0 comments by Matt Zemek on 4/15/2016
A word about expectations is merited before the playoffs begin. A word within a word: Let’s divide expectations into two parts… at least in some instances. Fans and pundits will have their own expectations, while teams will internally carry their separate sets of standards. Naturally, everyone wants to win it all, but only one team […]
0 comments by Sean Woodley on 4/1/2016
Not all rookies can be Karl-Anthony Towns, or Kristaps Porzingis, or Justise Winslow, or Willie Cauley-Stein… …or D’Angelo Russell, or Devon Booker, or Myles Turner (damn, this draft class rules). Despite some outstanding first-year performances this season, the reality when it comes to rookies is that they just don’t typically affect winning or improve their […]
Oklahoma City Thunder’s Kevin Durant soars in to dunk against the Toronto Raptors during second half NBA basketball action in Toronto on Monday, March 28, 2016. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 3/29/2016
Late-season NBA games should not be painted with the same brush. You could certainly comb through NBA history and find late-season games (Game 70 or later out of 82) which broke ties to determine a top-two seed in the playoffs, altering the balance of power in one half of the NBA postseason. You could just […]
Houston Rockets’ James Harden (13) and Toronto Raptors’ Norman Powell chase a loose ball during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 25, 2016, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
0 comments by Jovan Alford on 3/26/2016
After losing to the Utah Jazz at the Toyota Center on Wednesday night, the Houston Rockets knew that on Friday night, they had to beat the Eastern conference’s second-best team in to retain the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Coming into Friday’s game against the Toronto Raptors, Houston was riding a […]
Feb 26, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) shoots the ball as Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) defends in front of Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova (8) at the Air Canada Centre. The Raptors won 99-97. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-233022 ORIG FILE ID: 20160226_ads_ss9_121.JPG
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 3/22/2016
The Toronto Raptors need to be mindful of the familiar expression, “Watch what you wish for — you just might get it.” It’s perfectly reasonable to say that the Raptors and the Cleveland Cavaliers should go after the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, if only because it’s important to have Game 7 on […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 3/19/2016
Before unpacking and expanding this discussion to any real degree, let’s get this much on the record: Jae Crowder means a ton to the Boston Celtics. The nuances of the debate are worth exploring at the edges, but the core of the matter can’t be denied: Crowder’s value to Brad Stevens as a wing defender […]
Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) shoots next to Indiana Pacers center Jordan Hill (27) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Thursday, March 17, 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 3/18/2016
The Toronto Raptors know that when the NBA playoffs begin, home-court advantage and an accordingly high seed won’t matter all that much if their stars don’t shine at crunch time. Thursday night in Indianapolis, the Raptors found their true North when they stood oOf n the precipice of defeat. As a result, they realize that […]
0 comments by Zac Voynow on 3/11/2016
Anthony Bennett was the number one overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. You could make the argument that he’s been the worst No. 1 draft pick in the history of the NBA. It is pretty tough to top Greg Oden and Kwame Brown, but Bennett is in the process of earning this dubious distinction. […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 3/7/2016
College basketball teams — not being as responsible as NBA teams — blow big leads all the time. Over the past week of zany conference tournament action, Austin Peay overcame a 19-point second-half deficit to win the Ohio Valley Tournament. Northern Iowa led Evansville by 17 in the second half of the Missouri Valley Tournament […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 3/6/2016
It is an immutable fact of NBA life: The team with LeBron James on it will always be a team drenched in drama. That the palace intrigues attached to any LeBron team are often created externally — by the press — is its own discussion. The business of sports blogging is such that high-profile figures […]
Feb 26, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) shoots the ball as Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) defends in front of Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova (8) at the Air Canada Centre. The Raptors won 99-97. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-233022 ORIG FILE ID: 20160226_ads_ss9_121.JPG
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 2/27/2016
Yes, it’s a contradiction in terms, but life is complicated: Friday night, the Toronto Raptors won the biggest wait-and-see game in their comparatively brief existence. The Raptors are only 20 years old. The NBA itself is 49 years older than Canada’s one active NBA organization. One shouldn’t have expected the Raptors to win an NBA […]
0 comments by Kevin Causey
Kyle Lowry went one-on-one with the game on the line. He dribbled up and then stepped back and ripped a long jumper leaving just 3.8 seconds on the clock as the Raptors took the win over the Cavs on Friday night…..
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 2/21/2016
To win in baseball, a team needs pitchers who can get outs with several pitches, a splitter being one of them. Without Tiago Splitter, the Atlanta Hawks have less depth and rim protection. The first two games after the All-Star break have painted the worst possible picture for a team whose postseason prospects are getting […]
DALLAS, TX – NOVEMBER 03: DeMar DeRozan #10 of the Toronto Raptors at American Airlines Center on November 3, 2015 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 2/19/2016
It was one of the most strikingly counterintuitive moments of the 2016 NBA trade deadline: The Toronto Raptors revealed a large aspirational appetite not by making a big move, but by doing nothing. It goes against the instincts of fans, commentators, everyone who follows sports either for a living or for fun: When a trade […]
0 comments by Matt Zemek on 2/15/2016
During the All-Star break, consider which games from the first half of the season gave shape and texture to the Atlantic Division. * BOSTON CELTICS: Wednesday, February 10 vs. L.A. Clippers — W, 139-134 (OT) What Brad Stevens is doing in Boston is nothing less than remarkable. Then again, Stevens has always done remarkable things […]
