The Raptors pull off a comeback win at home last night and exact a measure of revenge against the Bucks who bested them on two previous occasions this season. Now there's a number of things I want to talk about regarding this game and just the Raptors experience as a fan in general.
The Raptors pulled off this win without their Italian big man. Andrea has been off here and there since he's been with this team but in general, since the Raptors picked him #1 in 2006, the team is almost always with their 3 point shooting giant. What's more surprising is this article that I read which was posted on Raptors Republic. http://www.82games.com/0910/0910TOR5.HTM
I don't know why this should be shocking to me but seeing the PER per position makes you realize how important the big lug has become. He plays by far the majority of the minutes at his position and his position is far and away the most productive and effective on the team. Let's face it, this season Ab7 has been a catalyst for this team on the offensive end, and on many nights on defense as well. Especially recently, aside from that stinker in Milwaukee which he still managed to score 10 and grab a few boards.
Whenever he's on the floor, he scores or someone else scores as a direct or indirect effect of him being on the floor. The other team's center who is the last line of defense and who does most of the rebounding has to be pulled away from under the basket in order to cover his long range and mid range game. As we all know, this is called creating space on the floor. Bosh benefits from this since he doesn't have to go around the PF and the C to get to the rack. This is also something Bosh produces, although not to the extent that Ab7 does since Bosh is generally lacking the 3pt capacity that Ab7 does and so he doesn't create as much space as Ab7. This also allows the point guards and wings to slash through the lane from the create space and use Ab7 and his defender as screens. While the other team's guards are chasing the wings and guards with or without the ball, the Raptor's players are using them as obstacles for the defenders to have to go around. Simple basic stuff but very effective.
SOOOOOO without Bargs in the line up lastnight someone needed to step up big. If nobody steps up you s end up with a result like in the previous game. Bosh gets 44 points and a whack load of boards and everyone else is panting and pissing themselves as the other team tears them a new one. Jack steps up last night. Showing ferocity that I have never seen in him in a Raptor uniform. Woulda liked a few more dimes from him but with the way he was scoring, who cares. When's the last time another Raptor besides CB4 and AB7 score more than 25 points in a game? That's a good question! In the last couple of seasons obviously nobody besides Bosh has averaged 20 or more points in season. So obviously secondary scoring is necessary. I've always believed that you need at least two 20 point scorers, and I mean on a regular basis, for a team to be successful. Successful meaning a team that is always a legitimate contender year after year. Either that or one who scores 20 or more, and 2 or 3 that score at least 15 points a game. No matter how much D you play you always have to score to win. Bargnani is the only other player on this team that provides that.
We need someone to step up. Someone to become that play or else we need to trade for someone who can. Bryan Colangelo thought they had that person with Hedo and he is clearly an epic failure. Jack, Calderon, and Derozan are capable on any given night to give you that. Whether they do it or not is another question.
I also want to make a quick comment about the officiating I've seen at a few games. Tony Brothers is a scum bag. I have been to a few games at the ACC and seen him at a few and also seen him on tv. He constantly makes questionable and outright bogus calls on the Raptors. He basically gave the Cavs the game this week and on many occasions was the culprit for calling Bargs and other Raptors for phantom fouls. I know what you must be thinking, a fan not agreeing with a ref. Nothing new. Boohoo. However from the evidence that I have seen from this particular man, he needs to be investigated. I don't know if he is gambling or just has a personal grudge with some teams or players but officiating needs to be clear, unbiased and right down the middle between 2 teams. He has not demonstrated this whatsoever.
I also want to mention that I have gone to many many games the past few years and absolutely love watching the games from the upper bowl. I am usually in the Sprite Zone. I don't know what they call it now but I don't care. To me it'll always be the Sprite Zone. The fans up there are the real fans and sitting at any of their games in this section for even 10 mins or less and it becomes quite evident. The fans there are loud, funny and knowledgeable. It really gets you into the spirit and into the fun. One of the things that bothers me though is when the fans freak out for the 100 point free Pizza Pizza. Listen, this pizza that they give you is not the usual pizza you'd buy from Pizza Pizza. It's a slice they have made special for you. Set aside for you Raptor fans. This slice is of very low quality, cardboard-like, and very flavorless. It's almost like dog food. And to hear people beg and plea for the Raptors to get 100 is pretty sad. It's like they're subliminally trained to bark when they hear a bell. Pavlov's doggies. Same thing goes with those jackasses that wave prizes around to try to get you to get up and make noise. I call them fake fans that the team has planted around the arena. They just give the prize away to the closest cute kid regardless of if they are even paying attention or making the most noise. That's fine and dandy and I am all for kids having a good time but it just makes me sad to see these die hard fans hooting and hollaring like trained animals.
If you want some good pizza I suggest Burky's doghouse. Get one of their Pizza Pizza Dogs. Absolutely delicious. It's a bit pricey at $6.50 but you don't have to do any begging I promise. They give you a tastey hot dog, not as good as street meat but still pretty good. Then they cover the dog with pepperoni and pizza sauce and cheese. It tastes awesome!! The place is a bit hard to find thought. If you go around the first floor of the ACC, you come across the escalators beside where they do the broadcast for Raptors TV. Where Jack, Leo, Sherm and Adnan work their magic, it's behind all that. It doesn't quite face the walkway and that's what makes it hard to find.
You can also get beer there so it's a one-stop shop at halftime.
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