The turkey time edition
Banks – his worst game of the preseason, but he only saw the floor for 2 minutes. Still, that was enough to provide flashbacks (premonitions?). 3 fouls, 1 assist and providing a face to acid reflux.
Bargnani – speaking of worst games of the preseason, Andrea was off tonight. His already suspect D was magnified today when he saw more of the backs of the jerseys of the guy he was defending than the front. He did grab 5 boards, but he seemed completely disinterested most of the game.
Belinelli – by far his best game. He was poor from the outside and Miller beat him badly twice, but he cut down on his off-balance shots and seemed more stable when he attacked today. Gotta keep this up to prove your worth.
Bosh – Jamison absolutely torched him to start the game….that tattoo on Bosh’s body might just be a Wizard’s logo with a #4 attached. He had as brutal a game as can be expected from a guy in his second game back, but the way he was neutralized and knocked around was concerning.
Calderon – if he isn’t clapping, he’s pointing more than a compass. In a rare sight, he actually had more rebounds (5) than assists (2) in nearly 30min of play. Yes, 30 minutes, 2 assists. His line also featured a –17. Time to start wondering.
DeRozan – Great job at getting to the line and an incredible clean-up dunk brought the game to a successful result. He seems to start games on a bit of a slow and steady pace, then the coaches get in his ear and he takes it to heart. A lot more stable with the ball in his hands today and 36 min (!) should hopefully never be seen again this early.
Douby – wow. Looking off a wide open Bargs then, in the same sequence, committing a bone-headed foul on the other end of the floor. That squeaking you hear is coming from the hinges on the door starting to close. I’m really disappointed after how he played in summer league. Bigger flash in the pan than Aunt Jemima.
Evans – 2 early offensive fouls courtesy of his bull-in-a-china-shop style, but he settled down, got to the line, and provided that down-low spark we desperately need. Looked like he was in his teammates face a lot more today than the last few games.
Jack – poor shooting day but a great job in setting up plays and finding open guys. Still needs to assert himself more and take charge in the offense, especially when sharing the floor with Jose. His offsetting style will provide other teams fits.
Johnson – fantastic job on rotation defence, a couple monster blocks, and more consistent than trips to the washroom after eating Wendy’s chili with 5 packets of hot sauce.
Nesterovic – nailed to the bench. Maybe the baby kept him up.
O’Bryant – he shot 100%!!! He is a scoring machine! A slam dunk for the MIP Raptor!!! Peanut butter jelly time!!!
Turkoglu- good to hear he was putting up shots in the pregame. Need him on the floor and settling into this offense. Say what you want, but the early part of this season could be more important than the later part.
Weems – He started again and was having a monster game until jamming his toe. He was kept out as a precaution, but before heading out after 10min, he had put up 4 points, grabbed 6rebs and was all over the court. He was an unknown quantity entering training camp and is quickly becoming a sleeper pick for top 8.
Wright – have to wonder if the longer he is out, the more minutes he is losing in the regular season. Some guys are biting into them right in front of his bench-sitting eyes. Gotta get up and at ‘em.
Driving The Bus: Marco Belinelli
Under The Bus: Chris Bosh
Game Theme:
29 Raps
Should read:
Driving the Bus: The Bench.
Under the Bus: Chris Bosh.
Getting hit by the bus: Douby, O’Bryant.
Chasing after the bus, trying to catch up: Banks.
Bargs was very, very bad on D. The offence works better when it goes through him. Every time he gets a touch the D moves. Even if he’s not moving.
Was impressed the most with Derozan. He was very agressive today…and that jam by him,gotta love it!
Enjoyed the game on RR live feed.
The chat has to go.
Was I the only one expecting that turkey to explode?
I’d say Belinelli’s shot selection will make me cringe all season. He’s the most dangerous Raptor in transition with the ball in his hands. I can see him playing a bit of point-forward because of his passing which has been good all pre-season. Consistency will be the key with him, as it is with all jump shooters.
Still going to wait till we play some real games before forming an opinion but so far I’d say he’s been better than what Delfino was for us.
agree – that they didn’t bring back delfino was a good decision in my book- the season he played with us he had an unfortunate tendancy to hoist up tough three point shots, early on the shot clock when he was on the floor with better shooters (bargnani and kapono)which would aggravate me to no end.
Delfino was a chucker. Belinelli is younger, a better shooter and more athletic. As Arse said he can also play point-forward because of his passing. The only thing Delfino could be better at was man defense which Belinelli hasn’t played much yet.
I’m worried about Jose, he doesn’t have a bounce in his step and his jumper’s are all front-rim. He’s the one who needs to be resting cuz of fatigue. You can tell his conditioning is off.
Belinelli has good body control on the fast break, decent handles and good vision….he’ll improve the transition game.
I think Marco is still not in his top physical condition, having to improve his form/shape. If you noticed, he scored many points at the beginning of the games, due to his physical and mental freshness. Marco is a player running all along the field and he is always among the first players to run counterattack. Beyond this, he spends too much energies on defense, when focused, following his man like a shadow, constantly annoying him with hands movement and outstretched arms. I think he is definitely better than Delfino.
Haha, i was expecting the Turkey to explode too. Or the pot blow up/catch fire.
LOL so did I! Actually, I thought the cylinder was going to explode too.
If Beli will be able to keep his shot selection and turnover average under control (yesterday 6/9 2pt, 0/4 3pt…), he’ll be alright with the Raptors. He has a game instinct that could win us some games, even if starting from the bench. He’s bold and his 3pt shot will start to fall soon. His defense is ok, nothing special but for sure he’s not a liability. I’ve been following him for a while, and I have to say we got away with a very nice deal from GSW. People who already over criticize him probably didn’t know him before and are basing their judgment just on this part of pre-season. They could be right at the end, but it’s just too soon to tell from what we’ve seen.
With the likes of Derozan, who’s showing some excellent matter to build upon, and the surprising Weems, who looks to be just perfect in an up-tempo wing action, the guard/wing department is looking really good. To be confirmed when things begin to matter.
Quote:
“People who already over criticize him probably didn’t know him before and are basing their judgment just on this part of pre-season.”
Agree. I really do not understand this sort of veil of silence that Raptors fans lay upon him. I do not want to think about prejudice of any kind about Marco. Perhaps, to his not balanced assessment, contributes the distrust of having got him from GS practically for nothing (is Devin George something else?).
As for their judgment on this part of pre-season, I say that only a blind man can not see the importance of Marco’s contribution. Along with AB, DD, SW is one player who scored more. His + / – is among the best, which means that the whole team benefits from his presence, not only in terms of boxscore. You said well: when 3pointers will fall, then we’ll see the complete repertoire of Beli.
first time poster – was recently referred to this website – this is great for avid raps fans.
I am usually an avid supporter/defender of bargnani however have to agree he struggled today. regardless, while it is nice to win you have to be careful not to read too much into preseason games, both the good and the bad.
Reggie Evans is pissing me off. Every time he hustles for an offensive rebound or steal, he tries going for the bucket without looking for an open man or any of the PGs, usually resulting in bricks and turnovers. He has to understand that he’s out there to act as a garbage man on offense, not as a primary option..
Maybe part of the motivation to go for rebounds is actually scoring in the end. Maybe if you tell him NOT TO SCORE he won’t be motivated to go for those rebounds. Reggie Evans did go to the line 10 times tonight! and scored 8 buckets (80%) so I don’t see what the problem was tonight especially if he gets to the line after attempt to score, gets fouled and able to knock those free throws.
I think its a matter of balance. Its one thing to grab a rebound near the bucket and go back up… its another for him to grab a long rebound (or steal the ball) and instantly drive at the net. If he learns his limitations, his offensive rebounds, intensity and effort would be even more valuable.
I have to disagree. If he keeps going for the two points after the offensive rebound without even looking for an open team mate, it will be a problem and we will be getting very little from his O. boards. Or do you really think he can keep up shooting 80%FTP? Or become a post unerring savior?
To me, Amir has an edge at the moment.
Side note: Slam rated Chris Bosh #13 in the NBA right now….sounds about right.
Why is everybody so worried about Jose? He’s doing fine and right on track to start the season fit and ready.
Because panicking prematurely is what Raptors fans do? Unless they are steadfastly supporting some guy who can’t play.
Or trying to start controversies and distractions about who should start.
Uhh… upon what basis do you offer this observation Mikey G?
He’s not Sonny Weems. He’s not fighting for a job. He’s a world class player and the starting point guard.
What do I base it on? Today I saw a player a little sharper than the last game. Scored 12 points, fought for a couple of rebounds, etc…
After getting the minutes required, the coaches sat him down and he cheered the kids trying to make an impression.
It’s preseason, what else do you expect?
Bellineli has just as much potential as dede I think. Once he gets comfy with everything this guy can be manu for us. He is amazingly well rounded and talented the only problems are that he’s young and overly hungry to prove himself right now but if he gets into a relaxed rythem watchout!!!
belli dede sonny amir antoine jj jc andrea cb none are by any means old. tons of potential. you could compare triano to some of these guys in a coach sort of way as well. will be fun to watch them grow.
This season Jay Triano got in his hands a sort of human arsenal that can truly be devastating to the opponents. He only has to learn how to dose the ingredients to get the right mix, that explosive one. I’m referring to the dosage schedule of rotations. He also has to be careful not to burn his hands and not to blow up the lab. Can’t wait to see how good he’ll be as an alchemist.
I agree with you sentiments and enjoyed your colourful metaphors.
Im really starting to think that amir is definetly worth taking major minutes from reggie.He puts in just as much effort on the glass, but doesnt make the terrible decisions that reggie does. Obviously any effort on the boards is a good thing, but i just hope in key situations reginald doesnt end up making me have a stroke this season.
Eh, I’d say Calderon was under the bus more than Bosh. Still, your opinion.