Linkage - April 12
For starters, the Raptors have to find a way to start games with a greater sense of urgency and purpose.
When the playoffs tip off next weekend, likely in Orlando or Detroit, the Raptors can’t afford to be in an early deficit.
In addition, the Nets never showed a willingness to attack the paint or get to the foul line, contributing factors that allowed the Raptors to take control en route to a 113-85 win.
The Raptors still can’t run shooters off the three-point line, but they at least became more committed as the evening unfolded, downright stifling in the third quarter when the game swung in Toronto’s favour.
Toronto’s once moribund bench came to life, a hopeful note as the Raptors try to tap into their depth, led by Carlos Delfino’s shooting and Jose Calderon’s calmness.
Andrea Bargnani, who appears more comfortable as a sixth man, even battled under the boards, keeping possessions alive and getting to the foul line as Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell starts to settle in on an eight-man rotation.
But Toronto’s win, coupled with its victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, must be put into context.
Neither team is very good and the Nets entered the night clinging to the faintest of playoffs hopes, needing a win and an Atlanta loss to stave off elimination.
"We just know we have to play defence,” Bosh said. "We have to play tight. We know that offensively we are going to make shots, but we have to make stops."
With Philly losing, the Raptors move into that attractive No. 6 seed because they hold the tiebreaker over the 76ers.
"That’s the best position for us to be in,” T.J. Ford said of the sixth slot. "Detroit has the experience and they know what it takes. You would rather go against somebody with the same amount of playoff experience as yourself.
"Chris put up big numbers against Orlando. If you look at the things that he’s been able to do against Orlando, I would take that every time."
No doubt, Bosh’s coach Sam Mitchell is behind his captain in a big way. With three regular-season games left, the Raptors are fighting to stay out of seventh place in the Eastern Conference standings. A seventh-place finish means a first-round playoff matchup against the perennially powerful Detroit Pistons, and an almost certain first-round elimination. Moving up to sixth will mean a tilt against the less-intimidating Orlando Magic, although Toronto would still be underdogs to win that series.
In any event, a first-round series loss very well could spell the end for Mitchell as head coach. GM Bryan Colangelo fully expected his team to improve from last season’s opening-round loss to the Nets, and failing to do that could mean Mitchell’s exit, deservedly or not.
Remember, even though it was Colangelo who signed Mitchell to a new contract last year, he really didn’t have a choice because you cannot not rehire the NBA Coach of the Year. But in reality, Mitchell was never Colangelo’s man, so to speak. He was here before Colangelo rode in from Phoenix.
So while it’s Bosh pleading with the fans for some help, you know Mitchell is quietly cheering him on.
But for all the good they did offensively last night, if they didn’t start stopping people and didn’t make a nearly imperceptible change in a defensive strategy, they might be talking today about another bad loss to a team below them in the standings.
"Guys were ready to get out of their slump and that’s everybody," T.J. Ford said after the Raptors shredded Carter and the Nets 113-85 at the Air Canada Centre. "I thought we shot the ball well, we were aggressive, that’s what we need in these next three games to lead us into the playoffs with a lot of confidence and a lot of swagger."
"We can’t play much better defence than we did from the second quarter on," said coach Sam Mitchell. "They were hurting us with the screen and roll so we just adjusted how we were going to play it and the guys did a good job."
"The focus for us has to just be to win and where we end up, we end up but we’ve just got to try to win ball games, regardless of the situation or the circumstances or what other teams are doing," said Anthony Parker.
"Carlos is important to what we do and when he scores, and Andrea scores, it makes it easier for us," said Mitchell.
"What Andrea forgets sometimes is he may have a smaller guy on him, he’s quick enough with the ball to drive by those guys."
Isn’t it up to the Raptors, who’d lost 11 of their past 16 games heading into last night, to give the loyalists a reason to cheer? Bosh answered in the negative.
"That’s sad," he said. "No matter what happens, we still qualified (for the playoffs) and we still have a chance to finish over .500. . . . Why should people shy away just because we’ve had a tough month. That should be all the more reason to have more support and get us going some more."
So that’s what it’s come down to. The local $13 million man, in press conferences and in a homemade Internet video in which he urged fans to raise their voices, is telling folks not only to like this season of underachievement, but to revel in it, get wild about it, make a crazy ruckus despite it. Is he a moron? Is he immature? Is he an attention-starved narcissist? The answers are definitely not, probably a little and we’re beginning to wonder.
What’s certainly true is that Bosh, 24 and theoretically still learning, has failed to comprehend a fundamental law of the sporting universe. Just like the customer is always right, the fan is never wrong. And the fan, because he or she ultimately pays the bills, needs to be respected.
These past few days, Bosh has spent time romanticizing the rah-rah arenas in certain U.S. centres where, it’s alleged, teams are embraced in more than fair weather.
"We were crushing (the Pacers in Indianapolis) … and the fans stood up cheering, they had a standing ovation. And before you know it, they were down, like, two points," said Bosh. "Just that little boost can really help you."
It’s a grass-is-always-greener myth that Indiana’s fans haven’t forsaken their sorry outfit. The Raptors are ninth in the league in attendance, averaging crowds of 98.2 per cent capacity. Indiana is drawing a league-worst 12,016 this season, a 65 per cent occupancy rate. Even if the hard-core Hoosiers are yelling themselves hoarse, Bosh should be careful what he wishes for.
He should also take pains to make amends with a Toronto fan base that has been more than generous to him. A season ago, they were showering him in M-V-P chants that made it impossible to question the local fanaticism. And this year, though those chants have justifiably ceased in a season that’s been more dismal than hopeful, Bosh is still heartily embraced. How many people outside Toronto are bent on paying to see No.4 shoot jump shots? The Raptors are dead last in road attendance this year. So perhaps those rah-rah Americans are on to something.
"No matter what happened, if I played a good game or a bad game, you were going to be able to tell that I tried my best, and sometimes that’s all people want to see," said Bosh, who posted a video on YouTube yesterday inviting Raptors fans to bring more energy. "They want to see you trying to get every loose ball, rebounding the basketball. Sometimes a shot may not fall, but if they see the effort is there as opposed to lagging around and being lazy, they can appreciate that."
Whether it was Bosh’s admonition or the presence of Carter, there was no faulting the crowd last night.
Carter was booed. The "Let’s go, Raptors" chants were up early, as were the chants of "Defence, defence."
The only problem was that the Raptors never let the crowd get to the second D before one Net or another was slashing to the rim for a layup. The Raptors finally rewarded the crowd with a 14-2 run sparked by some old-fashioned hustle — always a crowd favourite — and some timely three-point shooting.
The high point came when Bosh dove out-of-bounds at midcourt to save a loose ball that led to one of Delfino’s four first-half triples as the Raptors went into the half on a roll and down by a basket.
The crowd loved that.
Still it worked out pretty well. The overall message I got was that he’s not at all happy with the way the season has gone so far; that he believes strongly in the team he put together, but is planning to be aggressive in off-season to add the pieces necessary to make it better. And Bargnani is still the apple of his eye.
Here’s a transcript:
If by game 79 you are imploring the fans to make noise — and you are not the Toronto Maple Leafs, playing zombie hockey in a corporate morgue — then you probably have bigger problems than the folks in the platinum seats.
"I think we’re a better basketball team than seventh place," Bosh said.
The evidence has often said otherwise, but he’s right today. The fifth-year star put himself on the line with his clumsy call for noise, and it could have backfired. But last night he played with passion and focus, and even committed an unusually firm foul on a driving Richard Jefferson in the third. It might have been the closest thing to a playoff-style foul this club has committed all year. Just in time.
That means if the Raptors win each of their remaining three games — at Detroit on Sunday, at home to Miami on Monday, and in Chicago on Wednesday — they can finish no worse than sixth spot.
"The ball is in our court. That is always a good feeling," Bosh said. "You don’t really have to do any scoreboard watching if you win games. That is more comfortable, and it is less pressure."
And in a display of toughness not seen in a while, the Raptors got to the free-throw line 37 times. Leading the way in that department: Bosh, and surprisingly, Andrea Bargnani, who mixed it up for 14 points.
"It was a good day," Bosh said. "I think it was a good day for everybody."
Nets Lose, Will Miss Playoffs For First Time Since ‘01
I really cannot stress how big these teams losing were, as with the Raptors game at Detroit, a probable loss, looming they really needed at least one of these teams to lose. Now all eyes are on tomorrow night’s 76ers-Wizards contest in D.C. which will play a huge role in determining the seeding in the East. This win means that even with a loss to Detroit tomorrow they will still be at worst only one game behind the #5 seed, with the Wizards having to travel to take on the Magic for the final game of the season and the 76ers having to face-off against the Cavs after their contest against the Wizards.
Looking ahead to the playoffs, he could be the difference between a series won and a series lost. You can shut down Jason Kapono, you can double Chris Bosh, you can contain Anthony Parker but if Bargnani seriously decides to be a factor, he has the ability to have a lasting impact in a 7-game series. If he plays like the way he’s been playing for 80% of the season, we’ll struggle, but if he can play inside-out, hit the offensive glass, try to take laterally slower players off the dribble, we might have a chance.
Colangelo’s claiming that Andrea Bargnani is the source of interest of every trade call he receives. That’s because teams think they’ll be getting him for 20 cents on the dollar, not because he’s a great talent. There might be many teams who are probably low-balling Colangelo with draft pick and fringe player offers for Bargnani hoping that this season is nothing but an anomaly. This is exactly what was happening to Joe Dumars when Darko was struggling. It’s hardly an endorsement of Bargnani as a player but an acknowledgment that hidden deep down in his Italian heart, there might be a spark that might be able to channel his ability into basketball greatness.
His latest video got me to thinking, cause it really pissed me off when he made the “funeral” comment last game. I understood where he was coming from, but I don’t think he appreciated the fans perspective. Jack Armstrong broke it down in the pre-game, it’s a 50-50 thing. They have to give the fans something to cheer for, and the fans have to cheer…a symbiotic relationship.
I’m glad he made the video though, I think he understood he didn’t communicate with us clearly enough. He manned up and made amends without saying sorry…Chuck Norris style. He needs that quality heading into the playoffs. Time to be an animal. Just like how he fouled Jefferson hard, not to hurt, but to send a message, and didn’t apologize. I like that shit…old school eastern conference badass styles.
Some things don’t happen very often. Total eclipses, Haley’s comet, a Knicks win. So that’s why when something extraordinary happens, you have to take notice. Tonight, the Raptors stepped up and played a solid game, playing like a team that just wanted it more than the other team they were playing. But that’s not the part that was so abnormal. No, that came as the Raptors got their asses served to them in the first quarter, but then MADE DEFENSIVE ADJUSTMENTS that actually worked, resulting in a complete shut down of the Nets.
It wasn’t just the Nets’ defense that failed them Friday. It was their whole game. The Raptors out-shot, out-rebounded and out-passed the Nets. Over the middle two periods, Toronto scored 65 points to the Nets’ 37.
Colangelo interview
Apr 12th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Nice post man.
The defense played tonight made me feel good, what are the chances we play like this in the playoffs?
Arsenalist’s last blog post..Refreshing defense leads Raps over Nets, but how long will it last?
Apr 12th, 2008 at 2:14 pm
I figure they step it up a bit in the playoffs. Question is, does our opposition.
I know your thoughts, Arsenalist, and it echoes with most people, but for some stupid strange messed up reason, I still think we beat Detroit but lose to Orlando. No real reason, just a gut feeling…and lord knows I have a gut.
Scott’s last blog post..Linkage - April 12
Apr 12th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
Oh, the nba…
Where VC15 NOT making the playoffs, happens.
Spudz’s last blog post..Earth Hour | March 29th 8pm
Apr 12th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
that’s some feeling dude. what a disaster that would be for the pistons. i can only see boston/cleveland beating them. everyone else will get run over.
as for orlando, 6 games and out. these teams have better systems then the raptors “make shots and play defense” style.
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