BallThe script played out the same as the Heat/Laker games: spot them a lead, claw back, hang around, pounce like tiger, win game. All the while, your defense making timely stops at crucial points to give you a chance.
Jay. Hedo. Ball. Stat. I’ve been one of his worst critics, but when our boy puts up 26pts 11rebs 2ast, the proof is in the pudding. Give him the damn ball, and let him do work. I don’t know how else he can make it clear that he isn’t an off-the-ball player after giving the most awkward/terrible interview in NBA history. The guy is responsible to get himself into games, but Triano needs to run plays for him.
Armstrong: You came out tonight, early, aggressive. What was different for you tonight in terms of setting the tone with your game, in this game?
Turkoglu: Ball.
I’m struggling with things to say about Hedo. He played a great game. Shot the ball efficiently (26pts on 16 shots), crashed the boards hard, he didn’t distribute the ball like we’ve become accustomed too. I think we can agree he wont be a 20+ point a night scorer, but if he can get back up to 17-18 with 5rebs 5ast, well, that’s what we got him for right? Hopefully it continues, ball.
Bargnani was only present in body last night. He left it all on the floor Wednesday against the Heat, where he went 13-19 from the field for 27pts. From the tip, he wasn’t moving well and looked out of it. While he couldn’t buy a shot, his help defense was spot on, getting 3 blocks; but none more important than with 58 seconds left in the game, and the Raptors trailing 102-101: Harrington puts his head down and drives to the rack, Bargnani leaves Gallinari and blocks Harrington at the rim. Jack leaks out on the break, and hits a floater in the lane; Raptors never look back.
Anyone else get the sense that Calderon is more-and-more zen with backup point-guard duties? With each passing game he brings that spark off the bench that gives the Raptors a much needed boost, the more he realizes that being our Jason Terry isn’t such a bad gig.
Longevity in the NBA is about adjusting to a constantly changing environment. Antonio McDeyess, Joe Smith, Rasheed Wallace and Jason Terry started in the NBA as stars, but stayed relevant by embracing new roles that they never held through their careers. Calderon has such an opportunity, and how he deals with it will be a big piece of how this teams fares over the next few years.
In yet another game where the Raptors were playing poorly and were trailing heading into the 2nd quarter, Jose paced a comeback that shifted the momentum the Knicks built in the 1st. Scoring 8pts and dishing out 4ast accounting for 18 of the 29 points in the quarter.
For the third game (and third big win) in a row, Antoine Wright was spectacular. He was asked to play tough perimeter defense and nail his open jumpers, and did just that. Basically a poor mans Bruce Bowen. The Raptors have been missing this production since Doug Christie was in town. I’m not saying he’s as good, but he brings the same toughness and tenacity at the wing. His defensive tenacity rubbed off on Jack who took 2 charges down the stretch with the Raptors leading by a possession.
I didn’t mention Amir after the Heat game, but he stepped in admirably last night in Bargnani’s absence. The 4th quarter was all about our boy hustling and doing the dirty work beneath the boards. On three occasions, he gave the Raptors another offensive possession with a tap out to the three point line. So often you can’t actually grab the board, but you can tap it to yourself, or someone on your team to maintain possession, and he did.
Bosh did a terrible job of defending Lee, but at least matched him statistically to take away any advantage. Mobile forwards (Lee, Beasley, Horford, Varajeo) seem to give the Raptors front line a lot of problems defensively.
BallWhat was most alarming for The Franchise was the 6 turnovers he committed. With Bargnani a no-show, Bosh was the center of attention until Turkoglu got going later in the 1st quarter. In fact, the 21 turnovers the Raptors committed (and 27pts off the TO’s), was easily the reason the Knicks were in the game given how poorly they were shooting.
This is the 4th win in a row for the Raptors the first time this season; on the second night of a back-to-back; on the road; and after big wins against the Lakers and the Heat. Ball.
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211 Raps
I would just like to reiterate……. Ball
Hedo has taken said BALL out of ASS and into HOOP
problem is Heat are mediocre..Where was Ball against the Lakers, Celts and Cavs?
Hedo just wanted to make it clear for Triano… I need the BALL in my hand to play my game… It took only 47 games for Triano to understand this… I think they don’t speak too much during training… they need the media to speak with each other…
i’ll never understand how nba basketball works:
-you guys need team meeting to speak with the players about problems after endless loss (what are they doing during training? each one is training with the ipod on?)
-when the team play zone-d is an event on the newspapers(in europe we play zone at the scrimmage at the playground since we are at the secondary school…)
-the players speak through the media instead of speaking to each other…
Did he even have the ball in his hands that much more than he usually does? Me thinks not.
Yeah, I really don’t think he had the “ball” in his hands last night as he did any of the previous 5 games. And like many have already pointed out, how does having the “ball” make you a better rebounder? Makes no sense. Turk is just avoiding responsibility (making excuses) for his own awful play.
Sorry to say, Hedo came into camp mentally fatigued and physically out of shape…his swollen six package just now starting to shrink…he needed to set-up his intensity before making demands of any kind and now that he’s actually pushing himself he’s getting respect from his teammates…the coach was not the issue here.
This is NOT on the coach and Hedo did not have the ball in his hands more than the previous 40-odd games.
His lack of production is all on Hedo.
You must be able to adapt to changing environments in this league.
You don’t sit static, waiting for the environment to adapt to you.
Ball.
Ball. I got nothing else to say.
lol gotta love it…BALL!!!
Calderon is +77 and Jack -24 in the last 10 games. Triano must love to play with a handicap. We’ll see where this will take us in the play-offs. Calderon is not a washed-up big or an explosive wing a la Terry or Manu. He is our best floor general by far. He is definitely a better man like me because I’d be mad like hell at such a situation whereas he’s handling it very well.
The same goes for Derozan: Wright and Belinelli are much better players at this point in their careers. Heck, even Weems may be better now. A starting backcourt of Jack-Derozan in the play-offs spell trouble.
This season is eerily similar to 2006-2007 season. I hope the end result will be better for the organization. This team is ten times more talented than ’06-’07 team and its depth is amazing. I continue to believe our problem has been the coaching staff. At least the team started to believe and they are fighting and finding ways to win. At least we can feel good about a Toronto team.
Jose is better than Jack, I don’t think Triano is questioning that. However in a starting line that includes Hedo Turkoglu and Chris Bosh, it makes little sense to add a ball-dominant point guard like Jose.
Plus, Jose is working so well with the second unit, helping us get back into games/blowing out teams in the second quarter, why change that?
Exactly! If you check the box scores lately, the second unit of Jose, Amir, Melli, Wright, they have great +/-. They are killing the other teams benches. Stop over thinking people and just stick with what’s working.
The problem is that the second unit HAS to have a great +/- because the last four games they’ve come in behind by double digits. The biggest problems with Jose coming off the bench is that he is the team’s best playmaker, and unfortunately good playmaking is what the Raptors have been missing in the first quarter. That’s four first quarters in a row where the Raptors couldn’t get into their offense and turned the ball over a lot. It’s incredibly dangerous to just assume that your bench is going to bail you out.
Yes, Jose has been great coming off the bench, but one of the reasons he looks so good is because the team has looked so bad before he steps onto the floor.
Great points but I think we should try letting Hedo run the show in the first so he can get establish himself early. Ball.
The problem in the first quarter in my opinion has been overall team defense.
They need to tighten it down enough early enough to keep the deficits in single digits at the worst and preferably on the plus side.
Let’s face it. It may not come down to X’s and O’s when explaining the slow starts. It could just be a lack of focus to start games. As Buddhafan eluded to, it’s visibly noticeable that the defensive intensity is nowhere near as intense in the 1st qtrs compared to the 4th.
Maybe it’s the pre-game motivational speech that’s lacking, or the lazy pre-game layup drill that’s to blame, but whatever the reason is, this team is (more often than not) not ready for intense basketball come tipoff.
All I’m saying is that it’s too simplistic to see the poor starts as a result of Jose not starting.
Saying Jose is the team’s best play-maker is silly. He’s the anti-playmaker, and that’s not an insult. He takes exactly what the defense gives him, as opposed to Jack, Hedo, Belli, and Bosh/Bargs to a lesser degree, who all force the issue and ‘make plays’. Now if TOs in the first quarter are a problem, then Jose may be the answer. But if it’s playmaking, then Jack is definitely the guy.
Jose’s been great off the bench. Remember when Jack had a season high against Milwaukee? Was only 4 games ago. He’s fine. It’s also much more desireable to have the better defender start games, help sets the tone for the game. Once teams start attacking the point they don’t stop.
Can we please have a little love for Jay’s rotations lately? They’ve been solidified, with a little more routine in the first half. Then in the 2nd half he plays the guys that are going well, whether it’s Jack/Jose (or both), Belli/Wright/Weems, or Amir/Bargs. They have been fantastic.
You might have the term play-maker confused with early offense initiator and creating your own shot. Jose is fabulous at running set plays like PNR. He and Turkoball are Raptors best play-makers in the half court game.
You do not know what a play-maker is. That is all.
Is a play-maker defined as someone who can easily create his own shot (e.g. Jack, Bellineli), or someone who knows how to run set plays (Calderon)? I guess you could make the argument for both definitions.
I agree with you, Calderon is a better all-around PG than Jack, but I think that is why we need him off the bench more. Because Calderon is the better passer he makes the guys around him on the bench better, like Amir, Belli, Wright, and so on, he gives great passes which lead to easy buckets, Jack doesn’t do that as well as Jose. That is why I think that scoring in the starting line-up isn’t a problem and guys can create their own shots, Jose’s passing ability is needed much more on the bench where guy’s can’t create for themselves and get great scoring chances which Jose provides when he’s on the floor with em, love the way him and Amir keep hooking up and Amir is putting up some nice buckets.
But I’d still say Jose is a better PG than Jack is.
Horrible observation. +/- is such an obscure stat. Of course Jose’s got a high +/- he’s scorching other teams’ benches. DeRozan NEEDS the starting role to develop. We have starters who can score, he needs to get used to the game and defending star guards. Jack has been great at sparking us when we slump.
Word. Ball.
Plus the team’s streak started when Jack became a starter and the TurkJackAlderon lineup was caboshed.
Hopefully watching a couple games/Weems starting, will help Derozan understand his required role a little better.
+ 1
You should direct your attention away from the +/- and concentrate closer on the W/L. This team functions best with Jose coming off the bench. You say he is our best floor general, I while I don’t disagree, the raps have undeniably played better with him coming off the bench. That isn’t an insult to Calderon, it is a compliment.
Okay
Wins Produced
Bosh – 7.0
Calderon – 2.8
Bargnani – 2.7
Turkoglu – 2.4
Jack – 2.2
Johnson – 2.0
DeRozan – 1.2
Belinelli – 1.0
Weems – 0.1
Wright – minus 0.1
http://www.basketball-reference.com/about/glossary.html
Does that +77 and -24 tell you about that charge that jack took last night? No…I Have nothing else to say. ( Go Hedo! haha)
As said on TNT, the charge was a make-up call for the blown foul call on the in-bounds pass to Jack that never happened. Game should have been over, refs made sure it was.
Still good on Jack for giving the refs the opportunity to give the make-up call.
Let’s also not forget that Jose’s +/- is against benchplayers, while Jack has had to play starters… this is why you can’t always just look at the stats.
It doesn’t matter why, it just matters that it is.
Jose in the starting lineup is a liability defensively, doesn’t create easier shots for us, dominates the ball too much, reduces Hedo’s productivity, and gets Bosh and Bargs out of position.
What we need in the starting lineup is a scoring guard mentality: someone who will knife through the opposing defense looking to score or dish. Jack does this very well.
At the end of the day, Jose may or may not be a better PG than Jack. But Jack is a better FIT than Jose in the starting lineup, for this particular team.
So hopefully we can put this controversy to an end..
It’s not really a controversy. To call it a controversy suggests there’s something meaningful to discuss. The starting lineup outscores the opposition when Jose is with it. It gets outscored when Jack is with it. Jose is a better player: no maybes about it. The only meaningful question is whether Jose adds more off the bench then he adds as a starter. It really has very little to do with Jack, since Jack is worse in either role.
We could argue this from the bench’s perspective. The dropoff in bench production appears to be far worse compared to the dropoff in the starters’ production with Jack running either scenario .
So to combat the lesser of two evils, it makes sense to keep Jack as the starter (regardless of what your opinion of Calderon is).
No, it matters why, too.
You do realize that +/- is the worst indicator of a players skill in basketball? Belinelli and Wright and Jose have high +/- because they play against the other teams 2nd unit.
I won’t argue that Jose is a better overall player, but Jack provides better D. Also we are actually on a huge run right now so why change things? Amir, Wright, Marco and Jose are providing a great spark and are developing some good chemistry.
I cannot believe this BS with Jack’s defense better than Calderon’s is still spewed on. But hey, you can’t argue with the Truth.
In play-offs Amir, Marco and Wright may play no more than 10-15′ average. How well they play now it has no bearing on the play-offs when the starters and the better players play 38-42′ average. After the All-Star game the focus of the coach should be to prepare the starting unit for the play-offs which includes chemistry. Jack is a good back-up PG however he has no play-offs experience and makes poor decisions with the ball. We are too talented a team not to be successful in the regular season however this year the stakes are very high and they are incumbent on play-offs success.
It is the best indicator over a long period of time of a player’s contribution to the team’s success or failure. It has nothing to do with the individual skill. Jose plays against the first unit too.
BALL.
…
…
…
The ball in your hands, and you did a lot with it?
…
…
I got nothing else to say.
Devlin–Punjabi!!! Turk–Ball!!! Funny stuff for the Raptors this season
Only raps fans can really enjoy those moments, well maybe other NBA fans too lol
Why keep it to just Raps fans?
Let’s NBA!
Balljabi!!
oww
LOL, you beat me 2 it!
punjabi > ball
http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/5097/basketballq.jpg
OK…that made me laugh
hahaa
lol.
Brilliant.
Was a bit hesitant when Triano brought Brags back in for the final few minutes of the game. Bargs was having an off night and sat for large chunks of the 2nd half. In fact I was gettign ready to write my post game Triano ripping but luckily everything worked out ok and we got the win.
THERE IS NO REASON WHY WE SHOULDNT WIN THE NEXT 7/8 GAMES ON SCHEDULE.
Indiana
Indiana
New Jersey
Sacramento
Philly
Grizzlies (owe them Payback)
New jersey
Washington
These are crucial games for us to separate from the lower half of the East
This post tells me two things:
1) You are, in no way, qualified to judge a coach. I mean, who would you rather have out there with Amir fouled out of the game? Rasho? POB???
2) You live in Toronto. You were prepared to rip on Triano for putting Bargs back into the game if we lost, even if it wasn’t Bargs’ fault in the play sequence. This tells me that you judge Triano solely on the result of the game. Too many people are like you when looking at a coach; they simply look at the result and put the success/failure on his shoulders without acknowledging anything else.
Elan , I think that JT has infinitely more knowledge of bball in his little finger that you will ever have in your brain .
He made the right decision (which wasn’t too hard to make since Johnson had fouled out) but if the Raptors had lost by a point or two in the final seconds , you and several others were ready to crucify him.
Next time give it a little more thought on what to say .
My bad !!
Didn’t catch AJ foul out cause he was playing solid when I was watching.
Hey, at least you admit 2 missing it :) *thumbs up*
I never get too confident with weaker opposing teams anymore. The Grizz and Kings could be pretty good challenge. Hopefully the Raptors give Indy a double beating. Wow If we win these 8 and then play steady .500 ball the rest of the way: we can hit 50 wins!
Excellent win. I’m glad we pulled this one out especially after Harrington hit that three and decided to pop his collar with a little bit of queerish swagger.
And Hedo with three dunks? Nice!
Ball.
Agreed…that pissed me off…harrington has no right being that cocky with that much game left to play !!
TRUE! What a douche.
We all knew what happened at the end for Harrington….MUHAHAHAH
Doug Smith eluded to it best when citing Al’s popped collar, Nate hanging on the rim, and Lee celebrating after an uncontested dunk. Do the Knicks think they’re better than they really are? Absolutely. Could unexplained over-confidence be one reason they stink? Absolutely.
Ball.
I am fucking tired of this this ball business, please quit it!
Ball.
BALL.
Just a thought, but does anyone feel that Turk’s production might interfere with Bargnani’s. I don’t mean to take away from his performance, he obviously came ready to play, but there are only so many touches to go around, and Bargs needs his. Bargs had an “off” game and didn’t play his usual minutes. On the flip side, Turk didn’t take advantage of the touches he got before this game. Just a casual observation.
No because Turk is more than willing to defer to Bargnanni if he’s hitting shots. The problem with the previous games was that Turk’s shooting was horrendous. Very low FG%. I don’t think they interfere with each other at all.
True, Turk’s shooting was horrendous. I’m not taking a definite stance on either side. But they are both perimeter oriented and I just can’t see them both consistently putting up strong numbers. But I hope they prove me wrong!
Perimeter oriented? That implies to me that you see them as strictly shooters. They both have pretty well balanced offensive games at this stage and Hedo is a distributor who’s strength is his ability to take what the defense gives him. The more Hedo hits his outside shots the more the D will need to space out and the more open looks for the other 4 Raps on the floor (including Bargs)…Hedo hitting his shots bring this team to an another level. Here’s for hoping we get there.
I’m sure Turk would have no problem with him scoring less, but with his assists increasing (thus allowing more shots for Bargnani).
(dsl): Ball.
(Jack Armstrong): So, dsl, you’re saying that Turk having the ball can lead to good things for his teammates? Especially for a guy like Bargnani, who is streaky, and will benefit from a distributor who can recognize the hot hand? With a confident Turk making shots AND sharing the rock, it will open up the floor for everyone? Also, it’s your belief that the PGs on the team tend to forget about the hot hand (especially Bargnani) at times?
dsl: Yes. I don’t know what else to say.
No..not going forward. But Turk NEEDED this night like his next breath. Maybe even get him another night where he just gets his to get him back on track. That said, it’s not like he was hogging the ball. It’s good to have different guys going on different nights. I think it’ll be fine going forward as long as they continue to feed the hot hand, whomever that may be from game to game.
Bargs is playing hurt. His back is sore, his foot hurts, and Doug Smith got a report that he’s also injured his ankle. Give the dude credit for getting out there and playing awesome defense at some very critical times last night.
I think the Raps would love to have this problem. Perhaps we can wait for another 10-12 games before we start judging Turk. It amazes me how many “armchair athletes” break an ankle jumping on and off the bandwagon. Everyone was freaked out with Turk’s play and then one game has them worrying about how it influences Barney. A better question may be why does Barney have such difficulty on the road.
“A better question may be why does Barney have such difficulty on the road.”
Because Rupual of big men can’t play defense.
When will Rupaul stop turning the ball over.
Barg’s has offensive troubles on back to backs because of Bosh’s defence???
I always love your posts noballs! lol
When are you going to stop denying the man infatuation you have?
Clowns like you are always good for a nice laugh.
“Clowns like you are always good for a nice laugh.”
Aren’t you the one who gets paid to write “good” comments about Bosh. Your response time to any criticism to Bosh is just too quick. Even the Western (Cowboy) Film hero could not hit his target as fast as you comment when a criticism of Bosh is posted on the RR.
Not at all unfortunately. You just keep saying the same thing over and over and there’s no sense or fact needed. I just love addressing your comments. It’s fun.
Its been pointed out that Bargs performance always dips on the 2nd game of a back to back and even worse on the 3rd game in 4 nights. Nothing to do with Hedo at all.
i thought it was the whole team thats sucking on game 2 of the back to back. damn, its the bustnani? i knew it, we lose cuz vl is sucking.
If I were Triano, I would say “No Ball” …!!!!
Trade him back to Orlando for Pietrus + Bass or Gortat … I heard they might want him back to get back to their old style of play.
Ya think …???!!!
Orlando can’t reacquire Turk until after the next salary cap year. Can people please stop trying to send Hedo back to the Magic? It’s not gonna happen. Especially not this season and probably not later. Otis Smith didn’t want to pay Hedo. He didn’t even give Hedo’s agent a chance to open up negotiations.
Hedo is not going back to the Magic this season unless he gets waived. Anyone see that happening?
you sure about that? i know there are ‘no re-acquiring’ restrictions in the CBA, but i think – and i’m unsure of the exact reasoning – that hedo falls outside of this restriction…perhaps due to the sign-and-trade nature of that transaction? i know the ‘no re-acquiring’ restriction is in force for a few other raps (wright, amir, belli), but i think hedo can be traded back to orlando before the restriction period (jul 1st).
that being said…it is a pretty preposterous idea. sure, orlando is struggling with carter, but acquiring hedo while retaining carter doesn’t necessarily help them, it just adds to the confusion (and bad contracts they have). carter would be better off coming off the bench for the magic & assuming a jason terry-like role (just gun, baby). as a starter, he’s taking too many touches from D12 & lewis.
VC looks fat and out of shape…a bad, bad sign for a guy who’s never been know for work ethic. A sixth man needs to bring high-energy along with the offensive skill and I don’t ever see Vince being that guy.
He also loves Micky D’s (as does cousin T-mac)…maybe Howards McD’s sponsorship contract stipulates supplying unlimited amounts of Chicken Nuggets for VC; he should now be known as V-mac.
Why would you say that Carter only likes Chicken Nuggets as opposed to, say, Big Macs? Is it because he is Black? Are you some kind of white supremacist? ………….just kidding!
Screw that. Turk is a good SF. Let’s keep him, but use him CORRECTLY.
How do you “correctly” use both Hedo and Bargs on the floor at the same time? It seems as if both players are essentially playing the same game at point-forwards. Hedo is a better ball handler, but Bargs is a better scorer … so how does Triano resolve that conundrum?
Both have their own defensive game, with Hedo on the outside and Bargs on the inside. Neither are great rebounders.
Can Hedo and Bargs play together effectively ..????
Bargs is a point forward? Ball.
That is a good question. I’ll have to think about it. Bargs seems to perform better on both ends when he gets lots of touches. Hedo as well.
If we can all three to be firing at once, we will be a dangerous team in the playoffs.
Bargs doesn’t play point forward.
Its just enough you give the ball to Hedo and he will give it someimes to Andrea. Both will touch the ball and both will be happy
Bargnani is no point forward. A point forward is essentially a PG who happens to be tall, and as a result, can rebound better than a traditional PG (see Lamar Odom).
Bargnani doesn’t have anything close to the skills of a PG (as evidenced by his 1.0 assists per game, lol).
In every game there is a least one nice pass from Andrea to Bosh when the latter is close to the basket . Bosh either drop the ball or fail to score . This is the impression I get but maybe I have selective memory.
quite selective considering Bosh probly makes more of those quick dumps to Bargs than the other way around (since Bosh is more prone to be doubled quick in the post)
Maybe we should start referring to Bargs as a Point Centre? So stupid.
Yeah….and the fact that his handle is probably the worst on the team….well there is rasho to think about lol.
Bargs would have to pass to be a point forward.
While he is capable of passing, he never actually does it.
Wrong , he has 45 assists in 45 games he played . His job is to score , in other words if he receive the ball and is open he has to shot . He was selected first by BC because of the shooting ability from the perimeter which give more room for Bosh on the inside.
45 assists in 45 games ranks right around last among centres playing 30+ minutes a night.
That makes him about as far from a “Point Forward” as you can get.
you think Hedo’s contract is bad and you want to trade it in for Gortat’s?!?!?!? Thats like going trading a vintage corvette (because it’s a gas guzzler) for a 72 Ford LTD.
http://oldcarandtruckpictures.com/oldcarsofthenetherlands/1972_Ford_Ltd_2dr.jpg
Hell no. Pietrus isnt going to make us any better than we are now. Also I don’t think the Magic would want Hedo back and even if they did, why would we wanna improve the magic when we might see them in the playoffs?
Ball?
You know I used to say that the Raps couldn’t make a stop when they need it if their life depended on it. I can’t say that these days, which is great!
I also used to say that no one gives up a 10-0 run like the Raps…haven’t said that in a long team either…which is also great. Now these statements only apply to my men’s league team…unfortunately.
ball
I played my own pick-up basketball game, so only caught the last minute of the game. I have been a harsh critic of Turkoglu’s play and attitude to date, and for last night, kudos are due for picking up the slack for Bargs who was not 100% and on a B2B to boot. His stat line was certainly one I have not been accustomed to seeing, and seeing the highlights and his 3 dunks totally blew me away.
Regarding the infamous “ball” episode with Jack, it was obvious he wanted to head right into the lockerroom after the game ended. When the Raps PR guy pulled him away to talk to Jack Turkoglu was visibly upset about it. It was his way to cut the interview short and get back to his teamates. I can understand why he felt this way. He has let down his teamates often this year and wanted to bask in the glory of being one of the heroes of the game.
I did my best on Twitter to get “ball” as a trend word in Canada but we failed. “Hedo” and “Turkoglu” did make it however as a consolation prize.
“ball” and it really was a classic interview. It reminded me how much I miss having Hump on the team, as he was always an awesome and entertaining guest.
PUNJABIBALL?
If Wright can be our Bruce Bowen, then we do not need to make any trades.
Amir deserves more of a shoutout than what you gave him. 10 points on 5/6 shooting, 7 rebounds (3 offensive), 2 blocks in 18 minutes of work.
Regarding our inabilities to handle mobile big men…I watched the game twice and had a different impression than you. Rather than just state my opinion, I decided to grab the game logs, and track who was guarding Lee when his points were scored. I then wound back and watched what happened on each play. Anyway, here are the logs, and who was guarding him. You can watch for yourself and see what happened.
Here are my impressions:
1) Bargs should not have been playing this game, he did not look healthy at all. The coaching staff needs to do a better job of sitting people if they aren’t healthy.
2) We do a horrible job of defending the pick and roll. Many of the points scored by Lee in the first half, and literally ALL of the points in the second half were created off of a pick and roll.
3) Amir and Bosh’s man defense was good. I suspect Bargs would have played good defense too if he had been healthy.
**First Quarter**
Bargs @ 10:37 4-5 David Lee makes layup (Chris Duhon assists)
Bargs @ 9:55 7-10 David Lee makes 19-foot jumper (Chris Duhon assists)
Bargs @ 4:00 16-24 David Lee makes 19-foot jumper (Nate Robinson assists)
Bargs @ 3:28 16-26 David Lee makes driving layup (Nate Robinson assists)
3:28 Andrea Bargnani shooting foul (David Lee draws the foul) 16-26
3:28 16-27 David Lee makes free throw 1 of 1
Amir @ 2:46 16-29 David Lee makes jumper (Danilo Gallinari assists)
Amir @ 0:32 Amir Johnson shooting foul (David Lee draws the foul) 20-32
0:32 20-33 David Lee makes free throw 1 of 2
0:32 20-34 David Lee makes free throw 2 of 2
**Second Quarter**
Bosh (not getting back) @ 5:01 35-42 David Lee makes layup
Bargs @ 3:13 40-46 David Lee makes driving layup
**Third Quarter**
Bargs @ 8:27 56-57 David Lee makes two point shot (Chris Duhon assists)
Bargs @ 7:52 58-59 David Lee makes layup
Bosh @ 3:47 68-71 David Lee makes two point shot (Chris Duhon assists)
**Fourth Quarter**
Turk @ 5:03 97-94 David Lee makes layup (Danilo Gallinari assists)
Bosh @ 1:47 97-102 David Lee makes slam dunk (Nate Robinson assists)
Bosh @ 0:09 105-104 David Lee makes layup
Thinking about it further, I am a bit worried about Triano’s coaching. Why can’t we defend the pick and roll? Why play Bargnani who is clearly hurt? Why does it take this many games to realize that Turk is not a spot up shooter?
Thank You!
I thought I was watching a different game after reading roll call from last nights game. It was observed that ‘Lee was blowing by Bosh all first half’ and I was thinking what game was I watching?
How can you be getting blown by when you’re not guarding the dude?
Here comes the Rupaul supporters. Give it a rest. I saw the game on the PVR and Bosh was horrible in defense and those costly turnovers. He scored and rebounded like usual but gave back as much as he scored. Ripp is the worst person on this board to get info has he will also be biased in his opinion of Bosh.
Since many of you wanted Bargnani traded, why are so mum on that subject. You have been proven wrong so admit it.
New York would not have been in the game if we had not made those costly turnovers. The key defensive stop was when New York was leading by five and Bargnani blocks Harrington. He knew he was not 100% but he only took 9 shots. Do you think the franchise player would have only take 9 shots if his shot was not falling. Bargnani is not one who pads stats but a team player.
It isn’t bias at this point. I grabbed the plays directly from here (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playbyplay?gameId=300128018), kept only the plays involving Lee scoring, and then rewatched those plays to see what happened. If you have a different interpretation of the data, then please offer it. But the sequence I wrote above is not “opinion”…just simply what happened.
The rest of your post is irrelevant.
Any criticism of Bosh seems to be irrelevant. You seem to focus only on Bargnani. Give it a rest. You were proven wrong. Just admit it.
….and perhaps you could provide us with exhibit A B and C of that evidence?
So…who’s up for yelling “BALL” at the ACC every time Turkoglu scores?
Reading all the “ball” posts reminds me of the “Wassup!” line from the commercial and how unfunny it was after, say, about the third time, and makes me realize how much older I am than so many people here.
Yes, it was funny. Last night. This morning it’s just old.
And yes, I realize that I will get several “ball” replies by people who are apparently allowed to use computers during class.
Touché!
Ball
^
Still funny.
Lighten up. (And I bet I’m older than you)
Lighten up hotshot
I am a hotshot. You’re right.
Why are you getting the props? Hotshot. D@#n, I wanted that one! lol
Hotsnot
Ballsnot
Balls.
BALL at about 37 seconds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVwreO1EaAc
Turk is one ballsy mofo.
now that is juvenile.
and funny.
Lets not forget as Devlin or Armstrong pointed out during last night’s telecast that #15 has put up 21 points 14 rebounds and 2 blocks in the last 2 games over 39 minutes.
Those are Bosh like numbers in Bosh like minutes.
10 personal fouls tho..
Still wouldn’t want Amir playing any other way.
No joke. And he does this w/o plays being run for him. If this guy ever learns to stop fouling and adds some muscle..watch out.
Even if he doesn’t improve, it is a huge luxury having someone coming off the bunch giving you quality minutes, on a consistent basis. No feast or famine with him.
His weakside blocks crack me up too. He doesn’t block shots, he just snatches them out of the air. Pretty awesome.
Let’s not get carried away either. Aside from the fact that Amir nearly fouled out twice in those two games (10 fouls in 39 minutes), the way he got those numbers are through hustle. He’s not like Bosh where he can create for himself or stick the open jumper.
But that is a GOOD thing. You want players who compliment each other when they play, not who are redundant.
Anyway, I’m pretty sure he can do more offensively than he has shown thus far. But he is also intelligent enough to play within himself rather than wasting possessions.
Baloney
Go back and re-watch the games.
All five field goals last night came off of post moves, including 2 charges on post moves, one which my mind was questionable.
By the way.
I will be posting a lot more about his over the weekend on my blog, NBA 25-15.
You’re right. Last nights game he did get his points off post moves, but that was because he was fed the ball at the right time. Amir didn’t use his “superior post-move skills” to out-play the defender. Someone got him the ball at the right time (usually Jose if I remember correctly) for him to be able to get a decent looking hook shot off.
What can I say. There are always those who bash.
You still have got to get open to get the pass, then get the pass, hold on to the ball after you get the pass, know when to shoot and when to pass it; one really nice assist last night from the post up position, shoot the ball without it getting blocked and make the damn shot when you shoot it.
Of course his offense is nowhere near as good as Bosh’s. No one is saying that.
I was just pointing out that he can put up points if he gets touches and pretty darn effectively to. What do you think a PG’s main responsibility is if its not getting the ball to your teammates in a good position that give them a good chance of scoring. Watch Bynum and Kaman play. They are both spoon fed on almost all of their baskets, though of course they both have a lot more moves at this time than #15 does.
He has already shown that he can beat his man off the dribble going with a right or left handed dribble from the top of the key and finish those drives both right and left handed. Go back and watch the games.
There is more work to be done, but at least Triano is, for now, making sure that he is getting his touches.
Much more about this this weekend on my blog NBA 25-25
Imagine how unstoppable Bosh would be if he looked to get the ball in these sort of situations rather than beat his man one on one everytime/shoot a jumper. And yes Amir has been showing some superior post move skills, more and more all the time.
Ball. Or Ballin’? (Jim Jones)
Those Stupid numbers.
#15
1. 1 Year Defensive Rating – 9.84 – 2nd in the NBA and 1st on Raptors
2. 1 Year Overall Rating – 6.41 – 47th in the NBA and 1st on Raptors
3. 2 Year Adjusted +/- 6.02 – 18th in the NBA and 2nd on the Raptors
link
http://basketballvalue.com/teamplayers.php?year=2009-2010&mode=summary&sortnumber=21&sortorder=DESC&team=TOR
Ball = noun, adj. n. 1. A spherical shaped object that is universally used in athletic activities and games. Adj. 1. Depending if Hedo was sick of the latest criticism to him and he is not deaf and he knows he gets booed in the ACC; 2. the ball is in his hands; 3. an open concept/idea/realization that the ball is in his hands and he is deciding to efficiently attain a higher shooting percentage; 4. Being aggressive and getting his hands dirty to pu the ball in the basket.
Did anyone else want to crush Harrington over the head after he was primping his jersey like he just brought his team to the NBA chanmpionship? Like really, what are you thinking? The Knick’s more than make up for their losing record with their egos. Bunch of chumps straight up. How did all those losers join up together?
It aaaaalllllll starts from Isiah THomas….and it continues
Agreed. Premature celebrations often lead to dissapointment and embarrasment.
Felt the same way the first time we played them in NY and Lee’s ‘response’ to a Barg’s dunk (sometime in the first quarter) was to jump up and down in Barg’s face, which he was tee’d up for.
That Knicks team is going nowhere fast.
oh the irony.
You are the same guy cheering when Jose does his “three finger” dance whule Bosh does his primal scream/seizure shit – and the team is down 16 with 3 minutes to go.
Rap fans are the most hypocritical bunch ever.
Funny, but inaccurate if you’re responding to my post.
How is it ironic though?
Knicks like to boast but have had very little to boast about all year. It also doesn’t help that they get overly cocky and have had two chances at home to beat us and couldn’t.
We will sweep the season series against these dudes.
Do you watch this team or not? We’ve probably got the most level-headed group of gentlemen in the entire NBA (and that explains why our record never matches our talent)
It’s funny how willfully deluded people on this site are about Brgs/Bosh D. Like last night, Lee absolutely torched Bargs (not Bosh) and all I read here is that Bosh got destroyed by Lee last night. Similarly, when Beasley and Sheed went off on Bargs a few weeks ago it was all about Bosh’s bad D.
Do you even watch the games or do you just assume that Bosh was covering these guys?
All you have to do for God’s sake is watch the highlights on youtube and you’ll see who Lee, Beasley or Sheed was scoring on
Youtube highlights are a bit biased. A better way is to look at player shot charts on ESPN (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/shotchart?gameId=300128018) to figure out which quarters an opposing player was most productive, and then rewatch those particular plays to see what exactly happened.
But yeah, I agree with your general sentiment… Raps Fan comment makes you wonder if he even watched the game.
I watch the games on PVR and if you take the time to rewatch the games, you’ll have noticed that Bargs is a better one-on-one defender than Bosh. Last night they were both at fault for D.Lee’s huge night – Bargs for being injured and Bosh for being a weak defensive player. Add in the number of times that Bosh’s tiny little hands, result in an inability to catch quick passes (2 from Weems last night that should have resulted in easy scores) and a tendency to lose the ball out of bounds on drives to the hoop seemingly once a game, the reality is that Bosh (like Stoudemire) is not a max salary player.
That being said, I absolutely want him to stay in TO. He and Bargs are working well together and the mismatches they create on the offensive end more than make up for their defensive deficiencies. I’m even willing to accept that he’ll receive the max from BC given that the team looks to have a few decent contracts with Bargs, Calderone and Jack and some real bargains in Marco, Sonny and Amir.
Your assertion just isn’t backed up by facts.
I’ve posted a record of who was guarding Lee on each of the points here score tonight:
http://raptorsrepublic.com/forums/showthread.php?t=863
The quarter and times are there too, so you can watch yourself and see what happened.
Lee scored 2 points on Turk, 4 on Amir, 8 on Bosh, and 13 on Bargs. All of the points scored on Turk, Amir and Bosh were from PnR. 6 or so of the points scored by Lee on Bargs were drives. Of the points scored on Lee by Bosh, 2 were technically Bargs was guarding Lee that play, but it is Bosh’s fault for not getting back. Another 2 points were from a Robinson/Lee vs. Jack/Bosh PnR, in which Bosh blocks a Robinson layup, and Lee scores. I think most reasonable people would blame that point on Jack for not boxing out.
Long story short, you are full of sh*t.
You are completely wrong.
Check forum thread called ‘PnR Defense’ to see why.
Where in my post am I “completely” wrong?
1 – IMO Bargs is a better one-on-one defender against bigger C/PFs – see Duncan/Nowitzki/Shaq games. Neither Bargs or Bosh are of any use against Rashard Lewis type players.
2 – Both Bargs and Bosh were at fault last night vs Lee.
3 – Bosh turns the ball over an inordinate number of times for a PF – has trouble with crisp passes and fumbles the ball out of bounds off his legs seemingly once a game.
4 – Like Amare, Bosh shouldn’t be a max player (although I’d rather have Bosh than Amare).
I’ve checked the PnR forum thread. It’s easy to put in game log info but without actually watching each play to determine where the defensive rotation breaks down, it’s not of much use.
1) Your first point is obvious. One guy plays center, the other plays PF. In particular, it is unreasonable to expect your 240-250 pound PF to guard someone who he gives up 40-50 pounds to in the low post. BTW, Dirk is not a low-post threat, so I don’t see why you grouped him with Ducan and Shaq..
Your second point is incorrect. Bosh does a better job on mobile bigs like Dirk, Shard, LO, etc.
2) I wrote down the times of each play, and then watched on DVR. I came to the conclusion that Bosh did a better job guarding David Lee than Bargs. Why don’t you go ahead and do this yourself and see if your impression changes. You may also want to consider the nature of the 13 points scored by Lee on Bargs versus the 8 scored by Lee on Bosh. Lee seemed to go directly at Bargs, sucessfully attacking him at every opportunity. When Bosh was guarding him, his points were less directly obtained. Again, watch on DVR and honestly tell me if you think Bargs did a better job on Lee.
3) This is false, check turnover rates on basketball-reference.com:
Boozer = 14.7%
Duncan = 7.3%
Bosh = 10.5%
Amare = 13.4%
Dirk = 8.1%
KG = 10.5% (close to a career low)
David Lee = 12.7%
Pau=11.4%
Zach Randolph=10.2%
4) “Should” is somewhat irrelevant here, since he will get whatever the market price is. Since numerous teams have expressed an interest in offering a max contract, that is what will happen.
If you don’t want him as a max player on the Raptors, that is a reasonable position to have. But the statement “Bosh shouldn’t be a max player” is meaningless. I think potatoes shouldn’t cost $1 per pound, but doesn’t mean the grocery store will give me a discount.
“Bosh does a better job on mobile bigs”
yet he rarely covers them. Bargs ALWAYS gets the tougher check… regardless of whether its a big C (shaq, Dwight etc) or a ‘mobile’ PF (J-Smoov, Dirk etc). This can be, in part, chalked up to not wanting to get Bosh into foul trouble. But its inaccurate to say he does a better job. One game, with Bargs injured, says little about what happened this entire season on D. Both Bargs and Bosh did a mediocre (at best) job on Lee… it was the pick and role, ball movement, positioning and offensive rebounds that resulted in Lee’s points. Don’t act as if he was taking either to school with a dribble drive or post moves. Lee did what he always does… got him self in the right spot to get a quick bucket. Both Bosh and Bargs left themselves out of position and/or didn’t get help (more often than not from each other).
Turnover Rates are crap. I don’t understand why people feel a need to constintely ‘adjust stats’ for X cirumstance as if basketball is played in a bubble. (I’ll admit there is a time and a place for it.) Bosh’s ‘high’ turnovers is because he sees the ball alot (just like any other star in the league will have more turnovers)…. that I understand. But that doesn’t change the fact that he needs to do a better job not only catching the ball but holding onto it aswell. What Duncan, Boozer etc do is completely irrelevant to this team.
4) hmmm..max player usually implies “nightly triple double threat” and/or “ability to impose will on the game during crucial junctions” on both ends of the floor. That really is the distinction in the max player argument – stats, position, teammates, etc. are what’s really irrelevant and meaningless.
So, if he is a “on avg. solid double double guy” or in a “focused on D” role (notice not both at same time), how do you justify a max contract? Why potentially be involved in a “weight around neck” risk, when it’s clearly not justified (in his case uniqueness, position, size, knee braces and time induced deterioration accounted for). Many a team have paid dearly for that.
I guess I’m not down with that. Damn the inflated market price.
Duncan took less money, if I recall “correctamundo”.
Yeah I’m not sure if any of those Weems low-post dump attempts even got to bosh – Weems looked like he was imitating “bad Marco” and throwing no-lookers right into the numbers of Knicks players… I like his game but i was yelling at him through the tv last night…
Bargs is a superior defender to Bosh. That being said Bosh is not any worse than an average PF defender. He (like Kobe, Lebron, Wade, and any other heavily used star) has to pick and choose his spots when it comes to gambling defensively since, you know, he’s expected to log 40mpg and contribute 23/11/1blk/2ast every night – hence why Triano uses Bargs against EVERY team’s dominant offensive big. If he has to pick which one fouls out and who finishes the game, Bosh is always going to be his priority.
If you break down the percentage of good/average/poor defensive plays made by any superstar you’ll find yourself watching ALOT of plays where relative shmoe’s like Demar Derozan blow by Lebron on the baseline (remember that?).
EVERY superstar takes a good chunk of their defensive assignments off to preserve offensive stamina during the regular season. Watch the difference between Kobe/Lebron/Wade regular season and Kobe/Lebron/Wade playoffs…
I like Weems a lot. But he shoots too many jumpers. Needs to take a note from Bellinelli and be more mindful of offensive possessions…notice how Belli has doubled his foul shooting rate per 36 since last year.
Ideally, we’d see Weems hitting 70% of his uncontested twos and dunking rather than throwing up these soft floaters. Needs to be his offseason priority though, if wants to stick around.
Bosh was torched on the defensive end. We were lucky in the last game when Beasley was injured. Other wise Bosh would have been worse than Calderon in his matador defense.
Even if we were wrong, youd think that a franchise player would take it upon himself of guarding the better big man. Kinda like how Lebron, Wade and Kobe do every single game they play.
Superstars do not guard the oppositions best player, so they are kept fresh on offence. Ron Artest covers the teams best wing player for the lakers, last year it was Ariza.
Wade plays a little more defence as Miami has no specialist defensive players.
Lebron does not play much 1 on 1 defence, he is more of a roaming help defender, and can get away with it due to his athleticism and the fact that he is a part of a very good defensive system.
Anyway, why would Bosh take it upon himself to guard the oppositions best player when Bargs is a better man to man defender.
ball. :)
Hey so….am I the only one who was actually kind of put off by the “ball” comment…i mean there are only 2 ways to look at it….first…it was swagger and he hates interviews so this was his way of cutting it short….the second…and much more alarming…was this was his way of taking a jab at triano and the team…is he still not happy with playing time? or am i reading too much into it? I will say, my initial reaction to seeing the interview last night was that he still wasnt happy even with a great game and the team rolling….thoughts????
I think it is a jab at Triano. And rightfully so.
It was totally a fuck you see what happens when I actually am allowed to do something with the ball?
Could have been a bet. Or an inside joke.
I respect Hedo’s game and all, and the Raps need him to play well to make that next step, but the guy is a big time cry baby. Anyone who watches these guys play on the regular would see that he gets the ball more than enough times to make an impact. Truth is he has played like crap all season. He got the ball more last night because he was having a good game. He didn’t have a good game because he got the ball more. When Hedo earns the ball by playing to the level he is capable of then he will get it. If he reverts back to Hedo of the first 30 or so games then he has nothing to whine about if his touches get limited. Step up and stop pouting.
I actually think Hedo is pissed at Jack A. for calling him out in the broadcasts (and really was the first in of the Raptor employees to do so). “Ball” = FU Jack Armstrong.
Hedo’s been adored at all stops and I’m sure he expected no less in T.O. (especially by those employeed by the team). Jack calls it as he see’s it and if Hedo’s play keeps improving he’ll get his love.
I think you may have a point there. I cant think it was premeditated though. That said I agree with Jack and there is at least another way to get the “ball”….rebound the effing thing and rotate enough to get open. He wasnt doing enough of either.
The tap out should become a stat – it’s just as good as a rebound.
However, a failed tap out where DOH you tap it to the other team should be counted too.
i.e. Amir was 2/3 for tap outs tonight.
And it’s as ugly as all hell to watch.
Like a whale reaching up out of the water flailing a weak fin in desperation.
fairly certain that controlled tap-outs count as rebounds for the one who does the tapping. also think that wild tap-outs (i.e. the last-resort kind where you’re just trying to keep the ball alive &/or away from an opponent) that happen to end up going to a teammate are counted as team rebounds. it’s subjective, like assists.
We are not sure if Bargs non-performace last nite related to his sore back or just poor play.
However, the evidence suggests whether his back is sore or not, he underperforms in back to back games. This seems strange since he is young and the way he runs the floor seems in shape, however, he seems to hit a wall in back to back games and that is something the coaching staff has to address via fitness, reduced playing time in the first game of back to backs or whatever.
Back to back scoring:
Utah-10
Dallas-22 (blow out when Andrea scored)
Chicago-9
Orlando-12
SAS-15
Indiana-12
Bucks-10
Knicks-2
That averages 11.5 pts vs the usual 17.5 or so, or higher if you remove the back to backs.
I must say though, some have commented that Jose looks off Andrea and the conspiracy theory seemed alive in well in the 2nd quarter when Jose just ignored Andrea and he had no chance to try and get his game going since he was never given the ball.
p.s.- For those who mocked my “Bargnani Rebounding Mirage Post” after his two big rebounding games, what do you have to say now.
Mock
Bargs has been hampered with these injuries a good portion of the season which is tough to deal with in B to B’s and may explain the evident drop-off on OFFENSE. Maybe we should commend him on giving the Raps some much needed interior D while in pain.
Bargnani has played well on both ends of the court. Injuries seem to have slowed him down. But one thing he can improve is the mental part of the game. He has to become mentally tougher.
The player intentionally tapping the ball to a teammate is credited for the rebound, not the teammate who gets possession. LeBron’s NYC triple-double was taken away last year, because Ben Wallace tapped his 10th rebound right to him.
^^ intended this as a reply to ONTARIO TEACHERS FUND PRESIDENT
Ah. I didn’t know that.
I always thought the person who caught the tapped ball got nuthin’ because the ball had left the key and was kind of a free ball at that point…
Jack, for the love of God, say something! …………….
Time for pizza pizza to come up with new slogan…ya think?
ball.
I was watching the raptors tv post game interview with Hedo (I’m sorry after that “Ball” thing, I had to see what else this guy was gonna say) and I was kind of surprised. Hedo’s starting to sound like a not so nice guy out there that all the sources were telling us he was. He reiterated that he needs the ball in his hands to do any damn thing about 5 times. Then he tried to say but whatever helps us win. Aahahaha okay there. Relax LeBron.
Before this game I used to call him Hedon’t Turkashit, but after those 3 dunks, man, hes been promoted to “Number 26″. Did anyone notice how Matt Devlin was about to shit himself after those dunks on a suspect Knicks defense? As if he was putting down windmills over people.
P.S. Does anyone else think that after that game Number 26 seems like a G in that Pizza Pizza commercial?
I’d take an angry Turkoglu over a lackadaisical Turkoglu any time of the day. As long as he doesn’t pull an Alex Rios to the fans and his thing at the club was only a minor thing we can ignore for now, just hope he doesn’t do anything more fan-killing.
Know I posted this in Roll Call, but should be here…..
Got to understand something about the NBA….. It is hard to win on the road and harder on the back end of a back to back….. The Raptors did that and if you note have not been the beneficiary in a while playing tired teams (Orlando was the last I recall).
Knicks are .500 at home after starting off slow.
Thus our schedule should have us 6-7 above .500 by the All-Star break. Note four of our home losses have been Sunday early starts and, five of them vs. Orlando x 2, Boston, Atlanta & Phoenix…. Only bad lass was Washington (who we then beat the next game in Washington).
Also when the Raptors got Turk, the view was there were 3 players who could put up points, a good PG and some additional parts. If we got production from at least 2 every game (Turk, Bargnani, Bosh), things would be okay…. Nice to see winning when we haven’t had a breakout by all three together in a while….
Jose as a backup? It’s funny how when some of us were saying that years ago, we were clowns. Not to mention, the heat Kenny took after this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hQDKaG21yQ&feature=related
Yeah, that US media never know what they are talking about. And even funny how since Kenny said that..nothing has changed. “Oh, what have you done for us Bryan Colangelo? A nation turns it’s frustration to you.”
The Hedo interview is the greatest thing I have ever seen in the NBA. Is BALL Turkish for F.U.? Love it!
Oh, and it’s Antonio McDyess.
Honestly…Bryan Colangelo is a snake oil salesman. And the Toronto media was complicit in selling BS. That roster was garbage. 8-9 was overachieving.
But if anyone brings these entirely obvious facts (e.g., Kenny Smith), it must be because they have an anti-Canadian/Raptors agenda.
Frickin ridiculous.
‘That roster was garbage. 8-9 was overachieving.’
And whether you like him or not Mitchell was the fall guy, for a roster with scant talent.
I like Jose, but selling him as a potential ‘allstar’ in this league and he has yet to play a full season as a starter (and might not get that chance again) is another example of BC selling candies to the babies.
Years ago the make up of this team was very different and Jose was a better fit with the starters (table setter for Bosh) and TJ was a better fit as a back-up to provide offense for the anemic bench. The make up of the team has completely changed.
Kinda like how years ago MLSE would hire exec’s they could control on the cheap with little regard for on-ice/court performance. They wisely realized that philosophy would sink them and went out (no choice really) and hired legit big money no-bull front-office execs to run the teams.
I know those two points are like a poke in the ribs for you but Flux live in the now, why dwell on the shithole that was? MLSE still wants your money (like EVERY team) but at least they’re making an effort to let proven exec’s build a legit product to entertain us.
Raptoronto, I hear ya man.
I just wish Raptor fans were a little more aware of how things play out and that just because non-company outlets provide realistic opinions of the team, it doesn’t give them the right to destroyed and rip them apart. I doubt anyone is sending Kenny emails apologizing for spitting on him, while the man made completely legitimate claims. We hate on the US media for no reason at all. I get accused of some wild ass ish, but to say there is some anti Rap/Canadian agenda going on is a flat out ridiculous conspiracy theory. They may not respect us – but they don’t respect any team that is a basement dweller or is not a contender. How many really bad teams get made fun of in the US media on a regular basis?
You are totally right, things could be worse; but we should never settle. Ever. Nothing will be good enough until we make the Finals. Well, at least for me, I guess. But until then…accountable to the last man – no mercy.
For certina, we all want the finals in our near future.
I agree, there is no anti-Cda stance, it’s just business. The US media will always focus on the American teams as that is their audience (ads)….and every team other the champs will/should get a tough evaluation, we just need to take for what it is; someones opinion that means nothing more than our own.
Just How many players in this league can have a 26 point game, an 11 rebound game and a 13 assists game all in the same month? This guy is a special player. Only superstars in this league can put those kind of numbers
Lebron put those number twice a month and he is a superstar.
I will be happy if Hedo will bring it when we need it
I think the ball comment is not only a jab at triano, but it’s a jab at the entire team. There’s no room for a ball hog on this team, you dont hear CB saying “Ball”. Turk should have just been modest about the whole thing and he should have expected an interview after the game, it was his best game in a raps uni! Im really happy that he finally had a good game but he should’ve just been a lot more modest about the whole situation. I have an idea about his next interview after a bad game……”Refs”.
Is it just me, or does Bosh need to do a FAR better job passing out of double/tripple teams. Seems like he’s forcing it at times instead of making the easy play (i.e. passing out to open shooters).
Absolutely. It’s really one of the final pieces of his offensive arsenal that is lacking but I’m not sure court vision and touch passing can be learned or taught at this stage in his development. Although he will likely improve this part of his game I don’t ever see him ever being great at it.
+1.
Imagine if he passed like KG or Webber..would be awesome.
I wouldn’t write Bosh off yet, he can still learn, he just needs a vet who was good at that type of thing to show him how exactly how it’s done.
I can’t think of anyone offhand…
Right. Webber could do it. But he’s a douche so we don’t want him.
Haha. Why is Webber a douche? Really nice to fans, at least.
I’d really like if he put in some time with Hakeem this summer. His footwork and scoring in the low post is pretty raw.
More generally, why don’t they Raptors hire Hakeem as a big man coach?
He may not be a Raptor next year. So should we care what he does this summer.
Isnt Hakeem still counting against our Cap?? Maybe he could do it for free considering our past generosity…
He’s a douche cuz his preseason prediction was that the Raptors would not make the playoffs, and that Bosh would bolt the second free agency hit. Even Rick Kamla was like :|
He needs to pad his stats with points not assists. People look at how much you scored not how many assists you had in the game. Even when three people have surrounded him (this has been going on now for over four years), he will still try to score. Unless Bosh’s basketball IQ is not very good.
Even v. good players have deficiencies. I believe Bosh’s is ball handling/quick hands in general…he does not take hard passes well nor pass very well from the d. team. If he can improve here it would make him that much more productive.
Daedallus you are absolutely correct.
I predict Hedo’s production will be satisfactory for the next couple of games.
IF we manage to come out of this stretch of games with a 7 of 8 and the scheds for the other eastern conference leaders is reallly bad, how high in the standings do you think its possible we can make? I would be the happiest person in the world if we got 3rd…..
At first glance, 5.5 games back doesn’t seem too large with 35 games remaining, but let’s just remember one thing…those teams ahead of us are not the Miami Heat (who started the season 7-2, but have been a pedestrian 16-20 since). It’s hard to imagine two of Boston, Orlando or Atlanta playing .500 ball (or worse) for long periods allowing us to catch them.
Sorry but i don’t buy the fact that people are sayin hedo had his best game cause he got the ball more. Getting the ball more doesn’t make a man go grab 11 rebounds and besides he didn’t even get the ball more, he was just way more aggresive once he got it… so props to him but he’s been getting the ball plenty enough this season to get his mojo goin.
ball
i dont know why they dont get it hedo is the worst interviewee ever and i think he said both not ball.
Google translate for ‘ball’ in Turkish lists:
1. top
2. küre
3. bilye
4. misket
5. gülle
6. yumak
7. yuvar
8. top oyunu
9. top mermisi
10. balo
11. ilaç
………………………………..
I think we have the makings of a great nickname for Hedo, namely from Turkoglu to:
Turkotop
Turkoküre
Turkobilye
Turkomisket
Turkogülle
Turkoyumak
Turkoyuvar
Turkotop oyunu
Turkotop mermisi
Turkobalo
Turkoilaç
I think a RR forum poll should be held to pick the best nickname for “Turko of the Ball”.
My favourites are “Turkotop” and “Turkobalo” … because they are the simplest …!!!!
‘hedoism’ – a school of ethics which argues pizza, sprite and “ball” are the only good. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgfGRgQeIP0
not to be confused with hedonism