It only took 25 seasons, 11 playoff appearances (including the last six consecutive seasons), and winning an NBA Championship but for the first time ever, it’s going to be a Raptors Christmas Day. And it’s about damn time!
Years of Disrespect
It’s been more than a small annoyance to fans of the Toronto Raptors that the team has been snubbed from playing on Christmas Day for so many years. And it’s not just a matter of pride in our team. I know many families for which NBA on Christmas is like NFL on Thanksgiving south of the border. Everyone is off work. It might be the only one of a couple of times the extended family gets together all year. Basketball is on TV.
All.
Day.
Long.
We want to see the best teams. For many of the last six seasons, the Raptors have deserved the slot on Christmas day over other teams that have been scheduled in terms of record and talent. It’s bad enough to be a fan of basketball and a fan of a solid team who invariably don’t get to play Christmas day. But to have to see the Knicks on December 25 year after year after year?
Salt meet wound.
Even the Christmas Day spot the NBA put together carries a sting for #WeTheNorth. Have a look.
Sure the snow basketball, lights around the backboard, the snow around the court… all very cute. Well put together and all that. But do you see where, as Raptors fans, we’re a little annoyed? We’re the defending NBA Champions and the only two in-game looks we got were us getting dunked on and blocked!?!? Really? Will the disrespect never end!? You couldn’t even give us some love for a Raptors Christmas game?
The Matchup
Both the Raptors and Celtics are sitting 5 games back of the Bucks as I’m writing this piece. The Celtics see the Mavs, Pistons and Hornets before next Wednesday afternoon’s game at the Scotia Bank Arena. The Raptors will see the Pistons, Wizards, Mavericks, and Pacers between now and then. I expect both teams to come out with that, it’s-too-early-in-the-day-to-be-playing-basketball lack of flow and consistency that is so often the hallmark of noon tip-offs.
Which way the game will ultimately go, though, is hard for me to say. Of course, I’m rooting for my ‘home’ team. (I don’t live in Toronto). But the Celtics have been a surprise to me thus far. Having lost Gordon Hayward back in mid-November, I’m not gonna lie, I expected the Celtics to begin to slide a bit. Thus far, that hasn’t been the case.
Before we move away from the topic of Gordon Hayward, am I the only one who thinks he looks like a teen hero from a Pixar/Disney animated feature? Just me? Alright then.
The Celtics
I digress.
The Celtics have yet to drop three games in a row this season. Although, having lost their last two and facing the Mavericks tonight, that may be about to end. The Celtics starters are putting up solid numbers in Hayward’s absence allowing them to have a record good enough for third in the East. Kemba Walker is leading the way averaging 23.1 PPG. Jayson Tatum is close behind with 20.6.
That said, there’s quite a drop off in production between the Celtics starting five and their bench. Everyone on the Celtics’ bench is averaging less than 10 PPG. That is something the Raptors should be able to take advantage of. Serge Ibaka and Norman Powell are both averaging more than 12 PPG so far this season playing off the bench. (Powell has started the last four games for Fred VanVleet. VanVleet is listed as day to day with a knee contusion.)
The Raptors Slump
The Raptors are a team with an identity. Defence. They’re going to have to be locked in at that end of the floor if they’re going to have any shot at giving the 6ix a Christmas day win. Leading up to their 133-113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, the Raptors had dropped 4 of 7 games. The losses weren’t a real cause for concern since they were against other top teams in the league. Namely the Heat, Rockets, ‘6ers and Clippers.
But there was something concerning in the way they lost. The Raptors have a specific team identity. Defence. The Raps are currently tied with the Bucks to lead the league in fastbreak points. These points, of course, come from an organized and active defence. As recently as a week ago, the Raptors had that first place spot all to themselves.
Which brings me back to the issue in the four games they lost. The defence was not locked in the way it had been to start the season. Additionally, Pascal Siakam had a little bit of a slump as he adjusted to the way top teams were reacting to his new role as the Raps go-to man on the court.
The final factor had to do with the roster. To start the season, coach Nick Nurse was playing a pretty tight 7-man rotation and he didn’t leave us to wonder why. He was very vocal about the fact that he simply wasn’t seeing the defensive effort from deeper in the bench that he needed to see.
That all changed on November 10th when the Raptors met the Lakers on their West Coast road trip. With Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka both out with injuries, the bench had to step up. And step up they did. Chris Boucher, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Terence Davis all had breakout games leading to a 113-104 defeat of the Lakers.
Yes, I’ve watched that game more than once.
No, I haven’t deleted it from my TiVo.
Yes, I’ll very likely watch it again.
Either Way a Great Raptors Christmas
When Lowry and Ibaka got back, Nurse was now looking at a 10 to 11-player rotation and everything didn’t come together immediately. Nevermind the fact that neither Kyle or Serge are known for bouncing back immediately after sitting for a few games.
In their last couple of matchups with the Nets and Cavaliers, the Raptors have looked a lot more like themselves. And while I understand that those are teams who are not playing on the same level as the Celtics, the change is enough to make it hard for me to pick a favourite in this match up.
That said, Raptors fans are in for a great basketball game. And they’ll be thrilled to get out of the cold and into the Scotia Bank Arena.
As for me… well, I’ll be at that game too. Win or lose, it’s going to be a pretty good Raptors Christmas day.
Follow me @auxiliarythings for random basketball musings and live tweets during games.
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