dennis Rodman, Rambis seldom shot after pulling down an offensive rebound), and his teams won.
NBA Preview – Toronto Raptors at New York Knicks – Feb 22, 2016 | CBSSports.com
New York outrebounded Minnesota 51-31 and led by 24 in the fourth quarter en route to giving interim coach Kurt Rambis his first win in three games since taking over for the fired Derek Fisher.
Anthony’s sore knee seems to be improving as the All-Star forward is averaging 28.3 points and 10.3 rebounds while playing at least 37 minutes in the last three games. He’s played well when he’s been able to go against Toronto, scoring 30.6 per game over his last seven meetings.
“Whatever I got to do to get these wins up I’m going to do it,” Anthony said.
Anthony finished with 25 points to key a 111-109 win at Toronto on Nov. 10 before having to sit out last month’s meeting when Arron Afflalo scored 20 in a 103-93 loss north of the border.
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