Just two short weeks ago the Toronto Raptors fell to the Phoenix Suns 101-100 in one of the Raptors best road games of the season.
Jay Triano constructed a great defensive game plan that held the high scoring Suns in check and the Raptors in the lead for nearly the entire game.
The entire game that is until Triano suffered a massive brain cramp in the fourth quarter and ran out his infamous duo point guard line up. That coaching decision cost the Raptors the game!
In a mere two minutes and 16 seconds, the Suns, who had not led since the first quarter, outscored the Raptors 7-2 to take a 91-86 lead.
Asking Calderon to cover Nash while asking Jack to cover Richardson puts both guards on the floor in need of help and the previously high functioning Raptors defense collapsed under the strain.
But when Turkoglu returned to the game in place of Jack, the Raptors fought back to take the lead 100-98 with 51 seconds left. Arguably losing the game to some suspicious calls from the referees.
Jay Triano’s switches that left Calderon often facing Stoudemire in the post may have looked strange, but Stoudimere turned the ball over four times and nearly every single Suns player had at least one turnover.
The game plan this time should be the same. The Raptors controlling the pace, switching on all screens, and limiting the Suns three-point opportunities.
The game will also provide some more insight into whether Bargnani still has a future with the Raptors.
If Bargnani isn’t played after the mid-point of the third quarter for the third game in a row and the Raptors continue to lose, the message has to be that Bargnani will soon be moving on.
Either that or Jay Triano has cracked under the pressure of coaching an NBA team.
