“and make Sean Williams or Boki Nachbar beat you…”

Boki Nachbar? that guy is playing in Russia now…you probably meant Ryan Anderson.

The last thing I want to see is no-name guys playing good ball.

To that end, and using FAQ’s comment, if Bosh requested a trade would he be subject to the same venom? Maybe not the same level, but using the basis of past boo-victims, he doesn’t want to be here, so he should be booed, right? Same with Chuck Swirsky, correct?

Also, FAQ, I think the very fabric of the organization and their fans starts to crumble if Bosh leaves via a trade. Unless somebody of similar stature comes back, I think you might see riots. That said, I agree with you…I’d rather see hard working intelligent ballplayers here than big name stars, especially if, as is the case currently early on, the formula of big names + filler = .500 ball again.

We DID do something very wrong … when it came to Wince Carter.

When a player like Wince Carter does what he did at the end of his tenure with the Raptors … what a 1st-class NBA [not NHL] organization does is REFUSE to trade his rear-end out of town.

What an authentic 1st-class, knowledgeable NBA organization does … when it’s run by individuals who know what they’re doing, building and operating CHAMPIONSHIP level teams, in this League … is Hold on tightly and stay the course with that individual until he has had the waters calmed around him, by his TOP NOTCH Head Coach, his TOP NOTCH General Manager, and his pig-headed but super-rich owner, who knows how to play and succeed in a game of high stakes Poker/Chicken with the very best in the world, Eyes Fixed Firmly On The Prize, at all times.

When a NBA franchise hires the wrong GM [i.e. Rob Babcock], in the first place, and then the wrong Head Coach [i.e. Sam Mitchell], contrary to the opinion/preference of their STAR player, after asking for his input on the decision … and that STAR player then goes into the proverbial tank, surrounded by relatively unaccomplished NBA decision-makers/experts, it has no one else to blame when that player doesn’t live up to the expectations of the franchise.

Wince Carter acted like a jerk when he left the Raptors … as did the people who ran MLSE at that time.

———————–
re: khandor, can your possession outcome chart explain why Calderon was on the court with 2 seconds left on a defensive possession. How about the chart answering the question of why we didn’t bother taking the ball out of Harris and Carters’ hands or try to play zone defense. Let me know.

I’m not being fetitious here because I do respect the attention to detail you pay to the game, so can you please help us break down the two inbound pass attempts and tell us what went wrong.
———————–

re: no zone Defense by the Raptors

Coming down the stretch, with the game on the line, most NBA teams prefer to play Man-2-Man defense … so as not to give up wide open perimeter jumpshots [2's and especially 3's] to highly skilled NBA players vs a Zone Defense.

In general, Scorers [Sc], Shooters [Sh], and Playmakers [P], the likes of Carter [Sh/Sc], Harris [P], Simmons [Sh/Sc], Hayes [Sc], Dooling [P] & Anderson [Sh], are too good to hope to contain in a straight zone defense for more than a few possesions at a time, in an NBA game.

As well, it is easier to control the Defensive Boards when playing Man-2-Man rather than Zone Defense.

Offensive Rebounds Allowed at Crunch Time can often times be THE difference between Winning & Losing a close game in the NBA.

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re: taking the ball away from Carter and Harris

The Nets made the decision to go ’small’ and used Carter as their #4. This was a key move by Coach Frank.

What the Nets did then was run their #1-#4, 2-man game … which works either with a ‘Dribble into a Pick & Roll/Pop Action’ or a ‘#1-to-#4 Entry Pass at the R-Elbow or at the TOTK’, followed by a simple ‘Give & Go Cut Back For a Hand-off Pass’.

By running this type of action in the middle of the floor, New Jersey made it difficult for the Raptors to send a 2nd defender at whichever one of Harris or Carter ended up with the ball, after Harris ran his cut around VC.

[i.e. most basketball teams/coaches prefer to Double-team a key player when he has the ball on the Wing, or in the Low Post area, not in the Middle of the floor, or in the High Post area. Double-teaming a skilled player in the middle of the floor is thought to be a dangerous practice and can end up with a wind open 3PT-shot, either at the FT Line Extended or in the Corners.]

With the other 3 Nets’ players working/stationed on the Left-side of the floor, New Jersey was able to isolate their two best offensive threats against the Raptors Man-2-Man Defense.

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re: Carter’s dunk

The Nets went with the following group of players, in the listed spots on the floor:

Simmons … Inbounder
Harris … Weak side Wing
Dooling … Centre Circle
Carter … R-Block [above JH]
Hayes … R-Block [below VC]

The Raptors went with the following individual player match-ups:

Bargnani -> Simmons [Big on the ball out-of-bounds]
Calderon -> Harris [PG v PG]
Bosh -> Dooling [best check athletically for the Raptors Best Player]
Parker -> Carter [Raptors Best Defender vs Nets Best Player
Moon -> Hayes [Raptors Next Best Defender vs remaining Nets player]

If Calderon was not in the game … with the Nets using four ’smalls’ AND Moon already on the floor for Toronto … the question to ask yourself is this:

Who else would you have preferred the Raptors to play in this scenario other than Jose?

[e.g. Solomon? ... I don't think so. Graham? ... I don't think so. Kapono? I don't think so. Ukic? I don't think so. Adams? I don't think so. Humphries? Not a chance. O'Neal was injured and therefore unavailable.]

Like it or not, given the other options, Calderon was the best individual basketball player who the Raptors could have possibly used in that specific situation … which was a tied game, not a situation where the home team was leading.

———–

The designated ‘action’ which New Jersey ran was a standard Screen-the-screener set piece.

The initial movement was a simple mis-direct … designed to force a Switch between Bosh and Calderon, which occupied Bosh out high, away from the basket, and told the Nets’ players that the Raptors were under direction to Switch vs All Screens.

The 2nd movement was a cut by Hayes to the Ball-side Corner, occupying Moon in that spot on the floor, a dangerous ‘Catch & Shoot’ position. Moon could not leave Hayes to help on Carter.

The 3rd movement was a Diagonal Up-screen by Carter, set at the FT Line, for Dooling [who was now being checked by Calderon] to cut over into the R-Block. Parker Squeezed Carter to start the defensive sequence, and then was ready to Switch over to Dooling.

However, as Dooling made his cut over Carter, Calderon reacted by going Under Carter’s screen … which is where he should have gone until he was called off by Parker’s yell of ‘Switch’.

It was at this point, where the defensive mis-communication happened between Parker & Calderon.

i. If Parker would have continued to squeeze Carter, and Calderon continued on his Under route vs Dooling, the inbounds pass would/should have gone to Dooling, who then would have had Calderon on his back [after catching the ball in the R-Block area] with a chance to score the ball by shooting over a Raptors defender [Calderon] who first had to negotiate his way around a screen. This would have been an acceptable outcome for the Raptors, at this stage in the game. If Dooling scores, so be it; if not, then on to Double OT.

ii. Instead, Parker initiated a Switch with Calderon … which is what the instructions were from the Raptors’ coaching staff … and jumped out to check Dooling, as he crossed paths with Carter. After starting on his Under route around Carter’s screen … Calderon then saw Parker react to Dooling’s cut and attempted to reverse his direction and his attention from checking Dooling to Switching out to Carter.

If Carter would have set his screen and then stepped out to the TOTK, as Calderon would have expected him to do, given that the score was tied and there still 2.1 seconds remaining on the game clock, Jose would have then been able to close-out on VC and at least challenge his Jumpshot. Except the play that Lawrence Frank designed did not call for that action by Carter.

Instead of screening and then stepping out, Carter screened and then stepped to the rim. When Jose took his first mis-step, and reacted up toward the FT Line, where he mistakenly thought Carter was heading, he was dead in the water, leaving Vinsanity momentarily open with an uncontested pass to the rim for his dunk.

Without being courtside, there’s no way to tell whether or not Parker made his Switch call late, or not all, or if Jose just reacted to slowly to AP’s call, stepping in the wrong direction vs one of the most gifted athletes in the NBA.

In this instance … it was an error by either JC or AP that resulted in this specific basket by Wince … not a ‘poor’ job of coaching by Sam Mitchell.

I think it’s fair to say that Bosh will leave Toronto by 2010 for greener and more promising pastures in the US .. and that BC will not invest all the MLSE money on one player. I suspect the 2010 Raptor business model will build a team not on star players unavailable to them anyway … but instead try to build a solid blue collar team in the mold of the past Pistons.

Only US major market teams will be able to afford players like LBJ, Bosh, Wade, others … and Toronto will have to make do with lesser but hopefully decent players. I for one would prefer a ’starless’ but deeper Raptor team that is better overall athletically and bball-wise.

Raptors will never assemble a Celtic-style stacked team … and perhaps the Toronto and Canadian economy will not allow that to happen anyway.

Although one good point has been made, let’s give Vince Carter his due. No, I’m just joking. It just sucks that the raps can’t make him pay for being a lazy jerk in his last couple years in Toronto. Instead, he continues to DESTROY the raps, as if we did something wrong…oh well, life is a bitter pill indeed.

I guess it would be fun to get a new coach cause the raps as they are now built don’t seem to be going anywhere. I mean, we’ll make the playoffs, but I can’t see us beating any of the other playoff teams, and so we’re stuck being a mediocre team. Maybe a new coach would create plays or enforce some defensive discipline? Or maybe we just need some better players, in which case we can exonerate Smitch and blame BC instead. Or maybe our players are good enough but they are too unfocused to get it done? Or maybe all three and we’re doomed!

I’m not sure what my point is. Just get ready for a long season…of the same thing as the last two seasons.

The NBA is a business… would you prefer that they market themselves as a middle of the pack team? its not going to happen buddy… I’m not giving them a thumbs up… I’m just smart enough to see through the smoke and make my own opinions… something it seems most of you are not able, or willing to do. I think the team needs to improve in all areas… coaching, players, and management… But I am not one to sit here and blame everything on Sam Mitchell, or BC.

I’m sorry if I don’t like to play the blame game like the rest of you ‘experts’. I prefer to give credit where it is due (VC, DH, and LF) and move on… Its easy for anyone, including Arse to sit here and point out all the mistakes anyone on the Raps makes… But I highly doubt anyone of us could do a better job at running an NBA team than people who have been in and around the league for decades… BC and SMitch have been around for quite some time and so has Wayne Embry. I prefer to stay the course and judge this team at the end of the season. If at that time firing Sam Mitchell makes the most sense than by all means do it. But not 12 games into a 82 game season… If you do that you might as well throw in the towel and hope for a lottery pick. (which might not be the worst thing) but not something I’m willing to do at this point in the season. Call me crazy if you want, but I’m not the one bouncing off the walls… I try to keep a more even keeled outlook on the team.

I seem to recall many Raps fans wanting to hire PJ Carlesimo… 13 games in he’s gone…

and if you dont want to spend the money to go to a game… don’t.

You make me laugh. If management decides to raise season ticket prices so that you pay more to see a “middle of the pack team” than you would to see an elite team such as the Lakers, then “real” fans like yourself would continue to stick by management? You realize that’s what Leafs fans are, yes? The ones that continue to stick by the management by continuing to purchase products and giving the management a big thumbs up to continue selling the bull that they market? “Some Raps fans are so crazy” indeed.

I couldn’t agree with you less about JO being a marginal upgrade to Rasho… today (to quote Jeff Daniels from Dumb & Dumber) ‘just when i think you couldn’t get any stupider… you go and do something like this… AND TOTALLY REDEEM YOURSELF!!’

I am sick of all the SMitch hating… I’m basically done with this site, cuz it seems to be a venting forum for all the Raptors haters… But you are bang on with your analysis. I should cut and paste all the points I agree with you on… but basically, you win as a team, and you lose as a team. The Raptors did not execute as well as the Nets, and Vince hit an unbelievable 3 to send the game into overtime. Instead of focussing all your hatred towards the coach, why don’t you all take it easy, relax… realize this is a team sport, and one team has to win and one team inevitably has to lose…

If you are a basketball fan it was an extremely entertaining game… it hurts to lose, but shit happens. This team is not as good as you may think they are. They are a middle of the pack team as they are constructed, and expecting more than that is not anyones fault but your own. Be realistic and enjoy the game… Some Raps fans are so crazy that you’re embarrassing ‘real’ fans who stick by the team, management, and players. Do us all a favour and go watch the Leafs and Jays and pray that they fire someone…

Doc Rivers coached the worst team in the league… everyone wanted him canned… the next year they improve the players, and bingo! They are the NBA champions… Like it or not guys, there is no such thing as a ‘perfect’ coach… whoever replaces Mitchell is not going to get perfect, and I give it a month before you crazy bastards start suggesting we fire him too.

I’m not being fetitious here because I do respect the attention to detail you pay to the game, so can you please help us break down the two inbound pass attempts and tell us what went wrong.

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To wit:

Possessions at the End of Regulation Time

[1] TOR: Bosh/Bad Pass – Humphries recovers – Humphries/Turnover, Steal by Harris … TOR/+7

[i] NJ: Harris fouled by Bargnani; Harris Makes 2 FTs … TOR/+5

[2] TOR: Calderon Makes a Layup … TOR/+7

[ii] NJ: Carter drives for Layup vs Parker … TOR/+5

[3] TOR: Calderon fouled; Calderon Makes 2 FTs … TOR/+7

[iii] NJ: Simmons Missed 3; Carter out-battles Parker for an Offensive Rebound; Team Rebound to New Jersey … TOR/+7

[iv] NJ: Baseline Out-of-bounds; Lopez (1st) & Carter (2nd) set Staggered cross-screens for Hayes; Parker & Bargnani Switch appropriately; Bargnani is now on Carter with Parker on Hayes; Lopez sets Stationary Screen for Carter, cutting to the opposite corner; Humphries Switches-out to Carter, then Recovers back to Lopez, while Bargnani Switches to Lopez then attempts to Recover-out back to Carter; TOO LATE; Carter Makes a 3 … TOR/+4

[4] TOR: Sideline Out-of-bounds; Kapono & Bosh execute Zipper Screen; Bosh breaks open cleanly but Parker is looking for Kapono, who is then covered; Parker looks for Bosh, who has been picked up by Carter, Switching off from defending the Inbounder; Bosh is open but Parker does not pass ball; Parker calls time-out instead; Bargnani inbounds the ball; Kapono & Bosh execute variation of Zipper Screen; Bosh breaks open a 2nd time and is again picked by Carter; Bargnani does not pass the ball; Bargnani/Turnover … TOR/+4

[v] NJ: Carter [playing at the #4] receives a pass at the R-Elbow from Harris [#1]; Carter sets Stationary Screen for Harris; Raptors defenders Switch; Carter covered by Calderon; Carter drives by for a layup … TOR/+5

[5] TOR: Calderon is fouled; Calderon Makes 2 FTs … TOR/+4

[vi] NJ: Carter & Harris execute #4-#1 Pick & Roll/Pop Series; Parker & Calderon Switch appropriately; Carter drives for a Layup vs Calderon; Bosh rotates to help but cannot block Carter’s tough Layup attempt … TOR/+2

[6] TOR: Parker is fouled; Parker Makes 1 of 2 FTs … TOR/+3

[vii] NJ: Sideline Out-of-bounds; Simmons is the Inbounder, Lopez at the L-Elbow, Carter is beside Lopez, Hayes is beside Carter with Harris is at the R-Elbow; Harris runs the loop toward the ball, then fakes a Cross screen for Hayes and cuts into the Opposite Corner; Hayes dives to the R-Block, then, cuts to the Ball-side Corner; Lopez & Carter prepare to set a Double screen at the FT Line for what SHOULD BE Harris coming back out to the TOTK after Cross screening for Hayes; INSTEAD, Carter steps toward the basket, momentarily, as if he is going to receive a Back screen from the baseline and then comes out hard off the Down screen by Lopez to the TOTK; Parker is deceived by the fake screening action and is late reacting to Carter’s cut to the TOTK; under the proper instructions of “Not to foul” if the ball is caught by an offensive player while facing the basket, when up by 3 pts, Parker closes out hard on Carter and does not foul; Carter Makes a TOUGH TOUGH 3PT-shot to force OT … TOR/0

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What you saw in those 13 possessions had nothing to do with ‘poor’ coaching by Sam Mitchell.

What you saw in those 13 possessions was outstanding execution by the Nets players and their head coach.

What you saw was HIGH LEVEL NBA basketball, where one team’s players simply out-performed the others … and, specifically, the Raptors were hurt by the inexperience of Andrea Bargnani, who should not have fouled Devin Harris on Possession [i], and who should have communicated better with Humphries on the 2nd screening action during Possession [iv], and who should have passed the ball to Bosh when he was open on Possession [4].

In general, Raptors fans need to stop complaining about the work of Sam Mitchell … who is far from being a TOP NOTCH in the NBA, just yet, but is NOT the person responsible for the current state of this Raptors team … and continue to learn more about the NBA game.

Repeatedly listening to the wrong things be identified as the REASONS for this team’s current W-L record … i.e. 6-6 … is enough to make a knowledgeable NBA observer pull “a Devin Harris at Half-time heading for the washroom at the ACC“.

If I’m Bosh, I’d actually be a bit concerned about JO being here when you factor in moves for other teams. If Bosh likes it here, and I’m saying he does, does Bosh become another Vince worrying about what is left in 2 years. If all these teams have nice space, what will be left after the dust settles? If BC trades HO next season for some nice surrounding pieces with enough left to make a run at somebody else (someone mid/high level but not a superstar) in the offseason, it’s works in Bosh’s favour. If HO is on our squad through the end of his contract, it will raise more than a few worrisome questions.

MoneyCarlo, I would say giving up a sizable lead well before the final 44 seconds is about as far from perfect as you can get with this roster.

another time it was felt the lack of one as Delfino….
with 0?neil on the game was another story
but Kepono steel a mystery
Solomon inadequate (Roko better give more space to experience)
i’d like also to see what would happen with coaches to parts reversed
(even PJ Carlesimo i think it’s better than smitch at this point)

— Thanks for the strangely worded insight there, Rorschach from The Watchmen.