The Toronto Raptors used a complete team effort to battle back from an 18 point deficit to overcome the Utah Jazz in double overtime for their second straight victory.

The Raptors used team defense, timely shooting and grit to come away with a well-earned win.

The biggest winner on the night was anyone that stayed up to watch the end of the game.  Fans were rewarded with a back and forth battle that gave fans two quarters of free basketball.  Nothing wrong with that.

Hopefully the win wasn’t costly as Andrea Bargnani left the game after re-aggravating his calf injury and was later seen on crutches.  Hopefully he will be back, he clearly makes a big difference.

Zan for Three

Night and Day

This team is completely different when Andrea Bargnani is on the floor.  He gives them direction and is an absolute force on the offensive end this season.  Everything he has ever been in our minds over the last few years, he is turning into on the court.

He is shooting the lights out, driving the ball and driving defenders bananas as he draws them inside and out.  Teams can’t guard him and he isn’t allowing them to contain him either.

The best sign for Raptor fans actually came when Andrea re-aggravated his calf injury late in the game.  He was pulled from the game and looked absolutely irate.  He sported a death stare for a while and slammed his towel on the bench.  This might not seem like something to get excited about, but when was the last time you saw that much emotion from Il Mago?

If he is the star for this team going forward, and I think that he is, then this is exactly what you want to see your leader do when he has to sit on the bench.

Love the emotion!

Playing to Potential

Bryan Colangelo sold us on a lot of these players over the last few seasons.  James Johnson’s grit and intangibles, Amir Johnson’s size and defensive presence, Calderon’s ability to get to the rim, Kleiza’s hot shooting and Demar’s ability to drive.

When the Raptors needed someone to step up in the absence of Andrea Bargnani, Linas Kleiza answered the call. He was dominant off the bench and led the team to victory in overtime.

These are qualities we have seen only flashes of over the last couple of seasons. Tonight it was all there.  It was incredible to watch players do what they are supposed to do on paper.

Jose drove the ball, Demar got to the line,Kleiza shot the lights out and James Johnson battled all night long.  This was a complete team effort tonight and when all cylinders are firing.  This team is tough to beat when they are all playing the way they are capable of.

Dwane Casey you might just be on to something here.

Kleizanated

Linas Kleiza was a big Colangelo acquisition an off-season ago.  He went into the 2010 World Championships  and looked dominant shooting the ball and leading Lithuania to a thrid place finish.  Then he here and was flat.  He didn’t shoot the ball well, didn’t defend well an eventually lost is start SF spot before having his season shortened by injury.  He never reached the potential that we had seen or heard about.

Since coming back from injury Kleiza has ben getting better and better and is beginning to show flashes of that player we saw in the world championships in 2010 for Lithuania.

This guy can shoot.  He can be a dominant force for this team. And I’m looking forward to a whole lot more of what we saw Wednesday night because he is finally beginning to look like a player the raptors might want to keep around.

Zan of the Night

Kleiza

No Question.  When Bargnani went out with an injury, Linas stepped up in a major way hitting big shots in the extra periods.  He had ice in his veins and seemed confident every time he touched the ball.  The Jazz couldn’t stop him, especially in the extra frame and his defensive energy in OT  helped clinch the victory.

Not Zan of the Night

Gordon Hayward

Just couldn’t get anything to fall despite the continued effort.  Not a great night at the office for him, but when you’re a shooter you have to ride the wave.

An honourable mention to Ed Davis once again for helping cement his spot in the doghouse.  You have to make the most of your time on the floor, especially when it is limited.  Amir gets this, Ed does not.

I’m also upset with him because I have him on my fantasy team.  If not for Ed Davis I’d look like a genius.  It’s time to pick up the slack my friend.  For you, and for me.

***

Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald

***

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Zantabakherald

That was ugly.  It was so ugly it was ooglie.

Unfortunately when you’re missing your best player, playing a tough team on the road and don’t bring your A game there are gonna be nights like tonight.

The Raptors, somehow, were able to hang with the Celtics until the half.

Then all heck broke loose and the Raptors were just beaten.  In every way possible, they were beaten.  Their shots didn’t fall, they lost rebounds, couldn’t defend, took bad fouls and could not get any momentum.

The veteran Celtics team smelled the blood in the water and finished the Raps early in the third.  The fourth was  almost unnecessay as the Raps were bested by the Celtics first, second and third units.

In the end the fans out there leading “Tank Nation” will be happy with the result, while others hoping to see, at least, some positive signs of progress will be disappointed with, what is now, the Raptors’ sixth straight loss.

Zan for Three

Panic Button?

So it is well documented in the Toronto media that Demar Derozan is not playing that well.  I’m sure he reads and hears about it more than he cares to right now.  Rightly or wrongly the worry and concern over the team has been focused squarely on him.

It was a long night at the office for the Raptors who were obliterated 96-73 in Boston.

Is it time to worry?

This could be a slump and something he needs to work through.  It could also be evidence that he isn’t ready to be a number one player on this team.

The season is still only starting and there is plenty of time for Demar to turn it arouind.  So, maybe we should hold off on all the doomsday talk for a little while and see how he battles through this.  

The true mark of a great player is how they respond to adversity.

Forbes Nation

I realize that the sample size is tiny, but I’m liking what I’m seeing from Gary Forbes in the last few games. Obviously it is hard to assess a guy that played well in a blow out, but he has looked good over the last little while shooting and handling the ball.  He is taking to the point position well so far and seems to be solid on both ends of the floor.

Tim Chisholm recently tweeted that he wasn’t sure whether Forbes was actually good or just looked good next to the rest of the Raptor team.  That is a fair comment, as the team certainly isn’t setting the world on fire, but I think Forbes has some talent.  He is fast and provides coach Casey with a number of different options. 

He is creative, can shoot the ball and is able to get to the rim with his speed.

Definitely a player to keep an eye on.

Contenders?

So where does this Celtic team stack up in the East? Obviously they are not the beasts they once were, but still possess major stars in Rondo, Allen, Garnett, and Paul Pierce.  All these players are significantly older and their once strong bench has been depleted by trades.

Are these guys for real?

Sure they can beat up on Toronto, but can they handle the Heat? Can they match up against Chicago?  Are they a serious threat to compete for a championship or even for a top 4 seed in the Eastern Conference?

Are they a team to fear?

A few years ago this was something that wasn’t a question, now it’s debatable, but in the end they are a far cry from what they once were.

Zan of the Night

Aaron Gray

Welcome Back to the Show! Extended minutes that showed hustle and a desire to win.  I liked the fight he had in him tonight, despite the fact that he was coming in cold and hadn’t played competitively since the summer.  Glad to see him finally haelthy enough to play.  Welcome to Toronto Aaron!

Not Zan of the Game

Everyone who had the misfortune of watching that debacle.  Honestly, one of the worst I can remember in recent memory.  Thank goodness this shortened NBA season has a quick turnaround most nights.  The Raptors are back at it on Friday against Portland.  May our memories be short.

***

Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald

***

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Zantabakherald

The Raptors were really missing Andrea Bargnani who was out once again with a strained calf.  The offense was stagnant without him.  Demar Derozan could not get anything going and became a jump shooter that failed to get to the line once.

Still the effort was there.

This may be a phrase that Raptor fans are tired of hearing already.  It seems they are always on the short end of the stick despite the fight.  The truth of the matter is that they lack their number one guy right now and don’t have anyone who seems ready to step up.

Josh Smith gave the Raptors fits on both ends of the floor, scoring at will and battling on the boards.

Without that number one option this team is dead in the water night in and night out.  If this effort is going to start being rewarded with victories someone (Demar Derozan) is going to have to show up for all 4 quarters.

The Raptors saw improved play from Ed Davis and solid point play from Jose Calderon, but the Hawks were able to abuse the Raptors both inside and out.  They got to the line 31 times and took full advantage of their opportunities.  Josh Smith was an absolute beast scoring, seemingly, at will and controlling the boards on both ends of the floor.

Atlanta is one of those teams that you can’t quite figure out.  Are they a contender in the East? or are they a treadmill team fooling themselves into thinking they have a chance?  On Monday they looked like both.

Unfortunately both teams were better than the Raptors.

Zan for Three

Rotation Issues

Man, are the Raptors missing Andrea Bargnani right now.

The scoring has not been there and Dwane Casey has got to try to find scoring from somewhere.  I’m not sure that the place to find the scoring is Rasual Butler.

I’m not a hater.  I don’t think he should be banished from the team, or nailed to the bench but he certainly should not be playing 30 minutes a game. Especially when Linas Kleiza, arguably the better player, gets ten minutes.

The rotation has been über tight the last little while with Andrea and James Johnson out but when those two come back I would like to see minutes go to players that actually have a future here.

That being said, I am liking the way Casey has been increasing Ed Davis’s minutes and I am very intrigued by the way Gary Forbes has been used.  Hopefully these are things we continue to see for the Raps whether we win or lose.

The Barbosa Factor

So Leandro Barbosa has quietly turned into our most potent scoring threat.  With Andrea out and Demar unable to create his own offense Barbosa has been the most consistent scorer on the team.

Normally I would be in staunch opposition to this, except for the fact that Barbosa stands to fetch a nice price at the trade deadline from a contender if he keeps this up.

Barbosa isn’t part of the core moving forward.  He could be dealt any day really, but his resurgance isn’t taking any time away from our young players really.  When Bayless comes back I expect the Barbosa trade rumours to grow.  Right now he is playing himself into a better return.

That’s a good thing for the Raptors.

Mr. Versatility

So Gary Forbes really is an enigma wrapped in a conundrum for the Raptors.  He did not look very good at all in the opening moments of this NBA season, but he is now proving himself to be a much more versatile player.

The Jarryd Bayless point guard experiment seems to be on hold even when he returns from injury and in its place the Raptors have begun a Forbes experiment. So far the experiment is, at least, intriguing. 

He’s playing the point, moving the ball well and once his shot starts to fall he could be an interesting project for the Raptors coaching staff.

I like the way he played on Thursday for the Raptors and I have enjoyed how the team has played when he is on the floor.  If nothing else, having another ball handler is a luxury the Raptors can certainly take advantage of.

Plus the foul…

Numero Ocho

Not enough love is given to Jose Calderon.  Until Rasual Butler came along, Jose was the favourite whipping boy of chat rooms and twitter feeds.  His defense is as infamous around these parts as a Shaq free throw attempt.  This year he is quietly having an outstanding year.

Once again he will be near the top of the league in assists and assist to Turnover ratio.  He has a fantastic shooting percentage and he is careful with the ball.

Tonight; another quiet double-double.

We’ve become so accustomed to the consistent play that Calderon exhibits that we often don’t give it enough credit.

He is a good player.  A solid point guard and a good leader and floor general for this young team.

Zan of the Night

Josh Smith

Early in the game he went right at Amir and Ed.  He got to the line at will and shot the ball very well.  Not only that but he was very active on defense and the boards despite giving up some size to the Toronto front court. The Raptors didn’t have an answer for Smith inside and he took full advantage of it.

Not Zan of the Game 

Demar Derozan

I’m still hoping this is just an extended slump, but Demar is not coming up big when we need him to.  Without Andrea, Demar is the number one option.  But he is not playing like the team’s number one.

He isn’t even doing the things he used to be great at.  His mid range shot is not falling, he isn’t getting to the line and his shot selection has gone completely to hell.

Toronto needs Demar to step up and step up soon.  Not only in order to give the team a chance to win, but to give the Raptor faithful some hope for the future.

***

Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald

***

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Zantabakherald

For Raptor fans, we just have to try to take the good with the bad.

Monday night in Toronto against the upstart Timberwolves the Raptors were a completely different squad.  They played tough defence, fought in the paint despite being overmatched and came away with a well fought victory.  The “future stars” played their role, the energy guys provided energy and the team looked quite good.

So, how is that a team can look so completely different every time it faces a new opponent?

This year Toronto is a team that has been put together with an eye to the future. There are a couple of stars likely part of the future, another small group that could be part of the future and another group that is only here for a one year pay cheque.

This isn’t about right now.

This years Raptor team is going to take it on the chin a lot, but hopefully players like James Johnson emerge as "keepers".

Sometimes the stars will win a game on their own (the way Andrea and Demar have done a few times this season).  Sometimes they’re gonna look like a team made up of players from every other teams bench (the way they did in Washington on Tuesday night) and sometimes they’re gonna be a bit of both.

What we all need to do is look at the positives as best we can and dismiss the negatives.

The positives thus far have been the inspired play of Andrea Bargnani and the emergence of Amir Johnson and James Johnson as significant contributors now and into the future.

The Raptors have also shown defensive intensity on a more consistent basis and are clearly much improved in that area.  Dwane Casey’s system is sinking in and it has clearly been working pretty well.  Just think of what it would look like with better players.

On the negative side we have seen far more of players like Anthony Carter, Jamal Magloire and Rasual Butler than fans thought they would.  This had to be expected as they came here in order to earn another pay cheque and they were promised some playing time.  So far it hasn’t come at the detriment of any of the younger players (save for maybe Ed Davis).

There are a few young players that have under performed.  Demar Derozan has been spotty, looking brilliant one game and then disappearing the next.  Ed Davis has not looked as dominant or been as consistent as many thought he would be. These are troubling signs, but then again it is also early on in the season for both these young players.

This team in many way mirrors the early years after expansion when the Isaiah Thomas/Glen Grunwald led Raptors were sorting out who stayed and who went.  Damon Stoudamire, Marcus Camby, Tracy Murray, Alvin Williams, Carlos Rogers were young players with potential playing with guys like Ed Pickney, Walt Williams, Popeye Jones and Zan Tabak who were occupying roster space until more dependable replacements stepped in.

Not a lot of wins, but certainly a lot of growth.  Young players like Alvin Williams and Tracy McGrady really developed their game while the Popeye’s and Zan’s eventually made way for younger, more important pieces to the puzzle.

Expect to see much of the same this year.  Players like Andrea and Amir may just be reaching the peak of their talents and eventually the Rasual Butlers and Jamal Magloires will make way for Jonas Valanciunas and maybe Harrison Barnes.

In the end Bryan Colangelo knew he would see two different teams this year.  We need to enjoy the excitement that the wins bring (cause there won’t be many) and hopefully the wins are tied to the development of younger players.  I mean there is nothing wrong when we win a game because Andrea goes off for 50 points or because Demar has a triple-double or James Johnson records career highs in several categories.

We also need to enjoy the loses as they bring us closer to a high pick in a deep draft.  Ultimately that’s what this team was designed to do.  Make the young players better and lose a lot of games.

It will be an up and down kind of year for this team and all of us fans; lets just enjoy the ride.

***

Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald

***

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Zantabakherald

They did not rebound the ball well, gave up way too many second chance points and could not defend the three.  These are all issues that plauged them last year and will continue to haunt them if they cannot find a remedy.

In the end the Raptors have to try and learn from this game as they’re right back at it tomorrow.  One of the benefits of a shortened 66-game season is that you have no choice but to have a short memory.  Games come quickly on the heels of a loss.  The Raps have no time to hang their heads  Get some sleep, figure it out and play again tomorrow.

Hopefully the effort will return. On the stat sheet, this looks like a win for the Raptors.  The effort was there at times, the timing needs to improve.

Zan for Three

Return of the Hump

What a sad story.

The unfairly treated Kris Humphries, was a key part of New Jersey's victory over the Raptors at the ACC on Friday night.

For nothing related to basketball whatsoever, this guy is getting booed everywhere he plays.  Even at home he gets the hate from the fans.

It wasn’t really that different when he played his former team either.  He took to the court to a smattering of boos and was booed often while the game progressed.

What exactly did he do to us?

I remember Kris Humphries coming here in a one sided trade for Arujao.  Yeah, remember that guy? He deserved the boos.

Humphries played hard here for Sam Mitchell and earned his extended minutes on the court.  He wasn’t an all-star but a definite energy guy off the bench.

In NJ he has been a solid contributor and was once again despite (or in spite of) the booing fans at the ACC.  16 rebounds? not a bad night at the office.  He contiinues to play well, much to the shagrin of his very vocal critics.

Not to sound like the Britney Spears guy, but “Leave Kris Alone”!!!

He doesn’t deserve it.

Pound the Rock

It is the Mantra of this years Raptors.  The players are united on Twitter, using the hashtag after each game win or lose.

In hindsight it really is a brilliant mantra for this young team.  This year is going to filled with nights like tonight, when players like Deron Williams shred our perimeter defence.  When inside players like Kris Humphries dominate the paint and we look foolish defensively.

This young team just needs to keep it coming.

We have seen major improvements in Andrea Bargnani and Demar Derozan early on and over the last two nights we have seen Ed Davis react to his name being called out.

These young players really do need to the ‘pound the rock’.  Things are improving, they just aren’t going to happen over night.

Take your lumps and get back out there.  The fans see the improvement and hopefully the players and coaches feel it.

Return of the Mack

Ed Davis has been all over the news lately.  He saw a drastic reduction in minutes because of a perceived lack of effort.  According to many in the media he had a sit down with coach Casey this week to discuss his issues.  Low and behold we have seen a return to the player many of us expected to see this season.  He  has been active offensively and has battled in the paint.

Ed Davis, in my opinion, is a clear part of this core moving forward.  He may have the most upside of any player on this current roster.  He just needs to keep working.

He can score, he has a strong post up game and is an above average defender. He has all the tools to become a significant part of this teams future.

He just needs to put it all together.  Luckily he has a coach in Dwane Casey that knows when to let things slide and when tough love is necessary.  He saw a lack of effort in Ed and knew exactly how to motivate him to improve.

That’s the sign of a good coach.

I’m looking forward to, and fully expecting, to see significant improvement in Ed’s game as the season progresses.

Zan of the Night

Kris Humphries

Take that boo-birds.  Nothing like a 16 rebound effort to quiet the haters.  No reason at all to boo this kid, he was dialed in and played a great game for the Nets. Kudos to the fans at the ACC who did cheer and there were quite a few.

Not Zan of the Night

Demar Derozan

Not a great shooting night for Derozan.  He did not look confident out there at all tonight and just couldn’t get that shot to drop.

At one point Gary Forbes was even brought in to provide more ‘juice’.

Dust it off, and get back at ‘er tomorrow.  There will always be nights like tonight for shooters like Demar, it’s how you respond that separates the stars from the pretenders.

***

Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald

***

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Zantabakherald

Still there was plenty for the crowd to go home happy about.  Tristan Thompson returned home to Canada and received some solid hometown love in his first appearance at the ACC as an NBA player.  He didn’t have a great game, scoring only a single point, but he’ll remember this game for the rest of his life.

The fans were also treated to a solid effort from the team’s current number 1 and number two.  Bargnani and Demar gave the crowd a reason to get those all-star ballots filled out.  They, once again, shot with confidence and embraced their star role.  Demareven found his touch from beyond the arc.

It wasn't the homecoming that Tristan Thompson had in mind as fellow Canuck, Jamal Magloire and the Raptors held the Cavs to a dismal 30% shooting en route to big win.

If the Raptors keep playing with this energy and enthusiasm it’s going to get harder and harder to hope for the tanking of the season.

Zan for Three

Derozan for Three

Quietly this year Demar Derozan has been developing his game from beyond the arc.  If he is to take the next step in his development he is going to have to become more consistent from three-point land.  So far this year he has been.  He was 5 of 8 on the night and has been 62% on the season thus far.  Don’t expect that kind of percentage all year-long, but the fact that he is becoming more confident taking those shots is a great sign if you’re a Raptor fan.  So far this year he has looked every bit a part of this teams future.

The best part of that improvement is that Demar, with the coaching staff,  has clearly targeted a weakness and is working on it.  Being a star NBA player means work.  The work never stops if you wanna raise the level of your game.  Demar, right now, is putting in the work and is seeing the fruits of his labour.

All Stars

It is way too early to be making any sort of predictions about the All-Star game outside of Lebron most definitely being there.  For the Raptors it was announced on Wednesday that Jose, Demar and Andrea were all on the ballot and if the game were to be held tomorrow Andrea would be on that roster.

He has been doing everything right. Driving the lane, making his defender guard him from all parts of the court and taking shots with confidence.  His 31 points tonight were great, but what is more astonishing is that he isn’t taking that many shots.  Tonight he was 11 for 16.  Last night it took Carmelo Anthony 31 shots to get that many points.

On the season Andrea has been very efficient shooting 52% and he isn’t passing up the shots either.

A great start to the season for Andrea.  With continued effort he’ll be hanging with Lebron at the All-Star game.

Mr. Dependable

Jose Calderon continues to fill the stat sheet adding another double-double to his resume tonight.  He runs the offense with confidence, but what has been less noted is his defensive improvement.

Calderon is never going to be a candidate for defensive player of the year, but he has shown improvement in Dwane Casey’s system.  He is learning to take charges, blocked a shot this year and is clearly working on that aspect of his game.

This guy is a lot better than anyone gives him credit for and is showing himself to be a solid point guard to lead this young team.

Zan of the Night

Andrea Bargnani

You know that feeling when a player gets the ball and everybody in the building knows it is going in? Well that’s the feeling I have every time Andrea touches the ball.  This is the feeling of a star player, a guy that is a game changer and a difference maker.  Right now, Andrea is that guy.

I noticed that the decision was made as a team to have Andrea announced as the last player on our starting lineup, a spot usually reserved for the star player on a team.  Andrea is clearly earning that role.  Tonight and pretty much every night this season he played to his strengths, took advantage of defensive mismatches and played with the confidence of an All-star.  He scored in a number of different ways taking the ball inside and outside and he did it very efficiently.  He continues to look like a star player.  Derozan deserves some mention here as well as, he too, has demonstrated great work ethic this year.  His improvement in his shooting touch is something to be excited about as a Raptor fan. At this point, they are clearly number 1 and number 2.

Not Zan of the Night

Tristan Thompson

This is probably a game that he will not remember fondly.  Returning home to play in front of family and friends, Tristan just couldn’t get it going and spent much of the game on the bench.  It was probably nerves, and it is completely understandable, but he didn’t look very confident.

That being said, Tristan has shown great promise this year in his first year and will definitely have other opportunities to make up for his lacklustre performance tonight.

Chalk this one up to a learning experience.

***

Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald

***

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Zantabakherald

The Raptors were unable to hold on to their big lead against Dwight Howard and the Magic, but after letting a 17 point half time lead slip away, the Raptors were able to hold on against New York.

The Raptors did it with some timely shooting, smart ball movement and continued defensive effort.  They also got another elite performance from Andrea Bargnani and their first significant contribution from newcomer Rasual Butler.

The Raptors have looked nothing like the Raptors of the past.  This is a new team with an actual defensive system that they are implementing.  They took advantage of a New York team that looked completely lost for three-quarters without Amare Stoudamire.

If this is what this season is going to be like, then sign me up.  This team has fight and they’re doing the little things that need to be done to take control of a game.  On Monday night, they did enough to hold on to the lead as well.

The Zan for Three

Go-To Guy

Dwane Casey has made it very clear that the Raptors offense is not a democracy.  The offense flows through two main options in Andrea Bargnani and Demar Derozan.

Demar looked solid in the first half of this game, but what was most inspiring for a Raptor fan was the way Bargnani closed it out.

Elite players are ones that you can depend on late in games to hit a big shot, or make a big stop.  Elite players are confident and want the ball at crunch time.  Elite players are not afraid to take control of a game.  Andrea Bargnani is beginning to do this on a consistent basis.

Andrea Bargnani once again looked dominant against the Knicks. Could he finally be reaching his potential?

In the fourth quarter he wanted the ball.  He took the big shot, he was the focal point and it looked like that was exactly what he wanted.

I’m not really wanting to win a whole lot of games this year if we aren’t going to the playoffs, but if we win games because Andrea Bargnani is the best player on the court, then I’ll take that kind of victory any day of the week.

On Monday night, Bargnani took advantage of defensive mismatches and was the best player on the court, by a country mile or frozen kilometre.

If this keeps up, I’m happy winning games.

Man with a Plan

Dwane Casey came in on the second night of a back to back and had a clearly defined plan.  How often have we seen that in Raptorland over the last few years?

The Raptors didn’t have a lengthy practice on Monday and instead took time to watch tape.  They came out with a clear gameplan.  They went right at Landry Fields and took advantage of the lack of interior defense.  Without Amare the Knicks had a weakness in the middle and Casey exploited it.

Casey also allowed Carmelo to shoot himself silly.  Yes, he had a big stat padding night, but he also took 31 shots.  The Raptors focused on containing the inside game and were able to contain Chandler and Fields down low and turned the Knicks into a perimeter oriented offense.  Douglas and Carmelo could not deliver.

Nice to see the Raptors have a plan, and execute it.

The Barbosa Factor

Now let me get this straight.  I like Leandro Barbosa.  I think he is a very fast and skilled offensive player, but his offensive output has been at the expense of younger players on our team.  Barbosa is lighting it up offensively many nights and when he isn’t lighting it up he is certainly trying really hard to.

He is a nice offensive weapon off the bench, but he is a black hole.  He doesn’t pass and is taking shots at the expense of our younger players.  I like winning games, but I want to see our young players have more opportunities.  Ed Davis needs touches, James Johnson needs touches and I don’t want to see Barbosa continue to miss opportunities to get those young players involved.

We are never going to know what we have in these young players if they aren’t given a chance to succeed.  If Ed and JJ are going to be a part of the second unit, they need their fair share of touches.  The offense should not flow through Barbosa.

He needs to pass the ball more.

Zan of the Night

Rasual Butler

I do not like the fact that this guy is getting starting minutes when they should be going to James Johnson, but he played well defensively and shot the ball quite well.  He was a potent offensive weapon for the Raps and may have been the difference in the game.  I like his effort and he is a great tutor for some of the young players.  A solid effort for Butler, Although it should have come off the bench.

Not Zan of the Night

Carmelo Anthony

Yes he had 35 points, but on 31 shots.  This guy was the only option out there for New York.  Everything that Bargnani was doing right in this game, Carmelo was doing wrong.  He became a volume shooter out there and took some terrible shots. He didn’t look for anyone else and hoisted up his fair share of bricks.

Late in the game with the Knicks down three, he took a three-point shot early in the clock and missed badly.  He followed it up by taking another terrible shot on the Knicks last possession. Exactly the opposite of what you want to do.

If this team wants to be taken seriously in the East, Carmelo is going to have to become a lot smarter out there. On Monday he looked more like a volume shooter than an All-Star.

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Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald

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Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Zantabakherald

Then the fourth quarter happened.

It wasn’t pretty.  The shots didn’t fall, the perimeter defense was non-existent and the Magic shot the lights out from behind the arc.

The effort from this team was, for the most part, something to applaud.  Andrea Bargnani looked like a superstar out there for the third game in a row, Derozan battled through some early shooting trouble, and Jose Calderon was very effective at the point.  The Raptors battled and even had nice contributions from Jamal Magloire and Leandro Barbosa off the bench.

In the end the hot shooting of Hedo Turkoglu, Ryan Anderson and JJ Reddick were too much to handle for the Raptors defense.

This team continues to battle. They have shown much improved effort on the defensive end, especially in the first half  tonight, and they are hanging with teams on most nights.  The most impressive element of this loss is the way Andrea Bargnani has played.  He looks every bit a superstar out there and he is making a case to continue as the face of this franchise.

A loss is a loss but there are certainly positives to take away once again.

The Zan for Three

Toronto’s All-Star

It is way too early to even speculate about who will or wont make the All-star team, but if it were being held today, Andrea Bargnani would be on the roster.

During his last few years he has been criticized for not caring, not battling and being very weak on the defensive end.  This year, and I know it’s early, he looks confident. He is demanding the ball and scoring in a variety of ways, and although he isn’t the best defensive player he has created a presence under the basket.

This is something that Toronto fans need to be happy about.  If the Raptors win because Andrea plays like an All-star, that’s a win I’m willing to take no matter how it affects our draft position next year.

He is a reason to be excited so far this year.

Hedo Turkoglu was a factor in Orlando's fourth quarter comeback.

Ball

Oh the obligatory “ball” reference.  Hedo actually looked pretty good out there but I’m talking about the Raptors new offensive philosophy.

Dwane Casey has said that his number one option on offense is Andrea Bargnani and his number two is Demar Derozan.  He is going to ride them all the way win or lose.

This philosophy is both positive short-term because it allows us to see whether either player can handle the rigors and pressure that come with being a number one or number two option.  It also helps the Raps in the long-term because it signifies that this is their team.  They will be the focal point offensively going forward and next year, when the games start to matter, they will be ready to lead.

Ball.

Mr. 3000

Say what you want about Jose Calderon.  He seems to be the new poster boy for the haters out there, but he is one efficient point guard out there ont eh offensive end.  His stats speak for themselves, but he really does put his teammates in good position out there and he protects the ball quite well.  Although he likely isn’t part of the future he seems like a great choice to lead this years young team.

He’s also got 3000 assists in his career.

Jose has been my favourite Raptor in his time in Toronto.  He’s had is ups and downs to be sure, but he has been a constant professional, plays hard, shares the ball, loves the city and genuinely loves being a Raptor.

Congrats on 3000 Jose.

Zan of the Night

Ryan Anderson

Wow, can this guy shoot.  He is a dangerous, dangerous player out there.  He’s tough to guard and if he’s open he’s lights out.  The Raptors D did a pretty good job on the interior, but they fell asleep on this guy late in the game and he absolutely killed us.

Not Zan of the Night

Ed Davis

Maybe it’s just bitterness that he is on my fantasy team and hasn’t delivered yet, but he’s been kind of invisible out there this year.  True, a lot of his minutes are going to Magloire and Amir definitely deserves to start, but I was expecting a lot more.  He is going to have to work a lot harder out there and take advantage of his reduced minutes in order to get more.  I believe he’s part of the future of this ball club, but he hasn’t shown it so far this season.

The raptors came out and showed the crowd at the ACC that there is a process underway to change the culture of the team.  They seemed tougher, there were less missed assignments than we have come accustomed to. They looked more like a team on both ends of the floor and the two best players on this team (Bargnani and Derozan) gave the Raptors a reason to hope for the future.

In the end the result was perfect for a team hoping to rebuild through the draft: a hard-fought, well-played loss.  Hope for the future on all sides.

The Zan for Three

Toughness

It was nice to see Jamal Magloire giving the opening night speech, but it was even nicer to see him play with grit and toughness.  He was an agitator under the basket giving Hibbert and Hansborough all they could handle.  His effort seemed to be contagious. James Johnson put forth a gritty effort on the defensive side.  he was a spark plug off the bench hauling down rebounds and forcing turnovers.

This team may not win a lot of games this year, but they’re gonna play you tough.

Culture Change

This looked like a different Raptor squad out there.  They were active on the defensive end. Although their perimeter defense let them down in the fourth quarter, they played tough most of the game.  The system that Dwane Casey is implementing is clearly in its infancy stage, but the signs that it exists are there.

When players blew by Calderon, there was help to back him up.  Shots were contested and the Raptors were forcing turnovers because of good defensive positioning and active hands, something that certainly hasn’t always been there.

this is very much a work in progress, but two games in and you can already feel the steps being taken.  The Raptors are moving in the right direction.

Don't just sit there Bieber, get out of your seat and cover Paul George. George had a field day on the perimeter for Indiana, which spoiled the mood for a raucous crowd, including Bieber, in Toronto..

Star Studded Affair

No, I’m not talking about Bieber.

Bargnani looked like a star tonight.  No Raptor, maybe in history, has been as heavily criticized as Bargnani, but tonight he looked every bit a star.  He got to the rim, looked confident shooting the ball and was not out-of-place on the defensive end.

I know that Dwane Casey has made Bargnani one of his projects this year and tonight we saw a small glimpse of what is to come.  Bargnani is still the focal point of this team, even though Demar Derozan is emerging as a great offensive talent.

Perhaps the future of this team still includes Andrea.  If he keeps playing the way he did tonight I can’t see how it wont.

Zan of the Night

Andrea Bargnani

He looked confident, let the game come to him and didn’t force things on the offensive end.  He held his own on the defensive end and was clearly the option on the floor that the team felt most confident in.

He played like a star tonight and served notice that this year, the Raptors are his team.

Not Zan of the Night

Gary Forbes

I cannot think of a worse debut for a Toronto Raptor.  He wasn’t on the floor for a minute before one of the worst turnovers I have ever seen.

Now it’s early and I like this kids potential, but tonight is going to be one that he will likely want to forget.

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Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald

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Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Zantabakherald

I know the plan this season. Lose as many games as possible and take advantage of having two first round picks in a very deep draft.  Get that rebuild off to a flying start, right.?

To do that we’re going to have to lose a lot of games.  So far, I cannot help but cheer for this team.  I wanna win.

I feel like a Mini-Wheats commercial.  The logical side in me wants the Raptors to lose and lose often, but the fan in me wants to see wins and eat free pizza.

All off-season long I’ve told friends and anyone who’ll listen that we need to lose games.  I’ve been working on catch phrases for the season like “Give up the Farm for Barnes”, “Take a Drubbin for Drummond” or something of that ilk.  But there I was on opening night and the home opener cheering like an idiot.  Hoping my Raptors would go 2-0 to start the season.

The logical side of me knows that with every loss we are one step closer to adding a game changing player.  But the losses sting.

As Indiana began to pull away in the fourth and Barbosa became more and more of a black hole on the offensive side, I got angry.  I was upset that the Raptors weren’t coming back and winning this game.

Jamal Magloire gave the ACC something to cheer about with his energy and hustle.

Then when the Raptors mounted a comeback and cut the lead to three late in the fourth, I believed my team could win. It was a great feeling.  Had I been at the ACC I would have been waving my Raptors towel with the rest of the crowd, not the white flag I wanted to wave at the beginning of the year.

The loss stung.  It hurt to get so close and not finish the job.

Am I crazy?  Am I a turncoat? Do I secretly hate my own team? Or am I just another bi-polar Toronto Sports fan?

Whatever the case, I’m going to continue to cheer for my Raptors and allow the logical benefit of every loss sooth the pain of defeat.

The loss to the Pacers may have actually been the perfect result.  We battled, showed some fight, got the crowd into it, made a close game of it, Bargnani even looked like a superstar in spurts, but in the end we increased our odds of a top three pick.

This year is about building a core, it is about getting better and adding a significant piece at the end of it; i know that.  But I’m still gonna cheer every three-point shot made, boo every stupid foul called on Amir, and cheer every W, no matter what the long-term effect may be.

Call it what you want.  It’s what being a fan of the Raptors is going to be like this year.

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Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald

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Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Zantabakherald