NBA Raptors vs. Rockets Recap November 19 2010

Back to back wins!

I know the opponents were not the most impressive, but a winning streak is a winning streak!

Raptors Game Summary.

Andrea Bargnani exploded for 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists on .647% shooting.

Bargnani is looking more focused and controlled on the offensive side of the ball and as tonight line indicates, he is more willing to make the extra pass.

Sonny Weems hit double figures once again with 13 points and he added 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals on .500% shooting.

Weems is emerging as the Raptors most efficient scorer on the wing and his development will only hasten the rebuild for the Raptors.

DeMar DeRozan had 15 points, 7 rebounds and 1 steal for the Raptors and did a good portion of his damage from the free throw line sinking 7 of his 12 attempts.

It is nice to see DeRozan get back to the line consistently throughout the game and boost his scoring output as a result.

Linas Kleiza exploded to begin the 4th quarter, putting up 7 of his 17 points and seems to be adjusting well to his role off the bench as he has had two solid .636% shooting games since returning to the lineup.

Kleiza added four rebounds, one three and a steal to round out his line for the night.

Jose Calderon had 10 points, 7 assists and 2 steals and continues to be a critical component of the Raptors back court.

I hate his $9 million dollar contract but Jose Calderon is playing well lately and has turned our point guard ‘problem’ into a luxury.

Jarrett Jack had 8 assists to go with only 2 points but if we can trade his scoring for assist numbers like this I am sure 7 out of 10 Raptor fans would make the trade.

Reggie Evans had a strong 9 rebounds in 22 minutes for the Raptors and continues to be a leader on and off the floor for the Raptors.

Since he called a team meeting after the embarrassing loss to the Wizards the Toronto Raptors have reeled off an impressive two wins a row.

Amir Johnson had a strong game off the bench with 10 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks in 27 minutes and continues to be a solid presence off the bench for the Raptors.

He had only two fouls on the game and the low count is encouraging.


What Should Jay Triano Do?

Linas Kleiza is shining off the bench having two solid games out of three since returning from injury and with Sonny Weems’ emergence Triano should leave Kleiza in his current role.

As they say, it does not matter who starts the game but who finishes it. Jack was on the floor to end the game but it was Jose who got the minutes down the crucial stretch of the game.

Eric Smith of the FAN590 made a good observation by stating that Jack is a good starter due to his aggressiveness while Jose may be ideal in late game lead situations as he is the more controlled point guard and commits less turnovers.

Andrea Bargnani is averaging 23.6 points over his last 6 contests and has been making really good shot selection in his past two. Bargnani is our #1 guy hate him or love him and when he is playing like this his critics seem to conveniently forget their distaste for the holes in his game.

Jay Triano, Sonny Weems and Jarrett Jack have to make DeRozan commit to getting to the line at least 10 times a game as he gives the team a major boost when he does so.

Jay Triano needs to keep riding the hot hand in the back court and not worry about giving either Jack or Calderon starters minutes. Yes, it is harder to get it going in more limited minutes but if you they are playing well they will get the minutes.

Jay Triano is going to have some serious rotation issues when Ed Davis and Leandro Barbosa return and Bryan Colangelo should do him a favour and solve some of them for him.



This article can also be found at Raptors Digest.