Tip-In: Toronto Raptors Post-Game: Sunday Surprise

Jose is a more complete point guard than Will and Roko in almost every aspect except one. Defense. Roko and Will prevented Jameer from getting past them and that, is why we won.

Awesome game! I fully expected the raptors to give up an offensive rebound at the end of the game but Bosh pulled through and grabbed a very important board!

No hump again, Voskuhl with 0 points and 0 rebounds in just under 12 minutes. Although he did a decent job defending dwight, you have to think hump could have done more with a quarter of play.

Finally a game from the Raps I could watch start to finish!

I think Moon deserves some credit here. I said before that he is what he is. He's not going to be the slasher we need, but when he focuses on what he can do well, he's a difference maker. He was deflecting balls and making life difficult for the opposing wings all game. Not to mention +20 on the +/-. Very good to see.

Also, just wondering if you guys at the HQ would have time to do a post on how you would improve the Raps if you were BC. I really enjoyed reading all the hypothetical trades conjured up during the Calderon/TJ debate. I know it's early and the Raps are playing well but I love all that fantasy gm stuff.

Great "on the edge of your seats" win. I said I would be happy with a loss of 15 points or less, so under the auspices of "reverse" superstition, I think things worked out just great.

Feeling a little better about JT, and the difference he's making from Mitch.

Also, have to wonder about the "no-love" that the officials have on AB. How is that CB4 can dry-hump Howard and not get called (until he does it a second time), yet Bargs barely bumps Superduper, and gets his 5th.

bargnani is a centre again... yay!

Contributions from Solomon and Ukic were great to see. Could count their combined mistakes on one hand. Solid day for AP - he couldn't miss. We needed all 3 to beat a good Orlando squad.
All without Jose and JO.

Although today we might of benefited from the Magic missing shots the usually make off us am very happy that we ourebounded them.

Was not overwhelmed by Bargnani's offence - decent numbers but he misses too many clean looks. With his size and mobility he can get off just about any shot he wants, and he does - it's just too many don't fall. All his misses today were open looks. Seems like every game he should have 6 or 7 more points.
Don't get me wrong, really like what I see from him and expect them shots to fall more frequently. His defence last two games against the best in the game shows serious promise. He has made a solid case for starting once JO comes back.

Can we build off these two impressive victories. Next 3 are winnable games. Lets get JO and Jose back, build on this confidence and climb our way back to respectability.

WHAT A DIRTTTTTTTY F***IN GAME!!! oh wow no but really happy to see our raps get a much needed W, especially against the magic. Two game winning-streak here, not much, but I can definitely sense some optimism and some momentum going the raptors way...bargnani on a tear the past three games; I love the big fella always have, good to see him gaining that confidence we need him to develop in order for him to be a game changer for us, but you guys gotta give my boy roko ukic the game ball today against the magic. My man showed some big cojones tonight, the "lil' white rookie" (as he says), with the raptors up by one and the magic swarming bosh drops his patented one hand floater over nelson in crunch time puttin' the raptors up by 3 with like 30 seconds to go. THAT WAS SO CLUTCH LOL I JUMPED OFF MY COUCH. lol good game overall keep it up raps

Great but unexpected win. Loved the back door cuts by Parker and my favorite play was the first one of the second half. Bosh picks down for Bargnani. Bargnani gets the ball high and dumps it low to Bosh for slam dunk. More of the same, guys, much more of the same. Also, loved the way everybody helped to keep Nelson from penetrating early in the game. I think that set the tone for much of the first half.

Tinman,
Hate to disagree, but AB was 7 of 15. And in his last 6 games, he's 36 of 71 (51%).

I think you need to read the stats a little better. Maybe he didn't play like Parker, and didn't provide as much offense late in the game -- foul trouble -- but his early numbers helped get us to that big lead. Which in my opinion, allowed us to absorb the Orlando run later on.

Am aware that Bargnani was 7 for 15 - and I know thats a decent percentage. My point is Bargnani has already reached the point where he can get off any shot he wants. He's a smart player and rarely takes a bad shot. He can have an open, uncontested look just about anytime he wants. The good players drain more open looks than they miss. AB could of had 25 today.

Bargnani did make shots, I like how they weren't all 3's from the top of the key, and he got one of his little finger rolls to go down, if he starts working with these tools...!!!

I like the Jake guy too. He's one of those big bodies that was well coached during his years in college. He brings a nice calm out there.

Orlando hit some daggers and we really did some different things on offense to get back into the lead. Not just clearing the one side for Bosh far away from the basket.

What a great job by Roko, he's fun player to watch, and he's long which is a nice bonus. Jameer wanted this game but Ukic really showed his team some he's a winner.

Go raps, Milwaukee is right ahead of them!

Great win. Complete blow my expectations. Now they have Milwaukee and Washington next hopefully they can string some wins before Calderon and JO come back.

Theory about the resurgence of Parker and Moon. Maybe the practices under Triano which they were unable to do on the road is helping. Maybe BC sits them down and tell them they will not be traded away and if they play good they will get a nice contract extension while crossing his finger behind his back.

A quality win!!! Against a team that (unlike the Rockets) wanted to win. Unfortunately this win did a flukish element to it. (Although we have lost in fluky ways too, so we were due).

The play of AP was atypical, but hopefully he this signals that his slump is over and his teammates will look for him a little more. You also have to wonder how the offense will change when O'Neal and Calderon come back, they are definitely better than their back ups, but they play a different style too.

Hopefully though this game signals the arrival of solid back up points, who JT isn't afraid to play.

All in all, a very enjoyable win

Do we still want to trade our 24 years old All-Star?

Funniest moment of the game is went the crowd wanted to chant MVP went Bosh was at stripe shooting FT and a few people stop because they realize this was the say guy they were booing and wanted to trade a couple of games before...Only Toronto Fans!!!

Nice to see AB put together 3 good games.

Roko was the X-Factor

so i spent a lot of money on good tickets for this game and i even have a JO jersey...and here i was fully expecting to be dissapointed and not get my money's worth but boy was I wrong...this game was probably one of the most exciting games that ive been to in awhile, and I go quite a bit, but it seems like every game ive been to they lose. Nice to see a win for a change. I loved how the crowd got into all game long..great atmosphere to be in today.And definitely a solid win that they ca hopefully build on when calderon and oneal return

As a side note, has anyone else noticed that bargs 3 big games have all been games that oneal has sat out. I love oneal but is this whole bargs coming off the bench and losing minutes to oneal really hindering his development this much? I mean damn hes looking a lot more confident out there nowadays when he knows he aint getting the quick hook and that his minutes will be there...just a thought.

First of all, a much needed big win. Great to watch.

My game ball goes to Jay Triano who made the call to start going to the hack-a-Howard much earlier than I anticipated. In a game as close as this one it was essential to keep the ball out of the hands of the key shooters like Lewis.

Great job Triano.

yeah, I think triano's role in this win was crucial. he did a fine job managing the flow of the game. and his players.

now here comes the goods - one of JO or bargs or bosh has to go.

I think we're looking at another jose vs. tj. thing brewing.

bargs asserts that he plays better with more minutes. (proven ever so slightly, so far.) JO doesn't have to. he gets paid more than practically everyone in the league. (top 3, I think.) bosh is bosh. he's the 'franchise player'. all 3 seem to do better when one is not around. I don't think there are enough minutes for all 3 of them and one of them will go. will go.

and it won't be bosh.

so either JO or bargs will be on the move either soon, or eventually.

no two ways about it.

If JO can stomach coming off the bench, bargs should start, I think it would be an awesome 2nd unit... said it before, I'll say it again, bargs is our second best player

anybody catch the half time interview with BC? He was talking about Dalfino but I missed the interview. Can somebody fill Us in?

re : papa
Although Bosh, Bargnani and Oneal may statistically play better when one of them are not around, I believe it's more important that they all three play well together. I don't consider Bosh to be strong enough to take on teams by himself, although that may change in a few years. He may do better and get 40 point nights when he's the only option thats able to score on that given night, it still doesn't guarantee the team a win. And then on nights where hes put against big tests like Garnett's, West, Stoudamire's, he fades away and becomes less lethal. If we were to consider him traded to a very strong team, there's little chance of Bosh being a 25+ scorer, more in the range of 18-20. His minutes wouldn't be over 35 either. They all three have to learn to optimize the minutes they play together so that we're rested and everyone is playing their role in the W. I do like the 3 big guy rotation for the 4,5 positions, I can see it working with more practice.