Who’s got the better jump shot in this game, you or Hedo Turkoglu (of the Toronto Raptors)?
Bryant: I don’t know. Probably he does. He’s a better shooter than I am.
The Toronto Raptors season would be a bust if… Toronto misses the playoffs. General Manager Bryan Colangelo’s squad misses the playoffs for the second consecutive season. Raptors fans are excited about a transformed roster that saw the additions Jarrett Jack, DeMar DeRozan and Hedo Turkoglu to the fold with Olympic gold medalist Chris Bosh and point guard Jose Calderon but expectations may be too high for a team that won just 33 games a year ago. With so many new faces, the departure of defensive stopper Antony Parker and a new coach in Jay Triano, the Raptors must find a way to come together quickly if the team expects to make much noise in the playoffs this season. While a deep run in the playoffs isn’t likely, anything less than the playoffs would be disastrous for Toronto.
The NBA Breakdown crew hooked up with Tracy Murray and Sharone Wright over the holiday season for a special reunion show. It was a fun show with a lot of laughs and the guys took us for a great ride down memory lane. There’s no doubt that old school Toronto Raptor fans will appreciate what the guys had to say. Plus we even had a couple of surprises for them as well.
In Villanueva where he continues to train, this week José Manuel received a visit from Eric Hughes, the shooting coach of the Toronto Raptors. Eric Hughes has been cooperating with Joan Ramón Tarragó in this week’s training. His presence coincided with the start of the training workouts for José Manuel and have included many shooting drills. José Manuel’s recovery is well under way and he looks like he will be ready for the start of the preseason in Canada.
1. Chris Bosh, Toronto — 2008-09 numbers: 21.5 PTS, 2.3 AST, 9.5 REB, .569 TS%, 22.1 PER
CB4 probably belongs on the top of this list even if he just delivers the same numbers he has over the past four seasons, but it’s a contract year and he wants to prove he’s worth a max contract. I don’t know if his scoring numbers will increase, but I think he’s going to jack up his intensity on defence and on the boards.
21 Raps
Kobe is way better shooter than Hedo. Especially his mid-range jumper.
dang it manyak, you beat me to it!
“I don’t know. Probably he does. He’s a better shooter than I am.”
oh kobe… that’s the most ridiculous thing i’ve heard you say.
Yet another attempt at being humble by kobe that comes across as completely transparent and like most of his other attempts at being loved by all, just a hint of creepy.
Dude, by virtue of having three rings you’re the best player in the league over the Bronster by a whisker…Relax…we know it too.
Jesus, four rings easy on the Peyote Raven…
he’s so modest lol
did you guys see Stephen Jax demanded a trade? he’d look nice in a raptors uniform. 8.4 cap hit though
He’s not someone BC would go for – not a character guy. Great overall player though.
Bbbutt…he would like to play for a contender…he says…and then mentions the Knicks as one of the preferred trade destinations…lol!!
AP a lockdown defender? say what!
>
Why is it, that all these Ex-Raptors (from last year), have special skills that we — Raptor fans — missed along the way. Aren’t these the same guys who propelled us to a 33 win season?
Parker (who I liked) … a lock-down defender?
Moon … a mini Marion?
Kapono … a deadly shooter?
>
Turkoglu is a good shooter but I’m gonna have to disagree with what you said Kobe!
Parker=I liked.
Moon=Too overrated
Kapono=Wasn’t the same sharp shooter last season.
does anyone here actually play 2k?
they made derozan SICK. IF HE PLAYS LIKE HOW I USE HIM WERE WINNIN IT ALL LOL
(i kno its a video game)
There’s a reason the former Raptors are gone.
Parker is a great guy, but he’s 34 years old and has lost a step.
He’ll still provide good defense because of his high BBall IQ, but lock down?
Moon numbers have dropped steadily throughout each season he’s played in the NBA. A mini-Marion he never was. If he doesn’t get his crap together, he won’t even be a backup. And he’s 29, not exactly young anymore. Still have hope for him, he seems like a good guy.
Kapono is a shooter who is afraid to shoot, keeps thinking he has skills to drive to the hole, and fouls constantly. Everyone thought he’d develop, he didn’t.
Hedo not even close to Kobe at shooting skill.
Parker a “lock down defender”??? Never was, never will be…goes through screens about as often as Jose does and about as good a defender as Jose without the Clap!
Moon an all round athletic “Mitchell made piece of crap” Sam Mitchell sticking with him as a starter was ridiculous.
Kapono is a great shooter and will be a great shooter on a team that needs a shooter. Kapono’s problems like most of the Raptors started with a crappy coach in Mitchell who played the same Calderone dump to Bosh and hang on for one on one play that Triano talked about Kapono was never really used for what he was good at and to do that you need a slashing penetrating passing creating guard which Jose is not, and a passing smart know when to pass look for his team mates big man which Bosh is not.
Kapono will once again play like himself for a team that can pass and a coach that knows when and how to use him.
Does anyone else find it funny that when players like Parker and Moon are on the Raps, they ’suck’, but once they’re on another team, say, the Cavs, they’re suddenly valuable assets? Geez. Can’t have it both ways, I’m afraid.
Is it that far fetched? Kapono on a Miami team centered around Shaq and Wade was one of the deadliest shooters in the league. Put him on a Toronto team centred around Bosh and Calderon, and it’s a completely different story.
While I don’t expect Parker to be a “lock down defender” or Moon to be a “mini Marion”, I’m almost certain their contributions will be better with the Cavs than it was with the Raptors.
What it comes down to is: When you put average players on bad teams, they try to do too much. When you put average players on good teams, they understand their role (and if they don’t, they usually have character issues and are shipped out anyway).
i agree with your moon comment of being better in the cavs system, but Parker? I think he played his best bball in toronto. there is no way he’ll get the touches he did in toronto. williams takes tonnes of shots, west and gibson are considered shooters, shaq will get a lot of touches, even Z will demand the ball downlow, and then there is LeBron.
the only reason i say moon will be better is because he’ll get 10 minutes and bring energy, which doesnt include jumpers
Anthony Parker doesn’t need touches to be effective with the Cavs. If he’s called upon to shoot an open 3, he’ll more than likely drain it. But his primary role will be defense.
On the Raptors his primary role was defense as well, but then we also deferred point guard duties to him, as well as requiring 10 ppg from him. In his new, more limited role, Parker should be able to do more with less.
Ellipses says: Aug 29, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Does anyone else find it funny that when players like Parker and Moon are on the Raps, they ’suck’, but once they’re on another team, say, the Cavs, they’re suddenly valuable assets? Geez. Can’t have it both ways, I’m afraid.
———–
WOW! that is so true!!!