Feschuk on Raps D

<u><span class="headlineArticle" id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder_article_NavWebPart_Article_ctl00___Title__">Playing D has its rewards under Mitchell's regime</span></u></p>

In a locker room in Memphis the other night, Juan Dixon, the Raptors forward, tried to get the attention of his teammate, Carlos Delfino.</p>

"'Los ... 'Los ... 'Los ..." Dixon said repeatedly.</p>

But the hailing frequency didn't register. Delfino was oblivious to the world around him, his ears plugged into his iPod, his head bobbing to some driving beat. If you stood close enough you could hear the scrunchy guitar riffs of Molotov, the Mexican rock band. You could also hear Delfino, the Argentine forward, mumbling along with the words of a song, although just as Delfino has done most things since he arrived in Toronto this season, he did so quietly.</p>

If the Raptors had something other than their riches and their health and their families to be grateful for yesterday, Thanksgiving Day in the U.S., perhaps it was the performances of players whose so-far-valuable contributions were more x-factors than expected when training camp commenced.</p>

Delfino, for instance, though his low-talking, laid-back demeanour seemed at first to puzzle Sam Mitchell, Toronto's fiery extrovert of a coach, has brought with him a defensive savvy that has been essential to his team's relative success.</p>

The Raptors' defence, which last year allowed opponents to shoot 46.3 per cent from the field, is allowing 45.0 per cent shooting this year, not that anyone is pretending they're on the verge of becoming a defensive juggernaut.</p>

But given their collective gift of marksmanship &ndash; they're second in the league in three-point shooting accuracy and first in free-throw shooting &ndash; they will be a difficult team to handle if they offer opposing offences some respectable resistance.</p>

So Delfino's lock-down relentlessness has been an integral tone-setter, as has the ongoing ascension of Jamario Moon who, in Wednesday's win over the Grizzlies, matched up against a stellar athlete named Rudy Gay and played him to something of a draw.
www.thestar.com/Sports/article/279200</p>