Sunday January 31 2010 – 9:11pm Eastern – Toronto, ON

Pacers @ Raptors

Final Score:
117-102, Raptors (Toronto now 26-22)

“Smith and Jones” Player of the Game:
CHRIS BOSH
26 points
15 rebounds
7 assists
2 blocks
12/21 FG

“Alice Fazoolis” Player of the Game:
AMIR JOHNSON
12 points
8 rebounds
2 assists
5/6 FG

Shout-out to the Pacers:
LUTHER HEAD
15 points
2 assists
2 rebounds
6/12 FG

Stats that stood out:
- Points in the Paint:  42-34, Toronto
- 2nd Chance Points:  9-8, Indiana
- Fast Break Points:  18-18 (EVEN)
- Toronto has now won 5 in a row
- The Raptors have the best home record in the Atlantic Division
- Toronto led by as many as 16 in this game … saw Indy wipe that out and tie it at 97-97 … before T.O. came back and closed the game on a 20-5 run
- This was Toronto’s 13th straight game of 100 points or more (a club record and the longest streak in the NBA)
- Toronto won every QRT
- The Raps shot 60.% FG for the game!

Thumbs Up:
- Johnson and Jose Calderon continue to impress in the 2nd unit.  The chemistry they have forged only gets stronger with every game that passes

Thumbs Down:
- Hedo Turkoglu took an elbow to the face 1:01 minutes into the game and was taken to hospital for x-rays and testing.  Hedo Turkoglu has a small, non-displaced fracture of orbital bone under right eye.  He will be evaluated again tomorrow and explore potential options for a protective face gear. 

Smith Says:
- “The Leafs may have pulled off a big trade earlier today, but the headlines tomorrow should be about the Raptors 5-game winning streak.  It’s been a while since this city has had a winning team to talk about and cheer about – so it’s time to give the Raps their due.  Heck, they’ve won 11 of their last 12 at home!”

Jones Says:
- “The bench continues to shine — in particular … Johnson and Antoine Wright.”

Keep the 3-ball Streak Alive (908 games and counting):
- The Raptors were 7 of 16 from 3PT range

Next game:
- Raptors @ Pacers – Tuesday February 2 2010 – 7:00pm Eastern
- Tune in just after 7:00pm for the “Pizza Pizza” starting line ups

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

[audio:http://pmd.fan590.com/radio/fan590/hotaudio/Jan-31-The-Rap-20100131.mp3]

Sunday January 31 2010 – 8:57pm Eastern – Toronto, ON

Hedo Turkoglu has a small, non-displaced fracture of orbital bone under right eye.  He will be evaluated again tomorrow and explore potential options for a protective face gear. 

E. Smith

Sunday January 31 2010 – 1:50pm Eastern – Toronto, ON

I’m sitting here watching the Nuggets and Spurs (seeing Joey Graham start his 4th straight game for Denver … filling in for the injured Carmelo Anthony) and I figured I should check in on tonight’s Raptors-Pacers tilt.

Let’s try to forget the last time these 2 teams met, when Toronto blew a big-time lead in Indy and ended up losing to Jim O’Brien’s struggling crew.  That game was one of the few blips the Raps have had on their radar this month (and for that matter, since early December).

Check out some of these impressive stats T.O. has rung up:

Since Toronto’s 7-13 start …

Record:  18-9 (tied for 4th best in the NBA)
OPP 3PT FG%:  31.0 (1st)
OPP Fg%:  44.6 (7th)
Turnovers per game:  13.4 (8th)
Point differential:  +2.5  (10^th)

I mentioned Toronto’s 18-9 record since their 7-13 start … well … here are the best records in the NBA over the past 6 weeks (since Dec 18):

Cleveland 18-4
Toronto 14-5
Memphis 15-6
LA Lakers 16-7
Chicago 14-7

Toronto has steadily improved since their ROUGH start and here’s how the season has unfolded:

Raptors record by Month …

Oct/November:  7-11
December:  9-6
January:  9-5 (with the final game of the month coming this evening)

And the first 4 games of February are against teams that are well below .500 … In fact … the combined record of the next 4 opponents (playing Indy twice) is 51-133 (.277)

Jonesy and I are on the air with the pre-game show at 5:30pm tonight.  We’ll have the tip of the Pacers and Raptors just after 6:00pm

Have a good one

E. Smith

* Thanks as always to my main man … TV stat guru Jumpin Johnny Rusin

Friday January 29 2010 – 11:15pm Eastern – Toronto, ON

Ball.

Oh … and … “Ball” …

http://www.fan590.com/ondemand/landry-stellick/media.jsp?content=20100129_104357_7220

Have a good one folks.

E. Smith

Thursday January 28 2010 – 10:30pm Eastern – New York, NY

Raptors @ Knicks

Final Score:
106-104, Raptors (Toronto now 25-22)

“Smith and Jones” Player of the Game:
HEDO TURKOGLU
26 points
11 rebounds
2 assists
2 steals
8/16 FG
7/9 FT

“Alice Fazoolis” Player of the Game:
CHRIS BOSH
27 points
15 rebounds
10/24 FG
7/8 FT

Shout-out to the Knicks:
DAVID LEE
29 points
18 assists
3 assists
13/21 FG
Stats that stood out:
- Points in the Paint: 46-44, New York
- 2nd Chance Points:  14-10, New York
- Fast Break Points:  4-2, New York
- Toronto wins for just the 4th time this year when trailing going into the 4th quarter
- Turkoglu’s 26 points were a season-high
- Turkoglu’s 26 points and 11 rebounds gave him his second double-double of the season
- Toronto now 18-4 when they hold teams under 45% FG (Miami shot 44%)
- Toronto coughed up 21 turnovers (leading to 27 points for New York)

Thumbs Up:
- The bench.  Toronto got 36 points from the second unit … with 3 players scoring 10+ points.  Amir Johnson had 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots.  Jose Calderon was solid with 12 points and 7 assists … while Antoine Wright had one of his best games as a Raptor (at least offensively) with 13 points on 5 of 6 from the floor (including 3/3 from distance).  He added 5 rebounds as well.

Thumbs Down:
- For the second straight night, Toronto fell down by double digits in the 1st QRT.  On Wednesday – against Miami – the deficit was 13 points.  Against the Knicks … a whopping 16 points.  Again, digging yourself into early (DEEP) holes like that can be dangerous.  You can’t always rely on the escape / comeback.

Smith Says:
- “The defence sealed the deal for Toronto in this game.  Three HUGE blocks in the final 3 minutes and the pressure by Andrea Bargnani – who had a rough night otherwise – and Jarrett Jack on the final play of the game shut the door on the Knicks.”

Jones Says:
- n/a

Keep the 3-ball Streak Alive (907 games and counting):
- The Raptors were 7 of 21 from 3PT range

Next game:
- Pacers @ Raptors – Sunday January 31 2010 – 6:00pm Eastern
- Tune in at 5:30pm for the pre game show and just after 6:00pm for the “Pizza Pizza” starting line ups

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

[audio:http://qml.quiettouch.com/files/radio/fan590/hotaudio/rap-fan-20100128.mp3]

Thursday January 28 2010 – 2:48pm Eastern – New York, NY

Check out this great nugget provided by the Toronto Raptors media relations staff RE: All Stars in Toronto over the past 40 years:

CONSECUTIVE ALL-STAR APPERANCES

Mats Sundin                 9                      1996-2004
Chris Bosh                   5 (pending)       2006-2010
Vince Carter                 5                      2000-2005
Roberto Alomar           5                      1991-1995
Thomas Kaberle           3                      2007-2009
Rick Vaive                   3                      1982-1984
Borje Salming               3                      1976-1978

TOTAL ALL-STAR APPERANCES

Mats Sundin                 9
Dave Steib                   7
Roy Halladay                6
Chris Bosh                   5 (pending)
Vince Carter                 5
Roberto Alomar           5
Joe Carter                    5
Dave Keon                   3
Thomas Kaberle           3
Rick Vaive                   3
Darryl Sittler                 3
George Bell                  3
Borje Salming               3

* List only includes NHL All-Star appearances following the East vs. West format change in 1969. Prior to 1969 the defending Stanley Cup champions played a team of NHL All-Stars.

—–

The NBA All Star RESERVES will be officially announced tonight and it’s expected that Bosh will indeed be named to the Eastern Conference team for the 5th straight year.  In fact, stories are already leaking out that Bosh IS on the team.

For what it’s worth, I’ll eat my hat if CB4 ISN’T named to the East roster.

Don’t forget to check out today’s VLOG as well.

E. Smith

Thursday January 28 2010 – 2:41pm Eastern – New York, NY

Coming off a big win last night … the Raptors are in New York City to face the Knicks tonight.  Toronto has not been great on the 2nd half of back-to-backs this year but they’re hoping to lock down their 4th straight win this evening.

After the game against New York, the Raps will travel back to T.O. and get set for a home tilt against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday.  Hopefully the ACC will be rockin’ as Toronto has won 10 of their last 11 games in their joint.

Jonesy and I just got back from wandering the streets of New York and having our traditional lunch at Rupert Jee’s “Hello Deli”.

Enjoy the VLOG!

We’ll be on the air with the pre-game show tonight at 7pm and we’ll have the tip of the Knicks and Raptors just after 7:30pm.

Have a good one folks.

E. Smith

Thursday January 28 2010 – 12:53pm Eastern – New York, NY

I feel like I have to preface this blog for all of those folks that go cuckoo for cocoa puffs anytime this topic is discussed …

1 – Jarrett Jack is a solid point guard
2 – Jose Calderon is a solid point guard
3 – Are the Raptors truly a better team with Jack starting over Calderon, or were there a number of factors that influenced Toronto’s turn-around (while Jack was the starter) like:
- Sonny Weems’ emergence in the 2nd unit (he barely played when Jose was in there)
- Amir Johnson’s continued ‘growth’
- Simply put:  Chemistry.  The team had been together for a longer period of time
- A softer portion of the schedule … after a brutal November

Whatever the reasons or factors may be, there’s no denying that Toronto has played better since Jack went into the starting line up following Calderon’s hip injury.  It may be pure coincidence.  Who knows.  But to Calderon’s credit, since returning from his injury, he hasn’t said one negative word (publicly or privately) about coming off the bench.  And on many nights the two guards either end up playing very similar minutes and/or they spend the final minutes of the game on the floor together.   Thus, the “start” really comes down to one guy getting his name introduced during the pre-game theatrics theatrics.  The two guards truly SHARE the position and form a very formidable 1-2 punch in the NBA.

Check out the neck-and-neck numbers:

CALDERON
22 games as the starting PG
Raptors record in those 22 games:  9-13
Key stats during those 22 games:
12.1 PPG
6.4 ASST

JACK
24 games as the starting PG
Raptors record in those 24 games:  15-9
Key stats during those 24 games:
12.6 PPG
5.2 ASST

And as for their OVERALL statistics for this season, here’s how those numbers break down:

CALDERON:
34 games played
28.6 MIN
50.3 FG%
41.0 3PT FG%
81.2 FT%
2.1 REB
5.8 ASST
0.78 STL
1.47 TO
11.2 PPG

JACK:  
46 games played
28.2 MIN
47.9 FG%
39.1 3PT FG%
84.3 FT%
2.6 REB
4.7 ASST
0.77 STL
2.04 TO
10.5 PPG

Jack will continue to start.  And he should.  His intensity and willingness to get to the hoop are traits that Toronto needs.  And Calderon has developed a great chemistry with guys like Johnson and Weems in the second unit … but he clearly has a built-in rapport with guys like Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani as well.  So the switch from one guard to the other is seamless.

Things are pretty steady at the point in Raptorland.  Toronto has a solid tandem going and if the players are complaining … the naysayer fans should leave it alone as well.

I’ll be back – with Jonesy – in about an hour with our latest New York City VLOG.

Have a good one

E. Smith

Wednesday January 27 2010 – 9:49pm Eastern – Toronto, ON

Heat @ Raptors

Final Score:
111-103, Raptors (Toronto now 24-22)

“Smith and Jones” Player of the Game:
CHRIS BOSH
24 points
18 rebounds
11/22 FG

“Alice Fazoolis” Player of the Game:
ANDREA BARGNANI
27 points
3 rebounds
13/19 FG

Shout-out to the Heat:
DWYANE WADE
35 points
10 assists
13/25 FG
8/8 FT

Stats that stood out:
- Points in the Paint: 50-46, Toronto
- 2nd Chance Points:  18-17, Toronto
- Fast Break Points:  20-19, Toronto
- Toronto improves to 18-5 when leading after 3 quarters
- This was Bosh’s 6th game of his career when he tallied 20+ points and 18+ rebounds
- Toronto now 17-4 when they hold teams under 45% FG (Miami shot 44%)

Thumbs Up:
- Toronto has now won 10 of their last 11 games at home and they’ve improved to 16-6 at home this season!

Thumbs Down:
- Toronto fell down by 13 points in the 1st quarter.  Digging yourself into early deficits like that is dangerous.  You can’t always rely on the escape / comeback.

Smith Says:
- “The Raptors are starting to prove that they can close out games and that’s a huge reason for their recent success and the fact that they’re now sitting in 5th place in the East.”

Jones Says:
- “Solid second half defence led to this win for Toronto.  The Heat were held to 16 of 45 FG in the 3rd and 4th quarters combined.”

Keep the 3-ball Streak Alive (906 games and counting):
- The Raptors were 4 of 10 from 3PT range

Next game:
- Raptors @ Knicks – Thursday January 28 2010 – 7:00pm Eastern
- Tune in at 7:00pm for the pre game show and just after 7:30pm for the “Pizza Pizza” starting line ups

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

[audio:http://qml.quiettouch.com/files/radio/fan590/hotaudio/TheRap-es-20100127.mp3]

Wednesday January 27 2010 – 12:33pm Eastern – Toronto, ON 

I don’t know if we can truly call it a “snub” but DeMar DeRozan will not be playing in the Rookie/Sophomore game this year (during the NBA All Star weekend in Dallas).

In spite of the fact that he’s starting for (currently) a playoff team with a winning record, the NBA left him off the Rookie team in favour of guards like Brandon Jennings, Jonny Flynn, Stephen Curry, and James Harden.

While there’s no denying how good Jennings and Flynn have been, you could argue DeRozan’s case versus Curry and Harden.  Both have better overall ‘numbers’ but I don’t know that Harden’s impact in Oklahoma City is as important as DD’s in Toronto.  It’s close.  And while Curry is having an impressive season and proving to be a solid pro, shouldn’t a team’s overall record count for something?

I find it a bit bizarre that the NBA has DeRozan competing in the “Dunk-In” competition (against Eric Gordon) during the halftime of the Rookie-Sophomore game, but he won’t be playing in the actual game itself.  That’s illogical to me. 

That said, the league didn’t really have a “choice” in the matter because NBA assistant coaches from around the league voted for the Rookies and Sophomores.

Here are the players that got voted in:

ROOKIES:

Flynn (Minnesota)
Curry (Golden State)
Harden (Oklahoma City)
Jennings (Milwaukee)
Jonas Jerebko (Detroit)
Taj Gibson (Chicago)
Tyreke Evans (Sacramento)
Omri Casspi (Sacramento)
DeJuan Blair (San Antonio)

If “positions” didn’t really matter (i.e. – taking off a forward and adding a guard – or vice versa) I’d consider having DeRozan on the team ahead of Jerebko and maybe even Gibson too.

As for the other side …

SOPHOMORES:

Gordon (LA Clippers)
Marc Gasol (Memphis)
Brook Lopez (New Jersey)
Danilo Gallinari (New York)
Kevin Love (Minnesota)
OJ Mayo (Memphis)
Derrick Rose (Chicago)
Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City)
Michael Beasley (Miami)

———-

TWO BIG THUMBS UP

I may not always talk about it – ’cause it’s the kind of stuff that happens away from the court and it doesn’t necessarily involve the players, the games, the stuff that fans generally want to talk about or read about …

But this is worth mentioning:

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment’s “TEAM UP” Foundation is doing some great things around Toronto and the GTA.

Aside from raising MILLIONS of dollars over the years, MLSE has been able to initiate a number of programs for young athletes and coaches in basketball, hockey, and soccer.  From their Leafs and Raptors “CLINICS” … to the Raptors and TFC “Academies” … to the “Leafs at School” and “Read to Achieve” (Raptors) programs, MLSE and the “Team Up” Foundation are blazing a trail for community work and giving back to the youth of this city.

While the cynics and critics may want to use this forum to slam MLSE for their on-ice, on-court, or on-field decisions … I say “save it for another day” and give them credit for things like refurbishing 5 basketball courts in Toronto since 2006; 11 hockey rinks since 2006; and three soccer pitches since 2009. 

Kudos.

THE STRETCH

I’ve mentioned it before and I’ll say it again:

This stretch run – before the All Star break – will shape how the Raptors’ season, playoff standing, and approach at the trade deadline all turns out.

The Raptors are 9-1 over the last 10 home games and if you look at the 9 games before the All Star weekend in Dallas, Toronto has/had only two games against teams with winning records.  NOW is the time to put a bunch of wins together and get some separation from that .500 mark that they’ve toyed and teased with of late.  Check it out:

vs Milwaukee – WIN
vs LA Lakers – WIN
vs Miami (winning record)
@ New York
vs Indiana
@ Indiana
vs New Jersey
vs Sacramento
vs Philadelphia

Including the two wins they already have against the Bucks and Lakers, a 6-3 record over those 9 games should be very attainable for the Raptors … if not better.

Enjoy tonight’s game against the Heat.  Jonesy and I will be on the air with the tip off at 7:00pm

E. Smith