Published: March 28, 2008
Which Raptors squad will we see tonight? Will it be the team that was embarrassed by New York back in February or the impressive team we saw Wednesday night? With the Raptors facing the prospect of being the seventh seed in the East, tonight’s game is a must win for this team if they want to avoid playing Detroit in the first round of the playoffs.To prepare Raptors fans for this game I was able to exchange some emails with Seth from Posting and Toasting to give Raptors fans the inside scoop on the Knicks.
1. The big buzz around the team is about the rumoured addition of Donnie Walsh. What do you think about the idea of Walsh running the team? What would this mean for Isiah Thomas’ future?
I love the idea of Donnie Walsh in charge. He’s intelligent, articulate, well-respected and clearly knows his basketball. Rumour has it now that James Dolan would prefer to keep Isiah Thomas as coach, even in Walsh’s presence. We’ll see what happens, but I think I speak for most Knick fans when I say I’d rather see Big Jim eat the rest of Isiah’s contract and let him go.
2. Whenever I watch a Knicks game I’m amazed by how well David Lee plays and the fact that he doesn’t get more minutes. Why isn’t Lee getting more burn?
My answer to this question at the beginning of the season would be that Lee is a below-average defender (which is still true), and he doesn’t make up for it enough on the offensive end to get a starting spot. Now that Curry’s down and the season’s in the toilet, Lee is starting and getting 30+ minutes a game in February and March, so you’ll get to see plenty of him.
3. What have been some highlights from this season for Knicks fans? Who are some players that have stepped up their game?
As far as team highlights go, I can only think of two. First, there was the November 6th win against Denver, when the Knicks hit 2-1 and we all thought there was a playoff bid down the road. The second was January 13th at the Garden, when the Knicks inexplicably blew out the Pistons and I was in attendance with my girlfriend for the first time. Aside from that, it’s been pretty miserable.
On an individual basis, though, we have seen some improvement from certain players. Before going down with an injury, Nate Robinson was showing semi-consistent signs of being able to facilitate the offense and buckle down on defense. Jamal Crawford has been relatively healthy and is putting up the best numbers of the year while assuming some leadership responsibilities.
Meanwhile, I guess you could say Stephon Marbury and Isiah Thomas were stepping up their “game” off the court…
4. What are some moves you’d like to see the team make this summer?
I’m not really looking for any trades unless they involve dumping a big contract (Marbury, Randolph, Curry) for prospects, picks and pieces. Other than that possibility, all I’m looking forward to is a new front office and a promising lottery pick.
5. Heading into the game on Friday, who are some players who have been playing well of late? Who are some players Raptors fans should keep an eye out for?
Wilson Chandler is the Knicks rookie who has been thrust into the starting lineup. He’s an energetic player with a lot of defensive potential and an already-diverse offensive skillset. Wilson’s worth watching as he gets more and more used to NBA action. If we’re lucky, Thomas will let Randolph Morris spin and you’ll get to see the big man that a lot of us hope can grow into starting material.
Make sure you check out Posting and Toasting after the game to read Seth’s game recap and get a perspective from the game that’s not seen through the eyes of a Raptors fan or beat writer.
One Comment on "Inside Enemy Territory with “Posting and Toasting”"
algodaFor on Thu, 16th Oct 2008 4:23 pm
I am newboy on hoopsaddict.com .Let’s gets acquainted!