It seems so easy from a fans point of view as to what can make the raptors a easy playoff team. They have most of the weapons like donyell, carter, jalen (once he's healthy) including bosh and the two new raptors. All they need is a half bulky center that knows how to rebound and hussles along with some dedicated defence (which they used to have) and they can easily be a damn good team. This game continued to prove to me there obvious weaknesses
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting jack:</div><div class="quote_post">we really need jalen and alvin back we need jalen to take some pressure off vince and alvin's perimeter defence</div> I don't knwo if jalen is too reliable, especially nowadays. Hopefully he lost his shooting stroke because of that hand of his. Jalen chokes under pressure. I remember this one game i went to where the Bulls had 99 points and if the Bulls get 100+ points, hten everyone gets free bigmacs... well he went to the line 4 times... he missed his first 3 and made his last free throw... he chokes so bad, it isn't even funny. He owes all of his clutch shots to luck, so don't expext him to take pressure off of anyone.
We played good, but what can you do when you give up that many offensive rebounds. KO and GG were retarded for letting Baxter go, <u>Archibald isn't even playing</u>, man I don't understand some of these things they do. KO had some weird substitution patterns again taking Moiso and Strickland out when they were in the flow and inserting Milt back in. KO really needs to look at how his rotations go. Then his reason for u losing the game, we needed Micheal Curry in their. WHen Jalen and Alvin return our lineup should be: PG - Rod Strickland SG - Vince Carter SF - Jalen Rose PF - Donyell Marshall C - Chris Bosh Bench: PG - Alvin Williams SG - Dion Glover SF - Mo-Pete PF - Micheal Curry?? C - Jerome Moiso Alvin is off the bench so we have some bench scoring.
Real tough loss for the Raptors, like others have pointed however, I hope our group doesn't lose their focus or energy for the rest of their games. VC has been on a tear lately. What stood out to me is that he had 9, count 9 assists and <font size="7">0</font> turonvers! :thumbsup: Our post positions just got exposed tonight, aside from that everybody played solid. I hope GG can get us anybody that hussles on the boards. Rumours have it that the Vin in Tdot situation is over with, due to that arbitration thingy, but we are still looking for a big man. Corrie Blount was recently waived by the Bulls, and he could provide us with some defence for atleast the 20 remaining games of the season. I wish Chitown gets fed up with JYD and waives him as well, so that we can renegotiate his contract for the remainder of the season and he could step right in and fill a serious hole we have down low(even though he wouldn't be able to play for us in the playoffs, he would probably not mind because if he stays in Chicago he wouldn't be either.) Also, seeing as how he loves Toronto, we could resign him in the offseason for much much less, and we would be a great team come next season....by Eastern standards of course.
Things just fell apart in the second half. People stopped driving and started shooting too much. Same old story same old team. Things will get better in time but the Raps better wake up before they end up on the other side of the playoff fence.
We played solid tho, Im proud... lol. I just can't believe we fell apart at the end at our OWN COURT! We rarely do that. Big props to Starbury, Houston, and Carter, plus Kevin and Lenny, those guys worked their asses off for that game. Finally a great game in a lonnng time.
Nets, Pacers, Pistons, Hornets, Celtics, Knicks, Cavs, Bucks, and Miami are currently ahead of us in the standings....we're now 10th in the East ........goodbye playoffs
We are ahead by 15 after 3 quarters against new orleans. Carter hit from half court at the end of the 3rd .