player gained 542 yards on 121 carries with one touchdown

As I sit here in Milwaukee waiting for the Raptors last game of the first half of the season to be played tonight, I give you five quick thoughts on areas that the team needs to improve on in the second half. After a wonderful start, its been a rough recent stretch that has exposed some concerns. Nonetheless, overall its been a positive run. In order to reach their potential, here is a little food for thought. 1. DEFENSE: Its been difficult to watch of late and I must say how surprised Ive been with the deterioration from where it was early in the season. This team with much greater effort and attention to detail can be a solid club. Right now, not even close. A quick observation - Dwane Casey had great success in Dallas teaching the zone. This team struggles to guard dribble penetration and protect the paint. Why not a little zone to hide some weak perimeter defenders and change the look on certain possessions? Just a thought. This team concerns me. When their offense goes south, the D has to be able to find ways to win ugly. They havent been able to. Thats what playoff basketball is. 2. TERRENCE ROSS AND AMIR JOHNSON: Are these guys starters at this stage of their respective careers? If yes, then we need much better play. They have been inconsistent and it holds back their unit on occasion. Need greater focus and consistent effort and productivity. Cant be as patient as youd like. 3 OFFENSIVE EXECUTION: Deterioration on this end as well. We saw this during the playoffs against the Nets. When you really guard them and body them with physical force, they wilt under the pressure. This is a good offensive club thats become too nonchalant and individual of late. Player and ball movement is a must and the screening and usage can improve. You do that and the turnovers will decrease. 4. HABITS: This is my biggest issue right now. Somewhere along the path from Oct 1 to now this group has taken some shortcuts and its showing now. Seems like this club only plays at optimal level when it feels challenged. The Backs to the Wall mentality they display is terrific, I just dont see it as their daily makeup yet. I look at the best teams and they sustain sound habits and demand the optimum from themselves for long periods. This group can do it. Commitment time. 5. ATLANTIC DIVISION: Congrats! 9.5 games up with 42 to play. Unless you totally screw it up and/or experience multiple injuries, youre going to win back-to-back Division titles. Cool! Heres the question; Are you going to be satisfied with that or is the focus now going to be on being an elite Eastern Conference team? Success has a way of messing with your focus. Do you really want to play a brutal opponent at the fifth seed (Im saying it will be Cleveland - good luck winning that series) even though you have home court as a fourth seed? In the Atlantic, you have three teams in a rebuild mode (Im being kind) and the Nets up for sale and trying to figure out what to do. Great spot to be in to get a top-four seed. Some of its you being good and some of the rest is the other four teams being so lousy. Dont fool yourself. To make next step as a franchise, theyve got to grow to the point that they can compete and win a first round series. How does that happen? Not being satisfied and pushing on to a new and greater challenge. Player internal leadership, professionalism and maturity are a must. This team has good guys. They can do it. Now time to do so. Pekka Rinne Jersey .com) - The Chicago White Sox have officially announced that the club has agreed to terms with utilityman Emilio Bonifacio on a one-year, $4 million contract that includes a team option for the 2016 season. Dan Hamhuis Jersey . The Indians scored twice in the top of the ninth, getting the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by closer Matt Lindstrom. Axford (0-1) came in seeking his fifth save in as many chances. http://www.authenticpredatorspro.com/Kyle-turris-predators-jersey/ .S. womens soccer team to a 2-0 win over China in Colorado in the afternoon. Juuse Saros Jersey . The stress, the waiting, the whispers about whether he doped during his stellar cycling career, all of it ended when - after nearly two years - federal prosecutors closed an investigation of him last week without bringing any charges. Ryan Johansen Jersey . The Raptors had an early deadline Sunday, a dreaded afternoon game, and they left the bulk of their work until the last minute, as theyve done so many times before. HOUSTON -- Houston Texans running back Arian Foster will undergo back surgery next week and miss the rest of the season. Foster didnt practice all week after injuring his back on Houstons first series against Indianapolis last Sunday. He also missed most of Houstons previous game with a hamstring problem. Interim coach Wade Phillips said Friday that Foster had visited specialists about the problem. The Pro Bowl player gained 542 yards on 121 carries with one touchdown and had 22 receptions and another score. Ben Tate, still recovering from four broken ribs, is expected to start Sunday at Arizona. Dennis Johnson and Deji Karim, who were both signed last week, will play behind Tate. Its been a difficult season for the Texans, who previously lost star linebacker Brian Cushiing to a knee injury for the second straight year.dddddddddddd Coach Gary Kubiak suffered a mini-stroke during last weeks loss at Indianapolis, and his coaching future is uncertain. The team has said Kubiak is expected to make a full recovery. The Texans entered Sundays game against the Cardinals at 2-6 after winning the AFC South the last two seasons and posting a playoff victory each year. Foster was a key to the franchises first two post-season appearances. He has rushed for at least 1,200 yards in each of the last three seasons, including leading the NFL with 1,616 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2010. He also had 15 TDs rushing, tops in the NFL, in 2012. Foster was an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee who won the starting job in his second pro season. ' ' '