Trouble in the T-Dot: Injuries shake up Raptors offense

[Raji]

Tue, Mar 27, 2007By Tim Roberts

The Toronto Raptors weren’t seen as a playoff-caliber team coming into the season, but their ascent during the winter months caught everyone’s attention.

Bettors especially kept an eye on the Raps after a 16-5-1 against the spread (ATS) run to end the first half of the season, giving them the NBA’s best ATS record at the All-Star break.

“They’re a unique team when they’re healthy,” says Sportsmemo.com’s Rob Veno. “No other team in the league has three guys at that height who can shoot the ball like that.”

The “three guys” in question are Chris Bosh, Jorge Garbajosa and Andrea Bargnani – the top three Toronto big men in minutes played.

Bosh is the All-Star, but he and ultra-quick point guards T.J. Ford and Jose Calderon have room to drive the lane because Garbajosa and Bargnani are such dangerous 3-point shooters. The rookie pair either drags defenders away from the lane or punishes teams that leave them unguarded on the perimeter.

Or at least that’s how it used to be.

Bargnani was lost for an extended period last week when he had an emergency appendectomy and Garbajosa was lost for the season on Monday night after a gruesome leg injury.

Toronto’s unconventional offense has to start playing a more conventional game and that’s bad news for Raptors backers.

“I like to look two or three days ahead in the schedule and I had Toronto circled for Wednesday’s home game against the Heat, but as soon as that injury happened I immediately scratched them,” Veno says. “I don’t think oddsmakers will see Garbajosa’s injury as big as I do.”

Bargnani and Garbajosa, two symbols of the Raptors’ Euro makeover under GM Bryan Colangelo, are out. Joey Graham will likely get the biggest boost in minutes, though Morris Peterson may challenge him in that role.

Lumbering center Rasho Nesterovic will have to play more too. He has been a starter all season, but averages only 20 minutes a game, usually giving way to Bargnani early.

NBA bettors had a taste of the Raptors’ conventional offense on Monday night against the Celtics. It was a sour taste.

"We weren't playing our brand of basketball. We were playing a little one-on-one," Peterson told the Toronto Star. "When we play simple basketball, move the ball and find the guys in their spots, I think we can play with anybody, but when we don't, we lose to teams like Boston."

Every cloud has a silver lining, however, and Veno is quick to point out a possible benefit from Toronto’s misfortune.

“They’ve got to go with a different style of offense now and it usually takes four of five games for a new unit to gel,” the NBA handicapper says. “But in the meantime, I might look at playing the under.”

“They’re losing some scoring with the big guys out, but guys like Nesterovic and Graham make them a little bigger on the defensive end, maybe grab a few more rebounds too.”

Toronto hosts the Miami Heat tonight and travels to play the Washington Wizards on Friday. All three teams are currently scrambling for playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference.

Toronto opened as a 3-point favorite for tonight's game against the Heat, with the total opening at 188 points.

Raji