Alright, so I need to go on a little diatribe about the Raptors today because even keeps dismissing them, its like the American media just doesn't want to talk about Toronto, ignorant bastards.
39 wins and counting, they are the 3rd best team in the East, and they have so many legit wins and they have played the 2 best teams in the NBA tough (although San Antonio owns them). I don't know why everyone (media, etc) keeps saying the Raps won't get past the 1st rd, its just American bias. If the Knicks had the Raptors' record right now, ESPN would be running non stop stories about the greatness of Isiah's coaching. At the beginning of the year, people were saying that the Raptors can't win, when they go to .500 everyone said that they did it on the backs of bad teams, when they built their lead on NJ everyone said that they would come back to the pack. None of that has come to pass.
People in basketball recognize, I heard Reggie Miller on TNT last night saying that Sam Mitchell has to be the coach of the year. The media won't cause they love to hate on the Raptors, but when the second season comes, people are going to have to acknowledge that the Raptors are a force in the Eastern Conference. I am tired of everyone telling me why the Raptors can't do well. I think they are going to win at least one playoff series this spring, even if they are playing the sainted Heat (I don't drink the Kool-Aid, and you shouldn't either).
11 games left. I say they go about 8-3 in this stretch with wins against Charlotte (home), Orlando (away), Philly (away), Chicago (home), Minnesota (away), Detroit (home), New York (home), Philly (home).
By the end of this run, people will have to say the Raps are legit....
Friday, March 30, 2007
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Thoughts on the First Post Garbo Game
Went to the Heat game last night, and here are just a couple of observations from me:
1) I am not sure where the "new" old Shaq went, but all I saw was the "old" old Shaq. In fact, since the Heat have failed to score 70 pts in the 4 games prior to their demolishing of the Hawks, I would say that "new" old Shaq was just a 9 game aberration. Look, I am not saying he is a sub par center, I am just saying that Rasho was able to guard him one on one for most of the time, and he was completely unable to force his will on the game. Its more like he is a very run of the mill center now, no more dominant that an Eric Dampier or Big Z. Its a little shocking to see the decline in his game because you can still see flashes of dominant Shaq (in the 3rd quarter he was able to spin on Hump, split the Juan Dixon double team, and throw down a monster dunk, of course re read the 2 defenders he abused, maybe I shouldn't be so impressed). Anyway, if people actually think the Heat can win without D Wade, they are insane.
2) If D Wade doesn't make it back in time for the playoffs, or if he is less than 80% (ie he can't take his wild and fearless drives to the hoop, and a well placed/well timed hack by Rasho may knock him out of a game), I would LOVE the Raptors matching up against the Heat. Watching the Heat is a total disaster, White Chocolate has one of the ugliest 3's I have seen, and he is a STILL a poor decision maker. Zo looks worn down, I think he had to play too many minutes earlier this season. Eddie Jones is a joke (Dixon was one on one with him the whole game, and he did nothing. Big 2's like Jones should just rise up and own Juan). Antoine Walker, wow I don't know what to say about this guy, the decline from his employee #8 days is shocking, at this point, I would say that he is as much of a detriment to the Heat as he is a contributor, way too slow, surprisingly indecisive, a bad fit as the 6th man for this team. Udonis Haslem, I like quite a few things he did on the court, but when he wasn't hustling, he is worthless, Bosh owned him for stretches, very lackadaisical effort last night. I don't know if the media is just in love with the Heat because of their referee assisted run last season, but there is really no way I can see the Heat team advancing past the 1st round without D Wade back. All things being equal, the Heat (without Wade) is definitely not as good as Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Toronto. They are on par with Washington, if both were healthy, it be very interesting to see how they would matchup.
3) What is up with Sam Mitchell's man crush with Juan Dixon?!?! I am not sure if asking Juan to guard 2 guards is going to work out for the Raptors. Now, given the way the other East contenders are built, this experiment could work out. One thing I do know, Mo is done, stick a fork in him because he's got nothing left. He had so many wide open looks from downtown, and he bricked them all. Joey had a decent game on the boards with 4 last night, he should've had 2 more pts (Hump stole a put back from him). 4 and 4 is decent, but I really don't see him getting into the starting lineup with that kind of performance.
4) I love AP, he is definitely stepping up his game with Garbo down. 20 pts, on extremely efficient shooting, helping out everywhere on D. That little curl jumper is money, I would love to see the Raps one that a few more times per game cause AP has a sweet stroke.
5) The Raps didn't miss Garbo last night with everyone stepping up their games (except Mo), but down the line I think they will miss him for a game here and there. If Brags can come back strong in the playoffs, the Raps should be able to have some success in the playoffs.
1) I am not sure where the "new" old Shaq went, but all I saw was the "old" old Shaq. In fact, since the Heat have failed to score 70 pts in the 4 games prior to their demolishing of the Hawks, I would say that "new" old Shaq was just a 9 game aberration. Look, I am not saying he is a sub par center, I am just saying that Rasho was able to guard him one on one for most of the time, and he was completely unable to force his will on the game. Its more like he is a very run of the mill center now, no more dominant that an Eric Dampier or Big Z. Its a little shocking to see the decline in his game because you can still see flashes of dominant Shaq (in the 3rd quarter he was able to spin on Hump, split the Juan Dixon double team, and throw down a monster dunk, of course re read the 2 defenders he abused, maybe I shouldn't be so impressed). Anyway, if people actually think the Heat can win without D Wade, they are insane.
2) If D Wade doesn't make it back in time for the playoffs, or if he is less than 80% (ie he can't take his wild and fearless drives to the hoop, and a well placed/well timed hack by Rasho may knock him out of a game), I would LOVE the Raptors matching up against the Heat. Watching the Heat is a total disaster, White Chocolate has one of the ugliest 3's I have seen, and he is a STILL a poor decision maker. Zo looks worn down, I think he had to play too many minutes earlier this season. Eddie Jones is a joke (Dixon was one on one with him the whole game, and he did nothing. Big 2's like Jones should just rise up and own Juan). Antoine Walker, wow I don't know what to say about this guy, the decline from his employee #8 days is shocking, at this point, I would say that he is as much of a detriment to the Heat as he is a contributor, way too slow, surprisingly indecisive, a bad fit as the 6th man for this team. Udonis Haslem, I like quite a few things he did on the court, but when he wasn't hustling, he is worthless, Bosh owned him for stretches, very lackadaisical effort last night. I don't know if the media is just in love with the Heat because of their referee assisted run last season, but there is really no way I can see the Heat team advancing past the 1st round without D Wade back. All things being equal, the Heat (without Wade) is definitely not as good as Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Toronto. They are on par with Washington, if both were healthy, it be very interesting to see how they would matchup.
3) What is up with Sam Mitchell's man crush with Juan Dixon?!?! I am not sure if asking Juan to guard 2 guards is going to work out for the Raptors. Now, given the way the other East contenders are built, this experiment could work out. One thing I do know, Mo is done, stick a fork in him because he's got nothing left. He had so many wide open looks from downtown, and he bricked them all. Joey had a decent game on the boards with 4 last night, he should've had 2 more pts (Hump stole a put back from him). 4 and 4 is decent, but I really don't see him getting into the starting lineup with that kind of performance.
4) I love AP, he is definitely stepping up his game with Garbo down. 20 pts, on extremely efficient shooting, helping out everywhere on D. That little curl jumper is money, I would love to see the Raps one that a few more times per game cause AP has a sweet stroke.
5) The Raps didn't miss Garbo last night with everyone stepping up their games (except Mo), but down the line I think they will miss him for a game here and there. If Brags can come back strong in the playoffs, the Raps should be able to have some success in the playoffs.
I Just Don't Want to Talk About It....
But you all know that I have to. Garbo's injury was ugly, I am just glad that it wasn't his knee, and hopefully, he will be back healthy in time for next season.
Here were my initial thoughts after almost barfing when I saw the injury:
There are only so many solutions available right now. I think Joey Graham has to be the answer at SF right now. Mo Pete was dragging ass again, and played like shit. He hasn't shown anything except for last Friday. Its time for Joey to shine, he has to get it done now, he has to get his head out of his ass and play the hard nosed defense and get some big boards that Garbo was giving them. Mo Pete needs to get a fucking clue and start nailing some 3's as well. I think the Raptors can get through this injury, but it is really going to take a huge effort by Joey and Mo to survive.
Richie's Thoughts, the day after:
Ouch! Ive read all the updates and for once I must say that I am happy i was not in Toronto watching last nights game.
So now we must analyse some of the likely repercussions:
1 MoPete starts in Garbo's place. This is the most likely and in spite of MoPete's up and down play this year he has still proven to be better than Joey on the vast majority of nights. He has experience, plays decent defence, is one of the teams leaders, and can stretch the D when hitting his 3's.
2. Joey starts in Garbo's place. Also a likely solution to the problem provided that Graham actually starts to show some consistent effort. He never has before though so why now? Is he ready to break out? I doubt it.
3. Start Dixon at SG and move Parker over to SF. I wouldn't do this, but if Mitchell has as much of a man crush on Dixon as it seems he does, it certainly is not out of the realm of possibility.
4. Start Luke Jackson in Garbo's place. Haha. Just kidding.
5. Bargnani makes a superhuman comeback while displaying faster powers of recovery than even Wolverine. He then decides to quit pretending to be a centre and become an exclusively 3 point chucking 7 footer a la Sam Perkins.
6. Go big and let the Hump play the three. This may in fact solve the Raptors rebounding woes - while simultaneously creating about 15 brand new problems. It may also necessitate that they begin to play My hump, my hump, my humps, his lovely lady lumps, more often in the ACC.
7. Explore the latest in experimental surgery and actually try to transplant Garbajosa's brain into Joey Graham's body. By creating Josep Garbagraham the raps could have the best of both worlds. This is probably a better option than number 4.
I personally, love idea 7, if only cloning and brain transplantation technology could be ready by the end of April!
Here were my initial thoughts after almost barfing when I saw the injury:
There are only so many solutions available right now. I think Joey Graham has to be the answer at SF right now. Mo Pete was dragging ass again, and played like shit. He hasn't shown anything except for last Friday. Its time for Joey to shine, he has to get it done now, he has to get his head out of his ass and play the hard nosed defense and get some big boards that Garbo was giving them. Mo Pete needs to get a fucking clue and start nailing some 3's as well. I think the Raptors can get through this injury, but it is really going to take a huge effort by Joey and Mo to survive.
Richie's Thoughts, the day after:
Ouch! Ive read all the updates and for once I must say that I am happy i was not in Toronto watching last nights game.
So now we must analyse some of the likely repercussions:
1 MoPete starts in Garbo's place. This is the most likely and in spite of MoPete's up and down play this year he has still proven to be better than Joey on the vast majority of nights. He has experience, plays decent defence, is one of the teams leaders, and can stretch the D when hitting his 3's.
2. Joey starts in Garbo's place. Also a likely solution to the problem provided that Graham actually starts to show some consistent effort. He never has before though so why now? Is he ready to break out? I doubt it.
3. Start Dixon at SG and move Parker over to SF. I wouldn't do this, but if Mitchell has as much of a man crush on Dixon as it seems he does, it certainly is not out of the realm of possibility.
4. Start Luke Jackson in Garbo's place. Haha. Just kidding.
5. Bargnani makes a superhuman comeback while displaying faster powers of recovery than even Wolverine. He then decides to quit pretending to be a centre and become an exclusively 3 point chucking 7 footer a la Sam Perkins.
6. Go big and let the Hump play the three. This may in fact solve the Raptors rebounding woes - while simultaneously creating about 15 brand new problems. It may also necessitate that they begin to play My hump, my hump, my humps, his lovely lady lumps, more often in the ACC.
7. Explore the latest in experimental surgery and actually try to transplant Garbajosa's brain into Joey Graham's body. By creating Josep Garbagraham the raps could have the best of both worlds. This is probably a better option than number 4.
I personally, love idea 7, if only cloning and brain transplantation technology could be ready by the end of April!
Friday, March 23, 2007
An Early Look at the Bulls from My Prospective
I'll be attending the April 8 Raptors game against the Bulls. I'll update my breakdown then since I haven't seen the Bulls live this season, and I definitely would like to see what they look like up close in an extremely hostile environment.
Here's my breakdown of the potential Bulls - Raptors series:
*PER is Player Efficiency Rating, which is a John Hollinger stat that is suppose to let you make relative comparisons.
PG: Hinrich is is actually 6'3 which gives him great size at the position (Nash, Billups, Parker, Kidd are all between 6'2 or 6'4). He is a little streaky in game, but overall he has a pretty good FG percentage at 44.9%, which ranks him in the top 10 amongst point guards (Nash is the PG leader at .536). He has good range (he is about 41% from behind the arc), but he only takes about 4 treys a game. Hinrich is an excellent distributor averaging 6.0 assists a game. He averages about 2 turnovers a game, so he definitely protects possessions with a TO to assist ratio of 3 to 1. Helps out on the boards with about 3.5 rebounds per game, and is adequate defensively getting about 1.3 steals per game. He isn't a game changer (he averages about 16 pts per game), but if he is going good he has the ability to let the Bulls pull away from opponents. He is a better road player than home player, averaging 4 pts more on the road than at home (18 ppg on the road vs 14 ppg at home). Overall, he has a PER* of 16.72, which makes him the 14th most efficient PG in the NBA. TJ matches up well with Hinrich, as Kirk is not a post up PG, and will not impose too physical of a presence on TJ. Given the make up of the Raptors, Hinrich will probably be focused on slowing TJ rather than look for his own offense.
SG: Ben Gordon is a second tier SG, but he can get very hot in clutch situations. Has below average size at 6'3, and he is a volume shooter (averages 16 attempts per game) that is very prone to hot and cold streaks (he just went 2 of 12 from the floor against the Clips). He is a threat from deep, with a 3 pt % around .400, while he takes about 4 treys a game. He averages about 3.6 assists per game, so he looks definitely looks for his own shot first. Does an average job on the boards for his position with 3.2 boards a game. Careless with the ball as he averages about 3 turnovers a game, but around the average for 2 guards. Can get posted up defensively due to his size, and is not a very good defensive player, averaging less than 1 steal a game. He isn't really affected by playing at home or on the road, as his averages are fairly consistent based on his splits, but he does average 2 pts more at home. Overall, he has a PER of 18.36, which ranks him as the 16th best SG in the league (D Wade is the leader at 30.05, Kobe is 2nd at 26.21). He has been a traditional Raptor killer, and the job of stopping him may fall on Mo Pete or Juan Dixon if Gordon continues to come off the bench for the Bulls (39 starts out of 70 games played).
SF: Luol Deng is a rising star at SF. Devastating mid range game as witnessed by his .521 FG% (as a comparison LeBron is .479 and Melo is .478). Should take more shots considering his impact, but plays within the offense averaging 14.7 attempts per game (LeBron takes about 21 attempts per game). Is not a threat from beyond the arc shooting a terrible 25% from deep, but he does not take many treys as he is averaging less than 1 attempt per games (apparently he understands his weakness). A great rebounder for his position averaging about 7 rebounds per game (compared with Josh Howard's 7 a game). Very good defensively averaging 1.2 steals per game. Takes very good care of the ball with only 1.8 TO a game, he isn't a non stop slasher which limits his TO situations. As consistent on the road as he is at home with only a difference of 0.6 pts on the split. Overall, he has a PER of 18.87, which ranks him as the 8th best SF in the NBA, amazing since he doesn't not get the same volume as some of the guys ahead of him (LeBron, Melo, Lewis). Luol Deng is the single biggest matchup problem for the Raptors, but if the Bulls don't start Gordon, Parker will probably do an adequate job of slowing him down defensively. He will hurt the Raptors, the biggest need is to limit the pain.
PF: PJ Brown, Tyrus Thomas, and Andres Nocioni share starting duties at this position. PJ and Tyrus both average less than 6 pts per game, and PJ is the better rebounder at 5 boards a game. Neither are factors for the Bulls (PJ is a historic Raptor killer, Tyrus may or may not be illiterate, and probably can't find Canada on a map). Nocioni has not played since Feb 23 due to plantar fasciitis. When he is available he is by far the best PF the Bulls have. He is a little undersized at 6'7, but has posted great numbers so far this season 15 ppg and 6 rpg. Is not a great defender based on his 0.5 blocks per game, but he is will make opposition work for their points. Has a great FG% at .468 while taking 12 shots per game. He is not on pace for 500 mins this season, so a PER is unavailable for him. Regardless, of who plays PF for the Bulls, their sole responsibility will be to slow down Chris Bosh. Given Tyrus Thomas' athleticism, he will probably get a greater share of this duty, while Nocioni will probably see his minutes limited. I would be extremely surprised if we saw PJ Brown play more than 10 - 15 mins per game.
C: Ben Wallace is still a difference maker on the boards and on defense. Very obvious slippage from his Defensive Player of the Year days. Has won a championship, so he knows what it takes to be successful in the post season. Averages about 6 ppg on put backs and baskets inside 6 ft, he has no real offensive game. A total offensive liability in late game situations as he only shoots around 40% from the free throw line. A top ten rebounder (# 8) in the NBA with 10.5 rebounds per game, and very effective on the offensive glass with 4 boards a game, which will generate at least 4-6 second chance points per game. Still a top 10 shot blocker (# 9) averaging 2.1 blocks a game, and helps out the overall team defense with 1.5 steals a game. Doesn't rank in the top 50 in PER for his position due to his shockingly inefficient offense (only takes about 5 shots per game, hitting 44% of the time). Rasho or Garbo (if Bargs is playing in late game situations) will be able to do an efficient job in slowing him down. He should have a very minimal impact on the outcome of this series.
My first impression of this series is that it will come down to which team is better at dictating the tempo of the game, and who can slow down the other teams main offensive threat, Bosh for the Raps and Deng for the Bulls. If the Raptors are extremely efficient in their offense, limiting their turnovers, maximizing their assists, and hitting from beyond on the arc, the Bulls will be hard pressed to keep up with them offensively. The Bulls have to force the Raptors into as many half court - zone situations as possible, as they do not match up will one on one with the Raptors, and they definitely cannot run their break as efficiently as the Raptors can. If Gordon gets very hot in this series, then the Raptors could be in serious trouble as Anthony Parker has to spend most of his time on Deng. However, since the Bulls backcourt is so small due to Gordon's lack of stature, I think we could see more TJ/Calderon pairings in 4th quarter situations to ensure the best possible lineup is on the floor. I haven't seen Dixon try to guard Gordon, so Juan's play could be a huge factor in the Raptors game plan for the Bulls.
This should be a very entertaining first round matchup, but right now Chicago does have home court advantage which is huge. If the Raptors can steal a game in Chicago, I think they will be well positioned to advance to the second round. Getting to 100 ppg is a huge key for the Raptors as scoring at such a high rate would mean that they are able to run their break offense effectively, which means the Bulls are playing at an offensive place that they are uncomfortable with, and will probably not be able to sustain over a 7 game series. Stopping Deng will be the key to any possible Raptors success.
Here's my breakdown of the potential Bulls - Raptors series:
*PER is Player Efficiency Rating, which is a John Hollinger stat that is suppose to let you make relative comparisons.
PG: Hinrich is is actually 6'3 which gives him great size at the position (Nash, Billups, Parker, Kidd are all between 6'2 or 6'4). He is a little streaky in game, but overall he has a pretty good FG percentage at 44.9%, which ranks him in the top 10 amongst point guards (Nash is the PG leader at .536). He has good range (he is about 41% from behind the arc), but he only takes about 4 treys a game. Hinrich is an excellent distributor averaging 6.0 assists a game. He averages about 2 turnovers a game, so he definitely protects possessions with a TO to assist ratio of 3 to 1. Helps out on the boards with about 3.5 rebounds per game, and is adequate defensively getting about 1.3 steals per game. He isn't a game changer (he averages about 16 pts per game), but if he is going good he has the ability to let the Bulls pull away from opponents. He is a better road player than home player, averaging 4 pts more on the road than at home (18 ppg on the road vs 14 ppg at home). Overall, he has a PER* of 16.72, which makes him the 14th most efficient PG in the NBA. TJ matches up well with Hinrich, as Kirk is not a post up PG, and will not impose too physical of a presence on TJ. Given the make up of the Raptors, Hinrich will probably be focused on slowing TJ rather than look for his own offense.
SG: Ben Gordon is a second tier SG, but he can get very hot in clutch situations. Has below average size at 6'3, and he is a volume shooter (averages 16 attempts per game) that is very prone to hot and cold streaks (he just went 2 of 12 from the floor against the Clips). He is a threat from deep, with a 3 pt % around .400, while he takes about 4 treys a game. He averages about 3.6 assists per game, so he looks definitely looks for his own shot first. Does an average job on the boards for his position with 3.2 boards a game. Careless with the ball as he averages about 3 turnovers a game, but around the average for 2 guards. Can get posted up defensively due to his size, and is not a very good defensive player, averaging less than 1 steal a game. He isn't really affected by playing at home or on the road, as his averages are fairly consistent based on his splits, but he does average 2 pts more at home. Overall, he has a PER of 18.36, which ranks him as the 16th best SG in the league (D Wade is the leader at 30.05, Kobe is 2nd at 26.21). He has been a traditional Raptor killer, and the job of stopping him may fall on Mo Pete or Juan Dixon if Gordon continues to come off the bench for the Bulls (39 starts out of 70 games played).
SF: Luol Deng is a rising star at SF. Devastating mid range game as witnessed by his .521 FG% (as a comparison LeBron is .479 and Melo is .478). Should take more shots considering his impact, but plays within the offense averaging 14.7 attempts per game (LeBron takes about 21 attempts per game). Is not a threat from beyond the arc shooting a terrible 25% from deep, but he does not take many treys as he is averaging less than 1 attempt per games (apparently he understands his weakness). A great rebounder for his position averaging about 7 rebounds per game (compared with Josh Howard's 7 a game). Very good defensively averaging 1.2 steals per game. Takes very good care of the ball with only 1.8 TO a game, he isn't a non stop slasher which limits his TO situations. As consistent on the road as he is at home with only a difference of 0.6 pts on the split. Overall, he has a PER of 18.87, which ranks him as the 8th best SF in the NBA, amazing since he doesn't not get the same volume as some of the guys ahead of him (LeBron, Melo, Lewis). Luol Deng is the single biggest matchup problem for the Raptors, but if the Bulls don't start Gordon, Parker will probably do an adequate job of slowing him down defensively. He will hurt the Raptors, the biggest need is to limit the pain.
PF: PJ Brown, Tyrus Thomas, and Andres Nocioni share starting duties at this position. PJ and Tyrus both average less than 6 pts per game, and PJ is the better rebounder at 5 boards a game. Neither are factors for the Bulls (PJ is a historic Raptor killer, Tyrus may or may not be illiterate, and probably can't find Canada on a map). Nocioni has not played since Feb 23 due to plantar fasciitis. When he is available he is by far the best PF the Bulls have. He is a little undersized at 6'7, but has posted great numbers so far this season 15 ppg and 6 rpg. Is not a great defender based on his 0.5 blocks per game, but he is will make opposition work for their points. Has a great FG% at .468 while taking 12 shots per game. He is not on pace for 500 mins this season, so a PER is unavailable for him. Regardless, of who plays PF for the Bulls, their sole responsibility will be to slow down Chris Bosh. Given Tyrus Thomas' athleticism, he will probably get a greater share of this duty, while Nocioni will probably see his minutes limited. I would be extremely surprised if we saw PJ Brown play more than 10 - 15 mins per game.
C: Ben Wallace is still a difference maker on the boards and on defense. Very obvious slippage from his Defensive Player of the Year days. Has won a championship, so he knows what it takes to be successful in the post season. Averages about 6 ppg on put backs and baskets inside 6 ft, he has no real offensive game. A total offensive liability in late game situations as he only shoots around 40% from the free throw line. A top ten rebounder (# 8) in the NBA with 10.5 rebounds per game, and very effective on the offensive glass with 4 boards a game, which will generate at least 4-6 second chance points per game. Still a top 10 shot blocker (# 9) averaging 2.1 blocks a game, and helps out the overall team defense with 1.5 steals a game. Doesn't rank in the top 50 in PER for his position due to his shockingly inefficient offense (only takes about 5 shots per game, hitting 44% of the time). Rasho or Garbo (if Bargs is playing in late game situations) will be able to do an efficient job in slowing him down. He should have a very minimal impact on the outcome of this series.
My first impression of this series is that it will come down to which team is better at dictating the tempo of the game, and who can slow down the other teams main offensive threat, Bosh for the Raps and Deng for the Bulls. If the Raptors are extremely efficient in their offense, limiting their turnovers, maximizing their assists, and hitting from beyond on the arc, the Bulls will be hard pressed to keep up with them offensively. The Bulls have to force the Raptors into as many half court - zone situations as possible, as they do not match up will one on one with the Raptors, and they definitely cannot run their break as efficiently as the Raptors can. If Gordon gets very hot in this series, then the Raptors could be in serious trouble as Anthony Parker has to spend most of his time on Deng. However, since the Bulls backcourt is so small due to Gordon's lack of stature, I think we could see more TJ/Calderon pairings in 4th quarter situations to ensure the best possible lineup is on the floor. I haven't seen Dixon try to guard Gordon, so Juan's play could be a huge factor in the Raptors game plan for the Bulls.
This should be a very entertaining first round matchup, but right now Chicago does have home court advantage which is huge. If the Raptors can steal a game in Chicago, I think they will be well positioned to advance to the second round. Getting to 100 ppg is a huge key for the Raptors as scoring at such a high rate would mean that they are able to run their break offense effectively, which means the Bulls are playing at an offensive place that they are uncomfortable with, and will probably not be able to sustain over a 7 game series. Stopping Deng will be the key to any possible Raptors success.
An Early Look at the Bulls - Raptors Series By Richie
Since you have set forth the challenge of breaking down the Bulls, let me get it started.
PG
Kirk Hinrich - An undersized point guard with a great shooting touch when hes hot. Capable of scoring in the mid twenties on those nights. His backup Duhon is very solid and can make big contributions from time to time at either spot in the backcourt. A versatile duo. I like Ford and Calderon better though.
SG
Ben Gordon - A traditional Raptor killer who has had plenty of huge games matchin up against Toronto. Makes plenty of circus shots and is the team's best scorer. However, as the leading scorer on the team he is not exactly overly intimidating on the superstar scale. More concretely, he is not as good other possible first round matchups like Wade, Arenas or Lebron. He has plenty of nights where his game is completely invisible. If Anthony Parker can get his ankle healthy enough to defend, Gordon does not worry me too much.
SF
Luol Deng - Definitely the real threat on the team to the Raps. They have absolutely no answer to his game. He is not quite a superstar, but is a great number 2 or 3 guy on a championship calibre team. Nocioni was good in the playoffs last year and could step up if he regains his full health. The Raptors are severely outclassed at this particular position.
PF
PJ Brown/Tyrus Thomas - Solid defence from these two and extremely limited offence. Thomas is simply too raw to be able to contribute much come playoff time.
C
Ben Wallace - Good defender, no offence and can't shoot free throws. Thus he won't even be on the court to play defence in plenty of close games. Why they gave up on Tyson Chandler for an older version of him I will never know. Skiles and Paxson were foolish in my mind to sign him to such big money.
Bench
Sefolosha, Sweetney, Griffin, Allen, etc are all crap. They will not get playoff minutes for this team. Thus the 8 players mentioned above will need to carry the load.
Wrapup
The Bulls seem to always beat the Raps. While their 15 game winning streak has been put to an end, it still seems to me that the Bulls hold a psychological advantage were they to meet in round one.
Overall I think the Bulls would win simply based on the experience they have gained over the past two seasons. The Raps are a bit too young in my mind. Other than MoPete, Rasho and Ford, the Raps have no NBA playoff experience.
I do think it would be close though and I see the Bulls to be a deeply flawed team with a stagnant offence. They could be knocked off if the whole Raptors team shows up healthy for round one. I actually think it would be quite an attractive first round matchup.
PG
Kirk Hinrich - An undersized point guard with a great shooting touch when hes hot. Capable of scoring in the mid twenties on those nights. His backup Duhon is very solid and can make big contributions from time to time at either spot in the backcourt. A versatile duo. I like Ford and Calderon better though.
SG
Ben Gordon - A traditional Raptor killer who has had plenty of huge games matchin up against Toronto. Makes plenty of circus shots and is the team's best scorer. However, as the leading scorer on the team he is not exactly overly intimidating on the superstar scale. More concretely, he is not as good other possible first round matchups like Wade, Arenas or Lebron. He has plenty of nights where his game is completely invisible. If Anthony Parker can get his ankle healthy enough to defend, Gordon does not worry me too much.
SF
Luol Deng - Definitely the real threat on the team to the Raps. They have absolutely no answer to his game. He is not quite a superstar, but is a great number 2 or 3 guy on a championship calibre team. Nocioni was good in the playoffs last year and could step up if he regains his full health. The Raptors are severely outclassed at this particular position.
PF
PJ Brown/Tyrus Thomas - Solid defence from these two and extremely limited offence. Thomas is simply too raw to be able to contribute much come playoff time.
C
Ben Wallace - Good defender, no offence and can't shoot free throws. Thus he won't even be on the court to play defence in plenty of close games. Why they gave up on Tyson Chandler for an older version of him I will never know. Skiles and Paxson were foolish in my mind to sign him to such big money.
Bench
Sefolosha, Sweetney, Griffin, Allen, etc are all crap. They will not get playoff minutes for this team. Thus the 8 players mentioned above will need to carry the load.
Wrapup
The Bulls seem to always beat the Raps. While their 15 game winning streak has been put to an end, it still seems to me that the Bulls hold a psychological advantage were they to meet in round one.
Overall I think the Bulls would win simply based on the experience they have gained over the past two seasons. The Raps are a bit too young in my mind. Other than MoPete, Rasho and Ford, the Raps have no NBA playoff experience.
I do think it would be close though and I see the Bulls to be a deeply flawed team with a stagnant offence. They could be knocked off if the whole Raptors team shows up healthy for round one. I actually think it would be quite an attractive first round matchup.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Oden or Durant
Okay, this is a total hypothetical, but for a minute, let's pretend that David Stern didn't screw the Raptors over for the millionth time, and the NBA age limit didn't kick in until this season. Meaning that Greg Oden and Kevin Durant, as well as Andrea, were available to be picked by the Raps. Knowing what we know now about all 3 players, who would you have chosen? Here's my take:
I think Bragnani is great, and he does a lot of things that Oden can't like bomb 3's over opposing 5's in high screen-roll situations, and he has a certain height that Durant doesn't (6'9 compared with 7'0), so its a hard call to say that the Raptors would have been definitively better with one of the other guys. We know what the Raptors are with Bragnani, and we have had a few glimpses of what they might become (last Wednesday's game against the Knicks being the best example), but Andrea is 21 years old, which makes him 3 years older than both Oden and Durant. I think in terms of updside, its hard to argue against a couple of guys like Oden or Durant. Bragnani is still developing, and he is definitely a legit NBA player with All-Star potential, but is he the same kind of franchise altering picks that Oden and Durant are? I don't know the answer to that, but seeing how the Raptors have played this season, I think having Bragnani definitely puts the Raptors in a position to contend for a Finals if they can a couple more pieces.
Greg Oden is probably the best American center to come into the NBA since Tim Duncan (it can be argued that TD was a 4 for a lot of his career, but that's just semantics. After David Robinson retired, its pretty clear that TD has been the Spurs 5. Look at their last championship run, featuring Big Shot Rob at the 4, so who was the pivot? TD of course.) With Oden, the Raptors wouldn't be able to run the kind of offense that they do now (screen - roll, find 3 pt shooters), without having to change their roster significantly (no more Garbo, Mo Pete, Joey Graham). But, Oden and Bosh could work the high - low block with some pretty devastating results assuming we still had TJ Ford. In this situation, TJ could come off a high screen, and 1) turn the corner and get a layup, 2) penetrate and look for either a cutting Bosh or Oden with single coverage on them, or 3) kick it out to the perimeter for a wide open 3 because the defense has to sag so much to protect the rim against Bosh, Oden, and TJ. Of course this offense would be unstoppable if the Raps had another shooter on the perimeter to go with AP. I think the Raptors would have been a much better defensive team having 2 big time shot blockers in Bosh and Oden, and the rebounding that these 2 could provide would mean that the Raptors could probably run their break at an even faster pace. I think Oden probably would have made the Raptors championship contenders for the next 15 years.
Kevin Durant is probably the best young offensive player I have ever seen. I am not old enough to remember when Jordan entered the league, so I won't say that Durant is the all time greatest. At the same time, I can't recall too many Jordan clips where he started raining 27 feet 3's on people, so there are probably a few things that Durant does better now at 18 than Jordan did. I think that Durant would been able to make an instant impact with the Raptors because his game meshes so well with the Raptors philosophy of taking a lot of treys off TJ penetration, and be an outlet for a lot of Bosh high-screen and rolls kick outs. Ironically, I think the Raptors would probably be a similar team to what they are now since Durant has a similar jump shot based game to Bragnani (neither player is what I would call a force on the block). The dimension that Durant has that Bragnani doesn't is his ability to create off the dribble, a facet of the game that Durant is superior in. In late shot clock situations, it would be conceivable that the Raptors could throw the ball to Durant to let him try and create something. Right now, the Raptors definitely lack that aspect to their offense. At the same time, Durant looks like he may have spent a couple of summers in Ethiopia, I mean that kid is rail thin (I used to think that about LeBron when I saw him as a junior in HS, but HGH is a powerful drug). Durant's lack of overall strength and an NBA ready body would probably have meant that he would have to come off the bench, and his defense would be very limited.
Having covered what I think the impact on the Raptors offense would have been, who would I have chosen if all 3 were available? Probably Greg Oden. Having a guy like that just gives you so many options, ups the tempo of the break because of the increased transition opportunity, and the Raptors address their complete inability to rebound at a high rate. Oden and Bosh would have been like having the more athletic version of Ewing and Malone. That would've been awesome, but since David Stern decided to screw over Canada once again, its all a pipe dream. However, Bragnani was still a great choice even if his appendix did exploded today.
(The magic number is 10, Bragnani will be back in a month, I mean Ben Rothlisberger played a week after his surgery, and Bragnani doesn't have 300 lbs monster trying to break his stitches open...)
I think Bragnani is great, and he does a lot of things that Oden can't like bomb 3's over opposing 5's in high screen-roll situations, and he has a certain height that Durant doesn't (6'9 compared with 7'0), so its a hard call to say that the Raptors would have been definitively better with one of the other guys. We know what the Raptors are with Bragnani, and we have had a few glimpses of what they might become (last Wednesday's game against the Knicks being the best example), but Andrea is 21 years old, which makes him 3 years older than both Oden and Durant. I think in terms of updside, its hard to argue against a couple of guys like Oden or Durant. Bragnani is still developing, and he is definitely a legit NBA player with All-Star potential, but is he the same kind of franchise altering picks that Oden and Durant are? I don't know the answer to that, but seeing how the Raptors have played this season, I think having Bragnani definitely puts the Raptors in a position to contend for a Finals if they can a couple more pieces.
Greg Oden is probably the best American center to come into the NBA since Tim Duncan (it can be argued that TD was a 4 for a lot of his career, but that's just semantics. After David Robinson retired, its pretty clear that TD has been the Spurs 5. Look at their last championship run, featuring Big Shot Rob at the 4, so who was the pivot? TD of course.) With Oden, the Raptors wouldn't be able to run the kind of offense that they do now (screen - roll, find 3 pt shooters), without having to change their roster significantly (no more Garbo, Mo Pete, Joey Graham). But, Oden and Bosh could work the high - low block with some pretty devastating results assuming we still had TJ Ford. In this situation, TJ could come off a high screen, and 1) turn the corner and get a layup, 2) penetrate and look for either a cutting Bosh or Oden with single coverage on them, or 3) kick it out to the perimeter for a wide open 3 because the defense has to sag so much to protect the rim against Bosh, Oden, and TJ. Of course this offense would be unstoppable if the Raps had another shooter on the perimeter to go with AP. I think the Raptors would have been a much better defensive team having 2 big time shot blockers in Bosh and Oden, and the rebounding that these 2 could provide would mean that the Raptors could probably run their break at an even faster pace. I think Oden probably would have made the Raptors championship contenders for the next 15 years.
Kevin Durant is probably the best young offensive player I have ever seen. I am not old enough to remember when Jordan entered the league, so I won't say that Durant is the all time greatest. At the same time, I can't recall too many Jordan clips where he started raining 27 feet 3's on people, so there are probably a few things that Durant does better now at 18 than Jordan did. I think that Durant would been able to make an instant impact with the Raptors because his game meshes so well with the Raptors philosophy of taking a lot of treys off TJ penetration, and be an outlet for a lot of Bosh high-screen and rolls kick outs. Ironically, I think the Raptors would probably be a similar team to what they are now since Durant has a similar jump shot based game to Bragnani (neither player is what I would call a force on the block). The dimension that Durant has that Bragnani doesn't is his ability to create off the dribble, a facet of the game that Durant is superior in. In late shot clock situations, it would be conceivable that the Raptors could throw the ball to Durant to let him try and create something. Right now, the Raptors definitely lack that aspect to their offense. At the same time, Durant looks like he may have spent a couple of summers in Ethiopia, I mean that kid is rail thin (I used to think that about LeBron when I saw him as a junior in HS, but HGH is a powerful drug). Durant's lack of overall strength and an NBA ready body would probably have meant that he would have to come off the bench, and his defense would be very limited.
Having covered what I think the impact on the Raptors offense would have been, who would I have chosen if all 3 were available? Probably Greg Oden. Having a guy like that just gives you so many options, ups the tempo of the break because of the increased transition opportunity, and the Raptors address their complete inability to rebound at a high rate. Oden and Bosh would have been like having the more athletic version of Ewing and Malone. That would've been awesome, but since David Stern decided to screw over Canada once again, its all a pipe dream. However, Bragnani was still a great choice even if his appendix did exploded today.
(The magic number is 10, Bragnani will be back in a month, I mean Ben Rothlisberger played a week after his surgery, and Bragnani doesn't have 300 lbs monster trying to break his stitches open...)
Friday, March 16, 2007
Could the Real Mo Pete Please Stand Up
Now Mo Pete has seem extremely limited minutes in the recent winning streak. This pretty much baffles everyone since we have grown to know Mo Pete as a solid contributor who can play pretty decent defense. Richie and I had a recent conversation about Mo Pete's status in the Raptor rotation (this is for you Chueeey):
Oscar's View:
Sadly, I can't understand why Juan Dixon is usurping all the minutes from Mo. Now, when AP was out, Mo stepped into the starting lineup and sucked for about 3 games. 5 pts against the Cavs, invisible in San Antonio, okay in Houston! After the debacles against the Bucks and Cavs a couple of weeks ago, it seemed like Mo Pete just wasn't all the way there to me. He is definitely looking for his shot before he is looking to pass, but he doesn't seem to be burdening the offense since he isn't touching the ball all the time. Having said that, Mo has been pretty cold from beyond the arc lately, but he had a good night against Milwaukee on Monday. I think Mitchell feels that Dixon is more active on defense right now, which is one of the main reasons that Mo Pete is getting some serious splinters in his ass. Once Mo gets his defense up again, I have a feeling that his minutes should get to be about equal to those of Dixon's. Maybe Sam is just punishing Mo right now, hard to tell. I think the situation should get sorted out in the next week or 2.
Richie's Take:
I agree with Oscar that Mitchell is trying to punish Peterson's lackadaisical effort this year. However, last game against the Bucks he did get decent minutes and played better D as evidenced by his 4 boards and 2 steals. I predict MoPete gets more minutes once the playoffs start as he has valuable experience that cannot be found on Dixon's resume.
Oscar's View:
Sadly, I can't understand why Juan Dixon is usurping all the minutes from Mo. Now, when AP was out, Mo stepped into the starting lineup and sucked for about 3 games. 5 pts against the Cavs, invisible in San Antonio, okay in Houston! After the debacles against the Bucks and Cavs a couple of weeks ago, it seemed like Mo Pete just wasn't all the way there to me. He is definitely looking for his shot before he is looking to pass, but he doesn't seem to be burdening the offense since he isn't touching the ball all the time. Having said that, Mo has been pretty cold from beyond the arc lately, but he had a good night against Milwaukee on Monday. I think Mitchell feels that Dixon is more active on defense right now, which is one of the main reasons that Mo Pete is getting some serious splinters in his ass. Once Mo gets his defense up again, I have a feeling that his minutes should get to be about equal to those of Dixon's. Maybe Sam is just punishing Mo right now, hard to tell. I think the situation should get sorted out in the next week or 2.
Richie's Take:
I agree with Oscar that Mitchell is trying to punish Peterson's lackadaisical effort this year. However, last game against the Bucks he did get decent minutes and played better D as evidenced by his 4 boards and 2 steals. I predict MoPete gets more minutes once the playoffs start as he has valuable experience that cannot be found on Dixon's resume.
Views of the Raptors from across the Pacific
Special guest commentator CP gave me his thoughts about the Raptors. He is the only guy that I know that actually enjoys reading John Hollinger (who I have a secret grudge against because he dissed TJ at the beginning of the season. Like Sports Guy he must make a public apology before he is forgiven). More to the point, CP is the only guy that I know that wants my ESPN Insider access so he can look at the statistically breakdowns for different players, so that pretty much seals it.
CP's Thoughts:
1. Bosh - Superstar (only about 16 in league)
2. Calderon - Playing at an all-star level (plays both ends of the floor)
3. Ford - Quality starter (needs a jump shot to offset his defensive deficiencies)
4. Parker - Solid starter (best defensive player with a load of intangibles)
5. Peterson - ok backup (his efficiency numbers aren't bad he just isn't getting minutes)
I think Bargnani will transform into a boreline starter next year, and boderline all-star the next but I think he is still more of a liability than an asset this year. I think if we can sign an all-star or boderline all-star SF the Raps could win a title in three years from now.
CP's Thoughts:
1. Bosh - Superstar (only about 16 in league)
2. Calderon - Playing at an all-star level (plays both ends of the floor)
3. Ford - Quality starter (needs a jump shot to offset his defensive deficiencies)
4. Parker - Solid starter (best defensive player with a load of intangibles)
5. Peterson - ok backup (his efficiency numbers aren't bad he just isn't getting minutes)
I think Bargnani will transform into a boreline starter next year, and boderline all-star the next but I think he is still more of a liability than an asset this year. I think if we can sign an all-star or boderline all-star SF the Raps could win a title in three years from now.
Why I still hate Duke, but Paulus is better than I thought
Okay, first I must say I am so glad that Duke got knocked out in the first round. Very excited about that. Coach K can't recruit smart black guys anymore, what happened to the Elton Brands and Grant Hills?
Anyway, after watching VCU beat them, Josh McRoberts sucks. He is terrible, I love it. McRoberts has been exposed. He should have left early, but now he is going to be marginal as a bball player. What was he thinking, he was ranked in the top 5, and with the incoming class he had to know that he was going to be em brassed.
I hate that guy, and Duke is always full of those guys. At least Lattiner was clutch in college, McRoberts isn't even good enough to beat VCU.
Has anyone else noticed that this year's Duke team is full of the discount versions of previous Duke players. For example:
1) McRoberts is like the unclutch, no heart (for college) version of Christian Lattiner
2) Nelson is like a much less capable Duhon, but has Duhon like game, just at a much lower level.
3) Henderson wants to have Maggette like game, but he has to settle for being a thug.
Everyone is a downgrade from the typical Duke player EXCEPT for Greg Paulus. He is like the upgraded Wojo. Last Duke team not be raked in the top 10 going into the tourney? You guessed it, 1996 when Wojo was the PG. Too bad cause Paulus is really tough, and he earned my respect against VCU. He is still an EXTREMELY limited player, and has no hope for NBA success, but at least he is tough, unlike his fraud of a teammate Josh McRoberts. Can you tell I hate McRoberts yet?
Anyway, after watching VCU beat them, Josh McRoberts sucks. He is terrible, I love it. McRoberts has been exposed. He should have left early, but now he is going to be marginal as a bball player. What was he thinking, he was ranked in the top 5, and with the incoming class he had to know that he was going to be em brassed.
I hate that guy, and Duke is always full of those guys. At least Lattiner was clutch in college, McRoberts isn't even good enough to beat VCU.
Has anyone else noticed that this year's Duke team is full of the discount versions of previous Duke players. For example:
1) McRoberts is like the unclutch, no heart (for college) version of Christian Lattiner
2) Nelson is like a much less capable Duhon, but has Duhon like game, just at a much lower level.
3) Henderson wants to have Maggette like game, but he has to settle for being a thug.
Everyone is a downgrade from the typical Duke player EXCEPT for Greg Paulus. He is like the upgraded Wojo. Last Duke team not be raked in the top 10 going into the tourney? You guessed it, 1996 when Wojo was the PG. Too bad cause Paulus is really tough, and he earned my respect against VCU. He is still an EXTREMELY limited player, and has no hope for NBA success, but at least he is tough, unlike his fraud of a teammate Josh McRoberts. Can you tell I hate McRoberts yet?
Quick Hits on things I've noticed about the Raptors recently
1) Bosh and Andrea are awesome, and both of them are good enough to be franchise guys. Bragnani is ice from beyond the arc. Everyone keeps complaing about their rebounding, and I agree that they need to take care of their defensive boards a little more, but the Raptors can run with any team in the league.
2) Did you know that TJ has made the playoffs every single season since he has been in the NBA. Milwaukee went from being a playoff team to a lottery team, Toronto the complete opposite. Colangelo is a genius.
3) They need a 3 who can hit from deep, and is a good man up defender. Then their D will be pretty good, and the O will be unstoppable.
4) Mitchell is a good coach now. He will get extended. I don't see Colangelo destroying a playoff team for no reason. Mitchell will get an extension if he wants it.
2) Did you know that TJ has made the playoffs every single season since he has been in the NBA. Milwaukee went from being a playoff team to a lottery team, Toronto the complete opposite. Colangelo is a genius.
3) They need a 3 who can hit from deep, and is a good man up defender. Then their D will be pretty good, and the O will be unstoppable.
4) Mitchell is a good coach now. He will get extended. I don't see Colangelo destroying a playoff team for no reason. Mitchell will get an extension if he wants it.
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Why Rashard Lewis would be the Missing Piece (and why it won't happen)
Who's the biggest Free Agent on the Market this summer? Other than Chauncy Billups, I think Rashard Lewis is the big fish in a little pond. I remember myself saying at the beginning of the season that he might not be the best fit for the Raptors due to his defense and the number of shots that he takes. After getting the chance to watch him play live in a relatively high scoring game, here's what I was able to observe about him:
1) Lewis is not volume jacker. Based on the number of shots he takes, I thought Lewis was the kind of player that never met a jumper he didn't like. In fact, from what I could see yesterday, Lewis functions very well in an offense, and he really lets the game come to him. His points are a function of his shooting ability combined with the fact that he is the 2nd option on the offense. When Allen was having an off 1st quarter, Lewis asserted himself some more, but when Allen started to catch fire, Lewis took the shots that were available and were within the confines of the offense. He isn't the kind of player that pounds the dribble to try and create his own shot off a drive. He didn't at any point decide to go 1 on 5 and total ignore his teammates. This is a huge bonus considering the style that the Raptors like to play.
2) You're right in that he grabs a shit load of rebounds for a SF. He is tricky with his boards because he is usually set up from behind the arc, and he sneaks in after the offense moves away from him to work the weakside glass. Now, Lewis didn't stand out yesterday as a phenomenal defensive rebounding presence, but its not like the Raptors (aka Garbo/Parker) where eating up the offensive boards, so I am assuming he blocked out at least decently. Of course, I really wasn't scouting Lewis closely enough to really say for certain what his defensive rebounding is like.
3) Lewis is terrible on defense. Now this is more of a statement that is indicative of the entire Seattle team. The Sonics showed no interest in playing any defense. Now I can honestly say that their defensive issues do not stem from Lewis, he is merely a victim of circumstance in this regard. I mean he could be okay on defense, but since no one else even bothers to get in the way of the other team, there is only so much one man can do.
Will he fit in with the Raptors? This is the million dollar question, or in Lewis' case its the $14 million question (he is set to earn $10 million in Seattle next season, I can't see him opting out of that contract to earn less than that). I think Lewis, if he comes to Toronto, would provide the Raptors with the athletic swing man at SF that they are dying for in order to get their offense to the next level. By next level, I mean the absolute elite of the NBA, if you add Lewis into the offensive game plan that the Raptors run right now, Toronto will be able to score at almost the same clip as teams like the Suns. Defensively they are hurt a little bit because Garbo comes up with a bunch of hassle turnovers every game, but the increase in their scoring would off set that. Garbo would be able to move into the 2nd unit combine with Calderon (and maybe Brags) to form a pretty lethal bench.
Now I would love to see Rashard in a Raptors uni next season. After watching the Raptors all season and getting a pretty good idea on what they need to get to that next level, I take back my initial assessment of Lewis, and I have come to the conclusion that he would in fact combine with Bosh to form a pretty formidable front court duo. When Andrea gets promoted to the first unit, he, Bosh, and Lewis would be pretty much unstoppable. Any double team on Bosh would probably result in a wide open 3 pointer (unless its Spurs, since they can teleport on defense), or if teams tried to play the Raptors straight up, the high screen - roll would cut the heart out of almost any team, which then leads to more drive and kicks. Anyway, I am getting ahead of myself because none of this is possible. Rashard Lewis is looking for HUGE money this summer, and Toronto just doesn't have that kind of space. What we need is the rookie version of Lewis, the kind of guy that can play his game, with maturity, but we won't have to pay him a crapload of money.
My odds on favorites on who the Raptors could get that can fill this role (assuming Colangelo can somehow finagle his way into the 1st round): Jeff Green from Georgetown, Al Thorton from FSU, or Brandon Rush from Kansas
1) Lewis is not volume jacker. Based on the number of shots he takes, I thought Lewis was the kind of player that never met a jumper he didn't like. In fact, from what I could see yesterday, Lewis functions very well in an offense, and he really lets the game come to him. His points are a function of his shooting ability combined with the fact that he is the 2nd option on the offense. When Allen was having an off 1st quarter, Lewis asserted himself some more, but when Allen started to catch fire, Lewis took the shots that were available and were within the confines of the offense. He isn't the kind of player that pounds the dribble to try and create his own shot off a drive. He didn't at any point decide to go 1 on 5 and total ignore his teammates. This is a huge bonus considering the style that the Raptors like to play.
2) You're right in that he grabs a shit load of rebounds for a SF. He is tricky with his boards because he is usually set up from behind the arc, and he sneaks in after the offense moves away from him to work the weakside glass. Now, Lewis didn't stand out yesterday as a phenomenal defensive rebounding presence, but its not like the Raptors (aka Garbo/Parker) where eating up the offensive boards, so I am assuming he blocked out at least decently. Of course, I really wasn't scouting Lewis closely enough to really say for certain what his defensive rebounding is like.
3) Lewis is terrible on defense. Now this is more of a statement that is indicative of the entire Seattle team. The Sonics showed no interest in playing any defense. Now I can honestly say that their defensive issues do not stem from Lewis, he is merely a victim of circumstance in this regard. I mean he could be okay on defense, but since no one else even bothers to get in the way of the other team, there is only so much one man can do.
Will he fit in with the Raptors? This is the million dollar question, or in Lewis' case its the $14 million question (he is set to earn $10 million in Seattle next season, I can't see him opting out of that contract to earn less than that). I think Lewis, if he comes to Toronto, would provide the Raptors with the athletic swing man at SF that they are dying for in order to get their offense to the next level. By next level, I mean the absolute elite of the NBA, if you add Lewis into the offensive game plan that the Raptors run right now, Toronto will be able to score at almost the same clip as teams like the Suns. Defensively they are hurt a little bit because Garbo comes up with a bunch of hassle turnovers every game, but the increase in their scoring would off set that. Garbo would be able to move into the 2nd unit combine with Calderon (and maybe Brags) to form a pretty lethal bench.
Now I would love to see Rashard in a Raptors uni next season. After watching the Raptors all season and getting a pretty good idea on what they need to get to that next level, I take back my initial assessment of Lewis, and I have come to the conclusion that he would in fact combine with Bosh to form a pretty formidable front court duo. When Andrea gets promoted to the first unit, he, Bosh, and Lewis would be pretty much unstoppable. Any double team on Bosh would probably result in a wide open 3 pointer (unless its Spurs, since they can teleport on defense), or if teams tried to play the Raptors straight up, the high screen - roll would cut the heart out of almost any team, which then leads to more drive and kicks. Anyway, I am getting ahead of myself because none of this is possible. Rashard Lewis is looking for HUGE money this summer, and Toronto just doesn't have that kind of space. What we need is the rookie version of Lewis, the kind of guy that can play his game, with maturity, but we won't have to pay him a crapload of money.
My odds on favorites on who the Raptors could get that can fill this role (assuming Colangelo can somehow finagle his way into the 1st round): Jeff Green from Georgetown, Al Thorton from FSU, or Brandon Rush from Kansas
Basking in the Glory of the Raptors
Just some quick thoughts from Richie and me about the state of the Raptors and their players. As you can tell from this email thread, we are pretty damned excited!!!
Richie's quick hits
i do not know how the raptors will ultimately address the rebounding issue. however, bosh and bargs are looking like they are BOTH franchise players. the recent return to brilliance of tj ford is also encouraging. (especially in light of villanuevas ineptitude. he is benched for skinner!!!! holy moses!!!) i suggest we bask in the glory that is the toronto raptors for a moment.
1. bosh - true leader
2. bargs - unlimited talent
3. ford - improving year by year
4. calderon - great dude, fantastic backup
5. parker - only good man to man defender on the team and solid on offence
6. dixon??? seems to be contributing well considering they traded nuthin to get him
while garbajosa, nesterovic are solid backups they do not deserve to start.
the hump and slokar deserve roster spots in the 10-12 range on the bench.
joey g is running out of opportunities it is sad to say.
mo pete will walk and free up roster/salary cap space. i wish he had played better and deserved a contract. he is a good guy and will be fondly remembered.
My Thoughts
Richie I completely agree that we should bask because this day in Raptors history just didn't seem like it would ever get here. I've posted some other comments on the current team.
Bosh - Absolutely clutch. Against both Seattle and the Bucks, he had a couple of stretches where his jumper just wouldn't go down. But in crunch time, when the Raps desperately needed a bucket, he found a way to get some points. He is the very essence of a go to guy, I mean he could develop Duncan like clutchness.
Brags - Wow, I can't say enough positive things about him. He does some things on the court that are completely unbelievable. Forget the fact that he is doing it at 7 ft, if he was 6-8 I would still be astounded. A great compliment of Bosh, Andrea understands how to adjust his game when he is playing with Bosh and when he is the main big man on the floor. At the end of the day, he IS the Raptors go to guy from 3 pt land, he is a stone cold killer at the end of a game. If it was game 7, and the Raps needed a 3 to tie, Brags is the one I would want taking the shot. That's saying a lot considering he is a rookie.
TJ - Well he is still a little inconsistent. He has been a little off the past few weeks, perhaps it was a Vegas hangover, but judging from the last 2 games, TJ is getting hot for the run to the playoffs. He light up the Bucks yesterday. Even if CV was having a great year, I still think this was a great trade for the Raps. Ford was unstoppable in the first quarter against the Bucks. He dunked, and had some ridiculous assists as well. If he gets a so-so 3, and makes his pull up very consistent, he will be an All-Star.
Jose - Great teammate, does a great job as the backup. Gives Ford the necessary rest/time to regroup when he gets a little haggard. Improving in all aspects of his game. Just a solid team guy that contributes to a good environment.
Parker - The trigger man for the Raptors defense. When he is there, I think the Raptors defense improves by at least 10 pts. I don't have the stats to back it up, but he just does so much on the defensive end. You don't notice it all the time when you watch them, but when he isn't in the game, you really feel his absence.
Garbo - Does what he needs to do. Probably playing/played too many mins this season. He looks worn down a bit. Fantastic team defender. He may not lock anyone down, but when the Raptors are helping, he is the man in that situation.
Dixon - Gets killed on defense by bigger guards. Very clutch on offense, feels big moments and doesn't shy away from them, a good sign. Probably a great guy to have as the back up 2, but he is playing a bit too much in my opinion.
Rasho - Doing what he needs to do to keep Chris Bosh upright. He doesn't bring a lot to the table, but he will get you 8 and 8 most nights, and he takes the pounding inside. Can't really expect too much more. Glad he is on the team, he can settle the defense as well.
Graham and Mo Pete - I am sad that both of these guys probably won't be around next season. Not sure why Mo Pete didn't step up that big this season, but its probably time for him to change scenary. It'll be a sad day when he leaves, but I am glad he was part of this playoff run. He deserves it after all the shit he had to play through the last couple of years. Graham, well he might be around for another season, he is a monster finisher (sometimes), a good defender (sometimes), and a good rebounder (sometimes). Its all the (sometimes) that will do him in, but maybe he really increases his basketball IQ this summer, and shocks the world. I though Calderon was a complete failure last year, but he has turned it around completely. Maybe Graham can do it too.
Richie's quick hits
i do not know how the raptors will ultimately address the rebounding issue. however, bosh and bargs are looking like they are BOTH franchise players. the recent return to brilliance of tj ford is also encouraging. (especially in light of villanuevas ineptitude. he is benched for skinner!!!! holy moses!!!) i suggest we bask in the glory that is the toronto raptors for a moment.
1. bosh - true leader
2. bargs - unlimited talent
3. ford - improving year by year
4. calderon - great dude, fantastic backup
5. parker - only good man to man defender on the team and solid on offence
6. dixon??? seems to be contributing well considering they traded nuthin to get him
while garbajosa, nesterovic are solid backups they do not deserve to start.
the hump and slokar deserve roster spots in the 10-12 range on the bench.
joey g is running out of opportunities it is sad to say.
mo pete will walk and free up roster/salary cap space. i wish he had played better and deserved a contract. he is a good guy and will be fondly remembered.
My Thoughts
Richie I completely agree that we should bask because this day in Raptors history just didn't seem like it would ever get here. I've posted some other comments on the current team.
Bosh - Absolutely clutch. Against both Seattle and the Bucks, he had a couple of stretches where his jumper just wouldn't go down. But in crunch time, when the Raps desperately needed a bucket, he found a way to get some points. He is the very essence of a go to guy, I mean he could develop Duncan like clutchness.
Brags - Wow, I can't say enough positive things about him. He does some things on the court that are completely unbelievable. Forget the fact that he is doing it at 7 ft, if he was 6-8 I would still be astounded. A great compliment of Bosh, Andrea understands how to adjust his game when he is playing with Bosh and when he is the main big man on the floor. At the end of the day, he IS the Raptors go to guy from 3 pt land, he is a stone cold killer at the end of a game. If it was game 7, and the Raps needed a 3 to tie, Brags is the one I would want taking the shot. That's saying a lot considering he is a rookie.
TJ - Well he is still a little inconsistent. He has been a little off the past few weeks, perhaps it was a Vegas hangover, but judging from the last 2 games, TJ is getting hot for the run to the playoffs. He light up the Bucks yesterday. Even if CV was having a great year, I still think this was a great trade for the Raps. Ford was unstoppable in the first quarter against the Bucks. He dunked, and had some ridiculous assists as well. If he gets a so-so 3, and makes his pull up very consistent, he will be an All-Star.
Jose - Great teammate, does a great job as the backup. Gives Ford the necessary rest/time to regroup when he gets a little haggard. Improving in all aspects of his game. Just a solid team guy that contributes to a good environment.
Parker - The trigger man for the Raptors defense. When he is there, I think the Raptors defense improves by at least 10 pts. I don't have the stats to back it up, but he just does so much on the defensive end. You don't notice it all the time when you watch them, but when he isn't in the game, you really feel his absence.
Garbo - Does what he needs to do. Probably playing/played too many mins this season. He looks worn down a bit. Fantastic team defender. He may not lock anyone down, but when the Raptors are helping, he is the man in that situation.
Dixon - Gets killed on defense by bigger guards. Very clutch on offense, feels big moments and doesn't shy away from them, a good sign. Probably a great guy to have as the back up 2, but he is playing a bit too much in my opinion.
Rasho - Doing what he needs to do to keep Chris Bosh upright. He doesn't bring a lot to the table, but he will get you 8 and 8 most nights, and he takes the pounding inside. Can't really expect too much more. Glad he is on the team, he can settle the defense as well.
Graham and Mo Pete - I am sad that both of these guys probably won't be around next season. Not sure why Mo Pete didn't step up that big this season, but its probably time for him to change scenary. It'll be a sad day when he leaves, but I am glad he was part of this playoff run. He deserves it after all the shit he had to play through the last couple of years. Graham, well he might be around for another season, he is a monster finisher (sometimes), a good defender (sometimes), and a good rebounder (sometimes). Its all the (sometimes) that will do him in, but maybe he really increases his basketball IQ this summer, and shocks the world. I though Calderon was a complete failure last year, but he has turned it around completely. Maybe Graham can do it too.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Observations from OT Sunday
I missed the March Maddness Selection show, there I admit it, but I have a completely valid reason. I was busy handing yet another Madden defeat to my buddy Dave. He claims that the win is in fact a non win because of a very suspect QB sneak (I admit it, I thought I was calling a completely different play because HIS CONTROLLER'S R1 button got stuck, so I guess I can say we are even), but like the plucky Pats of 2003, I somehow escaped with a win. Why is this story even remotely relevant? Because the Raps should be extremely thankful they were able to escape from the Sonics, and get a much needed, and not exactly deserved victory. Was I happy? Of course, I was hoarse from cheering at the playoff like atmosphere at the ACC (in the 4th quarter anyway), but there were issues people! Here are my observations:
1) Garbo played like crap yesterday. He didn't show the normal hustle that he does on the defensive end, and that definitely hurt the Raptors on the glass. He was getting owned by Rashard Lewis for a bit. Looks like he is hitting a wall again, or it could just be a bad game, it'll be interesting to see what he does in Milwaukee tonight.
2) I have no idea WHY JUAN DIXON IS PLAYING HUGE MINUTES. It is completely frustrating to me watching him get dominated defensively, and offering no help on the boards whatsoever. Of course, I will give him some credit, he does have a knack for getting some very clutch strips, but overall its too easy for bigger 2 guards (like Jesus Shuttlesworth) to get good looks off him. I don't know why he is taking so many minute from Mo Pete. Very baffling.
3) Brags is huge, he is developing into THE go to guy from long range for the Raptors. The end of the 4th quarter sequence was unreal yesterday, Ford drives for the tie, Seattle is packed tight, he puts up a soft shot off the glass hoping for a make or a Bosh rebound, Bosh tips it up, Ford races under the hoop to the other side to get the loose ball, then swings it to Bragnani behind the arc, and the Andrea drills the 3 AND 1, for the 2 pt lead. It was like watching the future right now, they are going to be good. Awesome.
4) The Raps got utterly destroyed on the glass yesterday, and I think there were several reasons for it. The Raptors had no answer for Chris Wilcox at all. Bosh was guarding Nick Collison. Wilcox and Petro were playing the 5 for the Sonics, and Rasho and Hump were getting dominated. Mitchell basically gave up trying to find consistent rebounding and put the hottest offensive team he could without sacrificing too much on the defensive end, so the Raptors glass work got worse until OT, when they Andrea and Bosh hit the glass really hard because TJ was on fire on offense. Rebounding is going to be a huge issue for them, if they have to play someone with a big/rugged center. We can only hope for so much from Rasho.
5) Parker looked really good coming off an injury. His stroke from 3 is a little rusty, but everything else looked good. He was awesome on offense yesterday, and he really took Rashard Lewis out of the game in the 4th quarter. He is such a key to Raps perimeter defense, I never thought he was so vital. I think they have a pretty good shot against Milwaukee tonight because Parker should be able to slow down Redd, and contribute enough offensively to let the Raptor bench blow through the likes of Earl Boykins and friends.
1) Garbo played like crap yesterday. He didn't show the normal hustle that he does on the defensive end, and that definitely hurt the Raptors on the glass. He was getting owned by Rashard Lewis for a bit. Looks like he is hitting a wall again, or it could just be a bad game, it'll be interesting to see what he does in Milwaukee tonight.
2) I have no idea WHY JUAN DIXON IS PLAYING HUGE MINUTES. It is completely frustrating to me watching him get dominated defensively, and offering no help on the boards whatsoever. Of course, I will give him some credit, he does have a knack for getting some very clutch strips, but overall its too easy for bigger 2 guards (like Jesus Shuttlesworth) to get good looks off him. I don't know why he is taking so many minute from Mo Pete. Very baffling.
3) Brags is huge, he is developing into THE go to guy from long range for the Raptors. The end of the 4th quarter sequence was unreal yesterday, Ford drives for the tie, Seattle is packed tight, he puts up a soft shot off the glass hoping for a make or a Bosh rebound, Bosh tips it up, Ford races under the hoop to the other side to get the loose ball, then swings it to Bragnani behind the arc, and the Andrea drills the 3 AND 1, for the 2 pt lead. It was like watching the future right now, they are going to be good. Awesome.
4) The Raps got utterly destroyed on the glass yesterday, and I think there were several reasons for it. The Raptors had no answer for Chris Wilcox at all. Bosh was guarding Nick Collison. Wilcox and Petro were playing the 5 for the Sonics, and Rasho and Hump were getting dominated. Mitchell basically gave up trying to find consistent rebounding and put the hottest offensive team he could without sacrificing too much on the defensive end, so the Raptors glass work got worse until OT, when they Andrea and Bosh hit the glass really hard because TJ was on fire on offense. Rebounding is going to be a huge issue for them, if they have to play someone with a big/rugged center. We can only hope for so much from Rasho.
5) Parker looked really good coming off an injury. His stroke from 3 is a little rusty, but everything else looked good. He was awesome on offense yesterday, and he really took Rashard Lewis out of the game in the 4th quarter. He is such a key to Raps perimeter defense, I never thought he was so vital. I think they have a pretty good shot against Milwaukee tonight because Parker should be able to slow down Redd, and contribute enough offensively to let the Raptor bench blow through the likes of Earl Boykins and friends.
Iavoroni the annoited successor? Maybe not....
I just bought "7 seconds or less: The 2005-2006 season with the Suns". This book is suppose to give a pretty candid look at the Suns last year, with the emphasis placed on the coaching interaction. I got the book because the Suns are awesome, and I thought it would be a great look into Colangelo's previous administration (a team that is a title contender, AND has a top 10 pick in this years draft, amazing....) An unexpected development though is that it gives a lot of insight into Mr. Marc Iavoroni. For example, it was noted in the book that Iavoroni is the Sun's defensive assistant, basically, he designs the "limited" defenses that the Suns run for Mike D'Antoni because of D'Antoni's offensive focus. Also, Iavoroni is from the Pat Reily coaching tree ala Jeff and Stan Van Gundy. Now I really don't see Colangelo hiring a defensive coach for the Raptors considering he clearly believes that offense wins basketball games, and not slowing the pace, and pounding out victories. I'll probably have more Iavoroni updates since I am only a quarter of the way through the book.
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