Game Recap: Raptors 108, Heat 83

Published by Kinnon Yee on March 6, 2008

Before we start, the good news right now is that there’s no indication that Andrea Bargnani has suffered any major injuries as a result of that flagrant foul that brought him hard to the floor. After that hard hit, it made me realize how much Bargnani matters to me as a player and as a future prospect.

Luckily, there’s no cure for a losing streak like playing the worst team in the NBA. From the get go, the Raptors exerted themselves on the floor, and kept trying to hit the boards in order to promote their fast breaks. With Jamario Moon and Rasho Nesterovic providing support around the basket, and the Miami Heat without any effective big men, the Raptors managed to use their presence on the inside to score a high percentage. Primoz Brezec, Rasho Nesterovic and Andrea Bargnani all made an effort to establish some kind of inside game, which allowed the Raptors to score at a 55% pace. Toss in 20 forced turnovers on the Heat, and the Raptors had no trouble manufacturing offense. Jose Calderon once again established his dominance from the point with a 13.0 assist-to-turnover ratio for the entire game.

If there is one aspect of the Raptors that still needs to be cleaned up, it has to be the play of both Carlos Delfino and TJ Ford. With Andrea Bargnani on a bit of a hot streak in the first quarter, both players found ways to shy away from the hot Italian. As a result, Bargnani cooled off and by the time he got his touches again, he could not re-establish his rhythm. While Delfino has been known to try and take his share of shots to get his offense going, the hope earlier this year and especially after his return from injury was that TJ Ford had finally turned over a new leaf and would instead look towards supporting his teammates on a more consistent basis. However, there’s been a regression in his game over the past few games. With three turnovers on four assists, and some extremely questionable shot selection, Ford has yet to find that balance between being a legitimate offensive threat from the bench, while supporting his teammates on a consistent basis. Delfino, on the other hand, continues to take ill advised three-pointers, while he has been handling the ball more often. Unfortunately, Delfino’s shot off the dribble is a work in progress and has not developed into an effective weapon. It’ll be up to Delfino to recognize this and rein in his shot selection, especially when teammates like Jason Kapono, Rasho Nesterovic and Jamario Moon are shooting higher percentages.

On the Miami Heat side, the Raptors kept the pressure on the Heat and did not allow them to establish a rhythm for most of the game. Surprisingly, Shawn Marion was largely a non-factor, as he still had trouble finding his place within the team. With nine games under his belt, the Raptors, even with their weak perimeter defense, managed to keep Marion from most of the score sheet except for rebounds. However, it was Miami’s bench that gave the Raptors the most trouble. With Wade still fending off injuries, former Suns point guard Marcus Banks, managed to pour in 21 points in 29 minutes. Nevertheless, the Raptors had just too many healthy players who could score almost at will against Miami’s lackluster defense.

With a win under their belt, and news that Bargnani should be able to return to the court, the Raptors need to take advantage of their opponents. This match up against the Heat at least allowed the Raptors to regain their barrings after three consecutive losses. With the next match up against the Washington Wizards at home, the Raptors must look at the Wizards like they did the Heat and show no mercy. It will take a focused team effort and some efficient and smart shooting to overcome a Wizards team that sits just one spot back from the Raptors in the Eastern Conference standings. Most importantly, as the Raptors continue to develop a rebounding presence without Bosh, the Raptors will hopefully begin to understand what it will take to make it to the second round of the playoffs.

Next Game: Washington @ Toronto