Raptors finish off season strong

The Toronto Raptors gave their fans an amazing season of basketball and actually show that a Raptors team can really play defense which is super amazing. They gave us a back out star in DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry took his game up to another level and will likely be taken his talents back south because he really needs his ESPN. It does end on a very soar note where the stripes came in and said this is who is winning today and the Raptors had a shot to shove it in their face down 104-103 with less than 7 seconds but Lowry got tagged teamed by KG and Pierce and was not able to get a shot off. DeRon Williams getting an extra chance on the court while Amar as soon as the refs realized he was a problem got fouls on him very quickly and got him out of the game as soon as possible and finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds in 22 minutes. While Lowry as soon as tip off had two fouls along with Jonas and Vasquez which changes the type of D the Raptors could play and even though it was 27-26 in fouls it was the timing of them. On another part the Raptors were unable to manhandle the second worst rebounds team in league and they would of but losing boards 42-38 and that was also timing issue because they got great stops buts the Nets would come with a board and fresh 24 and we were able to see the 24 unlike game one thanks ESPN. So back to the season Jonas and Ross had decent seasons and got seasoning in the playoffs and they did win more games than ever before (48) and they had their first winning record on the road (22-19) but the question is is the Raps able to actually repeat and have another chance at matching May 4, 2001 or will we not even see a May 4, 2014 for another while. It was a great season and hope and pray that Casey will be back but the Apple may be calling and with Lowry that apple maybe Rotten but I do hope that whoever is here that they continue playing that tough nose D. The stars of the playoffs are the Toronto Raptors fans and people in T.O. that did not believe that nothing other than a blue sweater with a leaf on it took notice of the fan support after being beating up by our own. So I believe in Masai I believe he can touch the sky Tom Mehegan

Raptors fans are finally receiving the respect they deserve

The Toronto Raptors fans have been told for seasons that they are not good enough by their own media because they supposedly don't boo the refs calls or do not cheer loud enough when the opponents take a timeout. Finally they are eaten the sushi at the beginning of the third quarter which is why the Raps suck huge in the third quarter and that is ridiculous to say the least. The 2014 playoffs has taught everyone is that Raptors fans can simply match up with another crowd in the league with the 20 thousands inside the Air Canada Centre are loud and proud and revived up even before the game has started and boo the Nets and cheer the dinos. That does not include the thousands outside of the Air Canada Centre braving the elements to watch on the big screen even when the Raps are in the borrow of Brooklyn to the point that coming into tonight's 115-113 Raps victory, which had a nightmare fourth quarter as the Raps were up 26 at one point, the Nets organization tweet their fans to watch and take notes of the Raptor's fan before coming to the game on Friday. It is not only the Nets that has taken notice as the other organizations and more importantly for the Raptors players The US Networks (TNT and ESPN) have taken notice and it was motivation of the Raps game 4 victory in Brooklyn as the Raptors origination piped in the seen outside the Air Canada Centre before they stepped out and evened the series at two. We The North is now a victory away from breaking through to the second round Tom Mehegan

Jonas Valanciunas a beast in first ever playoff game

Jonas Valanciunas was a beast against the Nets in his first ever playoff game and set a franchise record for rebounds with 18 and added 17 points and simply in position all 35 minutes on the floor to collect boards and put in the hoop on the offensive end. He should of most diffidently seen the floor a bit more maybe 3 or 4 minutes and it may of helped the Raps keep home court advantage 94-87 as the rest of the team was a bit stiff in the bright lights of the playoffs as DeMar went 3 of 13 but got to the line 8 times (14 points) and Kyle Lowry went 7 of 18 from the floor to get a team leading 22 points and also was second on the team with 7 boards. The Raps came out and could not hit a shot early and often as they only made 28 field goals on 71 shots (39.4%) and it was a lot worst in the first half and it was Jonas who kept it close at half only down 4 (50-46. The third quarter was interrupted by the shot clock and clock above the backboard going dead and they tried for 5 to 10 minutes to fix it and that extra intermission hurt the Raps as they came out flat after warming up and playing a few minutes and then a long cool down and then Herbie had to call went the shot clock (calling fresh 24), 10 seconds, and a 5 second count down to a buzzer that did not work the rest of the game. In the fourth quarter the Raps took a 76-75 lead with 5:15 left in the game and the Nets went on a 7-0 run to put the distance to seal the deal with DeRon Williams and Joe Johnson both had 24 points. It was hard for Terrance Ross to get his game in focus as he had only 16 minutes as he had two quick fouls in the first quarter and when he got in the second quarter he almost immediately got #3 and sat down til the second half were he pick up #4 quick and ended the game 1 of 4 from the floor and all from beyond the arc so he will need to take it more to the hope like most Raps will need to do as the team 33% of all shots from beyond the arc (23 of 71). Greivis Vasquez was bright spot off of the bench as he had 18 points of the benches 29 points which will need to be much better going into the second gam of the first round matchup between the Raps and the Nets. The strongest part of the game was the crowd which was simply amazing and was strong all game and the loudest Toronto crowd I have ever been apart of and that was amazing and that was inside the Air Canada Centre so u put that with the thousands outside building watching on the big screen look awesome. Game two Tuesday Tom Mehegan

Raptors ready for playoffs bring on Brooklyn

The Toronto Raptors Vs Brooklyn Nets is like Drake Vs Jay Z in that Drake is inexperience like the Raps and Jay-Z and the Nets has all experience going into this matchup. Drake's Raptors has only one edge in experience over Jay-Z's Nets and that is in coaching as Dwayne Casey has been their and done that as a coach as he came up with a defensive system that took down LBJ in the only time he lost a series in the 2011 NBA Finals when he was an assistant of the Dallas Mavericks while Nets coach Jason Kidd has done it on the court as he won with Casey in Dallas but he has not been there as a head coach. The Raptors are a younger/faster team that if they can push the ball against an older Nets would be the best way to win against the Nets. The D is very important in the playoffs and right now the Raps are waiting for the fourth quarter to play D and the Nets are a little bit better on D as they have guys like Paul Pierce and KG who have been there and down that in the playoffs. It will be up to DeMar DeRozan (22.4 points a game) to come in the clutch and battle through the none calls that happen in the playoffs and put up big numbers while Terrance Ross (39.5% from beyond the arc) hopefully has good games from beyond the arc and if it does not go lets hope drives to the hoop. Kyle Lowry needs to stay within himself and pass the ball to find the open guy first and taken his shot second and hopefully Jonas can handle the elbows and the hand slaps inside and is able to give as much as he receives and takes up the ball strong. Tyler Hansbrough, Patrick Patterson, Amir Johnson are tough on D and hack and slam the Nets and make them hurt for every point they get and Terrance Ross will need to be extremely tough against Deron Williams as he is the center piece for the Nets offence. The Raptors also need the loud and proud Saturday for a game at 12:30 and be as loud as any crowd in Toronto history and give the Nets everything they deserve as they want to be here and hope they enjoy the nightlife in Toronto Friday night and into early Saturday morning. The Raps hopefully wait til Saturday night to get their swagger on after they win game one. I am so excited to go to the ACC and see the Raps play in the playoffs Tom Mehegan

Raptors wins 21ST on the road

It took 19 seasons but the Raptors finally has a winning record on the road picking up their 21ST victory by beating the Milwaukee Bucks 102-98. The road have been very kind to the Raptors as they were the first team to beat OKC at home and the Mavericks and the Lakers road victories set the tune for the season as it was right after Rudy Gay was sent to Sacramento. It has been an exciting season for the Raptors and are 45-32 and are neck and neck with the Chicago Bulls who are also 45-32 and it will be huge 5 games to end the season to find out who will be the third seed. The Raptors have 3 home games (Sixers, Knicks, Bucks) and 2 road games (Pistons and Knicks) and the Bulls have 2 home games (Pistons and Magic) and have three read games (Timberwolves, Knicks, and Bobcats). The Raptors have four days before they face the Philadelphia Sixers on Wednesday which means guys like Amir Johnson and Kyle Lowry have extra days to heal up going to the playoffs. While Dwayne Casey gets three days to refresh the team on the concept of playing 48 minute D game as once again @ the Bucks the Raps took off the second quarter as the Bucks outscored them 15 points (34-19). Greivis Vasquez had a season high 26 points in the game to lead the Raptors while DeMar DeRozan had 15 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter. It is still scary that the Raptors take a third of all their shots from beyond the arc which could hurt them in the playoffs Tom Mehegan

Will The Raptors be ready for the playoff

The Toronto Raptors who equaled the franchise record for most road victories (20) and with 8 games left in the 2013-14 season they are equal with the Chicago Bulls (42-32) for third in the Eastern Conference. The Raptors will diffidently need to play a 48 minute game and right now they are lucky to play shutdown D in just over half a game. The Raptors put up maybe their biggest fight of the season against the Miami Heat tonight in a 93-83 loss which was a lot closer than the final score indicated as the Heat got a lot of chances from the line to get back in the game as the Raps were up 10 half way through the second quarter and in the first half the Heat got 15 free throws while the Raps got 3 of them. In the second half the Heat and Raptors both had 7 free throws and the Raps down double digits they fought back to a 3 point game and that was without Kyle Lowry did not play the fourth quarter as LBJ came down after taken down a board and completely wiped out Lowry who was holding his knee. I believe that Lowry as he working for a big payday is a warrior and will continue to play through the pain just like Amir Johnson has been doing all season. Patrick Patterson came back and played for the first time in a long time and played 8 minutes and was great addition to the lineup. The Raptors were last in the playoffs in '08 and only four players are left in the NBA from the team and none are left on the Raps and DeRozan was about to receive his high school diploma. So the Raps are inexperienced but they will get some experience and if they are able to hold off the Bulls for third and the Brooklyn Nets (2 behind) for the Atlantic division. It will be up to guys like DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry to lead the offence for the Raptors while Terrence Ross will need to be the shutdown defender against their opponent. While the Raps will need guys off the bench give the team a push while the starters get a blow on the bench and hopefully Dwayne Casey will put together a great game plan just like he did with the Mavs and got a NBA title which is hard to do. Then it will be up to the players to get the job done. Hopefully there are still good times for the Raptors Tom Mehegan

Raptors fans get bad rap

Toronto Raptors in their 19TH season have had a few high points in the franchise's history like the '07 season that came of nowhere and the Atlantic division title or actually win a playoff series against the Knicks in '01 which was followed by a missed shot by Vince Carter that would of taken the Raps to face the Milwaukee Bucks in the eastern finals. They set records for 3-balls on March 13, 2005 with 21 made against the Sixers and Donyell Marshall made 12 which is still a league (tied with Kobe). The Raptors hold a record of hitting a 3-ball in 986 straight games and VC all over ESPN with his dunk performance and let's one of the greatest Raptor's victory in front of 43 thousand plus and given MJ and the Bulls a L at the Skydome in the '96-'97 season when the Bulls only lost 10 games all season. Then there are the lows like Kobe going off for 81 (January 22, 2006) and in the Stoudmaire years the Raptors missed all their free throws til late in a game and ended making only 1 in a regular season game. Let's not also forget a guy like B.J. Armstrong (Raps first expansion draft player) and Alonzo Mourning (traded to the Raps for VC and only wanted to go back to south beach), Antonio Davis and the Canadian school system, and getting nothing for Mighty mouse, T-Mac, and Chris Bosh. Also losing season after season while watching VC roll around on the time after time for parts of four seasons and always scraping the bottom of barrow for Jamario Moon, Carlos Rogers, and mister triple-double himself Ben Uzoh. Then there is a guy like Alvin Robertson who helps the Raptors win their first game in franchise history and days later is arrested at a hotel for beating up his girlfriend. So with that all said the Raptors fans have hung in there season after season putting the Raptors very high on per game attendants since the beginning so if they want to boo VC (they can), if the other team star player gets a star call and they are like we know (that is perfectly fine), if they want to boo the Raps or just sit there (they can just look at the hockey team). When the game is there for the taken they will get behind the team and get as loud as possible and will applaud and boo what and when they want. So if the announcers want to get on the fans for not booing when Darian Durant gets a star call or get ALL OVER the refs for a bad call they need to focus on the game because just like when the players bark at officials instead of playing the game the bottom line is your going to lose the game for yourself not the stripes. The Raptors hopefully enjoy the playoffs and the professionals focus on winning the game leave everything else alone Tom Mehegan

The Raptor\s Raptor is back

The Toronto Raptors will welcome back "the Raptor" (a.k.a.) on Sunday which brings his 5 month rehab full circle as he will finally be able to stand on that court that he blew an Achilles in a meaningless preseason game. So he shed his blood, sweat, and tears to get back to a point where he can get back to entertaining the Raptor fans, who show up every night and are told your not real fans, and will get a much better response than Andrei Bargnani who last season battled from injury and the fans just wanted him to stay away. It will be a great family day on Sunday when the Raps play the Atlanta Hawks and the Raptor who in bodies the Raptors toughness will be front and center even if he can not jump, fly, or anything really athletic right now it will be a great way to go down the stretch of the 2013-14. First they have to deal with the very angry OKC thunder who beat them in OKC at the end of 2013 Tom Mehegan

The Raptors need to cut down on their amount of lapes in the game

The Toronto Raptors are solid on D and are 6 games over .500 (32-26) and are 6-2 in their last 8 games but they will need to more mentally strong as like the other 29 NBA teams they have ups and downs in the game. The only problem is that when they hit the bottom of downs they can not fix the problem and the Raps allow 30 plus points in a quarter like last night against the wizards when they put up 36 points in the second quarter in a game that went three overtimes that they lost 134-129. Against the Bulls and gave up 31 points in the first quarter and the Bulls averaged 92 points a game and were down 10 after 12 minutes and battled back could never fight all the way back to win as they fell 94-92 in what felt like a playoff game. So by the time the playoffs happen the Raptors desperately need to figure out how to bounce back a lot quicker when they go flat because 12 minute ball will make sure you are laughed and the Raps have been laughed at for years. So a minute or two here and there is fine and will help hopefully double their playoffs series victory before they meet one of the two real teams in the Pacers or the heat. Dwayne Casey has a lot of teachable moments that he can use in video down the stretch as they do more video work and walk throughs instead of practices as the Players will need more rest so they do not ware down before the playoff starts anf allow Casey to show a different way of teaching his players and make him a better all around coach. Terrence Ross shutdown D will be huge in a playoff situation while Kyle Lowry if he continues to play within himself he will be more desirable to the rest of the league so he can go back south while laughing all the way to the bank. DeMar DeRozan will need to learn when to pass up a shot for someone else's better shot as he will be smothered by the opponents with double and triple teams and will need the three-pointing Lowry, Ross, along with Patterson, Salmons, and Vasquez off the bench. The Raptors D will be a strong point going into the playoffs with 5 guys on the floor knowing what to do on the very important defensive end Tom Mehegan s

Raptors all-star break report card

Raptors 28-24 third in the eastern conference Offence B The office has been very good lead by DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry who is completely different player since his buddy Rudy left town especially in the fourth quarter where they close to the top in points differential in the final quarter. The mark would be much higher if they started games like they finish them but instead they can easily be looking at a double digit hole that they work really hard to get out of and usually succeed at it. Sharing the rock A+ They are middle of the pack in assists (20.9) but since Rudy left it has been more like 23-24 a game with everybody sharing the ball and assists just fall out of the sky and it is all lead by Kyle Lowry who is close to a double-double every night. The assists are opening a lot of chances to get easy baskets and no one is afraid to give up the ball because if they get themselves into scoring position they will get the ball back. 3-balls D The three-ball is something they will live and die by as they take too many instead of pushing the ball down low for more paint points and yes I know that with the extra passes they are getting clean shots but high 20s or low 30s attempt wise it is a little too much and costs victories. Free throws B The Raptors are shooting 77% from the charity strip but some games they just come out flat and build plenty of houses as they throw brick after brick some games I think Dwight Howard would be a better shooter on a given night and it has also lost them games. offensive rebounds A They are sitting 6Th in the league with 12 a game lead by Jonas and Amar and that is very good but sometimes they are not willing to fight for them and get push out of the way which is not good. Defensive A++++++++++++ The D when the team can not shoot to save their lives will keep them into the games with additions like Patterson, Salmons, and even Hayes help keep the games manageable and with the Raps fourth in the league with 96.9 points against it is easy to see how the D leads to the O that brings home the bacon. Rebounds A They are seventh in the league in allowing only 41.3 boards a game while taken 43.4 a game which is a plus 2 on the boards Opponents shooting B+ They are top 10 in opp shooting (44%) and it is all made possiable by the switching, hustling back on D, getting in the shooter's face and not leaving them open for easy shots (36.7% 3-balls). At Home C They have started to demand respect winning like 6 in a row at home they are 14-10 and have given away games on their own floor which the better teams do not do. The do have 17 of their last 30 at the ACC which is something they should take advantage of. On the road A For a franchise that has a franchise high 17 road wins and never a winning record on the road 500 28 road games in is impressive (14-14) with wins in Denver, OKC, Utah, and Milwaukee all places they have not been successful. They look like a team that plays better on the road so if they can play strong on the road as well as at home they should be tough for however theyplay in the first round. Dwayne Casey B Casey has guys willing to play his way and it makes him look better and makes it easiler to make the right decision in a game. Raptors are solid heading into the dress rehearsal for the playoffs Tom Mehegan

Raptors need to earn respect

The Toronto Raptors like in the past believe that they are disrespected and demand the ref give them the "respect" calls that the elite franchises get and this past week in Sacramento against the Kings was no different. So in a game that be the difference between a winning and losing road trip the Raptors decide that will be good houseguests to Rudy Gay and his new teammates while former tenants got to remember how it felt living in Sacramento for three quarters and were down 20 large. Then in the fourth the Raptors with 28.5 seconds left with a Kyle Lowry 3-ball would of cut it to two with the meter still running most likely a foul but it goes the other way and Lowry is called for a flop and three is wiped out and he is T up and tossed from the game and the Kings go on to A 109-101 VICTORY. I agree that the Refs were putting on a show for the new boss Adam Silver who was at his first game since becoming the new commissioner of the NBA and yes the King got 51 free throws and the Raps only got 24 of them but was the Raptors style of play and more to the point lack of play that cost them the game and the winning road trip. If the Raps had stuck to the game plan of pounding that rock against the second worth % D in the paint then it would been a victory no matter what the refs decide to do and on D they were screen doors as DeMarcus Cousins (25 points and 10 boards) an Rudy Gay (24 and 10) used and abused the Raps and did not look like the 16 win team that they came into the game like. So the Raptors half the game the fouls would of been more even as they have played games where the opponents had a huge free throw advantage and by the end of the game it was pretty even because they stuck to the game plan and executed it. So the Raptors are playing like an above average Eastern conference team and have deserved some respect from stripes and I believe for the most part they have gotten what they deserve so if they play more of the game at a higher energy they will be taken the game out of the refs hands. Raptors have the first invasion of the pelicans of New Orleans and the Nuggets both at home before the all-star weekend and could get some respect by closing the pre-all-star break on a two-game winning streak Tom Mehegan

Raptors breaking old habits with ig D

The Toronto Raptors started a 5 game western road trip in the city of horrors for them Denver against the Nuggets where they had not won since late 2004 when Chris Bosh (Raptors) and Carmelo Anthony (Nuggets) were rookies and since then the Raptors lost 8 straight games in the mile high city to an average tune of 17 points and included Sam Mitchell and Jay Triano coached their last games as Raps head coaches there. It was also the sight of Julian Wright I do not want to get in the game game as they were down 40-plus and it was not the only games in Denver that the Raptors during the 8 game stretch. That all changed Friday night when the Raptors and their freshly branded all-star DeMar DeRozan stepped on the court after missing Wednesday game against the Orlando Magic and lead the Raps with 19 points to a 100-90 win over the nuggets. It was a normal first half with it being Denver style as the Raptors and nuggets went shot for shot with little D to be shown and the Raps were up 7 60-53 but in the second half it was a different style as the Raptors jammed their big D down the nuggets throats. In the third quarter they combined their smothering D with a powerful offensive punch outscoring the nuggets 26-17 and had the lead up to 20 large and they were able to drag their limp bodies over the finish line with one made free throw in the last 7:44 of the game while Nuggets were only able to take advantage to the tune of 15 points as the Raps stilled smothered on D even if they struggled on O. Terrence Ross added 18 points while Jonas had 13 points to go with 8 boards while the all-star snub Kyle Lowry had 13 points and 6 assists as it was a great team effort as John Salmons dished 9 assists to go with his 11 points. The next night they went to Portland to face a furious trail blazers team who had been stewing over a two-game losing streak since Tuesday so the 33-12 and 18-5 at home Portland Trail Blazers jumped on the out of tune Raps early up 12 after 12 minutes and pushed it to 17 by halftime and in the third quarter they maxed out at a 19 point lead and usually that is the point they pull covers over heads and hide. This is diffidently a different Raptors because every punch they took they rallied back to single digits and then they got it down to 5 near the end of the third when the Blazers caught fire from beyond the arc hitting 3 straight 3-balls to go back up 14 again and it was a tough Raps team. They still more air in their lungs even if they were on life support down 98-82 with 7:42 left in the game and in 7 and half minutes they outscored the Blazers 21-4 for a short lived 103-102 lead. With the Blazers up 104-103 with a 11 and a half seconds on the clock they still had their hands on the ball and DeRozan had the stripped and a couple of Portland free throws later Portland took it 106-103. The game was lost for the Raps at the free throw line as they missed half of their first 14 free throws while Portland made 11 of their first 12 but the Raptors if even DeMar hits the tech foul on Portland the first of two it would of been heading to an extra 5. The Raptors did hit 10 of their last 11 free throws to end the game 17 of 25 from the line while Portland went 20 of 25 and DeMar DeRozan set a career high in assists with 12 to go with 36 points (14 of 29 from the floor). Kyle Lowry had 8 more assists and 23 more points to give the Raps 20 of the 27 assists on 40 made field goals and 59 of the Raptors 103 while Jonas and Amar were stuffed the whistle as Jonas played 30 minutes and had 5 fouls while Amar picked up 4 in 15 minutes and then there was Terrence Ross with 4 in 26 minutes with no made 3's as the Raps missed their first 10 and then went 6 of 10 the rest of the way. This is a team u can really love Tom Mehegan

Terrene Ross break records as the D in defense was lost

The night before Vince Carter's 37Th birthday he received company at the top of the points in a game list for the Raptors as Terrence Ross matched VC's 51 points during last night's game VS the Clippers. During a game where the Raps fell into the Clippers trap as they played the Clips game of half court game of only offense and the Clips on 54% shooting from the floor laughed all the way to the bank and cashed in 126-118 48 minute victory. Terrence Ross like all ways goes the 3-ball and setting the Raptors record for threes with 10 of them on 17 attempts but he actually got to the line 10 times and made 9 of them while going 16 of 25 (64%) from the floor. He had to step up and take the game over as DeMar DeRozan had to leave the game in the third quarter after 21 and half minutes on the court and had put up 10 points on 2 of 6 shooting and 4 of 4 charity stripe. Kyle Lowry still did what has put him into position to go to New Orleans to be apart of the 2014 by getting 12 assists of the Raps 24 and with his 11 points he got another double-double It was Jamal Crawford (37) and Blake Griffen (30) both going for 30 or more in the same game which rare now but used to happen a lot more in the past and the Raps looked like they were in position to win tied at 93 after 3 quarters and one of the best point difference in the fourth quarter but another rare thing is that they lost the last quarter and not by a little but by 8 huge points as they put up an amazing 33 points in the final quarter. Going forward it will be very interesting to see if DeMar will be ready for the biggest game to this point VS the Nets who sit second in the division in Brooklyn on Monday and if DeMar is not able to compete how long will he be away from as Terrence is unlikely going to carry the team on his back. Hope the Raps have a ton of big games ahead Tom Mehegan

Vince Carter a black eye for the Raptors franchise

Vince Carter had to sides to his Raptors career and first side was 1998 til July 2001 where he was simply awesome as he took down a dunk contest along with the only playoff series victory and were a bucket away from playing Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA East conference final. He also Rookie of the year and he put up 18.3 points in his rookie season, sophomore season he averaged 25.7, and in his third season he had a career high 26.7 points and it was probably some of best Raptors basketball in franchise history. The second side was the embarrassing Vince Carter October 2001 - December 18,2004 and Vince Carter spent more time rolling around on the court and spending time in the training room getting massaged then he made big buckets and saw his games during a season go down playing 60 games in 01-02 and 43 during 02-03 season before playing 73 games in his last full season with the Raptors in 03-04 and his last 20 games @ the beginning of the 04-05 season was a wait and see approach as the fans waited for him to be traded. I really got sick and tired of the Vince act after signing his extension because after watch him rolling around on the court after a dozen repeats of said act. It was so bad by the end it did not matter what they got for him it was just better to have him no longer on the Toronto Raptors. If the organization honors him in anyway it will look really bad and they will be the laughing stalk of the league as they would be honoring a guy that had no interest in playing for the Raptors the 3 plus seasons he spent dogging it after the Raptors brought in the dream and resigned his teammates to fat contracts because Vince wanted it. This would tell players around the league that the organization does not care about themselves and it is also ok to half ass it and I can not believe that if they make it good with VC it will encourage better players to come to Toronto and better the team. Vince had three very good seasons and mailed in 3 plus more seasons Tom Mehegan

Toronto Raptors sloopy play returns

Toronto Raptors have fallen into odd habit as the Raps went 2-2 on the week and it ended on a soar note as the Raptors fell to the under talented Lakers 112-106. The Raptors hoisted up 30 three point shots which is 31% (30 of 98 shots taken) while getting to the line 11 (making 9). It was very up and down as they were up 19 in the first half (50-31) but they fell asleep late in the first half as the Lakers ended the half on a 23-8 run to close the Raps lead to 58-54. The Raptors scored the first 12 points in the third quarter to go up 70-54 but the Lakers ended the game on a 58-36 run. The Raptors could not help to settle for the 3-ball and when they needed to they could not figure out how to stop the Lakers (46.2%) as Pau Gasol had 22 points and Nick Young had 29 points while DeMar DeRozan had 23 points and Kyle Lowry 21 points. Kyle Lowry and Greivis Vasquez had 14 assists in the first half and only 2 in the second half. They also lost to Boston Celtics 88-83 as the Celtic's Jared Sullinger had 20 boards and 25 points and destroyed the Raptors as the C's out boarded the Raps 58-44. The Raptors lost the game at the line as they went 12 of 25 from the charity stripe as it felt like they had gotten free throw advise from Shaq while if Dwight Howard was given 25 shots from the line he may of hit more than 12 of them. In the end the Raptors are still much better than past Raptors team have done but I hope that the Raptors can get focused again and recharge their mind and bodies to be able to pile up the victories and get even more separation from the state of New York. The biggest challenge is up next as they are heading to Charlotte to face the Bobcats who have been a thorn in their side and will be a great challenge for the Raptors to prove that they are still the defensive and sharing/caring team. The Raptors have to get back to the basics Tom Mehegan

DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry are looking like All-Star

DeMar DeRozan has taken over after Rudy Gay packed his ball and moved to Sacramento Kings and he has averaged 21.4 points, 5 boards, 4.5 assists since December 8 against the Lakers. This week he put on Raptors on his back on Tuesday when he and the Raptors stepped on the court and battled the very tough Indiana Pacers in Indiana four hours after stepping off a plane from south beach and fell down 17 points and by the end of the Pacers game that the Pacers won 86-79. It was a lot closer than the score says and DeRozan's 28 points was the lead reason that the Raps were in a game against a pissed off Pacers that they could of folded the tents and took the first flight home. The next night back @ the ACC DeRozan could not hit a field goal to save his life (3 of 15) but when he struggles he has found different ways to contribute and against the Pistons he took 16 free throws and made 13 of them while taken down 6 boards and 4 assists in a 112-91 victory where they were asleep at the wheel in the first half down 4 (54-50) and tuned up and destroyed in the second half 62-37. Then Saturday for Drake night the team was flat but DeRozan record 7 boards in the first half and the team woke with 5 minutes left in the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets down 62-52 and went on a 26-3 run over 10:45. DeRozan had 12 of the 26 points equaling his 12 points in the first 29 minutes of the game and ended the game with 26 points as the Raps won 96-80. DeMar DeRozan may not be selected but a lot more people have noticed him in the last 34 days at least and will be a huge reason if the Raps build on the 12-5 record post Rudy Gay and are a strong first round playoff team before they meet the class of the east (heat or Pacers). Kyle Lowry is a strong candidate @ the point but things smell fishy as I have wondered if his 8.2 assist a game in the past 17 games which is .8 better than his season average (7.4) is the real deal and it has clicked or is he playing the sharing game to make him look better and make it look like he can be a team player. Either way he can be a secondary scorer like he was in the loss to the Pacers with 16 points (7 of 16 from the field) or pass the ball like he did the next night with 9 of the Raps 25 assists and also lead the team in points with 21 (4 of 6 beyond the arc and 9 of 9 from the line). He has been getting to the line a lot in the last 17 games as he has taken 76 free throws and made 62 of them which is low as he missed only one before the holiday break but lost his touch since going 32 of 46. He should be in front of the pack to be selected and if he does he deserves it but long term I do not know if he is a keeper even though he is playing the right way, right now It is a lot of fun watching the Raps play the right way Tom Mehegan

Raptors playing best basketball in at least 7 years

The Toronto Raptors who are given a little respectability back to the Atlantic division @ 500 (16-16) and are something I have been look for a very long time with a two end game as they are being able to play hard on the defensive end. While on the offensive end being able to pass the ball around like pros because they are no longer afraid of a gaping hole on the offensive end meaning if they pass the ball they would not see it again. They are also raising some eyebrows around the league as they did have a five game win streak broken by the two-time raining defending champs of the NBA world the Miami Heat 102-97 but gave the Heat everything they could handle as they went blow for blow in the first half with the Heat up one point (52-51). In the third quarter was able to pounce on the Heat going up 9 (77-68) and when the Heat scored 9 straight points the Raps would fold up shop and pack it in but instead they answered back with a 5 point lead going into the fourth quarter (84-79). In with bad shot selection in the quarter and free throw jitters (12-21) all game long the Raps still down with 23 and 16 seconds and a few chances to tie up the game but it just did not happen. The game would been so much more exciting in the Raps 4 or 5 of those missed free throws and the game was extremely exciting anyways with DeMar DeRozan leading the team 26 points (11 for 19) to go with 7 assists. While Amar (8 boards) and Jonas (5 boards) both ended up with 17 points each while Kyle Lowry had 9 of the Raps 24 assists and 14 points but it was the real deal LBJ 30 points on 18 shots (12 of 18) along with a team high in assists (5) along with 4 boards while Chris Bosh took down 11 of them. The Raps Friday night put up a season 29 assists in a 101-88 win over the Washington Wizards after pasting them 36-16 in the third and had a 26 point lead and Kyle Lowry had 11 of the assists and 19 points while the Raps were lead by the 20 points from DeMar DeRozan while Patrick Patterson had 18 off the bench. The Raps started the Year of 2014 on a high being the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday 95-83 as Lyle Lowry lead with 14 of the 27 assets on the night and chipped in with 13 points on the night. While DeRozan had another 26 (9 of 21) to go with 9 boards and 3 assists and Terrance Ross had 18 (6 of 18) and Jonas 13 points and 9 boards as well. It was the Raptors draft pick Roy Hibbert who fouled out of the game and only played 21 minutes in the game and the strong Pacer team turned the ball or 5 more times (22-17) and it way only just their 6 in 31 games so Hibert was just thanking the Raps in his owm special way for trading him before he actually had to play a game as a Raptor. Raptors ended 2013 by beating the Chicago Bulls 85-79 in a very sloppy game and it was the fourth quarter that the Raptors erased a Bulls 62-57 lead with the best quarter of the games 28-17 and Derek Rose-less Bulls just was not able to match the Raps work ethics in the fourth quarter. Carlos Boozer mailed it in with a 1 for 8 night and inly 4 points and 5 boards and maybe heading elsewhere in the offseason but Joakim Noah did not pulling down 16 oards along with 6 assists and 7 points in the game. The Raptors struggled but pulled through like winners even on a less than perfect play with only 16 assists to 15 turnovers but making it count at the line going 31 times even if they only hit 23 of them. Jonas had 15 points and 9 boards to lead the team and was the one to step up when everybody else was preoccupied by New Years or the Pacers on New Year's day. Hope they stay on track because the Pacers will not be friendly hosts this up coming week Tom Mehegan