Courtside Experience: Toronto Raptors vs Milwaukee Bucks - February 8, 2012

Dark Clouds over Raptorland but Let's Focus on the Positives

Let's face it, between yet another disappointing night from DeMar DeRozan, and a non-existent one from Rasual Butler, passes into the stands (wake up, James Johnson!), Andrea Bargnani coming down with a leg muscle strain and just much of ugly basketball all around, the less we remember of the Sacramento Kings' visit to Toronto the better.

But fear not, there were a few few positives the Raptor fans should take away from this ill-fated game against one of the most tormented teams in the league.

Linas Kleiza, Amir Johnson  Photo: MegiMK

1. Linas Kleiza is back after a 11-month hiatus from the NBA following the microfracture surgery on his right knee. He was cleared to play, by the team of doctors in Denver who performed the procedure in February of last year, early this week and suited up for the Raptors on Wednesday with no real expectation minutes or play wise. He entered the game as the 1st quarter was winding down and had an instant impact of the game providing much needed scoring punch off the bench, scoring  10 points and grabbing three rebounds in 15 minutes of play. What's really significant here though is that he was running the floor like a gazelle and showed no hesitation whatsoever. Seeing Kleiza, with his solid skills and toughens, felt like a breath of fresh air. You know that funny feeling you get when you see Kleiza work in the post without freaking out that he'll lose the ball? Yeah, I missed it too.

2. Amir Johnson, once again was everywhere, not excluding the area behind the arch as he hit the 1st successful three pointer since his rookie year.As you'd expect, he was involved if a few flashy pick-and-rolls with Jose Calderon. Both players  were two main reasons why this game didn't end up being a complete and total blowout.

Jerryd Bayless - Photo: MegiMK

3. Jerryd Bayless in a suit. How's that a good thing? The answer will largely depend on who you ask. Some will say it helps the Raptors' turnover stats, some will ask for the phone number of his tailor (Dwane Casey and his assistants should all do that, the sooner the better)... In all seriousness though, Bayless is said to have been putting full weight on his injured ankle for a few days now and is expected to be active sometime this weekend or soon after. Officially, still listed as day-to-day.

The Raptors are back in action of Friday, January 13 at the Air Canada Centre vs. the Indiana Pacers.

Toronto Raptors vs Indiana Pacers - 2011/2012 Season Home Opener

Raptor Fans and Glorification of Losing

And just like that, we have the NBA back! The lockout is officially over and the pre-season games are under way, various fan bases are across the League are flaming up with exaggerated hype or doom. How much I've missed that.

The bottom line is, however, that  we made it through the lockout and, if the attendance at the lone pre-season game, we're still going strong. Having said that, here is my biggest Holiday / New Year's wish to my fellow Raptor fans. Let the 'tank talk' become the thing of the past.

Photo: MegiMK

Winning creates a positive environment and momentum. Losing creates more damage than one or two high draft picks could ever fix. You must have heard the "You don't learn from losing" cliché many times already. It's only a cliché only because it's true.

Toronto Raptors vs Boston Celtics - 2011/2012 Pre-Season Game

 

#NoNBA... For now.

The negotiations between NBA and NBPA have suffered yet another, and possibly the most critical yet, setback as the players decided the owners' latest proposal was unacceptable to them. Subsequently, the NBPA disclaimed its interest as the players’ union.  Stern then announced that this season is the “nuclear winter.”

At the first glance this doesn't sound good at all. But, if you look at the situation closely, had the players been serious about blowing the season up they'd have opted for decertification instead. Decertification is a more complex and lenghty process while Disclaimer of Interest doesn't really mean much and allows the NBPA to be reformed by a quick vote.

The situation is hardly critical and looks like yet another, quite desperate, attempt at posturing. Expect the NBA to be back by Christmas. You can bet on that.

Toronto Raptors vs Indiana Pacers - March 11, 2011

 

Toronto Raptots vs Dallas Mavericks - Pre-game Shootaround - February 27, 2011