Chris Andersen #11 of the Denver Nuggets battles for position with Reggie Evans #30 of the Toronto Raptors at the Pepsi Center on March 21, 2011 in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
Reggie Evans averages four points a game and has been known to air-ball the occasional free throw. So the sight of him launching jumpers for the last 30 minutes of Tuesday's Toronto Raptors' practice seemed somewhat odd. Most found a soft landing in the net.
"It ain't like I'm looking forward to doing it in the game or nothing like that," he said Tuesday, "but I'm always working on new things just in case I'm in that predicament."
It's unlikely Evans will find himself with many wide-open shots Wednesday night, when the Raptors will rely on their veteran rebounder to do what he does best: outmuscle his opponents, chase down loose balls, and grab enough rebounds to keep the Milwaukee Bucks off-kilter.
The Bucks are the worst team in the NBA when it comes to shooting percentage from the field (42.7), but they've managed to shine against Toronto. The Bucks have won both matchups this season, including their highest-scoring game: a 116-110 overtime victory in Toronto on Jan. 28.
"You look at the stats and they are one of the lower-scoring teams in the NBA," head coach Jay Triano said. "It doesn't seem to make much sense, except they have gone through a lot of injuries this year. They've had major guys out for major lengths of time, and that's caused some problems for them."
One of Toronto's biggest headaches has been Andrew Bogut, a seven-foot centre who has averaged 14 points this season, but had a 24-point game that January night. Triano said part of the team's strategy Wednesday at the Air Canada Centre will be getting several players involved in order to try and pin him down.
"I'm not sure how much you can scheme against him. He's a great passer. If you come and you hit him, he's big enough to make plays over the top," Triano said.
"The idea is to, ideally, foul him," he continued, although that can be tricky, too. "He's just very crafty, and you think you might have him one way, and he finds ways to avoid you blocking the shot or getting a good, hard foul in on him."
"We've got to hit him early," Evans said.
The Bucks are sitting 10th in the Eastern Conference and are still technically in the playoff race - although they are coming off a tough loss at the buzzer against the Charlotte Bobcats, who are sitting in ninth spot.
For the Raptors, only pride is on the line, since the playoffs are a mathematical impossibility.
They're hoping to be at full strength: Amir Johnson and Andrea Bargnani are dealing with nagging injuries and whether they suit up will be a game-time decision.
Evans, who's averaging 12 rebounds a game, says he knows what he'll be doing.
"This is my ninth year in the league, so from an offensive standpoint, it's already pretty much [decided]what they want me to bring to the team."