FINAL SCORE: Raptors 89, Lakers 112
Game Information
The fundamental inequities which exist between the rosters of these two teams were on full display in last night’s exhibition game.
———————————————-
At the 02:41 mark of the 3rd Quarter, the Lakers made 3 substitutions:
* Replacing V-Radmanovic with Lamar Odom,
* Replacing D-Fisher with Trevor Ariza, and
* Replacing A-Bynum with Jordan Farmar;
while, the Raptors made 1 substitution:
* Replacing A-Parker with Jason Kapono.
9 seconds later, at the 02:32 mark, the Raptors made a 2nd substitution:
* Replacing J-Calderon with Roko Ukic;
and leaving each team with the following line-ups on the court:
RAPTORS – Ukic [PG], Adams [OG/SF], Kapono [SF/OG], Bargnani [C/PF] & O’Neal [PF/C]
LAKERS – Farmar [PG], Bryant [OG/SF], Ariza [SF/OG], Odom [PF] & Gasol [C]
After Jason Kapono made 2 Free Throws to put the Raptors ahead, 72-70, the Lakers closed the quarter with a 10-4 run which put them up, 80-76.
During the run, the Raptors made 1 substitution, at the 00:30 mark:
* Replacing J-O’Neal with Chris Bosh.
To open the 4th Quarter, the Raptors made no new substitutions, while the Lakers made 2 substitutions:
* Replacing K-Bryant with Luke Walton, and
* Replacing P-Gasol with Chris Mihm;
leaving them with the following line-up:
LAKERS – Farmar [PG], Ariza [OG/SF], Walton [SF/OG], Odom [PF] & Mihm [C].
Without bringing Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, or Andrew Bynum back into the game, the Lakers then outscored the Raptors in the 4th Quarter, 32-13, to seal their victory.
The following table indicates the substitutions made by each team during these respective phases of the game:
|
RAPTORS |
Time |
Score |
LAKERS |
|
|
3rd Q |
|
|
|
Calderon, Adams, Parker, Bargnani, O’Neal |
02:42 |
70-70 |
Fisher, Bryant, Radmanovic, Gasol, Bynum |
|
Calderon, Adams, Kapono, O’Neal, Bargnani |
02:41 |
70-70 |
Farmar, Bryant, Ariza, Odom, Gasol |
|
Ukic, Adams, Kapono, O’Neal, Bargnani |
02:32 |
72-70 |
|
|
Ukic, Adams, Kapono, Bosh, Bargnani |
00:30 |
76-77 |
|
|
|
4th Q |
|
|
|
|
12:00 |
76-80 |
Farmar, Ariza, Walton, Odom, Mihm |
|
|
06:23 |
83-96 |
Farmar, Ariza, Walton, Powell, Mihm |
|
Ukic, Adams, Moon, Humphries, Bargnani |
05:42 |
84-98 |
|
|
|
03:28 |
86-104 |
Farmar, Ariza, Yue, Powell, Mbenga |
|
|
00:00 |
89-112 |
|
while the final table reflects the playing time alotted to each player for both teams who saw action during these two sequences of the 3rd and 4th Quarters:
|
RAPTORS |
Minutes |
LAKERS |
Minutes |
|
Calderon |
00.09 |
Fisher |
00:01 |
|
Adams |
14:41 |
Bryant |
02:41 |
|
Parker |
00:01 |
Radmanovic |
00:01 |
|
Bosh |
06:48 |
Bynum |
00:01 |
|
O’Neal |
02:11 |
Gasol |
02:41 |
|
Ukic |
14:32 |
Farmar |
14:41 |
|
Kapono |
08:59 |
Ariza |
14:41 |
|
Moon |
05:42 |
Odom |
08:18 |
|
Bargnani |
14:41 |
Walton |
08:32 |
|
|
|
Mihm |
08:32 |
|
|
|
Powell |
06:23 |
|
|
|
Yue |
03:28 |
|
|
|
Mbenga |
03:28 |
———————————————-
When assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the Raptors and the Lakers, it is comical to think that some other NBA observers are actually considering the current version of the Raptors:
1. To be a ‘legitimate’ contending team in the NBA this season; or,
2. To be a ‘legitimate’ contending team in the Eastern Conference this season.
As is … the cold, hard, reality is:
I) When Jose Calderon is not in the game, the Raptors do not have a capable back-up Point Guard who they can use to run their team against a high calibre opponent.
[Note 1: In part, this is because they have shown little to no interest, thus far, in using Anthony Parker ... a capable ball-handler and decision-maker ... in this capacity.]
II) When some combination of Chris Bosh, Jermaine O’Neal and Kris Humphries are not on the court together, the Raptors are incapable of rebounding the ball in a way which is consistent with being a legitimate contending team in the NBA … given the deficiencies of their back-up players, like Andrea Bargnani [C/PF], Jason Kapono [SF/OG], Hassan Adams [OG/SF] and Roko Ukic [PG], in this specific area of the game.
III) The absence of QUALITY DEPTH on the Raptors’ roster is going to be an achilles heel for their team this season, in comparison with the other top flight teams in the NBA this season,
e.g. Boston Celtics, LA Lakers, Detroit Pistons, New Orleans Hornets, Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers and Portland Trail Blazers;
as well as, the other 2nd & 3rd tier teams that are in the ‘chase pack’ alongside Toronto.
