Sunday November 23 2008 - 3:45pm Eastern
The Celtics blew out the Raptors, 118-103.
It was ugly. That’s the only word I have for it right now.
I’ll have more later on tonight, but I’ll be the first to admit … I didn’t see the Raps being below .500 after 13 games. Toronto has got to get it back on track over the next two games … ’cause that west coast trip is looming large, and the entire month of December ain’t pretty either!
Ray Allen led the way for the Celts with 21 points.
The Celtics led by as many as 24 points in this game … and they shot an unreal 62% against Toronto’s D!
After Friday night’s heartbreaker against the Nets, Toronto was hoping to bounce back against the champs but they got spanked again and questions are swirling around Raptorland.
Ugly.
The post-game “Rap” is available here:
E. Smith
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eric
how much time does sam have left?
could you give some possible mid-season replacement suggestions?
what is bryan waiting for? is there something i am missing here because this team looks like has quit on sam?
leftpaw
- leftyI think Jose is giving Luke Ridnour a run for his money as the worst starting defensive PG in the East.
So now what
- help your point guard when Rondo/Harris/et al jog around him in the lane ……. these are NBA PG’s and they will find a way to find the open 3pt shooter …. and if you distilled Ray Allen/Vince/et al’s 3pt% only counting for times they’re wide open, surely they’re 40%+ to make
- don’t help and let the PG put up 20-30 free points on layups and perhaps draw fouls on your bigs
- why do the Raptors do such a a half-hearted job of doubling on penetration or in the post? Either double hard like you mean it or don’t bother
- Our lack of shot creators is glaringly apparent when we play a team that can actually play man defense …. gee, I wonder what kind of teams you have to beat in the playoffs
The days of living off of sub .500 teams and losing vs all the good teams to find a playoff spot only to get smoked in round 1 are coming to an end. The fans want more than to be a perennial treamdill 1st round team.
- MikeHmm, lets see the Type of questions floating around Fire Sam Mitchell. That’s the only question i have in my mind. This Team shouldn’t even be close to .500 Ball. The Raptors don’t have a problem scoring the ball, but defending is another Story. So there’s got to be something wrong, its obvious that the System on “D” where implementing doesn’t work and nothing is changing. So what that tell’s me is. As “OBAMA would say “It’s time for Change”. Avery Johnson or Flip Saunders would do wonders for this Team. Im Sorry Eric if you don’t agree but, As a Fan and from what im seeing on the Floor, its the same Old. It’s time to Part Ways…. These players aren’t rookies any more they don’t need a motivator, they need someone that knows what there doing and that Ain’t Mitchell…. The need Experience behind the Bench…
- Roscowatching CB4s reactions during the game reminded me of the old raptor days with vince being the “leader”.
hope that changes wed. night
- BehzadGreat post game Rap, once again. Although I didn’t agree with Anthony’s (caller) assessment of TJ Ford’s defensive abilities–he wasn’t any better than Jose is today. I still think that was an excellent move in acquiring JO.
The Raptors lack coaching, it is quite evident. Get the right coaching staff and watch that win total rise; this is a talented group, we know that, the whole league knows that, but everyone also knows we arent going anywhere without coaching, it is such an enormous part of the game.
- JamieWhere’s the interior defense?????
The Raps can’t seem to set the pace of the game. They only respond to the opposition instead of taking it to ‘em.
Why are they not using J-Kap more effectively??? This is the same problem carried over from last year.
Why is Bosh settling for outside jumpers??? Seems like he’s got VC15 syndrome. If I were Mitchell I’d make him run laps for every one of those shots (even if he makes it). He’s a power forward, NOT a 2-guard!!!
I’m so annoyed!!!
- AlisonEric i’m going to go off on a limb here and ramble some things on my mind….I want to see the reaction of the T-DOT fans to my “E. SMITH side blog”…I have to admit it it man…The Raptors just look flat…I did not expect this, at the beginning of the year but all I can say is WOW…But you know what, i think this team is going to get its share of wins (heat, bobcats, wizards), and get thumped by the good teams (Celtics, lakers etc.)…I expect the Raps to make the playoffs but as a .500 team, and maybe 7th or 8th in the East and get knocked out in round one…Want to know why, because they look as if they already peaked, and they are not good enough…Calderon is doing his thing (assists), Bosh is a monster, and bargnani is FINALLY showing consistency…AND O’NEL is playing well, but they lack a legit SF who can guard and a SG who can score…I love AP but hes not a LEGIT NBA starter (maybe 6th man if lucky)…Well the best thing to look at it is this way…Two years from now, well have a legit PF/C in Bargnani, a Legit PG in Calderon, and one of the best backups in Ukic… O’neal will be off the books and so will hump…Maybe we convince Bosh to re-sign and bring Wade to the holy city of Toronto, and lets hope this year or next years draft gets us the the SF we are looking for (defense and quickness), and we can CONTEND….So till 2010/2011 SEE YAAAA…
- TRUE Raps FanAvery Johnson is available. Its time
- D12Trust me. If you were Bosh and pissed, I would not play for Sam Mitchell. I’ve say it lots of times. I’ve seen enough. It’s about time to get a coach that has a record percentage over the .500 mark and throw this imbicle out.
I can tell that Bosh was frustrated. He is having the chance to show what he is made of and this is the treatment he gets?! CB4 will be alot lot better under a better head coach. But Colangelo needs to send 2/4-3/4 of players on their way. This can’t keep up otherwise another set of boo’s will be back. Bring in a coach that will unleash the Raptors “RUTHLESS AGGRESSION!!” No more of this nice garbage.
- StevenI agree with D12, Avery Johnson would do wonders with this team. I won’t mind Flip Saunders either(just kidding). Sam’s distribution of minutes is puzzling at best. X’s and O’s-wise he is arguably in the bottom 10 out of the 30 coaches. He’s also not a good communicator/motivator and If I were to bet a dollar I’d probably say, he’s not very well respected in the locker room. I’ve not heard a single praise for Sam from his players in all these years. Avery is a perfect candidate for the Raps coaching job. He’s a fiery little engine with a great basketball IQ. C’mon BC dial the number, the ship is sinking.
- Beburg aka The 88mph manCouple things. Title was on the money for this blog. To suggest T.J Ford is the same level defender as Jose Calderon is a total joke. I am really happy/sad that people are starting to talk about what an awful defender Jose is. I have said it for a long time. It really begins a lot of the break downs we have on Defense. I understand he is not 100% at the moment but he has always been a poor to awful defender. He needs to pick up that part of his game. Till he does all this talk of being the best PG in the east rings hallow to me.
If Rajon Rondo takes him to school I don’t even want to imagine what a HIGHLY MOTIVATED T.J FORD will do on Dec 10. It is not going to be pretty.
- James BorbathI’m sorry but I think it’s time to loose off Sam Mitchell and bring in a defensive coach, a coach like Stan Van Gundy for an example. Look at what he turned the Rockets into.
- ChrisI dont want to see Bosh will be the V.C. 2nd, but the way we are playing now, it really remind me that what happened in about 4 years ago.
- hildaLeeting Sam go was the thing to do b4 the monster new contract. With the coach of the year win, that became more difficult to do. It too bad if they have to eat that contract, maybe they can make him the NBA’s most expensive scout. You can see with every quote of his “Chris and I have been through worse….Chris and I have been here a long tome together” that Sam is nervous.
Unfortunately, I think they’ll have to be .500 right until Christmas b4 they would be forced to make a change.
We shouldn’t have to put up with the arrogance without the wins to back it up. I really don’t know if a change in coach would have an immediate impact but I think it certainly could; the act is just wearing a bit too thin…
- GaryThis appears to have quit on Sam. No effort on defense, no intensity or toughness on offense. I won’t question how good of a coach he his but this team isn’t playing hard for him. We have the players, a good group players, that don’t seem to put the effort in for him. Something has to be done, a coaching change, trade to change things up or something.
- CuerWhat you saw was Raptors a .500 team without their defensive leader O’Neal, and PG @ 75/85% and no one else stepping up, including Bosh, who was owned by KG. How many charges did Rap’s take or attempt? Who was helping on Rondo when he got past JC?
No one. No intensity without JO @ basket.
Vs the NBA Champs, 12-2 and the best defensive team, along with the LAL in the NBA.
Are you surprised. I’m not.
- Johnn19What did you expect?
James: TJ Ford IS a terrible deffender, sorry, poor to awful. Jose’s biggest problem, is he isn’t being coached on how to play defence, which come to think of it, may have also been TJ’s problem while he was here.
Bottom line, the trade was a good one. We wouldn’t be any stronger defensively at this point if we had of kept TJ, and it is quite possible we’d be 4-7 instead. Bosh would still be waiting for his first 30 point game.
- Jamie