Raptors tired of all the Bull(s)
Toronto needs a win to put an end to questions about its losing streak against Chicago
TORONTO — Having removed one monkey from their backs, the Toronto Raptors are eager to shake off another Sunday at the Air Canada Centre.
Unlike the Charlotte Hornets, Friday’s vanquished opponent, the Chicago Bulls have not dropped the odd game here and there to the Raptors while winning all the rest over the past few years.
Instead, Chicago has won six straight, including last Monday’s clash in the Windy City.
If nothing else, the Raptors want to beat Chicago for once simply to stop the endless string of questions from the media on the subject.
Otherwise, they don’t really think about Chicago’s mastery over the years.
“Everyone else keeps up with those scores, I look at the next game,” head coach Dwane Casey said after practice Saturday. “They’ve been a good team, you always want to win and go out there,” he said.
But what Casey was getting at is that Chicago is merely one of a number of excellent opponents. The Raptors must show up against each of them — and also against the league’s minnows, as Toronto has struggled against below-. 500 opponents both this year and last.
“Everybody said that (Friday) about Charlotte, ‘can’t beat Charlotte,’ but you’ve got to grind and compete against whoever is in front of you, whether it’s Chicago, San Antonio, Golden State, we’ve got to build a program where we play consistently (no matter the opponent) each night and not make it who is coming into town or what star is coming into town ... and not be on that emotional roller-coaster,” Casey said.
The next two games will be as difficult as any this season — Chicago at home, then Cleveland in Ohio the next night — especially since Casey is trying to work Jonas Valanciunas and DeMarre Carroll back into the mix.
“The key with us right now is making sure we are together. We’ve got to get a rhythm back to playing with each other, almost kind of like going back through training camp,” he said.
“Remembering the plays, reacting to the plays on the floor. It’s the difference between sitting on the sidelines watching (as the two starters did when they were injured) and actually going out there and doing it. With a very limited amount of practice time, that’s what we gotta do now more so than anything else.
“It’s kind of a new team, so to speak, again, but that’s what we’ve got to get used to on both ends of the floor.”
Despite the team’s depth and the desire for more minutes, Toronto’s chemistry has been strong all year, with few vocal complaints.
“I think winning helps,” Casey said, adding that it isn’t everything, though. We’re in the foxhole together, I think everyone has that mindset, that mentality. Next guy up, guys getting injured, guys getting opportunities, guys stepping in, being ready, I think that’s very important to team play and team chemistry and guys have done that, they’ve bought into it and they’re doing it,” he said.