Game #32/82: Toronto (16-17) @ C’s (23-8)
Posted by Brian Robb on Jan 2, 2010
Toronto at Boston
7:30 p.m. EST
TD Garden
Local TV/Radio: CSN/WEEI
Opposing viewpoint: Raptors Republic
Offensive Efficiency:
Boston: 108.7 points/100 possessions (11th)
Toronto: 111.4 points/100 possessions (4th)
Defensive Efficiency:
Boston: 100.3 points allowed/100 possessions (1st)
Toronto: 113.8 points allowed/100 possessions (30th)
Probable Toronto Starters:
Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani, Jarrett Jack, DeMar DeRozan, Hedo Turkoglu/Antoine Wright
Injury Report
Toronto: OUT: Jose Calderon, Reggie Evans QUESTIONABLE: Hedo Turkoglu
Boston: OUT: Marquis Daniels, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo QUESTIONABLE: Glen Davis
WHAT THE RAPTORS DO WELL:
Offense
The Raptors are build for one thing and that’s scoring points. They rank 4th in the league in offensive efficiency and have an impressive array of players that can hurt you from the inside (Chris Bosh) as well as the outside (Hedo, Bargnani, Jack). They rank 5th in the league shooting from downtown as well. A couple other highlights of their offensive prowess.
*4th in league for fewest turnovers
*2nd in the league in getting to the line
WHAT THE RAPTORS DO POORLY
How do you say? Ah yes….Defense
As good as this team is offensively, they are just as bad and in general even worse on the defensive end on the floor. Opponents get to the basket at will against Bosh and Barganni and the majority of their perimeter players play a certain matador defense, allowing their opponents easy openings to the hoop. The numbers are also ugly in other areas of the defensive end.
*29th in league in allowing offensive rebounds
*28th in league in forcing opponents turnovers
*Opponents get to the line against them…. a lot. (26th in league)
On a night where the C’s will be missing a lot of offensive firepower, the 2nd stringers should still have a good opportunity to put a lot of points on the board.
PLAYERS WHO MAKES ME WORRY
Chris Bosh
Clearly the team’s offensive MVP, the guy is having a career year thus far in his contract year, creating all kinds of problems for opponents within 10 feet of the basket. Averaging 24 points and 11 rebounds a game and gets to the line more than any other PF in the league at 9.4 free throw attempts a contest. Without KG in the lineup, look for Perk to try to hang with Bosh down low…..or maybe that’s just wishful thinking since I don’t want to see Rasheed chase him all over the court.
Jarrett Jack
An athletic PG who has taken over for an injured Jose Calderon in the starting lineup, he has recently started to hit his stride during the Raptors 5 game winning streak. Averaging 12 points and 6 assists in his last 10 games along with 40 percent from downtown, Tony Allen or J.R. Giddens will need to keep him out of the paint to in order to prevent the Raptors offense from breaking down the C’s D.
PLAYERS WHO DO NOT MAKE ME WORRY
DeMar DeRozan/Antoine Wright
The SG position is not a strength for this Raptors team and although DeRozan has some nice athleticism, the C’s should be able to contain him. With Turkoglu also doubtful for tonight with a knee injury, Wright is likely to get a start and is an offensively inept as they come. Score this as a huge break for the C’s, given how much trouble they would have had matching up with the 6-10 Hedo at the SF spot.
WHAT WE WANT TO SEE FROM THE C’S TONIGHT
Aggressiveness
The C’s are obviously extremely shorthanded tonight, missing 3 out of their 5 starters. With Giddens and TA in the starting lineup, the C’s will have a nice athleticism in there albeit with a huge drop down in talent. With TA/Ray handling the point duties, the C’s will need to attack the basket as well as an inferior Toronto defense and not settle for the outside jumpers. Perk should also be able to have his way down low against Bargnani so I’d like to see Doc call his number early and often. I’d also like to see Lester Hudson get some run especially if the starting 5 lack any kind of offensive flow in the early on. The kid can shoot, and looked good in garbage time Wednesday night.
PREDICTION
Toronto has won 5 in a row, albeit against subpar teams but they are clearly playing better basketball than the last time they were in town last month. The C’s will have to rely on the youngsters in this one for the first time in years, and it will be interesting to see if they answer the bell. As I mentioned earlier, it would be a huge plus if Hedo is forced to sit out from this one, as he creates all kinds of matchup problems against a Pierce-less C’s. I expect the C’s to come out hungry and motivated off of a 3 game winning streak before having to hit the road again. Expect a close one, with a lot of offense but the C’s pull it out. Celtics 103, Raptors 100
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