3 In The Key - Toronto Raptors Game Day Preview vs. Clippers

by RaptorsHQ - Howland on Nov 13, 2009 6:00 AM EST

After grabbing a win at home the Toronto Raptors have once again packed their bags and they are off to the West Coast for another road trip. Up first? LA's other team...the Clippers.

Could the Raps make it two in a row in this late night match-up?

Here is what I know about the Los Angeles Clippers.

The have a good team (on paper).
They have to love the fact that Elton Brand decided to skip town and end up with the 76ers.
They have to be somewhat disappointed with the play of Baron Davis.
They must be chomping at the bit waiting for Blake Griffin to hit the court.
They have one of the worst owners (Donald Sterling) in all of sport and I can't help but wonder if he and Al Davis are not the same person.
Mike Dunleavy is a horrible coach and this team looks like it is in complete disarray on both ends of the court.
Their three wins this season have come against Minnesota, Golden State and Memphis.
As much as the Raptors frustrate me sometimes, I am grateful that I am not a Clippers fan.

For those living in the Eastern Time Zone I don't think there is a worse opponent for the Raps to have with a 10:30 pm start time on a Friday night. Just a hunch, but I think viewer numbers are going to be down for this game.

Nevertheless, this is an important game. Given their upcoming schedule against some of the elite teams in the league this is a great opportunity for the Raptors to build of the second half of the Bulls game and secure back to back wins for the third time this season. I have said this before, if the Raps can get some momentum early on this season it is going to go a long way down the stretch.

Despite all my points above I don't think this Clippers team is simply going to hand the game over to the Raps as an early Christmas present. We all know that the Raps have a propensity to let the opposition score at will and this Clippers team with the likes of Baron Davis, Chris Kaman and Al Thornton can, if given the opportunity, fill it up.

Speaking of Chris Kaman, he alongside Marcus Camby, makes for an interesting match-up against the Raps two-headed monster in Andrea Bagnani and Chris Bosh.

After the win against Chicago there was a lot of talk on the site about Andrea Bargnani and Chris Bosh and which player is the most challenged on the defensive end of the court. It sparked quite the debate.

Well, now it's really time to evaluate and the NBA's schedule makers have provided a number of opponents, Clippers included, who will really help resolve the debate.

Kaman is an excellent back to the basket player and a very good rebounder. Camby, over the course of his career, has been a great paint presence with shot-blocking ability and a terrific nose for the ball. It's going to be a test for the Raptors bigs no doubt about it. Let's see how Raps defend these two bigs and see who, if anyone can step up their defensive game. Bosh? Bargnani? Or will Triano be forced to look at Amir Johnson to help provide the required resistance.

The match-up between the big men is really what I will be watching but here are three other keys to tonight's game:

1. Perimeter Defense: For those who have not seen a Clippers game this season, if it wasn't for the nasty beard, you probably wouldn't recognize Baron Davis. He has really taken care of his body and is much more fit and slim this season. He is looking more agile on the court and although his shooting percentages still leave much to be desired, he has a little pep in his step. He will undoubtedly be looking forward to his match-up against Jose Calderon in hopes of using his quickness to attack the paint. Al Thorton is another Clipper who loves to attack the rim.

If the Raptors defenders can't stay in front of the Clippers guards and small forwards it could make for a long night. It will also make it more difficult on Bosh and Bargnani to defend their respective match-ups. For all the talk about the lack of defense being shown by the Raptors bigs, it is all a rather moot point if they are not getting help from their teammates.

2. Shooting Contest: These Clippers have no hesitation when it comes to shooting the rock. Given the lack of game plan on the offensive end I am sure you will all make note of each of their player's willingness to jack it up at every opportunity. They also like to shoot the three ball, much like the Raps.

If we learned anything from the Bulls game it is that the Raptors have a better chance at succeeding when they focus on getting the ball inside and then looking for the three. As Franchise pointed out the Raps took 16 three's in the first half of the Bulls game and were down. When they finally started to get aggressive on offense in the second half it helped turn things around. In my opinion the Raps simply take too many three's. Against a team like the Clipper's it would be natural to get into a three ball contest but the recipe for success is a heavy dosage of Bosh and Bargs in the paint either drawing the foul, making a hoop from close range or drawing the double team and then, and only then kicking it out for the three ball.

3. Play Above Your Opponent: As mentioned from the top this Clippers team is good on paper but the results simply are not there. The Raps cannot play down to their opponent tonight. A loss here could set a bad tone for the next week. As someone mentioned on the site yesterday the Raps are treading water around the .500 level right now which is respectable given the early schedule of games. It would be nice to see that trend continue.

One player we won't see dressed for the Raptors in tonight's game, or any other game going forward for that matter is Quincy Douby. Douby, despite his respectable summer league performance in Vegas was really the forgotten man on this Raptors roster and yesterday was released. Douby is yet to live up to his billing when he was selected in the first round by the Sacramento Kings and I question whether he gets another chance at making an NBA roster. Unfortunately he becomes another member of a long list of forgettable Raptors.

We, of course, are going no-where and will be here live-blogging the game into the wee hours of the morning so join in the conversation!

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Comments

Woah

This is gonna be a late one!

Reminds me of the Spurs game; one that TO needs to get and should be able to win.

And…it’s interesting that with all the Bosh-Bargs discussion on the site yesterday, they now have a tough front-court match-up against Kaman and Camby…we’ll see how it goes.

by Adam Francis on Nov 13, 2009 9:03 AM EST reply actions

Jordan is a bit of a rebounding/shot blocking beast off the bench as well. If they give him some run, look out — he could do some work down low.

by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Nov 13, 2009 10:24 AM EST up reply actions

Bosh comes up huge tonight!

Jordan not off to a good start. Actually, other than Kaman and Camby (and to a much lesser extent Smith), the Clips have NO rebounding.
Bosh will rise to the occasion and show Captain Kaman who the real POW is. And, with Gordon out, we actually have a huge edge on the wings.
Equals two turkey burgers (hold the bun), tzatziki, hot sauce, sweet potato fries, and getting ever closer to my Turk and Evans shirts :)

by PConn on Nov 13, 2009 11:08 AM EST up reply actions

Finally a game I can watch live

I get home from work at 10pm, so this will be sweet…

One thing jose said after the bulls game “we want to be a second half team”… I think this is critical. There is an argument to be made that the raps haven’t done well at managing their energy, something that was talked about a lot at one time in basketball. Lots of teams just execute in the first half, and don’t really seem to worry about the halftime score then down the stretch, they turn it on.

WIth the raps offense clicking the way it is, they can start thinking in terms of when to lock down on D and try to go on runs.

by axl t on Nov 13, 2009 9:23 AM EST reply actions

I've got a spare courtside seat

Anyone want to go? Hit me up at aaron_craig@yahoo.com — sitting near the raps bench.

by Aaron Craig on Nov 13, 2009 11:15 AM EST reply actions

Woah!

Almost considering booking a last-minute flight to LA now…

by Adam Francis on Nov 13, 2009 11:45 AM EST up reply actions

Still available

Offer is still open

by Aaron Craig on Nov 13, 2009 3:49 PM EST up reply actions

Does the offer include airfare and a babysitter?

Tim W.
The Picket Fence

by Tim W. on Nov 13, 2009 6:33 PM EST up reply actions

Clippers

Kaman may or may not play. He has had some kind of virus. The L.A. Times lists him as probable for tonight. He has been playing all-star type basketball except in the last game when he played with this virus that he had but no one knew he had it at the time.

The Clippers have the worse head trainer in all of pro sports. He is even a worse trainer than Sterling is an owner. Sterling by the way is nothing like Davis. I laughed when I read that comment. Dunleavy is still tring to fix the mess created by Elgin Baylor when Baylor was GM. Losing Griffin at the beginning of the season was in effect taking away the first round pick of last year’s most injured and therefore worst performing team in the league.

The biggest thing that the Raptors have going for them tonight is that Eric Gordon will still be in street clothes. I saw his groin injury on TV when it occurred. Ouch!!

Gordon is by far the Clippers best shooter and their second best player behind Kaman.

Since Gordon has been with the Clippers he has missed 6 games and the Clippers are 0 – 6 in those games. No reason it shouldn’t be 0 – 7 after tonight.

by Buddahfan on Nov 13, 2009 11:23 AM EST reply actions

Even more a must-win now; no Gordon and now sounds like no Kaman. Raps need to take advantage of catching these breaks!

by Adam Francis on Nov 13, 2009 11:46 AM EST up reply actions

I don’t know about a MUST win, remember they’re still ahead of your curve. ;)

by Ustation on Nov 13, 2009 1:16 PM EST up reply actions

Ha ha – solid point. In fact they only need two more wins to sink my original prediction…

…not that I wouldn’t be happy to see it happen!

by Adam Francis on Nov 13, 2009 5:02 PM EST up reply actions

The Raps didn’t fair to well against the last team that was missing top players to injury (and lconsequently abeled a “must win” by some). Mind you, the fact that the Spurs went on to blow out the Mavs with the same lineup lessens the sting a little.

Still, I’m still not confident that this team knows how to crush a team when they get the chance.

by siggian on Nov 13, 2009 2:59 PM EST up reply actions

Later, a full-force Bear Patrol is on watch. Homer watches proudly.

Homer: Not a bear in sight. The Bear Patrol must be working like a
       charm.
Lisa: That’s spacious reasoning, Dad.
Homer: Thank you, dear.
Lisa: By your logic I could claim that this rock keeps tigers away.
Homer: Oh, how does it work?
Lisa: It doesn’t work.
Homer: Uh-huh.
Lisa: It’s just a stupid rock.
Homer: Uh-huh.
Lisa: But I don’t see any tigers around, do you?
        [Homer thinks of this, then pulls out some money]
Homer: Lisa, I want to buy your rock.
        [Lisa refuses at first, then takes the exchange]

by Ustation on Nov 13, 2009 4:40 PM EST up reply actions

The mail arrives.

Homer: Woo-hoo! A perfect day. Zero bears and one big fat hairy
       paycheck.
        [opens it up]
       Hey! How come my pay is so low? … Bear patrol tax! This is
       an outrage! It’s the biggest tax increase in history!
Lisa: Actually, Dad, it’s the smallest tax increase in history.
Homer: Let the bears pay the bear tax. I pay the Homer tax.
Lisa: That’s home-owner tax.
Homer: Well, anyway, I’m still outraged.

by Ustation on Nov 13, 2009 4:41 PM EST up reply actions

Oh wait.. this applies to Ren’s if Bosh scores too much the Raps lose logic as well. :)

by Ustation on Nov 13, 2009 4:42 PM EST up reply actions

Quimby: Are those morons getting dumber or just louder?
Assistant: [checks his clipboard] Dumber, sir.

by Ustation on Nov 13, 2009 4:43 PM EST up reply actions

Love it

Nothing like using a Simpsons’ analogy to make a point. The team needs Bosh to keep up his play but I’m hoping to see some aggressive interior work by Bargs, Johnson and co.

PS – You are so smart.

S-M-R-T!

by Adam Francis on Nov 13, 2009 5:05 PM EST up reply actions

Jordan

I think De Andre Jordan is gonna be a solid player. He’s got all the tools necessary to be a center and all he needs now is a few years to put it together. He’s one of those guys I’d like to see on our roster replacing POB or Rasho next year.

by Member29 on Nov 13, 2009 11:23 AM EST reply actions

Jordon

I am a fan of his and agree with you except with Camby’s contract expiring after this year and the fact that he will be 36 next year with whom ever he plays I don’t see the Clippers parting ways with Jordon, especially now that Dunleavy is the GM and not Elgin Baylor.

by Buddahfan on Nov 13, 2009 11:25 AM EST up reply actions

Dunleavy

Bill Simmons — a Clippers season ticket holder — does a pretty good job of detailing how horrible Mike Dunleavy Sr. is as a coach. I love the organizations that are dysfunctional from ownership on down. It makes you (almost) appreciate the Teachers Pension Fund.

by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Nov 13, 2009 11:45 AM EST reply actions

Today's column

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmonsnflpicks/091113

Best of all, I have Mike Dunleavy, someone who is so bad at his job that on Wednesday night — after I walked out of a game in which he waited 47 minutes and 22 seconds to insert Steve Novak (his only decent outside shooter with Eric Gordon sidelined) in the game to “spread the floor,” which would have been fine if Novak wasn’t ice-cold, although that’s what made it so fantastically abysmal, the fact that Dunleavy probably broke the career record for “Most Times Putting An Ice-Cold Guy into the Biggest Possession of a Close Game” — I said to two of my Section 102 friends (Jesse and Lenny) as we were leaving, “I’m actually going to miss games like that when they finally fire Dunleavy. I feel like we’re watching a level of incompetence on a daily basis that transcends sports and might be something I tell my grandkids about someday.” Thank God I have Mike Dunleavy.

by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Nov 13, 2009 11:48 AM EST up reply actions

Not to disagree with you (okay, I am), but apart from Gordon, who’s not playing, the Clippers aren’t a three point shooting team. They’re 19th in 3 pointers made, and if you take away Gordon, they’re 25th. And Gordon’s the only one with a respectable percentage (who actually shoots semi-regularly). They even worse in attempting 3’s. Yes, a slightly better 18th, but without Gordon, that number goes down to 29th.

Tim W.
The Picket Fence

by Tim W. on Nov 13, 2009 1:31 PM EST reply actions

And this is precisely the type of team the Raptors should demolish… at least in theory (see Bulls, Chicago). Without that outside shooting component, teams shouldn’t have a chance against the Dinos.

But this is where rebounding comes into play — you can’t get outrebounded and give up 2nd (and 3rd and 4th…) shot opportunities because suddenly a crappy team like the Clippers is shooting 38-41% from the field and coming away with the win.

by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Nov 13, 2009 1:56 PM EST up reply actions

Ya, but apart from Kaman and Camby, they don’t rebound the ball all that well, either. Especially on the offensive end. It’s a good bet that whoever is guarding Bosh will get in foul trouble, so that will help.

Tim W.
The Picket Fence

by Tim W. on Nov 13, 2009 2:12 PM EST up reply actions

True. The fact that Bosh has turned into a foul-drawing machine is a HUGE bonus for this team — he’s putting points on the board AND possibly limiting the minutes of one or two front court players on the opposing team.

by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Nov 13, 2009 2:17 PM EST up reply actions

So Franchise and I were chatting earlier...

And we were discussing the “Scrub of the Night”… as in, which scrub on the Clippers roster is going to look like a nine-time All-Star tonight against the Raptors.

We came up with Craig Smith. Would love to hear everyone else’s thoughts…

Rasual Butler?

Kareem Rush anyone?

by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Nov 13, 2009 1:59 PM EST reply actions

Good idea. It’s true that there seems to be one scrub that always has abig night against the Raptors.

My pick is Steve Novak. Not only do the Raptors have trouble guarding the perimeter, but the bigs, especially. I’m going to predict 10 points from Mr. Novak, which would be a season high.

Now watch him not play at all.

Tim W.
The Picket Fence

by Tim W. on Nov 13, 2009 2:15 PM EST up reply actions