These are my links for February 23rd through February 24th:

• Run, Raptors, run | Toronto Sun – Triano says the reason the Raps running game was so effective Sunday, stemmed from the number of unsuccessful trips down the floor for their opponents.

  "The first thing is you get stops," Triano said. "You have to get them. If the first movement is to go backwards and take the ball back out of bounds and throw it in, teams are going to get back in transition. When you get stops the way we did (Sunday) it will lead to more aggressive play."

  Chris Bosh, who played his second game since a two-week-plus stretch without any game action, appears to have overcome the knee problem, but now it's a matter of getting back up into peak cardio condition.

• Marion brings energy | Toronto Sun – Marion has become the Raptors instant energy guy, the spark that gets them moving and keeps the pace frantic for the entire time he's on the court.

  "He makes it easier because he gives us another guy who can handle it and either get us steals or quick rebounds and gets the ball in play," head coach Jay Triano said.

  As Triano points out, Marion already is having a positive impact on his new team while still learning the defensive principals the Raptors follow.

• Raptors court kids to read | Toronto Sun – About 60 kids in Grade 6 at Highcastle Public School were invited to the Air Canada Centre to meet Bosh and Parker and participate in the Raptors Read to Achieve program.

  The Raptors duo also took the opportunity to play up the importance of Black History Month.

  "We always want to encourage kids to read and know about Black history," Bosh said.

• TheStar.com | Raptors hoping Bosh can run with new style – It would seem that pushing the ball up the floor, looking for fast-break points as the first option does not feed into Bosh's strengths. Coach Jay Triano disagrees with that easy perception of his star's future.

  "I've talked to him a little bit more," Triano admitted. "It's been hard with him because he's been (injured). I told (Chris), `Run and play as hard as you can for as long as you can and I'll get a sub. But don't try and pace yourself to go 40 minutes because otherwise we'll be plodding. I thought what he did in New York and was much better on Sunday … shorter minutes in shorter spurts. We keep asking him `How's your leg?' He says, `My leg is fine. My lungs are burning.' He'll get used to it."

• sports.theglobeandmail.com: Bargnani building on steady performances – When a conversation surrounding Andrea Bargnani begins with a discussion about what he is doing right rather than what he is doing wrong, it is a sign things might be finally starting to turn around for the young, seven-foot Italian centre.

  "I think so," Toronto Raptors head coach Jay Triano responded yesterday, when asked if Bargnani's recent play is the best he has consistently performed in his three-year NBA career.

  "I think he's expanded his game a little bit," Triano said after the Raptors' practice in preparation for tonight's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Air Canada Centre. "He's working hard and he's playing with confidence."

• Raptors Game Day – Fun fact No. 1: The Timberwolves are just 1-4 since Al Jefferson tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. Fun fact No. 2: In those five games, Sebastian Telfair, a 36% shooter from the floor, is shooting more than 12 times per game, or four more times per game than his season average. Fun fact No. 3: He is actually shooting a respectable 44% from the floor in those games.

  Who's hot? Ryan Gomes, averaging 12.2 points per game this season, has scored at least 20 points in each of his last three games.

  Who's not? Minnesota's primary reserves are now Jason Collins, Craig Smith, Kevin Ollie and Rodney Carney. That group could never be considered "hot."

• khandor’s sports blog » POST [Game] MORTEM: Raptors vs Knicks [Feb 22] – Those who doubt that Shawn Marion’s most effective position in the NBA is, indeed, the #4/PF should take note of how the Raptors used The Matrix in this game, and the qualitative difference in the way they played:
• Raptors Forum » Game 59: Raptors vs. Timberwolves – Pre-game – In case you haven’t been following, the Raptors own the Timberwolves right now. The Raps go into this game looking for their 10th straight win over Minnesota, a team that has lost 7 of their last 8. Things pretty much couldn’t set up a lot better for the Raptors, especially since they haven’t had much of a problem scoring against the Wolves and are hoping to have their uptempo style from the New York game (er…the second one) carry over.
• Hardwood Paroxysm » State Of The A: Let’s Get A Tournament Going, Fellas! – Toronto showed flashes on Sunday of the capability this lineup has. Calderon, Parker, Marion, Bosh, Bargnani. Marion’s filling the gaps like he’s meant to, not asserting the word like he needed to in Miami. And with Bosh and Bargnani both capable of big nights, this team has potential to put together a streak.
• Calderon must adapt to Raptors’ new offensive scheme – But there remains a problem. The offence, at least the one interim head coach Jay Triano has been preaching since taking over in December, is up-tempo again.

  “It’s tough for (Calderon),” Triano said, “because he loves and has been brought up on taking care of the basketball.”

  That is what made Sunday’s win over the New York Knicks a revelation. Despite Triano’s pleading, the Raptors have not run consistently this year. Against the Knicks, they did, scoring 29 fast-break points. And despite the common sense that implies the more a team runs, the more it will turn the ball over, Calderon had 11 assists to zero turnovers.

• POST [Game] MORTEM: Raptors vs Knicks –

Related posts:

1. Toronto Raptors Linkage for February 17th through February 23rd
2. Toronto Raptors Linkage for February 24th through February 25th
3. Toronto Raptors Linkage for April 23rd through April 24th
4. Toronto Raptors Linkage for December 23rd through December 24th
5. Toronto Raptors Linkage for February 24th from 12:20 to 13:33