You could say the good news about Jose Calderon’s injury is that we’re playing the Heat next and if need be he could be rested a bit more. But seeing how they’re 4-4 just like us, I don’t see this being an easy matchup, especially with Marion and Wade around. He had an MRI on his leg yesterday and the results are out. We saw a glimpse of life without Calderon in the fourth quarter against Philly and it wasn’t pretty. It was awful, Will Solomon, Roko Ukic and even Anthony Parker tried to run the offense and sad to say, Parker was the only one who looked somewhat capable. Not a knock on the other two (well, not on Roko at least) since they’re still learning the NBA way and are expected to suck for the next little while. We could trade for Belinelli but I don’t see how that would help us other than selling some tickets.
The next game is on Sunday and for all you Rogers folk should start warming up the old ham radio. It’s highly unlikely that the suits will come to an agreement by Sunday. The Rogers guys are holding out for an extra year of maid service while TSN2 insists that Lupa is already overworked. I’m surprised Rogers hasn’t done this deal yet because of how good of a PR move this would be for them, imagine the headline: Rogers takes bullet for Raptors fans, adds TSN2. Or something. MOSE executive VP and COO Tom Anselmi says its out of his hands and he’s sad that fans will miss the game but he’s not even entertaining the idea of moving the game to a different network. Way to look out for us, Tom.
Chris Bosh is talking about the Philly loss and wondering how the Raptors allowed Philly to get 19 transition points even after they had talked about stopping transition points.
“We just didn’t get back. We didn’t do the things we talked about stopping. We talked about limiting their transition points; they had 19 points in transition. That is one of their strengths and if you let them get out on the open court, they are going to be hard to beat.”
He sounds a little defeated. This team has talked the talk for three years now but hasn’t ever delivered on their words. It’s like pre-game everybody’s saying the right things, doing the right things in practice but as soon as you step out on the court – flop! Everything goes haywire and you come out with comments like these and everybody’s searching for answers as to why the team is performing so poorly seeing how they basically understood everything (or pretended to) prior to the game. Maybe this team’s like one of those girls that nods her head politely when their parents are telling her not to have sex but as soon as she walks out the door, everything’s out the other ear and she starts banging every Tom, Dick and Harry.
On the other hand, is this really a 4-4 team? Sure, we got some talent on the squad but we also have Hassan Adams. We’re third in the Atlantic and that’s exactly where every analyst put us in pre-season. So why the shock? It’s because we’re expecting the ideal outcome from the players and team on every night and when they don’t produce, we feel like its a letdown when in fact its entirely an expected result. Things in life follow the normal distribution curve and both the Raptors 3-0 start and losing 4 out of 5 is something you’d find at the ends of it. For this team to consistently play at a high level we’ll have to get the best and nothing but the best out of the real talent that’s on the team and for that to happen we need to be motivated, prepared, focused and armed with great execution. That’s NEVER going to happen under Sam Mitchell.
Expecting Jamario Moon, Anthony Parker or Jason Kapono to step up their game is setting your expectations too high. Parker is in decline, we’ve seen Kapono’s limits and Moon will never be the slasher and hard-worker we want him to be. He’s content on drifting on the perimeter, playing some occasional defense and being a loose cannon on the floor doing the little things right and the big things wrong, in fairness to him his actual basketball skill is very limited. The only reason he’s getting minutes is because he’s the most athletic guy on the team and for a squad that’s starving for it, he’s in perfect position to get some minutes. It’s like having an inflatable doll on a desert island, definitely not ideal but it’ll get the job done.
Good friends of RR, Hoops Addict, is having a contest where they’re giving more than $500 of Adidas stuff away just by leaving a comment in this post. I don’t buy Adidas, I spit on anything to do with Kevin Garnett.
A 4-4 record in the East is good enough for 16th in Hollinger’s Power Rankings. Speaking of the man, here’s a little tidbit from his Inside piece from yesterday:
The Orlando pre-draft camp is no longer; several reports say it will be replaced by a session in Chicago where teams do testing, heights and weights, but that no actual games will be played. This was a logical offshoot to the inexorable decline in the quality of participants, as players and agents realized playing could only hurt their draft stock if they were a likely first-rounder.
Given the lack of effort the Raptors have put in the drafts under Bryan Colangelo, I hardly think this affects them either way. Overall the camp being eliminated isn’t good for teams because it gave them a chance to tangibly evaluate the player further before making a decision, I suspect individual workouts will likely increase since a hard-working GM would like to see as much talent as possible before making a decision. Again, doesn’t affect us.
The shocking stat so far has been our rebounding – dead last in the NBA! Nobody’s talking about it because it hasn’t been the reason we’re losing games but its still intriguing. We add Jermaine O’Neal and our rebounding goes down? Bosh and O’Neal are grabbing 49% of the team’s rebounds right now which is close to the NBA average for the two bigs which mean our guards have to step up but as I said before, don’t expect them to.
That’s the Friday wrap-up. Check ‘Latest Web Articles’ throughout the day for more.
143 Raps
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re: We saw a glimpse of life without Calderon in the fourth quarter against Philly and it wasn’t pretty. It was awful, Will Solomon, Roko Ukic and even Anthony Parker tried to run the offense and sad to say, Parker was the only one who looked somewhat capable.
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: ) … : ) … : )
Oh god. Kill me now.
Anyway, we are third in the Atlantic, but what the hell does that mean? Currently we are 9th (according to ESPN’s standings) and out of a playoff spot if they started tomorrow – actually, we are tied with Miami, but I guarantee you we lose on Sunday if we play like we did Wednesday.
I don’t need to say it but coming in 9th is possibly the worst thing that can happen to a team. Out of the playoffs and not bad enough for a good shot in the lottery, which sucks if a draft pool is weak.
What really sucks is that the East is getting tougher and tougher. Gone are the days where 37-45 gets you a playoff spot in the East. The raps are going to have to scratch and claw just to get on the list – Boston, Detroit, Cleveland, Indiana, Atlanta, Orlando, Miami? Milwaukee? God forbid New York or Chicago? Outside of the Lakers, there are currently 5 teams in the East tied with or better than the second place in the West (Utah at 6-2). Maybe I’ve been watching the wrong games, but so far, I have not seen a lot of scratching and clawing coming from a lot of our players…
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re: The shocking stat so far has been our rebounding – dead last in the NBA! Nobody’s talking about it because it hasn’t been the reason we’re losing games but its still intriguing. We add Jermaine O’Neal and our rebounding goes down?
—————————
Despite what others might have ‘thought’ was going to be the off-shoot of the JO trade …
all were told quite clearly, in advance, what would be the actual EFFECT of that trade on this team’s REBOUNDING DIFFERENTIAL, back in the summer.
IT SHOULD BE NO SURPRISE AT ALL to those who paid attention.
Arse, Marion may not be a go for sure. So, that may help?
“we need to be motivated, prepared, focused and armed with great execution. That’s NEVER going to happen under Sam Mitchell.
Expecting Jamario Moon, Anthony Parker or Jason Kapono to step up their game is setting your expectations too high.”
I know, this keep getting rehashed. I’m just a little confused by what you are saying. Sam fails in all those areas or the players fail? Or is it a matter of a little of both? I know I keep saying this..but it takes two to tango. It doesn’t matter how well a coach does all those things if the players are not listening and I’m afraid that’s what’s going on. I’m just saying even if Sam’s plan of attack sucks, the players should be all those thing. Then again.. if it sucks it may discourage them, but that’s pathetic and IMO inexcusable.
Even if Marion isn’t ready, I fully expect Wade to bomb us for 30, and 20 would not be amiss from Beasley. Bosh and O’Neal should counter that (hopefully) so the real fight will come from the wings and the bench – and I would put my money on Miami’s reserves over ours.
* The Raptors’ reserves are actually better than the Heat’s.
* The Raptors’ Bigs will dominate the Heat’s in Sunday’s match-up.
* I expect the Raptors to win on Sunday but to struggle more in the return engagement in South Beach.
Flux, as we have seen Parker and Moon can have great games when things go right for them. This holds true for almost every other NBA player too. The question coming into this season was whether any of those guys can have career years to make up for the lack of depth on the team. I’m saying that given their talent level, its asking a lot for them to consistently produce at a high level (not impossible but improbable). And for us to even have an outside shot at some kind of consistent production from them the discipline, preparedness and focus of the team needs is nowhere near where it needs to be and Sam Mitchell is accountable for that.
I’m not exonerating the players or the coach, I’m saying the coach needs to prepare the team better, manage expectations, hold players accountable, get consistent effort out of the team and build an environment and culture which is geared to individual and team success. I know, its a hard job but as a head coach you’re ultimately responsible for the way your team plays.
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re: Nobody’s talking about it [i.e. Rebounding Differential] because it hasn’t been the reason we’re losing games
————————-
In reality … this couldn’t possibly be further from ‘Tha Truth’.
Flux, I think almost every Raptors fan on this earth would agree the team needs to upgrade at the wing AND get rid of Sam Mitchell. Of course the players are partly to blame but most of them can’t be fired and blown leads, slow starts, etc. have become part of this team’s character. Coaching in the NBA is a lot about establishing a team’s identity. I think Smitch has done a poor job of that and he doesn’t really bring much else to the table.
If I were Colangelo, in addition to being hurt by many of the terrible things said about me on this site, I would give Sam to the end of the year to surprise me. He did it once. Then I’d fire him. A surprise means a significant improvement in regular season record (50 wins or so) AND a run into the playoffs (a lengthy 2nd round appearance at least).
In the meantime I’d go to the Board and explain to them how much money a deep playoff run nets them and cook up some stats on how many tickets might not get sold next year if the team underachieves this year. If the Board was resistant to letting me go into the tax, I’d give a tell-all interview to the local papers explaining how the Board has made my job impossible and muse about my next GM gig. Then I’d trade Bargs IF I got back something. Gerald Wallace? Take him. Al Harrington? No thanks.
And if I couldn’t get a Wallace-type deal done, I’d be looking to other underachieving teams for someone. Maybe Washington continues spinning its wheels and Deshawn Stevenson could be got for AP.
There, problems solved.
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re: I’m not exonerating the players or the coach, I’m saying the coach needs to prepare the team better, manage expectations, hold players accountable, get consistent effort out of the team and build an environment and culture which is geared to individual and team success. I know, its a hard job but as a head coach you’re ultimately responsible for the way your team plays.
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… and, as the President/GM, the buck stops at BRYAN COLANGELO’s desk, in this regard …
especially, when HE mistakenly ‘thinks’ that this team, this season … qualifies as
“the best Raptors team we’ve had, so far, on paper.”
Others NEED to read that specific quote, again, and again, and again, and …
until it sinks in fully.
That’s precisely what the President/GM actually said about this roster of players, heading into this season … and it was bought ‘Hook, Line & Sinker‘ by so, so many in Raptorville.
———————
Well, you know what?
It wasn’t ‘bought’ by everyone.
This is the best lineup Colangelo has assembled. If I were looking to grind your particular axe Khandor, that’s the point I would make.
If we miss the playoffs, does Sam get canned? I’m sure he does. If we are one and done, does Sam get fired?
I’m with ya Arse. Thanks. I’m still having trouble deciding who to “blame”. I think what makes it hard is that we are not there for the practice sessions and day to day instructions he gives. I know it’s easy to say: “Well, look at what happens on the floor during game time.” But, for me it’s not as easy as that. It doesn’t explain how certain players are inconstant from one game to the next. It can’t be: he prepares them one them one day, not the next, can it? Is it that he mismanages them? He fails to put them in a positions to succeed? And does so every. single. time? If these things are all true, and all the people who criticize him are 100% accurate, how has he managed to keep his job this long?
k, that quote is on my wall at home. Went up the minute he said it.
Sam, that is telling as well. However, it certainly is NOT the best Raptors team, on paper, in history.
Morning, Sam.
Guess I should have refreshed before posting.
Sam and Khandor touch on what I have trouble with. I am not saying Sam is not accountable for anything, but he is working with what he was given.
Blowing leads may be his fault to a certain extent, but coming out slow and with no energy? No, sorry. That’s on the players. And then Sam gets the blame for not being able to dig them out of a hole.
Re: Rogers…here’s an idea: go to a game.
Also, Arse, if it doesn’t get lifted, might be a good reason to get the readers here together to watch the game.
Sam,
If that’s what you think I should be saying … then you don’t quite understand my full perspective just yet.
[which is okay and not your fault, at all ... since it's a difficult POV to comprehend fully unless someone was to take the time to read everything I've written about the situation going back several years now]
The fact is … the best team Bryan Colangelo has put together, thus far, for the Raptors was two seasons ago … which from my POV is precisely NOT what he should have been doing as the President/GM of this team.
That’s NOT the type of ‘development curve’ a franchise like the Raptors needed in the aftermath of Isiah Thomas, Glen Grunwald and Robcock.
And that quote is the key ingredient in the drink served at BC’s Kool-Aid Bar. HOW? HOW? How on this plant does that guy look at this roster and specifically the bench and then says that? Mind.Blowing.
i’m done with predictions, i just assume they’ll lose.
khan- how, exactly, is JO’s arrival the ‘reason’ for the poor rebounding? aren’t these numbers more part of the problem:
moon – 3.5 rpg (33rd among SFs) – down from 6.2 last year
AP – 2.3 rpg (39th among SGs) – down from 4.1
christ, kapono & jose are getting 2.8 per game.
that’s a difference of 4.5 boards per game from last year from just AP & moon, both of whom are playing significant minutes. which doesn’t sound like much, but adding those to our avg/game this year moves into the middle of the pack.
bargs has only marginally improved; bosh has stepped up his rate; the only contributing addition to the team (JO) is avg’ing 7.5 – nothing great, but better than rasho gave them last year (per 36, to account for PT discrepency).
i know, i know, i don’t understand.
Flux,
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re: It can’t be: he prepares them one them one day, not the next, can it? Is it that he mismanages them?
———————
What causes an individual player’s performance in the NBA to fluctuate so drastically is …
the specific match-up or mismatch he finds himself in on a given night, based upon who is on the other team for that specific game.
All-time Great players are rarely in mismatched situations. This is a big part of what makes them great, in the first place … i.e. their multi-dimensional versatility.
Very Good players can find themselves in easy matchups most nights and in some tougher match-ups vs certain opponents, based on their individual strengths and weaknesses.
Good players players can find themselves in better match-up situations on most nights but can really struggle every once in a while, if they’re in against the wrong opponent.
Average players can go either way …
Below average players are abused on a consistent basis …
Poor players have very few match-up situations which are to their benefit.
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NBA hoops is a match-up game.
When Chris Bosh annihilates the Charlotte Bobcats one night and then struggles to score vs the Celtics the next … it is NOT because of Sam Mitchell’s poor/questionable coaching skills … it’s because of THE DIFFERENCE between match-up vs Emeka Okafor and Kevin Garnett.
Nothing more and Nothing less.
Let’s see if we can get to 150 today all on the topic of what BC said. He said this is the best Raptors team on paper since he got here. That’s what he said, that’s what he meant and he is right. The Garbo team (RIP) overachieved and BC realized that a year too late. As mediocre as this team is, it’s better than last year’s team and better than the Garbo team if it achieves the same “us against the league” chemistry. That’s on paper – i.e. if every player on this team plays as well as he is able, this team is better than the last 2 years. That it is underachieving, again, is on the coach and, to a lesser extent the GM since even my cat knows that character, etc. matter in real games.
Colangelo is not the mastermind everyone portrayed him as after the Garbo team broke through. He’s a competent GM. A guy who has his moments – the D’Antoni Suns – and his low points – trading Kidd for Marbury. He may be too much a patsy for the Board but if that’s the case we are stuck with him for a good while. In my mind, the jury’s still out on the patsy question and I’m content he stick around longer than Smitch.
i like how khan shares with us his detailed wisdom, as though it’s something only he’s thought of. really? mismatches are the key? like, when a superior player goes up against an inferior one, the superior player is going to have success? really? thanks.
Sorry KHandor (and everyone else already tired of my posts) but surely part of the reason Bosh did poorly against the Celtics has to do with the coach’s failure to even challenge his good friend and idol – who happens to play on the cunty Boston Yankees. While he wasn’t the only Raptor who needed to grow a pair in that Boston game, he was one of the group.
yertu,
Maybe you really don’t understand, afterall.
* The drop-off in the REBOUNDING numbers of Moon & Parker is DIRECTLY connected with the arrival of Jermaine O’Neal [and what HIS strengths & weaknesses are, as a frontline NBA player].
NBA hoops is a classic game of ‘finite [rather than infinite] possibilities’ … where,
as I wrote once on my blog,
[paraphrasing]
“What you do determines where I go on the court” … and what it is I can/should do once I get there;
and,
there are only so many POSSESSIONS, in a single game,
regardless [not irregardless ... : )] who the specific players might be in that contest, for their respective teams.
When I wrote on Grange’s blog that the Raptors REBOUNDING would in fact NOT be improved at all this season, in the aftermath of trading Rasho Nesterovic as part of the JO deal + the release of Jorge Garbajosa + the decision by Carlos Delfino to go to Europe + the flip-flop of the No. 17 & No. 41 2008 Draft Picks … there were those who [don't really know as much about the game as they 'think' they do] couldn’t understand at all how this might actually come to pass this season.
Well … you know what?
“The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” – Anonymous
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Nuff said … about that.
yertu,
If this …
——————————–
re: i like how khan shares with us his detailed wisdom, as though it’s something only he’s thought of. really? mismatches are the key? like, when a superior player goes up against an inferior one, the superior player is going to have success? really? thanks.
——————————–
… is what you ‘think’ what I wrote means … then you really don’t GET IT at all, my friend.
Sorry, Sam …
—————
re: Sorry KHandor (and everyone else already tired of my posts) but surely part of the reason Bosh did poorly against the Celtics has to do with the coach’s failure to even challenge his good friend and idol
—————
No, I do not agree with that perspective at all.
Khandor, yeah I realize that. : ) I was just asking Arse where he stood. Not necessarily him, but a lot of people *cough Andiamo cough* don’t seem to think this the case. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. things go wrong or a player gets “worked” it’s: “Effin Sam that effin retard… way to go and match player x with player x or making or not making a sub” when even if the best possible matchup we can make is made, the discrepancy you point out occurs. Certain team are simply better then us, talent wise, and that’s where it ends. You can’t blame Sam for that.
Sam, we are shooting for 250 today ; )
no one should be shocked this team is .500. lots of us called for it in the offseason. and were ripped apart for it. i take no pleasure in seeing a $70 million team .500, but the hate mail was excessive, and hope some of us have a bit more credibility then we did before.
it is still early, and things can turn around, but i don’t see how based on what he have. when bosh/bargnani/o’neal combine for 64pts and 28rebs, and the rest of the team manages only 32 points, it’s not a good sign. what more can these guy do? it is unreasonable to expect o’neal to do 20 a night, because he can’t. bargnani can’t average that for the season, but he can bring up the production with added minutes.
jose needs to stay 100% healthy, moon should be relegated to the bench, kapono should start, and play at least 29 minutes. graham can’t start because he wont be used in the right way, and is too inconsistent.
barring some trade where the raptors are the clear winners, and don’t deplete their bench anymore…more of the same.
i can’t see miami being an easy win. our bigs will beat there’s, but that is never the problem. they have a dude called wade who’s licking his chops at the chance to run a train on our wings. i fully expect a split of these two upcoming games against the heat. which in itself upsets me to no end.
actually, khan, i tend to just skip over most of what you write, so i may very well not have interpreted it correctly.
what you’re saying about the rebounding may very well be true; what you seem to be implying (at least how i’m misreading it) is that o’neal is responsible for the TEAM’S lack of rebounding prowess. i’m merely contending that he’s holding up his end rather nicely, and that the wings/guards have to take a little responsibility for fulfilling their obligations on that front.
of course not re-signing CD hurts in that regard, and in many others, we’re now seeing, but how that relates to JO’s performance on the court relative to the 2’s/3’s is a difficult connection to make. i get that acquiring JO (& his contract) tied up any $$ they could have used to re-sign CD – but since my time machine’s broke, i think i’ll focus on what’s actually happening now, not what could have/should have been done 6 months ago. if it makes you feel better to continually proclaim how clairvoyent you were then, feel free.
last year, raps averaged 40.1 boards/game (28th in the league). this year, 36.8 (30th – last), a diff. of 3.3. now, if the combined difference of AP & moon is negative 4.5 from last year, how is that not directly related to what they’re doing?
question: does it ever get tiring assuming that you’re always right?
The scary thing about O’Neal is that, due to the last two games, people are like: “oh yay, we finally are getting something out of him” – I assume in regards to points, but the things is we didn’t need him to score points. We are getting outrebounded, teams consistently score a ton more fast break points then us and we are losing games when he does well. Waving fingers, overhyping a few blocks doesn’t count as defensive presence or swagger.
But we can look to this quote for answers: “I’m not just trying to fit in, either. I’m trying to be dominant.” In other words: I’m here to get mine. Don’t get it twisted playa!
and
“I’m brought in to take the team to the next level,” ok, HO – I’m still waiting.
“Now I’m in a position where I can play pain-free — and I’m two months away from training camp. It’s going to really be scary.” I ain’t scared, Perks and KG ain’t scared, in fact no one in the NBA is scared at all, HO.
Assuming? Did you say assuming?
“The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” – Anonymous
Funny thing … how that pudding works, in the end.
i have an idea for what you can do with that pudding…
Now … what I’m going to say next will surely draw fits of unadulterated laughter, as well, from certain individuals around here … and elsewhere on the internet … but c’est la vie.
One way to solve the Raptors CURRENT rebounding problems with their myriad line-up possibilities is to:
* Insert Kris Humphries into the starting line-up
* Increase the minutes of Andrea Bargnani
* Reduce the role of Jermaine O’Neal to the 4th Big
* Use Anthony Parker for heavy minutes, split between the ‘back-up’ PG and the ‘back-up’ OG positions
* Use Jamario Moon as the Starting PG, then adjust his minutes played in a specific game from there forward
* Use Joey Graham as the Starting SF, then adjust his minutes played in a specific game from there forward
* Use Jason Kapono as a situational substitute, at the SF/OG position, as the 3rd OG, behind Moon & Parker, and the 3rd SF, behind Graham & Moon … and then run specific set plays for him to shoot designate shots only, coming off single, double or staggerred screens … but reducing his minutes played overall from where they are right now
If the Raptors were to do these things … in conjunction with one another … then, they would be able to solve the problems which stem from their current REBOUNDING deficiency, once Jose Calderon is healthy again.
That right there … even though it is far from being the type of roster which should qualify as being the best one put together so far for the Raptors by the current President/GM … is the sort of ‘rotation’ which is capable of winning a 1st Round Playoff Series this season.
flux – simply stated, is JO an improvement over the guy he replaced (rasho) or not?
not a question whether he’s worth the money. not a question of whether he’s going to be near the player he used to be. just whether he’s better than the guy who otherwise would be filling his role.
as for his quotes – i guess we all see things how we want to. you see those statements with a negative slant, and others may take them at face value. i could care less what guys say in the press, the only thing that matters are the statements made on the court. has he been impressive? not consistently, but there have been flashes. if we’re willing to give guys like bargs & smitch time to develop & improve, i see no reason why the same benefit shouldn’t be extended to a guy like JO. not making any excuses, he needs to be better, and lead by example, if this team expects to make any noise this year. especially since it looks doubtful BC’s gonna grow a set & make a move.
moon as the starting pg? khandor…lol…he doesn’t the protect the ball well off the bounce at all. it makes me nervous when he grabs a long rebound, and dribbles off the court every once in a while…a whole game of it and my hair will fall out (or be pulled out).
khan – i fully agree with your suggested rotation.
yertu: the improvement over rasho isn’t justifiable. sure he gets more blocks, and has a better offensive game, but the rebounding situation hasn’t improved. for 20mill, you could have addressed that much better (bring in a rebounding 3, a backup forward who does nothing but rebound, sign dinosty as the 3rd pg…)
@ khandor
Wait, so by inserting Humphries into the starting lineup, you’d like Bosh or O’Neal off the bench?
except, who’s your starting SG?
yertu,
One can only imagine what your ‘left’ and ‘right’ hands would be doing, right now, if given the choice. : )
raps fan – agree to disagree, i think he’s an all-around improvement over rasho. at the time the deal went down, i wasn’t a big fan of it either, for the reasons you point out – mainly, that it didn’t address the real weaknesses of the team, left the cupboard bare of trade assets, and pushed them to the brink of the tax (leaving only enough to sign scrubs to fill out the roster). that’s not even getting into the possibility that the wrong PG may have been included. uh oh.
but that was then. nothing can be done to change it, so we can either continue to complain about things that happened 6 months ago, or focus on what’s happening now & on a go-forward basis. so right now, all other factors aside, i’d rather have JO as my starting 5 if the options were rasho or bargs, at least for this season, and at least until bargs shows enough improvement that he either moves into the starting 5 spot or is moved for the wing they still need.
onslaught – khan has strong feelings for hump. and not-so-strong ones for JO. JO would be the 2nd big off the bench, after bargs.
what does that even mean? man, i wish i wasn’t so dumb!!
Looking at the numbers.. a slight improvement.
O’Neal? Develop and improve? I hope you mean integrate with the team. And if that’s the argument, I refer you to KG and Ray Allen (i know, i know Sam’s fault, right?)
Dude has been off the court for a million years it seems, is fresh, injury free etc. etc. This is a question of overall impact on the team. Those things would make you think he should be averaging a lot more blocks and rebounds. Dude was gassed within minutes that 1st game, and I swear spends more time on the bench then on the floor.
Forget the money, it’s ALL the pieces we gave up.. not just Rasho. BC got fleeced. Like Khandor keeps saying.. why would Larry Bird get rid someone apparently so valuable? Their roster would only be better with JO on it, no?
gotta say…i was expecting a better sweater.
yertu,
NawH … read more carefully, next time.
Increasing Bargnani’s Minutes Played does not mean starting him.
STARTERS: 1/Calderon, 2/Moon, 3/Graham, 4/Hump & 5/Bosh
KEY BENCH SUBS: 1-2/Parker, 3-2/Kapono, 4/Bargnani [more MP], 5/O’Neal [less MP]
RESERVES: 1/Ukic, 1-2/Solomon, 3-2/Adams
OUT: 4-5/Jawai
——————–
A principal reason to start Hump over Il Mago would be to increase the energy level of the team straight out of the gate.
[on the whole though ... it would also work/have a positive effect if you flipped Hump & Bargnani in the above scenario, sans high energy to start the game]
still waiting on why khandor thinks moon should be the starting pg. he isn’t a starting sf, so why would he be a good starting/backup/imaginary pg, when that is the most important position on the team? please tell me you type-o’d there man…please…i can’t get over this.
Man we need more posters….
being off the court for a million years…that’s sorta, kinda part of the problem, no? i mean, i assume you’ve played (or still play). if you take a few months off from playing, but are still generally active, then go back & play, how long can you go in your first few games until you’re gassed? i’m in pretty good shape, i play from sept – may a few times a week, but take june-sept off to let my knees/ankles rest/rehab. every sept., it always takes me a few weeks before i get my legs back to where they should be. i assume that’s why smitch has been going to him early, while he’s fresh.
if there’s cause for concern w/ JO, it’s that he’s never been an efficient offensive player, and that’s not something that’ll likely improve.
Why is that, Edgar? And I don’t see you posting often except to throw in a one line every once in while. Is there a limit on how many times one is to post? Why even have a comment section then?
khan – that’s why i said you feel JO should be the 2nd big OFF THE BENCH – BEHIND BARGS…bargs being the 1st big off the bench.
Umm.. well, being in Las Vegas with a trainer since May 10th, then training camp and preseason… I am absolutely shocked and baffled by him being gassed.
I don’t care about his offensive efficiency…I keep seeing the “I was brought in for defensive swagger” commercial. We didn’t need dude to score – that was not a problem for the Raps.
This blog is being hijacked and I am forced to comment which is outside the norm. I much prefer to just read. Flux and boys, take it a little easy please.
RapsFan, what is a rebounding 3 and how is he going to help in rebounding more than JO? Please explain.
Flux I was writing a post, then decided I didn’t know what the fuck I was talking about and deleted it, but you’ve given me some courage. I don’t like the Pacers trade – I was worried when it said O’Neal and as time goes by, I’m sure we got screwed. We NEEDED that 17th draft pick – think of all the wing problems that could’ve been solved with that pick? Batum? CDR? Bueller? Bueller?
Colangelo should’ve just told Morrey or whatever to think about the next year with Jamaal Tinsley and 20 million dollars sitting on the bench DOING NOTHING. We could’ve given them a 2nd round pick on top of Baston, Rasho and Ford, but that 1st rounder was the deal breaker.
Has anyone else ever had that hardcore high school coach that started out training camp with “I want you to dribble a basketball everywhere you go” speach? Apparently Jamario Moon hasn’t (and to some extent Parker). It’s either a lack of comfort/confidence or skill. Jamario gets enough seams/lanes to drive that he should be able to exploit either by getting in the paint or drawing defenders for the pass (he’s a decent enough passer to execute). Thats all the creativity we need out of our wings right now – not Kobe-like iso’s or Rafer-esque streetball…
Raps Fan,
There are different ways to play the #2-spot, in the NBA, for a good team.
Despite what some might think … when you ‘look inside the numbers’ the fact is Moon can actually shoot the ball adequately, from specific spots on the floor, and especially when he’s shooting certain designated shots.
A principal reason to play him at #2, however, is that ‘physically’ the best players who toil at this spot, in the NBA, are an easier check for Moon, based on size, strength & explosive quickness, than the dudes who work at #3 [Lebron & Pierce, etc.], every night in this League.
Of the players who regularly work at the #2-spot … only 2, KOBE & D-WADE, would present a major mismatch for Jamario.
A second principal reason would be to increase his REBOUNDING advantage which exists moreso at the #2-spot than it does at the #3. Moon is one of those rare NBA players who is actually a better rebounder at either the #4-spot [where he has a major quickness advantage] or the #2-spot [where he has a size advantage], than he is at the #3 [where he has '0' advantage].
Of course his dribbling skills would be a liablity at the #2 position … but this would be easily compensated for by his improved D & Rebounding. [in addition to his better passing, when covered by a smaller player, e.g. Ray Allen]
I dunno maybe I am wrong.. I thought people blog to express opinion and have discussion with others. And I thought hijacked meant talking about something completely irrelevant. None – I have no idea what you just said means.
I’ll let one of the gents from RR crew let me know if I am not welcome. Until, then .. the more the better. Don’t be shy – Rap away, people. Variety is the key to life.. or something like that.
Darien, I have no idea what I am talking about half the time either..I am here trying to get a clue. No worries.. post away. And I agree, 17 pick should have never been given up. The funny thing about the CDR thing, and Arse and few of us can tell you as we sat there watching, hoping and then crying/screaming, how he fell ALMOST right to us only to be snatched by the Nets and then we go Jawai. No offense to the young man, but how did that turn out thus far? And why did we need another big? The past part is when I read BC saying “Well, we had 5 or 6 offers on the table and this is the one we felt worked best for us” Boy oh boy, would I love to see what we could have had. A real insight towards how the mind of one BC works.
ok, so it was a typo…OG not PG right? i can live with him as OG. ray allen and rip hamilton would kill him too.
yertu,
My mistake.
I was reading quickly and jumbled what you said with part of what Onslaught said and then mixed them both up.
flux – i don’t totally disagree, just trying to understand the situation myself. there is no substitute for actual game action, so even if he was working out & rehabbing over the summer, he wasn’t (likely) playing in any actual games, and there is a difference. if, in a couple weeks, he still looks flat & dead-legged in the 4th Q, then i’ll be forced to admit whole-heartedly that he’s either lost it, or is so woefully out of shape that it takes half a season to recoup his bounce.
wiser – how’s the blog being hijacked, we’re commenting on the blog entry & what others are saying about same? i mean, the entry itself went on a number of different topics, so is it even possible for it to be hijacked?
a rebounding 3 is jamario moon, circa 2007/08.
Raps Fan,
If I wrote PG instead of OG, then, yes, indeed … that was a typo. : )
By OG you mean Original Gangsta right? Just so we’re clear on that.
Khandor – I dunno about Moon being a better defender at the 2 spot necessarily since its rare for him to be backed down or overpowered by 3’s. I think the primary reason for his current position is that it (theoritically) makes him closer to the basket which means in a more advantageous position for weakside help etc. Deng/Lebron/Maggette are not generally shut down by one guy other than forcing them to drive to their off hand/and or help. To dominate a player defensively you have to be leaps and bounds quicker and smarter and it really just doesnt generally happen in pro basketball…
Call me crazy but could this work…?
JO at the 5
Bargs at the 4
Bosh at the 3
???
I mean it sometimes seems like Bosh would rather play as a 3 sometimes…
yertu,
Would not want it to be said of me that I failed to recognize [acknowledge & sincerely appreciate!] this comment of yours.
re: khan – i fully agree with your suggested rotation.
As ‘the Warrior’ said in June,
“Anything is Possible!“ … afterall.
Keep on Truck’n
Yertu, i hear ya. True, not a lot of time on court. But missing shots is one thing – gassed is another. I expected him to come out and dominate – like HE said – but I am being told to wait for the rust to fall off and then everything will be cool. IMO, he should have said: It will take me a couple of games to get back into the groove or whatever..not I’m gonna dominate, it’s gonna be scary. Not too many players come out gassed and it turns into a good thing.. that I know of.
Let’s see what happens I guess.
“JO at the 5 – Bargs at the 4 – Bosh at the 3″
1 post player and 2 power forwards is fine but its brings up defensive questions – I tend to agree that Bosh would have slightly better footspeed for chasing guys on the perimeter and through screens than Bargs but it would be hard on him considering his normal offensive burdens etc. I would expect it would be by matchup defensively and not by position if that makes sense…
kidM, I think that’s outside the box thinking and worth a shot. The only bad thing about that lineup is that you’d be taking Bosh away from the rim which means our best rebounder won’t be in a great position to rebound. Keep also in mind that we’re the worst rebounding team in the league. He might be able to hold his own against the threes on the perimeter.
KidM.. call me nuts too! I SWEAR that’s what Bosh thinks – he is a 3 or a 2. You see the shooting, right? He LOVES it!! Every time he takes a shot, I hear him saying.. “All day, baby! All day!”
Edgar, that’s the way!!!!
Call your friends, everyone. Aunts, uncles, whathaveyou… I wanna know what Grandma and the crazy old guy down the street thinks about what we need to do with Jose out. And I wanna see it on RR!!! Represent MFs!!!!
Ugh don’t like that Garnett speech. I was so high on Garnett but that interview was just so … blargh
Where is Sam, btw? I got an idea for THE REVOLT!
Edgar,
I agree with you that those types of elite players are generally not ’shut down’ by just one guy … but, IMO, a team approach has a much better chance of succeeding [i.e. holding them in-check, somewhat] against those types of players when the person at the point of attack [in this specific instance] has a physique which looks like Dennis Rodman’s or Bruce Bowen’s or Joey Graham’s, etc., rather than Jamario Moon’s or [heaven forbid] Jason Kapono’s.
[Note: IMO, a 'thin' defensive specialist, at this specific spot, like Michael Cooper & Stacey Augmon, has to have a certain type of 'strength' about his 'frame' that Jamario Moon does not have, at least, not as yet, which allows him to check both the #3 & #2 spots effectively in this League. Without that type of 'strength', IMO, a player like Moon has a better chance of succeeding at the #2 than he does at the #3.]
My main concern with this team is the fact that we literally have no cheap wing talent with even the potential of spelling one of our starters. Joey has yet to prove that he can play consistently at a high level, jamario is 27 and isn’t going to improve any time soon, Adams doesn’t seem to be an NBA player at this point.
We can’t rely on trades to solve all of our problems. I feel like we are one more overpayment for marginal talent away from being the new york knicks. All the good franchises have a couple guys they drafted in the late first round whom turned out to be studs. A la Bynum, Tony Parker, Ginobli, Stuckey, Maxiell etc.
I feel like its the Toronto Maple Leafs pre-cap all over again.
Flux, I’m the crazy old guy down the street. That’s my role and I can’t handle competition. I’m too old for that shit.
And the People’s Subcommittee on Direct Action will consider your 5-year plan for seizing the means of basketball production. Please communicate via the suggestions box.
Anybody have any thoughts on what kind of deal jamario gets in this league after his contract expires?? I wonder what other teams think is worth is? Is he even in the league after this season?
ROFL Sam!! OK, this is going to be waaaay out there and won’t be accepted, but I kindly request that the good people of the Subcommittee to consider. This was inspired by the Euro talk yesterday.
You know how someone said we should wear blue t-shirt in protest? I say we have PENNY NIGHT. Everyone has a penny in their pocket, right? At the start of the game… everyone throws a penny onto the court, in protest. They can’t screen for pennies on the way in, right? The only concern I have is people’s aim and reach. Maybe just the people in the closest sections?
I am now ready for ridicule. Bomb away.
Sanders, I know, right? How come we never pull out a gem? And Moon will get a contract based on athleticism alone, I think.
——————————-
re: I feel like its the Toronto Maple Leafs pre-cap all over again.
——————————-
MLSE … Maple Leafs … Raptors … Richard Peddie & Larry Tanenbaum … Bryan Colangelo, hired mid-season in 2005-2006 … and, now, perhaps, Brian Burke?
Hmmmmmmmm …
Sanders … Bingo!
Personally, I’m a big fan of Sam (Mitchell). ;D
(Not supporter, a FAN!)
If the season ends today Jamario gets a 2-3 Mill/year contract. Doesnt sound like much huh. Well one has to consider the reason he did so well last season is he had all the skills that the team lacked (athleticism, rebounding and shot blocking) and thrived in heavy minutes due to his exclusive skills. Does he get those minutes on Miami? Utah? etc? I’m not so sure… If he tears it up this season to the tune of last he gets a 3-4 mil contract tops. Dropping out of the league or getting 12 man min contract is the worst case but is actually possible if he does this poorly all year…
moon – if he continues on his current path (and let’s hope to all hell he turns it around), isn’t europe a more likely landing spot? or are they sticklers for things like ‘fundamentals’ over there?
Ok I’m on lunch and got my Sushi in front of me and ready to do some hardcore ball talk…
It’s funny…not haha funny, but pathetic funny…this “analyzing” of the Raptor lineups…like changing these Titanic deck chairs is going to make any fucking difference whatsoever.
I bet they resign Marvin K. Mooney for above mentioned cash @3-4 years and pickup Delphino for 3 to 4/per and make an effort to retain Parker beit at 3 mil tops per at less than 2 guarenteed years. He symbolizes BC’s first year and could still be 6th man of the year quality. Of course thats assuming BC doesnt blow up this wing situation with a major trade/signing – If so then all bets are off…
I HAVE TO KEEP REMINDING ALL, THIS IS 8 GAMES INTO A 82 GAME SEASON
@ 4-4 AFTER LOSSES TO DETROIT, BOSTON, AND THE 6-1 ATLANTA. When Rap’s won the Atlantic the first year they started 2-8, things could be much worse, and may get worse before they get better.
Raptors are still a WORK IN PROGRESS adapting to the TWIN TOWERS in the post, including the Bigs, the Wings, and the PG’s. It is a different offensive focus and game plan than last year.
Colangelo in bringing in O’Neal and signing Calderon, a 1/2 court PG vs TJ and his attacking PG style, set the style of play for this year.
There should be more focus on the inconsistent defensive intensity than the offense. Without Jose, and much scoring from the wings and guards they still scored 96 pts vs the Sixers, and were within 4/6 points in the fourth, at several points, and unable to make stops, and gave up 106 due to very poor defensive play.
This is a TEAM thing, that until the leadership, Bosh, O’Neal, and Calderon, make it the #1 PRIORITY and INSIST on it (ala KG) without all the histronics, the Raptors will continue to win when all play well, and lose when some struggle. The coaching staff can talk till they are blue in the face, but they still have to put 5 players on the floor.
Sorry, I don’t have all the suggestions Kandor, etc do as to how BC or Sam shoud do their thing, I find that a waste of effort, and will leave it to the professionals.
I do feel that Colangelo needs at least 20/25 games to evaluate how accurate his initial assesment of this being his most talented team in Toronto, on paper, is.
REGARDING THE REBOUNDING-Last in the NBA, a meaningless Number.
-33 total first 2 games both wins.
-11 total last 6 games 2 wins, avg -1.8 game
not perfect but a big improvement, with room to grow, not the cause of the losses. Defensive intensity / and the lack of is the cause.
haha maybe we go frankenstein and put Parker’s brain In Joey Moon or Delphino’s young bodies…
I am actually curious what it would take to get a guy like Belinelli to the Raptors. It would at least give us some options at the 1 or 2. If the warriors still aren’t playing him, what is his value realistically? Does an expiring contract by the name of joey graham get it done?
i don’t know if i can stomach another soft-type player on this team. we need a big dude who has crooked teeth, eats raw chickens, has scruffy facial hair (no nastiness like gooden) and talks like a southern hick.
So an ornary Jamario minus a razer? lol yeah I see way to much Navarro in Belinelli. I honestly think the easiest upgrade at the moment is Stevenson – a guy we should have signed after Salmons ditched instead of Fred fucking Jones uh! Imagine if we had Salmons right now? Oh Salmons why have you forsaken me!
I would argue that the Raptors identity has changed a fair bit this year with Bosh’s increased intensity (although I did see him help someone up off the floor in the Philly game), and JO’s influence, but it takes time for things to gel and a new identity to truly be formed. But the identified issues are at the 2/3 spot, and scoring from there is an issue, so why not get a guy who can score a little?
As an aside, guy who eats raw chickens may be limited in his effectiveness by the cronic cases of salmonella….
P.S. Stevenson minus the beard only. And make a stipulation in his contract never to make eye contact nor speak to Drew Gooden. Yeah put that in there right between moped use and snowboard lessons from Radmanovic.
thejad, what do you see in Belinelli?
Hey guys – show of hands – who would do Kapono and ‘09 1st rounder for John Salmons? Lottery protected obviously…
I wouldn’t. I think Kapono can be an asset given our big man situation. He just happens to be trying to do too much right now and is being misued by Sam (shock). I also want the Raptors to get some young NCAA blood in here so I do want them to draft for a change.
In Belinelli, something other than an undersized scrub who can’t shoot.. An improvement than most of the other assets we have on the bench, and an opportunity to create a buy low sell high type situation on a prospect…… I mean in fairness as much as no one’s really interested, the guy in limited minutes is shooting 53% from the field and 67% from 3, and is a career 40.7% shooter and 42.6% from 3.. and as sam said.. we just aren’t making shots………
2 of the “big three” Raptors were drafted by the team. Both of them pre-Colangelo.
He uses the #1 pick on a flyer.
Then he trades almost every pick we have had since.
That is a great GM.
and no, edgar. I don’t want someone here who turned his back on us once.
Fair enough Altraps – But DeShawn Stevenson is a prime candidate considering he’s losing minutes this year to Nick Young and to a lesser extent Juan dixon… and has an affordable contract – Joey or Hump for DeShawn and cash…
Khandor,
You made the same lineup suggestion on your blog, and while I agree it looks interesting, I think it’s highly doubtful they’ll play JO in a backup role. I think it’s more feasible, if they wanted to play your lineup, that they pull JO after about the first six minutes for Hump or Bargs. Again, they’ll lose that Hump energy to start the game you’re hoping for, but I simply don’t see them pulling JO off the starting lineup at this time.
I think the starting lineup (Caldy, Moon, Graham, Hump and Bosh) you suggest also will have some big problems scoring the ball, unless JC starts running again and guys like Moon, Graham and Hump pick up some fast break points off lobs, offensive putbacks, etc. In a half court offense, everybody knows who’s getting the ball. Sam would be obliged to create an offense where the 2,3, and 4 (Hump in this case) are constantly moving and cutting to maximize their skillsets. Do you think Smitch is up for that? Now, if what Graham showed in Boston – the ability to line drive/knock down those open jumpers at the top of the free throw circle – is something he now can do consistently, then that helps. But with that lineup, do you really think he’ll be getting those open jumpers anymore?
Did it hurt anyone else to see that Lindsey Hunter signed with Chicago. I know the money’s not there but he’s the perfect fit…
Do not make the mistake of thinking that the Wizards are going to stay down at the bottom of the EC standings for the entire season … as long as they retain Eddie Jordan as their head coach [if they have a brain-cramp and fire him then all bets are off however, re: where they finish this season].
If Washington can somehow manage to stay afloat until New Year’s Day … which is what I expect them to do … and ‘Agent 0′ returns to action, healthy … the Wizards are yet another team that qualifies as a ‘Middle-of-the-Pack’ contending team in the EC this year.
What sets the Wizards apart from the Raptors, however … heading towards the future … is the number of relatively young but solidly talented NBA players on their current roster.
thejad, since when does a 40% count as a good shooting percent for a SG? I think we have something comparable in Roko right here if we give him time. I see what you mean on the buy low sell high front but I just don’t think its worth it.
Edgar, I think you’re forgetting how frustrating Hunter was when he played for us. Plus, he’s much worse now, how old is he? 38? He’s a great role player but with the Raps he’ll just come in and start jacking up shots. That’s what Raptors role players do, they jack shit up. It’s because they have no direction or specific instruction.
Edgar.. my man!! Is this the TAKE OVER!? Nice work! Light this b***h up!!
I agree with Johnn19 minus the “rebounding is nonsense” and “it’s only been 8 games”. We’ve been able to score for a while now. WE NEED TO D UP and SHUT MFS DOWN. The OLE! D we play now or at least the inconsistent d we play just doesn’t cut it.
And spare me the gelling and integration excuse… KG and RayRay didn’t need that.
RE: JO riding pine? You think TJ was starting sh*t last year? I would LOVE, just LOVE to be in the locker room when someone runs that by JO.. it’be Starbury 2.0 x 10K.
Arse: “That’s what Raptors role players do, they jack shit up…”
Hilarious, but too true.
Join the Raps! Shoot that ball! Increase ppg! Score a contract! Stay out of the paint! Save your body! Live the good life!
Flux – haha the comment about needing more posters was half joke half noticing the preaching going on rather than discussion (I tend to throw random ideas out there)… plus i’m bored at work and dont wanna do actual work…
Arse – I know where you’re coming from but if Hunter can bring us half of what he brought the Pistons in 10-15 mins/night… take the comment more of a fan’s frustration about lack of cap/tax flexibility…
I saw someone from RaptorsRepublic holding a sign at the last game. Who was that?
Arse, back2back 100 comment days!! And it’s not even game day! RAPTORSREPBULIC!!!! WHAT! WHAT! ; )
Tim, should I laugh or cry? That’s a wonderful tradition we have established.
I wanted the Raps to throw some money at Keyon Dooling in the off-season, this was before he brought Roko over. But now that Roko’s here, I don’t get the point of having Will Solomon and Hassan Adams taking up valuable roster space. Just make Roko the FT backup PG.
Now I understand Colangelo’s got a fetish for European scrubs but couldn’t he have gotten some athletic European scrubs in here, how about Allan Ray? I wouldn’t mind him here. I think people are starting to realize what Carlos Delfino brought to this team. Sure, the fucker wore makeup, jacked up some bad shots and did guys in his spare time, but he could score, ALWAYS played D and could’ve played the PG to ease pressure off Roko.
kidM: That was Brandon (James Ballswin Realizar) .
Free Roko!
The only “knock” vs Carla was the hot one night cold the next.
I dont get how much diff that is compared to Parker except Tony gets consistent minutes…
You’re right, I’m not saying Delfino should be playing 35 minutes a game for us either. If you reduce Parker’s minutes and take the pressure of being a starting SG off of him, he’ll be more relaxed and perform better. I guarantee you everyone will be with his role. One of the problems with this team is that guys like Parker and Moon are being asked to perform beyond their talent and skill levels.
Back to Delfino, I thought he was a much better defender than Parker. The guy used to pick up a charge a game and always chose to take his chances with the blocking foul instead of have his man go by him every time.
lets blame the talent,lets blame bc,lets live in a fantasy world where bc can magically go out and easily get everything that sam has been clamouring for and using as an excuse night after night after every loss this season.not once has sam ever said”it was me tonight,i fucked up”.sam botches shit and then clamours for these players to magically appear…..if it was so easy to get done and have the perfect roster,what the fuck would we need a coach for?….but thats what sam wants and hes running out of excuses.lol,last year it was rebounding and toughness and bc got him jo,we still motherfuckin suck at rebounding but sam has found an even better escapegoat to mask his retardation.lol……excuse after excuse,blaming everyone but himself……………….hmmmm,i just figured it out.if sam had an ounce of humility and actually took responsibility instead of constantly throwing his players under the bus.id respect him….how the fuck u think roko and will feel today after sam plays ap at the pg then basically tells the media that these 2 guys are garbage?.thats’ll do wonders for their confidence next time the pull up for a jumper and sam just compounded the issue by being an idiot.
To be honest… my memory of carlos was that he was good maybe every one in three or four games and that if he missed his first shot or two you mind as well sit him down for the rest of the game. Why does everyone think that getting the retreads from teams that were mildly more successful than this one… which i think is still out for jury… is a good idea?
I feel like its one of those situations where you remember all the good about someone the longer your away from them only to remember why they pissed you off so much when they come back…
Tim,
* I agree … those line-ups I suggested have little chance of being implemented anytime soon for this team … but, not because they wouldn’t work or are fundamentally flawed for some reason, only because of the other ‘issues’ which revolve around this team at the moment, i.e. the price paid for O’Neal and the perception/ramifications such a shift would bring about.
* If ever implemented, you’re correct … Defense & Rebounding would NEED to become the staple product of this team, at least in the 1st Quarter to get things off on the right foot each game … after which, there would be plenty of opportunity to spread around the wealth on the offensive end of the floor.
* If ever implemented … the offensive structure of that 1st unit would not necessarily have to involve the type of cutting action you identified.
IMO, there are any number of other effective alternatives which would fit quite well with that group of players, including:
(i) the simple post-to-post cross-screen action which they added to their repertoire last game vs Philly;
or the ultra-simple …
(ii) ‘Put Bosh on the Right Block, give him the ball, allow him to face-up, with his ‘pet’ Left Foot Reverse Pivot, space the floor with
(a) Hump at the Left Elbow with instructions to dive to the rim if his check leaves to help [at all],
(b) Calderon at the TOTK [where he hit his game-winning shot vs the Bucks, and from where he was 32-59/.542 last season],
(c) Moon in the L-TOTK spot [from where he was 27-50/.540 last season], and,
(d) Graham in the Left Corner [from where he hit that catch & shoot 3 vs Boston], where he would cut to after passing CB4 the ball from the R-Wing position on the floor …
and then let Chris go-to-work against his individual check, creating open shots for himself and his teammates’;
or,
(iii) which sees Hump & Bosh exchange their roles from (ii).
* And, please, remember that the ‘Offensive Cavalary’, in the form of some combination of Parker, Kapono & Bargnani would be at-the-ready, on the bench, set to go at approx. the 04:00 mark of the 1st Quarter … with Jermaine O’Neal coming in sometime after that, as the defensive anchor for his specific five-some.
Sam
Nov 14, 2008 9:12 am | Permalink
In the meantime I’d go to the Board and explain to them how much money a deep playoff run nets them and cook up some stats on how many tickets might not get sold next year if the team underachieves this year. If the Board was resistant to letting me go into the tax, I’d give a tell-all interview to the local papers explaining how the Board has made my job impossible and muse about my next GM gig. Then I’d trade Bargs IF I got back something. Gerald Wallace? Take him. Al Harrington? No thanks.
Colangelo wouldn’t in a million years destroy his reputation he took years to build. That’s not in his “character”. I think he would rather take the fall any day of the week then bad mouth his employer.
This is the guy that wouldn’t fire Sam when he was COTY because well, you just cant fire the man who won 47 games, yet got assasinated in the playoffs.
I love Andiamo. He sounds like a true fan who’s just sick of this shit. Gotta agree with Sam always blaming others before he blames himself. If Jerry Sloan can say ‘I fucked up’, why can’t Sam? Good point on Roko’s perspective of the situation too, if Sam plays AP at the point, what does it say about our PGs? My take on that is, who cares, we need production at the backup PG, don’t care if egos are hurt.
Sanders, when a player starts taking bad shots and doesn’t get reprimanded for it, he’ll continue to take bad shots. The discipline on this team is slightly better this year but last year it was the worst of any team I’ve seen. Delfino, Ford, Moon and even Bosh were constantly taking bad shots from the first to the fourth quarters. I think this is where a coach steps in and takes charge and ensures that a player’s positives are being used while his demons are being kept in check. I mean, isn’t that what a coach does????
The NBA is not a development league. You have to fucking contribute from the beginning. BC has been a GM for 15 years. Had a legend in Jerry his father to learn from yet he still doesn’t get it.
Jump shooters who are afraid of contact don’t win championships. How hard is that to understand. If your running a team, you bring in proven NBA Talent. You do not bring Roko Ukic, Will Solomon, Hassan Adams, Anthony Parker, Moon.
New Orleans didn’t sign Hassan Adams to be a guard, no there not stupid. They bring in James Posey, a proven winner
Sloan can afford to say that, Sam can’t. No? And I think Sam plays favorites.. Some players he goes off on, others he doesn’t.
I wonder if Darius Miles could help us…
Keep wondering Adam, keep wondering.
I don’t know if I am spending too much time reading the Sam hate or what, but I am starting to wonder if, regardless of what BC gave him, is he getting the most out of these players and utilizing them properly? I always give him the benefit of the doubt and think the players are choking. Hmmm… and if he’s such a horrible coach and no one in the NBA would want to play for him, why did JO agree to coming here?
Aaaand another take, from SLAM, what do you guys think?
I was a guest on a radio show hours before the season tipped-off. One of the hosts asked me if I was looking forward to the Philly-Toronto match. I said something to the effect of, Of course not, Toronto’s soft and Philly’s overrated. Then, after the Rapts handled the Sixers, the host emailed me, warning me to rethink my stance on Toronto. I hedged, put my tail between my legs and said that maybe I spoke too soon, that maybe Toronto is street-tough now and the Eastern Conference is on notice. They’ve gone 3-4 since then, with losses to Boston, Detroit, Atlanta and Philly, four of the best squads in the Conference. I can’t figure this squad out. I’m definitely not cool with dismissing them as I have in the past. They have two big men playing exceptionally well. O’Neal is beyond solid in his new role and Bosh is a newly aggressive beast–I even saw him barking on his teammates after a blown defensive assignment. Calderon is often sublime. They have athleticism on the wing and Bargnani is an enviable option off the bench. Still, I remain skeptical, they just lack something abstract. I think they scare a lot of teams, but no one fears them. There’s a difference.
Sam hasn’t admitted he **messed** up because he hasn’t yet.
Alt, I didn’t know you had a sweet spot for Sam. Is it because you want to blame BC for as much as possible?
Good coaches keep their jobs… or are coaches that keep their jobs good? example? Eddie Jordan.
Khandor, re: your second offensive set. That’s no different than the Bosh iso play we run now, and it often works (remember when Bosh waited for the double to come close and dumped it back to Caldy for the open trey).
The only difference is you have Graham in the left corner (not as threatening as Parker) meaning his man can hedge to cover Hump and Hump’s man can double to Bosh, meaning Calderon is still not wide open.
The other problem I’ve seen with the iso this year (and I posted this at Grange, so sorry if you’re already seen it) is that when Bosh misses, the ball rims weakside or into the paint, meaning it’s an easy D-board for the defending squad (though good offensive rebounders often can take advantage of weakside positioning). The only way I’ve seen around this (because Bosh has enough skill to use the iso effectively so we shouldn’t drop the play) is that someone needs to stick a probe up Moon’s arse and as soon as Bosh releases the shot, the probe goes off and Moon realizes it’s time to crash the boards instead of watching the shot, hopefully picking up O-boards that pop directly out into the paint. Having Hump out there to fight his man for position will also help to pick up some O-boards on the weakside. The other three have to get the hell back though to defend against possible fast break points off outlet passes.
Sorry for the long posts guys, but I’m agreeing with alot of people that the talent the Raps have right now is what they have, and the only way this team improves is through better execution. They’ve got limited offensive plays, we might as well see how they can run them better.
What more can a coach do though? Ok, so maybe Kapono will stop dribbling and just shoot the 3 from now on and Jamario will start to slash more. we’ll set more screens and sets. We’ll become less perimeter oriented and and do most of our damage from mid range or paint like Houstan or Utah.
Do we have the players to pull it off? Me thinks no.
Long time reader, first time poster. Thats a lie, i’ve posted, chatted and a such a few times on this site…anyways, i digress.
I’d just like to give props to the mens the put this production together. A few years ago, there wasn’t too much fantastic raps material around, on the web and otherwise…raptorblog was a very welcome addition but I yearned for more raps reads to feed my terrible addiction, as carefoot had/has a tendency to get fucking lazy (ie. has a wife, a kid and other jobs, that is to say, a life..and thats good for him), So, the quality articles that pop up and the readers that pop off are just what a creepy raps observer/hesitant contributer needs.
this is all to say. sick fucking site quite the discourse you’ve started here.
gunshot!
Ok here’s the real plan. Calderon bulks up and learns how to penetrate and becomes an all around all star. We lose a little bit this year and get the 6th pick in the draft. WE FUCKING KEEP IT and steal a sleeper Dwayne Wade and then its NBA FINALS BABY ALL THE WAY!
What a plan! BC would be crazy not to follow it! Wow! I am so amazing! I should be the GM!
watching the Detroit Laker game now
Detroit is so fucking tough and don’t back down from anyone. Lakers are 7-0 and does Detroit give a shit about there record? No, there laying the smack down.
Anthony Parker and Moon would be shitting there pants before the plane lands. There so mentally soft its embarrasing.
Tim,
1. Sometimes a key to helping a team improve isn’t going to a new set play per se but learning how to do a better job with the set plays that are in the playbook already. You’ve noticed correctly that THE difference in what I’ve proposed is WHO the players actually are, on the court with one another, not the play itself.
Although many people think that Moon & Graham can’t shoot the ball very well … the fact is those people are wrong.
e.g. http://nba.com/hotspots
2. Please notice that (ii) is not exactly the Wing ‘iso’ that the Raptors like to run for Bosh, where he steps out to the perimeter [from the block] on the Right side of the floor. It’s an iso in the Low Post or from a mid-range spot.
3. You’re correct … having Hump’s energy in that Weak Side Rebounding position is a different beast entirely than having either Bargnani of O’Neal there!!! … and, when you put players like Graham in the L-Corner and Moon in the L-TOTK, where they can both (a) shoot the ball effectively and (b) use their athleticism to crash the boards on CB4’s missess [with their individual defenders in a 'sagging off'] … the Offensive Rebounding numbers for this group-of-5 would be significantly higher than they are right now … i.e. when the Raptors run this same play with a combination of Parker, Moon & Kapono in those two spots.
Joey,
The Lakers’ onslaught has been coming in the 2nd half in their last few games, when they get into their bench for the 2nd time and their opponents just haven’t been able to stay with them.
Of the teams they’ve played so far … Detroit actually matches up with their bench the best …
for example, using the line-up on the court right now:
1/Prince, 2/Iverson, 3/Rip, 4/Brown-K & 5/Rasheed
and might throw a scare into LA tonight, until deep into the 4th Q … before the Lakeshow finally takes advantage of Will Bynum and puts the Pistons the away for good.
I was watching that too, Iverson’s making that team play at a very high speed. Detroit defense has been suffocating, Prince all over Kobe.
I saw Boston/Denver before this. Note to Mitchell: Notice how Carmelo wasn’t used as a decoy. Plus, give me JR Smith on this team. I’ll take the craziness as long as he brings the athleticism and the clutch three point shooting.
YEAH! Mitchell Sucks! BC SUCKS! RAPTORS SUCK! KHANDOR knows EVERYTHING about basketball! lol This is hilarious
No Will Bynum tonight means that Rodney Stuckey is healthy again.
Pistons vs Lakers … in June … is going to be one heckuva of a NBA FINAL.
Pistons don’t beat ATL or Boston. Possibly not even Cleveland.
Of course I say that and Detroit eats the Lakers.
I cannot believe the number of threes that sheed took and made in that game… i kept waiting for the bricks to come.
Fisher/Kobe/Vujacic were terrible. Actually got to the point that i didn’t want kobe shooting the ball. I love vujacic, but i think last season might have been more of a revelation than a sign of things to come.
It certainly looks like Detroit won because they shot the lights out. 50% from the field on 26!! LESS!!! possessions, 43% from beyond the arc on 3 less shots, 85% from the line on more than twice the attempts LA made and LA shot 64% from the line.
Now, I didn’t see the game, but were these numbers because of Detroit’s incredible defense, or because LA was just playing really poorly tonight? I mean, it looks like Kwame Brown outplayed Bynum…
Additionally, lol at Kobe – 29 points on 30 FGA? My god… This will give the “LeBron vs. Kobe” war some ammunition.
Darien,
The Pistons were very good defensively tonight.
Their roster is much deeper and much better than many others realize.
Using Prince as their situational PG is a 1st-class coaching move by Michael Curry. In conjunction with Stuckey and Iverson, at that spot, this team is now as deep and talented as any in the League.
What’s hilarious … is that some misguided souls in the hoops blogosphere did not think that Kwame Brown was going to be a solid off-season addition to the Pistons team this year, on account of how poorly they thought he played for the Lakers at times last season and in Washington before that. LOL
The fact is … this Pistons team is a very different situation than either of those two other outfits … and there are only a few BIGS in the League today with Kwame’s unique skill set, at his age & size.
Kwame’s play tonight was, indeed, one of the Keys to the Pistons’ terrific performance … as was Arron Afflalo’s.
————
From LA’s perspective … they were due for a poor game; didn’t shoot it very well at all, and should be able to use this game as a positive motivator for their next stretch of contests.
———
There are soooooo many good teams in the NBA right now it’s a treat to be a hoops aficionado.
Thats being nice to kobe too… he had some garbage points at the end of the game. I must say… i think the fade-away is the most over-used shots in the NBA. I instantly think every time a fade-away goes up that its 4x more likely to be a brick. It should be a last resort… not a weapon of choice.
lol
I want a Boston LA Finals just too see the Lakers put the nail in Celtics coffin and get a ring and silence there gay Fans. The Lakers have been playing better defense keeping opponents below 90 points I think it was since the season started.
I want too see Boston loose. David Stern wont allow Detroit to go all the way for rating purposes.
Kobe will not loose this time around. His mental psych wont allow it. Phil wont allow it. What a blow to his reputation if they got swept lol. Oh Boy, run to Greece asap.
BTW MLSE should have offered 10 million, plus Peddie’s wife, a Lear jet and snag Joe Dumars in 2006 instead of Fucking GQ Editor who thinks he can run a franchise but doesn’t have a clue.
With Dumars Today where a conference finals team and set for life
I just can’t believe they are paying kwame 4 mil/yr. your going to disagree but i think that is too much for someone who had their worst season the year before.
Khandor, I’m thinking the same thing. Leastern Conference no longer! Gone are the days where there are a collection of teams one SHOULD beat. Most teams will be 50-50 on any given night, with the winning team being coached to victory. This is the kind of environment where the good coaches will be separated from the mediocre because talent alone will not win you games now.