“I feel like I’ve been blindsided by Brian Orakpo. I mean, that was just … wow.”

-Wizards television commentator Steve Buckhantz after witnessing a first half of basketball in which the Wizards allowed 44 points in the paint, and let Toronto shoot 67% en route to a 72-52 lead after 24 minutes. The Raptors ultimately prevailed 127-108.

Let’s take a look at a screen-shot depiction of the fun, shall we?

There’s no place like home, evidently … especially when the Wizards play defense like Dorothy.

Oh, and these are the red shoes Gilbert Arenas wore against the Raptors for World AIDS Week.

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In basketball, you’re either a winner or you’re a loser. There is no middle ground.

The inviting glow of the winners’ locker room (which I had the pleasure of stepping into after yesterday’s 109-94 win over the Toronto Raptors) effectuates a merry media ceremony. Members of the press toast their champions with microphones, audio recorders, and Flip cams. The players imbibe in the festivities, reciprocating praise with sound bites and smiles.

The locker room across the arena is just like this, but flipped entirely on its axis. The frigid, polar opposite.

Post-game thoughts often roll off the tongue in the heat of the moment, with little thought. And there are always two sides to every story. Let’s read between the lines:

[Quotes via Washington Wizards Basketball Communications]

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The Gilbert Arenas Hockey Assist: a screen-shot observation

Gilbert Arenas dribbles the ball up the court late in the third quarter with the game conveniently in hand, Kirk Hinrich prepares to set a ball screen for him.

Arenas comes off the screen and looks to make a move to the basket against Jose Calderon.

For whatever reason, it doesn’t really work and Arenas pulls it back — as you can see, the help defense is keyed in on Arenas and he likely knows this.

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On the surface, tonight’s game between the Toronto Raptors and the Washington Wizards just looks like a battle of two struggling teams.  The Raptors are 2-8 and in last place of the Atlantic Division, while the Washington Wizards are 2-6 and in last place in the Southeast.  Both teams have gone through major personnel changes since the ’09-10 season, and both were expected to have uphill climbs this season.

Of course, the major difference is that the Raptors lost the face of their franchise in Chris Bosh over the summer, while the Wizards welcomed their new future when they drafted John Wall.  The loss of Bosh without a significant player in return has basically ensured that the Raptors will struggle this season, and likely longer.  The addition of a young player in Wall means that the Wizards may struggle this year, but their future certainly seems to be in great and capable hands.

It is quite easy for me to make grandiose, sweeping generalizations about the Toronto Raptors, because I observe the team from afar (afar, meaning I have not watched them play an entire game all season).  So to get a better idea of what’s truly going with Raptors, I decided to reach out to my old editor, Mr. Ryan McNeill.

Ryan is the editor and founder of the site, HoopsAddict.com, and he has covered the Raptors with credentials for four years.  He has appeared on NBA XL, ESPN Radio, The Fan 590, The Chris Townsend Show and WSRQ 1220, and he is also contributor to SLAM ONLINE.

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