Raptors brace for stretch of seven games in nine days

Mental toll of shorter NBA season unknown

If only Dwane Casey had a clue. How much easier would it be if the Raptors coach had any idea what was ahead of him, how his players would react, how he would react to an unprecedented NBA grind that Toronto is about to begin? It would make life exponentially easier but he doesn’t have any true idea what lies ahead and is as anxious as anyone to find out. Starting with Friday’s home game against the New Jersey Nets, the Raptors play a staggering seven games in nine nights, two back-tobacks and a back-to-back-to-back that will put an unconscionable toll on everyone connected with the team. Any idea how to prepare, coach? “I do not,” Casey said after, for this team, a rather light practice at the Air Canada Centre on Thursday. “I’m not going to stand here and say that I do, I don’t think anyone does. I think this season is such a different season that you throw all the conventional wisdom out the window and you just have to kind of prepare as you go by the seat of your pants.” And for coaches who like meticulous preparation and time to truly teach their players, the bastardized 2011-12 NBA season is an exercise in frustration; this part of the schedule is the most frustrating the Raptors will experience this season. “There’s no question that rest has to be your friend with these rapidfire type games,” said Casey. “There are certain things you can do (in practice and game-day shootarounds) as far as execution, timing, attention to detail things but as far as physical banging and running, it’s almost humanly impossible to do.” So they’ll just try to do the impossible. With games Friday and Saturday before an off-day Sunday and then games Monday-tuesday-wednesday before a day off Thursday followed by games Friday and Saturday, one of the bigger worries is how the players will handle the mental grind.

Yes, they will be physically worn out and can try to take care of themselves by getting sleep, eating right and staying hydrated through all the games and flights but the mental part of the grind will exact a toll.

It’ll be one night of one-style opponent, another style the next night, yet another the next and keeping focused may be the most difficult thing they’ll have to do.

“We’re not really throwing a lot of new stuff at them at this time but . . . it could (cause) mental fatigue,” Casey said.