The Peoples Elbow needs to be part of the strategy tonight.
Grab the Opening-Tip.
The third game into Triano’s tenure as the interim head coach of the Raptors, and it’s a doozy. The Raptors come off a disaster mini west-coast swing, and they get to walk into the house of King, down with him they aren’t. What a mess this franchise is in huh?
- The head-coach was fired, deservedly, but at the wrong time
- The most talented roster BC has put together…not so much
- A historically murderous west coast swing is on the horizon
The good news is that there is two months or so until the trade-deadline, and there are some things that can be done to right this ship. Not sure who, what, when and where can be done, but BC makes $4mil/year for just this occasion. That sting he’s feeling right now is pride. We wont hold a grudge if he makes an about-face, and does something that makes this team better, I know I wont…
Anyways, there’s a game to be played. If you thought the Cavs were a handful last season, then you will be in for a hell of a night tonight. The Cavs are on the path to 70 wins. Getting there wont be easy, but with two teams playing at the caliber they are (Boston, Cleveland), they will be forcing each other to bring it every night in the hopes of getting the # 1 seed in the East.
What that means for the Raptors is that this will be an uphill battle that will require:
- Strategy
- Execution
- Proper use of the players
- And lots of luck
Even if the above four things are realized, they still have to deal with LeBron, who has single-handedly beat better Raptor teams over the last couple seasons. Pessimistic you might say? The answer is yes.
As for the Cavs, what a difference Mo Williams made. I’ll be honest, I didn’t think he would be the guy to push this team over the top. Amazing how one move can make a GM go from stud to dud….ahem…Efficiency is the name of the game with this team. They sport a 13.2 point differential, limiting opponents to 90 points per game on 45.3 eFT%, I’m not much of a stat guy, so down to business:
Starting Lineups:
Calderon vs Williams
The Edge: Cleveland – Pains me to say this, but Calderon has been looking pretty rough all season. He struggles with dribble penetration, defending off screens, giving shooters room to shoot…all things that Mo Williams has made a career on. Sadly, 15pts and 10asts wont be enough if he’s giving up 20pts and 5-7asts. Giving Williams freedom to do his thing only makes LeBron’s job easier. Would be good if Jose makes a commitment to defense, and stays home, doesn’t come off him to double, and forces drives away from the key.
Parker vs West
The Edge: Toronto – Amazing when you say that holding Brandon Roy to 15pts 7asts 5rebs was a job well done, but it was. Parker has been playing pretty good the last few games, all things considered. He has been able to be a defensive pest, and hit some shots. Can’t ask for anything more form the guy. If he plays West like he did Roy, he should be able to keep him on his heels for the night, and limit his effectiveness. This is a matchup the Raptors HAVE to win if there are any hopes of stealing making a solid showing.
Bargnani/Moon/Graham vs LeBron
The Edge: Cleveland – Not sure who will be starting here, as this wasn’t posted at time of publishing this article, but it really doesn’t matter does it? Bargnani will probably get the nod, but Graham should be given the first crack at him since he has been playing well, and he’s the only 3 the Raptors have who has the physical ability to check LeBron. Not that he will shut the guy the down, quite the contrary, but at least he has could potentially make him earn his pay for the night.
Bosh vs Wallace
The Edge: Toronto – He may not seem very motivated, he may be un-happy and tired, but he’s all we got. Seems like those early minutes Smitch was playing him is starting to catch-up with him, which scares the hell out of me. 19 games in and the dude seems gassed. 63 games to go man. Thankfully Triano is committed to managing his minutes, and not overworking our work horse. Wallace will give Bosh a tough time, but he isn’t the bad boy he once was. The guys who give Bosh trouble these days seem to be of the long-athletic types in the mold of Aldridge/Garnett. 30pts and 15rebs sound reasonable to everyoen? He’s due for a big game, had a couple tough ones out west.
O’Neal vs Ilgauskas
The Edge: Toronto – Big Z has been a rock for the Cavs for over a decade. He has also routinely abused the Raptors in the low block and on the boards for as long as I care to remember. O’Neal on the other hand has been a rock of sorts for the Raptors, not withstanding his inability to grab a board in the dying seconds of the Portland game. Seems like he is getting his touch back from the low post, rebounding the ball fairly well, blocking shots and running the floor as well as can be expected.
Brown vs Triano
The Edge: Cleveland – Triano hasn’t had much time in carrying out Colangelo’s plan changing things up, and going up against a student from the School of Popovich will be another hard fought battle. I take defense over offense any day of the week, and since the Raptors haven’t had shown an inkling of ability to fight a well thought out defensive strategy, Brown’s star will shine bright at home.
The Line:
Vegas has Cleveland at -11…we should be so lucky.
The Prediction:
Cavaliers, doesn’t need much of an explanation here. I’m looking for effort, pride and a commitment to playing a full 48 minutes. Not a lot to ask for is it? I don’t think so. Free Roko!
85 Raps
Terrific headline!!!
i read that the cavs have won 8 straight, with no win coming by less than 12 points. that line seems a bit generous, all things considered.
joey should definitely start at the 3. what, exactly, has bargs done to not only show he deserves to start, but that he’ll, in any way, shape or form, not be used/abused/taunted/dunked on/laughed at, etc., by bron? yeah, joey’s joey, but at least he has a fighting chance of making bron work.
i wonder what the pre-game strategy sessions are like for opposing teams? do they sit down, look at the roster, watch some tape, and just start giggling?
Raps Fan,
IMO …
Mo Williams is not the reason for the Cavs improved play to date.
* Calderon is the better Starting PG in this match-up.
* Parker is the better Starting OG in this match-up.
* Lebron kills whoever starts at the SF position.
* Bosh is the better Starting PF in this match-up.
* O’Neal vs Big Z could go either way.
* Mike Brown vs Jay Triano could go either way.
In addition, where the Cavs out-class the Raptors, as is … is at the Back-up PG spot [i.e. Daniel Gibson], the Back-up Center spot [i.e. Varejao, et al.] and at the Back-up OG position [i.e. Wally Sze or Sasha Pavlovic].
Given the advantage Cleveland has with Lebron, and these other positions … the Cavs should be able to beat the Raptors this evening.
Nevertheless …
* What the Cavs regular season W-L record is this year … is irrelevant. They are spinning their wheels with a cat like Mo Williams running their team.
* Winning the NBA Finals is what the Cavs season NEEDS to be about with a maturing Lebron James as their Leader, and they’re just not there … yet.
“Bargnani/Moon/Graham vs LeBron
The Edge: Cleveland – Not sure who will be starting here, as this wasn’t posted at time of publishing this article, but it really doesn’t matter does it?”
Let’s be honest, we could start ALL THREE of them at that position, and Lebron would still come out on top.
i’m bored. got to looking at the sched for the rest of the season. i came up with a final record of 35-47. i wasn’t even giving them implausable wins or losses, just a quick rundown of whether, based on current play, they’d be able to beat team X. i know things change during the course of a season, injuries, trades, slumps, etc., and i know the raps are playing pretty poorly right now. i guess i’d feel better if there was any indication that a significant improvement in overall play was forthcoming. tonight might be a good statement game for them – if they come out intimidated and let bron & co. have their way, then i’m not sure what to think. well, other than they suck, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future. if they come out and play with the same intensity as they did for the 1st Q v. portland, but maintain it, they have a chance. but since that’s highly unlikely to happen, and since they couldn’t shut down bron even if they pulled a loyola on curry move, i’m gonna go out on a limb & say they lose by, oh, 14. and it won’t even be that close.
Free Ukic! Viva la revolucion!
khan: most teams win the battle of the reserves with the raptors, that’s why i seldom go there. as for calderon being the better pg, no qualms from me. i think mo williams will win the matchup though. we have seen lesser pg’s abuse calderon already this season, no reason mo can’t.
yertu: i predicted 45 or so wins this season, come january 1st, when the raptors are potentially 13-20, they will need to go 28-21 just to get to back to 500. Not impossible, but that would be a 14 game turnaround, which is tough with a limited roster.
re. jose – that’s whats become troubling. it’s easy to look at a matchup on paper and determine that the raps have the advantage (at least at the starting PG spots)…but just how many times will jose be outplayed by his counterpart before it becomes less & less of an apparent advantage?
raps fan – yeah, i know. i don’t even want to think about it. it’s not like the east is a joke anymore either, i really can’t see a sub-.500 team making it into the dance, and even if they do, look who they’d be facing. better off missing entirely & at least getting into the lottery.
Khandor,
You are very observant and articulate, but whenever I see your postings I just somehow wish I can punch you. Sorry, it is inevitable that I might do so, but everybody in the world will have sworn enemies somehow ;p.
Not only Mo Williams expanded their entire offense and is actually the Cavs most “capable” PG to date (equivalent to a Mike Bibby of now), Boobie Gibson is not injured, and Sideshow-Bob (Verajao) has no contract problems and is getting better every year and pissing off their opponents (and oh yes, he is the anti-Bosh).
Jose is bound for a crap-shoot year. Even as a fan of Jose and as good player he might be, he now has no consistent system to run-on defensively and scouting from elite NBA teams are picking off all his weaknesses. Just throw Joey at Lebron and have him pick up his 6 fouls, at least we tried. FREE UKIC!
Great pre-game analysis!!
As good as the Cavs are (and they are very, VERY good), imagine how great (possibly incredibly great) they would be if they can acquire VC (to upgrade their SG position) from the Nets for Szerbiak’s expiring contract and a mish-mash of picks. IMO, pairing VC with LBJ & MO would make the Cavs this generations Chigago Bulls – and Bosh this generations Patrick Ewing.
Tonight… I expect the Raps stay close for approx. 44 min. I’ve got hope and faith, but since money talks, I gotta say: Cavs by 5. (SO, TAKE THE RAPS+11 & YOUR LOOTBAG STRAIGHT TO ‘MA BOOKIE’!!)
Raps Fan, if the Raps don’t finish the season at 0.500 I don’t think they’ll make the playoffs.
realizar, i guarantee they wont make the playoffs if they aren’t at least .500.
vc getting shipped out of town is an interesting proposition. they clearly need his scoring, and dare i say leadership with their incredible resurgence. they are ahead of schedule, and may want to push into the playoffs. i really don’t know. wally and parts may not cut it to land the guy though.
raps fan, considering how much they want to free up salary (jefferson for yi), and play their young talent, i think it might be feasible. Cleveland might have to include a young player though.
Something like: VC and a second for Wally, first and hickson.
re: opponent PG’s vs Calderon
When you look at the Raptors’ list of game outcomes to-date …
Wed 29 @ Philadelphia W 95-84, vs Miller
Fri 31 vs Golden State W 112-108, vs Jackson-S
November Opponent Result
Sat 01 @ Milwaukee W 91-87, vs Ridnour/Bell/Sessions
Wed 05 vs Detroit L 93-100, vs Stuckey
Fri 07 @ Atlanta L 92-110, vs Bibby
Sun 09 @ Charlotte W 89-79, vs Augustin/Felton
Mon 10 @ Boston L 87-94, vs Rondo
Wed 12 vs Philadelphia L 96-106, vs Miller
Sun 16 vs Miami W 107-96, vs Chalmers/Quinn
Tue 18 @ Orlando L 90-103, Nelson
Wed 19 @ Miami W 101-95, Chalmers/Quinn
Fri 21 vs New Jersey L 127-129, vs Harris
Sun 23 vs Boston L 103-118, vs Rondo
Wed 26 vs Charlotte W 93-86, vs Augustin/Felton
Fri 28 vs Atlanta W 93-88, vs Bibby
Sun 30 @ LA Lakers L 99-112, vs Fisher
December Opponent Result
Tue 02 @ Denver L 93-132, vs Billups
Fri 05 @ Utah L 87-114, vs Williams-D
Sun 07 vs Portland L 97-98, vs Blake
Which of those 11 losses would you like to see attributed primarily to the fact that Jose Calderon was “abused”, individually, by an inferior or comparable player, at the PG, for the Raptors’ opponent?
khan: the problem with the question you ask is that none of those losses can be primarily attributed to calderon being ‘abused’. they are all attributed to:
- wrong system employed
- wrong players being played at any given time
- lack of a viable back-up pg
what calderon does a poor job of doing is defending his position. opposing pg’s continually blow by him through the lane. if he can at least force them to the side, the raptors defensive rotation might be more effective.
individual matchups are a key part of the game, and while he may put up solid numbers, his checks also do, almost negating his contribution (or overshadowing altogether) forcing a weak supporting cast to pick up the slack which they haven’t been able to do thus far. imho
as far as poor showings:
bibby, nelson, blake should all be considered winnable head-to-head matchups which he lost.
On the flip side … imagine what the NEW JERSEY NETS would look like, come 2010, if they can add LEBRON JAMES to their current roster, to go with …
PG – Devon Harris
OG – Wince Carter
SF – Lebron James
PF – Yi Jianlian
C – Brook Lopez
——————–
Keyon Dooling
Chris Douglas-Roberts
Jarvis Hayes
Eduardo Najera
Bobby Simmons
Sean Williams
Josh Boone
Stromile Swift
Ryan Anderson
and they get a healthy Nenad Krstic back from his extended rehab assignment in Europe.
That’s a serious contending team, right there, with a terrific mix of savy vets, young bucks, inside & outside players, shooters, scorers and bangers, Quality Depth, High End marquee players, and First-Rate NBA coaching.
don’t forget, jose missed, i believe, the first miami game & the orlando game…and part of the game v. philly prior to those.
Raps Fan,
I don’t have the time right now to check the other two [re: Bibby & Nelson] but the simple fact is … Calderon did not lose the match-up vs Blake.
The Raptors lost that game on Sunday for other reasons, not the work of Jose.
———————————
Riddle Me This.
When Mr. Colangelo tells the Raptors fanbase that there are 29 other teams in the NBA that “force to the baseline” on defense,
Why on earth would they choose to believe what the man has to say about this?
rondo. felton/augustin. fisher. on paper, isn’t jose supposed to be ‘better’ than them? shouldn’t he give them some kind of advantage?
really? so, jose won the match-up w/ blake? or it was a draw? again, isn’t the point that he (jose) should have a clear/decided advantage against a PG like blake? i mean, he is a, what?, top-8/top-10 PG in the league, right? and blake would be where? top-20? 25? instead, it was blake who stepped up…not just that last shot, but he hit some big shots/made some nice plays that kept the blazers in it early & helped to stem the raps’ early run.
Tonious35, wow! That’s beyond uncalled for. Anyway, the problem with Mo Will is that he is a horrible defender (or just lazy), in the playoffs no d = no rings.
I told AltRaps a while ago, this teams wins MAYBE 30 games. LOTTERY baby!! At least btwn 11-20, anyway.
Jose = fools gold. Period.
why do the raps seem to end up in the lottery during shitty draft years? i guess it doesn’t matter how deep the pool is, they’d end up picking the dork wearing a big T-shirt while swimming/drowning anyway.
When you play an outfit like the Boston Celtics and the LA Lakers, and you are a PG like Jose Calderon, i.e. a Facilitator … and your teammates include the likes of:
Hassan Adams, Roko Ukic, Will Solomon, Jason Kapono and Nathan Jawai
instead of players like:
Carlos Delfino, TJ Ford, Darrick Martin, Jorge Garbjosa & Rasho Nesterovic
then, you are unlikely to win the match-up vs your individual counterpart.
Basketball is a team game, especially for a Facilitator PG, like El Mr. Calderon.
If the only change to the Raptors’ current roster was this one …
Carlos Delfino [who I don't think is all that good to begin] in place of Jason Kapono [who is hurting this year's team a great deal]
then the 2008-2009 Raptors would already have several more wins to their credit and, in all likelihood, would not have fired Sam Mitchell last week.
It’s a personnel issue on this team.
good one, khan. next time, maybe you should have guys who, y’know, actually play as jose’s teammates in your little list (4 of 5 hardly play, if they’ve played at all, & 2 are his own backups). what does he do with the guys that are on the floor with him? isn’t it a PGs ‘job’ to make those around him ‘better?’ is his supporting cast as good as those of the teams you mention? of course not. but is that in spite of his efforts, or because of them?
Flux,
Going to the 2009 NBA Draft Lottery might actually be a good thing for this franchise.
yertu,
When Moon and Graham and Bargnani and Humphries and Bosh and O’Neal and Parker are each playing in the wrong spots in the team’s rotation, the point you tried to make there ^^^^ is nullified.
Khandor, sure. Only if we draft well right? I’m watching Rudy Gay last night and Roy the night before with tears streaming down my face.
I’d be hard pressed to place Calderon as the top 8 or 10 one guard in the league with Billups, Paul, Harris, Johnson, Arenas, D. Williams, Nash, Miller, Bibby, Davis, Rose, Parker head and shoulders above him.
I’d also consider players like Stuckey, M. Williams, Terry, Kidd, Rondo to be as good if not better.
Then there are all the combo guards that he would potentially match up against – Roy, Wade, Crawford, Iverson where he would get outplayed.
I’m not sure if calderon is supposed to be winning games, or just holding his own. People expect too much out of the guy – he’s never going to win big in the playoffs.
Flux,
Exactly. : )
where is ‘^^^^’?
well then, i guess i have no point.
Quick, someone check all the Euros entering the drafts next year, we should be able to narrow down who we are getting. Oh, and put ones with medical conditions on top. Is there a Giovanni Noheartzki? That’s our man!
nice. it’s a no-win, really. they’ll likely be good enough to either scrape into the playoffs (guaranteeing another embarrassing 1st round exit), or get into the lottery with a late pick in a weak draft. me so happy. at least they’ve got jose & bargs to build around when bosh gets tired of this clusterfuck & packs his bags in ‘10.
TAllin, I’m with you man, but (most) people are expecting huge things from him because a) the media collectively went nuts over him last year and b) he made his own bed. He forced BC’s hand by threatening to not sign if TJ was on the team.
He was the one crying how he can take this team to glorious heights if he were the QB. Well, time to deliver, champ.
Hilarious Flux. I’ve got my eye on Juan Carlos McSoftie.
lol@flux
khandor, i don’t understand from # 19.
I’m blaming Hollinger for the expectations that were set way to high.
All-star? Really?
Man that got out of control….
I actually blame Hollinger for most things….his world is skewed from reality.
Got to respect Danny Derry. he knows how to build a team or what? Did he trade for Euro Jump shooting garbage? No. Did he get players who can rebound or play defense? Checkmate. And the entire League and Fans were figuratively shooting arrows at him yesteryear and heck, no one is complaining about him now.
Bosh better then Ben Wallace? I don’t know about that one. This game is one were you need too think with your head and not your heart. What has Bosh proved against elite teams so far? Is Bosh mentally strong enough to stop Wallace, Illgauskas, Varajao?
*Ferry
tallin – speaking of hollinger…he’s got the raps ranked 22nd, ahead of only the bobbies & knicks in the east. sounds about right.
And is it just me or does Bargnani look like a robot out there? His facial expression, with the way he walks it looks like he cant do that properly either. I always think he’s going to trip
Yertu I agree. Last year we and the year before we went 0-5 in the West too. Bosh is a superstar? If I’m a GM I offer no more then 6 years 60 million
uhmm….he’s worth more then that joey. maybe 4/60 at least. the guy is elite-level. not quite there, but right at the cusp.
Nope. I listened to what Stephen A. Smith said about him last season. He thought Bosh was overrated and cant bring it against the Top Dogs. True. And he poked fun of his personal appearance. Im 23 now and I have never seen a player even at High schools get shut down against the best teams the way Bosh does. Even if they loose, they play with their hearts on there sleeve.
With Bosh as our leader we cannot beat any one of Boston, Detroit, Lakers, Or Utah. That is fucking Scary
stephen a smith is a knob, take everything he says with a truck load of salt. however, i do agree that bosh isn’t the # 1 player on a contending team. he may be a # 1 player on a 45-50 win 2nd round team, but not an elite team.
however, if he was lined up with an elite wing player, he would be fierce
it is tough to question the guys heart, he has done nothing but play hard since he got here.
doesn’t matter whether bosh is an actual elite-level player, he’s gonna get paid like one…either by the raps, or someone else.
An elite wing would not help Bosh with his defense or stop him from getting stripped of the ball and scream like a girl whenever he drives. If Cleveland were to trade Wallace/Illgauskas for Bosh then Cleveland is no longer a contender sad to say.
Because the GM’s are idiots and don’t really know a lot about him. So your right he will get his 100 Million
The Raptors lost the game vs Portland because of their inability to Rebound the ball, relative to their elite level opponent … not because Jose Calderon was either: [i] Abused by Steve Blake [which he was not]; or, Played to a Draw by Blake [what was more-or-less the situaation].
When Bosh blocked Roy’s driving layup attempt [vs Parker] … Jermaine O’Neal HAD TO COME UP WITH THE BALL. Period.
O’Neal didn’t do this … and when Oden missed his follow-up shot off the glass … which was challenged by JO … then Chris Bosh HAD TO COME UP WITH THE BALL. Period.
Bosh didn’t do this.
Calderon was playing solid defense vs Blake, on the last possession. Blake pushed off; and, it wasn’t called. IMO, that then becomes a solid play by Steve Blake, not an error by Jose Calderon, who still did a decent job of contesting that 3PT-shot. Give credit to where credit is due. Steve Blake is a solid NBA PG, who hit a tough shot to win the game for his team, one of the best in the League right now.
That’s it. End of story. There need be no more crying about this sort of stuff by astute Raptors fans.
——————————–
This whole business of the Raptors’ defensive problems being rooted in their commitment to “force middle” under the the direction of Sma Mitchell, in contrast to “forcing baseline” now, under Jay Triano, is a total Red Herring.
For years and years, some teams and some coaches, especially at the NBA level, have made a practice of “forcing middle”, in an effort to direct the dribble penetration of their opponents into the heart of their set Defense, where they can defend in greater numbers and where their primary shot blocker[s] is located.
FACT IS … it can be a highly effective defense when it’s played well.
Raps Fan,
#51 is a reply for your question.
fair enough…but what about all the open looks he got before that? i never meant to imply that last play was calderon’s fault, and i agree it was a good play by blake..
but what about the 4 or 5 open looks he got from the same corner with jc nowhere to be found (got caught in a screen, senseless double team, etc)? 1, maybe 2…not 4 or 5…thats unaceptable.
Khandor:
When Bosh blocked Roy’s driving layup attempt [vs Parker] … Jermaine O’Neal HAD TO COME UP WITH THE BALL. Period.
O’Neal didn’t do this … and when Oden missed his follow-up shot off the glass … which was challenged by JO … then Chris Bosh HAD TO COME UP WITH THE BALL. Period.
Bosh didn’t do this.
———————————————-
The game should not have come to that. We were leading by 17 points at one time.
Who was leaving Blake open and not even contesting his 3 point shot all night? Hose Calderon,that is who. Blake has 7 or 8 I think it was but had he been able to guard him on all those 3 attempts then the rebounding bonanza in the end with Chris and Jermaine would be unnecessary.
Raps Fan,
When Calderon left Blake to help on dribble penetration into the lane, there was supposed to be a follow-up rotation “out” by one of his cohorts, to help-the-helper. When this doesn’t happen, responsibility for those open shats, which Blake hit, does not fall on Calderon’s shoulders.
If Thom Thibodeau was a coach for the Raptors and/or Kevin Garnett a teammate … there’d be a few more tears shed on the sidelines by the Raptors’ bigs and their wing players who consistently do a poor job of rotating “out” to help their helping teammates.
should jose be the one to stop dribble penetration? since the rotation hardly ever comes, why not let the driver run into o’neal/bosh?
another question…
what about when he gets beat off the dribble?
i’m not trying to paint a skewed picture here, just that at some point, individual matchups become important to win. and from what i have observed, be it through an untrained eye, he gets the brunt end of it more then he wins it.
Joey,
But the simple FACT IS … the Raptors did lose that 16-pt lead they had, not all of it with Calderon on the floor either, and the game-winning basket did, indeed, come down to those final two possessions for the Blazers.
When analyzing what determines wins and losses in the NBA it’s important to work backwards from the final lead change and then proceed from there, if necessary.
Raps Fan,
It’s equally important not to keep the target moving at all times and, instead, to focus on discussing only one aspect of something at a time.
Either:
[i] Calderon’s “help” off Blake and the reason these open shats are there in the first place is what we’re talking about; or,
[ii] It’s Calderon’s inidividual defense on-the-ball.
These are two separate issues.
You will need to pick one and then stick with that until it’s resolved to your satisfaction. Going back and forth isn’t really productive. : )
Khandor: I totally agree with you analysis here re: the Raptor’s doing a poor job rotating to help the helper. Boston does this so well that it is frightening.
My question is: why do our guards constantly leave their men on the perimeter to help in the post? They double for almost no reason at all. Do you think our post defenders need help? (I don’t)
You never leave a three point shooter to double down – it’s horrible defence.
The double team has to come from a weakside player who’s man is not going to hit three after three after three…uncontested.
Leaving a hot three point shooter open on team defence has to fall on the shoulders of the man who left him (Calderon).
IMHO, any reasonable NBA player would assume Calderon would not leave Blake, and therefore would not be expected to jump out at Blake (who would have already got the shot off anyways).
Anyone remember Rasheed leaving big shot bob in game 7 2005 NBA finals to help doubler down on the drive? How’d that turn out for Detroit?
They didn’t win back to back. Sheed fucked up. Don’t leave a hot shooter.
How many times was Ray Ray left open this season in BOTH games? Same deal.
Raps Fan,
As I recall, without looking at the tape, Blake did not penetrate into the heart of the Raptors defense a great number of times, either to finish at the rim, create a pull-up J for himself or an easy basket for a teammate.
The pentration that occurred in this game came mainly from Roy, Fernandez, and Rodriguez … although I could certainly be wrong about this impression I have, as I’m going only from memory here.
The open shats which Blake hit came from Calderon’s help rotation and the failures of his teammates to help him back in return.
——————–
What happened against Billups, for example, is a differently thing entirely … and the reason why Chauncey was still towards the very top of my PG rankings last season.
It’s not close between Mr. Big Shot & Jose Calderon. At least, not in my book.
He looks like he’s working real hard though running around helping everyone eh?
Horrible
Joey,
But the simple FACT IS … the Raptors did lose that 16-pt lead they had, not all of it with Calderon on the floor either, and the game-winning basket did, indeed, come down to those final two possessions for the Blazers.
When analyzing what determines wins and losses in the NBA it’s important to work backwards from the final lead change and then proceed from there, if necessary.
——————————————–
It indeed came down to those last 2 possessions physically but the players will watch the game tape and realize it was Blake who was the X factor in the game. Simply put, Calderon couldn’t contain him. Game over. You can work backwards and dissect each play but my preference is study from the very beginning and try to figure out how we fucked it all up :)
Couldn’t disagree with Khandor more – Calderon should never be leaving to help on a Roy/Fernandez drive. That’s horrible defence
:)
TAllin,
The rotation rules you’re applying do not cover the sequence of events which need to occur if a team is “forcing to the middle”.
And, if you recall from the post-game interviews, there were times that the Raptors mentioned when they were momentarily confused on defense, as to which player was exactly responsible for doing what, as they are in the midst of making this specific systemic change-over.
Spurs/Boston/Lakers/Detroi… pretty much all of them force the drive baseline… forcing middle is a viable option, but it seems to make sense that with athletes as quick and big as they are in the NBA, having the out-of-bounds line to your advantage would give your set defense more time and less area to cover than forcing the ball middle. If those teams mentioned above all think that then surely that’s worth noting, and even O’Neal admitted that’s what he used to do in Indiana, which for a long time was a Rick Carlisle tea — a pretty disciplined defensive coach.
TAllin,
Actually, IMO … Jose doesn’t look as though he’s working nearly hard enough … at least, not to this point.
Khandor – not true at all.
The defence is ‘force’ middle – not ‘trap’ middle.
The two guard (AP) foreces Roy middle. It’s not on Calderon to fall back at that point leaving his man WIDE open. Closest big steps up if necessary and other big recovers.
Simon,
You’ll get no dispute from me, re:” the tactical advantages of “forcing baseline” vs “forcing middle”.
That’s not what I’m talking about here, however … i.e. whether one way is superior to the other, especially at this level of competition and depending on the nature of a team’s specific personnel.
FACT IS … though … there is little, if any, inherent advantage to playing the game one way or the other, as long as it fits with the personnel on your team, as there have always been very good coaches who believed thoroughly in the advantages of “forcing to the middle”, where their shot-blocker is and they can defend in numbers.
TAllin, TAllin, TAllin …
The Answer to the Riddle is … it depends, on where the offense has its five players located.
[in general, simplistic positional-based rotation rules like "closest big, steps up" ... do not hold court in the NBA environment]
lesterbain,
re: #59
IMO, this is by design, according to the unique defensive system which each team plays.
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From my perspective, while it’s okay for a team to one finesse defensive player like Chris Bosh, it is by no means okay to have a whole boatload of them … which is the Raptors’ situation since Feb/2006 [for the most part].
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For the most part, Feschuk got it right yesterday.
When your team can’t Rebound in the NBA … it means that you better go out and get some more players who can rebound, to go with the one you have already.
And, the same applies to defending 1-on-1 in the Low Post with a certain degree of physicality.
Khandor Khandor Khandor…thanks for mocking me or attempting to talk down to me….almost made me think about what I actually said.
Appreciate your view….for what it’s worth (not sarcastic at all…wait a second).
And obviously it depends on where the five players are.
But you can’t forget overriding defensive rules, which trump any ‘force baseline’ or ‘forcemiddle’ defensive philophosy.
Don’t leave a three point shooter to help, especially one that’s hot. It’s really simple actually.
TAllin,
If the rules on your particular NBA team say to help vs a specific drive situation, then, as a player on that team, you best be leaving that hot 3PT-shooter open, momentarily, and then depend on your ‘bredren’ to rotate out; or, be prepared to suffer the wrath of your coaching staff and the vets on your squad.
No mocking or talking down intended.
#40 (Joey) – Danny Ferry built a team around arguably THE BEST PLAYER EVER who was acqhuired via a lottery.
Ferry/Cavs Front Office are more ‘lucky’ than skilled in having acquired LBJ.
This is a ridiculous argument. No coach in the NBA would ever preach such activity. The ball moves too fast in the NBA for help to arrive at the top of the circle. The three point shooter would be left open all day nailing three after three.
Oh wait…that’s what happens in Toronto. Never mind.
Thank god I’m a Detroit fan
TAllin,
What are you talking about with, ” … at the top of the circle”?
Who said anything about [Calderon or anyone else] providing help at that location on the floor? : )
OK.
I get it.
You don’t like examples – I’ll stop trying to use examples from the game last night where Calderon got burnt….Sorry for confusing you friend:)
I can’t be more clear when I say “you don’t leave a hot three point shooter to help” – ever.
Although you’re a good guy who I suspect likes to help everyone.
TAllin,
No confusion here, friend.
When did anyone ask for you to give an example?
Or, when did you mention that what you were doing was giving an example? [until now, of course]
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If you want to give an example to illustrate clearly what you’re trying to say about “help never ever being given properly from a defender positioned in a corner of the floor against a hot 3PT-shooter, stationed in that spot”, if the dribble penetration comes down the lane from the top of the key towards his side of the floor, then, by all means, go ahead and explain yourself further? … possibly, by identifying [i] where exactly on the court each of the 10 players are to start the sequence, [ii] what the ball’s starting position is, [iii] what the ball’s movement is, and [iv] what the resulting player movement is.
Cause, in that case … I’m all ears & eyes. : )
It isn’t “Bosh against Wallace” ….Varejao is just one of MANY “role players” who can shut down Bosh, the MVP superstar.
The Raptors don’t have an edge anywhere…. Bosh’s big scoring games are only effective against bottom feeders…. the top teams never have a problem beating the Raptors no matter what Bosh does.
It would be a true sign of progress if they could beat the Cavaliers, because they would have to actually exhibit some STRENGTH…I ain’t holding my breath.
Hey … the Ratpors could pull off an upset if the Cavs are too … casual.
Enjoy the game … btw, it’s better if the sound is very low or entirely muted to avoid the histrionic announcing of the game.
i hate this fucking ‘team.’
Which team is that, yertu? Which team do you hate?
The Cavs? Or, the Raptors?