No Bayless for Raptors against Celtics tonight

Oh, oh.

Jerryd Bayless will not play for the Raptors on Friday night and this has the potential to be one of Toronto’s most difficult offensive nights of the season.

If not ever.

Robbed of one of their most accomplished scorers, the Raptors are going up against one of the toughest, most veteran defensive teams in the league in the Boston Celtics, a team that’s already held Toronto 73 and 64 points in two games this season.

It is a difficult task at the best of times and now without Bayless and Andrea Bargnani, still on the shelf with a strained left calf, it becomes exponentially harder.

For those keeping score at home, fewest points a Raptors team has ever scored in game is 56 at Minnesota in 2003. Just in case you were wondering.

And in saying that Bayless (sore left ankle) won’t be able to go tonight, coach Dwane Casey said he’d use Anthony Carter at the backup point guard because it’d “be unfair” to subject either Gary Forbes or Leandro Barbosa – neither of whom possess the greatest ball-handling skills – to the routine fullcourt pressure that Celtics guards Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley bring to bear.

The announcement won’t come until right at game time but look for the Raptors to start Jose Calderon, DeMar DeRozan, James Johnson, Ed Davis and Aaron Gray. It’s a bigger lineup but one that’s offensively challenged.

“With our bigger group we match their size (but) at the same time we take a little bit of our offensive firepower off the floor,” Casey said after Friday morning’s shootaround. “But it’s also that they’re one of the top defensive teams. They still have (Kevin) Garnett and they’ve got Paul Pierce playing at a high level defensively, Ray Allen is playing a high level and Rondo is a one-man wrecking crew.”

 

Comments

[sam]

Condolences Doug - it seems you are in for a long evening, with perhaps some knuckleheadism thrown in for good measure.

[Mike D.]

Maybe the HOTH should use some physicality on defense to throw the Celtics off their game (sorry, couldn't resist).

Team success aside, Paul Pierce should be a good challenge for JJ's defensive skills tonight. And it's enjoyable watching Jose against ball-pressure point guards......always makes me think of someone trying to light a BBQ in a swarm of blackflies: "Just a minute, honey, I......shoo! shoo!....should have it ready soon."

[GM]

One saving grace is that the aging Celtics played last night and went into overtime. I'm still lobbying for Kleiza to start. When players consistently out-perform the starters yet never get consideration for starting, it can -- consciously or not -- affect their play. Why play so hard when what I do isn't recognized? Yes, yes, professionalism and all that, but players are human, too and can feel dejected. Plus there's the fact of having to come into the game at a big disadvantage.

[Tom]

I can't understand why Kleiza isn't starting instead of Ed Davis. I guess that's why Casey gets paid the big bucks and I don't. This is going to be a long night.

[dc]

Did a franchise ever promote the drama of witnessing the worst offense in nba history? Can't remember the lowest point total in nba/aba history but raptors are right up their with the worst.
Just as likely the celtics phone-it-in big time and their second unit gets extended time to drag around the HOTH like a cat toying with a mouse before decapitation.
Injuries, schedual, lously players: a recipie for no more wins the rest of the season lol

[Tabber]

To all with so little faith in the improbable: Ha Ha Ha! So much for the experts! 'Twas a great evening of viewing with the Raptors and Raonic coming out on top.