Wednesday, November 25, 2009

The Times They Are A-Changin' In Raptorland...

I doubt I can find one fan declaring this team a is bore to watch. The Raptors have become one exciting bunch. With more ball handlers than ever on this roster, we have such a poignant offense that has some sweet flow.

How exciting is Marco Belinelli to watch? I have mentioned on this blog before, that he could potentially be a solid contributor. From reading about his desire to work hard in the gym to his on-court prevails he is truly hitting his stride. I see resemblances of Manu Ginobli in his game. Especially when he dribbles and cuts in between two defenders or his on-court vision for finding a teammate. We knew this guy could shoot. We knew he could handle the ball. All the kid needed was a chance. His minutes have gone up since Wrights injury and he could be a valuable asset during close games. He has been a good sub in when our offense is stagnant or when we need that little push to get a solid rhythm. He's only 23 years old and he has a lot of upside.

Our defense is showing glimmers of improvement. We're yet to see Reggie Evans on the court in regular season play. I wonder what he can contribute to our lackadaisical defense. I know our rebounding numbers will be higher. But, what about the flow of the game? How will they use Amir Johnson? Will his numbers diminishes? I'd frankly be sorry to see the kid lose playing time. It's still one of the mysteries of this young season. It would however have been nice to have Reggie playing with us against Boston that's coming up in the schedule. He is the perfect fit to go against the Celtics and bang bodies. Inside presence is certainly not our strong point by far.

What do we do with DeRozan? I've heard more chants for a point guard change than a DeRozan for either Wright or Belinelli. Why could we not get Wright in when we play Wade, Carter, Granger or Kobe? Why could we not start Belinelli when we have a match up we can exploit from the start? I'm not sure about the stance they have taken on this starting line-up. Of course I'm no NBA coach nor do I pretend to be. I as a fan don't understand the hard line stance against trying different things. Its glaringly obvious the Rookie is struggling and having some serious growing pains. I personally would love to see either Wright or Belinelli start things off with us. Having another strong shooter in Belinelli to work with could give even more space for Bosh, Hedo and Bargnani. As I've mentioned before, having Wright start could give us a defensive attitude that would help control the pace of the game. This would be especially important during road games where we don't want the Home team to get on a roll and wake the crowd up. I just don't see DeRozan staying in the starting line-up for too much longer. Unless I'm proven wrong. Which I would love to be! They invested their ninth pick and the future of that position in DeRozan. I plain and simple would not want him getting demoralized each and every night.

Cool Hand Luke

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