Steve Nash's return to Canadian soil on Sunday further highlighted the Toronto Raptors' struggles this season.
Nash, born in British Columbia, scored 20 points and had 16 assists as the Phoenix Suns continued their scorching start. The Suns romped to a 113-94 victory, largely thanks to a third quarter spurt, and Nash was at the heart of everything.
Once again, the Raptors were exploited defensively. Dribble penetration is hurting them badly, with Jose Calderon particularly having difficulty in keeping his man in front of him, and they just do not rebound well enough as a team.
Credit to Chris Bosh, though, who keeps putting up big numbers. Bosh was a rare bright spot at the weekend with a game-high 30 points and 17 boards but he is not getting enough help from his team-mates.
Hedo Turkoglu is still finding his way in Toronto while Andrea Bargnani, for all his offensive skills, is often found wanting going the other way. The Suns needed no second invitation to cash in.
And things get no easier this week, with the dangerous Washington Wizards arriving on Tuesday. Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler are all lethal scorers and will prosper if the Raptors do not step up their defense.
The Wizards love to run and gun and Toronto cannot get sucked into a flat-out scoring contest. Defense is the key and, until the Raptors sort themselves out, the .500 mark will remain out of reach.
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