Raptors could be the only team standing between the Cavs and the Finals | The Washington Post
More than just a collection of individual talents, the Raptors have proven their mettle against the best teams in the league. Toronto is currently 19-10 against teams with a winning record. Only San Antonio and Golden State have been better. The Raptors have taken two of three against the Cavs, defeated the Spurs in their only meeting thus far and have played the Warriors competitively on both occasions, falling by three at home, and only five in Oracle Arena (where the Warriors are obliterating even the best competition, with a +15 Net Rating in home games against teams better than.500).
Perhaps most impressively, Toronto is 11-2 at home against teams with winning records. This is where the Cavs’ recent wobbles may come into play. After Tuesday’s win over Utah, the Raptors sit only two games behind Cleveland for top seed in the East. The Cavaliers themselves are 11-4 against teams with winning records at home.
If the struggles continue for LeBron and Co., the Raptors could seize home-court advantage. That combined with a return of Carroll could be just enough to make Toronto a legitimate threat to reach the NBA Finals.
Raptors’ backcourt of Lowry and DeRozan just that good | Toronto Sun
So even when the night began with a question about his two cornerstones, Casey was more interested in talking about the poor start and the roller-coaster he sees his team living on some nights, even nights when Lowry and DeRozan are a two-man wrecking crew.
This is not to lay the blame on Casey. If all he talks about post-game is what a great backcourt he has, he’s not doing his job.
But the Raptors starting backcourt has been so good all season, we’ve almost come to expect 20 and 30 point nights out of each.
Within the locker room, though, no one looks anywhere but at this duo first and that’s one of the reasons they have consistently been as successful as they have.
Raptors’ James Johnson gives foot woes the boot | Toronto Star
“It’s not going to go away, there’s nothing you can do about it . . . (I) just keep it on there to keep my foot at a certain angle,” Johnson said after a lengthy workout at the Biosteel Centre on Thursday.
“It just feels better. It doesn’t get tight, it stays stretched and when I’m in the game, I don’t feel it at all. I’m just wearing it for cautionary reasons.”
The nagging pain hasn’t had a deleterious impact on Johnson’s play, and the last thing he’d ever do is use it as any kind of excuse. He’s still the team’s toughest and most versatile wing defender.
“One thing James has been doing is guarding the best offensive player on the other team,” coach Dwane Casey said. ”Offensively . . . if he has an open shot he’s got the green light to take it, but his job is to come in and slow down the opposing three-man or the opposing big two.
“He’s got a very difficult job and I’ve told him that numerous times. You go from not playing to a role of coming in to be a defensive stopper. He has a difficult job but that’s his role.”
@normanpowell4 came to play tonight #WeTheNorth
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James Johnson Watch Week 19: What do the numbers say? | Raptors HQ
Did James Johnson Play?
Johnson got tangled up in 49 minutes this past week, which means if you took the under, you’re a winner. (Your prize is in the mail.) As for the rest of us, the abstainers or the people who took the over, it’s hard not to sense a certain lack in Johnson’s game as of late.
At times it feels like Johnson was genetically designed to slow down a player like LeBron James. Do you remember anything non-Kyle Lowry related from Friday’s game? Johnson put in five points on Sunday night in the Detroit disaster show. Do you remember it? I was at the Utah game last night and Johnson scored one bucket. But I do not remember it.
Things are not going great.
Raptors Notebook: Joseph, Valanciunas, Ross go to work ahead of Friday’s big game | Sportsnet.ca
Pass it on
Toronto’s offence would be far more effective if the quality of their passes was better, and, based off of Thursday’s drills, the Raptor coaches clearly recognize that. They were charting the quality of passes made under duress. Was the pass on target? Did the recipient have to move to catch the ball and reset or was it in their natural shooting motion?
Bad passes are often only noticed when they lead to a turnover, but a poor timed or directed pass can lead to a shot missed or worse a potential shot not taken. The Raptors assists to pass percentage adjusted (percentage of passes that lead to assist, free throws, or secondary assists) is just 8.2, tied with Philadelphia for third-worst in the league. No coincidence Golden State leads the league with 12.7% to go with they’re equally impressive league leading 29.1 assist per game. Toronto is second-last in the league in assists with just 18.5 assists per game.
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Five Minutes of Fun with Lucas Nogueira after a win over the Jazz | Raptors HQ
Afterwards, Casey called the move a calculated gamble — which is an adorable understatement — and stressed that old coach’s mantra to all young players: be ready. And while no one would call Bebe a particularly consistent player (he did get called for a three second violation and got a lucky break after clubbing Utah’s Gordon Hayward on a drive), his length and, let’s call it, bounciness gave the Raptors a different look on the night. (It’s telling, for example, that later in the game in a similar fast-break situation, Lowry threw the ball up to Valanciunas who made a half-hearted grab for it as it sailed into the stands.)
“Of course, I’m always ready because you never know when your number is going to be called,” said Nogueira post-game with his usual exuberance. “I felt so happy to get in the game and do the best that I can and change the game a little bit.”
5 free agency destinations for DeMar DeRozan | Fansided
Outside of the Raptors, the Lakers seem to be the team most committed to going after DeRozan, stating that they will be offering him a max contract when he becomes a free agent. All other teams on this list are tied for a distant third behind the Raptors and Lakers.
The reason for all the interest is that DeRozan was born and raised in L.A. He even spent his one year of college as a Trojan at the University of Southern California.
With Kobe Bryant retiring at the end of the season, who better to be the next face of the franchise than the local boy that is already a proven NBA talent? The Lakers would definitely have the money available to pay for the maximum contract.
The downside of going home to L.A.? The team is years away from being contenders, a story that DeRozan has already lived through as a Raptor. It will be years of waiting to see if first-round picks will live up to their potential with no guarantees.
However, if DeRozan could one day bring a championship back to L.A., he would be a legend right alongside Kobe.
Raptors-Portland Trail Blazers: Friday game preview | Toronto Star
Key matchup:Damian Lillard vs. Kyle Lowry.
It’s even a bit bigger than simply a key matchup, since Lowry and DeRozan and Portland’s Lillard and McCollum are generally considered the two most explosive backcourts in the league if you take Golden State out of the equation. It could be an exquisite game of two-on-two.
Did I miss something? Send me any Raptors-related article/video/anything: rapsfan@raptorsrepublic.com
