As of right now, the Toronto Raptors are sitting at 17-6, holding onto first place in the Eastern Conference. In their next five games, the Raps will play some of the weakest teams the Eastern Conference has to offer. The Raptors can, and should, finish their Dec. 21 game at the Air Canada Centre with a 22-6 record, giving them a bit of breathing room before they take a post-Christmas trip to see some of the Western Conference’s powerhouses.
In their next five contests, the Raps will take on four teams: the New York Knicks (twice), the Orlando Magic, the Brooklyn Nets and the Detroit Pistons. These teams hold a combined record of 30-67, which means they win 31% of their games. Since the Raptors are a well above average squad this year, they are expected to take down these bottom-feeders. Anything short of five wins would be a disappointment. Now, let’s look at one key to victory against each of the four upcoming teams.
New York Knicks, Dec. 14 and 21
To be fair, the triangle offence looks really challenging. Carmelo Anthony and company have yet to figure out its intricacies, leading to very poor offensive stats. The key to victory here is to limit Anthony offensively, forcing him to help his supporting cast get involved. The Knicks rank 27th in points per game with 94, so if their leading scorer (22.9 points per game) can’t get it going, the cart should fall off the tracks pretty quickly.
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Orlando Magic, Dec. 15
The Magic will probably be good in a few years, but they are too young and inexperienced right now. The Magic are far more balanced then the Knicks, with four players averaging double digit scoring, yet they offer only the 26th best offence in the league. The key to victory against the magic is to limit offensive rebounds, which give their poor offence second changes. Jonas Valanciunas and Amir Johnson will have to play big, and keep rebounds away from Nikola Vucevic and Tobias Harris.
Brooklyn Nets, Dec. 17
Remember when the Nets were good last season? Well, this season’s been tough on New York’s second best basketball team (after the Harlem Globetrotters). Their biggest problem has been their team field goal percentage of .440, good for 21st in the league. So, the key to victory will be to keep the Nets away from the paint. We want them shooting, and likely missing, as much as possible.
Detroit Pistons, Dec. 19
Well, the 5-19 Pistons are struggling mightily, once again. The key to victory here is the most obvious yet: make them shoot (deja vu). Detroit has the league’s worst team field goal percentage, shooting 41%. jam-up the paint, and force them to let it fly from deep. They will miss more than they make, validating their ranking as the 28th best offence in the league (93.3 points per game).
It all kicks off tonight against the Knicks, where the Raps will look for a big win. In the past, the Raptors have been characterized by slacking off against their easier opponents. This season, they have come hard just about every night. Let’s hope they keep it up for their next five games.