3 In the Key – Toronto Raptors Game-Day Preview vs. Milwaukee

by RaptorsHQ - Archives on Jan 4, 2009 12:00 AM EST in 3 in the Key

The Raptors need to keep Bogut and company off the glass tonight...

34 and 67.

That’s the combined record of the next three teams that the Toronto Raptors will be facing, with the 16 and 19 Milwaukee Bucks, the best of the trio facing off against the Raps tonight.

If there was ever a week where the Raptors need a clean sweep, this was it.

The Dinos of course are coming off two impressive wins; the first Friday night over a disenfranchised Houston Rockets team and the second, over a tough Magic Squad that at the time boasted the league’s fourth best overall record. The wins got them six games under .500 and unbelievably, only a game and a half out of the eighth spot in the East which is currently being occupied by…

…yes, these same Milwaukee Bucks.

It’s a bit bizarre isn’t it?

As Raptors fans we’ve been lamenting the team’s play for the majority of the season, and yet here they are, knocking on the playoffs door and looking at their first string of three consecutive "should win" games.

Granted, "should win" is different from "guaranteed win" as those ball fans glued to their TV sets yesterday saw. (Especially for those of you with a sports-pack.) The Celtics lost to the Knicks, the Mavericks lost to the Grizzlies, the Cavs lost to Wizards (although Washington did EVERYTHING in their power to give the game away), the Magic of course got upset by the Raps and the Pistons beat a Clippers squad missing Baron Davis, Ricky Davis and Zach Randolph by only a single point.

Oh…and the biggest upset of them all?

Boston College knocking off a North Carolina squad that looked primed to go undefeated into the NCAA tournament.

So while Toronto on paper, even without Jose and JO at 100 per cent, should be able to take these matches, they’re going to need to come out with the fight they displayed yesterday afternoon in order to climb three games under .500.

Before we get into the keys then for tonight’s match against Milwaukee, a few notes from yesterday’s game that I wanted to add.

First off, Anthony Parker was unreal. Everyone is going to talk about his scoring and great shooting percentages, but it’s the little things he does too that are so important. I had to catch the Game in an Hour version but the advantage was that it allowed me to examine some of the finer nuances of the game and Parker’s afternoon was full of them. From guiding Roko and essentially being the second point-guard on the floor, to making great use of cuts and screens, AP was simply awesome and without him it would have been loss number 21.

I also thought that Toronto’s other wings, especially Moon and Graham, looked incredibly focused. They could be seen communicating on the court and during time-out situations and the entire team just had this energy that I hadn’t seen since…well perhaps their first win of the season over Golden State. If the Raptors can get that sort of wing play on a regular basis it makes such a huge difference. Suddenly Bosh doesn’t need to score 40 and can save himself for making big plays when it counts, like his free-throws and rebounds in traffic yesterday in the game’s final minutes. This point can’t be understated; if Bosh gets help on the offensive end it just makes his all-around game that much more effective.

Which made Bryan Colangelo’s half-time comments about a former Toronto wing, Carlos Delfino, that much more interesting.

Colangelo, in a half-time interview, almost out of nowhere mentioned that he and Raptors’ management had been in touch with Delfino’s agent and that there were some discussions about Carlos returning to the Raptors from Russia. Apparently a combination of Delfino not being completely content with his situation, and the current economic circumstances in that part of the world were factoring into this, as well as the fact that Toronto still holds his rights.

Do I like the idea of Delfino returning?

Absolutely, and with only 14 occupied roster spots there would be room for the former Dino.

Financially I’m not quite sure how things would work but perhaps Delfino is willing to take a pay cut to return to the league and to a team he’s familiar with, not to mention one he’d probably have an increased role on.

It also could pave the way for Colangelo to make some trades. He vehemently denied in his interview that he was trying desperately to move everyone but Bosh and Calderon, something the media lately has been whispering, and he confirmed for the thousandth time that CB4 wasn’t going anywhere. However if Delfino comes on board, perhaps then it makes some of the other wings on Toronto more easy to let go. Let’s face it, unless Delfino has suddenly transformed into Manu Ginobili, he’s not the total answer either. Athletically he’s an improvement and his defence and ball handling should be a big boost off the bench, but at times last year he was just as maddingly inconsistent as Moon, Graham, Kapono and Parker. With the trade deadline only about six weeks away though, perhaps BC can start to look at those teams who have been having some issues (I still think Houston would be a good target as I mentioned Saturday in the comments) and put together a package of some kind.

As an aside - how frustrating would that be for Sam Mitchell, to see BC finally make a deal to get the 3 he needs AFTER he's gone. I can't wait to see what he has to say if the deal does go down considering he's now on NBA TV. Anyone else see this? How uncomfortable does he look?

Another option might be to simply pick up a discarded free agent as this Wednesday marks the date upon which teams need to decide whether to keep players who are not on guaranteed contracts. Some of the interesting names for the Raptors (assuming they're not retained) include:

-CJ Watson, DeMarcus Nelson and Anthony Morrow of Golden State
-Von Wafer of Houston
-Shaun Livingston of Miami
-Austin Croshere of Milwaukee
-Malik Hairston of San Antonio

Anyways, a deal of some sort might be especially valuable if indeed the last two games have been "corner turners." Then maybe some fine-tuning gets the Dinos rolling and into the hunt for not just a final playoff spot, but perhaps one of the seeds even higher than eight.

After watching an unhealthy dose of college basketball this weekend I’m starting to think that that would be ideal. On Saturday I updated our top five prospect list and realized that most of the prospects I’m enamored with will fall between the ranges of 10 to 20 in all probability. I’m not a big fan of a lot of the "top" picks right now and indeed this looks like a draft light on franchise talent, but one that could offer up some great role players for savvy GM’s.

Case in point. Yesterday CBS showcased a gangbuster game pitting Louisville against their fierce rivals, Kentucky. One of our top 5 prospects, Earl Clark, was on display and while he didn’t have his best game, you could easily see why scouts are so high on him. However the game featured a number of other interesting draft options, from athletic yet undersized power-forward Patrick Patterson, to lightning quick point-guard Jodie Meeks, to do-it-all forward Terence Williams, an HQ favourite since last season. My top option for the Raps based on where I think the team will be drafting continues to be Tennessee forward Tyler Smith, who had another great game on Saturday, but the main point here is that by the time the draft rolls around, I’d rather see Toronto with a playoff spot and a lower pick than one of the estimated "top options." (Well…unless they somehow can snag Greg Monroe.)

To get that playoff spot?

Well let’s start with a win tonight over the Bucks. Here are our 3 Keys:

1) Attack, attack, attack –

Milwaukee has been a nice surprise this year. They’re not exactly running away with the East, or even their division, but at three games under .500, have been keeping pace and are in the playoff hunt, something many thought impossible prior to the season. One of the keys of course has been Scott Skiles’ increased defensive focus, something that has resonated throughout his club and which has the Bucks ranked fifth in the league in defensive efficiency. Additions like Richard Jefferson and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute have helped in this regard and the Bucks are giving up only 96 points per game.

Always calm, Skiles has these Bucks playing their best defence in years...

Therefore it’s imperative tonight that Toronto approach the match with the same vigor as yesterday’s contest. Anthony Parker was extremely aggressive, and Joey Graham, while having a tough shooting night, refused to settle for jumpers and attacked the basket time after time. Milwaukee is coming off a loss to the Charlotte Bobcats were the Cats shot 33 free-throws to clinch the victory. Hopefully Jay Triano has his troops take note.

On the other side of the ball, the Raptors need to keep Milwaukee out of the paint. The team has been surprisingly bad from beyond the 3-point arc so far this season so hopefully we’ll see Jay Triano’s "pack the paint" philosophy to ensure that the Bucks don’t get to the rim and are forced to settle for long-range bombs. Therefore the attack, attack, attack, mentality works here as well; I’m hoping to see Toronto aggressively staying in front of their men and grinding Milwaukee’s offence to a halt.

2) All Hands On Deck…or On Glass –

Another reason the Bucks have been much improved this year is their rebounding. Milwaukee currently sports the league’s fourth-best rebounding rate grabbing an average of 43 a game. Toronto’s rebounding issues have been well-documented this season but mysteriously sans-JO in the past two games, the club has responded, outrebounding two of the league’s premier window cleaners in Orlando and Houston. Andrea Bargnani is still no Darrell Dawkins but he’s been effective, and Jamario Moon and the wings have done a good job as well. Milwaukee sports some deadly gunners in Redd, Villanueva and the aforementioned Jefferson so it’s crucial that the Dinos prevent second-chance points and easy looks.

3) Use Watcha Got –

This final point here is more ambiguous as at the time of typing this, I’m not exactly sure who Toronto is going to have to work with tonight. I’m guessing the club will be without Jermaine O’Neal and Jose Calderon so that means another yeoman’s effort from the tandem of Solomon and Ukic will be necessary, in addition to another big game from Bargs. It also means even if Parker doesn’t put up close to yesterday’s offensive numbers, other guys are going to have to help out. The Bucks as mentioned are too good a defensive team to just rely on Bosh or stand around and shoot jumpers. If Solomon starts he needs to get motion early on and mix things up offensively taking note of mismatches. The same is true for Roko. Prince Luc gave Bosh all he could handle last time these clubs matched up so I expect Bosh to come out that much more aggressive. With Andrew Bogut lurking on the double team, it will be up to Andrea to take advantage and attempt to lure the big-man away from the basket, allowing Bosh more room to operate.

Most important of all, as was the case yesterday, Toronto needs to use the fact that they are undermanned to get maximum effort out of every individual on the court. This is a game that Toronto should be able to win, even without two of their starters, and a victory would set things up nicely for Wednesday’s match against Washington.

FRANCHISE

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BC also mentioned that although there are rumblings about the financial situation with the team Delfino plays for (apparently some players are not getting paid on time) Delfino is not being impacted by that. It would seem his issues has more to do with the overall financial climate where he lives and probably the culture shock. I think i would rather see the raps move his rights (assuming he made noise about coming back) along with a body to get the help we need unless he has improved his consistency as he drives me as nuts as Parkhamanomoon does.

by McGateway on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Been a consistent and long time reader but first time to post a comment. I guess it's because i feel inadequate compare to many of the people i read in here. But just to let you know that i appreciate everything i read in here even though i don't agree with many of the comments. My question to you franchise as a frustrated raptors fan is what is the number reason the raps are underdeveloping. Is it the lack of bench players or the team are not connecting with each other. It can't be the talent because teams like nets and the bucks that have less talent than the raps have a better record. thanking you in advance.

by andrrres48 on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Bogut is questionable for tonights game. Bonus.

by OneandDone on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

No bogut would be sweet, no question then that this should be a raps win. Loved the hustle yesterday, so important to get that type of effort every night. I think thats one of the key reasons the team has underperformed actually - consistent effort just hasnt been there.

by fromlongrange on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Three good games in a row for Bargs is a rarity. Four? Impossible. However, perhaps this is a stretch where the team "turns the corner". That will depend entirely on the consistency of our #1 overall pick during the next few games. Time to step up, AB.

by Flying J on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

If the Raptors are going to settle for the Bucks shooting jumpers, I see Michael Redd going for 30-40 points without breaking a sweat...

The key will be: can they limit Jefferson and CV to below-average numbers (say, 10 points), and keep Mbah a Moute from grabbing every loose ball.

Also - if Bogut plays - the Dwight Howard hacking strategy should work well, since he's a 58% FT shooter.

by BC on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Andrrres48 - Great question.

It's hard to pinpoint exactly one reason the Raps have underperformed to date but I think team chemistry, consistent individual effort, schedule and overall talent all factor in to the equation.

I think this month will really show fans what we've got to work with. The team's had a while to play together now, has had some practice time finally under Triano, and a slightly better schedule. Next week gets tough again with games against Bosston (2 back-to-back if you count Sunday) but otherwise we're talking about a month which has the Dinos taking on the Bucks and Bulls twice, and the Nets, Kings and Pacers once. Even the Hawks and Pistons matches are winnable.

by Franchise on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

It was so nice seeing these guys execute down the stretch. I was fully expecting to see them fold like an American eagle employee: very pathetically. (Seriously, I don’t buy stuff there, but when I see the place, everything is wrinkly, WTF.) But no, they clutched up, executed, and took it down. Sick board by Bosh at the end also (loose ball foul v. Rashard). That came at a point in the game where we customarily surrender 7 straight offensive rebounds > the basketball equivalent of prison initiation. Hopefully that’s enough with the dropping of the soap down the stretch, and in the process dropping winnable games.

It has been a long adjustment process with the new coach, and this season has presented a lot of struggles. However, we are a team that has a young core that is learning to win. 80% of the roster will not be around when we are where we want to be, so it is nice to see Bosh, Bargs and Roko step it up, and they appear to be keepers. Hopefully we can continue this play tonight, and going forward when Jose gets back.

And with regards to Jose and JO, hopefully they are given sufficient time to recuperate. JO we can live without, but I certainly don’t expect performances like yesterday from Rokomon every game.

Also, I have been saying this for a long time now, but it was nice to see Triano go small against Orlando. The dumbest thing we were doing in our recent contests against the Magic was going big. Bosh and Bargs would be guarded by Lewis and Hedo. Hedo and Lewis are just big SF’s, and are quick enough to effective guard, and essentially neutralize the advantages Bosh and Bargs typically have against opposing bigs. Having Howard guard one or the other is a much better match up.

by TJ Caino on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Anyone else really liking what Voshkul brings? I wouldn’t mind this guy sticking around next year and providing some legitimate big man depth.

We’ll need it after we flip JO. Though signing Rasho to a reasonable salary might help a bit in that regard *wishes*.

Anyone else want Rasho Back? Or will he be too old?

by TJ Caino on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

it was sooo awesome to see triano running actual plays for parker - genius considering how well magic bigs matchup with raps bigs... hopefully he has some x's and o's up his sleeve tonight as well... going to be a tough game as it's very important for both teams...

andrrres48 - I know you didn't ask me, but the more time goes on, the more I think sam mitchell was the root of the problem, I think maybe he didn't have a good enough rapport with the euros, the x's and o's were as weak as they seemed - he was moody as heel with thte media, can't see players responding too well to that.

It's so funny that now he is part of the media, omg.

by axl on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Franchise:

About Tyler Smith, I would think he's a lock for the Raps if we are out of the lottery. A great pickup, with a toolbos and a raw emotional turbine for power.
HOWEVER: If the Raps get a lottery pick, and the fickle nature of ping pong balls - you got to go for J.Holiday if we get the chance - I mean come on - comparisons to D.Wade and Jordan-esque vision of the court. Call me stupid - but if you are going to roll the dice... I would do it right then and there.

ANDRRESS48:

In some ways you are right about chemistry & a short bench.

1. A short bench leads to fatigue. This leads to short fuses and frustration and destroys chemistry. This is why adding Voskuhl has helped alot with our core of Bigs and CB4 getting some rest. Plus he can rack them fould up - something CB,JO or AB must avoid like the plague.

2. The process of changing coaches, looking for a team philosophy during chaos and acrimony is not for the light hearted. Its meant solely for those precious few who know how to wax-philosphical and lead during times of severe chaos. Consider Triano as someone who is proving himself through trial-by-fire. He's our very own B-Ball shaman!

3. There is benefit to change coming during road trips. The home fans dont pay to see dissaray. Now back home - the team has its practice facillities and home cooking.

4. The raps are under-developed at the SG and SF position. We dont have anyone close to the quality of studs like Rip Hamilton or Paul Pierce at these postions. Hopefully through trades and drafting we can address these needs.

5. In terms of the theme of under-development; I would say that the raps are developing nicely. Adversity is a great teacher, and our Bigs and PG core seem to be coming along nicely - and the above mentioned core of wing players do the right thing now and then. Things could be a lot worse.

About frustration, I understand that you may be totally justified in feeling that way. I simply try not to get hung up on wins & losses during the season and enjoy whats in front of my nose. I save that for the playoffs - even still I know the Raps can't have it all.

by JENGE on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

axl - don't know if you saw it in Smith's blog, but apparently he overhead Delfino telling JT that he would come back if JT was the coach. Fuel to the Smitch was the problem fire.
http://thestar.blogs.com/raptors/

by nyfan on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Great points Jenge.

Even though we came into this season with elevated expectations, we were never expected to be companionship contenders. So regardless of whether we are fighting for a play-off spot, or jockeying for home court, is not so much whether we win games, but rather how our core is developing. If we roll to a 60 win season on the backs of JO, AP and Solomon, then who cares, cause in all likelihood, none of them will be wearing our jersey next year.

Of course, this approach had been the cause for extra concern, since none of Bosh, Jose and Bargs have demonstrated constant indications that they are ready to be at that level just yet.

However, recently, the team has been playing better: Bargs has looked like he might have an NBA career after-all; Bosh has finally been playing well under Triano; Jose is shooting almost 50/40/100 and killing it with Ass/TO ratio; and Roko has been showing signs that he might be pretty sick himself. Hopefully these guys can keep making strides, and the supporting cast can facilitate their development of with regards to respond well to adversity and pressure. Cause unless Bosh can do that… This franchise isn’t going anywhere. Not that we necessarily need to him personally win long term, but if we don’t have him, we sure need to have gotten value out of him as an asset.

by TJ Caino on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

nyfan - why, was smitch the reason delfino had like 6 games last year where he gave less than 4 points while playing 20 plus minutes? All this Smitch bashing is getting on my nerves when nothing that has happened since Smitch left can truely be argued that it couldn't have happened with Smitch as coach. He wasn't fired because he sucked as a coach but because BC wanted the team to play a different way then Smitch wanted to coach. All that other stuff is just talk. I still think that Smitch can be a good coach in this league (I think he is a better coach then Doc Rivers is already) but could use a couple years as an Asst somewhere with a great head coach.
Maybe I am wrong about Delfino. Maybe he is much better than his stat line and inconsistent play dictated last year. I just don't see him being any better then what we already have. If we are trying to dump what we have, it needs to be for something that will improve the team. Adding Delfino will give JT another inconsistent wing player who jumps at the shooter too much on d and chucks up too many j's. In other words, younger version of Parker. Investing anything more than the league minimum is too much in my books. After all, its not like anyone else in the league was jumping on the Delfino train during the offseason. Teams probably could have had him for a steak sandwich and a bucket of balls.

by McGateway on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

nyfan - yeah, that was one of a few things I've read that are making me think mitchell wasn't getting through to the team... his decision to quit swearing at the players is telling. he admitted he had a tough love approach, which is fine, I just think maybe the love part got lost in translation... and well, sometimes the look on his face said to me "i can't believe how bad my players are..."

hey, McGateway I'm just speculating, mitchell deserves a chance to start over using all that he's learned... I liked him at the beginning and sat on the fence for the last year and a half...

by axl on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

McGateway,

I’m with you on both of your points… Regarding Delfino especially. As Franchise stated, BC’s Delfino comments were totally unsolicited and the whole thing was a bit strange to me. This is speculation, but to me it seemed like a political move by Colangelo. It seemed orchestrated as either a "hey look I’m actually trying to do something" statement or part of another larger strategy to drive up the value of Delfino’s rights.

Either way, Delfino is NOT the answer. Bringing him in would be the classic sideways move. He’s not that much more talented or skilled than the ParkerMoonGrahamKapono lot. He’s inconsistent in both output and effort, an overrated defender and a bit of a sulk.

In a related matter… in regards to Delfino’s comments in Doug Smith’s Blog, I’m not surprised. Delfino is a Prima Dona who thinks he’s a lot better than he is. He has complained about his role, minutes and coaching in both Detroit and Toronto. Think about that, he had Prince and Hamilton in front of him and he thought he deserved more minutes?!?! And yes McGateway, if you have to play in Russia for less than 4 mil a year… The NBA ain’t breaking your door down.

by MAS on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

I’m not as down on Delfino as some. He isn’t going to put any team over the top, but he can be a contributing factor on a competitive team IMHO. Considering our dearth of wing players, having Delfino coming off the bench next year would be a big improvement. If we can do that at a reasonable price, then giddy up. The bigger problem will be adding the more valuable wings to play in front of him.

by TJ Caino on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Here’s my take on the Triano / Mitch debate:

Joey G.
Wildly inconsistent with Mitch
Mildly inconsistent with JT (I like where he might go though)

Ukic
Wildly not playing with Mitch
Mildly playing with JT (although that appears to be turning the corner)

Bargs
All over the map with Mitch
More defined Mapquest directions with JT
(How he deals with the JO thing could be AB's turning point)

Delfino
Not playing for Mitch
Might play for JT

I did like Mitch -- to a degree, and I think he'll make a good coach some day -- if he learns from his time with the Raps. But I’m enjoying Triano much more. And yes, it’s early to make a true comparison – the sample size is small – but at least JT seems to actually have plays. This is his time to make a believer of BC – even if I’m not sure that will transfer to next year.

by RapthoseLeafs on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Forgot to mention, but with all the media (outside of TO of course) spewing that Bosh & Calderon are untouchables, I have to think there really are 4 players untouchable.

Sure, BC (or any other GM for that matter) will have a "Make me an offer I can't refuse -- and I won't " philosophy, but the reality is, these things just don't happen that often. Boston got lucky.

My 4 Untouchables:

Bosh - do we expect to get Lebron back in a trade? Who thinks up all these possible trades?

Calderon - I still think he hasn't peeked (and I bet so do other GMs, including BC)

Bargs - BC's choice .. stop dreaming about AB being traded. Bargs will go, only if BC goes. As Doug Smith says .. it'll have to be a sweet offer & then some.

Ukic - why would we trade him? His upside may be unknown, but what would we get back, especially when you consider salary implications. Is someone gonna trade an upside to get his?

by RapthoseLeafs on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

More defined Mapquest directions with JT...classic Caino, loved it.

I think right now it's too early to say whether the team is better under JT than Mitchell but I think how they play this week against Milwaukee, Memphis and Washington could go a long way in terms of making a distinction between the two.

Anyone find it interesting that only about a year and a half ago, fans were still bemoaning Triano as having "no talent" and simply being an assistant because he was Canadian? That talk sure has quieted down.

Also, I never believed I'd be saying this but I'd re-sign Voskuhl next year too at the end of the bench. He's just a smart basketball player, something this team lacks, in addition to being able to bang in the paint with the best of them. His play also makes me shake my head once more at the Hoffa draft...anyone who remembers Voskuhl at UConn remembers he was a better college player than Araujo was...and yet somehow Hoffa was a top 10 pick.

An hour till tip - Go Raps.

by Franchise on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Hi Franchise

I like to trade for a player like Anthony Morrow but didn't you forget Kelenna Azubuike in the Golden State mix or do you not think his skill level potential is as high as Morrow? Or do think a trade to get Azubuike would be "too big" a trade?

by ddv on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

wow refs hate the raps...

by big d on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

game in hand, another one bites the dust...

solomon 40 seconds to go for THREE...clang...

um, sorry, what is solomon doing shooting threes, the WORST shooter on the night, and he is taking the three?

Wow, TJ Ford wannabe, 'cept without the shot without the speed.

21 seconds, AB for a 21-foot jumper.

Same old story: no slashing to the net, no layups, no posting up.

Bosh, best shooter on the night, no touches going to the wire.

What a team.

by gerry on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Sad sad last 3 quarters -- Solomon got the Moon/Humphries brain freeze and took every shot he could.

Redd - 35
CV - 25
Mbah a Moute - 11 boards
Bucks' Bench -- HUGE +/- advantage

Sadly, I think the SMitch strategy of playing Bosh 40+ minutes and letting him go 1-on-5 might have worked better than letting Solomon run the show.

Why can't we get Kapono any open shots???

by BC on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

This was an exciting game until the refs blew that call off of Elson's foot.

Regardless of the imperfections on the Raps side, it was really shaping up to be an exciting finish.

And boy oh boy did the Bucks hit some clutch shots.

I have to agree with bigD about the refs too... but I'm a MAJOR homer so it's not too surprising there.

Too bad, with just a touch more stability at the point to end the game the Raps would have pulled this one out I think.

by mcclarky on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Fixed. everything was going for bucks. the late call at the end of 2nd quarter which led to two free-throws for michael redd, the "time-outs" when it should be jump ball. and that stupid call for out of bounds on solomon, when it should have been elson.

overall i think raps played well, except for solomon at the end. i hate losing especially when i know we should have won this game, but it was all the refs...

by tea time on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

stat line of the night goes to Kapono....

16min 2pt 5to

yikes.

by mcclarky on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Kapono completely threw this game away late in the third quarter - everything he did was wrong.

And how solomon played over ukic for the last three minutes is beyond me...

by axl on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

This loss is on Triano: bad plays after time-outs, bad rotation decisions and especially the change of Roko, who was aggresive and getting in the paint to Solomon, who had a bad shooting night. I really don't understand why we don't develop our young guys more: Solomon amounts to nothing for our future whereas Roko will be our back-up hands down.
In this game I saw Triano as Mitchell's hands and I didn't like it. It was a winnable game which we lost based on coach's decision: only CB4, Andrea and AP should have had touches in the 4th Q.
JK is scary bad after the game he started and I have no idea why. Let's hope it's just a shooter's slump and he'll recover from it: we really need him to be at least a threat.

by Daniel on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

LOL... love this photo... I'm pretty sure this is one was deemed a clean steal by the Bucks... I can just hear Ridnour now...."Face is part of the ball! Face is part of the ball!"

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/photos?photoId=2117169&gameId=290105015

by mcclarky on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

and they called this one a foul....

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/photos?photoId=2117315&gameId=290105015

LOL

by mcclarky on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions

AXL

I am glad somebody watched the game! Kapono was terrible again today. Don't blame WS He is a back up and did his best but Kapono our % mil dollar man wow how bad can it get?

by Davl on Jan 5, 2009 12:00 AM EST reply actions