Game 35: Raps vs. Bucks - Pre-game
The Raptors have started 2009 with some impressive play, with wins over Houston and Orlando, two of the better teams in the league. They have also done it with a short bench, which makes those wins even more inspiring for a team who could use a little inspiration. One would almost think that Chris Bosh got a late Christmas present when he said that he wished the slate could just be wiped clean. Well, it was wiped clean as far as the Raptors record in 2009 goes, so let’s just stick with that and say thanks to Santa.
But now here comes the real test. After picking up big wins at home over teams that are essentially superior to the Raptors, the key is to avoid the classic situation of a road loss to a team not even close to as good as the two teams they just beat. We have all seen it before, the letdown after an impressive win, which is quite possible with the Bucks, who have been improving of late, despite a loss to the Bobcats Saturday night (after beating them on Friday in a strange back-to-back).
While there are plenty of players we could focus on who are playing well lately for the Bucks, one player who has been fun to watch this year is the rookie, Luc Mbah a Moute. Averaging just over 8 points and 6 rebounds per game, Mbah a Moute is active on offense and on D, using his energy to get up and down the court and create scoring opportunities. Just another young player to watch.
Andrea Bargnani has had a good run handling the big men lately (well, Yao moreso than D12, but you can’t really complain with the overall job he did on Howard…he just ran into foul trouble) and it is up in the air whether or not he will have to face Andrew Bogut this time out. Bogut has been having continuous back problems and was originally slated to get back into the lineup last week, but when more spasms flared up Saturday, he was once again listed as inactive. This is good news for Bargnani, because while he has done a good job with the big men, Bogut can get a little rough and it might be a tough go for Bargs to have to deal with those three players in a row (Yao, Howard, Bogut). That being said, Dan Gadzuric will be in the C position if Bogut can`t go and it`s not like he`s any sort of lightweight either. He doesn`t have Bogut`s talent, but he certainly has the elbows.
3 in the Key
1. Use the momentum to get out to a good start. With big wins against the Rockets and Magic, the Raptors need to come out in this game and make sure they don`t fall behind early on the road. Winning big games is great for your confidence, but if you then go out on the road and get taken to the woodshed in the first quarter, those wins at home don`t mean as much.
2. Effective PG play. The Raptors had good outings from Solomon and Ukic in the win over the Magic and that same sort of controlled PG play will be important for another Raptors win to happen. Solomon will have to remember not to get over-confident and start forcing shots and he will also have to let some calls go, realizing that he is on the road…and that he`s Wil Solomon. Ukic will also need to play within himself and use his recent performance as a confidence boost.
3. Stick to the game plan. More than once in the Raptors win over the Magic, we could hear JT shouting, “JUST RUN THE PLAY“ and with good reason. Once the Raptors PGs started listening to him, that backdoor screen became a key to the game. Who knew…listening to your coach has benefits.
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