The Raptors might have benched 20-year old shooting guard DeMar DeRozan late in the year but they still really like his upside. DeRozan played in 77 games (65 starts) for the Raptors this season and he averaged 21.6 minutes, 8.6 points, 2.9 rebounds and 0.7 assists per game. If Chris Bosh leaves the Raptors over the summer look for DeRozan to be a bigger part of the offense next season.

The Toronto Raptors needed to win against the New York Knicks last night if they wanted to stay alive for a chance at the final seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.  They made sure they did their part by beating the Knicks 131-113, behind 24 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, and 1 steal from Andrea Bargnani.  Bargnani has done a nice job taking on most of the scoring burden with Chris Bosh out with a nasal fracture.  Yet, beating the Knicks was not going to be enough, because they also needed some help from the Charlotte Bobcats who played the Bulls last night.  Well, the Bobcats weren’t much help, as the Bulls beat them 98-89 and clinched the eight seed in the Eastern Conference, knocking the Raptors out on the final day of the regular season.  It was really unfortunate for the Raptors that their star player, Bosh, got hurt at the worst time of the season.  Had Bosh not gotten hurt, things may have gone a lot differently for the Raptors in the final stretch of the 2009-’10 season.  He did get hurt though, and the Raptors missed out on a huge opportunity when they lost to the Bulls last Sunday.  Although the Raptors crumbled in the month of April, you can’t be too upset at them since they were without their top player when they needed him most.

If the Toronto Raptors want to be in this year’s NBA playoffs, then they have to win tonight’s game against the New York Knicks.  The Raptors are one game back of the eighth seeded Chicago Bulls, but the Raptors own the tiebreaker.  So, if the Bulls lose and the Raptors win, then the Raptors will win the final playoff spot.  However, if the Bulls win it doesn’t matter whether or not the Raptors win or lose, as the Bulls will be a game ahead.  Judging by the way the Bulls played last night in their win over the Boston Celtics, things don’t look good for the Raptors.  The Bobcats do have a better record than the Bulls and they are the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, so it is anyone’s game.  If the Bulls do win, it looks like the Raptors’ loss to the Bulls last Sunday cost them the playoffs.  That and losing their best player, Chris Bosh, at the most important part of the season.  The Raptors have to forget about those things though and make sure they get a win tonight.  Guys like Andrea Bargnani, Sonny Weems, Amir Johnson, and Jarret Jack have had some nice games with Bosh out, but they will all need to step up tonight against the Knicks.  It is win or go home for the Raptors, and it will be interesting to see how they respond tonight.

The Raptors shot 60% from the floor as they played very unselfish basketball as evidenced by their 37 assists in the game. The Raptors really excelled in the 2nd and 3rd quarters last night when they outscored the Pistons 65-46. Andrea Bargnani had a huge game finishing with 33 points and 7 rebounds. Bargnani was on his game as he shot 5 of 6 from three point range last night. Amir Johnson also had a big game with 26 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists on 10 of 12 shooting from the floor. Jarrett Jack was outstanding also last night with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 12 assists. Everyone in Toronto should pay attention to the Celtics/Bulls score tonight as the Raptors are now only 1/2 a game behind the Bulls and they own the tiebreaker.

The Raptors didn’t have a chance last night against the Bulls in Toronto as they got pushed around. The Raptors fell behind 84-65 after three quarters and that was pretty much the end of the game. The Raptors were outrebounded 49-41 as the Bulls appeared to want the game more. Andrea Bargnani led the way for the Raptors tonight with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocked shots. Sonny Weems got another start at shooting guard and he responded with 18 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. The Raptors should have played Jarrett Jack more as he sparked the team whenever he was on the court. He finished up with 14 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists in 25 minutes off the bench tonight. Hedo Turkoglu had probably his worst shooting night of the year (2 for 12 from the floor) finishing with 6 points, 19 rebounds, 9 assists and 3 steals. He played hard it was just his shot that was off. The Raptors are now 38-42 on the season which has them one game behind the Bulls for the 8th spot in the Eastern Conference Playoffs with two games left to play.