Wow, San Antonio's D looks awesome. The Spurs are turning it on, and it is now a 3 team race between them, the Suns, and the Mavs. Its is going to be a good playoffs out West. Watching a team like the Spurs, one thing becomes very evident, they have ways to counter everything that is thrown their way defensively, and they execute their offense with a scary efficiency.
Toronto has been playing a little up and down the last 4 games. Their game against the Cavs was a little inconsistent (they could've easily won that game, but just didn't do enough board work), they dominated the Pacers and the Bobcats, and got crushed by the Spurs. I would say that the Raptors are in the Top 10 of the NBA right now, but they are not even close to the elite teams (aka the Texas 2some, and the Suns). The West is so much better then the East. The Raptors are missing a big piece, in the form of an athletic swingman that knows how to play the team game and plays D, ala Josh Howard. Maybe there is another Manu out there we don't know about, and Bryan Colangelo will surprise us all this summer.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
The Craziest Raptors' Related Idea Ever
I have to preface this by saying that this idea is totally insane!
But I think the Raptors are gearing up for a huge run at someone in the free agent market in the summer of 2009. Do you realize that is the summer that LeBron James becomes a free agent!!!!!! I predict that Toronto and Orlando are going to be the main players because of their upsides and cap situation. Right now the Cavs are in a championship run. They have a team that is built to win or at least get to a Finals in the next 3 years, and then they shed all the Marshalls and Snows on their teams, and they will only have 3 players under contract, Larry Hughes, Big Z, and LeBron (but LeBron has an opt out for that year). LeBron will have to make a decision on if he can win a championship in Cleveland with those guys, or go to the only two teams that will have the cap room to sign him, Toronto and Orlando. LeBron will have to choose which young big man he wants to play with, D Howard or Chris Bosh. Both Toronto and Orlando will have about $20 million in cap space to offer LeBron. Where will the "Global Icon" choose to play?
I think he will choose Toronto based on the team that he could play for. Bosh, Bragnani, and Ford as starters with Calderon and Garbo on the bench. LeBron could play the 3 for that team, and with a decent 2 guard (young, rookie/soph, athlete who can play shut down D) the Raptors would have a lineup that could be dominant.
Or LeBron could chose to pin his hopes on being a part of the Orlando Magic with D Howard, Jameer Nelson, Turkoglu, and Ariza combo of disaster.
I think Toronto would be the more complete team. If LeBron is serious about winning championships, then I think he would pin his hopes on Toronto. This is just a crazy theory, but I think it is one that is possible. After watching the Heat - Cavs game today, LeBron despises that team he is on, I think the are too untalented for him. LeBron is the kind of guy that needs a strong number 2 because he is kind of a pussy like Vince Carter, but not as bad. He isn't in D Wade's class, he just doesn't have the same kind of will. But if he plays in a strong team atmoshpere that forces him to perform, then I think he could win some championships. If Colangelo can pull that deal off, he would be remembered as one the greatest GMs in NBA history. Landing LeBron to play with Bosh, Bragnani, Ford, and a to be determined SG would make the Raptors a team capable of multiple championships. I think this is crazy.....could you even imagine if it happened?
But I think the Raptors are gearing up for a huge run at someone in the free agent market in the summer of 2009. Do you realize that is the summer that LeBron James becomes a free agent!!!!!! I predict that Toronto and Orlando are going to be the main players because of their upsides and cap situation. Right now the Cavs are in a championship run. They have a team that is built to win or at least get to a Finals in the next 3 years, and then they shed all the Marshalls and Snows on their teams, and they will only have 3 players under contract, Larry Hughes, Big Z, and LeBron (but LeBron has an opt out for that year). LeBron will have to make a decision on if he can win a championship in Cleveland with those guys, or go to the only two teams that will have the cap room to sign him, Toronto and Orlando. LeBron will have to choose which young big man he wants to play with, D Howard or Chris Bosh. Both Toronto and Orlando will have about $20 million in cap space to offer LeBron. Where will the "Global Icon" choose to play?
I think he will choose Toronto based on the team that he could play for. Bosh, Bragnani, and Ford as starters with Calderon and Garbo on the bench. LeBron could play the 3 for that team, and with a decent 2 guard (young, rookie/soph, athlete who can play shut down D) the Raptors would have a lineup that could be dominant.
Or LeBron could chose to pin his hopes on being a part of the Orlando Magic with D Howard, Jameer Nelson, Turkoglu, and Ariza combo of disaster.
I think Toronto would be the more complete team. If LeBron is serious about winning championships, then I think he would pin his hopes on Toronto. This is just a crazy theory, but I think it is one that is possible. After watching the Heat - Cavs game today, LeBron despises that team he is on, I think the are too untalented for him. LeBron is the kind of guy that needs a strong number 2 because he is kind of a pussy like Vince Carter, but not as bad. He isn't in D Wade's class, he just doesn't have the same kind of will. But if he plays in a strong team atmoshpere that forces him to perform, then I think he could win some championships. If Colangelo can pull that deal off, he would be remembered as one the greatest GMs in NBA history. Landing LeBron to play with Bosh, Bragnani, Ford, and a to be determined SG would make the Raptors a team capable of multiple championships. I think this is crazy.....could you even imagine if it happened?
Richie's Mid Season Grades
Since we have now reached the NBA All-Star break I find it a fitting time for a first half recap and a look into the Raptors future.
In general the Raptors have been a MAJOR success. What they have done since the beginning of 2007 is truly incredible. The betting odds for them winning the Eastern Conference get lower every day. They went from 20-1, to 18-1, to 17-1 just this week. Do I think they will accomplish it? No, probably not, but the fact that anyone is discussing it is truly amazing.
Here is my player by player breakdown of the Raptors:
Bosh - He has improved every year and is showing himself to be a truly exceptional player. Missing those 12 games in fact helped the team and him to improve their offensive flow. He has never looked better. I hope Mitchell plays him less than 40 minutes a game from here on out to keep the wear and tear to a minimum. A+
TJ Ford - His shot is improving and so is his decision making. He carried the team when Bosh was hurt and has proven to be worth Charlie V. He is young and if his shot continues to improve he may even become a top 7 point guard in the league. A
Jose Calderon - Who would have thought this guy was gonna be this good? Best thing Babcock ever did was sign him. The stats that he and Ford put up together are jaw dropping. The Forderon Monster is averagin approximately 25 points and 15 assists over the last few weeks. Lets hope they keep the good relationship going and do not develop any sort of rivalry. A
Anthony Parker - Started slow but is now a solid 'glue guy' that does everything well. Great addition to the team. A-
Andrea Bargnani - His offensive skills are unreal. Silky three point stroke and his inside moves are noticably improving already. Better than expected shot blocker and defender so far - I wish he got some more rebounds though. His ceiling is fuckin high. Compare him to other big rooks like Tyrus Thomas or Lamarcus Aldridge. Damn glad the Raps didn't pick them. Lets hope he doesnt hit a rookie wall. A
Jorge Garbajosa - His shot is streaky but he does the little things to help teams win and he has the best post game quotes. B
Rasho Nesterovic - Solid guy. The best center they have had in a while. He is there when you need him and hopefully that wont be too often in the future. C+
MoPete - Started like shit but has been good lately. Will he be with the team in a few weeks? Im guessing the answer is yes. Everyone likes him and Im bettin the Clips are regretting not trading Maggette for him when they had the chance. B-
Joey Graham - Continues to be elusive and flash the potential from time to time. He is a good chip to have and at least has shown some signs of progress. He doesn't kill the team when he comes into games a la Fred Jones. C-
Fred Jones - The only bust thus far. His fall from grace reminds me of the year the Raps signed Hubert Davis who then forgot how to hit 3's. F
Kris Humphries - Has played ok in limited minutes. Needs to improve shot selection. Thank god he is not Arraujo. C
Darrick Martin - He is ok as a 12th man I suppose. Wouldnt want him to play much though. C-
Pape Sow, PJ Tucker, Uros Slokar - Who knows, not enough minutes to tell. Incomplete
In general the Raptors have been a MAJOR success. What they have done since the beginning of 2007 is truly incredible. The betting odds for them winning the Eastern Conference get lower every day. They went from 20-1, to 18-1, to 17-1 just this week. Do I think they will accomplish it? No, probably not, but the fact that anyone is discussing it is truly amazing.
Here is my player by player breakdown of the Raptors:
Bosh - He has improved every year and is showing himself to be a truly exceptional player. Missing those 12 games in fact helped the team and him to improve their offensive flow. He has never looked better. I hope Mitchell plays him less than 40 minutes a game from here on out to keep the wear and tear to a minimum. A+
TJ Ford - His shot is improving and so is his decision making. He carried the team when Bosh was hurt and has proven to be worth Charlie V. He is young and if his shot continues to improve he may even become a top 7 point guard in the league. A
Jose Calderon - Who would have thought this guy was gonna be this good? Best thing Babcock ever did was sign him. The stats that he and Ford put up together are jaw dropping. The Forderon Monster is averagin approximately 25 points and 15 assists over the last few weeks. Lets hope they keep the good relationship going and do not develop any sort of rivalry. A
Anthony Parker - Started slow but is now a solid 'glue guy' that does everything well. Great addition to the team. A-
Andrea Bargnani - His offensive skills are unreal. Silky three point stroke and his inside moves are noticably improving already. Better than expected shot blocker and defender so far - I wish he got some more rebounds though. His ceiling is fuckin high. Compare him to other big rooks like Tyrus Thomas or Lamarcus Aldridge. Damn glad the Raps didn't pick them. Lets hope he doesnt hit a rookie wall. A
Jorge Garbajosa - His shot is streaky but he does the little things to help teams win and he has the best post game quotes. B
Rasho Nesterovic - Solid guy. The best center they have had in a while. He is there when you need him and hopefully that wont be too often in the future. C+
MoPete - Started like shit but has been good lately. Will he be with the team in a few weeks? Im guessing the answer is yes. Everyone likes him and Im bettin the Clips are regretting not trading Maggette for him when they had the chance. B-
Joey Graham - Continues to be elusive and flash the potential from time to time. He is a good chip to have and at least has shown some signs of progress. He doesn't kill the team when he comes into games a la Fred Jones. C-
Fred Jones - The only bust thus far. His fall from grace reminds me of the year the Raps signed Hubert Davis who then forgot how to hit 3's. F
Kris Humphries - Has played ok in limited minutes. Needs to improve shot selection. Thank god he is not Arraujo. C
Darrick Martin - He is ok as a 12th man I suppose. Wouldnt want him to play much though. C-
Pape Sow, PJ Tucker, Uros Slokar - Who knows, not enough minutes to tell. Incomplete
When I Really Started to Believe
I got was able to watch the Raptors - Hornets game live. I have to say it was one of the greatest Chris Bosh performances. He had a terrible night until late in the 4th quarter, where he took over. He is awesome, he will lead the Raptors to a championship. He is better than KG. I think Bosh is going to make a name for himself soon.
If they could be combined, they would be an amazing PG.
Scouting Notes from the game:
- Jose Calderon had a great 4th quarter. He isn't a starter though. There is going to be a lot written about how Jose should be the starter, but TJ is the better guy to lead them because of TJ's speed. Jose can't seem to beat athletic shotblockers, which means that Jose should be coming off the bench in the long term. He lacks the vertical to beat good shotblockers whereas TJ can beat them (he just needs to get better at finishing.). Jose didn't start to have success until Tyson Chandler fouled out.
- When the Raptors were making their run, TJ was a good teammate to Jose. It appears that they do get along, which is good for the morale of the team. This is one of the main reasons why I think the Raptors will not fire Sam Mitchell if they get into the playoffs or they are extremely close. Sam Mitchell is getting to be a better coach, I think we should give him a chance. Somehow the Raptors have become a great defensive team. It is astounding. It always gives you hope.
- For some reason, I think Chris Bosh somehow owns stock options for MLSE. He seems very very corporate. Its interesting.
- Brain Colangelo looks like he is running the mafia. It is fucking hilarious. The way he dress and watches games, its like he is Micheal Corleone. I have no idea what the Raptors are paying him, but it is worth it. He is going to be executive of the year at some point in his tenue. He is awesome.
- He has done a great job adapting to Eastern Conference basketball, where playing defense is key, unlike the finesse of the west.
- Garbo has hit the rookie wall big time. He needs the All Star break to come.
- Bragnani really opens the floor up for Chris Bosh near the basket. I can't believe how good Bragnani is at shooting 3's. He is going to become a much more consistent shooter. When that happens, the Raptors offense will take off. Its all so close.....
I know many of you think that I am just optimistic, but the Raptors are actually a very good team. They are going to get some recognition soon.
Chueeey/Richie, try to YouTube a clip, they are so good.
- Garbo has hit the rookie wall big time. He needs the All Star break to come.
- Bragnani really opens the floor up for Chris Bosh near the basket. I can't believe how good Bragnani is at shooting 3's. He is going to become a much more consistent shooter. When that happens, the Raptors offense will take off. Its all so close.....
I know many of you think that I am just optimistic, but the Raptors are actually a very good team. They are going to get some recognition soon.
Chueeey/Richie, try to YouTube a clip, they are so good.
Some understandable reservations......
hey boys, i think oscar is still wearing his rose coloured glasses. either that or he has deveoped a dependency to ecstacy, possibly leading to the inevitable delusional statement that the raptors are "all love" sometime in the next few weeks.ford, could you please write us a more even-handed review of the raptors, and their playoff/future hopes? be as realistic as possible. statements like "bosh is better than garnett" or that "bragnani is better than dirk" are rather useless to me. in my mind, the nba has elite teams, very good teams, good teams, average teams, below average teams, and crappy teams. oscar claims the raptors are "very good". I disagree. Id say based on their roster that they are slightly better than average, also considering they have not beaten one of the best this year. their most impressive wins have come against who? cleveland or washington? not exactly awe inspiring is it? i would say that the chicago bulls who went 72-10 with jordan and pippen were elite. the general criteria for an elite team requires winning at least 60 games in a season. probably phoenix and dallas will reach that status depending on what happens for the rest of the season. i would say that they are currently "very good" and so is San Antonio. I do not believe Toronto resides in their class. then there arent really any other 'very good' teams, other than maybe houston or miami if they stay healthy for a long stretch. the good teams include: detroit, houston, utah, denver, los angeles x 2, miami, cleveland, chicago, washington. the average teams: orlando, indiana, toronto, new jersey, minnesota, golden state (maybe new york or new orleans). average: new york, new orleans, portland, seattle, sacramento (a bunch of injured teams are currently roughly at this level like milwaukee, boston and atlanta). crappy teams: charlotte, philadelphia, memphis - its all about oden and durant for these guys. fluking a win against new orleans sans chris paul and david schwimmer does not convince me of anything. thus i think it is extremely premature to call the raptors "very good". i also think it is premature to call them good. i believe they are average. in february the raptors will face a much tougher schedule than they have thus far in 2007. if the raps are above .500 at the end of february, i will upgrade their status to "good". (which still may be a bit generous)i like bosh and id love to see the raps win a championship with him, but there is no way in hell that will happen with the current pieces surrounding him. ultimately i do not see tj ford winning a championship unless he learns how to knock down open three pointers. i like a lot of the raptors complimentary players. i think parker, garbajosa, graham and calderon are solid performers. but they are still in need of a serious infusion of talent at SG/SF and more toughness on the boards before they can win in the playoffs.
A Surprising Response....
First of all, I watched that game last night and I can understand why Oscar is so excited. It was a frustrating first 40 minutes where guys like Devin Brown, Rasual Butler and a hobbled David West were able to maintain a decent lead when every Toronto fan was aware that this was a must win game. But by no fluke, they gutted it out down the stretch and showed alot of emotion and heart. Bosh was practically having a seizure after he hit that 3 in the final minute and Calderon was equally as excited when he seemingly penetrated at will for the go-ahead layup. This team likes each other and they want to win badly. That's more than I've seen from most teams I've watched this year.
Let's put the Raptors in perspective of where they presently stand in the East and how they match up with other teams in the conference. Stein has them ranked 17, Hollinger has them at 9 (in the league!), but here's the Ford power rankings for the East:
1. Detroit - Hamilton, Wallace, Billups, Prince and Webber is the best starting 5 in the East and while they may lack some depth, some of their young bench players seem to be stepping up their roles in the rotation. Just as in their previously good years, they're relying on the health of their starting 5 to keep them as the top seed. Once the playoffs start, they're as dangerous as anyone. Even with Billups missing 8 games they still have the best record.
2. Washington - Tough at home and fairly weak on the road, they have a trio
that can get it done with Arenas playing like an MVP candidate, Jamison's consistency and a great stretch by Caron Butler. After that though, they're sketchy. Deshawn Stevenson and Antonio Daniels are role players, Jarvis Hayes has struggled with his shot you never know what you're gonna get from that mess at the 5 of Haywood and Thomas. The fact that they are currently the second best team in the East is reason for Raptors fans to be optimistic. Hibachi!
3. LeBron James and those other guys - This team is a joke. I never imagined that James would come into the league and I would hate watching his team play. He scores at a good pace, still lets off a few highlight plays every week if not every game, but the rest of those dudes who I won't even bother to mention just stand around and give a half hearted effort. They've lost to Charlotte, Atlanta, New Orleans and scored 63 against Houston sans Yao. They may win 48 or so games and have a high seed, but they stink when it counts.
4. Raptors - I think they are the third best team in the East. Better than those scrubs I mentioned above, but I'll wait until they go above .500 before I anoint them the champions. After the 2-8 start they have a .585 winning percentage and they're 8-3 in their last 11. All this without having their whole rotation healthy for the majority of the imrovement. Their last 4 losses have come against Utah, Dallas, New Jersey and Phoenix, of which only the mini-blowout in Jersey was a truly bad game. They could have beaten Phoenix, SHOULD have beaten Dallas, and hung in and made it close when Utah was executing brilliantly. I agree that they need to beat an elite team to raise their stock, but they can undoubtedly play with the best in the league. Garbo is slumping but still brings it on D, TJ needs to watch his chucking at times and Fred Jones has to get his head out of his ass and take it to the hoop like he did in his 4 minutes of PT last night. If, IF, that happens, they will be deep, versatile and real contenders. I shit you not.
5. Chicago - I'm having a hard time figuring this team out. One minute they play suffocating defense and have Hinrich, Gordon and Nocioni hitting from outside. the second best team in the East is reason for all over with the unstoppable Luol Deng slashing to the basket, and the next they fold and can't hit jumpers and lose. From looking at their game log, they beat the teams they should beat and lose to teams with better records. They haven't lost by more than 10 since November and they give me this feeling like they might go on a run and rip off 10 or 12 games in a row. They're 21-10 since a bad start and I think they would definitely beat the Raps in a playoff series. They're better than their record and a team on the rise... possibly second best in the conference if they play to potential, as they seems to be less flawed than teams ahead of them.
6. Orlando - You guys were giving praise to their core the other day, but they're stinking up the shitter just waiting for that inevitable Grant Hill injury to flush their playoff hopes away. Look at some of the duds that get PT on this squad - Dooling? Bogans? A fading Bat-Man and Darko, who is not improving nearly as much as we'd like him to. Sure, Dwight Howard is awesome. But when Miami gets healthier, this is going to be the team to slide out and let them in the playoff picture.
7. Indiana - Who knows what to make of these guys after acquiring all those over-paid white guys in that recent blockbuster with G-State. They beat the Bulls the other night, and I saw an impressive stretch on court surfing last night where they managed to climb back into the game against Miami with a barrage of 3's, ultimately beating them in OT. Having a healthy Troy Murphy playing the 5 (17 and 12 last night) will allow them to move Jermaine O'Neal to his better position of 4 and probably improve the frontcourt. I like Diogu coming off the bench, and Marquis Daniels is serviceable, but that's all I can really say in their favor. Dunleavy is still a bust, and Tinsley probably has about 5 games in him before he gets hurt again and they're starting 80 year old Darrell Armstrong. They're a collection of injury-prone pussies who will probably hand around the .500 mark.
8. New Jersey - They're about 9-4 in their last 13. Two of those games have feature the dominant Mikki Moore as their leading scorer (see Chu! I told you he was good!). Krstic is gone for the year, Jefferson is out for over a month to have knee surgery and who knows what will come out about Jason Kidd when his divorce goes to trial. Is he a wife beater? A child molester? Who knows. There are crazy rumours about him or VC getting traded... this team is in serious limbo. They also have a present starting front court of Jason Collins, Mikki Moore and Hassan Adams. That's a title contender if I ever heard of one. Fortunately, their present back court can win games by
itself (if Carter feels like trying), and that makes them the closest thing to a challenger for the Raptors in the Atlantic.
9. Miami - The Diesel just came back. Are they gonna go on a run now? My instincts say no. Gary Payton and Antoine Walker should have both retired after the championship last year. They are more washed up that the shores of Banda Aceh. Would someone please test Alonzo Mourning for performance enhancing drugs? I can't believe this guy can be so legitimately good at his age with one kidney. Dorrell Wright is getting DNPCD's and Jason Kapono is a starter. I know people keep saying 'just wait till the playoffs' and they just need to get in to make some noise', but seriously - they've only won back to back games 5 times this year, and they can't count on Dwyane Wade to win it all for them every night, can they?
10. New York - Even though 'Crazy Isaiah' is running the show, you've got to admit they have some talent, and that's really the only reason I'm listing them. They have guys who can score even if those guys look for their own shot too much, a few guys who can defend (Q, Lee and Balkman), a few guys with weight problems (Curry, Malik Rose, Jerome James) and the little-man syndrome that could, Nate Robinson. Probably about 6 or 7 headcases too many to be successful at anything, but they're an intriguing bunch, who with a whole lot of therapy, might come together and make a run.
Boston and Milwaukee have too many injuries to key players to bother with, and the others, Atlanta, Philly, Charlotte are just total shit. They're the lottery front-runners and that's about it.
On a case by case basis, I really don't think Oscar is excessively pumped. I'm probably up there with him when you realize that only about 4 or 5 teams in the East show the potential to be good and most are on a downward swing, leading me to believe they will either sustain their mediocrity or get worse. The Raps have more depth than anyone, and are maybe one more rebounder and 3-point shooter away from being a serious threat to make a run in the playoffs. It's an exciting time to be a Raptors fan, and after all those horrible years we had to endure I see nothing wrong with a little optimism.
If they could be combined, they would be an amazing PG.
Scouting Notes from the game:
- Jose Calderon had a great 4th quarter. He isn't a starter though. There is going to be a lot written about how Jose should be the starter, but TJ is the better guy to lead them because of TJ's speed. Jose can't seem to beat athletic shotblockers, which means that Jose should be coming off the bench in the long term. He lacks the vertical to beat good shotblockers whereas TJ can beat them (he just needs to get better at finishing.). Jose didn't start to have success until Tyson Chandler fouled out.
- When the Raptors were making their run, TJ was a good teammate to Jose. It appears that they do get along, which is good for the morale of the team. This is one of the main reasons why I think the Raptors will not fire Sam Mitchell if they get into the playoffs or they are extremely close. Sam Mitchell is getting to be a better coach, I think we should give him a chance. Somehow the Raptors have become a great defensive team. It is astounding. It always gives you hope.
- For some reason, I think Chris Bosh somehow owns stock options for MLSE. He seems very very corporate. Its interesting.
- Brain Colangelo looks like he is running the mafia. It is fucking hilarious. The way he dress and watches games, its like he is Micheal Corleone. I have no idea what the Raptors are paying him, but it is worth it. He is going to be executive of the year at some point in his tenue. He is awesome.
- He has done a great job adapting to Eastern Conference basketball, where playing defense is key, unlike the finesse of the west.
- Garbo has hit the rookie wall big time. He needs the All Star break to come.
- Bragnani really opens the floor up for Chris Bosh near the basket. I can't believe how good Bragnani is at shooting 3's. He is going to become a much more consistent shooter. When that happens, the Raptors offense will take off. Its all so close.....
I know many of you think that I am just optimistic, but the Raptors are actually a very good team. They are going to get some recognition soon.
Chueeey/Richie, try to YouTube a clip, they are so good.
- Garbo has hit the rookie wall big time. He needs the All Star break to come.
- Bragnani really opens the floor up for Chris Bosh near the basket. I can't believe how good Bragnani is at shooting 3's. He is going to become a much more consistent shooter. When that happens, the Raptors offense will take off. Its all so close.....
I know many of you think that I am just optimistic, but the Raptors are actually a very good team. They are going to get some recognition soon.
Chueeey/Richie, try to YouTube a clip, they are so good.
Some understandable reservations......
hey boys, i think oscar is still wearing his rose coloured glasses. either that or he has deveoped a dependency to ecstacy, possibly leading to the inevitable delusional statement that the raptors are "all love" sometime in the next few weeks.ford, could you please write us a more even-handed review of the raptors, and their playoff/future hopes? be as realistic as possible. statements like "bosh is better than garnett" or that "bragnani is better than dirk" are rather useless to me. in my mind, the nba has elite teams, very good teams, good teams, average teams, below average teams, and crappy teams. oscar claims the raptors are "very good". I disagree. Id say based on their roster that they are slightly better than average, also considering they have not beaten one of the best this year. their most impressive wins have come against who? cleveland or washington? not exactly awe inspiring is it? i would say that the chicago bulls who went 72-10 with jordan and pippen were elite. the general criteria for an elite team requires winning at least 60 games in a season. probably phoenix and dallas will reach that status depending on what happens for the rest of the season. i would say that they are currently "very good" and so is San Antonio. I do not believe Toronto resides in their class. then there arent really any other 'very good' teams, other than maybe houston or miami if they stay healthy for a long stretch. the good teams include: detroit, houston, utah, denver, los angeles x 2, miami, cleveland, chicago, washington. the average teams: orlando, indiana, toronto, new jersey, minnesota, golden state (maybe new york or new orleans). average: new york, new orleans, portland, seattle, sacramento (a bunch of injured teams are currently roughly at this level like milwaukee, boston and atlanta). crappy teams: charlotte, philadelphia, memphis - its all about oden and durant for these guys. fluking a win against new orleans sans chris paul and david schwimmer does not convince me of anything. thus i think it is extremely premature to call the raptors "very good". i also think it is premature to call them good. i believe they are average. in february the raptors will face a much tougher schedule than they have thus far in 2007. if the raps are above .500 at the end of february, i will upgrade their status to "good". (which still may be a bit generous)i like bosh and id love to see the raps win a championship with him, but there is no way in hell that will happen with the current pieces surrounding him. ultimately i do not see tj ford winning a championship unless he learns how to knock down open three pointers. i like a lot of the raptors complimentary players. i think parker, garbajosa, graham and calderon are solid performers. but they are still in need of a serious infusion of talent at SG/SF and more toughness on the boards before they can win in the playoffs.
A Surprising Response....
First of all, I watched that game last night and I can understand why Oscar is so excited. It was a frustrating first 40 minutes where guys like Devin Brown, Rasual Butler and a hobbled David West were able to maintain a decent lead when every Toronto fan was aware that this was a must win game. But by no fluke, they gutted it out down the stretch and showed alot of emotion and heart. Bosh was practically having a seizure after he hit that 3 in the final minute and Calderon was equally as excited when he seemingly penetrated at will for the go-ahead layup. This team likes each other and they want to win badly. That's more than I've seen from most teams I've watched this year.
Let's put the Raptors in perspective of where they presently stand in the East and how they match up with other teams in the conference. Stein has them ranked 17, Hollinger has them at 9 (in the league!), but here's the Ford power rankings for the East:
1. Detroit - Hamilton, Wallace, Billups, Prince and Webber is the best starting 5 in the East and while they may lack some depth, some of their young bench players seem to be stepping up their roles in the rotation. Just as in their previously good years, they're relying on the health of their starting 5 to keep them as the top seed. Once the playoffs start, they're as dangerous as anyone. Even with Billups missing 8 games they still have the best record.
2. Washington - Tough at home and fairly weak on the road, they have a trio
that can get it done with Arenas playing like an MVP candidate, Jamison's consistency and a great stretch by Caron Butler. After that though, they're sketchy. Deshawn Stevenson and Antonio Daniels are role players, Jarvis Hayes has struggled with his shot you never know what you're gonna get from that mess at the 5 of Haywood and Thomas. The fact that they are currently the second best team in the East is reason for Raptors fans to be optimistic. Hibachi!
3. LeBron James and those other guys - This team is a joke. I never imagined that James would come into the league and I would hate watching his team play. He scores at a good pace, still lets off a few highlight plays every week if not every game, but the rest of those dudes who I won't even bother to mention just stand around and give a half hearted effort. They've lost to Charlotte, Atlanta, New Orleans and scored 63 against Houston sans Yao. They may win 48 or so games and have a high seed, but they stink when it counts.
4. Raptors - I think they are the third best team in the East. Better than those scrubs I mentioned above, but I'll wait until they go above .500 before I anoint them the champions. After the 2-8 start they have a .585 winning percentage and they're 8-3 in their last 11. All this without having their whole rotation healthy for the majority of the imrovement. Their last 4 losses have come against Utah, Dallas, New Jersey and Phoenix, of which only the mini-blowout in Jersey was a truly bad game. They could have beaten Phoenix, SHOULD have beaten Dallas, and hung in and made it close when Utah was executing brilliantly. I agree that they need to beat an elite team to raise their stock, but they can undoubtedly play with the best in the league. Garbo is slumping but still brings it on D, TJ needs to watch his chucking at times and Fred Jones has to get his head out of his ass and take it to the hoop like he did in his 4 minutes of PT last night. If, IF, that happens, they will be deep, versatile and real contenders. I shit you not.
5. Chicago - I'm having a hard time figuring this team out. One minute they play suffocating defense and have Hinrich, Gordon and Nocioni hitting from outside. the second best team in the East is reason for all over with the unstoppable Luol Deng slashing to the basket, and the next they fold and can't hit jumpers and lose. From looking at their game log, they beat the teams they should beat and lose to teams with better records. They haven't lost by more than 10 since November and they give me this feeling like they might go on a run and rip off 10 or 12 games in a row. They're 21-10 since a bad start and I think they would definitely beat the Raps in a playoff series. They're better than their record and a team on the rise... possibly second best in the conference if they play to potential, as they seems to be less flawed than teams ahead of them.
6. Orlando - You guys were giving praise to their core the other day, but they're stinking up the shitter just waiting for that inevitable Grant Hill injury to flush their playoff hopes away. Look at some of the duds that get PT on this squad - Dooling? Bogans? A fading Bat-Man and Darko, who is not improving nearly as much as we'd like him to. Sure, Dwight Howard is awesome. But when Miami gets healthier, this is going to be the team to slide out and let them in the playoff picture.
7. Indiana - Who knows what to make of these guys after acquiring all those over-paid white guys in that recent blockbuster with G-State. They beat the Bulls the other night, and I saw an impressive stretch on court surfing last night where they managed to climb back into the game against Miami with a barrage of 3's, ultimately beating them in OT. Having a healthy Troy Murphy playing the 5 (17 and 12 last night) will allow them to move Jermaine O'Neal to his better position of 4 and probably improve the frontcourt. I like Diogu coming off the bench, and Marquis Daniels is serviceable, but that's all I can really say in their favor. Dunleavy is still a bust, and Tinsley probably has about 5 games in him before he gets hurt again and they're starting 80 year old Darrell Armstrong. They're a collection of injury-prone pussies who will probably hand around the .500 mark.
8. New Jersey - They're about 9-4 in their last 13. Two of those games have feature the dominant Mikki Moore as their leading scorer (see Chu! I told you he was good!). Krstic is gone for the year, Jefferson is out for over a month to have knee surgery and who knows what will come out about Jason Kidd when his divorce goes to trial. Is he a wife beater? A child molester? Who knows. There are crazy rumours about him or VC getting traded... this team is in serious limbo. They also have a present starting front court of Jason Collins, Mikki Moore and Hassan Adams. That's a title contender if I ever heard of one. Fortunately, their present back court can win games by
itself (if Carter feels like trying), and that makes them the closest thing to a challenger for the Raptors in the Atlantic.
9. Miami - The Diesel just came back. Are they gonna go on a run now? My instincts say no. Gary Payton and Antoine Walker should have both retired after the championship last year. They are more washed up that the shores of Banda Aceh. Would someone please test Alonzo Mourning for performance enhancing drugs? I can't believe this guy can be so legitimately good at his age with one kidney. Dorrell Wright is getting DNPCD's and Jason Kapono is a starter. I know people keep saying 'just wait till the playoffs' and they just need to get in to make some noise', but seriously - they've only won back to back games 5 times this year, and they can't count on Dwyane Wade to win it all for them every night, can they?
10. New York - Even though 'Crazy Isaiah' is running the show, you've got to admit they have some talent, and that's really the only reason I'm listing them. They have guys who can score even if those guys look for their own shot too much, a few guys who can defend (Q, Lee and Balkman), a few guys with weight problems (Curry, Malik Rose, Jerome James) and the little-man syndrome that could, Nate Robinson. Probably about 6 or 7 headcases too many to be successful at anything, but they're an intriguing bunch, who with a whole lot of therapy, might come together and make a run.
Boston and Milwaukee have too many injuries to key players to bother with, and the others, Atlanta, Philly, Charlotte are just total shit. They're the lottery front-runners and that's about it.
On a case by case basis, I really don't think Oscar is excessively pumped. I'm probably up there with him when you realize that only about 4 or 5 teams in the East show the potential to be good and most are on a downward swing, leading me to believe they will either sustain their mediocrity or get worse. The Raps have more depth than anyone, and are maybe one more rebounder and 3-point shooter away from being a serious threat to make a run in the playoffs. It's an exciting time to be a Raptors fan, and after all those horrible years we had to endure I see nothing wrong with a little optimism.
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