All I can say is that I’m glad that BC got a defensive specialist like Mark Iveroni on staff because I’d hate to think what last night might have looked like if he wasn’t onboard.

What’s troubling isn’t the current win loss record, it’s the teams we lose to. In 3 of the 4 losses, we lost to:
    Memphis without AI
    Orlando without half their team
    San Antonio without their best two players

There is no reason I would accept for losing to a Duncanless, Parkerless San Antonio. That is a team we have to beat.

The funniest thing about watching the game last night is Sherm. With the score 92-91 (give or take) with the 3rd quarter running down and the Raptors bringing the ball up the court, Sherman states: "What the Raptors need now is some offence." Excuse me? That is the complete opposite of what I was thinking the Raptors needed at that point.

Heart
Break
Ing

Iverson would need to start and if you think Bargnani sometimes gets ignored now….

Iverson’s talent and playing style means you need to build a team to suit him. No team in the NBA is going to do that now because of his age. Until he makes the mental adjustment that he is no longer the person to carry the team and he is a complementary piece, he is rapidly approaching being useless. So far, there’s no sign of him making that adjustment, which is tragic because he could really be a tremendous asset to a team.

I actually didn’t find the loss all that frustrating, because I didn’t expect them to win. I don’t know why people are harping on Duncan and Parker being out because, even without them, they’re still a pretty good team.

I’ve been saying all along that this team will take time to gell, and I’m giving it, at least, another month before I started predicting doom and gloom.

My post game analysis here…
http://www.wearingfilm.com/picketfence/2009/11/sometimes-i-dont-like-being-right/

People always say to not shy away from contact on the offensive end, to attack the basket and draw a foul. The same has to apply on defense – attack the opposing player and not let him get to where he wants to be. This means putting a body on someone not letting him drive. It means not being afraid to step in front of someone to draw a charge. It means closing the gap and not allowing a player to split your defense. This is toughness and this is what we need. We cannot be afraid of getting bumped by opposing players, we must sacrifice our bodies to better our defense.

A) I know there are critical issues at hand (i.e. Defence, rebounding and dribble penetration); however, can anyone tell me why DeRozan is starting? Really? Can you not develop him off the bench? It’s not that he’s horrid out there, but he adds absolutely no value at such a critical point in the game. Put Wright at 2 to start the game…..establish a little more D with him on the floor rather than having a pillon out there doing nothing.

B) BC made a number of moves in the offseason. Yay. Now, can anyone tell me why he wasn’t smart enough to realize that he needed some defence and rebouding outside of Reggie? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this out. Apparently you can have all the offence in the world, you still can’t seem to win winable games. Amir at least puts a histle in and always has his hand on the boards.

C) As long as the Bargnani/Bosh experiment is in play, we’re going to spin our wheels as a sub-par team. It hasn’t worked for years, and isn’t going to work now. Ship out the softie (barney), whom might be eventually be a consistent offensive threat, but will always be a defensive liability, and get some solid defensive parts in return. We have enough offensive….we don’t need Barney. Why did we let Pops walk again? Dude wants the ball more than Barkley wants to drink and drive. Calderon will always get blown by off the dribble – for life – count it! When you recognize and correct this, we can move on.

As you can see, there’s a long list accumulating here. BC best not rest on his laurels just yet. Us Raps fans have seen this crap too many times…..patience is no longer part of our makeup. The team can continue to go back to “we’re a new team, it’s a new system” all they want. Holes need to be filled – bottom line. The current makeup of the team will get you 35 wins in this league. We are imbalanced.

My perscription to all of the loyal Raps fans here – anti anxiety pills and stress management.

Here’s hoping.
Nick

I don’t think you can say with certainty that it would have been worse for the Raps with Duncan and Parker in the game. The way the Spurs approached the game shifted with them out. The Raptors have for the most part been very competitive against San Antonio, in San Antonio, and the game was close until the 4th. The right guys got hot. Correct me if I’m wrong but until last night Richard Jefferson (a perennial Raptor killer) hadn’t really done a lot. You had a team with two wing players (Manu & Jefferson) who have had their way with the Raps for years, surrounded by some sound fundamental play in McDyess and enough outside shooting to keep things honest. With Parker and Duncan out they took a more prominent role and delivered.

How can we really complain about Bosh and Bargs. The numbers they have been putting up this year would be something any team in the league would enjoy from their centre/pf combo.

Two things happen with us as fans. Our joy is so linked to the win or the loss that we sometimes don’t appreciate the process, the fun of the game regardless of outcome. Secondly, we see our players so often that there is just a larger sample set of data to work with in deciding how good or bad they are against players we see maybe four times a year.

Since this team seems very good at shooting the ball with a high efficiency and getting to the line maybe the best route to a successful season would be to grind it out more, slow down, reduce the number of possessions overall so that there are fewer chances for your opponent to score. It also saves some energy that can be used for better defensive focus. The games wouldn’t be as enjoyable but maybe they would win more.

It’s starting not to matter as much as it used to. I’m just going to try and enjoy the basketball instead of worrying too much about the team.

1) Your starting 7 foot center has to give you more than 4 rebounds
2) Your 6’10 SF has to give you more than 3 rebounds

Too many times Bosh is the only Raptor under the boards battling 2,3 guys for rebounds. Of course he will wear out as the season goes on.

Evans will help some but the Defense /Rebounding issues must be addressed
   by the starters, Evans probably won’t even be on the floor in a close ball game
   cuz of his offensive limitations and bad FT shooting

3 and 4, 3 and 4, My God, we are 3 and 4 !

A stinker was laid last night, absolutely. but lets keep things in perspective. W’s against the Cavs, Pistons and Hornets, L against the Magic, Mavs, Spurs, and ug! Grizzlies. . 3 and 4 sounds just about right.
We were all expecting this team to struggle out of the gates? You guys have real short memories.

I think what prompts all this criticism is they have played some good basketball for all but a few quaters.We have seen glimpses of what this team and it fills the net with glee, but a reminder of what we all predicted prior to season opener and the armchair GM’s pull out their knives.
 Is our defence a concern? Abso-freeken-lutely! Consider it a work in progress. I think Triano’s goal of top six defensively is ridiculous, but let’s not blow things up after seven games!
I accept the Mavs drubbing, and was as angry as Franchise last evening watching Matt Bonner break down our D, but we gotta just move on to next game. We stunk against the Spurs. Agreed – bring on Swirsky night and da Bulls.

I