Always been wary of Sunday games for the exact reason they’re talked about as an advantage for us. Instead of being an extra step quick, we’re usually a step slow and leave it for the second half to make up for our first half indolence. In that sense, this game wasn’t much different from the Indiana game last Sunday where the Raptors found late gears to avoid what would’ve been a rather humbling home defeat. Solid team play in key stretches, a boost off the bench from Antoine Wright, and steadfast offensive resolve from Chris Bosh were the keys to taking care of business as the Raptors continued their plunder through the soft part of the schedule.
Transition play and offensive rebounding is the only reason the Kings stayed in this game. Those are two of our weaknesses and they were went about exploiting it in a consistent manner. As well as the Raptors were playing early, everything they did on offense was negated by those two shortcomings. The good news is that both our weaknesses have more to do with effort than personnel so when we were only up 3 at the half despite shooting 60%, you knew it wasn’t going to be this way as long as we just picked it up.
Our strengths lie in the interior play of Bosh, the playmaking ability of our wings and in the sanctity of team basketball. Bosh was a beast on offense tonight (36/11/5) and operated very close to the basket for most of the night, he executed a few drop-steps for dunks and always made the drive his first priority. Bosh’s scoring is only half of his post-game, the other half is getting others open shots and our management of how to handle Sacramento double teams was impeccable. Bosh’s reads of the help was good and his passing out of it led to swing sequences and more (his 5 assists proof of that). There were many plays today where Jack, Turkoglu and Bargnani demonstrated great unselfishness which always led to a better shot. Sometimes we make extra passes out of the Bosh-double which end up being a detriment for the possession, but not tonight, Sacramento was left chasing the ball and our 28 assists reflect that.
Turkoglu was back wearing a mask, DeRozan was back after his ankle injuries and Calderon surprised everyone by returning from his ankle sprain. As expected, Jack went right at Tyreke Evans from the get-go which surprised the rookie; Jack had 9 assists on the night, most of which came off drive and kicks – the best assist for a PG. Turkoglu was aggressive on the high screen and set the tone early by driving for a couple and then knocking down two open jumpers after clever fakes. 7 points in 7 minutes is a lot of production for him and hopefully he climbs his way out of the rut he’s been in. With Bosh operating inside, Turkoglu and Jack on their games, it was going to be a question of whether the defense would get up to the level of our offense.
For most of the game it didn’t, Sacramento had a 26-6 fastbreak point edge in the first half as our already poor transition defense was made to look worse because of 9 turnovers. It’s like adding fuel to fire. There was little doubt the Kings weren’t going to come back after the Raptors went up by 13 early; they were excellent at running back our missed jumpers for points and as already mentioned, the turnovers hurt us. Tyreke Evans, Kevin Martin and Donte Greene’s agenda was to challenge the Raptors in transition and since all three are excellent open-floor players, had success. This is where the Raptors looked their worst on Sunday – matched up in the open floor against athletic wings who are running at them. The offensive rebounding was a problem as we finished -9 in the department, Spencer Hawes being the main thorn in our side. Bargnani’s rebounding numbers are decent (8 rebs) but some of his play in help situations was deplorable. Triano tried to insert Johnson to match the Kings’ energy but he was overmatched against Sean May, who is looking less like a blimp these days but still pretty fat.
I had a keen eye on Calderon in the first half and was expecting him to take it a little easy and work himself back in the game. To my surprise he started hunting for his own shot which was good to see. An aggressive Jose is a good Jose and even though he was only 3-7 with 2 assists in 21 minutes, he got an excellent run in which should help him in his next game.
With Belinelli out, the job of checking Evans fell to Jack and Wright, as DeRozan/Weems were handling Kevin Martin. We held him to 3-8FG for 11 points and he was more or less a non-factor, you could also argue that the game-high 18 shots launched by Martin did well to take their best player out of the game. Wright’s defense on Evans was invaluable, especially in a couple key fourth quarter possessions when the game was rocking back and forth. DeRozan couldn’t get a handle on Martin’s trickery early, the rookie has trouble guarding SGs who use screens well and Martin’s one of them. The way he got burned on that out-of-bounds play with 5 seconds left in the first half was not good. Not good at all. DeRozan played 24 minutes, also got a good run in but didn’t play the fourth quarter as Wright’s play left Triano no choice. Later Triano spoke about the adjustment of switching Wright on Evans:
We wanted Antoine on the floor and we wanted him guarding Tyreke at the end as much as we could…We didn’t want to get too sucked into the paint trying to help on him and have him kick for threes.
The early third quarter followed a similar pattern as the first half with the Raptors giving back what they scored, Andrea Bargnani had 8 in the frame and worked well off of Chris Bosh. The constant Bosh double-teaming was providing everybody with looks and the Raptors did a solid team job of making them pay. With the Raptors up 6 with 3:39 left to play, Triano decided to give Chris Bosh a breather and inserted Amir Johnson into the game. We almost lost the game. With Bosh out, our offense hit the wall as we were forced to create from the top rather than going inside-out and our rebounding also took a hit. The Kings went on a quick-fire 11-0 run sparked by three Donte Green threes which changed the face of the game.
I want to give special attention to the drive and And1 Jarrett Jack had at the end of the third, we’ve seen him try to carry the team in times of adversity a lot this year and that play was another one of those occasions. On the ensuing possession the Kings’ Ime Udoka clearly goaltend the ball but the refs blew the call. Jack picked up the technical and seemed very upset, he actually threw the ball into the 10th row while making it look like he was attempting a 3/4 court three as time expired. The hotheadedness might’ve cost him fourth quarter playing time as Calderon was the guy Triano went with. Triano’s shown a tendency to alternate PGs per quarter so maybe Calderon would’ve played the fourth all along, especially since he didn’t play a second in the third.
The fourth didn’t start promisingly as Udrih burned Calderon twice to setup May for clean looks as Johnson was sucked into the paint. Staring a 7-point deficit and the momentum squarely on the Kings’ side, it didn’t look great. Enter Sonny Weems’ defense. Two steals, one leading to an Antoine Wright three and the other to his own dunk. All in all, an 8-0 run in 48 seconds. That’s all it took, 48 seconds to turn this game around. The defense was sparked and the confidence to run the offense was back. Later on Wright hit two more jumpers, both assisted meaning that they weren’t taken out of rhythm and didn’t come out of one-on-one play. Of his six field goals, five were assisted and his ability to spread out the floor was key in Calderon being able to operate freely in the fourth. That quarter was a shining example of the Raptors at their best: sharing the rock and patiently passing the ball till we find the late rotation to get the clean look.
A finishing touch was supplied by an Andrea Bargnani three, once again made out of excellent ball movement. The Kings had no answer, after the Raptors had tightened their defense (read: increased their effort), Sacramento couldn’t get the easy break points they lived off of in the first half and were forced to score out of the half-court. They only had 10 fastbreak points in the second half after netting 26 in the first, Wright’s defense on their main gun was very influential in taking away their half-court scoring and credit needs to be given to Bosh and Bargnani, who both improved their help defense in the second half.
Raptors win. Remember that 10-game stretch that was mentioned in the podcast a couple weeks ago, well, we’re on pace to go 9-1.
175 Raps
Wright has been such a key role player in the last six games. Besides a bit of clutch scoring and solid D, he’s also hauled down 6 boards a game in that stretch – in ~ 28 min a game avg.
This squad is developing confidence and chemistry. I know hope Bryan doesn’t tinker with it too much.
Don’t know where all that skill Wright is showing has come from – but its great!
Two things:
1 He was a good shooter in college (Wright ranked fourth in the Big 12 in scoring, with 17.8 points per game, and led the league in three-point completion percentage (.447). – Wikipedia)
2 He is putting in a lot of practice time in Toronto.
It looks like for whatever reason, his long-range shot making deserted him in the NBA. Perhaps the Nets and Mavs didn’t want him shooting at long range and so this skill went dormant as he transformed himself into a defensive player. In Toronto’s offense, there’s a fair amount of expectation on the perimeter players to shoot the 3ball and perhaps that’s awakened Wright’s interest in knocking down the long ball.
Whatever, as long as he can keep knocking them down, he’ll be a very valuable component of this team.
http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Antoine-Wright-125/
“Best Case: Ray Allen
Worst Case: Eddie Jones (Miami Heat Version)”
Antoine Wright has found Jesus.
If Wright can be that “James Posey” from circa 2007-2008, that’s enough for me. C**tics are feeling the burn of not signing that guy for another 2-3 yrs.
Wright plays the best when he keeps things simple. Focus on defense, knock down the open shot and don’t get too creative on offense. Lately, he has been locked in because he is not trying to do too much. I’d say it is a combination of smart play on his part and good work by the coaches in giving him a clearly defined role. Long may it continue.
A re-incarnation of Bruce Bowen?? We all wish.
I wouldn’t consider him a good shooter in college just because of one season. If you look at his entire college career, you see him shooting 3s pretty well his first year, but his overall FG% is lower. That says something. His 3 point shooting got worse the 2nd year, and his FG% stayed pretty poor. It seems he cut down on his 3s his third season, perhaps also taking fewer low percentage shots like he’s prone to if you read the scouting on him.
Where’s the killer instinct? You let teams like Nets and Kings hang around and then pull it out late in the 4th. That’s not the hallmark of a “great” team. Raps are behaving like an “okay” team at the moment. Nothing more, nothing less. Great teams put away weak opponents when they are down, not let them hang around. Don’t get me wrong, a win is a win, so we’ll take it.
They slit the Kings’ throats in fourth quarter. That’s what good teams do: pace themselves and then pounce when the opponent shows signs of weakness.
Agreed!
The team’s still young. First they need to prove to themselves that they can beat lesser teams. Then next season I think we’ll start to see the “killer instinct” start to develop. That is, assuming BC doesn’t see fit to blow up the roster again :P (I don’t think he will).
You like to think thats what the Raptors have displayed of late- an ability to close out tight games in the fourth quarter. It’s a trait we have lacked for 3 seasons.
It still seems like we are playing with fire with weaker teams lately, but you would have to factor in our injuries as of late. Thankfully they have been minor, yet there has been a few.
You specifically mentioned the offensive boards we gave up, and I agree it is still a big weakness of this team. You would have to think that Reggie Evans will help us in that regard. Those worried about Amir losing minutes, I think Triano can work him in by taking some time from Bargs and Bosh, although not much.
A few days between games, I expect the rumuor mill to be out in full force.
I agree with Marz. The killer instinct isn’t something you go and buy players for and watch happen right away. I find that our starting rotation especially tends to look half asleep at the start of each half, but beating on shit teams is helping us develop that chemistry in terms of effort.
Bargs, Hedo, Demar and Jack (who knows what’s in Bosh’s head) are here for the long run. Good things are on the way.
this is such an incorrect blanket assumption that it’s difficult to even put into context. you must be one of those ‘hardcore’ basketball junkies that scans ESPN every morning & notices that ‘elite’ teams seem to win quite a bit by significant margins, and make the uncalculated assumption that they must have led by a similar significant margin throughout the game. because, we all KNOW that the really great teams win every game going away, and those games are never close, and that great teams NEVER let inferior opponents remain close to them, let alone lose.
and in case you’re wondering, pulling out games ‘late in the 4th’ is the epitome of good-great teams. that’s what they do…first 3 Qs are measuring opponents, getting everything going, fighting through adversity…then, when it matters, getting the job done. sure, it’d be nice to see them put the hammer down & curb-stomp some of these ‘inferior’ teams every once in a while, give their big guns some rest, etc. but the raps aren’t at that level – considering that they’re a mid-tier level club, ‘pulling out’ these games is what they should be doing.
oh, and isn’t ‘killer instinct’ putting away teams in the 4th?
Couldn’t agree more yertu. The Celtics, Cavs and Magic have all let us hang around until the 4th quarter before stepping up the D and winning…I bet most thought the Lakers were going to do the same thing. As I mentioned during Roll Call…it’s the nature of an 82 game schedule for good teams to coast a bit during games and turn it on when it counts. The Raps are starting to do that and they are not a top level team yet. To expect them to be blowing out lesser teams at this point seems to be a little ridiculous…we are 17-6 in the last 23 games, 2nd in the NBA during that stretch…that’s good enough for me at the moment.
That’s the NBA.
LET’S NBA!
I actually beleive that some of the posters watch only Raptors games…like they’re in their own little bubble and have no idea what goes on in the rest of the league with the comments we get in this forum.
…ain’t that the truth ….. seems to be this belief that The Raps should be steam rolling any ‘weak’ team in the NBA. Even weak teams have very good players.
Case in point, after the Raptors last week the Nets went to Boston and were leading until about halfway in the fourth when the C’s turned it on and crushed them.
One big question waiting for an answer is how will they fare against the elite teams for the remainder of the regular season . If they do well against those teams and put up a real good fight in the play-offs (even though they may be eliminated in the first round), they will have demonstrated that they are an up and coming team . Let us not forget that Boston is a team in the down slide (because of the aging of their stars). Of course the BIG question remains (Bosh).
The reason for not putting away inferior teams is when the 2nd unit comes in and sabotages the double digit lead built up by the starting lineup. Whose to blame for this maddening re-occurrences? Jay for resting starters too early and for erratic substitutions? Calderon for ball hogging again? Belinelli for playing out-of-control again and again?
You’re blaming the second unit for not putting away inferior teams earlier??? I guess you’re not including the games where the second unit came in with the Raptors behind and gave them a lead? Honestly, I don’t know what games you’ve been watching, because, more often than not, the Raptors second unit has outplayed the opposing team when they’ve been on the court.
Cesco, that is the question on everyone’s mind with the trade deadline coming up.
17-6 last 23. Couple of solid wins in there as well.
How much, if at all does BC have to tweak? To that point, what is now our goal this season? Playoffs? Second round? EC Finals?
Michael…it helps to watch the games before coming on here and posting silly comments.
For idiots like you and Tim W., what has happened in the past few games before the 2nd unit comes in – up 13 on Kings, up 11 on Nets, up 4 on Indy, up 8 on Indy … wake up and watch the games before coming on and shooting your mouths off.
You’re basing your entire world on the last few games. Okay, no wonder. You can stop reading here if you’d like, because it’s obvious you’re an idiot.
How about watching the entire season before giving your input.
Like when the Lakers were in town? They let us hang around. Or what about the Celtics? They gave a game away to the Magic because they let them hang around and they barely held off the Nets the other night. Reg. Season BBall is a game of runs. Momentum gives players that extra boost to either get back in a game or build a lead. It happens to every team. No big deal
Killer instinct? Out scoring a team 19-9 in the final 6 minutes to blow them out is killer instinct!
Outscoring a team by 20 in the first quarter just means the other team wasn’t ready to play.
Boston just beat NJN by 9 – do the Cs lack killer instinct? (We know they don’t when they play the Raps -lol)
Interesting note was seeing Bosh attack the basket. When was the last time you read a line like yesterday, where Bosh was 14-18, another 11 attempts at the line (thus 23 attempts) and all except 4 were at the rim. Bosh took only one outside 10′, which was a very telling stat.
The only face to face, no feet movement jump shot Bosh attempted was late in the 4th with the salami and cheese already spread across the table. I’m harsh on Bosh for the number of jumpers he relies on, but yesterday’s game was his best of the season in the regard.
36 pts on 18 fg attempts…crazy!
‘I’m harsh on Bosh for the number of jumpers he relies on’
Not sure why people are so harsh on him when he takes jumpers? I agree that attacking the basket is ideal but he shoots basically 50% so it’s not like he misses a majority of them and defences do collapse, sag and double team him endlessly.
When Nowitizki launches jump shots I don’t hear too many complaints from Mav’s fans or the league for that matter.
There are far more worthy players to criticize on the Rap’s roster for shooting jumpers and not driving to the rim, than #4.
Makes no sense to me either sleepz…
_1.
His FG% is probably the highest on the team, as well.
But I sort of understand the sentiment of people who criticize Bosh for shooting jumpers…he is far better when driving. Thing is, driving takes a lot of energy and beats up your body quite a bit.
Unreasonable to expect him to drive all the time, anchor the defense, be clutch, etc. Several of those tasks are not in the PF description, and would be better if done by wing players or the C..
Agreed. Bosh, for the most part, takes the shot that is available. Without being such a prolific, and dangerous, jumpshooter, he wouldn’t get a quarter of the drives that he does. And he’s actualy shooting .529 from the field, which is good for 20th in the league and a career best. He’s also the only top ten scorer in the top 25 in shooting percentage, so all the complaints about his jumpshot seems like nitpicking.
They actually seem ridiculous, THIS YEAR.
Last year he did not shoot %50, and the reason is he didn’t drive nearly as much, and settled a lot more.
Credit Triano for sitting Bosh down, and showing him the numbers, and efficiencies that he scored with on drives and around the rim, and with jumpers from 20′.
Bosh stated it in several interviews early in the season that he had no idea until Triano showed him the breakdowns how much more efficient he was around the rim.
So did Bosh only provide the baseload scoring and it was up to others to win the game with better offense and defense … or … did Bosh alone win the game with his scoring outburts.. ??!!!
Does Bosh have to score 35 points for the Raps to be competitive in the playoffs ..???!!!!
Does LBJ have to carry the load for the Cavs to be competitive in the playoffs? How about Kobe? D-Wade?
What kind of weak rant are you trying to start here?
I think the honest answer to BSteve’ question is not to the degree of Lebron strictly because of their respective team’s make-up.
The Raptors are better built to withstand a poor Bosh outing than the Cavs are with Lebron.
Will not be goaded by FAQ, who by the way should be eating a lot of crow. His preseason, early season and probably midseason(now) was wrong.
Playing the odds, he’s wrong on Bosh.
I dunno, even a broken watch is right twice a day. Maybe FAQ is due after being wrong so often to this point.
WTF does LBJ, Kobe or D-Wade have to do with Bosh and the Raptors??!!!!
You and Tim W like to post fallacious straw man scenarios in your futile non sequitur attempts to avoid broaching the issues … the issue is Bosh and the Raptors NOT your meanderings …!!!!!
+100
You are such a moron man. The Raptors have the second best offense in the league, that isn’t all because of Bosh. All you freaking do, even after a victory, is bitch. And your bitching is never even warranted.
Actually it’s your musings that have turned out fallcious.
And its Tinman not the Strawman
Why do you guys bother with him? =P
Honestly, I bet he’d eventually disappear if people just stopped responding to him.
For the Raptors , the key in the playoffs will not be how many points Bosh will score (he will score many) but rather the play making of Hedo and good defensive work (fight hard from the start of the game especially by the perimeter defense).
+1
And a strong performance from AB will go a long way in the play-offs.
what an interestingly worded question.
no, bosh didn’t ‘only’ provide ‘baseload’ scoring (nice word). there was some timely D, some rebounding, some good ball movement, a few nice finds. couple turnovers, held the ball a bit long at times, a few defensive lapses as well.
the rest of the team played their roles effectively, as is usually the case in a win such as this. it’s not as though bosh put up uber-fantastic stats – 35/11/5 happen quite frequently. what was most impressive was how efficient he was getting those numbers, and how it all seemed to happen within the flow of the game.
*no one* wins a game by an individual scoring outburts (sic). the raps were helped tremendously not so much by the raw numbers, but by his all-around efficiency (figuring pts vs attempts & assists), not to mention the rebounds.
no, the raps do not NEED him to avg 35/game to be ‘competitive’ in the playoffs. some would argue that if he were to post such numbers, the raps would almost certainly lose. however, they more than likely DO need him to be as efficient on offense as he was yesterday. they DO need him to recognize doubles before they collapse on him. they DO need him to be a strong rebounder & vocal leader.
yertu damkule says: “*no one* wins a game by an individual scoring outburts (sic).”
……….
Didn’t Kobe and LeBron “avg 35/game to be ‘competitive’ in the playoffs” last year .. one successfully, the other not..???
you would remember better’n me … but, how many points did Bosh score in the last quarter against the Kings …???
“WTF does LBJ, Kobe or D-Wade have to do with Bosh and the Raptors??!!!!”
that’s why there are asterisks (*) around *no one* – it’s not that it NEVER happens, just very infrequently does a single player assure victory through their own scoring. it’s still a team game, and as much as we deify individual performances, isn’t a true measure of a team’s strength it’s weakest (contributing) member? all of kobe & lebron’s (wait, how’d they get included in this conversation…) scoring ability has continued to produce mixed playoff results without/unless there are also significant contributions from their respective supporting casts.
Is there a way to filter out this meaninless asinine drivel?
… by FAQ
Sitting at the game on Sunday, I never once felt like the Kings any a chance to win. Even when the Kings took the lead, it was more by blind luck than good play. Greene’s 3 3-pointers in a row where not a trend and he disappeared again immediately after someone decided to guard him.
That Kings team is so young that they don’t know how to close out games despite their obvious talent.
It was good to see Kevin Martin play live. He abused our rook but against a more seasoned defender wasn’t so impressive. If the Kings decide to trade him – hopefully the Raps pass.
brothersteve says: “Sitting at the game on Sunday, I never once felt like the Kings any a chance to win.”
So you were at the game on Sunday and sitting in the nosebleed section amongst all the t.h. fans … and you “felt” the Kings couldn’t win because it was “blind luck” they went into the lead ..!!!!!
Nice to know that you depend on your gut feeeeel when you cheer for your beloved Raptors .. like any other t.h. fan …. sooooo obvious ….LOL
FAQ…I know a really good therapist that just might be able help someone as insane as you.
Your “really good therapist” obviously didn’t help you … sooo obvious..!!!
FAQ I know you aren’t a Raptors fan and that’s cool and all but why spend all the energy posting all the time?
Hey, brothersteve .. you should post under yer own name even after being gobsmacked .. soooo obvious
You know where my blog is – AND if you can read – and you have read my blog – you know my real name – WHAT’S YOURS!
FAQ your need for a therapist is so obvious. But if you could afford to actually go to a game, it might ease your pain.
I don’t know double O, difficult task.
Sometime I think he’s just fucking with the forum, getting a good laugh about the reactions he can manage to get.
I’m starting to think he should just be ignored. I mean come on, can someone really be that delusional?
you wouldn’t think anyone’s life would be that pathetic, but I guess it’s possible.
personally, I think he’s actually delusional
Is that you, brothersteve … or is it just a couple of lurking goons finally posting something and being soooo proud of their contribution ..???!!!!
Wasting time and space, son. Glad no trees are getting killed.
I post under brothersteve all the time – almost everyday – its fun – but somehow you don’t seem to enjoying yourself much these days – is that 3-30 prediction getting stuck in your craw.
4 seats from the floor FAQ, under the basket across from the Raptors bench.
Jealous – you should be, it took me years to move down that close to the action.
I am convinced that Calderon is the reason for our poor defense. He is extremely weak in fighting through screeens and cannot keep his man in front of him. In turn, this forces Bosh or Bargnani to help on D. Any big man can tell you that a PG coming at you at full speed keeps you off balance and out of position for Defensive rebounds. As a result, both Bosh and Bargnani get flak for not being good help defenders. However, should Bosh and Bargnani get the blame?
Bosh and Bargnani played good defense in the 4th quarter last night because Wright kept Tyreke in front of him or atleast slowed him down and fought through screens.
If I am BC, I trade Calderon for a solid 2. Maybe Battier? (although Houston has Brooks, so some kind of 3 way to get Battier).
We don’t need Calderon in the playoffs. Banks plays solid D and can give Jack some rest without allowing a huge run by the other team. Moreover, the bench minutes are considerably decreased in the playoffs. Package Calderon with Evans or Amir and worry about finding a true back up PG in the offseason.
JUST GET RID OF CALDERON!!!
It pains me to agree that if BC is wanting to deal, Jose is the prime candidate. And Wright, with his expiring deal would be candidate 1A. Both have played big parts in our recent stretch, and we would have to get something significant back in order to please me.
I wonder how this recent hot streak has affected BC’s thinking? We are as hot as anyone last 25-30 games. Can we keep it up? Our goal is a first round victory. Can this present roster compete against the likes of Celtics, Magic, Hawks and Cavs. At this point in the season I’d answer yes, yes, probably not and no.
Before toying with this line-up we must determine our goals.
With Reggie coming back and Amir’s expiring, I hate to say it but he could be moved as well
Calderon is a good regular season performer. However, I believe he would get torched in the play-offs (and his previous performances are indicative of this). Calderon thrives in the regular season because his safe passes into the post are not heavily contested. However, come playoff time, when the defense tightens up, these passes are not readily available and are highly contested. Furthermore, Calderon tends to loss his aggressiveness when the other team plays strong D.
I think our current roster lacks toughness on the perimeter. Wright brings that toughness to our team. Unless BC can trade Calderon for a tough lock down perimeter defender at the 2, I say Wright should start come playoff time. IMO, Wright has the necessary attributes to play a substantial role come play-off time and I would be reluctant to trade him.
“However, I believe he would get torched in the play-offs (and his previous performances are indicative of this)”
I don’t know if previous performances are so indicative as you say.
NJ series vs Jason Kidd
http://www.82games.com/0607/playoffs/0607TOR.HTM
Orlando series vs Jameer Nelson
http://www.82games.com/0708/playoffs/0708TOR.HTM
He definitely gave up more than he did during the regular season both times, but his own production almost made up for it against NJ, and more than made up for it against Orlando, with both opposing guards usually deemed to be better than Calderon. He was still one of our top 3 players each series if you go by Roland rating.
Somehow most players get better as they play longer.
A player’s first year or two in the post-season is not much of an indication of their ability. Really its about the same as calling a rookie a bust because they only get 8 & 3 in their first season. Experience does count for something.
I think the C**tics, despite being old and hobbled lately, are still the biggest threat for the Raps. I’d gladly take my chances with Cleveland, Orlando or Atlanta before having to deal with the C**tics.
It’s time to slay the dragon/s I say….this year…while they have a crick in the knee. The one element that I have yet to see in some way manifest itself in the Raps (and all teams who aspire to getting deep in the playoffs do) is being *mean* with serious pushback. We owe them one. That game in April will say a lot.
Yesterday Bosh had great anticipation of what his defenders were going to do and also what his guys were going to do[the team is starting to jell]. Bosh is playing at a higher level and yesterday he was just not going to let the Raptors lose to an inferior team.
Wright is giving us everything we need from his spot in the lineup and with a steady second half could make this his best year in the league.
How many other Raptors are going to have a career year?
If at least four of your top eight have their best season ever then the coaching and management have to be given respect.
Okay, let’s review….
JJ – Actually #’s very similar to career and showing more confidence
Bosh – Career year – But so is everyone from his draft class
Bargnani – Improved as expected
DD – Okay rookie #’s, not even recognized for the All-Star Rookie challenge
Hedo – Well below expectations
Calderon – Weak first half
Wright – Slightly above Dallas #’s per 36 min
Johnson – Same as Wright….
Belinelli – Exact same #’s as last year…..
So in actuality, the Raps are exactly where they should be and maybe lagging if you look at Hedo and Calderon’s production to date.
Thanks for the post, because now you have me excited about the Raptors….
Belli has doubled his rate of going to the whole. JJ is having a career best True Shooting.
err, hole.
WHo are you calling a err hole????
The same guy who shoots his mouth off about the 2nd unit without actually watching the past few games and understanding what’s happening!!
Wow. And I thought I was simply replying to a comment. I hadn’t realized that simply disagreeing with a comment was considered spouting my mouth off.
And I don’t think anyone with any knowledge of basketball would be questioning the Raptors bench this season. Did you not watch the 4 games in a row where the bench brought them back from being behind by double digits?
If you don’t want someone disagreeing with you, don’t comment.
Like I said earlier only idiots like you and Tim W. will shoot their mouths off without actually watching what has happened in the past few games before the 2nd unit comes in – up 13 on Kings, up 11 on Nets, up 4 on Indy, up 8 on Indy (and of course the legendary Jan.11th game up 23 on Indy)… Oh well, what can you do when someone without any knowledge of basketball be questioning …. maybe you shouldn’t comment.
Michael C,
Are you speaking of the games where 2 from the second unit were actually STARTING due to injuries and the best bench player was out with an injury? In other words, the team lost three of it’s six most productive players, and STILL was able to win?
What’s with all the hostility, anyway?
It is strange that some posters like Michael C. can crunch numbers but do not remember the main reason for the second unit not performing at par in the last few games . Even in the last game Beli was missing on that second unit and he can make a big difference when his game is on.
Anthony
Ok lets review
JJ- growing into a team leader and given more responsibility (definitely bad coaching)
Bargnani- Is not growing as expected. With SMitch as the coach I expected Bargnani to be serving espresso’s as a Barista at Starbucks by now
DD- Given the opportunity to hone his skills against the league’s best and showing he can play with men at 20 years old (Triano definitely deserves flak for this one)
Hedo- Playing as advertised. Making contributions that do not show up on a stat sheet and has gelled well with his teammates once the coaching staff learned how to best integrate him into the offense (Imagine that a coaching staff learning from there mistakes, coaches aren’t supposed to make mistakes let alone recognize where they even made mistakes)
Calderon- Weak first half. I’ll give you that one. But Calderon was never a top rate starting PG when SMitch was the coach.
Wright- See Hedo explanation. BTW the coaching staff does not deserve credit for Wright’s improved shooting %. Hughes is just wasting his time working with Wright after practices and prior to games.
Johnson- “Same as Wright?” Except that Johnson has finally been given regular minutes. His game has improved over the season and his offense is much better now. But of course we can’t credit the training staff for this.
Belinelli- #’s might be similar on a per game basis. However, he has been given carte blanche to do what he does best and when his game is off he has been given the early yank. Shame on Triano
and lastly….
Bosh- “Career year – But so is everyone from his draft class” Absolutely one of the dumbest things I have ever read on RR. Well James/Wade/Melo/ are all having career years so Bosh is supposed as well? By your logic Darko and TJ are having career years too and this has nothing to do with the coaching staff? What about Triano calling out Bosh to drive to hole more in the media and Bosh responding by taking one jump shot the next game.
Hey Anthony thanks for the enlightening post now I am depressed about the ignorance of fellow Raptors fans
“Is not growing as expected. With SMitch as the coach I expected Bargnani to be serving espresso’s as a Barista at Starbucks by now”
Ha, ha. Nice one. Do they have Starbucks in Italy?
I still read people calling Triano one of the NBA’s worst coaches. Amazing.
Yeah, credit where credit is due. Jay has figured out his rotations and juggled these last minor injuries well. The slow start was a bitch but we were all here preseason, was it not expected?
The next 32 games is a bigger test.
Maybe you should be actually watching the games before you spout off about how great a coach Jay is? Amazing.
I’ve watched nearly every single game. And I’ve found Triano’s coaching to be pretty good and seen a fair bit of improvement over the course of the season. Of course, I’m looking at it objectively.
Besides, most coaching is actually done behind closed doors, which a lot of people don’t seem to understand. How many practices have you watched?
Michael -
Where had you envisioned the Raptors after 50 games?
Missing your point…. Hedo has lousy #’s to date and has been pissed on by fans. His #’s down significantly.
Bosh is growing into the player hoped for. James, Melo, Wade & Kaman (6th pick) all having their best years….. He expects and will get a max contract, so is it too much to ask that his play improve as much as the other “max” players?
So you expected nothing from Bargnani because of year 2? Based on his rookie year, post smitch #’s he’s improving as hoped for a #1…. In fact I expect him to average 20+ the last half of he season….
As I see it, you agree on a number of players, considered Hedo a lousy signing, had little expectations of Colangelo’s #1 and are upset that I am comparing Bosh’s improvement to his peers in the 2003 draft…. Please correct me????
What exactly is your point? Are you trying to say the coaching staff and management have no bearing on the improvement of players? Even the greatest players have credited their coaches with helping their game.
My point was simply that if four of our top eight have career seasons the coaches and management should get some credit.
You might want to re-read my post :) Here’s a hint* The post is a little sarcastic* We agree on pretty much nothing because you are failing to recognize the coach’s role in each players development and the overall development of the team.
While you are at it re-read your own post, question your knowledge of the game, re-read your post again, then read “They Call Me Coach” by John Wooden. Then crawl in a hole and reconsider your love of the game.
*The above post was directed at Anthony*
Of course Coaching counts and is a huge reason for the play of the team. Early in the season people called Triano useless and outcoached every game. I am looking at the play of the individuals and see nothing that was not expected with GOOD Coaching, and also noted a few players have not played particularly well to this point.
I guess I am missing your point completely so please enlighten me as to where I was off in my player assessment.
hypothetical time! If Chris Bosh blew out his knee and was done for year tomorrow, would you still want to offer him a max deal?
No, but I would be reluctant to sign any max player under those circumstances.
OO7…I know a really good therapist that just might be able help someone as insane as you.
wait, i’ve got it figured out. your goal is to force the good folks at RR to moderate posts, isn’t it? i mean, they went over the ‘ground rules’ a while back, and for the most part, everyone sticks to ‘em.
but something’s happened over the last little while, coincidently enough starting with when the raps actually began playing well. it’s this air of desperation that exists within your posts. look, i’m about as pessimistic as they come, but i don’t spend what little free time i have searching for absurd things to post with the sole point being to see how many people i can get to disagree with me. you can call be a TH’er all you want, most of what you write has little to no merit. your arguments have been so weak & baseless over the last little while, that when you intend to insult someone, all you do is make them feel good about themselves. we’re all aware of where you stand in terms of the raps, TO fans, bosh, USian players, yada yada yada.
to the dudes at RR – it’s time for another reminder of what constitutes rational posting. this ‘FAQ’ troll is obviously just looking for a reaction with each post, and adds *almost* nothing of value (i say *almost* because i have seen him/her post well thought-out missives – it’s just lately, with the team playing well, he seems to be running out of ammo, and is just running around throwing spitballs). i’m not advocating banning anyone, it would just be nice to read some comments that didn’t exist solely to bait others into meaningless side arguements.
Also odd that the “trolling” type comments started shortly after the departure of the mighty Khandor from the comment board (the instigator of the “negative vortex”). FAQ is just being a team player filling in the void to keep the hit count flowing…although he seem’s a little off his game (I suppose he’s still gelling).
Frankly, I don’t want anyone banded or moderated as long as it’s not personal. Ignore anyone that you feel needs to be ignored.
Yeah even though he is an idiot, he is a harmless one.
You have thin skin given the sh!t you dish out … and you should post under your true identity instead of slithering about trying to disguise yerself … soooo obvious.
I go back to the old forum with you and flux … and you don’t have much ground to stand on with your appeal for forum decorum. FOAD …
Good one… Zing!
Yes, yertu should post under his true identity, because you’re real name is FAQ, isn’t it?
Quite frankly, yertu… if anything has changed, it’s your demeanor. We can even go back to last year and we notice you were the voice of reason to a certain extent. When anyone or I got “out of hand” you’d see our points and but point out another angle. Lately, bro, you’ve been dishing it out nunya style – which is cool and all…but let’s not get hypocritical like some of the jokers lurking around here lately.
The points FAQ brings up may be out this world sort for some, but really it’s just the business angle of what’s going on.. if you looked around the net.. you would see it’s not that far fetched. People here live in RaptorLand and if something is said that they perceive as negative… it’s a lynch mob in this piece. Not everyone wants to yap about the +/- and the strength and weakness of (with a few exceptions) below average NBA players. And doing it over and over and over and over again.. after every game.
All talk is Rap related… and speaking of, safe to say some of us see this “marvelous” play as a result of factors excluding the Raptors themselves and we are not buying it. Opinions we have are still valid, but MFs in here think because the Raps are winning, they are not.
Your whole comment seems out of form for you, but maybe that’s just me.
I think the ball busting (from both sides of the fence) ALWAYS stems from comments that come off as absolutes when anything any of us say is truly hypothetical. Once anyone says that something will absolutely be as they say, they’re gonna catch heat.
Overall, I find the banter amusing on this site; some very solid analysis mixed with unwarranted delirum (both positive and negative) and some out right trolling and troll-baiting. It’s all in good fun isn’t it?
FLUX has called it right about me … I admit I speculate outside the box of orthodoxy .. and that really disturbs the teen-brained, short attention span twitter mentalities who use this forum as a circle jerking love-in for their beloved Raptors … and all they want to hear is love love love … which makes this forum like RealGM-II … and these pathetic tribal honking fans have found another home to spew their jizz ….!!!!
You’re a shitcannon. 3-30. Bosh for Gallinari and Lee. Tribal honkers. Feeeeelings. So obvious.
Well put. As AltRaps would say (golf clap)
And Raptoronto, give Khandor a break. We both know he does solid work, not matter how “absolute” he may “sound” (to some) in this “hypothetical -testosterone induced- predictions world”.
FAQ… word up on the RealGM – ness. But that’s the eleventeen y.o. Ignore and move on..like we have.
Brain… I don’t remember you commenting when the article about Nike was out, stuff he’s been harping about for weeks. You were nowhere to be found where you?
In fact, you don’t say anything of any substance at all.. ever. You are a clown.. a court jester. Sooo obvious.
During the Nike saga I was off living my life so I don’t know what you’re talking about – please enlighten me.
Don’t worry, I’m back to stop the FAQ Attack before Rap Republic fades to black.
…you picked an unpopular horse. Maybe you’ll enjoy riding off into FAQ/Fluxland together…
This thread has degenerated (as they tend to do with FAQ’s deluge of “stuff”).
Brothersteve for president (sooo obvious)!
-Brain Colangelo
Check that – Brothersteve for Mayor of FAQ/Fluxland. FAQ/Fluxland goes green and red!
-Brain Colangelo
Clue, the Kings show signs of weakness every thirty seconds. This game could have been won by the half, had the Raps played aggressive D early on and not committed so many wussy fouls.
so, if the raps had gone up big, they just would have ended the game early? like, a mercy rule or something? and here i thought they had to play out the full 48. silly me.
If I actually watched the game, I would of been yelling at the TV until the 9:00 of the 4th quarter, but I woke up at 12:00pm MT and the game was over (Edmonton) lol. I had this feeling that Sacramento was going to use their youth and potential talent to rush us. The Kings are struggling, but it is not like we are playing the Nets, so give them credit due to the fact that they are heading the right direction UNTIL they trade Kevin Martin for a ball-sharing point guard.
nah. the raps got down, but it was – for the most part – a couple defensive lapses & a few good deep shots in the span of just a minute or so (greene’s 3-straight 3’s) that made it much tighter than it otherwise would have been at the time. the kings never really seemed to put it together with any consistency…way too much one-on-three by martin. they have really bad low-post defenders, forcing them to double & leaving our guys open. we basically did to them what other teams were doing to us a short while ago.
Beating the teams we should beat, at least at home.
I think what all us rabid Raptor fans forget sometimes is that we see most plays of most games for most of the season. Seeing the same 6-7 core players play so much, it’s only natural we’ll see some of the coverages they miss, cold shooting streaks, blow bys, poor shot selections etc that cloud our perception of them… Pick any decent to great player on any other team, if they were suddenly Raptors and we saw them run a zillion offensive and defensive sets over the course of a season, we’d pick up on some of their annoying habits and deficiencies as well. I think we have a very good young core of guys and we are a tweak or two from being a contender….problem is I’m not sure there is enough money left in the pot to do it unless we become a tax team.
Great comment. Thing is, when your ‘franchise’ player erupts in emotion, passion and aggression after each of his big buckets…but looks disinterested when teammates make equally important buckets, you don’t know which road sign to follow.
Does anyone remember Bosh celebrating a teammate’s shot (or even a close fought win) with nearly as much passion as he does when he gets a big dunk?
I’m loving what Bosh is giving us this year (playing to impress the league), but not looking forward to the pissed off feelings we’ll all be expressing once he’s decided to walk on us.
Just sayin.
I think it is also disheartening how Bosh does not give his teammates backrubs after practice/games.
Seriously…Hedo’s hips and Jose’s groin would benefit greatly from it.
You guys have to wait for Bosh’s next DVD to come out. You’re giving away far to many spoilers.
“Does anyone remember Bosh celebrating a teammate’s shot (or even a close fought win) with nearly as much passion as he does when he gets a big dunk?”
Uh, yes. Plenty of times, actually.
Fair enough, we must be watching different games. I’ll get back to you on this topic in the summer.
How is this even part of the job description? CB’s job isn’t emotional leader, and anyone who uses that to criticize him is a bit silly.
Just a very weird statement, overall.
First, my apologies for going a little off topic. Also, my apologies for sounding like an eternal pessimist.
But for some hardcore fans of the team like myself, it’s hard to get attached to a player like CB4 this year. I want him to return as much as the next fan…but judging from his body language, interviews and the way he acts/reacts on the court, he seems more excited about the fact he’s having a career season individually than about the team renaissance.
I dont have any more ways of determining any of this than anyone else…simply my judgement.
How much will it hurt us if he does walk..
I prefer leaving such psychoanalysis to the experts and just enjoy basketball. As long as he doesn’t do things detrimental to winning, who cares. Those other issues will be resolved in the offseason, and aren’t relevant now.
hes not going to walk anyways… worst case = sign and trade
Historically Bosh has not focused enough on his teammates but this season he has been much better at it. Especially in looking to share the ball and let other guys get the big shot.
I don’t think anyone would debate that Bosh’s game has taken a significant step forward this season, especially in his ability to play with his teammates.
I dunno who you are, but + infinity. It goes back to last year even, I thought I was the only one to notice.
This year I think it has more to do with the fact everyone knows he’s gone, so it’s hard to build chemisty – not to mention the whole “meeting” fiasco turned out to be about the US players being pissed off at the Euros speaking foreign around them. People forget that in fact might be why US players don’t want to play here… it really would be like playing overseas.
Also, the Lakers win “team celebration” has to be the most awkward thing I’ve seen in my life. Like they all had tinea pedis.
FLUX … I recall a comment by Bosh several years ago .. something to the extent of him saying that “money isn’t everything in life” … which you can say when you are pulling down $15 Mil each season ….. but it may give us a better insight into Bosh’s personal values after he flees the coup this summer.
Bosh has the money, and now he wants the fame and glory … something he can’t find playing in Toronto for the Raptors, because the Canadian team will never win a NBA Championship … believe it.
Bosh can only advance his career and legacy by returning to the USA and playing for a contending team with either LeBron or Wade .. somewhere like NYC, Miami, Chicago .. or even finding himself playing for Dallas.. his hometown.
Toronto t.h. fans are so selfish in their greed to keep Bosh in Toronto and thinking that their ‘love’ and $30 Mil will hold Bosh .. it’s really quite sickening …!!!!
.
Tiger Woods has said many times, that family is important (and it’s not about the money).
.
Let’s hope it means: he stays and takes less cash like Duncan? But in a non franchise role? : ) honk honk
Wade is mad as hell in MIA with Erik. Not sure what that means there yet. LeBron also said NYK has “not much in the paint”, and NYK are 50 50 on Bosh.. I dunno. Wade and Bosh in Chicago? (holy reaching batman!)
Hometown is a stretch, although West makes sense. Thing is, some guys don’t want to risk playing at home and ruining the legacy.
“He won’t leave, no ONE leaves 30M on the table!” Yeah, that’s why that Facebook kid said F.U. to 1.6 billion, because he’s a dumb business man .. who was that.. oh yeah… “The Don”…GTFO!
Hey Flux,
I simply said he won’t leave 30 mil on the table. I never said that meant he signs and stays with Toronto. Colangelo is also known to take care of his players (i.e. S&T with Marion upping the value of Marions contract). If you really believe that Bosh walks away from $30 million just to stick it to Colangelo, then you sir are a moron.
“not to mention the whole “meeting” fiasco turned out to be about the US players being pissed off at the Euros speaking foreign around them.”
Fluxland…AB and MB are from Italy, Rasho is from Slovenia, Hedo is from Turkey, Jose is from Spain.
Maybe you’re f#cking retarded, but what does speaking foreign mean…these players speak four different languages, you idiot.
The player don’t speak four different languages. Calderon speaks Mexican and the others speak European. Get it 007
Don…please tell me you are being sarcastic.
Ofcourse I was.
I thought so.
speaking a foreign language around the US players. what’s so hard to understand?
Get a clue, you clown. Rasho is from Slovenia, but he speaks Italian (and has Greek citizenship if you didn’t know) The countries border and a lot people there speak Italian. Spanish is close to Italian.. so you can see how a click can be formed.. with four players. Hedo is also Turkish but speaks Yugoslavian and you could make the argument he is not Turkish at all. Anyway, a lot of European people speak multiple languages and can communicate effectively even if they are not fluent in them. Very similar to when players here speak ebonics and the Euros are confused.
Also Bosh commented on it in a interview – the speaking of other languages.
But of course you barely speak English or Tweet or whatever you kids call it, so I wouldn’t expect you to understand. And I’m the idiot… please, son.
To be honest, the only time that stands out in my mind is the time that he passed to Bargs for the game winning three earlier this season, but I forget who the opponent was.
Bosh celebrates his teammates shots when he’s on the bench all the time. When he’s on the floor, he’s busy. Clearly.
If DD or my boy Sonny gets a fastbreak dunk, is Bosh not the first on his feet? (after Reggie).
I WISH Bosh was the emotional leader of this team. Cause right now, we don’t have a consistent one.
Scott.
Have you noticed how much every player loves Hedo? Check again.
we do have an emotional leader, it is Jack…
We need all of our guns firing come playoff time. We fixate so much on how one player did this, or one player did that.
If we want to be competitive, Hedo will need to continue doing all the little things, including keeping up his increased defensive energy. Bosh will need to continue making good decisions. Wright will need to keep up his good play. Bargnani and Bosh will need to play some of their solid defence. Hopefully DeRozan will come along and will show a capacity to create a shot for himself, as all 2-guards need to be able to do in a playoff situation, when defences tighten.
It seems to me about time we should be thinking about this group of players as a team – the Raptors cannot make noise in the playoffs unless we play like one. What has been good about this stretch, is that the Raptors have found ways to win, instead of finding ways to lose. And you know why? Each player has come out and done his best to contribute in the best way he can. Be it Bosh, Amir, or Weems. Each player has come out and tried to make up for deficiencies in others. That is a team. Nice to see one finally.
Agreed 100%. This is a team where, at the moment at least, everyone understands, embraces, and succeeds in his role. Nobody’s trying to do too much, or taking any extended time off either end of the court. Of course the occassional lapse is usual, but it hasn’t been regular like we’ve seen in the past with any number of players. Everyone seems to really enjoy playing together and they all do what it takes to win. Been a LONG time since I’ve seen that from the Raps.
Remember last year when a lead going into the 4th was no advantage since we knew they’d fold? Now when trailing going into the 4th I’m not at all concerned. It’s remarkable. Still, a blowout win against Philly would be nice going into the break.
and when it all boils down to it, isn’t that why you still continue to watch? just for the purpose of strictly watching Raptors ball, isn’t it far more entertaining to take in games that actually mean something in the regular season knowing they’re going to play some post season basketball? how annoying was it to watch this team play last year? losing is a cancerous feeling. this team is not a contender, it’s way too young for that, but it feels a lot better to follow a team that thats trying to get wins and feels like they can win most nights, then the team last year that wondered when they were going to lose.
Great pep talk, verbatim … and you know, I agree with what you are saying because you not only see the forest, you also see the trees .. or something like that …. because I do watch the Raps intently and enjoy it when some aspiring scrub steps up and plays well beyond their normal capacity.
On that point … I recall, when Bosh is interviewed, he has mentioned that the bench players must ’step it up’ … and what he is saying is that without the role players making a significant contribution, that he by himself cannot win a game regardless of how many points he scores.
This validates my contention that PFs like Bosh and Bargs aren’t always in the best position to win games like the SG’s and SF’s, who handle the ball and face the basket most of the time.
Watching tonights NO-Orlando game on TSN2, Orlando was like 15 points behind going into the last half..
wotta laff …..
and then Vince went on a tear ..
dribbling and shooting from everywhere ..
two-pointers and three pointers ..
and ending up with 48 pointers
and a win…!!!
Vince was a one-man shooting show .. and at the end of the third quarter, VanGundy was briefly interviewed and asked what made Vince so productive .. and VanGundy said … “I don’t know!” .. and that was it … which again proves it’s the guys who handle the ball and face the basket who win the games … not the PFs and Cs with their backs to the basket slowly grinding out the shots …. kapish ….!!!!
… sorry for the rap mode … sometimes I get carried away ….!!!!!
No problem. I haven’t seen Vince so deadly from anywhere on the floor for a long time.
It is true, dynamic 2-guards are important in this league because they can create their own shots. You need a player like that. And contrary to brothersteve below, I really still think that the back-to-the-basket scoring component is necessary for floor spacing, court-vision from centres, and getting scores when the defence really hones in. I like Bosh has a game closer to the net, and I like that Bargs has improved his post-game.
It should be interesting come playoff time – we just need to be firing on all cylinders – that was my real point. We fixate too much on one or two players. I like how this team is playing like a team. Let’s see what happens now, with some stiffer opponents.
+1 on back to basket game. Still key on all the currently elite teams.
I agree – its “not the PFs and Cs with their backs to the basket slowly grinding out the shots” that win in the new NBA – it’s guys like Bosh and Bargs who can shoot and drive!
You must absolutely love the Raptors big men!
like i said a few weeks ago when they were sucking… orlando.. if vince wakes up..yikes.
WHAT ABOUT DEROZANS SHOE? :D lmao
1) I love FAQ… his posts are just so enlightening and interesting… no more like entertaining because of how ridiculously retarded they are.
2) I actually missss Khandor
If Khandor return to RR a lot of people will be searching for another blog to follow.
+ 1
Hi guys,
Following this site for just a short time, I really need to ask – FAQ and Michael C. – do they contribute often? i.e. do they follow the game and are making fun of you or are they just morons?
Can we make this a poll on the front page?
I haven’t been here long also, but from what I can gather they are in fact morons. I think FAQ actually believes the shit he posts.
Is there a way to block the postings of certain people?
You and yer short attention span tweeters are really getting yer jollies posting yer silly lil’ one-liner blurts .. shitchatting about yer feeeeelings about “FAQ” … and trying to gang up on him like brave lil’ adolescent keyboard warriors that you are …. soooooo obvious…LOL
Zing again. How do you do it?
My theory – “yertu damkule” from last year is gone and FAQ is really masquerading as “yertu damkule”. Why would he FAQ do that? Because “FAQ” is not FAQ. “FAQ” is Raps Fan. “Fluxland” is Doug Smith (and thank god he has a forum where he doesn’t have to pretend that he really likes basketball) and most of the other guys are really Leo Rautins who doesn’t actually have that much going on these days. This site is incredible. Oh yeah, there are also these game recaps and stuff but who cares about that when the drama’s really in the comments. Great comments. Especially “FAQ”/Raps Fan.
And we are the conspiracy theorists? That was creative, though.
Can you juggle while typing, oh court jester?
I wish.
not gone. still me. always have been.
FAQ/Flux – re. some of the comments from above…i know i’ve dished it out, and i have no problem taking it. if i have a crazy-ass theory or idea, and it gets shot down or countered, that’s cool. i don’t enjoy when it becomes personal, but i don’t have a problem going there either.
and yes, i have changed my tone, and to an extent, my approach to this team. i made a decision this year to try & just enjoy the game of basketball, and not worry so much about things that i cannot control, or worry so much about making sure my opinion was heard. i’m too old for that, and have too much else going on in my life to put that much energy into what is, in all honesty, a completely irrelevent aspect of our lives (i.e. if the toronto raptors ceased to exist, none of our lives would actually change in any appreciable way).
my beef with some posts is the obvious attempt to bait people into arguments. if there’s a valid point worth discussing, that’s one thing, but taking someone’s opinion, belittling it as ‘typical tribal-honking circle-jerking’ is just insulting. if you disagree, just say you disagree, and why, and let a normal discussion take place without the vitriol. we can at least pretend to be civil…for the most part. yeah, i know, i can be nasty too, but i’m trying, honestly, i am.
Most of the time dude, he posts a comment and people insult him first- then it turns into a t.h./hatrer name calling fest.
I agree, this is just a distraction from the real world, but people sometimes come in here all wound up and just unleash. Just the nature of the beast man… his comments are no different than the nonsensical one liners you see from kids, one could argue those are baits to get ppl like me going off on a tangent. Raptoronto put it best..both sides act the same.
I just don’t want to see other people leave here because the majority, lets face it, are homers and drive anyone with a different opinion away.
What’s everyone’s over/under on the number of days before Arsenalist posts a warning about the comments? I’ll take 4 days, shits about to hit the fan
First of all, nobody’s posting under different usernames in this thread. Doing that would be abusing the “open comment” policy we have here. If we find that somebody is, we’ll automatically ban them without notice from here on out since that is very assholish behaviour.
I’d also request people to post with real emails, most of you already do that but if you don’t, please start now, especially if you post frequently (you know who you are). If we send an email out to you and it bounces back, you’re a candidate for a ban because that also is extremely cuntish behaviour.
We really don’t think we’re asking much in return for the free forum we provide.
We don’t like to moderate (as you can see) but we’ll do it if it means protecting the holiness of the comments section. To recap:
1) Don’t use different usernames.
2) Post with a real email.
Again, we’re really not asking much here.
Thank you.
I expected a little more frustration to appear about Jack’s tech call.
On the broadcast, they froze the image to see if it was ‘in the cylinder’. They showed the Sac player clearly tipping it in while ‘in the cylinder’. What they didn’t comment on was that the red light for the 24 second clock expiring was also lit up. So… even if the refs are blind to what everyone else saw and don’t call it goaltending, then clearly the 24 second clock had expired on the tip shot. It still shouldn’t have counted.
I don’t know if Jack got his tech for hurling the ball or something he said, but either way, it was all because the ref’s blew the call.
That said, well before that point in the game, it was already looking like they were trying to keep Sac in the game with all of the nit picky calls. The two on Bargs were outlandish.
Kudos to Sac for making a TON of crazy shots they shouldn’t have been taking in the first place.
as for the SC light going off…wouldn’t the shot clock have reset when the ball hit the rim, which it clearly did?
On Faq
If banning him is too much to ask, I suggest that from now on we just ignore him. It’s very simple really, it’s like dealing with a 5 year old – JUST IGNORE HIM. From now on let’s all make a concerted effort not to rise to the bait whatever drivel he spouts. When you see a post from Faq just skip it. How long do you think it will be before he gives up? Sooooo obvious!!!!