pass happy Raptors rolling into 2013 on a huge roll

The Raptors after squashing the Magic in Orlando by 35 (123-88) are heading into 2013 on a huge roll winning 7 of their last 8 games and headed into the new year with a 11-20 record which is impressive after starting 4 and 19. The huge turn around is that the Raptors are sharing the ball as they had 33 assists against the Magic on 46 made field goals and it starts with the point guards moving the ball around and find the open guy as Jose Calderon had 10 assists and even Kyle Lowery had 6 assists in the game but they were not the only ones picking up dimes as the rest of the team picked up 17 which is one less than the Magics team who had a total of 18. The passing of the ball was so contagious that 10 of the Raptors 12 players who found floor time and it lead to 56% shooting from the floor and over 55% from beyond the arc as they took 27 threes and made 15 because they found the open shot so they got a lot of clean threes which are the right three attempts in my books. With the Raps happy on offensive as everyone is sharing the rock right now they have taken that positive and taken it to their defensive possessions so that they are willing to take one for the team and make it as hard as possible for the opponents to score. They kept the Magic under 44% and they have shrink points allowed a game to almost 100 points and their defensive play have taken the second worst points (29) against to 21st in the league. It also helps to have only 9 turnovers compared to 33 assists and it is a style of game that will keep the Raptors on the right track as long as they fell it is important to stay with the Dwayne Casey program as this is the style of game Casey has been trying to get the Raps to play in their first 97 games with him as head coach. DeMar DeRozen has decided to go back to taken the ball to the hoop and he went to the line 8 times against the Magic after going to the line 11 times against the Hornets and he ended up leading the team in points with 24. Ed Davis put up 18 points and took down 7 of the Raps 44 boards which was second to Landry Fields who had 9 boards to go with a 3 for 3 night from the floor and 6 points. Terrence Ross had 16 points and went 6 of 10 from the floor and 4 of 5 from beyond the arc and the point guards also put up points as Lowery went 6 of 12 from the floor with 2 threes and 2 free throws for 16 points while Jose Calderon went 6 of 10 from the floor with 2 threes and a free throw for 15 points. Canadian Andrew Nicholson lead the Magic with 22 points and second on the team with 8 boards and was the shining star for the lost Magic Tom Mehegan