By RaptorTalk


As was reported earlier, Bryan Colangelo said he'd have pretty good idea what kind of team he has by the end of the month. Well, the end of the month is only ten days away.

So far, the men in red are sitting at 5-7 having played more road games than any other Eastern Conference team. Today, Raptors broadcaster Matt Devlin said their goal was to be 6-6 at this point and they’ve fallen a little short.

Honestly, I expected a little better from the Raptors than what we've seen so far - which has been inconsistent at best. I really believe the core talent is there to be playing better. But, their record is what it is.

What's important is to stay as close to the .500 mark as possible and not dig a hole that becomes difficult to get out of.

                  
          The Raptors Amir Johnson brings it every game

Inconsistent so far

This is a good example of the uneven results. When the Raptors give up 100 points, they are a terrible 0-7. But, when they score 100, they’re an amazing 5-0.

What that tells me is that with a little more intensity on defense and more consistency on offence this team can really make some noise in the Eastern Conference. Problem is that when they give up 100 points – it’s usually more like 120 points or more and you can’t win doing that.

The goal of the team should be to return to .500 by the the end of the month. Here's what's coming up on Toronto's schedule.

vs. Miami
vs. Orlando
vs. Indy
@ Charlotte
@ Boston
vs. Phoenix

To be 9-9 by November 30th, the Raps need to finish the month with a 4W-2L run. Only Charlotte will be somewhat easy, but the Raptors are on the back end of a back-to-back, so it’s not a gimme.

It won't be easy, but 4-2 is certainly possible. On the other hand, 2-4 wouldn't surprise me either.

If Toronto plays like they are capable of playing, the Raps can beat Miami, Indy and Charlotte and hopefully steal one against Orlando, Phoenix or Boston.

That's 4W-2L and provides solid momentum into December.

What concerns me most is that Toronto has trouble putting together a solid 40 to 48 minutes. Even in the games they’ve won, the Raptors have only played well for about 30 minutes at most.

It will be an interesting next 10 days that sets the tone for December.

Let’s hope the Raptors are entering December at 9-9. If the Raptors struggle and only go 2-4, that puts the team at 7-11 to end the month. If that happens, then I expect Bryan to seriously look at upgrades to the roster.

Otherwise, he’ll sit tight and see how December plays out.

As I’ve said before, right now it’s all about winning now to keep Chris Bosh in the fold.