If there’s one thing that has driven the Raptors coaching staff, players and fans crazy so far this season it’s the team’s inability to grab timely rebounds. The last time the Raptors outrebounded another team was against Miami on November 19, and for the season they have a 1,105-to-975 disadvantage.

The Raptors were outrebounded 47-37 on Wednesday night against Dallas, the 20th time in 24 games so far his season that they’ve been beaten on the boards.

Chris Bosh was asked what it feels like to give up so many second chance points and he was brutally honest with the media: it rips the heart out of the team.

“It takes the breathe right out of you,” Bosh admitted after a tough loss to New Jersey earlier this week. “Especially (since) most of the time they hit three’s. You’ll see them knock one down after we go 0-6 from the field and (then) we’ve gotten the initial stop and that really hurts. It’s the difference between the difference being 11 or 12 points (in our favour) and six points. It gets them going, gives them confidence and when guys are stepping right into a shot it’s a lot easier for them”

Is it a matter of a lack of concentration at the end of plays? New head coach Jay Triano doesn’t think so.

“I think it’s a matter of us not getting into bodies. There are two kinds of rebounders; the guys that go and get it and the guys who keep guys from getting into it. Right now we don’t seem to have the bounce to go get it, to chase it. So we have to be much better being physical and doing a better job on the glass. We’ll lose confidence in the stuff that we are preaching (if we don’t grab rebounds), but right now teams are shooting a poor percentage against us but if you don’t finish the play it doesn’t matter what you do.”

Bosh, on the other hand, chalks the teams recent struggles on the glass to a lack of concentration. When asked if he would attribute the teams rebounding problems to effort o concentration, the All-Star forward didn’t hesitate when answering this question.

“I think it’s more so concentration because all it is, is getting between your man and the basket. Putting a body on him and going to get the ball. Positions one through five, it has to be a team effort. Everybody has to do it and I think if we do a better job of that there’s no telling what happens.”

Fortunately one of his guards, Jose Calderon, sees things the same way as Bosh.

“It’s no pressure on the big guys. Sometimes we force teams to force tough shots from three and the rebound comes long. Everybody has to be ready to grab these rebounds; it’s not just big guys, it’s wings, guards and everybody.”

With the players in the Raptors locker room saying almost in unison that rebounding is a team issue, you’d think the players would be able to respond and control the glass tonight against Oklahoma city. However, if things were that easy in the NBA then you wouldn’t have seen six head coaches fired this early in the season.

Hopefully Toronto can find a way to control the glass tonight so they can get their six-game road trip started on the right note with a win while ending their streak of 14 straight games being out-rebounded by their opponent.

Photo Credit: ICON Sports Media