A few things became apparent to me watching the Raptors the first few games. First I just want to say that this isn't a good enough sample size so I guess I will take my own comments with a grain of salt as I suggest anyone reading this should too. First thing that I noticed is that Dwane Casey is having an impact on this team and that it is clear that this team is playing with a solid defensive system and mindset in place which is in contrast to the Triano era, very refreshing and promising. Instead of watching the team make the same defensive mistakes game in and game out. I am going to throw Triano under the bus a bit because quite frankly his time as head coach sucked. That's not to say it was his fault. He wasn't put into a situation to succeed and hence he didn't. He's too nice of a guy and that's not a bad thing in life, it just isn't the best for a role which requires you to exert some authority.
Another thing that is abundantly clear is that the talent on this team, as well as the talent level that was on the team last season is absurdly low. All i hear from people is that Bayless is good he just needs a chance, James Johnson is good he just needs a chance, Linas Kleiza's gonna be amazing you just wait till he gets back. But the sad truth is you wouldn't find any of these players on contending teams. Otherwise, somebody good would have given enough of a hoot to sign them in the first place. Instead the Raps are scrounging the bottom of the barrel for talent and maybe that's a good thing. For once they got a season with low enough expectations to justify it. Which brings the question of, what the heck were they trying to do last season to mind?
Bayless is a ball hog. He's got a decent shot but more often then not, he looks past better plays and options on the court to get his own shot up regardless of whether or not it's the best choice. Hey, it's easy for me to sit back and play Monday morning quarterback but I'm just telling you what I see. The guy cannot run a team, he cannot run an offense. That's been the knock on him his whole career and it doesn't look like he's interested in changing that aspect of his game. He's a score first kind of player and has limited court vision. Actually I am not sure he has limited court vision or he just doesn't give a crap. I really can't tell.
As for Calderon, I've ragged on this guy in the past non stop and I am sure a lot of others have too about his defense. But the truth is, as bad as the guy is on defense he's still our best point guard. Bar-none. End of discussion. Show me another guy on this team capable of running this team's offense at his level. There was a guy who did it but they traded his ass to the Hornets for a sack of potatoes. And by a sack of potatoes i mean Bayless who can't play well enough not to trip over himself, Predrag Stojakovic, (yes that's his REAL name) a guy who they kept on the bench for no reason then released him so that he could help Dallas win a championship. *cough cough Alonzo Mourning. At least they didn't gift him millions of dollars for it.
As for Demar Derozan he's shown me he's learned nothing this summer other than missing the 3 point shot more often then he used to. He still hogs the ball, drives to the lane and more often than not loses the ball on a strip, reach in or generally stupid turnover. Why do people like him? Cause he's got potential to be more. True it is early and chances are he'll play better but compared with the expectations I had for this guy coming into this league. His first step isn't that explosive. His defense is suspect at best. If it weren't for the giant Italian guy on the team that plays bad defense, Demar's defense would be a lot more apparent to people. His lateral movement is garbage for the type of athlete he is. Which is probably why his drives to the basket look more like a running back trying to push his way through. Sorry Demar, wrong sport. A good example of how it should be done is right in front of him every day in Barbosa. He's got blisteringly fast drives, amazing lateral quicks to get around people and a fantastic shot in the air. Why that guy doesn't start is beyond me. I guess they gotta try to give Demar more PT.
Leandro Barbosa is probably the only guy on the team who's a legitimate proven NBA player and the only guy on the team who someone outside of Ontario has heard of and actually seen play an important NBA game. He's got great cuts to the basket, puts pressure on the other team's defense and passes out of plays to create space for the rest of the bums he calls teammates.
Which brings me to Andrea Bargnani. Har Har. Everyone's favourite whipping boy. Yes everyone hates him because he should have more rebounds, and be a better player cause he's been drafted #1. But everyone really should back off on this guy. Look at the draft history of the Raptors and you might appreciate him more even though he was #1 in a weak draft class. Michael Bradley, Alex Radojevic, Joey Graham, Chris Jefferies, Rafael Arjauo, need I go on? Or is it too painful? What I'm trying to say is that it could be worse... much much worse. We also could have ended up with a guy who's got bummed knees and is out of the league already. Is he great? No. Is he good? I don't know about that either. But I wonder if Raptor fans can ever realize the poor guy is the best player we have. Yes his defense and rebounding blow but we didn't draft him for that, we drafted him knowing he can shoot the ball and score and he does that. He's the only player on the team that averaged 20 points a game last season and the only player on any given night that can give you that even though he could give you 30 one night and 9 the next.
Yup he sucks, but he's the best we got and what's that say about the rest of the team? Overhaul? We need like 5 trades to get our team to a skill level to even consider it a start of a rebuild. What happened to our talent? Oh it was squandered in guys who either sucked once we signed them, or took the first or second bus out of town. The only way this team is going to succeed is by drafting well and stopping the signings of has- beens and wannabes like Hakeem, and Hidiot Turkoglu. I often wonder what would have happened to that team back when they got Hakeem if they didn't blow the money on him and signed a half decent player. That was in my mind the pin to the grenade that blew up the Carter/Antonio Davis era just as the Turk's signing was the pin to the grenade that blew up the Bosh era. Which I guess is debatable but arguable. Only Chris Bosh knows the answer to that.
So what are the Toronto Raptors?
C- Amir Johnson - a hustle guy who wouldn't be starting for probably 25 of the other teams in the league
PF- Andrea Bargnani - sadly the best player on the team
SF- we don't have a real NBA starter
SG- Demar who is almost an NBA player and we have a real NBA starter but he's coming off the bench
PG- Jose Calderon who would be a fantastic backup on a semi contending team
bench:
Barbosa
insert bum's name here
insert bum's name here
insert bum's name here
insert bum's name here
insert bum's name here
insert bum's name here
insert bum's name here
I can't wait to see next years draft. Don't tank you say? Why not? Cleveland did it last year and they got the #1 pick. See anyone in Cleveland complaining about their season last year? You're not gonna say, ok let's lose these games. But it seems like Colangelo has created an enviroment which won't let his team succeed in any real terms but at the same time has enough of a foundation in Dwane Casey to point the club forward. Whatever detours that derail this along the way I am interested in seeing.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
The Draft Shmaft and things of that nature
As I was sitting there watching the draft in a restaurant in Maui, I said to myself, "Wow!! We got him!! We got Walker or Knight!! It's all over, suck it! But...
With the 5th pick in the NBA draft, The Toronto Raptors select: JONAS VALANCIUNAS
Along with the rest of the fan base of the Toronto Raptors, our jaws collectively dropped in unison. No friggin way! As I have said before, Jonas was one of the picks I thought would be a good choice. But not in a situation like this. Not with 2 players we clearly coveted more, that would fill a much bigger need were still available.
But hold the frickin phone here. Walker and Knight get passed up again, and again. Is there something about these players that us, as mere fans don't know about? Is Jonas Valanciunas the next coming of the Raptor saviour?
The term "european and soft" gets tossed around the digital social scene like cheap candy out of a pinata. To be honest, not too many people know much about Valanciunas. To add fuel to the fire, the guy couldn't play in the NBA next season either due to contract issues with his pro team in europe. So the chance for instant gratification is null. I was hesitant to warm up to the move at first but several things got me excited.
-First being the rumour that San Antonio was willing to trade up to get him. With San Antonio being such a prestigious franchise the last two decades, they to some are considered an expert in the evaluation of draft talent. On the flip side of this coin, that doesn't mean that much to me. I mean, it does and it doesn't. Just cause the Spurs wanted him doesn't automatically make him a must have player.
-Cleveland who was picking fourth chose to pass on him due to his contract issues. So basically he would have went fourth had he have been free to go where he pleased. On one side reaffirming his status as a clearer choice by another NBA team in terms of talent level over the likes of Knight and Walker. So you have the Cavs, Raptors, and the Spurs giving evidence that they would have taken him here before those two guards. On the other side of the coin, it's again just a rumour. How do we know this for sure? And this isn't something we can take to the bank.
-Like i mentioned before, the Wizards and the Bobcats pass on Knight and Walker. With that being said, I don't exactly trust what a team run by Michael Jordon thinks, or a team that used to be run by him. But again, it reaffirms the idea that Jonas is rated higher then the two guards by NBA teams at the time of draft.
-Jonas plays in the U19 tourney and not only does Lithuania win the whole damn thing but Jonas dominates, gets tournament MVP honours and puts up impressive numbers like 23ppg, and 14rbpg. Ok, so in action the guy does NOT seem like a stiff at all. He's agile, gets into dirty areas, defends well and isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. Awesome. The guy is only 18 years old. So perhaps it is a good thing he spends another season in Europe. There's going to be an NBA lockout anyway. So maybe this pick by Colangelo is pure genius afterall.
Gun to my head, I think the Raptors might have gotten the steal of the draft. In 2 years time we could be talking about a star on the team. Someone who will play well, give the Raps what they need on both ends, and make is fellow european, Bargnani, look a little better.
With the 5th pick in the NBA draft, The Toronto Raptors select: JONAS VALANCIUNAS
Along with the rest of the fan base of the Toronto Raptors, our jaws collectively dropped in unison. No friggin way! As I have said before, Jonas was one of the picks I thought would be a good choice. But not in a situation like this. Not with 2 players we clearly coveted more, that would fill a much bigger need were still available.
But hold the frickin phone here. Walker and Knight get passed up again, and again. Is there something about these players that us, as mere fans don't know about? Is Jonas Valanciunas the next coming of the Raptor saviour?The term "european and soft" gets tossed around the digital social scene like cheap candy out of a pinata. To be honest, not too many people know much about Valanciunas. To add fuel to the fire, the guy couldn't play in the NBA next season either due to contract issues with his pro team in europe. So the chance for instant gratification is null. I was hesitant to warm up to the move at first but several things got me excited.
-First being the rumour that San Antonio was willing to trade up to get him. With San Antonio being such a prestigious franchise the last two decades, they to some are considered an expert in the evaluation of draft talent. On the flip side of this coin, that doesn't mean that much to me. I mean, it does and it doesn't. Just cause the Spurs wanted him doesn't automatically make him a must have player.
-Cleveland who was picking fourth chose to pass on him due to his contract issues. So basically he would have went fourth had he have been free to go where he pleased. On one side reaffirming his status as a clearer choice by another NBA team in terms of talent level over the likes of Knight and Walker. So you have the Cavs, Raptors, and the Spurs giving evidence that they would have taken him here before those two guards. On the other side of the coin, it's again just a rumour. How do we know this for sure? And this isn't something we can take to the bank.
-Like i mentioned before, the Wizards and the Bobcats pass on Knight and Walker. With that being said, I don't exactly trust what a team run by Michael Jordon thinks, or a team that used to be run by him. But again, it reaffirms the idea that Jonas is rated higher then the two guards by NBA teams at the time of draft.
-Jonas plays in the U19 tourney and not only does Lithuania win the whole damn thing but Jonas dominates, gets tournament MVP honours and puts up impressive numbers like 23ppg, and 14rbpg. Ok, so in action the guy does NOT seem like a stiff at all. He's agile, gets into dirty areas, defends well and isn't afraid to get his hands dirty. Awesome. The guy is only 18 years old. So perhaps it is a good thing he spends another season in Europe. There's going to be an NBA lockout anyway. So maybe this pick by Colangelo is pure genius afterall.
Gun to my head, I think the Raptors might have gotten the steal of the draft. In 2 years time we could be talking about a star on the team. Someone who will play well, give the Raps what they need on both ends, and make is fellow european, Bargnani, look a little better.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Random Thoughts Pre-Draft
It's been a while since I checked in to this blog. Reason being, I figured hey, Raptors as a team have checked out, so I might as well too. This season went exactly the way most fans thought it would go, unfortunately. But hey, you can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs and a team in rebuilding has to go through at least one abysmal year.
The re-signing of Bryan Colangelo is a step in the right direction. Granted he made some serious errors, nobody likes a Monday morning quarterback. That being said:
I told you so:
Hedo Turkoglu - Knew he would be a bad fit from day one. Too easy going, no motivation, not exactly a defensive gem. Blew goats. Probably Colangelo's worst mistake.
Jermaine O'Neal - Almost as bad as the Hakeem Olajuwon deal. It's like Hakeem the wet dream... the sequel. Buying a car knowing the engine on it has been blown out is stupid idea. Spending tens of millions of it is moronic. Dunce cap worthy. Saw this disaster a mile away.
Jason Kapono - A real shock to everyone. At the time the team was already loaded with 3 point shooters. Why add another one who can't play a lick of defense and really had a hard time getting a shot off? I can't say i saw this as a disaster but knew this wasn't a fit in any way, shape or form.
Turned out poorly:
Andrea Bargnani - While not a titanic disaster, from an admitted fan of his. It's time to put up or shut up. Then again, maybe it has been put up or shut up time for 3 seasons now. In fairness the poor bastard has at least scored. But being half a man out there is like leaving your team on the penalty kill 100% of the time you're on the floor to use a hockey analogy. If they don't ship his ass out at draft time, Dwane Casey had better get the whip out. But to start, I hope Andrea realizes that Andrea is the only person that can fix Andrea. No point lying to yourself, your rebounding and defense suck. At some points on D, I wondered if he could fight his way out of a paper bag.
Jose Calderon - He's gotten older, slower, more injured, and worse on D. Time to call it a day Jose. In today's NBA we need a faster, more aggressive shooter.
Eggs in the basket:
Demar Derozan - He's just one more go-to-move on offense to become a solid NBA contributor. He needs to batten down the hatches on defense. He's got the speed and lateral quickness. Now he just needs to direction and know-how.
Ed Davis - Has obvious low post talents and defensive grit. Hopefully a good summer of workouts and healthy knees will see him make a big stride in improvement. He's got a ton of upside and I for one am very excited to see what he can bring to the table. He has way more upside than Amir. Amir is almost at his ceiling and Ed is similar. I see Ed eclipsing what Ed can do.
New Coach:
So the Raptors got themselves a legitimate coach? We'll see. I was expecting a drastic improvement in X's and O's when Triano took the reigns. But all we got from him was the same old tired offense trotted out there every night and almost a complete disregard for defense on the other end.
Things I like about him:
*He comes from a winning environment. Postive and forward thinking. That, i think is the most important thing. Never underestimate a change in culture to a group.
*He's known for he defense. Good, cause our team is know for it's lack of defense. Do the two things cancel each other out be make a so-so team? Cause so-so is still a huge improvement and I'd take that. Or even better, would it make a better than so-so team?
*He's not Jay Triano. God love that guy, I loved him too. He wasn't a bad coach. Just wasn't particularly good. We needed a bit more grit from him. A bit more sandpaper. A bit more accountability.
The Draft:
Who I want:
Kemba Walker - Good speed. Seems to fit into the mold of scoring PG's the league seems to covet.
Brandon Knight - A high quality elite starting capable point. An upgrade for the Raps any way you look at it with the size to match so he won't get pushed around on the other end.
Enes Kanter - Supposedly a beast on both ends.
Jonas Valanciunas - Seems be be solid defensively and on the boards. Has good size and seems a hell of a lot more athletic for a big man than Bargs.
To a lesser extent:
Jimmer Fredette - Shoots the lights out
Iman Shupert - An athletic gem. We already have Derozan though
Donatas Motiejunas - A decent consolation prize. Although he seems like a Bargnani clone. I think he has more agility and mobility. Adding a decent 7 footer isn't a horrible thing.
That's about it. I hope we end up with a PG or a bigman. We have enought SG/SF's and enough lanky 6'9''-6'10'' PF's who aren't good enough. As well as Amir did, he wouldn't be a starting PF on many of the other teams let's face it.
The re-signing of Bryan Colangelo is a step in the right direction. Granted he made some serious errors, nobody likes a Monday morning quarterback. That being said:
I told you so:
Hedo Turkoglu - Knew he would be a bad fit from day one. Too easy going, no motivation, not exactly a defensive gem. Blew goats. Probably Colangelo's worst mistake.
Jermaine O'Neal - Almost as bad as the Hakeem Olajuwon deal. It's like Hakeem the wet dream... the sequel. Buying a car knowing the engine on it has been blown out is stupid idea. Spending tens of millions of it is moronic. Dunce cap worthy. Saw this disaster a mile away.
Jason Kapono - A real shock to everyone. At the time the team was already loaded with 3 point shooters. Why add another one who can't play a lick of defense and really had a hard time getting a shot off? I can't say i saw this as a disaster but knew this wasn't a fit in any way, shape or form.
Turned out poorly:
Andrea Bargnani - While not a titanic disaster, from an admitted fan of his. It's time to put up or shut up. Then again, maybe it has been put up or shut up time for 3 seasons now. In fairness the poor bastard has at least scored. But being half a man out there is like leaving your team on the penalty kill 100% of the time you're on the floor to use a hockey analogy. If they don't ship his ass out at draft time, Dwane Casey had better get the whip out. But to start, I hope Andrea realizes that Andrea is the only person that can fix Andrea. No point lying to yourself, your rebounding and defense suck. At some points on D, I wondered if he could fight his way out of a paper bag.
Jose Calderon - He's gotten older, slower, more injured, and worse on D. Time to call it a day Jose. In today's NBA we need a faster, more aggressive shooter.
Eggs in the basket:
Demar Derozan - He's just one more go-to-move on offense to become a solid NBA contributor. He needs to batten down the hatches on defense. He's got the speed and lateral quickness. Now he just needs to direction and know-how.
Ed Davis - Has obvious low post talents and defensive grit. Hopefully a good summer of workouts and healthy knees will see him make a big stride in improvement. He's got a ton of upside and I for one am very excited to see what he can bring to the table. He has way more upside than Amir. Amir is almost at his ceiling and Ed is similar. I see Ed eclipsing what Ed can do.
New Coach:
So the Raptors got themselves a legitimate coach? We'll see. I was expecting a drastic improvement in X's and O's when Triano took the reigns. But all we got from him was the same old tired offense trotted out there every night and almost a complete disregard for defense on the other end.
Things I like about him:
*He comes from a winning environment. Postive and forward thinking. That, i think is the most important thing. Never underestimate a change in culture to a group.
*He's known for he defense. Good, cause our team is know for it's lack of defense. Do the two things cancel each other out be make a so-so team? Cause so-so is still a huge improvement and I'd take that. Or even better, would it make a better than so-so team?
*He's not Jay Triano. God love that guy, I loved him too. He wasn't a bad coach. Just wasn't particularly good. We needed a bit more grit from him. A bit more sandpaper. A bit more accountability.
The Draft:
Who I want:
Kemba Walker - Good speed. Seems to fit into the mold of scoring PG's the league seems to covet.
Brandon Knight - A high quality elite starting capable point. An upgrade for the Raps any way you look at it with the size to match so he won't get pushed around on the other end.
Enes Kanter - Supposedly a beast on both ends.
Jonas Valanciunas - Seems be be solid defensively and on the boards. Has good size and seems a hell of a lot more athletic for a big man than Bargs.
To a lesser extent:
Jimmer Fredette - Shoots the lights out
Iman Shupert - An athletic gem. We already have Derozan though
Donatas Motiejunas - A decent consolation prize. Although he seems like a Bargnani clone. I think he has more agility and mobility. Adding a decent 7 footer isn't a horrible thing.
That's about it. I hope we end up with a PG or a bigman. We have enought SG/SF's and enough lanky 6'9''-6'10'' PF's who aren't good enough. As well as Amir did, he wouldn't be a starting PF on many of the other teams let's face it.
Friday, March 4, 2011
A valiant effort by the Raptors in England
The Raptors gave a good effort overseas today against the Nets but they did the right thing and I am really enjoying this season despite the record. I know they're not winning much but the way they're losing, and the upside and the direction this club is going is positive.
As I haven't blogged in a while I want to preface this blog by saying that I have taken a step back and tried to watch this season in backseat in terms of my mental involvement and emotional dedication. Whereas in previous seasons I would get really involved and get really high on wins and low on losses.
As I said at the beginning of the season, I predict this team to be lucky if they get 20 wins. So far my prediction has been solid. However, what I have been pleasantly surprised with is the potential that some players have shown. The growth in their skills, games, and numbers has all be positive. This team is a player or two away from taking a step forward. By that I mean that they are a piece or two away from becoming a playoff team. So lose now, lose well, lose encouragingly. Fans don't mind... in fact it's what some Leaf fans in this city kind of wishes the Leafs did the past few seasons barring the idiotic shedding of their first rounders.
Bargnani is progressing well. He's got a few go-to moves and seems more comfortable on both ends of the floor. That being said, he still sucks defensively obviously but I think if he puts up the scoring he usually does, I can live with that and can accept the fact that they needs someone in the frontcourt to make up for his defensive and rebounding inefficiencies.
Demar Derozan is also growing. In fact by leaps and bounds during the course of this season. All those hours he puts in at the gym seem to be showing up in the form of numbers. His shot has improved but it could still use more consistency. He has a very good tendency to drive which is what this team needs. I wish he would add more post moves to his game to compliment his other attributes on the offensive end.
Ed Davis has shown that he has the obvious natural instincts and attributes required to being a successful power forward in this league. Defensively, he's light years more athletic and mature than Bargnani. Offensively, he has a decent shot, and nice post moves. I'm just salivating at the idea of him adding some strength and starting to impose his will more on stronger players. He just seems to have the natural savvy and feel.
James Johnson and Bayless are works in progress. They were nice pickups but so far despite showing flashes of obvious talent, have not impressed me to the point where I would say they were sure-fire shots at being part of the backbone of this team going forward. I like James better as a player. He seems a bit more like a dog that's been kept on a chain too long whereas Bayless seems to be limited to his effectiveness depending on how and when he enters the game. In fairness though, point guard is the more difficult position to play in the NBA.
This new era of Big Threes will not be good news for the Raptors in their situation being seen as a less than desireable location in the minds of top American talent. But they're doing it the right way. In Bryan Colangelo I trust. Sign that guy now. I don't want another Rob Babcock situation here.
As I haven't blogged in a while I want to preface this blog by saying that I have taken a step back and tried to watch this season in backseat in terms of my mental involvement and emotional dedication. Whereas in previous seasons I would get really involved and get really high on wins and low on losses.
As I said at the beginning of the season, I predict this team to be lucky if they get 20 wins. So far my prediction has been solid. However, what I have been pleasantly surprised with is the potential that some players have shown. The growth in their skills, games, and numbers has all be positive. This team is a player or two away from taking a step forward. By that I mean that they are a piece or two away from becoming a playoff team. So lose now, lose well, lose encouragingly. Fans don't mind... in fact it's what some Leaf fans in this city kind of wishes the Leafs did the past few seasons barring the idiotic shedding of their first rounders.
Bargnani is progressing well. He's got a few go-to moves and seems more comfortable on both ends of the floor. That being said, he still sucks defensively obviously but I think if he puts up the scoring he usually does, I can live with that and can accept the fact that they needs someone in the frontcourt to make up for his defensive and rebounding inefficiencies.
Demar Derozan is also growing. In fact by leaps and bounds during the course of this season. All those hours he puts in at the gym seem to be showing up in the form of numbers. His shot has improved but it could still use more consistency. He has a very good tendency to drive which is what this team needs. I wish he would add more post moves to his game to compliment his other attributes on the offensive end.
Ed Davis has shown that he has the obvious natural instincts and attributes required to being a successful power forward in this league. Defensively, he's light years more athletic and mature than Bargnani. Offensively, he has a decent shot, and nice post moves. I'm just salivating at the idea of him adding some strength and starting to impose his will more on stronger players. He just seems to have the natural savvy and feel.
James Johnson and Bayless are works in progress. They were nice pickups but so far despite showing flashes of obvious talent, have not impressed me to the point where I would say they were sure-fire shots at being part of the backbone of this team going forward. I like James better as a player. He seems a bit more like a dog that's been kept on a chain too long whereas Bayless seems to be limited to his effectiveness depending on how and when he enters the game. In fairness though, point guard is the more difficult position to play in the NBA.
This new era of Big Threes will not be good news for the Raptors in their situation being seen as a less than desireable location in the minds of top American talent. But they're doing it the right way. In Bryan Colangelo I trust. Sign that guy now. I don't want another Rob Babcock situation here.
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