Paul Jones has been covering the Raptors since day one. You can catch Jonesy's analysis every game on the FAN590 as well as Raptors NBA TV’s Double Dribble with Eric Smith. Paul will bring you the inside scoop all season long on raptors.com.

by Paul Jones
--raptors.commentator
December 13, 2004

(TORONTO) -- Raptors fans have experienced this losing feeling before, but take heart because there is still time for things to change.

Yes, yours truly is an optimist, so go ahead and temper the following remarks and laugh if it doesn’t happen, but don’t be surprised if “I told you so” comes ringing back in your ear later in the season.

The Raptors have plenty of scoring puch to put the numbers up. (Ron Turenne/NBAE/Getty Images)

Yes the team is in the midst of a horrific losing streak the likes of which hasn’t been seen since, well, last season when the local squad dropped seven straight games in late March and early April. And while Raptor fans are making the comparison to last year’s team that finished with 33 wins by saying what walks like a duck, looks like a duck and quacks like a duck must be one, this is not last year’s team.

It is different and even though they’re not performing any better right now, they still have the potential to turn things around.

Let’s draw some comparisons. Last year the team had difficulty scoring and hung their hat on defensive toughness by walking the ball up the floor. This style of play kept the possessions down and the game usually came down to Toronto having to execute on offence to steal the victory. Trouble scoring at critical times was usually their undoing.

This year’s squad is almost the exact opposite, which is why they just might be able to pick up the pace in the win column. Sam Mitchell’s crew tries to push the ball up the floor and score early in the offence and they rank in the top half of the league in scoring.

The problem is on defence. At this point in the season, they can’t stop opponents and thus this year’s games come down to, yes offensive execution at crunch time, but more often than not, it’s getting a key stop or a rebound that is preventing this team from winning more games.

I know, I know. I can hear you saying, “same stuff, different year”, but consider the deficits that this team has rebounded from to make games close.

Losses after coming back from double digit deficits against Portland, Seattle, Cleveland, Detroit, and Denver, not to mention a huge comeback win against the Spurs to name a few, proves that this team has the firepower to never be out of a game.

Rafer Alston is the key to implementing Mitchell's offence. (Ron Turenne/NBAE/Getty Images)

If the Raptors can deliver on their commitment to the running game it would make for a fast-paced game that might force the opposition to take quick shots and turn the ball over helping their defence. That doesn’t mean you don’t have to play “d” it just makes it easier at times when you get some easy scores from turnovers or when your opponent “jacks up” some quick shots without rebounders ready or in position. You don’t have to play defence in long stretches.

You can take the Phoenix Suns as an example. They don’t exactly have anyone that is going to be in the running for defensive player of the year, but their style is one that plays to the strength of their personnel.

Wasn’t that the reason Mitchell decided to play that way with the Raptors? When Phoenix’s opponents engage in the high-scoring game, it makes the Suns’ job easier at the defensive end. Apply this to the Raptors and it means a full, not partial, commitment to the running game. This includes sacrifices and giving up the ball to someone in a better spot from every team member. Is defence still needed? Absolutely, but it may make it easier to dig in when needed.

Toronto is a team that, because of its scoring potential, has the respect of opponents, even in its present state. Miami head coach Stan Van Gundy has felt the sting of a Raptor team that, not only scored on his team, but defended when it counted earlier in the year. The Raptors last win came at the expense of the Heat on November 30th.

“They’ve played a lot of people tough,” said Van Gundy after the Miami win over Toronto yesterday. “I think it’s a very very talented team.”

Van Gundy is aware of how the schedule can punish a new system early in the year.

Last season he took over for Pat Riley just before the regular season started as Miami stumbled from the gate at 0-7 and remained 10 games under .500 in December. The Heat were actually 11 games under .500 just before the all-star break, but finished the year at 42-40 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

“They’ve played a lot of road games and I think the criticism of them is a little bit unfounded,” remarked Van Gundy as he considered the Raptors current fortunes. “We went through this last year with the schedule being real tough early in the year and I think this is a team you’re going to see bounce back and be a good team.”

So, all is not lost Raptor fans. You can only hope that this team finds a way to get some stops consistently when needed. Otherwise the analogy of walks like a duck, looks likes a duck, and quacks like a duck may mean another year of watching the playoffs from the outside looking in.