The streak is over, and in this case, it's a good thing.
The Raps finally snapped their losing streak, which lasted a season long 13 games. Raptors fans everywhere struggled through this time period.
At least it's finally over.
I would like to take this time to bring up a case for Amir Johnson being the Raptors most complete player, offensively and defensively.
Over the past five games he's averaged roughly 18 points and 10 rebounds, which is more than solid stats for a guy who's not even close to 100% healthy.
He's easily the Raps most efficient player, and he shoots the 5th highest field-goal percentage in the league (for players who've played more than 40 games). Not bad for a guy who's been labeled with one of the worst contracts in the league.
While being an efficiency king, Amir has also been one of the Raptors best defenders and rebounders, and he's earning every penny of that contract.
On another note, the Raps gave the D-league's leading scorer Trey Johnson another ten-day contract.
Onto the report:
Record: 1-2
Performance on a scale of 1-10: 5.5
Here's a recap of the four games:
Raptors @ Pacers, L 93-104
Positives
For a team that was on an eight-man rotation, the effort wasn't bad. The Raps were down by a huge margin and battled back to make it a contest again, though it wasn't enough to secure the victory on the road. Amir Johnson was solid.
Negatives
For a team that was on a huge losing streak, the Raps sure didn't play like they wanted to snap it. They were down early and down big. That's not a recipe to win games, especially on the road. The Raps will have to do a better job on the road to win those games.
Raptors @ Hawks, L 87 - 100
Positives
The Raps hung around, but they never really had the Hawks worried. Amir Johnson was great.
Negatives
The Raps just didn't play good enough to win and it hurts. Joe Johnson exploded for a season high 37 points and this was just another bad road game. DeRozan and Bargnani continued to struggle.
Raptors vs T'Wolves, W 111-100
Positives
Whoo-hoo! The streak is over! The Raps finally won a game and got on track after a depressing stretch. DeRozan and Bargnani finally woke up, and Amir Johnson was great once again.
Negatives
The T'Wolves hung around for far too long, and that just can't happen.
Ask Sachin
Why do you think Sonny and DeMar cannot play together? Is it that there is competition between the two? - Kevin Ji
I don't know if it's a competition, or if their styles of play don't fit, but something is definitely up. DeRozan's numbers have taken a huge hit since Weems' return, and he's still been getting his minutes. Is he not getting the ball enough? Could be.
Regardless, if they can't play together, Weems needs to go.
Follow me on twitter for more exclusive Raptors articles and updates @Thesachman
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