Gone are the days of old when Vince Carter was doing whirling 360 dunks, when Alvin Williams was making clutch shots, and the Junkyard dog was barking his way into games. Nowadays, the Raptors are struggling to make headway in a competitive Eastern Conference.
At 3-16, Toronto is finally starting to compete consistently for the full 48 minutes every night. After Friday’s entertaining win over Atlanta and Saturday night’s complete effort win over New Jersey, the Raps have suddenly won more games in December than they did in all of November.
Record-wise, this season has been a disappointment so far, but the Raptors’ win total hardly represents their effort so far. I spoke to Raptors play-by-play voice Chuck Swirsky on this and a number of other issues concerning the young team.
“The Raptors have been in a lot of close games,” said Swirsky. “The bad breaks, bounces, and rebounds have cost them. There is talent on this club, though.”
Head coach Sam Mitchell has been preaching the same message all season: when the team learns to do the little things, they will be successful. The season so far has been filled with inconsistent play from the vets and the rookies.
The Raptors do have some bright spots, though, and fans have some things to look forward to for the rest of the year.
Chris Bosh gets no publicity because his team is in the conference cellar, but the third-year centre has been outstanding. A nightly double-double threat, Bosh is averaging all-star numbers at 21 points-per-game (PPG) and 10 rebounds-per-game (RPG).
Bosh has improved his offensive game each year, this year adding a nifty hook shot. He has quietly developed into a go-to guy down the stretch, with the ability to single-handedly carry the Raps through games. Areas where he can still improve include defensive awareness, shot blocking, and aggressiveness at the end of games.
Jose Calderon is also someone who has done well in the first quarter of the season. Swirsky had nothing but praise for the Spanish rookie.
“Calderon cares; he plays with passion out there. He has one mindset on the floor, and that is to make the right pass,” said the voice of the Raptors.
Calderon has stepped right in, with a pass-first mentality and an intensity to his game that has inspired teammates. Jose rarely turns the ball over and is patient when leading the Raptors into their offensive sets. He just needs to work on shooting the ball when left open, defensive positioning, and containment of opposing point guards.
Thirdly, “enormous potential” were Chuck’s words when describing rookie Charlie Villanueva. A highly criticized draft pick out of the University of Connecticut, Villanueva has come right in and proven the critics wrong.
With a range of offensive weapons in his arsenal, including a decent three-point stroke, Charlie has proven to be everything Toronto was hoping for, and more. He is fourth in rookie scoring at 12 PPG, and is pulling down just under three offensive boards a night. His man-to-man defence and free-throw shooting have been his only trouble spots so far.
Finally, Mike James has had A calming influence at the combo guard position (he primarily plays the point, but often moves off the ball to the shooting guard position). James has exceeded expectations and made Rob Babcock look like a genius for trading Rafer Alston to make room for him.
While not a true point guard, James has been a steady scorer, averaging 15.7 PPG while also handing out just under five assists per contest. Mike has shot the ball well from 3-point land and has turned in a solid defensive presence.
He has also been an excellent presence in the locker room, once telling teammates that to “win together, we must first learn to lose together.” The only thing that needs fine tuning is his shot selection.
Swirsky also believes that Jalen Rose will break out of his current slump and become a major contributor to this squad again: “He is too good of a pro to lose [his ability] overnight,” he said.
If the defence improves as it did Saturday night, when the Raps held the Nets to 40 per cent shooting, the wins will come. Patience is the keyword here, though, as the team is young and developing.
Of the nine-man rotation coach Sam Mitchell employs, three are rookies, two are second-year players, and another is only in his third year. Keep an eye out for this team, as one day very soon they will be knocking on the doors of the playoffs.
It’s hard to get a true perspective of what this team really is, if you do not watch every game. They are not a terrible team, and have shown the potential necessary for winning ball games.
“It’s a building process,” commented the colourful commentator. “Whether people choose to buy into it is their choice.”
