Since that game-winner, it’s safe to say the #GayNation era has begun. Not only has he brought the “get out of the way and let Rudy work” end-game plays to Toronto, he’s used his length to rack up plenty of defensive stats: 13 steals and 4 blocks in the small 4-game sample size. He’s definitely passed the eye test in terms of solid, if not great, wing defense – though obviously, not on the same level as someone say Tony Allen.
Now to the game..
1. The Raptors have been looking to run more often since the addition of Rudy, so forcing turnovers against the 6th most turnover-prone team will be key to swinging the momentum towards our side. Hornets average 14.2 TO’s a game in comparison to the Raptors 12.3 TO’s – 2nd best in the league.
2. Try to force the decision-making in Eric Gordon’s hands and deny Vasquez whenever possible, who’s been on fire finding his teammates good shots (beware the Ryan Anderson 3 and alley oops to The Brow). I’d rather let Eric Gordon play isolation and allow him to make plays – he hasn’t had more than 3 assists since Jan. 15 in a game.
3. Contributions from a bench, especially against a weak defensive bench. Ryan Anderson, Austin Rivers, Brian Roberts don’t exactly scream “DEFENSE” to me. I’m also looking to you Primo Pasta to continue your solid play off the bench. Let’s just hope we don’t see Alan Anderson’s ill-advised chucks. Lastly, for the month, we’ve averaged 39 points off the bench in wins and 15.5 in losses. Nuff’ said.
I’m sure Toronto’s excited to see Anthony “The Brow” Davis for the only time he’ll be called a Hornet – yep, that Pelicans name change. On the other hand, The Brow’s been upset about a little something in Toronto, so maybe we can capitalize on that tonight haha..
