By: David Alter

With 18 games now in the books, criticism of the Raptors has been focused on toughness and it’s defence. 

The last two games has seen Chris Bosh get knocked around a little bit, while seeing his teammates react in the moment.

Bosh says those reactions are nice but they aren’t winning, and the intensity has to carry over.

“It’s great to react like that, it showed camaraderie in the team, there’s not much you can do when you get up, you just get up and that’s it” says Bosh. ”I think we need to have everyone get up when we make a shot or a dunk or layup, let’s get up for that.  Or a defensive stop, let’s get up for that.  Let’s show passion about that.”

The schedule isn’t getting any easier for the Raptors who get ready to embark on four games in the next five nights.

At 7-11, there is nothing more that head coach Jay Triano would like to do than to implement some tweaks on defence –  including playing more zone.

Triano says the difficult schedule has thrown a wrench into that.

“We don’t want to play a lot of zone if we haven’t had a chance to practice it, and the next full practice we get is Dec. 21st” says Triano.  “I can’t remember the last time we had one [full practice] where it hasn’t been monitoring minutes because guys have to get rest.  The schedule has been tough, this is the NBA and we have to find ways to get around that.”

Sunday November 29 2009 – 4:47pm Eastern - TORONTO, ON 

Suns @ Raptors

Final Score:
113 - 94, Suns (Toronto now 7-11)

“Smith and Jones” Player of the Game:
STEVE NASH
20 points
16 assists
3 rebounds
8/15 FG

“Alice Fazoolis” Player of the Game:
- JASON RICHARDSON
22 points (*team high)
9 rebounds
7/13 FG

Shout-out to the Raptors:
CHRIS BOSH
30 points
17 rebounds
13/26 FG

Stats that stood out:
- Toronto led by 2 early on … but trailed for most of the game … in spite of the 1-point deficit at the half (50-49)
- Raps cough up 63 second half points to the Suns
- Fast break points:  16-6 Suns
- 6 players in double-figures for PHX
- Toronto has lost 3 in a row
- Nash with 10+ assists for the 7th time this year
- Raptors nearly see there 3PT record busted … hitting only ONE 3-pointer all game
- Jose Calderon (1 for 7) and Hedo Turkoglu (4 of 14 (started 1 of 8)) combined to shoot 5/21 FG

Thumbs Up:
- Chris Bosh.  30 points and 17 rebounds is nothing to sneeze at.  If I’m him, I’m frustrated as heck right now.

Thumbs Down:
- Down 1 at the half, Toronto fell down by 19 early in the 3RD QRT … Fought back to pull within 5 … only to lose by 19

Smith Says:
“The same blue print as Friday night in Boston:  tight in the first half, blown out in the second.  I’m convinced it’s mental with this team.  The effort and intensity just isn’t there … and the team has to find ‘it’ ASAP.”

Jones Says:
“Unlike the last game against Phoenix, Steve Nash got his teammates involved.  The strategy of switching on screen-rolls was not nearly as effective.”

Keep the 3-ball Steak Alive (878 games and counting):
- The Raptors were 1 of 20 from 3PT range

Next game:
- Wizards @ Raptors – Tuesday December 1 2009 – 1:00pm Eastern
- Tune in at 7:00pm for the “Pizza Pizza” starting line ups

* Missed the post-game show?  You can catch it right here:

[audio:http://qml.quiettouch.com/files/radio/fan590/hotaudio/therap-fan-20091129.mp3]

Friday November 27 2009 – 10:15pm Eastern - BOSTON, MA 

Raptors @ Celtics

Final Score:116 - 103, Celtics (Toronto now 7-10)

“Smith and Jones” Player of the Game:- PAUL PIERCE

18 points

7 assists

5 rebounds

2 steals

7/12 FG

4/4 FT

“Alice Fazoolis” Player of the Game:

- KENDRICK PERKINS

18 points

5 rebounds

2 assists

8/8 FG

Shout-out to the Raptors:- CHRIS BOSH

20 points

13 rebounds

2 steals

9/13 FG

Stats that stood out:- Boston had 6 players in double-figures

- Toronto coughs up 24 points on a season-high 25 turnovers

- The Bobcats put up *68* points in the paint (outscoring Toronto in the paint, 68-48) after Toronto allowed Charlotte to score 74 in the paint 2 night ago

- Kevin Garnett and Perkins combined to go 14/14 FG (Garnett – 6/6)

- Boston tears the game open with a 19-3 run over the course of 8:06 minutes in the 3RD QRT

- Toronto had only 15 assists on 39 FG (remember … 25 turnovers too.  19 assists – 25 turnovers – not good)

- Boston finishes the game shooting a ridiculous 62.3% from the floor

Thumbs Up:- The first half … shooting 67% and leading by 1 at the break

Thumbs Down:- The second half … especially the 3rd QRT … when Toronto was out-scored 33-17 and had a stretch of 6:53 minutes where they DIDN’T SCORE A POINT

Smith says:“Kendrick Perkins told us on the post-game show that defence – even in Boston – is all about effort and that’s it.  Effort.  Plain and simple.  The Raptors have to take note … and find a way to play D.  Period.”

Jones Says:n/a

Keep the 3-ball Steak Alive (877 games and counting):- The Raptors were 7 of 14 from 3PT range

Next game:- Suns @ Raptors – Sunday November 29 2009 – 1:00pm Eastern

- Tune in at 12:30pm Eastern for the pre-game show and just after 1:00pm for the “Pizza Pizza” starting line ups

* Missed the post-game show?  You can catch it right here:

[audio:http://qml.quiettouch.com/files/radio/fan590/hotaudio/raptorspostgame-fan-20091127.mp3]

Friday November 27 2009 – 4:37pm Eastern – Boston, MA

On Wednesday night – in that nasty loss to the Charlotte Bobcats – Chris Bosh passed the 9000-point mark for his career.  Couple that with the 4,000+ career rebounds he already has, and CB4 is now in some pretty good company in NBA history …

YOUNGEST PLAYERS TO REACH 9,000 POINTS AND 4,000 REBOUNDS

Name                          Yrs       Days

O’Neal, Shaquille        24        314
McAdoo, Bob              25        52
Chamberlain, Wilt       25        177
Garnett, Kevin             25        235
Walker, Antoine          25        241
Bosh, Chris               25        246

Enjoy the game tonight — Raptors vs Celtics

E. Smith

Friday November 27 2009 – 12:48pm Eastern – Boston, MA

The turkey hangover is long gone by now … so it’s time to put Thanksgiving in the rear view mirror … and look straight ahead at a big-time battle against the Boston Celtics tonight.

We’re vloggin’ from Beantown.

Enjoy!

We’re on the air with the pre-game show tonight at 7:00pm (Chris Bosh will be one of our guests/interviews) … and we’ve got the tip of the Raps and Celts just after 7:30pm

Have a good one

E. Smith

Thursday MOVEMBER 26 2009 – 1:49pm Eastern – Boston, MA

We’re only 4 days away from the end of “Movember” … so if you haven’t yet supported any of your family or friends that have grown moustaches in support of Prostate Cancer and research … please do so now!

I’ve been growing my MO all month

If you’d like to donate to my Mo Movement, you can do so at:   http://ca.movember.com/mospace/298996

It’s Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) … so what a perfect day to ask for you to give!

And to get you in the “giving” spirit that much more … enjoy this Mo rap (VERY funny):

Have a good one folks

E. Smith

Thursday November 26 2009 – 12:23pm Eastern – Boston, MA

I’m glad I’m in the U.S. right now … to celebrate one of the best holidays going, period.  I love the true sense of family and friends and tradition that comes with American Thanksgiving.  For whatever reason, I don’t think we do it the same — or do it as well — in Canada.  Anyway, that’s my two cents.

For my American readers and friends:  HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Now … for my readers and friends back in Canada …

I’m sure you’re still trying to get over last night’s brutal loss for the Raptors in Charlotte.  It was ugly and uninspiring.  Toronto looked flat pretty-much all night and the second half was a complete train wreck.

Did this game fall into the “10, 10, 62″ theory? 

* (10 you win that you shouldn’t have … 10 you lose that you shouldn’t have … it’s the other 62 that truly determines your season) *

I don’t know.  Time will tell if the Raps can bounce back from that Bobcat debacle. 

But I do know this …

The sky is not falling in Raptorland.  Not yet.  So Chicken Little fans … unite somewhere else.

Have a great day folks … and again … Happy Thanksgiving.

E. Smith

Wednesday November 25 2009 – 9:54pm Eastern - Toronto, ON 

Raptors @ Bobcats

Final Score:
116 - 81, Bobcats (Toronto now 7-9)

“Smith and Jones” Player of the Game:
- STEPHEN JACKSON
23 points
6 assists
2 steals
7/18 FG
7/8 FT

“Alice Fazoolis” Player of the Game:
* We weren’t joined by a member of the Bobcats, but if we were, it would have been:
- GERALD WALLACE
31 points
13 rebounds
3 assists
2 blocks
2 steals
10/20 FG
11/12 FT

Shout-out to the Raptors:
- AMIR JOHNSON
13 points
8 rebounds
3 blocks
2 steals
6/9 FG

Stats that stood out:
- Charlotte gets 42 points from their bench (led by the 15 from rookie Gerald Henderson)
- Toronto coughs up 29 points on 18 turnovers
- The Bobcats put up *74* points in the paint (outscoring Toronto in the paint, 74-44)
- Charlotte led by as many as 37 points.  Ugh
- Charlotte scored 30+ in each of the final 3 quarter (2nd – 32, 3rd – 33, 4th – 31)
- After shooting a perfect 7 of 7 last night, Jarrett Jack came off the bench for Toronto to go 1 for 9 (2 points, 2 turnovers, 1 assist in 18:57 minutes)
- Chris Bosh’s last two games combined:  10 of 30 FG
- Toronto shoots only 34.5% for the game

Thumbs Up:
- Amir Johnson was one of the few (only?) Raptors that seemed to have any kind of fight in him.  13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, 2 steals in 23:27 minutes off the bench.

Thumbs Down:
- Can we just go with “the game”.  Period.  From points in the paint … to points of turnovers … to a lackluster offence, the game overall deserves a big thumbs down.

Smith says:
“That was ugly.  Toronto looked flat from the opening tip.  In spite of the fact that the Raps led after 1 and were down by only 6 at the half, you could see early on that the energy wasn’t there and things got out of hand in a hurry as the game rolled on.”

Jones Says:
n/a

Keep the 3-ball Steak Alive (876 games and counting):
- The Raptors were 4 of 19 from 3PT range

Next game:
- Raptors @ Celtics – Friday November 27 2009 – 7:30pm Eastern
- Tune in at 7:00pm Eastern for the pre-game show and just after 7:30pm for the “Pizza Pizza” starting line ups

Wednesday November 25 2009 – 12:15pm Eastern – Charlotte, NC

The Raptors are coming off a big win last night (literally, and figuratively) over the Indiana Pacers … and they’re right back at it again tonight, in Charlotte.

Toronto is hoping to get the “W” tonight … move back to .500 … and gear up for the mighty Celtics in Boston on Friday.

To get ya primed and ready for tonight’s tilt against Stephen Jackson and the Bobcats, we’re VLOGGIN’ again …

We’re on the air at 7pm tonight.  Be sure to tune in!

Have a good one

E. Smith

Tuesday November 24 2009 – 4:03pm Eastern – Toronto, ON

Getting set to to head down to the ACC for the Pacers and Raptors … here are a couple of key stories and numbers to get ya primed and ready for the game

BANGED UP BODIES?

Amir Johnson (knee), Marco Belinelli (groin), and Antoine Wright (ankle) are all considered game-time decisions for tonight.

THE LINE IS THE KEY

Free Throw Attempts per game this season:

Chris Bosh (TOR) – 11.8
Dwyane Wade (MIA) – 11.1
Carmelo Anthony (DEN) – 10.5
Lebron James (CLE) – 10.3
Dwight Howard (ORL) – 10.3

But it’s not just Bosh getting to the line.  The Raptors – as a TEAM – are doing a solid jump going after the freebies as well.  We’ll see if the trend continues against the Pacers tonight.

TEAM Free Throw Attempts per game this season

1. Denver – 32.8
2. Indiana – 29.0
3. Memphis – 28.8
4. Toronto – 28.0
5. Washington – 27.8

Last season the Raptors were 25TH in the league (22.7 attempts per game)

E. Smith