Folks, I’m excited. The scorching hot Brooklyn Nets came into T.Dot fresh off a victory vs the Miami Heat and a 5 game winning streak against some tough opponents. The result? The Toronto Raptors whooped them silly.
It just doesn’t feel natural, this whole winning thing. People are starting to take this team seriously, and they should. The Toronto Raptors are legit.
Tonight marks the start of a cakewalk stretch of games where the Raps could bolster their standing in the Atlantic and potentially move into 3rd in the East. The league’s worst Bobcats… erm Milwaukee Bucks* will be visiting Toronto, and it shouldn’t be a very close game.
I’m not going to pretend to be a Bucks expert, as I’ve only watched them play about three times this year. Regardless, let’s get into Cage’s 5 Keys To The Game.
Don’t Lose Focus
The Raps have been pretty good thus far at treating every opponent seriously, but when the league’s worst comes into town, the mentality might be a bit more relaxed than usual. Coming out with the same mentality that they have been playing with should be enough to handle this Bucks team.
Focus On OJ
O.J. Mayo is probably the only player that can win this one for the Bucks tonight. When he heats up, he’s one of the toughest players to guard in the league. However, decent defense will prevent that from happening.
Attack Early
If the Raps can grab a double-digit lead early on, it’s unlikely the Bucks will come back. There’s a reason this team is 7-29, and opening it up early will give us a chance to see some Julyan Stone.
Use Your Size Advantage
The Bucks are pretty weak on the inside. John Henson makes his return tonight, however this team really doesn’t have a big that can contain Jonas Valanciunas.
Win
This is the worst team in the league. I can’t even think of a 5th key to the game. The Raps just really need to get this one done.
X-Factor – Jonas Valanciunas
I love making JV the x-factor because he’s simply awesome. Expect him to get a lot of burn tonight vs the small Bucks squad, meaning he will have a chance to dominate. A 20-10 performance would be awesome.
