Opposing benches have too much fun against us.Usually I’m pretty good at sticking through the whole game but I had to turn this one off early in the fourth when Jack Armstrong started talking about how Leo was a “phenomenal passer” back in his day. No. Stop right there. Hy’s Steakhouse is phenomenal. The Rail is phenomenal. Jimi Hendrix is phenomenal. Leo Rautins, just like the Raptors, is not phenomenal.
The first paragraph of the post-game post usually succinctly summarizes the game and gives the reader the option to “Read More” if it piques their interest. I’m abandoning that routine today and plugging Twitter and the RR March Madness pool. If you care to read about this “game” (I’m reluctant to call it that because by definition its an event where two sides compete, not where one lays down and the other rolls over them), do so at the risk of learning nothing new.
The Bobcats were mired in a three game losing streak after winning six in a row and were 1.5 game out of the final playoff spot coming into this one. They knew a shoddy NBA unit was coming into their building and there was no excuse for them to drop this one. They came out and took care of business in the exact opposite way we “took care” of Milwaukee at home without Michael Redd. Remember that? That Milwaukee game to me was the season in a nutshell, we had won three in a row and had a chance to match the longest winning streak of the season but we ended up getting embarrassed by Charlie V and went on to lose 6 straight. It wasn’t a “must win” per say but a loss in such a game spoke volumes about a team’s resolve and desire. Last night the Bobcats took care of us the way we should’ve taken care of Milwaukee. They are a talented and focused bunch that enjoys playing with each other and have a goal to strive for, we are playing out the season in our division rivals’ uniforms.
I have to talk about the conditioning factor again because we appeared spent after the first quarter. We came out with good defensive energy to start the game and got the break going after some solid shot-contests by Bargnani on Okafor. Marion and Parker hooked each other up on the leakouts and Jose got us into the sets early. Parker hit a patented jumper, Bosh had a purposeful hook shot and Bargnani was giving Okafor something to think about on defense. I thought Bargnani could’ve done more on offense, he’s gotten much better at ball-faking on the perimeter and the defender usually goes for it as did Okafor. However, Bargnani ends up giving the advantage right back by passing the ball off as the defender’s being faked out, or he’ll take two dribbles in when he could’ve taken six. He’s obviously improved from last year but the next area to develop in his game is better decision making off the perimeter ball-fake. Considering how the Bobcats have had trouble with his type he could’ve had more than 13/6.
Jose Calderon picked up his second foul in the first quarter and it didn’t appear to be a big deal at the time since he wasn’t giving us much against Felton. To his credit, he did try to attack more but got sealed off on a couple occasions and then got called for a charge and another turnover. Roko got the call and he was terrible. Absolutely horrific. He needs to tighten his handle to the point where he doesn’t have to look down when switching hands and is confident enough to tempt the defender to reach so he can pull back the dribble and gain an advantage by driving. It’s a simple thing but he doesn’t/can’t do it. He came in at the 7:56 mark of the first quarter with a four point lead and left at the 4:11. In that stretch the Raptors had 7 turnovers (23 for the game) and gave up an 11-2 run. The Bobcats were trapping him early and he looked very uncomfortable running the offense; in fairness to him every other Raptor was equally clumsy. Roko didn’t see the light of day till the 2 minute mark of the third quarter when this game was essentially out of reach.
Bosh also picked up his second foul but I don’t think it really mattered. Pops was doing a good job of being a presence in the paint and it wasn’t like was Okafor was killing us. We didn’t have an answer for Gerald Wallace’s slashing, D.J Augustin’s outside shooting and dribble-penetration and Boris Diaw’s slithery ways of getting to the rim which all ended up resulting in a 52-32 point in the paint edge, a stat that most teams take as meaning inside domination but we take it as meaning getting beat off the dribble. Wallace was giving us a good idea of what we missed when we decided not to trade him straight up for T.J Ford, a trade that in hindsight would’ve been ideal for us. He was passing up wide-open perimeter shots given to him by Marion and Graham by opting to drive instead. D.J Augustin hit a couple big threes on a sagging Jose Calderon in the second quarter off of great ball movement, something the Bobcats did all night while racking up 32 assists on 44 made shots.
Shawn Marion’s defense was disappointing, he was losing track of Gerald Wallace way too easily and allowing him to gain an advantage with a first step which isn’t even that quick to begin with. Joey wasn’t much better at defending Wallace leading me to believe there wasn’t a plan in place for the Bobcats’ best scorer. But hey, coming up with plans is hard work and I don’t think anybody on the Raptors (including the coaching staff) is familiar with that concept. Or if they are they let it go a couple months back. Here’s a Shawn Marion quote:
Sometimes we just feel like we’re just there and we’re not just there. It’s hurting. I hate losing. It’s frustrating for me.
He may as well add:
I’m a pretty good player if I’m in a system that’s tailored to my style of play and I don’t see the Raptors as that team. I know I’m going to have to take a pay cut this summer because of my lack of production in the last couple years and unless you’re going to overpay me, I’ll go find a sunny weather spot with a team that’s looking in the same direction as me. I do like the city, I hope it all works out for you guys. Hey, maybe Marcus can show you a little something something. You never know, right? Naaaaah….we both know Marcus sucks. Seriously though, take care.
Other than the first few minutes of the first and third quarters the effort was questionable, but at this point I don’t know how much of that has to do with conditioning. Sure, you’re playing on the second night of a back-to-back but you got three days off coming up and you can’t tell me they couldn’t find an extra gear? Then again, what the hell is there to play for other than personal pride of which these guys have very little. Except Jose, as much as I criticize him I do believe the guy feels the losses more than anyone on that team. I think he’s trying his best to justify the contract but unfortunately for him, he’s just not been good enough. There’s no leader on this squad that can motivate or drive others into giving a committed effort despite the record. Bosh is supposed to be that guy but he can’t lead by example, doesn’t have a competitive nature and lacks the mental strength to carry and inspire his teammates through rough stretches. The fact that he can’t create his own shot and take over a game adds to the problem but I’ve learned not to expect or blame him for that. I’m not privy to what goes on in the dressing room but you have to wonder what kind of respect he commands in there.
The second and third quarter consisted entirely of the Bobcats spawning their beautiful unselfish swing sequences off of good high screen usage and individual dribble-penetration which forced the Raptors to collapse the paint and then recover out to shooters. We might’ve done a good job of recovering to the first shooter off the kick-out but once their swing sequence was in full effect our rotations needed to be accountable, crisp and followed by hard close-outs. That obviously hasn’t happened all season so no reason to expect that now. The Bobcats shot 49% for the game and got good shots whenever they wanted. After starting the third quarter on a 6-0 run to cut the lead to 7 and forcing Larry Brown to burn a timeout we conceded a 16-4 run which put the game to bed.
The Bobcats played some great defense in holding us to 38% shooting which included 3-16 from downtown. They neutralized the pick ‘n roll by switching hard, didn’t allow Calderon to turn the corner early in the game and didn’t need to double Bosh to slow him down. They boxed out Pops on the defensive glass and even the much-maligned Wallace put Marion on his back on a few occasions. Ex-Bobcat Kapono and Parker were held in close check by Raja Bell who always encouraged the contested shot which we so willingly take. On one crucial third quarter possession when the wheels were coming off they forced a shot-clock violation by playing Bosh tight, he lost the dribble and was forced beyond the three-point line with two seconds on the clock. Not demonstrating the highest basketball IQ, Bosh chose to pass it to Joey who was covered tightly on the elbow with a second left instead of heaving a three-pointer. It’s one small play that speaks of court presence.
I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Bobcats play, they reminded me of the 2006-07 edition of the Raptors which had two pretty good point guards, great ball movement and good enough outside shooting to free up an average post-player. I do hope they catch Milwaukee for that final spot, that franchise has sucked long enough and their recent good moves need to be rewarded. To give an example of specific coaching, the Bobcats spent extra time at a shootaround on Monday going over the “principles” of guarding pick-and-rolls which also included a video session. This extra coaching was deemed necessary by Larry Brown because they allowed Minnesota to shoot 53% from the field. You think the Raptors coaching staff is this serious about giving up high percentages?
The lead entering the fourth quarter was 89-72 which meant it was garbage time. And since we’re all gentlemen, we don’t talk about garbage time.
Liners:
- I put up the Bobcats bench picture up partially because the Raptors bench laughing against Indiana rubbed me the wrong way. Does a team that just snapped a 7-game losing streak at home really get to celebrate that much? I’m all for patting oneself on the back but do it when you accomplish something more than avoiding a season-high losing streak. If there was a true leader on this team he’d keep those things in check.
- We’re 1-28 when we allow the opposition to shoot 48% or higher. Makes sense, our offense isn’t good enough to compensate for that kind of defense.
- We currently have the 8th pick. If we can just figure out a way to be more crappy there’s no reason why we can’t get the 6th or maybe even the 5th pick. We have 24 wins, Golden State has 23, Minny as 20 and OKC has 19. If we shut Bosh, Calderon and Marion down for the year there’s every reason to think we can “catch” OKC. Complete NBA standings.
- 44 personal fouls in this one and if it weren’t for the Raptors going 29-36 it would’ve been even uglier.
- Pops was compared to Wendel Clark by Matt Devlin.
- Jason Kapono smiled after his first made shot of the game cut the lead to 16 in the third quarter. He is a fraud and should be jailed for conning Bryan Colangelo.
- Patrick O’Bryant is half Irish, half terrible.
- The combination of Parker, Calderon and Ukic had 13 assists and 11 turnovers. They shot a combined 6-20 (30%). I’d like to put some heat on Bosh but he had as much support last night as AltRaps when he’s trying to convince me to hit the Rail on a Tuesday. In a game where everybody played like crap, he doesn’t deserve additional feces thrown at him.
- Officially, Marcus Banks stayed in Toronto to have his toe examined. In reality, he couldn’t afford to miss 24.
Thanks for reading and don’t go anywhere without checking the very sexy Roll Call. Hang in there, just 14 more games left, it’ll all soon be over.
Loading ...
42 Raps
Actually, Patrick O’Bryant is half-Irish, all terrible.
the Irish part just makes it worse.
No one cares anymore.. This team put together by Colangelo, looks like a daughter we raised and she turned out to be a slutty hooker. Every game we watch is like watching a porn of our own daughter getting gang banged.. lol.. Of course you couldnt watch till the end…
This is horrible… and true. Rap of the day, regrettably.
Best rap up of the year
Greatest. Comment. Ever.
So epically-and-dirtily created, TOP 5 IN RAPS OF THE YEAR no doubt.
I keep reading bosh “stared down” the camera after the Memphis game…lol
is there a clip of this anywhere?
Please let albert’s quote be the “quotable” this week? Pretty please?
It’s poignant and ugly…just like this hell of a season.
pique, not peak.
You linked your twitter post, which just links back to the article and it’s making me dizzy.
YES. WE. CAN!! (keep losing & improve draft position). let the fan-tanking begin!
every once in a while, it’s nice to see them play well…but that, apparently, is not the ‘real’ raps, it’s an aberration. better to see what they really are now, so they can make the appropriate changes this summer. too many games like sunday, and we’s think that they only needed minor tweaking. it’s games like this that remind us just how deep the rot runs.
oh, and it’s ‘wendel.’ can’t be mispelling a folk-hero’s name. or be using it in reference to any current raptor.
on the list of ‘raptor employees i’d like to most see hit by a bus,’ is JK just above or just below il devo?
I just want to bring up something. Some people wanted Aldridge instead of Bargs, but who would u have now? (and u cant say u want roy because thats a no-brainer). Aldridge is like a poor man’s Bosh except he never gets to the line. I think Bargs would turn out to be a much more accomplished player than Aldridge
Bosh is a poor man’s Aldridge. I’d still take LA over Bargnani. You’re basing your judgment on two months of play, I’m basing mine on two and a half years. This year’s slightly eased the nauseating feeling of drafting Bargnani over Roy/Aldridge but let’s see if he can keep this up for a whole year.
good point endo…but ill still take bargs…aldridge is going to be an injury plagued mess…and the only thing that makes him better than bargnani at this point is his rebounding and the fact that he plays alongside brandon roy.
What do base that from. Its obvious that you neva watched a blazers game. I like Bargs but LA right now is Rashead Wallace and MIGHT (emphasis on might) be Kevin Garnett with his ability to hit the 15-17 footer, is great off the pick and roll, can rebound, and defend with his long reach. The guy is only reaching his surface the only thing wrong with him is his abandonment issues which hinders his ability to trust his teammates.
Guys, IT IS WHAT IT IS. I say, keep JC, CB, AB, and POPs, Draft high in the lottery this year (2/3), resign Marion for a third of what he is getting now days and get rid of the other dead beats. Then we’ll have something to cheer about. I can’t stand watching JK, he looks retarded when he run up and down the court.
The minute Kapono hits the floor,I start counting how many seconds its going to take before he turns over the ball.
you know how last preseason mitch told bargs to not shoot any threes? this preseason jk can only shoot if its a three.
Kapono is brutal. But not only are his turnovers a killer, he’s gotta start gunning from 3′s. Whoever’s telling him to try to play an all-around game and not just be a 3 pt specialist needs to be canned!
And Ukic, I think he can be a special player in a couple of years, once he starts to understand the game.
What do you mean by special? A solid backup pg? Sure. Anything more, no.
Yeah, what the hell is up with people inflating their opinion of Ukic? Don’t get me wrong, I like the kid but let’s be real here. Other than an ability to take it to the rim made look much better than it actually is by everyone else on the team being a pussy, he’s a very below average point guard with a multitude of flaws.
Maybe if he improves his ball-handling, shooting and finishing he’ll become a serviceable backup but let’s stop using the word “special” when describing players who haven’t proven or shown anything that is worth hanging on to.
I’d trade him in a heartbeat for Mario Chalmers.
And this talk that he’s the “next Calderon” is like saying Kia is the next Hyundai.
give yourself the rap of the day arse.
Arse,
Its all about the coaching foundation and the management of development of this team, THERE WAS NEVER ANY ESTABLISHED! Besides the usual “super-uber-star” player running a team, our management has yet to create a plan to develop draft picks and they don’t send anyone to the NBDL at the right time or at all! We also need a coach, not just because he is experienced and know how to draw a play, but is constructive and straight-forward to his own GM to sell and create good ideas and plans to develop players. Then it just comes to the owners too, now that’s a different story.
the way ukic played against the spurs, if nothing else, is a glimpse of what he is capable of, if his potential is ever reached. but he does have a long way to go.
hes young, tall and athletic, and until this year never played against elite talent, and he’s a gym rat. his faults, poor jumpshot, dribbling, and nba offensive understanding are all coachable. lets see what happens when he comes back next year after a summer of working on everything.
he may never get “it”, but if he does, i think he’ll be a really good pg and do a lot of the stuff we need our pg to do (get to the rim and create shots off the dribble)
as I said at the time, any player at this level is bound to have a game like that. Acie Earl was the team leader in points scored in a game for years. ’nuff said.
alt, it boils down to whether or not he has the head for the game and makes the realizations he needs to to be a legit player. if you’re in the nba you have the tools, some just can’t put it all together, moon for instance.
my opinion on ukic is based on the fact that he shows some really promising flashes, its his first year playing against the best players in the world (on a new continent), and the gut feeling that he’ll put it together. you can tell he lacks confidence (as did bargs until the last half of this year) and when he gets comfortable confident and feels like he truely belongs on an nba roster, i think you’ll see a lot more of the spurs type games as opposed to the shaky trying not to screw up games that he’s giving us at the moment.
glass half full or glass half empty, if ukic was 30 and that spurs game was his crowning moment, i would agree with you. hes a rookie and hasnt had the reps or experience to this point, so i think you’re wrong.
in response to _cp_….agreed, all have their own opinion.
Personally, I just don’t see it. His appearances on the floor leave much to be desired and if he isn’t getting the minutes now, when does he? Do you think next year he and Jose will be akin to the TJ/Jose tandem in minutes alone? If Jose goes down, are you comfortable with Roko taking over as Jose did last year? I’m certainly not.
If Roko was on a team where the organization was comfortable giving him 15mins of time right now to get his feet wet, great. He isn’t. The summer league will not provide the competition he needs, nor will training camp. An extended stay in the D-League might, but we are thin at his spot (and overall).
You take that one game away from him this season and I can’t see how anybody would say this year was even close to being a success for him or for us in the role he was to fill on this team. Am I counting him out for good? No, but I do think for anything to come of him it will be 2-3 seasons away, and even then I think his best season would be about 70% of what Jose has given us this year.
I feel bad for the writers. It must be tough writing this crap about the Raptors losing 50 times this season. I commend you for making it read-able despite the Raptors playing terrible ball.
I agree, hopefully we can get a top 5 pick and turn this team around. God know we need a penetrating two and a marion-type three who plays defense. I think we are much closer then it sometimes looks.
it’s not just the team that’s pitiful. it’s the entire presentation. from the horrid announcing team that can’t refrain from godawful, irrelevant and unwanted hockey analogies (yes matt devlin i’m wafting this stink in your direction) to the putrid post-game pedantics and downright laughability of paul johnson (almost makes me miss the feckless norma wick). the radio side isn’t much better, with eric smith claiming he invented the vacuous ‘it is what it is’ as he apologizes yet again for the horrid play of our raptors. Hearing sherm and eric insist that EVERYONE is shocked by this team’s underperformance adds insult to injury when it has been apparent since colangelo took over that we have been on a steady downward slide.
i’m utterly depressed by this team, its broadcasts, its marketing department embarrassments (didn’t they learn their uniform lesson after the ridiculous ‘everyone in new jersey red’ debacle during the playoffs two seasons ago?) its post game ‘pundits’.
i realize i’m ranting but i can’t help it. i’m disgusted. I’m especially pissed that whenver — on those oh-so-rare occassions — when the raptors are selected as a national US game, that instead of piping in the intelligent and relatively objective American national broadcast team, we’re stuck with our parochial and hopelessly un-savvy local yokels.
/wrists. make it stop!!!!!
*slow and steady clapping and nodding*
Thank God Jose was 100% healthy. I wouldn’t have wanted Felton to go off on him.
Add my applause to the rest for Albert and cb. Couldn’t have said it better myself. Think I’ll write the Raptors marketing department or whatever a letter to the same effect. Might help work off a bit of the rage I feel over forking over hard-earned cash to watch this debacle. At least I still get to see the Clips and Wizards.
People People People …!!!!
Let’s all put our collective thoughts together and deliver a unanimous consensus to BC with constructive/destructive recommendations that will launch the Raptors into a promising new future.
Let’s forgo all the vile bile being spewed on this fine forum of bball aficionados and assorted malcontents and miscreants.
Let’s understand that the Raptors are first and foremost a “business” that must produce a profit for the MLSE, otherwise the Raptors are gonezo.
Let’s just enjoy the NCAA tournament and NBA playoffs.
Let’s just look forward to summer and forgetting about the abject Raptors.
If you are unable to stop masochistically beating your mental meat I suggest: http://tinyurl.com/cgwgo6
Sorry FAQ, not all of us can just let things go and just move on by trying to appreciate the NBA playoffs, NCAA or whatever else. Sure, I’ll enjoy those tournaments but it doesn’t serve as a replacement for the enjoyment I would gather if the Raps were actually decent.
Call me an addict, an idiot or a tribal-honker but it just doesn’t cut it for me. Is MLSE after making money? Of course, they’d be crazy not to but we’ve got the 10th highest payroll in the league so forgive me for suggesting that they’re actually willing to shell the cash out. How BC uses that cash is another matter but for now I’d like a 10th place finish in the NBA to go along with that payroll.
I also can’t just “forget about the abject Raptors” because I’m pretty well-invested into the operation that is RR. See you on the other side of the summer.
I guess yer right … the tribal honkers need somewhere to weep and wail over their hurt feeeeelings … and RR is a great place to wax emetic … but when will it stop because their future looks grim, desolate, depressing, downright disastrous.
Once again Raptorites will put all their hopes, dreams, aspirations into a wonderous LeBron-like draft pick to lift the lowly Raptors to next year’s championship. I’ve seen that ritual now for several past seasons. When will it stop?!
Would you agree with me that the change must start at the top because that’s where the bottleneck is located?! BC desperately needs a competent coach to develop and guide the Raptors over at least 3 seasons of rebuilding. Why are the whiners demanding a quick fix when you know that’s not possible???
So let’s get real about the Raptors, and just admit this is not a “team” that can function well in the NBA, and drastic surgery is required to start the rebuild and eventual recovery. A new coach and a flock of new players will not cut it in the NBA as we have seen with the Raptors.
Keep Bosh or Bargs? Where are the holes? How many seasons in the cellar? Is there a 5-year plan in the Raptor-BC vault? These and other questions should be broached after everybody goes through the grief cycle:
• Shock stage: Initial paralysis at the bad news.
• Denial stage: Trying to avoid the inevitable.
• Anger stage: Frustrated outpouring of bottled-up emotion.
• Bargaining stage: Seeking in vain for a way out.
• Depression stage: Final realization of the inevitable.
• Testing stage: Seeking realistic solutions.
• Acceptance stage: Finally finding the way forward.
Perhaps the tribal honking fans have not yet caught up to me in the “acceptance stage”, and require a bit more time bitching, whining and trashing … it’s just that they pull me back into the depression stage … but if that’s where you get the most website hits ……!!!
Who’s demanding a quick fix? I think everybody’s come to terms with the flaws of this team and recognizes that it’s engine needs to be changed rather than a piston replaced. Of course it starts with the coach, Triano hasn’t shown anything to warrant further consideration, his X’s and O’s are slightly better than Mitchell but the inconsistent effort and energy the team has come out with under his watch is still unacceptable.
Sign me up for a three-year rebuilding phase which includes trading Bosh. Give the fans some credit here, they understand that this ship needs to be corrected properly and that applying quick fixes isn’t the way to go. BUT, I doubt that’s what BC’s plan if he’s still expecting to resign Bosh. If he is then except another questionable summer signing and another year of expecting Bosh to carry this team on his back which he can’t do. Hopefully, BC’s summer signing is a high-impact one which makes Bosh the #2 option on the team. If it’s not, let’s hope for the rebuild.
Also, I’ve been at the acceptance stage for some time now.
when is rebuilding just too much though? Be honest, how long have we really been rebuilding? If you write off the banner year as a fluke, it’s been a long rebuilding process.
To truly start over, get rid of the coach and the GM.
You got that right, Arse …. and did you notice that Triano is following in Smitch’s footsteps too?? In the Bobcat game, Triano was calm and composed, refusing to raise his blood pressure and popping an artery .. just like Smitch did in his last few game .. where I pointed out to the forum that poor ol’ Smitch was not his usual blaring self .. just sitting in his chair and waiting for the ax to fall.
The coaches know that the Raps team is inadequate athletically and intellectually … so why bother trying to motivate a bunch of demotivated players … ever play on a team like that where the coach don’t care no mo’ …???!!!!
What I see is BC directing Triano to enhance the play of all players in the hope of making them better trade bait .. while ensuring they don’t win too many games going down the stretch to draft picks. Of course the players know the management’s strategy and will try their best short of injuring themselves for a lost cause. Those who are playing for a new contract will be in their best panic mode as they see the demise of their multi-million$$$$ NBA careers. It’s all so obvious now…..
Sign Chris Brown at least we know he’s got some toughness!
Ukic is a special player who’s belongs in the special olympics.
Parker- great 6 or 7 man not starter
CB4- trade for a first round pick.
AB- As long as BC’s here he isn’t going nowhere.
Pop’s- second coming of Antonio Davis
JK- 3 point specialists I think not, Dell Curry, Steve Kerr, Ray Allen are 3 point specialist.
Marion- He’s got 3 more years left before he’s done.
JC-It’s not like he’s turning the ball over he just needs good players around him.
awesome post…
Couldnt agree more on the Milwaukee game…
Jimi Hendrix, not Jimmy.