The Toronto Raptors have won 5 games in a row. Coach Casey has to remember why they won 5 in a row? The team defense has been excellent. The team is sharing the ball on the offensive end. Each game the Raptors have multiple players score more than 10 points.
Faith had to help Coach Casey realizes Andrea Bargnani and Kyle Lowry have to play less minutes, have better shot selection and play defense. The injuries to the second and third best scorer on the Raptors forced Coach Casey to play everybody else more minutes.
The Raptors are 7 – 5 when Calderon is the starting point guard and 2 – 14 when Lowry is the starting point guard. Calderon has earned the right to be the starting point guard until he has multiple bad games. Lowry and Calderon can’t be on the court at the same time for long stretches. Coach Casey will have to advise Lowry his role will be reduced.
Alan Anderson, Linas Kleiza, Terrance Ross and Ed Davis are players who hardly played when Coach Casey was obsessed with playing Lowry and Bargnani 35 minutes each per game. John Lucas has also regained his shooting touch now that he is playing more minutes. The bench players have shown they can contribute to victories.
Landry Fields has been available but Coach Casey has not played him the last two games. Fields will have to earn his minutes.
I hope when everybody returns Coach Casey plays the players who play hard, defend and share the ball every game. The Raptors must realize the Eastern Conference is weak this year. The seventh and eight playoff spot in the Eastern Conference are being held by teams who have .500 records.
The Raptors created a super deep hole for themselves. I’m not sure if they can come all the way back into the playoff hunt.
Are the Raptors playoff hopes still alive?
Enjoy your day!
The Gambit 