So 7 down 1 to go before it really matters. I'm not going to lie, I chose not to watch too far into the fourth quarter. I personally can't bare to see the combination of replacement referee's and players that would never get meaningful time in a meaningful game closing things out. This particular one had a similar feel to a regular season game than the rest have, with both teams tightening their rotations.
So, I think Garnett's knees are alright. Good news for the Celtics. He was running the transition and diving for balls like a new man. They will dominate us throughout the season. I do however think the guys are just dying to beat this team. Garnett knows how to get under an opponents skin during play. He is a ferocious presence and his defensive pressure gets under my skin when I watch him play. They are by far the best team defensively in the entire league. They just shut things down whenever they need to. Any of the Raptors with time on the bench should have a pen and notepad handy to take notes. In the first quarter the Celtics shot 76% from the field. The defense was non-existent. They did however get it together for the next two quarters. It could have gotten quite ugly on the scoreboard.
Hedo Turkoglu had his best game of the preseason. He scored a team high 16points and took in 5rebounds. I really enjoy the game when he is on the court. Although his turnover rate will be high this year, the offense is by far more exciting to watch when he has the ball. Anything can happen while Turkoglu is setting up. His court vision just gives this offense a lot of options. I'm positive he will have much success on the court with any combination of players. He meshes well with any style and draws so much attention whether he has the ball or not.
Well we know Weems should never take a jumper. It is an extremely weak part of his game. I do feel like he could contribute something on the court when things get rolling but it also makes him very easy to cover when you can give him the room to shoot.
Man, do we need Reggie Evans when we play the Celtics this year. We need him to impose his will in the paint. He is the guy that's gonna make the front court rotation of the Celtics work.
Triano has some time to make tweaks and changes to the line-up. I'm sure he has a pretty good idea of how he will use the pieces on this team. It is crucial they hammer down this new defensive strategy. If they keep their heads up during the tough opening month of the season this team has a chance to make some noise.
There isn't much more to say about these guys during preseason play. They play Minnesota on Friday and open the season against the Cavaliers on the 28th. I'm counting down the days until it all matters.
Cool Hand Luke
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Friday, October 16, 2009
Post Game: Rockets 124 Raptors 112 Preseason Oct 15th, 2009
I'm not sure how much more 4th quarter preseason basketball I can take. I may have to turn the game off when the 3rd quarter ends. The Raptors offence is slowly coming together but we have a long way to go. Well, let's take a look at the positives and negatives.
The Positives:
-Bargnani played another aggressive game scoring 16points and getting 5rebounds.
-Another great show of athleticism from both DeRozan and Weems.
-Calderon is getting back to his old habits and that is a good thing.
The Negatives:
-Turkoglu received some more minutes but his defense is sloppy. I'm not sure if he is pacing himself or just gets gassed out, but it looked pretty bad.
-Overall the defense was pretty rough to watch. The preseason air rolled over the game and things became decidedly ugly.
-The team has found some chemistry but has yet to maintain it through 3 quarters of play(no mention of the 4th because it is called mandatory garbage quarter from now on in preseason).
I should give a shout out to Bargnani. I personally haven't always believed he could reach higher levels, mind you he made it very easy not to. Last night was another display of his maturity as a player. He has in my opinion achieved a new sense of confidence that may have been carried over from last season. He plays with a steady aim and his offensive effectiveness has greatly improved. On the defensive end, the rebounding could be better but he is showing signs of toughness while boxing out his opponents on a regular basis. Marco and Andrea both should see playing time on the court together because the chemistry from the national team has obviously spilled over to their NBA game.
Sonny Weems has made quite a case for himself this off season. Talk about a guy taking his career into his own hands and making things happen. If he hasn't done enough in the past 5 games to convince Triano to seriously consider using him in the rotation then I'm not sure what else he can do. It turns out the guy was a steal for the Raptors and eases the question of depth at the small forward position.
How bout a round of applause for Pops Mensah-Bonsu! He had a great game and makes some fans scratch their heads at why we were not able to re-sign him in the off season. There are several factors but it doesn't hurt as much having Evans and Johnson as a replacement. I do believe Bryan Colangelo thinks two moves ahead in his dealings and Pops just would have hindered a couple moves after the fact. I am however glad he has found a home in Houston cause they will need all the help they can get.
I'm not sure if Houston will be playoff bound this year. They lost Artest and signed Ariza. If T-mac comes back healthy and hungry it could make the difference. This is McGrady's final year in his contract. I would seriously be surprised if he was a Rocket next season or is able to demand the kind of money he makes this year. He has been plagued with injuries and I could see him playing a reduced role on a team that's a championship contender. His departure will give Houston 23mill in cap space to sign 1 or more free agents this coming off season. It's a matter of time until it hits the list as another possible destination for Bosh next year(because it's not fathomable whatsoever that he would even consider re-signing here, right?). If they can land a top FA they will be again be a troublesome team in the West. Until then it seems to be their destiny to have a lottary pick due to the competitive playoff seeds in the West
Next game is on Sunday at the ACC against the Celtics. I'm looking forward to seeing more minutes with Turkoglu on the floor. It should be a decent game since they will have some time at home to work on some of the kinks in their game. I'll have a pregame for you in a couple days.
Cool Hand Luke
The Positives:
-Bargnani played another aggressive game scoring 16points and getting 5rebounds.
-Another great show of athleticism from both DeRozan and Weems.
-Calderon is getting back to his old habits and that is a good thing.
The Negatives:
-Turkoglu received some more minutes but his defense is sloppy. I'm not sure if he is pacing himself or just gets gassed out, but it looked pretty bad.
-Overall the defense was pretty rough to watch. The preseason air rolled over the game and things became decidedly ugly.
-The team has found some chemistry but has yet to maintain it through 3 quarters of play(no mention of the 4th because it is called mandatory garbage quarter from now on in preseason).
I should give a shout out to Bargnani. I personally haven't always believed he could reach higher levels, mind you he made it very easy not to. Last night was another display of his maturity as a player. He has in my opinion achieved a new sense of confidence that may have been carried over from last season. He plays with a steady aim and his offensive effectiveness has greatly improved. On the defensive end, the rebounding could be better but he is showing signs of toughness while boxing out his opponents on a regular basis. Marco and Andrea both should see playing time on the court together because the chemistry from the national team has obviously spilled over to their NBA game.
Sonny Weems has made quite a case for himself this off season. Talk about a guy taking his career into his own hands and making things happen. If he hasn't done enough in the past 5 games to convince Triano to seriously consider using him in the rotation then I'm not sure what else he can do. It turns out the guy was a steal for the Raptors and eases the question of depth at the small forward position.
How bout a round of applause for Pops Mensah-Bonsu! He had a great game and makes some fans scratch their heads at why we were not able to re-sign him in the off season. There are several factors but it doesn't hurt as much having Evans and Johnson as a replacement. I do believe Bryan Colangelo thinks two moves ahead in his dealings and Pops just would have hindered a couple moves after the fact. I am however glad he has found a home in Houston cause they will need all the help they can get.
I'm not sure if Houston will be playoff bound this year. They lost Artest and signed Ariza. If T-mac comes back healthy and hungry it could make the difference. This is McGrady's final year in his contract. I would seriously be surprised if he was a Rocket next season or is able to demand the kind of money he makes this year. He has been plagued with injuries and I could see him playing a reduced role on a team that's a championship contender. His departure will give Houston 23mill in cap space to sign 1 or more free agents this coming off season. It's a matter of time until it hits the list as another possible destination for Bosh next year(because it's not fathomable whatsoever that he would even consider re-signing here, right?). If they can land a top FA they will be again be a troublesome team in the West. Until then it seems to be their destiny to have a lottary pick due to the competitive playoff seeds in the West
Next game is on Sunday at the ACC against the Celtics. I'm looking forward to seeing more minutes with Turkoglu on the floor. It should be a decent game since they will have some time at home to work on some of the kinks in their game. I'll have a pregame for you in a couple days.
Cool Hand Luke
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Pregame: Rockets vs. Raptors @ The ACC Oct 15th, 2009
No pregame for today's matchup...(update) and no Reggie Evans for the remainder of preseason play. He will be out with a left mid-foot sprain (via Doug Smith). Expect a full detailed post for after the game!
Again, it's on Raptors TV at 7pm.
Cool Hand Luke
Again, it's on Raptors TV at 7pm.
Cool Hand Luke
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Post Game Raptors 90 Celtic 106 Oct 14th, 2009
We got our first glimpse of the true starting 5 tonight in Hartford. Turkoglu started the game with limited minutes and had a relatively quiet night. The game had a a few interesting moments and then fizzled away into preseason oblivion. Some Positives and Negatives perhaps?
The Positives
-Bargnani played a tough game against Kendrick Perkins. The two of them tangled up quite a bit and Bargnani came away with 7rebounds for the night which was a preseason high.
-Bosh was on fire in the first half and ended the night with 21points in 27min played.
-The point guard play was decent with Jack and Calderon leading.
The Negatives
-Evans left the game after he rolled his ankle.
-They lost the battle on the boards with 32 points against the Celtics 44.
-Belinelli had limited minutes now that DeRozan slides back to the two. He was a non-factor in this game.
It was a game of experimentation for the Raptors with Turkoglu joining the line-up. He ran the point with Calderon and got a lot of touches during his time on the court. He made a few plays and passes the ball very. I'm looking forward to seeing him get extended minutes because he looked pretty good for not having played in a month and a half.
Bargnani had a small but entertaining battle under the basket with Kendrick Perkins. His experience showed and was he was not easily intimidated.
Next up is Houston tomorrow night at the ACC. It will be on Raptors TV.
Cool Hand Luke
The Positives
-Bargnani played a tough game against Kendrick Perkins. The two of them tangled up quite a bit and Bargnani came away with 7rebounds for the night which was a preseason high.
-Bosh was on fire in the first half and ended the night with 21points in 27min played.
-The point guard play was decent with Jack and Calderon leading.
The Negatives
-Evans left the game after he rolled his ankle.
-They lost the battle on the boards with 32 points against the Celtics 44.
-Belinelli had limited minutes now that DeRozan slides back to the two. He was a non-factor in this game.
It was a game of experimentation for the Raptors with Turkoglu joining the line-up. He ran the point with Calderon and got a lot of touches during his time on the court. He made a few plays and passes the ball very. I'm looking forward to seeing him get extended minutes because he looked pretty good for not having played in a month and a half.
Bargnani had a small but entertaining battle under the basket with Kendrick Perkins. His experience showed and was he was not easily intimidated.
Next up is Houston tomorrow night at the ACC. It will be on Raptors TV.
Cool Hand Luke
Pregame: Raptors @ Celtics Preseason in Hartford.....Hartford? Oct 14th, 2009
We are back for another preseason shindig between the Raptors and the Celtics tonight. This is a first of a back-to-back for the Raptors who will be facing Houston tomorrow night at the ACC. Tonight's game will mark the first time we will see the full starting line-up that includes our biggest off season acquisition Hedo Turkoglu. That means the line-up tonight will be Calderon, DeRozan, Turkoglu, Bosh and Bargnani. How bout some keys...
-Turkoglu being a rare talent at his size that can dribble and pass so well will definitely get a lot of handles running the offense. It will be important to get him involved as much as they can during his limited minutes.
-Bosh needs to get his minutes because as we approach the start of the season he needs to have the gas to play 38-40 minutes a night.
-This should be a true test for our front court as our opponents will be Garnett, Big Baby Davis and Kendrick Perkins. Rasheed Wallace will most likely sit out the night.
-Rajon Rondo is by far one of the quickest point guards in the league. I don't expect much from Calderon in regards to stopping him but they need to implement their defensive strategy of cutting off lanes and working on their help defense.
The Boston Celtics are regarded as one of the favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in the finals. I personally disagree. Their big move this summer was the addition of veteran Rasheed Wallace. He is aging and his skills are declining. Sure, he makes them stronger but I don't think it will make a significant difference. Especially when you compare it to Orlando acquiring Carter, Cleveland getting Shaq, L.A. switching Ariza for Artest and San Antonio stealing Jefferson from the Bucks. If you look at that list of acquisitions you'd have to rank Boston last in significance. Boston is an elite team. They won the championship two season's ago and I don't see them having the same will power as Cleveland or Orlando in the post season.
This will be a tough match-up all around for the Raptors. They will struggle with this team all year. It seems every time they play Boston they stay competitive until a defensive breakdown at the end of the game. Boston is a defense first type of team. This doesn't mean they don't have the offensive firepower at the other end. It strictly means that offense will keep you competitive but defense will win you the game. The Raptors could learn allot from the Celtics. Jay Triano has implemented a new strategy that will close off the lanes and force up shots. It makes complete sense for this team. No one on this roster is an exceptional defensive player. This will help with the dribble penetration that we suffer from every game. It will also get guys like Calderon some help after Rondo blows by.
The players that have impressed me so far have been Evans, Belinelli and Johnson. All three have specific attitudes on the court which rub off on their teammates. The offense flows much better when Belinelli is on the court. The team plays intensely when Evans is working and Johnson brings an athleticism that inspires the guys around him. They will only get better as time passes. I'm certain this is the tip of the iceberg we are seeing. But, it will all be in vein if we cannot hold it down defensively, which would be a shame.
Turkoglu creates interesting arguments around the league. Was he an integral part of Orlando's offence or was he the benefactor of Dwight Howards presence on the court? Will Orlando regret not resigning him or will their trade for Carter go down as the winning move? Turkoglu having backed out of a deal with Portland at the last minute and signing with Toronto raised some eyebrows. There was an initial deal on the table but Bryan Colangelo moved quickly to secure Turkoglu's flight into Toronto. Otis Smith commented on the dealings as Portland's gain by not signing him. He(Otis) and many sports writers belive Turkoglu is over hyped and was over paid by Toronto. At 30 years old and with a contract of 5 years guaranteed we as Toronto fans would hope that he is not. I think Otis Smith was a little frustrated that Turkoglu exercised his option. The facts are pretty simple. Turkoglu was the only consistent player on that team in last year's playoff run. Jameer Nelson was out with an injury and at critical moments Turkoglu was running the offense. Turkoglu may not be regarded as an all-star but he can thrive on this team as a solid 2nd or 3rd option on the court. He is also a great clutch shooter at the end of games which is a role that has needed to be filled ever since Carter was shipped out. The issue here is whether he can gel with Bosh and Bargnani. There is a worry that Turkoglu and Bargnani will clog the perimeter and stagnate the offense. Basically, Turkoglu creates match up problems because he can dribble. They will use that aspect of his game the most. With the dribble penetration he will create the space needed for Bosh and Bargnani to operate. He is also an adept passer and and has great court vision. I could also see him working well with the likes of Belinelli and Calderon. It is a matter of trial and error. They will use what works and discard the plays that don't. Jay Triano wants the ball to move and have a flow in his offense. Turkoglu could provide that. It is all speculative but our questions will be answered very soon.
This is a non televised game but you can catch the live blog from Doug Smith here.
Join me for a post-game analysis tonight.
Cool Hand Luke
-Turkoglu being a rare talent at his size that can dribble and pass so well will definitely get a lot of handles running the offense. It will be important to get him involved as much as they can during his limited minutes.
-Bosh needs to get his minutes because as we approach the start of the season he needs to have the gas to play 38-40 minutes a night.
-This should be a true test for our front court as our opponents will be Garnett, Big Baby Davis and Kendrick Perkins. Rasheed Wallace will most likely sit out the night.
-Rajon Rondo is by far one of the quickest point guards in the league. I don't expect much from Calderon in regards to stopping him but they need to implement their defensive strategy of cutting off lanes and working on their help defense.
The Boston Celtics are regarded as one of the favorites to represent the Eastern Conference in the finals. I personally disagree. Their big move this summer was the addition of veteran Rasheed Wallace. He is aging and his skills are declining. Sure, he makes them stronger but I don't think it will make a significant difference. Especially when you compare it to Orlando acquiring Carter, Cleveland getting Shaq, L.A. switching Ariza for Artest and San Antonio stealing Jefferson from the Bucks. If you look at that list of acquisitions you'd have to rank Boston last in significance. Boston is an elite team. They won the championship two season's ago and I don't see them having the same will power as Cleveland or Orlando in the post season.
This will be a tough match-up all around for the Raptors. They will struggle with this team all year. It seems every time they play Boston they stay competitive until a defensive breakdown at the end of the game. Boston is a defense first type of team. This doesn't mean they don't have the offensive firepower at the other end. It strictly means that offense will keep you competitive but defense will win you the game. The Raptors could learn allot from the Celtics. Jay Triano has implemented a new strategy that will close off the lanes and force up shots. It makes complete sense for this team. No one on this roster is an exceptional defensive player. This will help with the dribble penetration that we suffer from every game. It will also get guys like Calderon some help after Rondo blows by.
The players that have impressed me so far have been Evans, Belinelli and Johnson. All three have specific attitudes on the court which rub off on their teammates. The offense flows much better when Belinelli is on the court. The team plays intensely when Evans is working and Johnson brings an athleticism that inspires the guys around him. They will only get better as time passes. I'm certain this is the tip of the iceberg we are seeing. But, it will all be in vein if we cannot hold it down defensively, which would be a shame.
Turkoglu creates interesting arguments around the league. Was he an integral part of Orlando's offence or was he the benefactor of Dwight Howards presence on the court? Will Orlando regret not resigning him or will their trade for Carter go down as the winning move? Turkoglu having backed out of a deal with Portland at the last minute and signing with Toronto raised some eyebrows. There was an initial deal on the table but Bryan Colangelo moved quickly to secure Turkoglu's flight into Toronto. Otis Smith commented on the dealings as Portland's gain by not signing him. He(Otis) and many sports writers belive Turkoglu is over hyped and was over paid by Toronto. At 30 years old and with a contract of 5 years guaranteed we as Toronto fans would hope that he is not. I think Otis Smith was a little frustrated that Turkoglu exercised his option. The facts are pretty simple. Turkoglu was the only consistent player on that team in last year's playoff run. Jameer Nelson was out with an injury and at critical moments Turkoglu was running the offense. Turkoglu may not be regarded as an all-star but he can thrive on this team as a solid 2nd or 3rd option on the court. He is also a great clutch shooter at the end of games which is a role that has needed to be filled ever since Carter was shipped out. The issue here is whether he can gel with Bosh and Bargnani. There is a worry that Turkoglu and Bargnani will clog the perimeter and stagnate the offense. Basically, Turkoglu creates match up problems because he can dribble. They will use that aspect of his game the most. With the dribble penetration he will create the space needed for Bosh and Bargnani to operate. He is also an adept passer and and has great court vision. I could also see him working well with the likes of Belinelli and Calderon. It is a matter of trial and error. They will use what works and discard the plays that don't. Jay Triano wants the ball to move and have a flow in his offense. Turkoglu could provide that. It is all speculative but our questions will be answered very soon.
This is a non televised game but you can catch the live blog from Doug Smith here.
Join me for a post-game analysis tonight.
Cool Hand Luke
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Post Game: Wizards 93 Raptors 100 Oct 11th, 2009
Did you miss them? Being without a broadcast, it was sort of difficult to asses what the heck happened in Minnesota. Fortunately for us die hard fans salivating for preseason action we were in luck, as the game was played live on Raps TV. The Raptors pulled out the win and some players that have struggled here and there impressed me this afternoon. Some positives and negatives...
The Positives:
-Belinelli had a fine offensive game contributing 15points 5assists and 4rebounds. He keeps that up and I think I will be wholly satisfied.
-Something clicked inside DeRozan's head and he looked great on both sides of the court. He also had a team high 19points.
-Amir Johnson is just a young and hungry player. He had a game high 12rebounds and on top of that blocked 3 shots.
-There was more calm at the point with both Calderon and Jack having steady games. Calderon fending off Arenas in the first half. Jack leading the bench and leading it well in the 2nd half.
-They finally out rebounded their opponents 49-41
The Negatives:
-The y finished with 100points but their their field goal percentage was a weak 38%.
-The biggest gaping hole on this team is that it just cannot defend the dribble penetration whatsoever. I know Wright is missing from the line up as I type this but he is only one man. They need to figure out there defensive schematics to stop this because it will kill them this year.
-they shot the 3 ball horribly with 1-12 on the day.
It was a youth full revolt today at the ACC. With DeRozan, Belinelli and Johnson taking charge. Bosh and Bargnani had a rather quiet night and the three young players stepped up and took over.
DeRozan does not mind a bit of contact. Driving in and taking the hit from NBA bodies probably wouldn't be the first thing a Rookie would want to be doing. But, DeRozan doesn't mind and it helped him get to the line and shoot 9/10 at the free throw line. This kid likes to work on his game and it is truly showing. Out of the top 10 draft picks from this years crop you wouldn't have to argue him into the top 5 of best performance so far. If you disagree take a look at the 2 minute mark in the 4th quarter. Need I say more?
We have needed someone on this team to step up and help with point production at the 2 spot on a consistent level. The past 2 years we have seen the likes of Parker, Moon, Delfino and Kapono try and fail. I think from what I have taken in the past few games, Belinelli has more talent and is more well rounded than all 4 of those players(disregarding Anthony Parker's first year with us). I'm not saying he is the second coming of Del Curry or Doug Christie. I am not saying he has a Manu Ginobli type ceiling. What I am saying is this kid is with an organisation that is supportive and a fan of his talent. He fits very well with this teams roster and system. He has compatriots in Bargnani and Gherardini. Colangelo thinks he has 6th man of the year potential(let's not get too out of hand here). Browsing the Internet you read the words streaky, weak defense, can play the point. Doesn't sound exciting. This is a win win situation and it is all up to him. It's the pivotal moment in his career where all the cards have fallen into place and it is the time to make it or break it. This team has potential to be exciting and he needs to fit that format as well. 12-15points on average would be more than enough per game and he is young enough to mold into a better defensive presence.
The Toronto Raptors 2009 season will be determined by their defensive ability. If they don't patch up the weaknesses and commit to a defense first attitude like the Celtics there is no way they will make the noise that some fans are hoping for this season. It's easy to predict a playoff birth but getting past the first round will be nearly impossibleif attitudes don't change. The perimeter needs to be locked down tighter than a Casino floor. They have the tools in Marc Iavroni being a defensive specialist. The solid front court rotation of Rasho, Evans, Amir and a steady veteran who has had a life in this league due to his defensive prowess, Antoine Wright were all brought in. These are all stepping stones. Calderon, Bargnani and Turkoglu need to buy into the defensive system the coaches have designed if they want to succeed.
I believe this team's bench can match up well against most if not all benches in the east. Jack is the perfect point guard for our bench players. He runs the court with such calm and ease. Our guys would have a tough time letting the game get out of control(as it usually has when the starters aren't on the court) with Jack at the helm.
The Raptors have been written off this year by a load of sports writer's(cough, cough John Hollinger, cough) and TV personalities. This team has had it's highs and lows. This is potentially the most talented group assembled yet. They need to out perform out hustle and out shine as much as possible. They need to stand up during tough losses and take charge coming out of the gate in the next. We are 17 day's away from the Cavaliers stepping onto our home court. November will be a grind and could set the pace for the season.
Next up we have a game against Boston at a neutral site. It'll be interesting to see the big three in action. Check back on Wednesday for the pregame post.
Cool Hand Luke
The Positives:
-Belinelli had a fine offensive game contributing 15points 5assists and 4rebounds. He keeps that up and I think I will be wholly satisfied.
-Something clicked inside DeRozan's head and he looked great on both sides of the court. He also had a team high 19points.
-Amir Johnson is just a young and hungry player. He had a game high 12rebounds and on top of that blocked 3 shots.
-There was more calm at the point with both Calderon and Jack having steady games. Calderon fending off Arenas in the first half. Jack leading the bench and leading it well in the 2nd half.
-They finally out rebounded their opponents 49-41
The Negatives:
-The y finished with 100points but their their field goal percentage was a weak 38%.
-The biggest gaping hole on this team is that it just cannot defend the dribble penetration whatsoever. I know Wright is missing from the line up as I type this but he is only one man. They need to figure out there defensive schematics to stop this because it will kill them this year.
-they shot the 3 ball horribly with 1-12 on the day.
It was a youth full revolt today at the ACC. With DeRozan, Belinelli and Johnson taking charge. Bosh and Bargnani had a rather quiet night and the three young players stepped up and took over.
DeRozan does not mind a bit of contact. Driving in and taking the hit from NBA bodies probably wouldn't be the first thing a Rookie would want to be doing. But, DeRozan doesn't mind and it helped him get to the line and shoot 9/10 at the free throw line. This kid likes to work on his game and it is truly showing. Out of the top 10 draft picks from this years crop you wouldn't have to argue him into the top 5 of best performance so far. If you disagree take a look at the 2 minute mark in the 4th quarter. Need I say more?
We have needed someone on this team to step up and help with point production at the 2 spot on a consistent level. The past 2 years we have seen the likes of Parker, Moon, Delfino and Kapono try and fail. I think from what I have taken in the past few games, Belinelli has more talent and is more well rounded than all 4 of those players(disregarding Anthony Parker's first year with us). I'm not saying he is the second coming of Del Curry or Doug Christie. I am not saying he has a Manu Ginobli type ceiling. What I am saying is this kid is with an organisation that is supportive and a fan of his talent. He fits very well with this teams roster and system. He has compatriots in Bargnani and Gherardini. Colangelo thinks he has 6th man of the year potential(let's not get too out of hand here). Browsing the Internet you read the words streaky, weak defense, can play the point. Doesn't sound exciting. This is a win win situation and it is all up to him. It's the pivotal moment in his career where all the cards have fallen into place and it is the time to make it or break it. This team has potential to be exciting and he needs to fit that format as well. 12-15points on average would be more than enough per game and he is young enough to mold into a better defensive presence.
The Toronto Raptors 2009 season will be determined by their defensive ability. If they don't patch up the weaknesses and commit to a defense first attitude like the Celtics there is no way they will make the noise that some fans are hoping for this season. It's easy to predict a playoff birth but getting past the first round will be nearly impossibleif attitudes don't change. The perimeter needs to be locked down tighter than a Casino floor. They have the tools in Marc Iavroni being a defensive specialist. The solid front court rotation of Rasho, Evans, Amir and a steady veteran who has had a life in this league due to his defensive prowess, Antoine Wright were all brought in. These are all stepping stones. Calderon, Bargnani and Turkoglu need to buy into the defensive system the coaches have designed if they want to succeed.
I believe this team's bench can match up well against most if not all benches in the east. Jack is the perfect point guard for our bench players. He runs the court with such calm and ease. Our guys would have a tough time letting the game get out of control(as it usually has when the starters aren't on the court) with Jack at the helm.
The Raptors have been written off this year by a load of sports writer's(cough, cough John Hollinger, cough) and TV personalities. This team has had it's highs and lows. This is potentially the most talented group assembled yet. They need to out perform out hustle and out shine as much as possible. They need to stand up during tough losses and take charge coming out of the gate in the next. We are 17 day's away from the Cavaliers stepping onto our home court. November will be a grind and could set the pace for the season.
Next up we have a game against Boston at a neutral site. It'll be interesting to see the big three in action. Check back on Wednesday for the pregame post.
Cool Hand Luke
Pregame: Wizards @ Raptors Oct 11th, 2009
Quick pregame post for everyone today.
Keys to the game:
-keep the offense rolling
-stay cool on defense
-contain their starters
-out rebounded last 3 games. We need to step it up.
It will be interesting to see Gilbert Arenas back on the floor. Will he be the Gilbert Arenas of old? How will Flip Saunders guide this team?
The Raptors are at home and coming off a strong performance. The fans who were thrown off by the lack of coverage of the game will be happy to know this one is being broadcast on Raptors TV at 3pm. This was a short post but I will have a Post-game report later today. This one was short but it is Thanksgiving now.
Enjoy the game folks and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Cool Hand Luke
Keys to the game:
-keep the offense rolling
-stay cool on defense
-contain their starters
-out rebounded last 3 games. We need to step it up.
It will be interesting to see Gilbert Arenas back on the floor. Will he be the Gilbert Arenas of old? How will Flip Saunders guide this team?
The Raptors are at home and coming off a strong performance. The fans who were thrown off by the lack of coverage of the game will be happy to know this one is being broadcast on Raptors TV at 3pm. This was a short post but I will have a Post-game report later today. This one was short but it is Thanksgiving now.
Enjoy the game folks and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Cool Hand Luke
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Post-Game: Raptors 112 vs. Timberwolves 97 Oct 9th, 2009
Having not watched a TV or radio broadcast nor having been in Minnesota to casually attend last nights game, I will try and put together from whatever evidence I can gather an idea of what the heck happened last night! How bout some pros and cons?
The Positives:
-hot off the presses we won the game!! The season is not lost and all that jazz....
-Bosh according to Doug Smith looked strong, agile and gave much needed presence in the post. He also gassed after 8minutes which is not surprising as it was his first run around with semi-real opponents.
-Bargnani had another dominant scoring game with 21points.
-5 players were in double digits for points. Much more support on the offensive end for sure.
-Evans with limited minutes coming off the bench still produced 11points and 5rebounds
The Negatives:
-another bad night at the free throw line with 61.8% made free throws
-according to Doug Smith, Belinelli is a streaky shooter. It also seems he may be a turnover machine.
-we won the game but lost the rebounding war with 36 total rebounds against 45 for the T-Wolves.
The Timberwolves have young talented players but I don't see them giving us too much trouble(barring injuries of course) in the regular season. They just don't have a deep enough bench to be competitive. I think Ramon Sessions was a much needed pick-up this off season and it will take a lot of pressure off of Flynn and fill the void of a certain Spanish point guard not named Jose Calderon.
Chris Bosh at this time is the face of this Franchise. The success we will attain this season rests sorely on his shoulders. Sure, there are other factors that may impede that success, but I think they were taken care of this off season. There is ease with a much deeper bench. The toughness factor has been addressed (which I will get to further on) and the athleticism on the wings may not be an issue anymore. But it all still boils down to the 4 time all star, Olympic gold medalist and 20/10 contributor having another successful all-star caliber season.
I think both Bosh and Jay Triano have a good working relationship. They have worked together during the coaching tenures of Kevin O'Neil and Sam Mitchell. Now that Jay is in charge, it will be interesting to see how Bosh thrives and grows under his system. They both seem to have a calm and collected demeanor mirrored by a fire and intensity that breaks through in tense situations. Sam Mitchell had a very dominating personality and from reports I've read he was an in your face kind of guy(which in some cases isn't a bad thing). Jay seems to be the type of coach that is a strong listener and communicator. Through interviews and articles one can easily determine that he is a man with deep knowledge of the game. I think having those qualities will make it easier for a strong respectful working relationship.
I'm not sure if I can run out of good things to say about Reggie Evans. This game was more an example of how he will be used this season. He is our go to big man off the bench. He is an intimidating presence on and off the court. For example, during a moment in the game Flynn being covered by Douby, you could hear Reggie on the bench dogging Flynn for trying to do too much and taking the intensity away from him(via Doug Smith).
Amir Johnson may not need a mask this Halloween anymore. That's 2 cuts out of 3 games that have have required stitches. He never had much of an impact last night and received 4 fouls in 12 minutes of play.
Triano gave Calderon a break tonight and primarily used Jarret Jack at the point. He was not impressive on the stat line for 28 minutes. According to the podcast from Raptors Republic he looked more like a back-up point guard than the other two nights. So, no starting point guard drama yet.
I have no problem with Marco Belinelli struggling a little in preseason. If he doesn't turn out to be a solid contributor there is nothing we have lost. We gave up Devaen George to get him. Now, I may lose my membership card to the Devaen George fan club but we acquired potential for absolutely nothing. He has to be more controlled on offense and play a little more conservative on defense from what I have seen so far. I think factoring in his limited playing time with Golden State and the lack of support he received from Don Nelson, the guy deserves another chance. It definitely came at the right time in his career. He is 23 years old and knows the opportunity ahead of him. It really comes down to consistency and showing up to play each and every game.
Next game is at the ACC on Sunday @ 3pm Raptors take on the Wizard. Look for the pregame post in the morning.
Cool Hand Luke
The Positives:
-hot off the presses we won the game!! The season is not lost and all that jazz....
-Bosh according to Doug Smith looked strong, agile and gave much needed presence in the post. He also gassed after 8minutes which is not surprising as it was his first run around with semi-real opponents.
-Bargnani had another dominant scoring game with 21points.
-5 players were in double digits for points. Much more support on the offensive end for sure.
-Evans with limited minutes coming off the bench still produced 11points and 5rebounds
The Negatives:
-another bad night at the free throw line with 61.8% made free throws
-according to Doug Smith, Belinelli is a streaky shooter. It also seems he may be a turnover machine.
-we won the game but lost the rebounding war with 36 total rebounds against 45 for the T-Wolves.
The Timberwolves have young talented players but I don't see them giving us too much trouble(barring injuries of course) in the regular season. They just don't have a deep enough bench to be competitive. I think Ramon Sessions was a much needed pick-up this off season and it will take a lot of pressure off of Flynn and fill the void of a certain Spanish point guard not named Jose Calderon.
Chris Bosh at this time is the face of this Franchise. The success we will attain this season rests sorely on his shoulders. Sure, there are other factors that may impede that success, but I think they were taken care of this off season. There is ease with a much deeper bench. The toughness factor has been addressed (which I will get to further on) and the athleticism on the wings may not be an issue anymore. But it all still boils down to the 4 time all star, Olympic gold medalist and 20/10 contributor having another successful all-star caliber season.
I think both Bosh and Jay Triano have a good working relationship. They have worked together during the coaching tenures of Kevin O'Neil and Sam Mitchell. Now that Jay is in charge, it will be interesting to see how Bosh thrives and grows under his system. They both seem to have a calm and collected demeanor mirrored by a fire and intensity that breaks through in tense situations. Sam Mitchell had a very dominating personality and from reports I've read he was an in your face kind of guy(which in some cases isn't a bad thing). Jay seems to be the type of coach that is a strong listener and communicator. Through interviews and articles one can easily determine that he is a man with deep knowledge of the game. I think having those qualities will make it easier for a strong respectful working relationship.
I'm not sure if I can run out of good things to say about Reggie Evans. This game was more an example of how he will be used this season. He is our go to big man off the bench. He is an intimidating presence on and off the court. For example, during a moment in the game Flynn being covered by Douby, you could hear Reggie on the bench dogging Flynn for trying to do too much and taking the intensity away from him(via Doug Smith).
Amir Johnson may not need a mask this Halloween anymore. That's 2 cuts out of 3 games that have have required stitches. He never had much of an impact last night and received 4 fouls in 12 minutes of play.
Triano gave Calderon a break tonight and primarily used Jarret Jack at the point. He was not impressive on the stat line for 28 minutes. According to the podcast from Raptors Republic he looked more like a back-up point guard than the other two nights. So, no starting point guard drama yet.
I have no problem with Marco Belinelli struggling a little in preseason. If he doesn't turn out to be a solid contributor there is nothing we have lost. We gave up Devaen George to get him. Now, I may lose my membership card to the Devaen George fan club but we acquired potential for absolutely nothing. He has to be more controlled on offense and play a little more conservative on defense from what I have seen so far. I think factoring in his limited playing time with Golden State and the lack of support he received from Don Nelson, the guy deserves another chance. It definitely came at the right time in his career. He is 23 years old and knows the opportunity ahead of him. It really comes down to consistency and showing up to play each and every game.
Next game is at the ACC on Sunday @ 3pm Raptors take on the Wizard. Look for the pregame post in the morning.
Cool Hand Luke
Friday, October 9, 2009
Pregame: Raptors @ Minnesota 7pm Oct 9th, 2009
Hello everyone! Glad you could be here. We've got another hotly anticipated preseason game to cover(just a hint of sarcasm) so let's get to it. A quick reminder for anyone looking for some sort of broadcast whether radio or TV! There is none. The only way to stay in touch is to either have a ticket for the game, check the NBA.com box scores or check out Doug Smith's live blog. He will have something up later this evening. The line up for tonight will most likely be Calderon, Belinelli, DeRozan, Bosh & Bargnani. How about some keys to the game:
-Bosh will be suited up and playing some minutes tonight. Get him going early and get him out early. I expect his minutes to be limited and short.
-Calderon will be facing off against Johnny Flynn who even though is a rookie will be a handful.
He should set the precedent early and show the rookie what the NBA is all about
-Let's hope Bargnani gobbles up more than 3rebounds tonight. It will be a true test because both Kevin Love and Al Jefferson are rebounding machines. He will have his work cut out.
Will Reggie Evans come off the bench with the same intensity and rigor? I definitely would not bet against it. Look for him to come in early and bring that Evans energy.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been in the news this summer mainly due to the Ricky Rubio fiasco. They picked up Rubio in the draft so they could get their attendance up. This hasn't quite panned out for David Kahn and he may use Rubio's rights as trade bait in the future.
They picked up Ramon Sessions from the Bucks as insurance and have a young team with lots of talent. They have a new coach in Kurt Rambis and are moving in a new direction.
The big question will be Al Jefferson's knee. Will it hold up after surgery? He was producing all-star calibre numbers before he went down and needs to get back to that level if this team is to have any chance of being competitive. Kevin Love has been a great draft pick up for this franchise and can consistently get double doubles each and every night. Look for him to make some serious noise in the league this season. He has a bright future ahead.
The Raptors should be able to keep up with this team quite easily. Both teams have a few new players and will be adjusting offensive sets. This will be a great opportunity to get the likes of Belinelli and DeRozan involved even more into the offense.
Jay Triano wants to keep the opponents defense on their heels. Look for him to be pushing the guys up the court in transitional play. This game will be another sloppy affair but they should look more and more comfortable with each other as time goes on. As I have noted before, these games count as much as summer league, d-league and grandma's league put together so don't fret if things are looking bad e.g. Calderon's defense.
It will be very interesting to see the full starting line up of Bargnani, Bosh, Turkogly, DeRozan and Calderon at some point this off season. Turkoglu is still resting and participated in some speedy drills during practice. He may suit up at the end of next week. Wright will stay behind this trip and continue to nurse his sore knees.
Enjoy watching the box score tonight if you have that kind of patience. I will be at the live blog and I will try to put some sort of idea about what happened together for after the game.
At least you have baseball playoffs. Am I right?
Cool Hand Luke
-Bosh will be suited up and playing some minutes tonight. Get him going early and get him out early. I expect his minutes to be limited and short.
-Calderon will be facing off against Johnny Flynn who even though is a rookie will be a handful.
He should set the precedent early and show the rookie what the NBA is all about
-Let's hope Bargnani gobbles up more than 3rebounds tonight. It will be a true test because both Kevin Love and Al Jefferson are rebounding machines. He will have his work cut out.
Will Reggie Evans come off the bench with the same intensity and rigor? I definitely would not bet against it. Look for him to come in early and bring that Evans energy.
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been in the news this summer mainly due to the Ricky Rubio fiasco. They picked up Rubio in the draft so they could get their attendance up. This hasn't quite panned out for David Kahn and he may use Rubio's rights as trade bait in the future.
They picked up Ramon Sessions from the Bucks as insurance and have a young team with lots of talent. They have a new coach in Kurt Rambis and are moving in a new direction.
The big question will be Al Jefferson's knee. Will it hold up after surgery? He was producing all-star calibre numbers before he went down and needs to get back to that level if this team is to have any chance of being competitive. Kevin Love has been a great draft pick up for this franchise and can consistently get double doubles each and every night. Look for him to make some serious noise in the league this season. He has a bright future ahead.
The Raptors should be able to keep up with this team quite easily. Both teams have a few new players and will be adjusting offensive sets. This will be a great opportunity to get the likes of Belinelli and DeRozan involved even more into the offense.
Jay Triano wants to keep the opponents defense on their heels. Look for him to be pushing the guys up the court in transitional play. This game will be another sloppy affair but they should look more and more comfortable with each other as time goes on. As I have noted before, these games count as much as summer league, d-league and grandma's league put together so don't fret if things are looking bad e.g. Calderon's defense.
It will be very interesting to see the full starting line up of Bargnani, Bosh, Turkogly, DeRozan and Calderon at some point this off season. Turkoglu is still resting and participated in some speedy drills during practice. He may suit up at the end of next week. Wright will stay behind this trip and continue to nurse his sore knees.
Enjoy watching the box score tonight if you have that kind of patience. I will be at the live blog and I will try to put some sort of idea about what happened together for after the game.
At least you have baseball playoffs. Am I right?
Cool Hand Luke
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Post Game: Sixers 84 Raptors 79 @ the ACC Oct 7th '09
Another preseason game in the books, the Raptors finishing a back to back series with the 76ers. They looked much better tonight but still have a ways to go both on offense and defense. Let's look at the good and the bad.
Positives:
-the defense held the Sixers to 49 first half points instead of 69 in their previous affair
-a solid offensive effort from Belinelli and Weems. Both players had 12points each and could see a lot of playing time if they can keep up a high scoring average
-they contained Louis Williams much better and held him to 8points 1assist
-another energetic night for Reggie Evans with 9points and 9rebounds
-turnovers were a lot less with 17
Negatives:
-they may have held Philadelphia to shooting 37% from the field but they shot a weak 39.5% themselves
-the Raptors rarely got to the line and when they did only shot 14 of 23 just over 60%
-the offensive sets were very sloppy which is understandable considering this is only the second game the new group have played
-Bargnani had a quiet game and retrieved a mere 2rebounds
Why not look at this game with the glass half full attitude? They contained their players much better on defense and kept the transition points to a minimum.
Reggie Evans will be the team power booster with his ambitious defensive energy. The man does not quit and has a strong instinct. Unfortunately he was a little too eager on offense. Now, I wasn't too familiar with his offensive game while he was on the Sixers but I've read it is non-existent. Tonight's offensive presence might have had to do with the fact that he was trying to get the team going when no player had the shooting touch . This was a rough game for the offensive minded fan with few sparks whatsoever.
DeRozan played a strong game on D and is showing the fans that he is an upgrade to what we've had at the wing position in seasons past. I quite enjoyed seeing him driving to the rim with no fear, something we had not seen consistently at the 2/3 spot. He again stayed at around the 28min mark and played with poise.
I thought Belinelli had a stronger game. I noticed his transition game was well rounded and he will be able to run with this team on the fast break. With a 12point performance it would be more than beneficial to have him scoring in the double digits on average. Another reason this team failed last year was the fact that no one was there to step up if Bosh or Bargnani were having a bad game. If he fills that role and becomes our insurance scorer it will bode well during close games.
What can we say about Sonny Weems? He has shown his talent in these two games. Being the last acquisition in a busy off season has kept him under the radar. He was the comedic relief for training camp and has been the most surprising player so far. If he continues on this path it will be easy for Triano to get him his minutes in regular season action.
Next game is against Minnesota on Friday. Check back for the pregame post.
Great quote from Grange at the G & M:
He’s wearing No. 72 this year. Why? “It’s a rare number and I’m a rare dude.”
-Jason Kapono
Cool Hand Luke
Positives:
-the defense held the Sixers to 49 first half points instead of 69 in their previous affair
-a solid offensive effort from Belinelli and Weems. Both players had 12points each and could see a lot of playing time if they can keep up a high scoring average
-they contained Louis Williams much better and held him to 8points 1assist
-another energetic night for Reggie Evans with 9points and 9rebounds
-turnovers were a lot less with 17
Negatives:
-they may have held Philadelphia to shooting 37% from the field but they shot a weak 39.5% themselves
-the Raptors rarely got to the line and when they did only shot 14 of 23 just over 60%
-the offensive sets were very sloppy which is understandable considering this is only the second game the new group have played
-Bargnani had a quiet game and retrieved a mere 2rebounds
Why not look at this game with the glass half full attitude? They contained their players much better on defense and kept the transition points to a minimum.
Reggie Evans will be the team power booster with his ambitious defensive energy. The man does not quit and has a strong instinct. Unfortunately he was a little too eager on offense. Now, I wasn't too familiar with his offensive game while he was on the Sixers but I've read it is non-existent. Tonight's offensive presence might have had to do with the fact that he was trying to get the team going when no player had the shooting touch . This was a rough game for the offensive minded fan with few sparks whatsoever.
DeRozan played a strong game on D and is showing the fans that he is an upgrade to what we've had at the wing position in seasons past. I quite enjoyed seeing him driving to the rim with no fear, something we had not seen consistently at the 2/3 spot. He again stayed at around the 28min mark and played with poise.
I thought Belinelli had a stronger game. I noticed his transition game was well rounded and he will be able to run with this team on the fast break. With a 12point performance it would be more than beneficial to have him scoring in the double digits on average. Another reason this team failed last year was the fact that no one was there to step up if Bosh or Bargnani were having a bad game. If he fills that role and becomes our insurance scorer it will bode well during close games.
What can we say about Sonny Weems? He has shown his talent in these two games. Being the last acquisition in a busy off season has kept him under the radar. He was the comedic relief for training camp and has been the most surprising player so far. If he continues on this path it will be easy for Triano to get him his minutes in regular season action.
Next game is against Minnesota on Friday. Check back for the pregame post.
Great quote from Grange at the G & M:
He’s wearing No. 72 this year. Why? “It’s a rare number and I’m a rare dude.”
-Jason Kapono
Cool Hand Luke
Quick Pregame: Raptors Vs. Sixers @ ACC Oct 7th, 2009
So, a rematch from last night on Raptors TV tonight at 7pm. Same starting line up with Calderon Belinelli, DeRozan, Evans & Bargniani. They are sitting out Wright, Bosh and Hedo.
Some keys for tonight's game:
- lowering their turnovers! 29 TO's last night is not a good stat.
-Jose needs to elevate his defensive game and slow down Williams
-DeMar should get more comfortable and needs to be a little more confident in finishing the play
-Belinelli needs to take less risks on defense and should look to get open more
-they need to slow down the transition offense and get back to defend their man
-Philadelphia is athletic and fast so look for some zone defense tonight to change the pace of the game
-Jack should be getting some more minutes, but the rotation won't be much more different than last night
-in back to back situations Teams need to come back and show their grit on home court. I think we are in for more "Reggie" chants
Enjoy the game folks and remember it's only preseason.
Cool Hand Luke
Some keys for tonight's game:
- lowering their turnovers! 29 TO's last night is not a good stat.
-Jose needs to elevate his defensive game and slow down Williams
-DeMar should get more comfortable and needs to be a little more confident in finishing the play
-Belinelli needs to take less risks on defense and should look to get open more
-they need to slow down the transition offense and get back to defend their man
-Philadelphia is athletic and fast so look for some zone defense tonight to change the pace of the game
-Jack should be getting some more minutes, but the rotation won't be much more different than last night
-in back to back situations Teams need to come back and show their grit on home court. I think we are in for more "Reggie" chants
Enjoy the game folks and remember it's only preseason.
Cool Hand Luke
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Post Game: Sixers 107 Raptors 98(Preseason)
I believe we have entered the realm of preseason play. The Raptors having come up short in their first of a back to back series with the 76ers, still have a lot of work ahead of them. Perimeter defense was a glaring mark on what was a rather uneventful game. Lets look at some of the stats:
the positive:
-Bargnani scored a game high 22 points
-Amir Johnson 8points 10rebounds
-DeMar DeRozan 9points 4assists 4rebounds
-Reggie Evans showed some of his energy and quickly became the fan favorite of the evening
the negatives:
-no players other than Bargnani and Weems reached double digits in scoring
-Louis Williams scored a team high 17points and Calderon's defensive ability all but disappeared
-Belinelli was a non-factor in the game with only 9points 4assists and 4turnovers
What can we say about an inconsequential game with both Bosh and Turkoglu out and solid defensive specialist Wright nursing sore knees. Not much. Calderon still has a lot of work to do in regards to his defensive game. If he is to stop or at least slow down the likes of Rondo and Rose he will have to dig deep and stay consistent at the perimeter. The play starts with the point and if you get behind on defense from the start you will be behind for the rest of the play. As we expected Calderon played 16 minutes and took the 2nd half off. That gave Jack the opportunity to work the team. He had a fairly solid yet unspectacular game and did not force the play too much. It was sloppy and unorganized. No player on the Raptors had a perfect game.
Belinelli played 28 minutes but never had much to show. He was brought in to add that extra scoring punch off the bench, but he shot 2 of 8 from the field. It will be interesting to see if he gets his shots wednesday night.
Bargnani however had the scoring touch shooting 9 of 14 and ending the night with 22 points. He however only had 3 rebounds. If we are going to have any success this year Bargnani has to show some rebounding flair. On the offensive end he can be out of position most plays, but there really is no excuse on defense.
DeRozan was impressive and showed some of his athletic ability. He did however have some trouble keeping his man in front of him. Playing time will be the most important factor in the preseason for DeRozan. He needs to play through mistakes, learn quickly and develop fast.
Amir Johnson found his legs in transition play and contributed on the boards with a game high 10 rebounds. If he keeps that up he will see significant playing time and will be a key piece to this team. His success lies in staying out of foul trouble, something that kept him from getting his minutes in Detroit. At a mere 22 years of age he has a chance to shine and show his true skill and talent.
They will end the back to back Wednesday night at the ACC. They should try and set the pace early and get the hometown crowd into it. Belinelli needs to open his game up a bit more. Calderon will have to get the defensive aspect of his game back on track. Look for more experimenting with lineups and the rotation. The minutes should be about the same unless Wright is back in the lineup.
I'll have a brief pregame post so stay tuned.
Cool Hand Luke
the positive:
-Bargnani scored a game high 22 points
-Amir Johnson 8points 10rebounds
-DeMar DeRozan 9points 4assists 4rebounds
-Reggie Evans showed some of his energy and quickly became the fan favorite of the evening
the negatives:
-no players other than Bargnani and Weems reached double digits in scoring
-Louis Williams scored a team high 17points and Calderon's defensive ability all but disappeared
-Belinelli was a non-factor in the game with only 9points 4assists and 4turnovers
What can we say about an inconsequential game with both Bosh and Turkoglu out and solid defensive specialist Wright nursing sore knees. Not much. Calderon still has a lot of work to do in regards to his defensive game. If he is to stop or at least slow down the likes of Rondo and Rose he will have to dig deep and stay consistent at the perimeter. The play starts with the point and if you get behind on defense from the start you will be behind for the rest of the play. As we expected Calderon played 16 minutes and took the 2nd half off. That gave Jack the opportunity to work the team. He had a fairly solid yet unspectacular game and did not force the play too much. It was sloppy and unorganized. No player on the Raptors had a perfect game.
Belinelli played 28 minutes but never had much to show. He was brought in to add that extra scoring punch off the bench, but he shot 2 of 8 from the field. It will be interesting to see if he gets his shots wednesday night.
Bargnani however had the scoring touch shooting 9 of 14 and ending the night with 22 points. He however only had 3 rebounds. If we are going to have any success this year Bargnani has to show some rebounding flair. On the offensive end he can be out of position most plays, but there really is no excuse on defense.
DeRozan was impressive and showed some of his athletic ability. He did however have some trouble keeping his man in front of him. Playing time will be the most important factor in the preseason for DeRozan. He needs to play through mistakes, learn quickly and develop fast.
Amir Johnson found his legs in transition play and contributed on the boards with a game high 10 rebounds. If he keeps that up he will see significant playing time and will be a key piece to this team. His success lies in staying out of foul trouble, something that kept him from getting his minutes in Detroit. At a mere 22 years of age he has a chance to shine and show his true skill and talent.
They will end the back to back Wednesday night at the ACC. They should try and set the pace early and get the hometown crowd into it. Belinelli needs to open his game up a bit more. Calderon will have to get the defensive aspect of his game back on track. Look for more experimenting with lineups and the rotation. The minutes should be about the same unless Wright is back in the lineup.
I'll have a brief pregame post so stay tuned.
Cool Hand Luke
Raptors @ 76'rs London, Ontario(Preseason)
Well, the time has come for us to embrace this team once more as representation of professional basketball in the city of Toronto. Since this is the 15th season of our beloved franchise, let's look at what we have come to expect each and every season.
-we have grown into becoming the 11th highest attendance in the league
-this team has gone through 7 coaches. With Mitchell receiving the coach of the year, a first for this franchise.
Brendin Malone 1995/96
Darryl Walker 1996/97-1997/98
Butch Carter 1997/98-1999/00
Lenny Wilkins 2000/01-2002/03
Kevin O'Neill 2003/04
Sam Mitchell 2004/05-2008/09
Jay Triano 2008/09-Present
-we have been in the playoffs 5 out of the 15 seasons of our franchise.
-we have had 3 franchise(Stoudamire,Carter,Bosh) players.
-there have been 4 Gm's leading the franchise.
If we were to estimate what stage of life this franchise is in, it would definitely be a twenty something young adult trying to find its own identity. Numerous line up changes over the past few seasons have hampered our chemistry on the court. The fact that we are heading into this fresh season with only 3 incumbent players is unnerving. Yet, it is also admirable to have Bryan Colangelo admit past failures and blow the team up when necessary.
So here we are. A new beginning.
Pregame:
What to expect in the game? Allot of fouls! The trend has been set with the replacement referee's. We can expect a slow and stagnant game. What to expect from the players? They will be learning to play with each other against real opponents. Coaches will be trying out many lineup possibilities. Rookies will be learning to adjust their game to the NBA level.
There is a season of doubt with both the 76'rs and the Raptors. Other than being divisional rivals the teams have another glaring fact in common. Both teams tried and so far have failed(Toronto entirely ditching the idea) with their major acquisitions in the off season of 2008-09. Toronto trading for Jermaine O'Neil and Philadelphia acquiring Elton Brand. We know the timetable of events that occurred with Toronto, but Philadelphia is still giving all they've got with Brand.
Brand was a tremendous force during his time with the Clippers and gave that Franchise a new beam of hope. He had taken them as far as they have gone in the playoffs. With Philadelphia however he has bogged them down and turned them from a transition offense into a half court offense. They have so much money locked up into their front court of Brand and Dalembert, that it is imperative they fill the void of a slim bench. They need to produce some serious numbers with Iguodala. They need to mesh into the team style better than they have in the past. Iguodala is in my opinion a star in this league. He just doesn't have a good enough supporting cast for this team to be competitive(remind you of another situation?). I'm not sure Premos Brezac is quite the game changer they needed to acquire this past off season. It will be interesting to see what Eddie Jordan has drawn up as his master plan for this team. He will have a rookie in Jrue Holiday and rising talent with the likes of Thaddeus Young and Louis Williams. There is a definite hole in the point guard spot now that Andre Miller checked out and Williams has the potential to become a solid point guard in the east.
-we have grown into becoming the 11th highest attendance in the league
-this team has gone through 7 coaches. With Mitchell receiving the coach of the year, a first for this franchise.
Brendin Malone 1995/96
Darryl Walker 1996/97-1997/98
Butch Carter 1997/98-1999/00
Lenny Wilkins 2000/01-2002/03
Kevin O'Neill 2003/04
Sam Mitchell 2004/05-2008/09
Jay Triano 2008/09-Present
-we have been in the playoffs 5 out of the 15 seasons of our franchise.
-we have had 3 franchise(Stoudamire,Carter,Bosh) players.
-there have been 4 Gm's leading the franchise.
If we were to estimate what stage of life this franchise is in, it would definitely be a twenty something young adult trying to find its own identity. Numerous line up changes over the past few seasons have hampered our chemistry on the court. The fact that we are heading into this fresh season with only 3 incumbent players is unnerving. Yet, it is also admirable to have Bryan Colangelo admit past failures and blow the team up when necessary.
So here we are. A new beginning.
Pregame:
What to expect in the game? Allot of fouls! The trend has been set with the replacement referee's. We can expect a slow and stagnant game. What to expect from the players? They will be learning to play with each other against real opponents. Coaches will be trying out many lineup possibilities. Rookies will be learning to adjust their game to the NBA level.
There is a season of doubt with both the 76'rs and the Raptors. Other than being divisional rivals the teams have another glaring fact in common. Both teams tried and so far have failed(Toronto entirely ditching the idea) with their major acquisitions in the off season of 2008-09. Toronto trading for Jermaine O'Neil and Philadelphia acquiring Elton Brand. We know the timetable of events that occurred with Toronto, but Philadelphia is still giving all they've got with Brand.
Brand was a tremendous force during his time with the Clippers and gave that Franchise a new beam of hope. He had taken them as far as they have gone in the playoffs. With Philadelphia however he has bogged them down and turned them from a transition offense into a half court offense. They have so much money locked up into their front court of Brand and Dalembert, that it is imperative they fill the void of a slim bench. They need to produce some serious numbers with Iguodala. They need to mesh into the team style better than they have in the past. Iguodala is in my opinion a star in this league. He just doesn't have a good enough supporting cast for this team to be competitive(remind you of another situation?). I'm not sure Premos Brezac is quite the game changer they needed to acquire this past off season. It will be interesting to see what Eddie Jordan has drawn up as his master plan for this team. He will have a rookie in Jrue Holiday and rising talent with the likes of Thaddeus Young and Louis Williams. There is a definite hole in the point guard spot now that Andre Miller checked out and Williams has the potential to become a solid point guard in the east.
The Toronto Raptors have changed their identity once again and have the deepest bench in franchise history. With a new supporting cast featuring Hedo Turkoglu, Marco Belinelli, Jarret Jack, Antoine Wright, DeMar DeRozan, Reggie Evans and Amir Johnson this team has a well rounded and competitive squad on paper. This has been by far the busiest off season ever. Colangelo has erased the ghost of Jermaine O'Neil and grabbed the number one free agent on the market, Turkoglu. He has brought in one of the toughest off ball competitors and rebounding specialists with Reggie Evans. He has answered the call of athleticism at the wing with DeMar DeRozan. He made a stellar move by acquiring Jarret Jack to back up Jose Calderon at the point. Amir Johnson and Marco Belinelli both young unproven talent have been given a second chance to make noise in the league and turn into solid contributors on the court. Will this be enough to take us to the next level? We are 21 days away from finding out.
The starters we can expect for Toronto are Calderon, Belinelli, DeRozan, Evans and Bargnani. With no Bosh, Turk, Wright and Weems this will not be the full line up. We can however get our first glimpse of what this team can and cannot do. I would expect Triano to keep Jose's minutes in check. There is no need to work him knowing he is coming off of an injury plagued season. DeRozan will get plenty of burn. This will only benefit DeRozen and giving him more minutes will instill in him the confidence needed to be successful in this league. Everyone other than Calderon and Nesterovic should be getting their minutes. This team needs to play and these players need to get comfortable fast. The first month of the regular season schedule is going to be tough. They will need to get their plays tightened up and their possible lineups etched out.
Look for both teams to be experimenting and the referee's putting a stop to any sort of pace this game may try to find. A home game for Philadelphia in London, Ontario? Both teams will face off again on Wednesday night at the ACC. I will do a Post Game/Pregame mix because we really don't know what either team will bring. If you're a die hard Raptors fan, enjoy the first relevant game in a long while. I'm sure you are dying to see the fruits of Colangelo's labour. This is a pivotal year for this franchise. If all the pieces fit, this team will be competitive and no laughing matter. Colangelo has done his job and it's up to Triano and the boys to get it done on the court. I'm not sure if we will get to 50 wins this season, but there is no reason we shouldn't make the playoffs with room to spare.
The starters we can expect for Toronto are Calderon, Belinelli, DeRozan, Evans and Bargnani. With no Bosh, Turk, Wright and Weems this will not be the full line up. We can however get our first glimpse of what this team can and cannot do. I would expect Triano to keep Jose's minutes in check. There is no need to work him knowing he is coming off of an injury plagued season. DeRozan will get plenty of burn. This will only benefit DeRozen and giving him more minutes will instill in him the confidence needed to be successful in this league. Everyone other than Calderon and Nesterovic should be getting their minutes. This team needs to play and these players need to get comfortable fast. The first month of the regular season schedule is going to be tough. They will need to get their plays tightened up and their possible lineups etched out.
Look for both teams to be experimenting and the referee's putting a stop to any sort of pace this game may try to find. A home game for Philadelphia in London, Ontario? Both teams will face off again on Wednesday night at the ACC. I will do a Post Game/Pregame mix because we really don't know what either team will bring. If you're a die hard Raptors fan, enjoy the first relevant game in a long while. I'm sure you are dying to see the fruits of Colangelo's labour. This is a pivotal year for this franchise. If all the pieces fit, this team will be competitive and no laughing matter. Colangelo has done his job and it's up to Triano and the boys to get it done on the court. I'm not sure if we will get to 50 wins this season, but there is no reason we shouldn't make the playoffs with room to spare.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Tip off or log off....that is the real question:
There are dozens of NBA players on twitter. Here is a list of a few Raptors you can find/follow on Twitter.
Raptors on Twitter:
Chris Bosh
Reggie Evans
Demar DeRozan
Sonny Weems
Patrick O'Bryant
The NBA and twitter have not always gotten along. We had the Charlie Villaneuva incident last season where Scott Skiles got involved and laid down new rules for the ever advancing social networking technology out there. I thought for the occasion of my first online blog I'd embrace this new world, throw in some thoughts and examine what we may come to accept as the new way we interact with our favorite players.
It has been recently reported that Jay Triano has banned all Cell Phones and Smart phones from being used at training camp. The NBA has gone a step further and banned tweeting during games. Now I respect the NBA's decision on the banning. This has perpetually taken it out of the coaches hands and taken the problem right out of the locker room. I'm pretty sure there are a few coaches happy about not having to address this issue with some players on their respective teams. The Villaneuva situation must have been awkward and should not have even been discussed in a locker room before during or after a game. I think this has direct correlation with athletes finding new ways to market themselves and gain new fans. I'm not too sure how well players will take these new rules that could eventually hamper their personal promotion. This has only been a relevant topic this year and I'm interested in seeing how things develop.
All of your favorite beat grunts, NBA analysts and bloggers are all on twitter. In August the developing story of Allen Iverson looking for a new home turned into a tale for the pages of Twitter, literally. The phenomenon here, is the simple fact that everyone including you and the sports writers were waiting in real time for the source(A.I.) to break the story. Where would Iverson end up? Memphis? Charlotte? Miami? Why not log onto Twitter and get the news straight from the eye of the storm? Could Twitter eliminate the unnamed source in news media? Could we find ourselves the fans receiving information and the quashing of rumors straight from the hornets nest? Should we cancel our subscriptions to our local paper? Not just yet. The NBA is a quick moving and strategical machine. Now we have teams popping up with all kinds of social networking accounts detailing "exciting news' and spreading the good word.
Which brings me to this: Who gets to break the story, so they can gobble up the traffic that will direct you the audience to their site? The player or the team?
I am all for NBA players becoming more accessible to their fans. It doesn't take much time while browsing Twitter to see a few folks on the receiving end of replies from players. Whether a player is leaving a team and the fans are wishing them well. Or, the player is arriving in a new city and the fans are welcoming them with open arms, there is a lot of support from the masses. To me, it must be an exciting moment for a young kid to be getting a direct response from an idol. It also must be quite welcoming to be receiving well wishes and tips on good restaurants. Sure would make you feel more acquainted, no? I may not be that old but back when I was a young kid players seemed to be at such a distance, never reachable.
So go, find your favorite Raptor or NBA player because they are popping up by the day! Send them some shout outs and enjoy the interaction. We are in a new era of sports marketing lets hope the greenbacks don't get in the way. Here is a good page that gives you a list of some NBA players on Twitter.
Cool Hand Luke
Raptors on Twitter:
Chris Bosh
Reggie Evans
Demar DeRozan
Sonny Weems
Patrick O'Bryant
The NBA and twitter have not always gotten along. We had the Charlie Villaneuva incident last season where Scott Skiles got involved and laid down new rules for the ever advancing social networking technology out there. I thought for the occasion of my first online blog I'd embrace this new world, throw in some thoughts and examine what we may come to accept as the new way we interact with our favorite players.
It has been recently reported that Jay Triano has banned all Cell Phones and Smart phones from being used at training camp. The NBA has gone a step further and banned tweeting during games. Now I respect the NBA's decision on the banning. This has perpetually taken it out of the coaches hands and taken the problem right out of the locker room. I'm pretty sure there are a few coaches happy about not having to address this issue with some players on their respective teams. The Villaneuva situation must have been awkward and should not have even been discussed in a locker room before during or after a game. I think this has direct correlation with athletes finding new ways to market themselves and gain new fans. I'm not too sure how well players will take these new rules that could eventually hamper their personal promotion. This has only been a relevant topic this year and I'm interested in seeing how things develop.
All of your favorite beat grunts, NBA analysts and bloggers are all on twitter. In August the developing story of Allen Iverson looking for a new home turned into a tale for the pages of Twitter, literally. The phenomenon here, is the simple fact that everyone including you and the sports writers were waiting in real time for the source(A.I.) to break the story. Where would Iverson end up? Memphis? Charlotte? Miami? Why not log onto Twitter and get the news straight from the eye of the storm? Could Twitter eliminate the unnamed source in news media? Could we find ourselves the fans receiving information and the quashing of rumors straight from the hornets nest? Should we cancel our subscriptions to our local paper? Not just yet. The NBA is a quick moving and strategical machine. Now we have teams popping up with all kinds of social networking accounts detailing "exciting news' and spreading the good word.
Which brings me to this: Who gets to break the story, so they can gobble up the traffic that will direct you the audience to their site? The player or the team?
I am all for NBA players becoming more accessible to their fans. It doesn't take much time while browsing Twitter to see a few folks on the receiving end of replies from players. Whether a player is leaving a team and the fans are wishing them well. Or, the player is arriving in a new city and the fans are welcoming them with open arms, there is a lot of support from the masses. To me, it must be an exciting moment for a young kid to be getting a direct response from an idol. It also must be quite welcoming to be receiving well wishes and tips on good restaurants. Sure would make you feel more acquainted, no? I may not be that old but back when I was a young kid players seemed to be at such a distance, never reachable.
So go, find your favorite Raptor or NBA player because they are popping up by the day! Send them some shout outs and enjoy the interaction. We are in a new era of sports marketing lets hope the greenbacks don't get in the way. Here is a good page that gives you a list of some NBA players on Twitter.
Cool Hand Luke
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
