Built Ford Tough

Lol at New Orleans. 30th at PG 30th at SG 30th at SF

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20121217_SAC@PHO

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20121217_CHI@MEM

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20121217_MIN@ORL

I'm really curious to see what happens with this team when Lowry comes back. He is the best player on this team, but if he doesn't buy into the way the Raptors have played the last 4 games, I wouldn't hesitate to nail him to the bench. With the dearth of talent on this team, the Raptors have to share the ball like they have been. I know the schedule eased up a bit with some home games and easier road game like this one, but the Raptors are just playing completely different stylistically. Everybody is contributing in multiple areas, like in this game alone: DeRozan - 16 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals Amir - 17 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists Calderon - 23 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists Anderson - 18 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists It isn't like before where each player seemed designated to do a specific role (ie Bargnani and DeRozan score, Davis/Amir rebound, Calderon pass, etc...). Loving the way they are playing lately.

Irving pushes off Lucas with a forearm to the face and Lucas not only gets called for the foul, but he got a technical foul as well. EDIT: And then he breathes on Irving and gets called for a foul. I honestly don't even know if there was any contact on that play at all. The joys of being a complete scrub guarding a budding superstar.

Wait, people still actually think that Williams is on the same level as Paul?

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20121215_BKN@CHI

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20121215_IND@DET

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20121215_ORL@CHA

I haven't read that post yet, but I do understand the logic behind the deal. Bautista and Encarnacion are signed until 2016. Dickey will likely get an extension that runs until 2016. The Yankees are looking very vulnerable with their age and also losing some players this summer. The Red Sox don't appear to be a huge player for the next season or two. If there is ever a time to go "all in" it is now with Bautista and EE in their primes and the two major powers in the AL East on the potential downswing. The Jays have the pieces in place after their earlier moves this offseason. Dickey makes them a legitimate contender (on paper, at least) and you will be hard pressed to find a better time to make your move than now. I'm just going to hate to see D'Arnaud mash in another uniform.

I think 2006 was the last time. The Raptors had won 5 in a row coming into this game and I can't remember if Houston played in Toronto or not last year, so 2006 or 2005 would've been the last time.

After barely getting the ball inbounds on the last two possessions, that was a brilliant play call by Casey. By far the best out of timeout play I've seen from a Raptors team in a long, long time.

That last call is one of my biggest pet peeves in basketball games. I know the opposing team is trying to foul but you actually have to make sure they foul before you blow the whistle. Delfino didn't even come close to fouling Anderson there.

Calderon has been awesome in this game. I think a big part of it is because he is guarding Lin on the other end so his defensive woes aren't as big of a deal allowing him to get into a nice rhythym on offense. Great floor game from him and I really like how he has helped out on the glass with 9 boards. I don't like that last shot and overall possession from him, though. Lin has been hot garbage today. He looks completely disintersted and has no awareness out there.

That last trip to the line was so bogus. I'm not one to complain about Harden's calls because a lot of the time they are warranted. He does a fantastic job of extending the ball in front of him to bait the defense into reaching or slapping at it and most of the time he is hit on the arm. However, it is kind of ridiculous seeing the amount of contact Harden gets on some of his drives and compare it to DeRozan, who never seems to get to the line anymore. I'm not talking this game in particular since DeRozan has been living on the perimeter, but more so throughout the course of the season. Davis putting in work in that 3d, by the way. 13 points, great defense and playing with awesome energy. The team defense with him on the floor is substantially better than with him off the floor. Filthy crossover from Anderson on Delfino. Every now and then he has some very impressive dribble moves.

The DJ at the ACC has now played both the Backstreet Boys and Spice Girls. WTF? Davis just completely bailed out DeRozan on that Lin block. Lin got by DeRozan so easily. It was kind of embarssing.

Lmao, you know your defense is pathetic when Jose Calderon crosses you up. Jeremy Lin, you should be ashamed.

Yeah, I think the Mets got a fantastic deal. The potential of their rotation is through the roof with guys like Niese, Wheeler, Harvey, Syndergaard etc.. Part of me is kind of hoping that Dickey and the Jays don't get an extension done (Rosenthal is saying they have until Tuesday at 2PM EST to get one done) because I'm not too thrilled on giving up both D'Arnaud and Syndergaard. I realize Dickey is one of the elite pitchers in the game and is a knuckleballer so his age shouldn't be as big of an issue as more traditional pitchers, but still, I don't know. I'm sure I'll be able to talk myself into it when/if it becomes official since they do still have Sanchez, Osuna, Smoarl and Stroman in the pipeline, but I just hate to see D'Arnaud be dealt. Obviously I've never seen him play before, but he sounds like he is going to be an absolute stud and I'm not much of an Arencibia fan. At the end of the day, if this deal makes the Jays a world series contender, I'll be ok with it even if D'Arnaud becomes the next Buster Posey or something.

Devlin is such an insufferable homer at times. He is going on and on about how Houston went on that 20-6 run to close out the quarter because suddenly the pace changed. That isn't true at all. Valanciunas and Davis left the floor and the Raptors defense went to shit. Their rotations weren't nearly as crisp (Davis alone caused 2 turnovers and a missed shot due to great rotations) and Harden was getting into the paint way too easily, which opened up the perimeter. It really had nothing to do with pace and had everything to due with Toronto's defense getting picked apart and Houston knocking down their open jumpers. Also on offense the Raptors perimeter jumpers, which they were hitting to start the game, stopped falling. They were getting nothing inside even when they went on their early run. It all consisted of perimeter shots and considering how the Raptors aren't a good jump shooting team, ithese shots were bound to stop falling eventually. On a more positive note, Terrence Ross has some ridiculous bounce. He is so graceful and gets up so damn fast. That block he had on Delfino and that 2nd jump of his to get the putback off his own miss were both very impressive with how fast and how high he got off the floor.

And it definitely was. Wow. Florida really should've won that game but give full credit to the Wildcats for their late run to steal this game right out of the Gators' hands. Their pressure late really rattled Florida and won them the game. The Gators just fell apart down the stretch. They could barely get the ball inbounds and when they did, they threw it into dead zones and because of that they would turn the ball over. The one time they execute an inbounds play and get teh ball to Boynton, a 90% FT shooter, he misses the front end of the 1-and-1. I know it is a cliché but Florida played not to lose rather than to win. I'm sure the electric atmosphere played a part in their falling apart, but that really shouldn't be an excuse since this is such a veteran team. Give full credit to Zona, though. They hung around all game long and always kept the game in striking distance and that enabled them to steal this one. Big win for this young Wildcat team. A fantastic game to watch. Between this game, the Butler upset of Indiana and Trey Burke's performance against West Virgina, this was an awesome day of college basketball.

I haven't been watching this game (may watch it after the Florida/Arizona game tonight) so I can't comment specifically on this one, but it seems like Barnes and Thompson can't co-exist all that well. Earlier in the season when Thompson was struggling, Barnes was putting up very good numbers (something like 16/7 over a 6-7 game stretch) and then once Thompson broke out of his early season shooting woes, Barnes started to play poorly (averaging just 6.6 points on 33%). In this game Barnes is having his best game in a while with 17 points and 3 boards on 7-10 shooting while Thompson is having an off night with 5 points on 2-8 shooting. I wonder if it just a coincidence or if it is a trend that is developing.

If I learned anything from this game it is that the Raptors need to finally put an end to this whole idea of trying to be a Run n Gun team. They don't have the playmaking point guard or the perimeter shooters needed to actually play like that and they also don't get enough defensive pressure from their guards. They should be an opportunistic running team, not one that looks to always get out and go. They should be a team that plays slower offensively and shares the ball. This will, or at least should, limit your turnovers and in turn force the opposing team to go against your set defense. Toronto doesn't have the individual defenders to slow opposing players down on their own, but when they can set their defense, Casey's principles will shine through like they did last season. It will also help a lot on the defensive glass. Rather than having your perimeter guys looking to leak out, they'll stay back and help the bigs on the glass, which is needed on this team since Valanciunas isn't a very good defensive rebounder (yet) and obviously when Bargnani is on the floor you need all the help you can get. Just having Davis playing more will help out since he is such a fantastic rebounder, but he can only do so much on his own. Casey is just so much more comfortable when the game is an ugly, grind it out type of game. That is the style that Casey led teams should be playing. PS: Dallas' NBA record for consecutive games with a made 3 came to an end in this game. First time in 1,108 games they haven't made a 3. Kind of ironic that it came against Toronto considering the Raptors were the team who used to hold that record.

From what I know from the Toronto side of things: - The offer started as Arencibia and Gose. - The Mets wanted D'Arnaud and Gose. - Toronto would be willing to include D'Arnaud as long Dickey agrees to an extension as part of the deal. - The package never included both TDA and Gose. That is all I've heard. None of the Toronto guys are saying much, though. The only thing that they seem to know is that TDA is only getting dealt if Dickey signs an extension with the Jays and that the package does not include both TDA and Gose. I've also never hard any other NYM players brought up from Toronto guys. Like I said before though, AA plays his cards really tight to the vest and barely anything gets leaked from the Jays' front office so I really haven't heard much.

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/gametracker/recap/NBA_20121214_UTA@PHO