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Raptor Rant: Old Habits Die Hard

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

A Picture is worth a 1000 words

Just when you thought this team was getting things together on both ends of the floor, they come up with a game like tonight.

The home and home series has been a common occurrence in the NBA schedule this season. The 2nd game is always a tough get. With the Raptors riding a 5 game win streak, this was a trap game and they fell for it.

The team came out firing on offense but failed to stop the Pacers in the 1st half. The Raptors have made a habit of digging a hole and then making adjustments at half time. Tonight was different because the Pacers had game planned for various scenarios. They kept pouring it on to the tune of 42 points in the 3rd quarter and at that point the game was theirs to lose.

I could talk about the wasted offensive night from Bosh (35 points) and Bargnani (Career High, 34 points), or dwell on the fact that 3 of the guards went 1-17 on a night when the team was already playing short handed. Rather, I want to focus on the defensive end. This team has improved significantly in this area over the last 20 games, but old habits reared their ugly heads tonight.

The team was already playing short handed and Jay Triano had to wing it with his substitutions (which by the way seemed very odd tonight). While all this was going on, the team stopped communicating. Help defense was no where to be found, and the Pacers got pretty much anything they wanted in the paint.

I am a big proponent of Andrea Bargnani when it comes to his man defense. Tonight just seemed that he never got his head in the game until it was too late. Roy Hibbert abused him down low and with no communication on the floor there wasn’t anyone coming to help either. Bosh doesn’t have the same strength as Bargnani when it comes to holding guys out of the block but atleast he looked like he was trying.

I know this is just one game. Even though the Raptors gave up 130 points and allowed 7 guys to score in double figures, they can get right back on track with a win against the struggling New Jersey Nets. A good team would make sure to bounce back and make it look like that one loss was an anomaly. This team needs to keep the winning attitude and brush this game off.

One to the next one…

03.02.2010 Raptor Rants 2 Comments

Raptor Rant – 10 in 2010

Saturday, January 2nd, 2010

I may have been gone from here for a bit but that doesn’t mean I abandoned the team. The Raptors have been rolling to the tune of a 5 game win streak. While there have been a lot of positives, fans need to be careful with their expectations going forward. They have improved but all this winning has come against sub par teams. I put together a list of things I want to see happen this year and it goes something like this…

1. Bosh re-signs in Toronto
Raptor fans are used to their stars leaving, let’s hope things turn out differently this time. Chris Bosh is playing out of his mind and with each passing day the fans are growing ulcers from the stress of his departure. There are always the haters who don’t think he is worth it, but if there is one wish I have for the New Year it would be to lock Bosh up for the next 5 years. While he is at it, he may wanna contemplate a haircut.

2. Raptors win a playoff round
2001 was way too long ago. The fans need to let go of Vince Carter and it will only happen once this team gets to the 2nd round. The Bryan Colangelo era has been full of ups and downs but this is the best roster he has put together… its time they prove it.

3. Andrea Bargnani crashes the boards
Andrea is never going to average double digits in rebounds and I have come to terms with that. He has been known to play better in the 2nd half of the year and I would like to see his current average of 6.1 to be upped to 8 by season’s end.

4. Let DeMar Dunk
Not since Vince Carter have the Raptors had a bonafide dunker. Sure there was Jamario but he didn’t have the flair. This kid throws ‘em down with swagger and needs to be dunking on the rims at Jerry’s world in Dallas at the All-Star game. If you want to help him get there, visit the website Let DeMar Dunk and sign the petition.

5. Reggie Evans the player
For the first part of the season, we have gotten to know Reggie Evans the cheerleader. He has been a great presence on the sidelines but it is time he gets himself right and starts earning that paycheck. Amir Johnson has stepped in nicely to do what fans hoped to see from Reggie… but its time. It’s time we stop talking about his attire (crystals on jeans are still a no go for men!) and see him rocking some warmups.

6. Team D
It started off ugly, its gotten better, but they have a long way to go. If this team can come together on the defensive end they will be fighting for home court in the playoffs. Obviously the “protect our house” mantra hasn’t really worked. The house has been robbed clean! Time to switch it up, maybe they should just watch this video over and over and something will seep in.

7. Young Guns
My favorite part of this Raptors team has been the camaraderie between the young guys– Sonny Weems, DeMar DeRozan and Amir Johnson. I have to go way back in memory to remember seeing Raptor players showing pure joy on their faces and loving life the way these guys do. They have anointed Jarrett Jack the grandpa (even though he is 26) and have become a family along the way. Check this video and #freeamir

8. PG Rivalry
With Jose injured and Jack playing well, cue the PG controversy. Raptor fans have been through this before with the whole TJ/Jose thing and it didn’t end well. From my point of view, some healthy competition is a good thing. These two play a very different style and should be able to complement each other rather than make it a negative thing. I hope when Jose returns he is able to slide back into his role. Jack has had enough time to get to know the players which added together will only keep things running smooth for all 48 minutes.

9. Health
The Raptors have gone all season without Reggie Evans, a month with Jose sidelined and Wright is still not RIGHT. They have been lucky compared to what some other teams are going through, but these players are a big part of the plan. With Jose in the game, the offense seems to run smoother. Reggie would bring some much needed help for Bosh on the boards. Antoine is known for the one thing the Raptors lack – defense. Add these three back into the mix and it can only get better!

10. The 6th man in the Stands
Raptor fans had little to cheer for in 2009. The team missed the playoffs last season and played a lackluster style of basketball. The ACC wakes up in the playoffs but fans need to show it in the regular season. Toronto needs to become a tough place to play again and it starts with the fans in the stands… TDOT – STAND UP!

Anything I missed? If you have anything to add, throw it in the comments.

02.01.2010 Raptor Rants 4 Comments

Raptor Rant – Show Me The Money

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

boshmoneyI will not rest until I have you holding a Coke, wearing your own shoe, playing a Sega game *featuring you*, while singing your own song in a new commercial, *starring you*, broadcast during the Superbowl, in a game that you are winning, and I will not sleep until that happens- Jerry Maguire
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We may be in the summer of ‘09, but the speculation over the summer of ‘10 has gone into overdrive. Recently, ESPN had its panelist turn their attention to next off-season when the likes of Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh are set to enter the free agent market. Of the 52 panelist, 49 believe that Bosh will be relocating next summer. I beg to differ…

Chris Bosh will stay… but it will cost “Max Money”
He may be the forgotten man when talking about the class of ‘03, but make no mistake he has always believed he belonged. With the way the CBA is structured, the Raptors maintain leverage in contract negotiations – $$ and length of contract. It was evident from the day he signed the 3 year deal, he was positioning himself to get the most money at the same time leaving the door open to go to a different team. He is still young and not at a point where he is chasing a ring, if anyone thinks money isn’t the driving factor in Bosh’s decision – they are delusional.

As a player who has had a history of knee problems, leaving $30 million on the table would be a huge risk. One bad break and he may never recover that money over the length of his career. The only way he would leave that cash is if he was guaranteed to make it up in endorsement dollars south of the border. With the economic climate unpredictable, and a significant amount of competition from other sports/teams, its highly unlikely that Bosh can be assured to have any major marketing money thrown his way. It doesn’t help that his style of play and position carry a low demand compared to Lebron, Tiger, Kobe, Jeter and Wade.

The option of leaving $30 million (approx.) on the table would only come into play if the team regresses to a point where he loses faith in the direction the team is going. If this is the case the likely destinations mentioned are New York and Miami. Both teams can give him a max contract (albeit less than what the Raptors can), but would be handcuffing the team by doing so.

New York has only 1 max contract available if projections of the luxury tax and salary cap for next season are on point. If that contract goes to Bosh, it means they can’t add Lebron or Wade to play alongside him. What is the lure to go to another struggling team that is essentially in a worse position than his current team? Miami could retain Wade and give Bosh a max contract but it would cripple the team in terms of depth.

Theoretically, it may sound like a good idea for Bosh to try to get in the spotlight, but realistically there are too many factors that make leaving the Raptors illogical at this point in his career.

Is he worth a Max Contract?
Bosh is going to get paid – one way or another. There are only a handful of superstars the rest of the teams have cornerstones. Chris Bosh may not be a 1st team All-NBA, but he is a franchise player who is the face of the Toronto Raptors. When a team is in a position to retain its franchise player, its highly unlikely that they pass on the opportunity.

Bryan Colangelo loosened his collar and went to work this off-season. One can make the case that these drastic changes were made to keep Bosh in Toronto. But, even if Bosh walks, the moves made this summer have left the team in a good position moving forward. The pressure is on Bosh to earn his contract as much as it is on anyone else in Toronto right now.

03.09.2009 Raptor Rants 4 Comments

Raptor Rant: Quick Change

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

I turned to my twitter followers yesterday and asked them to tell me in 140 characters or less, what they think/expect from the new look Raptors.

@raptorshq: A better showing than last year, but without solid defenders and rebounders in the starting five, another first-round exit.
@stackmack: excitement. enthusiasm. passion. intensity. competition. work ethic. unknown adventure. dunking prowess. athleticism. camaraderie. change.
@basketballbuzz: Raps will finish 5 or 6 in the east with a record of 45-37. CB4 all-star again. D is still an issue they will allow over 100pts pts!
@norsktroll: Lets say I’m happy my team isn’t on the hook for $130 million for Hedo, Bargs and Jack :)
@dinonationblog: A break out year for CB4, improved 3 point shooting but a team that will still have challenges on the Boards and D. Playoff team 5th
@altraps: team will not make the playoffs (barely), it will be an injury plagued season, Bosh will be traded in the summer. Raps win 38 games.
@Liston: 6th place. Balanced scoring. Better offensive system. Still allowing easy looks. Bargs still not tough enough. CB4 shines – best yet
@davesenior: I expect lots of talk about transition buckets without seeing any, and even less defense then last year.

Consensus: Mostly Positive

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Since this is my blog I figure I can use a lot more than 140 characters to tell it how I see it!

Going into the off-season it was evident that the product on the floor was not working and needed some repairs. As a man who hates to lose, Bryan Colangelo got to work. He pulled off this transformation in record time, leaving the Toronto Raptors looking they paid a visit to Joan Rivers’s Cosmetic surgeon and settled for the most expensive package – Result: completely unrecognizable!

On cue, I will now break down the Raptors post-surgery…

The Good: You go under the knife because you are unhappy with the way you look. Colangelo did just that with the Raptors, reworking every part of the team that wasn’t doing what it was supposed to. With 13 new faces on the roster from opening night last season, “new look” is a major understatement.

Weakness at the wing? Enter Hedo Turkoglu. Backup PG? Enter Jarrett Jack. Lack of toughness? Enter Reggie Evans. Need some veteran presence? Re-enter Rasho Nesterovic. No Bench? Enter players like Antoine Wright, Marco Belinelli and Amir Johnson.

It’s unclear if Colangelo went into this with a definitive plan but from the way it has gone down the new look Raptors should be vastly improved. With any cosmetic surgery, its all about “expectations”, and the real the result will only be visible once the bandages come off. If everything comes out as expected the team should be a shoo in for a post season appearance.

The Bad: Every type of cosmetic surgery has its healing time before the bandages come off. In the case of the Raptors, a major concern is how long will it take for this team to work out the kinks. With this level of change, I fear the adjustment period will go on longer than most would like. Every position on the team has been modified in some capacity. There are many steps the team will have to take before it the results translate into wins.

Rebounding was an issue in the past but until players settle into their roles and commit to working on crashing the boards, it will remain an issue. Team defense was non-existent, inject 10 new players and its bound to take time for them to get used to where each guy is usually on the floor, meaning there will still be issues with rotations and help defense. To top it off, all this change has to be managed by a rookie coach. He is respected by the few who were on the team last year, but building a relationship and understanding with the new faces is not going to happen overnight.

The fans will need to be patient. If the team tries to take off the bandages prematurely in order to get it rolling – there is a risk of breakdowns later in the season. Optimistic I may be, but a fair amount of growing pains are expected through the first part of the season.

The Ugly: There is always a risk when you opt for surgery and even the best surgeons can slip. Colangelo worked his scalpel to the best of his ability, but there is that chance that when the bandages come off that things don’t quite look like you had pictured them to. The newly constructed team is not immune to freak injuries, locker room issues and so forth. I have complete faith in Bryan Colangelo but one major injury could set this team back a year and a whole lot of $$

With the winds of change blowing through Raptorland, I found it fitting to share one of my favorite halftime shows. What Bryan Colangelo pulled off was almost as mind boggling as these two.

27.08.2009 Raptor Rants 4 Comments

Raptor Rant: Speechless

Thursday, August 20th, 2009

Just as the chatter in Raptorland was dying down from the Amir Johnson / Sonny Weems acquisition, Doug Smith from the Toronto Star dropped this little tidbit. Fans in Toronto have been on a constant high this summer but if Bryan Colangelo does in fact manage to move Marcus Banks, I for one will be setting up shop in front of my newly created shrine…bcshrine

Words of praise from the believers

@gagangandhi I heard it happened, but there’s no footage. Can Bryan Colangelo really walk on water?

@leperdusier If Bryan Colangelo manages to get Matt Carroll (or a basketball) for Marcus Banks, I think we may have to declare another #BryanColangleoDay

@stackmack 9 new faces, 2 new coaches. 1st-year head coach Colangelo does not fear failure, he refuses to stand still w/ disappointment.

@dinonationblog If B.C moves Banks I have a new religion and it is Colangeloism and I suspect many Raps fans will convert.

@allancayenne Colangelo continues to work magic this off season. From now on I will call him Gandalf

@EliteGirlJen Is there anything Bryan Colangelo can’t do? I swear he once made wine from water…

@hoopsaddict If I were a GM and Colangelo was calling I wouldn’t pick up the phone

@the_tigercub If BC rally trades Marcus Banks, I’m gonna get drunk. Hammered. Beat me if you can.

@DeenLen I dreamt last night that Rob Babcock became NBA Commissioner & denied all BC trades, I woke up in the fetal position!

20.08.2009 Raptor Rants 1 Comment

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