Marcus Banks News

The Raptors are proving that if they defend even with even so-so success, they can win.

Marcus Banks began the year as an afterthought, but is making his presence known with Jose Calderon down.

The Nets' Bobby Simmons and the Raptors' Amir Johnson fight for a loose ball in the first half.

It's hard to believe but he's looked like an NBA player of late, not a good one by any means but nonetheless, an NBA player.

Photos from the NJ Nets' latest loss, this time to the Toronto Raptors. 0b2d4985-a386-4ef8-91c9-52d36624dbce-big.jpg ) Next WFAN Photo Album

The Toronto Raptors used a big first half Friday to crush the lowly New Jersey Nets 118-95. Reserve forward Amir Johnson scored a season-best 18 points for the Raptors, who came out strong early and led 70-33 at the break.

Those damn team meetings. We really needed to have another right after Miami had theirs, problem was that we won our previous game so everybody assumed everything was all rosy.

Amir Johnson, right, and fellow Raptors Marcus Banks, Sonny Weems, Marco Belinelli and Pops-Mensah-Bonsu have added much-needed spunk and hustle for Toronto when they have been given playing time.

The power of the team meeting is obvious to the Toronto Raptors. a Just more than a week ago, the Raptors, following a 31-point loss in Atlanta, called such a meeting.

Too close for comfort but eventually the quality came out on top. Minnesota's rugged style of play and determination to go inside forced the Raptors to play a physical style of defense and they proved to be up to the task.

Calderon came in for Jarrett Jack with three minutes left in the first quarter and then left with 71/2 minutes remaining in the second quarter.

Who's hot? Jamal Crawford might be the early front-runner for Sixth Man of the Year.

There's a line they use in the legal world: The defense never rests. Doesn't apply to the Toronto Raptors, apparently.

The Milwaukee rookie took the league by storm early in the season, including a 55-point game in a blistering start; he's come back to Earth in the last two weeks but is still capable of scoring in bunches.

It was like old times for the Toronto Huskies a er, Raptors on Tuesday night. Wearing retro uniforms in honour of the 1946-47 Huskies, the Raptors nipped the Minnesota Timberwolves 94-88 in the first of six Hardwood Classics to be held at the Air Canada Centre.

" as badly as we played, let it be said we didn't have to see Marcus Banks play.

Antoine Wright's early season battle with the injury bug has taken another turn for the worse.

The 17 three-pointers by the Magic yesterday matched an all-time Raptors opponent high.

A lot of times younger players don?t heed the advice of veteran teammates. Not Weems and DeRozan.

Monday, October 19, 2009 2:51 PM Triano sticks to the plan Michael Grange S ome Things V1.7: 1. You have to give it to Triano.