Josh Lewenberg

Re-living a less than memorable 2013 NBA Trade Deadline with the TSN.ca Five-Man Weave panel. Who won the non-event? Aside from fans expecting D-Day action, who were the losers? How will Sebastian Telfair fit in with the Raptors and what does the future have in store for Andrea Bargnani?

• After playing 34 scoreless minutes – with only two rebounds – over the past two games, Andrea Bargnani was the focus after practice Sunday afternoon. Bargnani spoke honestly – even playfully at times – about his struggles as he continues to adjust to this new-look team while working his way back from the elbow injury that kept him out for nearly two months. The seven-footer said he’s still getting back in shape and has to find his rhythm, stressing that he was limited to cardio, unable to shoot or lift weights through most of his rehab. He insists that through hard work in practice he’s getting better and more comfortable each day. Asked about his shot and whether he’s concerned about it the soft-spoken, albeit witty Italian sarcastically joked, “No, I think I’ll never be able to shoot the ball again till the end of my career.” 

• Bargnani was also up front and open about how recent trade rumours and negative reaction from the Toronto fans may be affecting him. He acknowledged the rumours leading up to the deadline, admitting they were in his mind and may have been indirectly affecting him play. Although he knows he’ll be the subject of trade speculation during the summer he doesn’t want to think or talk about that until the time comes.

• The Raptors’ resident lightning rod has been attracting increasingly negative attention from the home fans, getting booed throughout recent games ever since his return from injury. “Well I can’t say I don’t hear it. It’s 22,000 people so I hear them”, Bargnani admitted. “I can’t say I’m happy about it but that’s all I’m going to say. I’ve got to play so I don’t have any comments about the fans.”

• Dwane Casey has been vocal in his belief that the fans should support the struggling forward and his teammates have chimed in recently as well. After Friday’s win over the Knicks Kyle Lowry tweeted, “I Love our fans to death, but booing one of our players isn’t cool and it should NOT be done!! Hopefully next game it won’t happen!!”. Casey didn’t sugar-coat Bargnani’s poor performance though, specifying that he can control the crowd with his play. “I do know one thing about Toronto fans,” Casey said. “They love hard play. They love physical play, they love aggressive play, they love passion”. The Raptors’ coach knows he has to do his part to get Bargnani going again, promising to involve him in more pick and roll sets and even run some plays for him in the post.

• The Raptors have won 7 of 10 games since Rudy Gay arrived and are now only four games behind Milwaukee for the eighth and final playoff seed after the Bucks’ collapse against the Hawks Saturday. Although Raptors fans have begun “scoreboard watching”, Casey insists it’s far too early for that and is focused on what his team needs to do in the final 26 games of the season.

• Newest Raptors guard Sebastian Telfair was sent home early from practice with an illness. Telfair arrived in Toronto during Friday’s game but was not able to play because he had not yet taken his physical. Health permitting he could be available for Monday’s game at home to the Wizards. Rookie Terrence Ross was back in practice after missing Friday’s game with the flu.

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By Josh Lewenberg

February 22, 2013

Just 10 games into his career as a Toronto Raptor, Rudy Gay is well on his way to changing the culture in a city that has already embraced him as their basketball saviour.

With the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd on their feet, Gay stepped to the line in the dying seconds of Friday’s win where the forward fittingly iced the game at the same time bestowing the home fans with free pizza.

That free throw gave Gay his season-best 32nd point – 26 of which were scored in the second half – as the Raptors (23-33) handed the New York Knicks (32-30) their fourth straight loss, 100-98, defeating them for the second time in nine days.

“I thought we battled,” coach Dwane Casey said. “That was a playoff-type game. Our defensive intensity, we stood pat.”

Following a dismal start to the season and a disappointing 2-8 end to the month of January, Gay has helped breath new life into a team that now believes they can compete with anyone in the league and make a legitimate run at an improbable playoff birth.

The club has gone 7-3 since Gay arrived in the trade from Memphis having defeated the Clippers, Pacers, Nuggets and Knicks – now twice. With 26 games remaining in a season that once seemed lost, Toronto is now four and a half behind Milwaukee for the eighth and final playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.

“We’re taking all these games as if we’re getting ready for [the playoffs], even if we’re not,” Gay said. “We’re still going to come out and compete as if this was our last game. That’s the only way we’re going to get to the playoffs.”

A renewed focus on defence has fueled their recent success – holding opponents below 100 points in eight of the 10 games, under 90 in half of them – however the Raptors timely offence made the difference on Friday.

The Knicks opened the final period on a 16-7 run to erase a 13-point third-quarter deficit and tie the game at 86. For the final five minutes, the two teams went shot-for-shot. Gay put the Raptors on his back, scoring nine during that stretch – including five free throws and two pull-up jumpers – while Carmelo Anthony carried the torch for New York, matching his counterpart’s total with 32 points in the game.

Tied again, this time at 95 with fewer than 30 seconds left, Kyle Lowry hit what may have been the most important and most difficult shot of the evening, a six-foot floater over Tyson Chandler, the reigning defensive player of year.

“Kyle’s a gamer,” Gay said. “Stats might not show it but at the end of the game he’s going to do all he can to try and win.”

Lowry scored 12 of his 15 points in the first quarter, also adding seven assists while DeMar DeRozan poured in eight of his 18 during the team’s third-quarter run.

DeRozan teamed with Gay to scored 25 of Toronto’s 31 points in the third as the duo outscored the entire Knicks squad by six in the frame. Gay, like the rest of his team, struggled through a poor second quarter and went into the half with just six points on 2-of-8 shooting before exploding in the final 24 minutes.

Gay and Anthony combined to score 23 points on an atrocious 9-for-45 shooting when these teams met in New York last Wednesday, a 92-88 win for Toronto.

Despite an improved showing from Melo the Knicks continue their recent slide, losing four straight for the first time this season and falling out of the second seed where they’ve sat comfortable for most of the campaign. Averaging over 100 points per game this year – 10^th in the NBA in scoring – New York has been held under the century mark in each of the last seven contests.

J.R. Smith scored 19 and Amar’e Stoudemire added 14 off the Knicks bench while Raymond Felton chipped in with 10.

Landry Fields got the spot start in place of Amir Johnson after doing a standout job on Anthony last week. Fields had less success against the All-Star forward this time around and scored just six points in 23 minutes but Johnson contributed 12 points off the bench and helped contain New York down the stretch with his usual brand of energy. John Lucas III provided his usual instant offence with 10 points in 14 minutes off the pine.

One Raptor who hasn’t been feeling good is Andrea Bargnani, who remains with the team despite being actively shopped leading up to Thursday’s trade deadline. After being held scoreless in 21 minutes during Wednesday’s loss to Memphis, the much maligned seven-footer was shut out again in just under 13 minutes Friday.

Many Raptors fans were unhappy to see the former first overall pick stick around after the deadline and the ACC faithful expressed their displeasure again on Friday. The crowd reaction when Bargnani entered the game in the first quarter was primarily negative and the boos got considerably worse as the game went on.

Although his recent performance is tough to defend, his coach and teammates continue to support the soft-spoken Italian.

“I love our fans to death,” Lowry tweeted after the game. “But booing one out players isn’t cool and it should NOT be done!! Hopefully next game it won’t happen!!”

While the focus remains on the trade that wasn’t made on deadline day, the Raptors were able to pull the trigger on acquiring point guard Sebastian Telfair from Phoenix – in exchange for centre Hamed Haddadi and a conditional second-round pick. Telfair, who still needs to take his physical before becoming eligible to play, arrived in Toronto during the game and made it to the arena in time to watch his new team seal their victory.

The Raptors’ sellout was their eighth of the season, the most since the 2008-09 campaign.

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By Josh Lewenberg

February 21, 2013

Although the Toronto Raptors failed to make a big splash on deadline day, they may have addressed their most pressing need, acquiring back-up point guard Sebastian Telfair from the Phoenix Suns.

Telfair was sent to Toronto in exchange for seven-foot-two centre Hamed Haddadi and a conditional second-round pick just prior to Thursday’s 3:00 PM trade deadline.

The Raptors acquired Haddadi – who has not played a game for, or reported to Toronto – from Memphis in the January 30th trade for star forward Rudy Gay, President and General Manager Bryan Colangelo’s true pre-deadline prize.

Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the Raptors interest and pursuit of Telfair early Thursday morning. The 27-year-old guard, who is averaging 6.0 points and 2.5 assists in 17 minutes this season, became expandable in Phoenix with the emergence of rookie Kendall Marshall.

Once a highly touted prospect out of Coney Island, Telfair was drafted straight from high school 13th overall by the Blazers in 2004 but is now moving on to his seventh team in nine NBA seasons.

He should find instant chemistry with at least some of his new teammates. Telfair has trained with Gay, guard Kyle Lowry and guard-forward Alan Anderson in Las Vegas over the past several summers.

Prior to Wednesday night’s loss to Memphis, Raptors coach Dwane Casey expressed his desire for a third point guard to help spell the team’s lone ball-handlers, Kyle Lowry and John Lucas III. Although Lowry is settling into his role as the starting point guard and Lucas has played well since the three-team deal that sent Jose Calderon to Detroit, the arrival of Telfair will give the team some much-needed flexibility at that position.

Lowry is still searching for the ideal balance between scoring and facilitating following the departure of his pass-first predecessor. With his occasional indecision at the point and Gay’s tendency to go one-on-one, the team has seen a drop off in their previously efficient ball movement. The Raptors have registered 19 assists or fewer in five of 10 games without Calderon after recording 20 plus in 22 of 23 prior to the trade.

Telfair has averaged 5.8 assists per 36 minutes over his career and could help take some pressure off Lowry coming off Toronto’s bench. Still a dynamic player when given an opportunity, the Brooklyn product has never been the model of efficiency. Telfair has failed to shoot above 41 per cent in each of his nine seasons.

A low-risk acquisition for Toronto, Telfair’s contract is expiring at the end of the season and will pay him just over the veteran’s minimum for the remainder of the 2012-13 campaign. Haddadi’s contract is similar but could be partially guaranteed for next season. Flipping his salary to Phoenix should save the Raptors a small amount as they approach the luxury tax threshold.

The player many Raptors fans were hoping to see moved, Andrea Bargnani, will remain in Toronto for the time being despite being actively shopped leading up to the deadline. Coming off a scoreless, 21-minute performance on Wednesday – one that drew a familiar chorus of boos from the home fans – the former first-overall pick has seemingly hit rock bottom in terms of his perceived value around the league.

With his value at its lowest and the offers underwhelming – many of them involving large and unwanted contracts that Toronto would have been required to absorb – Colangelo wisely opted to hold onto Bargnani and will likely test the market for him again in the offseason.

Following their 88-82 loss to the Grizzlies, the Raptors own a record of 22-33 – 6-3 since acquiring Gay, 18-14 since December 14th – with 27 games remaining. Toronto sits five games behind the struggling Milwaukee Bucks, losers of eight of their last 10, for the eighth and final playoff seed in the Eastern Conference.

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By Josh Lewenberg

February 20, 2013

If Wednesday’s gritty affair between Toronto and Memphis was a representation of “playoff basketball”, it’s clear the Raptors (22-33) still have a ways to go before they can play at that level with the consistency that’s required of them.

With some tough, hard-nosed victories on their resume – road wins in Indiana, New York and Washington come to mind – the Raptors seem to be turning the corner and knocking on the door as they reach the stretch run of a potential race to the postseason.

However, Wednesday’s 88-82 defeat to Rudy Gay’s former team, the Grizzlies (35-18), may have served as a reminder that this team – once left for dead in the Eastern Conference – still has an uphill battle ahead of them.

“It’s playoff basketball,” Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. “That style of game, the grinder-type game, the hold, grab, hit, and we didn’t do that in the first half. Once we decided to do that we made the game competitive in the second half.”

Known for its first-class defence, Memphis put the clamps on Gay, who was facing his former club for the first time since the three-team trade that sent him to Toronto three weeks ago. The Grizzlies, winners of five straight, sent multiple defenders at their former franchise player forcing him to take tough shots and make plays under extraordinary pressure.

“That’s a sign of respect to me,” Gay said. “Obviously [they’re] a team I’ve been with for a while and to know that [they think] I could do things where they have to stop me, I take it as a sign of respect.”

One day after going just 10-for-25 in Tuesdays win over Washington, Gay shot 5-of-15 for 13 points, adding nine rebounds and committing five turnovers including two in the final three minutes with the game on the line.

“They weren’t going to let Rudy get going,” Casey said. “They made it tough for him. I felt for him because I knew he was wanting to do well.”

The Raptors, who see their season-best five game winning streak come to an end, fought back late in the fourth quarter but their effort was in vein as a more experienced and playoff-bound Grizzlies team shut the door with physical play on both sides of the floor.

Down by as many 13, Toronto opened the final period on a run that was initiated by Gay’s banker from three-point range – his second of the game – and capped off by 15 consecutive Raptors points scored by Alan Anderson who, by that point, was feeling it and simply could not miss.

Anderson scored 15 of his game-high 19 during that stretch, his 15th point came at the line where he completed a rare four-point play, a true indication of how zoned in he was. Alas, the Grizzlies made a late but timely adjustment putting stopper Tony Allen on him and denying him the ball for the remainder of the evening.

“They have arguably one of the best one-on-one defenders in Tony Allen,” Anderson said, “When they do that and they have guys that talk also on the back line, that makes it difficult also.”

Toronto tied the game at 77 with four minutes remaining before the Grizzlies ripped off an 8-1 run from which the Raptors could never recover.

Zach Randolph led his team with 17 points and 18 rebounds for his 32nd double-double of the campaign, good for second in the NBA. Mike Conley also chipped in with 17, Allen scored 12 to go along with eight boards and Tayshaun Prince, who came over from Detroit in the Gay trade, added 11 points. Former Raptor Ed Davis received a generous ovation from the Air Canada Centre crowd, making his first return after the trade, scoring four points with four boards in 14 minutes of action against his old team.

Even without Gay’s scoring, the Grizzlies remain one of the most feared defensive and rebounding teams in the association. On Wednesday they punished Gay’s new squad to the tune of 20 offensive boards, outscoring them by 10 in the paint and 11 in second-chance points.

Although the Raptors were able to hand around thanks to their own brand of hard-nosed defence, their anemic offence immediately fell victim to their own tired legs on the second night of a back-to-back as well as the pesky Grizzlies defenders.

Both teams struggled out of the gate – the game’s first field goal came over three minutes in on an Amir Johnson slam-dunk – but the Raptors shot just 20 per cent in that opening quarter getting little-to-nothing from their top offensive options.

Gay, DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry and Andrea Bargnani combined to shoot 2-of-20 in the first half. DeRozan finished with just seven points, going 1-of-9 from the field while Lowry had 12 points on 3-of-10. Johnson was responsible for igniting the team in the third quarter where he scored 10 of his 16 points despite battling foul trouble for most of the game.

Bargnani was held scoreless in 21 mostly uninspired minutes. The often-scrutinized seven-foot trade chip entered the game to another chorus of boos. Although he’s no stranger to being under the microscope, you’d have to be looking pretty hard to find the much-maligned Italian on this night.

Although Bargnani continues to be shopped heading into Thursday’s trade deadline, a deal involving the former first-overall pick seems unlikely, much to the dismay of many Raptors fans. With his value at its lowest and the offers underwhelming – many of them involving large unwanted contracts that Toronto would need to absorb – General Manager Bryan Colangelo will likely opt to keep Bargnani and shop him again in the summer.

Prior to the game, Casey expressed his desire for a third point guard to help take the pressure of his two ball handlers, Lowry and John Lucas III. Colangelo will likely address this need through trade or via free agency with Hamed Haddadi, acquired from the Grizzlies, likely to be waived.

With the Bucks loss at home to the Nets on Wednesday, Toronto remains five games behind Milwaukee for the eighth and final playoff seed in the East.

Following a back-to-back the Raptors will be given the day off on Thursday with all eyes and ears focused on the 3:00 PM Eastern deadline. They’ll get back at it – with whatever their roster looks like post-deadline – on Friday at home to the New York Knicks.

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By Josh Lewenberg

February 19, 2013

Tuesday’s win will fall under the ‘it wasn’t pretty’ category but with the All-Star break in their rear-view mirror and the playoffs remaining a distant possibility, the Raptors (22-32) aren’t likely to complain.

The new-look Raptors squad went into this past weekend’s unofficial halfway point on a roll. They could do no wrong, the beneficiary of a few lucky breaks and several convincing victories over some of the league’s elite competition.

However, with the lowly Washington Wizards (15-37) leading off the final stretch of a turbulent 2012-13 season the Raps did just enough to earn their fifth straight win — but not much more.

Led by the newly paired duo of Rudy Gay and DeMar DeRozan, Toronto was able to steal a 96-88 victory from the Wizards at a semi-functional Verizon Center Tuesday evening.

It took Gay 25 shots – hitting just 10 of his attempts – to match DeRozan’s 24 points for the Raptors, who are now 6-2 since acquiring Gay from Memphis and have won three straight on the road for the first time in over five years. Those two have scored 20 or more apiece in the same game on three occasions since the trade, combining for half of Toronto’s points on Tuesday despite taking 43 the team’s 78 shots.

For the second straight game Toronto’s defence surrendered 88 points, holding its opponent below 39 per cent shooting. The team’s defensive resurgence since acquiring Gay has allowed them to remain competitive on nights like this, in games where they’ve been inefficient and lacked cohesion on the offensive end.

Gay – like good friend and teammate Kyle Lowry – is a risk-taker on defence, a quality that has drawn criticism from his coaches, including Toronto’s Dwane Casey. For the most part, this group’s gambling nature has paid off and once again their athleticism and quickness disrupted the opposition, this time forcing the Wizards into 17 turnovers that ultimately led to 24 Raptors points.

However, it was far from a spotless offensive performance from Gay or the Raptors, who committed 17 turnovers of their own – 13 in the second half. At times their execution was ugly and they could not seem to put Washington away.

Despite a back-and-forth first half that saw four ties and 13 lead changes, the Raptors never surrendered their advantage in the final 24 minutes. Their offence was lethargic but timely, responding to every run the Wizards put together.

Like Toronto, this young Wizards team had also come out of the break feeling good about themselves. Winning eight of their last nine at the Verizon Center, they entered Tuesday’s contest with a record of 10-8 with John Wall in the lineup.

Wall, who missed the first 33 games of the season recovering from a knee injury, was a non-factor – or worse – against Lowry and the Raptors pesky defensive attack. The Wizards’ point guard and best player shot a putrid 1-of-12, scoring nine points and committing seven turnovers.

It was his backcourt partner, rookie Bradley Beal, who was forced to pick up the slack pouring in a game-high 25 points for the Wizards in their first home loss to Toronto since December 4, 2009.

The friendly confines of Washington’s Verizon Center were not so friendly for the home team on this night. Both the shot and game clock were inoperative from tip-off, as was the in-arena buzzer, which was eventually replaced by an air horn. Instead the game was played with clocks on the side and baselines. On top of these small annoyances, the sparse crowd showed just as much support for Gay, a Baltimore native, as they did for their own 15-win team.

Gay got off to a rough 1-of-7 start before catching fire in the second quarter and knocking down five of his next six attempts. He continued to experience peaks and valleys for the remainder of the game, even jawing with rapper Wale – seated courtside – late in the first half.

Lowry contributed a double-double, scoring 11 to go along with 10 assists while his backup John Lucas III added 10 points. Lucas has scored 10 or more in six of nine games since Jose Calderon was traded after reaching double figures three times in his first 31 contests.

With the Bucks overtime loss to Brooklyn, the Raptors creep closer to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. They now sit five games behind Milwaukee in the standings.

This was the first of four meetings between the Raptors and Wizards, who will face each other three more times over the next 43 days. After playing in front of his hometown fans on Tuesday, Gay will face another familiar foe on Wednesday when the Raptors return home to host his former team, the Memphis Grizzlies. Former Raptor forward Ed Davis will also suit up against his old club for the first time in the second game of back-to-back for both teams.

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• Coming out of All-Star weekend and heading into the unofficial second half of the season, the Toronto Raptors boast a record of 21-32. Toronto’s 21 wins is the most the team has compiled at the break since 2009-10. They are one win away from matching their season total for victories from 2010-11 (22 wins) and two away from matching last year’s total (23… *shortened 66-game season).
• At the break, the Raptors sit six games behind Milwaukee for the eighth and final playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks are on pace for 41 wins, meaning Toronto would have to go 20-9 the rest of the way to match that total (disclaimer: the Bucks have struggled of late, losing six of their last eight).
• At this point, the Raptors have used 18 different starting lineups and have lost 130 man-games to injury (Bargnani: 28, Kleiza: 26, Fields: 23, Valanciunas: 18, Anderson: 17, Lowry: 14…)
• After starting the season 4-19 (.173), Toronto has gone 17-13 (.566) since December 14th.
• They had lost eight of 10 games, allowing 106.2 points during that stretch, leading up to the January 30th three-team trade for Rudy Gay. With Gay in the lineup, the team has gone 5-2, giving up just 93.6 points (12.6 fewer than the previous 10 games, 5.5 less than their season average). In the month of February, the new-look Raptors have defeated the Clippers, Pacers, Nuggets and Knicks (in addition to the Hornets); four of the NBA’s top eight teams with a combined record of 136-74 (.648).
• The Raptors have been notoriously terrible down the stretch this season. They are 3-20 in games where they’ve trailed by five or less in the final three minutes. However, two of those three victories have come in February, both the result of Gay’s game-winners (at Indiana, vs. Denver… two game-winners in three contests, five days)

OFFENCE

* ORtg: points produced per 100 possessions

** Pace: possessions per 48 minutes

• Last season the Raptors were the only “above-average” defensive team (ranked in the top 14) to miss the playoffs, their offence was almost entirely to blame. A year ago, they were the league’s third lowest scoring team (90.7 ppg) thanks in large part to shooting a sub-par percentage, committing too many turnovers, not getting to the free-throw line and quite simply lacking the high-level talent (and shooters) required to make up a potent NBA offence. This season there’s been a significant upgrade in each of those categories and as a result the offence has improved a great deal.
• With some new pieces making sizeable contributions (Kyle Lowry, Terrence Ross, Jonas Valanciunas and now Gay), as well as improved play from DeMar DeRozan, Alan Anderson and previously Ed Davis and Jose Calderon, the Raptors are scoring with more consistency/efficiency.
• When Lowry was acquired in the offseason Dwane Casey committed to adopting an up-tempo, faster paced, style of play — a wise decision considering this team ranked 25th in possessions per game last year. However that ranking has not changed and the team has had trouble implementing the pace they desire without it coming at the expense of their defence. Also consider Calderon, a player who prefers to play in the half court, started 30 games for Lowry.
• Although the number of possessions they produce has remained the same, more or less, the Raptors are doing more with them; hence their improvement offensively. They are taking more three-point shots (+5.0 per game) and making them at a greater percentage, they’re getting to the line more often and most importantly they’re taking care of the ball. Toronto commits the third fewest number of turnovers per game, 2.5 fewer than last year when they committed the ninth most. That would be the positive implication of Calderon’s time spent with the first unit this year. Will Lowry be able to run this team with the same (or similar) efficiency? In seven games since the trade, Toronto’s assists are down and turnovers are back up. In fact, the team has registered 19 or fewer assists in four of the last eight games (all without Calderon) after dishing out 20 or more in 22 of the previous 23 (with Calderon in the starting lineup).
• Despite his poor shooting percentage (39%), Gay’s presence has created better looks for his teammates thus the offensive numbers/efficiency remain on par with the rest of the season.
• One final point, aside from a bit of an improvement recently, they’re terrible on he boards (and you can only blame Andrea Bargnani for 25 of the 53 games). Injuries to the front court and the necessity to go small has attributed.

DEFENCE

*DRtg: points allowed per 100 possessions

• Casey spearheaded a defensive renaissance in his first year with the Raptors last season. After years, nearly a decade, of maintaining a reputation as the NBA’s punching bag they were the most improved team in that area a year ago. However, as the second-year head coach has juggled his lineup due to injuries, worked in new players including two rookies (three if you count Quincy Acy) while also trying to implement a new offence, his once prized defence has fallen off.
• The revolving door in the front court has something to do with that. Amir Johnson has been praised as the team’s best defender but even the Raptors’ iron man has played through injuries, battled foul trouble and can only be one place at a time. The chemistry between Bargnani and Valanciunas was almost non-existent to begin the season (when the team struggled most on this side of the ball) and since then they’ve been forced to play small with Anderson or Landry Fields at the four which is less than ideal defensively. Their perimeter defence has also been questionable to say the least. Calderon was never known for his work on D, Lowry has potential but takes too many chances and DeRozan is improving but still has a way to go. Ross may already be their best perimeter defender but can hardly be counted on to play major minutes at this stage of his career.
• In terms of their record, the Raptors dug themselves a fairly considerable hole in November and to begin the month of December. This was also the case on the defensive end where they were routinely giving up over 100 points. Since then there’s been some improvement, most noticeably since the team acquired Gay from the Grizzlies, as the defensive numbers in February have been on par with last season’s breakout.
• Although Gay is coming from a defensive program in Memphis he’s never been known for his work on that end, at least not consistently. However, his length and athleticism are assets that give him tremendous potential as a defender, something we’ve seen in spurts during the early part of his tenure. Realistically though there’s more to it than the addition of Gay. Despite his mentality and reputation as a gambler, Lowry is a significant defensive upgrade over Calderon and the trade has allowed him to take centre stage. Valanciunas’ return from a broken finger has also played a part in the improvement as he’s come back playing some of the most inspired ball of his young career. Overall, the new-look roster is more dynamic and athletic, something that should benefit them on both ends of the floor.

By Josh Lewenberg

February 13, 2013

With All-Star Weekend around the corner and the team set to go their separate ways, the Raptors have to be feeling pretty good about themselves heading into the unofficial second half of the NBA season.

After a disastrous start to the 2012-13 campaign – one that saw them sport a 4-19 record in mid-December – the Toronto Raptors have seemingly reached a turning point almost immediately following their trade for star forward Rudy Gay.

Gay’s production in his first two weeks as a Raptor speaks for itself. He became the first player in franchise history to register 20 or more points in his first four games with the team, leading them in scoring in each of his first five. He knocked down two game-winning shots in three contests, five days. But more than anything tangible, his mere presence has recharged their mojo on and off the court.

On Tuesday, Gay hit a fadeaway jumper with less than five seconds remaining to lift Toronto over the superior, albeit undermanned Denver Nuggets in an offensively frantic, high-scoring affair. Less than 24 hours later, he struggled and so too did the offence but his new teammates picked him up.

It wasn’t pretty but the Raptors (21-32) were able to grind out a physically punishing, hard-nosed defensive battle with the second-seeded New York Knicks (32-18), 92-88, on Wednesday to give them their fourth consecutive win and fifth in seven games with Gay on board.

Trailing on the road – in the league’s most famous arena – for most of the first three quarters, this is a game the old Raptors would have lost, likely in some controversial yet remarkable manner.

This team has seen every brand of strange over the past three months and Wednesday’s visit to the Big Apple was no different. The two teams were called for a combined six technical fouls, two of which were assessed to and responsible for the ejection of Kyle Lowry in the first half.

Despite the obstacles – and there have been many – the Raptors, led by Gay, are finding a way to win and close out different types of games, something that seemed all but impossible a few short weeks ago.

Gay scored 11 points, his fewest as a Raptor, on 4-of-21 shooting to match his high profile opponent Carmelo Anthony, who also struggled to the tune of 12 points, with 12 boards going 5-for-24 from the field.

Both teams deserve a great deal of credit for shutting down their opponent’s go-to offensive weapon. For the Raptors it was an unsung, recently engaged hero who stepped up to the task of silencing the league’s second leading scorer.

Landry Fields had himself a busy day. Prior to his return to Madison Square Garden – where he played as a member of the Knicks for two seasons – Fields proposed to his long-time girl friend and found out he’d be starting to match-up with Anthony, his former teammate.

In 23 minutes the former Knick grabbed 10 boards and played inspired and at times suffocating defence on Melo, a factor that contributed to New York’s 35 per cent shooting.

With Gay eating most of the minutes at the small forward position and Fields battling back pain, the latter has been lost in the shuffle. So too has reserve Alan Anderson, who broke out on Tuesday scoring his 10 fourth-quarter points in succession, and continued to work his way back into the rotation with a dominating performance a day later.

Anderson had a game-high 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting including a career-best 6-for-8 from three-point range. As usual, the gritty Anderson was a pest on the defensive end while putting the team on his back when nothing else was going their way.

Fellow reserve John Lucas III stepped up after Lowry – 12 points in 25 minutes – was ejected scoring 12 of his own. Lucas, who has now scored in double figures in five of eight games since being installed as the back-up point guard, is shooting 11-for-14 from long distance over the past three contests.

Toronto’s veteran guards have anchored a second unit that has stepped up and played a big part in the team’s previous two victories. Lucas and Anderson, both streaky shooters, have experienced their share of offensive misfortune this season but have come to life now that the Gay has assumed the spotlight.

As expected, Gay hasn’t been the model of efficiency since arriving from the Grizzlies on January 30th. The 26-year-old has a true shooting percentage (a measure of efficiency that factors in two-point and three-point fields goals as well as free throws) of .459, the lowest mark of his career. His shot selection, at times, can be questionable and he has been abysmal from long range.

Regardless, his mentality as a high-end talent and his willingness to accept the burden that accompanies the role he’s been given has made a positive impression on his teammates. Even indirectly his presence has taken pressure off of DeMar DeRozan and Andrea Bargnani, two capable scorers that have previously been miscast as top options on this team.

DeRozan had 20 points in Wednesday’s win thanks in large part to a perfect 10-for-10 showing at the free-throw line. Bargnani, who played well coming off the bench last week, has struggled over his last two games since returning from an illness, compiling just six points in over 29 minutes of action.

Despite his high usage rate and mixed results offensively, Gay has shown the rare ability to take over a game, specifically down the stretch when the Raptors have needed it the most. Perhaps luck has played a part in his success as the team’s newly appointed closer but the fact that he seems to relish the role and the opportunity to take big shots in big moments is a promising sign for the future. Plus, it’s about time lady luck did this franchise a favour or two.

Riding high after a series of big wins, the Raptors will now split up for the All-Star break. Some – including Slam-Dunk participant Terrence Ross – will head to Houston, some to their respective offseason homes and some will hang around in Toronto. Wherever they end up their goal remains the same. Somehow they must bottle their recent success and build on it when they reconvene for practice in Washington Monday morning.

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By Josh Lewenberg

February 12, 2013

Rudy Gay was at it again on Tuesday. Toronto’s new closer hit his second game-winner in the last five days to give the Raptors their third straight victory, 109-108 over the undermanned Denver Nuggets. More in my NBA.com post-game Notebook.

NBA.com “10 Before Tip” pre-game preview.

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This week the TSN.ca Five-Man Weave panel breaks down the aftermath of the Rudy Gay trade. Are the Raptors a better team with Rudy on board? Who has benefited? Who has suffered? And, what’s next for Andrea Bargnani?