Game 26: Raps vs. Thunder - Pre-game
I was at my division’s Christmas party last night, so I didn’t get a chance to see the game and therefore didn’t get a chance to write a post-game, but from what I understand, it was more of the same. Blown leads, lack of rebounding, guys not being able to defend in the crunch, typical Raptor stuff. So that’s why facing the Thunder right now is actually pretty intriguing.
Intriguing you say? Yes, intriguing. Why? Well, because this is probably the worst time the Raptors could face the Thunder. We all know that the Raptors are not playing well right now. They’re not rebounding, they’re blowing double-digit leads, they’re complaining about the booing (Bosh, dude, that was weak), things just aren’t really rosy right now. So the last team you want to see right now is the worst team in the league that you should handle pretty easily.
What makes it worse is that this is the first game on the longest road trip of the season at 6 games. If the Raptors lose this one, it will be a serious blow to whatever confidence they have right now and they will then have to pick up the pieces and walk into San Antonio. If they win, it will really be looked at as a game they should have won, so there’s no real momentum gained.ÂÂ
Realistically, the Raptors should be able to win 3 of the next 4 games. I am comfortable saying that they should be able to beat the Thunder (although even the Thunder outrebound the Raptors right now) and they should also be able to take care of the Clippers and the Kings. If they are able to do that, then they might be able to start talking about momentum and regaining confidence, but if not, look out.
The Thunder can try all they want, but this team is cursed. It’s karma (you know, that thing that Carson Daly came up with?) pure and simple. By moving the Sonics out of Seattle and into the basketball hotbed of OKC without any serious effort to keep them in Seattle, karma is taking full effect.
Kevin Durant has still been playing solid basketball and you have to appreciate his determination on a losing team. He has been hustling and showing the athleticism that he promised before coming into the league and he could be a tough guard for the Raptors, who are showing that they really aren’t as quick as they think they are.ÂÂ
So is this an all-important game for the Raptors? Is this the game that is going to define which way the rest of the season is going to go for the Raptors? No. It is just one game and while it could have some negative effect over the next few games if they lose, it definitely isn’t going to be some magical benchmark that is going to seal their fate for the 2008-2009 season.  Should be fun to watch.
3 in the Key
1. Please God, don’t get outrebounded by the Thunder. They are actually ahead of the Raptors in rebounding, but a little effort on the Raptors part should take care of that (hopefully).
2. If the Raptors manage to get a lead, they will need to hold onto it this time. If a young and losing team gets a little sniff of coming back into a game where they are down by double digits, it won’t take much for them to get excited and get the crowd into it.
3. Quit shooting jumpers all night (Bosh). This is a team that the Raptors should be able to take inside.
The AltRaps Blog » Blog Archive » Toronto Raptors Linkage for December 19th from 07:00 to 07:15 on December 19th, 2008
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