Raptors @ Cavaliers Preview! Toronto Raptors (12-8) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (5-15) Tuesday, December 9th, 7:00 pm EST Gund Arena, Cleveland, OH TV: FSOhio, NBALP Previous Game Hawks 85 @ Cavaliers 95 (Broke 8 game losing slide) Sonics 98 @ Raptors 108 Streaks Cleveland: Won 1 Toronto: Won 4 Head Coaches Paul Silas/Kevin O'Neill Probable Starters LeBron James/Jalen Rose Ricky Davis/Alvin Williams Ira Newble/Vince Carter Carlos Boozer/Donyell Marshall Zydrunas Ilgauskas/Chris Bosh 6th Men Darius Miles/Morris Peterson Players To Watch: 2 Top 5 Picks LeBron James/Chris Bosh James: 16.6 points, 6.90 rebounds, 6.4 assists Bosh: 11.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.65 blocks Fast Fact The Raptors are 4-0 since making the trade to acquire Jalen Rose, Donyell Marshall, and Lonny Baxter. The Cavs are the best rebounding team in the NBA. Injury Lists Cleveland Cavaliers Dajuan Wagner Bruno Sundov DeSagana Diop - out Toronto Raptors Michael Bradley Eric Montross Keys To The Game Cleveland - Chris Bosh has a very slim frame and would not be able to handle Ilgauskas inside. I dump it to Big Z early and often to take advantage of that matchup. Ira Newble will have his hands full with Vince Carter, who is healthy and playing all-star basketball once again. Ira must make him take jumpers with a hand in his face, as well as stop Vince from penetrating to the basket. Carlos Boozer loves to rebound, but Donyell Marshall can shoot the rock, so he will have to stay on him at the perimeter at all times. Toronto - Pick and rolls! The Cavaliers don't defend them very well, often getting mixed up on rotations and at times moving under the screen to give the ball handler a wide open look from deep. If I am Donyell Marshall, I look to move around that 3 point line just too keep Boozer out of the paint. The Sandman's Take The trade has put new life into the Raptors and they have been playing very well of late. I am sure the Cavs will keep it close as they do with everybody, but I must go withe the Raps in this one, as they will show more heart and will to win on both sides of the basketball. Raptors by 7 <font size="1">Please visit NBA.com</font>
This should be a very interesting game to watch, but I have to favor the Raptors in this one. If this game was pre-Rose then it'd be a hell of a lot more even. The Raptors team looks rejuvinated with their new studs.
This should be a good game.Rose seems to be playing point guard again so Lebron will finally guard someone as big as he is at the point.The play of Marshall has been the real bright spot in their streak.
i think it is too much for the Cavs to handle, LeBron will have a big game, i think teh Raps take it 99-90
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Sandman:</div><div class="quote_post">Vince and LeBron...the Gund will be loaded, you can book that.</div> Though it would be better if they're playing on the same team. ASG perhaps? heheeh. The problem for Cavs in this game is no one can stop Vince one on one. They can double him of course but the Raps now have added scoring options. Vince can easily pass to the open man. It would've been a different story before the trade.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Air Canada:</div><div class="quote_post">Good luck Ira ( Newble )</div> Good luck Bosh
The Raptors should win this one in Cleveland. The Raptors will be way too much. Lebron has hit a wall and that is nothing but bad news for the Cavs. Raptors in double-digits.
Cleveland Another loss???? I just can't see the cavaliers winning this game tonight against the raptors. The raptors will be way too much for the cavs to handle with their new accusations this past month. Lebron will do fine like usual but the rest of the cavs i don't know about. I predict raptors by twenty.
Cavs will lose by 5. Cavs will have the heart to stay in the game, but it won't be enough to win against the newly rejuvanated Raptors.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting sportsrock37:</div><div class="quote_post">Cavs will lose by 5. Cavs will have the heart to stay in the game, but it won't be enough to win against the newly rejuvanated Raptors.</div> Yeah they'll have the heart and win the game by 5 instead of lose
100-93 .. Raptors pick up the W ! Vince .. 22 Pts .. 8 RBS .. 7 Assts .. great game from Jalen, Chris and Donyell as well ! .. what pissed me off about the Cavs .. is they don't get the ball inside to Z in crunch time, like today .. he only had one field goal attempt in the fourth quarter .. although, as much as I hate to admit it , he had his way on us in the first quarter .. but crunch time .. always Ricky Davis or Lebron or Boozer tryin to take contested shots .. what's up with Silas ?!! .. u've got a dominant big man in the east ?? .. use the damn thing .. Go Raps
^^Exactly, the Cavs need to run the offense through Big Z. It is frustrating watching a force like him not being used in crunch time and consistently through out a game. If Silas does not want to use him as the catalyst for their offense, he should unload Big Z for the players he knows how to win with. The Cavs should dangle Big Z to the Grizzlies for the same package Memphis is discussing with the Warriors for Dampier. Shane Battier's defense is sorely needed on the Cavs, and Stromile Swift gives them an athletic big man who can run the floor with LeBron and Ricky, and has a shotblocking presence inside the paint. And if the Cavs want to get a player molded to the typical Silas big man, why not make a move to get Theo Ratliff. The Hawks have been trying to dump him and his contract the entire off-season. Darius Miles and Diop might be enough to make the deal happen. Darius Miles has already lost his spot as a starter and he's losing minutes to Ira Newble as of late. Once Dajuan Wagner comes back there will be even less PT for Miles. Ratliff fills the role perfectly for Silas because he does not need to touch the ball on offense, is a tremendous shotblocker, and can rebound effectively. He's along the lines of an Elden Campbell type player, which Silas is accustomed, too.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Rookie LeBron James led the Cavs with 18 points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 17. Ira Newble had a season-high 16 points and 10 rebounds for Cleveland, which has dropped nine of 10. Rose didn't have a field goal in the first half but carried Toronto's offense in the third quarter, scoring 10 points in the final 3:09 as the Raptors built a 79-73 lead entering the fourth. "He's a key player for them," James said. "Jalen can get off shots when he wants. He did a lot for the Bulls, he did it with Michigan and he's doing it for Toronto."</div> Full Story Box Score -------------------- Raptors won by 7, just as I called it. The Cavs failed to get the ball to Z, just like I called it. Shape, please watch when you merge a thread, it renamed mine and it looked terrible. Cavs had the early lead, but just could not keep the pressure on. If they played their 2-4th quarters like their first, they would only have 3-5 losses, ha. I did not even watch the game, I went to sleep hours before the game, lol. I'm too good. Diop is going nowhere. I can see Miles and Z being traded though.
