Tip-In, Toronto Raptors Post-Game: The Automatic

by RaptorsHQ - Archives on Dec 14, 2007 12:00 AM EST

Lacing Them Up –

Jason Kapono may have lost his South Beach tan, but he sure hasn’t lost the shot that made him the Raptors most coveted off-season addition.

Kap-One was unreal last night in the Toronto Raptors comeback win as the Dinos clawed back from a 17 point third quarter deficit to snatch the 104-93 win from the Indiana Pacers.

I’ve seen some unconscious 3-point shooting performances in my time at various levels of basketball; Mark Price, Ray Allen, John Starks, Steve Kerr, JJ Redick, Reggie Miller – and Kapono in yesterday eve’s game was right up there with the best of them. Maybe it wasn’t the biggest stage to hit them on, but it was no less impressive. I mean at one point he wasn’t even catching the ball, he was basically volleying it at the basket and swishing it!

And it wasn’t just that Kapono was unstoppable from beyond the arc, his teammates did a great job of looking for him in the flow of the offense and he rewarded their faith by killing the Pacers from long range hitting six of seven 3’s. I’m the first to admit that I thought paying as much as Toronto did for Kapono was a mistake by B.C. but after last night, I’m left wondering if he’s not perhaps under-payed! More than anything though I’m just glad that he’s now playing with this second unit. It negates a number of his defensive deficiencies and while I never liked him in a starting role, he’s a perfect fit for off the bench assassinations.

Of course for those who saw the game, they know that Al Kapono wasn’t the only story in this one. Chris Bosh carried the club on his back until the late third quarter when his teammates started to step it up at both ends. And once again the Raptors used defence to get the job done while they were still finding their offense holding the Pacers to 43 per cent shooting for the game.

A Numbers Game –

One.

The Indiana Pacers are one of the better rebounding teams in the league and the Raptors won the battle of the boards 46 to 41. Chris Bosh had 16 rebounds himself but part of the reason Toronto won this game was because every single Raptor who played last night had at least one rebound. No, the Raptors don’t have the luxury of a boards specialist like Reggie Evans or Chris Kaman, but when the entire team makes this sort of effort on the glass, they can compete with any team in the league.

23.

Toronto got to the line 23 times while Indiana got there on only six occasions.

When I spoke in the game-day preview about E & E – energy and effort, this was the type of performance I expected. The first half provided little of it but as Chris Bosh mentioned post-game, his team knew at the half that they were sleepwalking and had to step it up. The rebounding and free-throw shooting numbers were a direct result of this increase in focus and vigor and by the time the game reached its final minutes you’d hardly know the Raptors had ever been behind in the score.

The Turning Point –

Sometimes in games it’s hard to pin down an actual turning point in a game. Teams go on runs and with the ebb and flow of the game it’s sometimes tough to pick one sole event that may have turned the tide. Not the case last night.

When Carlos Delfino stole the ball from Jamal Tinsley in the fourth quarter and then promptly turned it back over it looked like another nail in the coffin for Indiana. Instead, Carlos Delfino tracked down the play and from behind, spiked the Pacers’ lay-up attempt off the glass allowing Toronto to go the other way. Jason Kapono then promptly hit a three pointer and after that, the team never looked back.

Temperature Check –

Hot – Jason Kapono. Kapono needs his own section in this recap. In the second half of the game I swear he was living in the arcade version of NBA Jam as he was indeed "on fire!" The best part too may not have even been him hitting shots, but the RaptorsTV camera crew catching Jamario Moon reenacting Kap-One’s smooth shooting from the bench.

Hot – Jamaal Tinsley. While he missed his two free-throw attempts which hurts my fantasy team, Tinsley killed the Raptors all night. Much like Jose Calderon right now, Tinsley is the engine that makes his team go. He finished with 19 points, 10 assists, five rebounds and two steals on the night but just didn’t get enough help when it counted from the rest of his team.

Hot – Kris Humphries. Humpty Hump just keeps on rolling along. In the first half, he and Bosh were the only two Raps who brought the necessary energy to the court and helped keep things within striking distance. Humphries had but five rebounds in the match but his presence gave the Raptors the toughness they needed down low and his defense on Jermaine O’Neal was huge in deciding the game’s final outcome.

"People say you look like Moses Malone on crack Humpty!"

Hot – Chris Bosh. Everyone post-game will be talking about Kapono, Humphries and Calderon. But CB4 is the reason Toronto was even in this game. Bosh finished with 22 points and 16 huge rebounds and did a nice job of scoring when the team needed it and drawing the Pacers D in to get open shots for his white-hot shooters at other points in time.

Moving On –

This was in my opinion the team’s best win of the year.

They were severely outplayed in the first half and began to face what looked like an insurmountable lead.

But like last year’s squad the team refused to roll over and showed more fight than they had in previously similar matches like Boston and Orlando. My girlfriend mentioned that last year, no matter the lead, she felt the club could come back and seize the victory. However last night was the first night she had gotten a similar feeling and I had to agree.

Indiana did a great job disrupting Toronto’s offence, especially on the pick and roll and as Indiana’s lead continued to grow in the second quarter I found myself pining for TJ Ford. Tonight’s match was a great example of why both are so important to the club. In games when the opposing team has an effective defence for the Raptors pick and roll sets, Toronto’s offence struggles. This was overly evident tonight and the problem is that besides Chris Bosh, no one else can create their own offence off the dribble besides perhaps Carlos Delfino. But TJ Ford excels in these types of situations and would have been a great counter-attack for Toronto. His disruptive darts into the paint open things up for his teammates and represents a great change in pace from Jose. Don’t get me wrong, Jose turned in another upper echelon game (18 points, 16 assists, five rebounds – who needs Jason Kidd?) but for the most effective 1-2 punch, I’m looking forward to TJ’s return.

Unfortunately the Raps won’t have Mr. Ford for this weekend’s match against the Celtics. Instead, they’ll need to once again rely on a complete team effort to clinch a victory from the top team in the league.

With Boston, Detroit and Orlando winning last night, Toronto is keeping pace with the East’s top clubs and Sunday’s match is shaping up to be a real nice contest to help determine Eastern Conference supremacy.

FRANCHISE

Tweet Comment 20 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

I realize there were a bunch of Raptors on fire today, but how does Jose not get mentioned in the temperature check section. They guy had 16 assist, that Steve Nash territory.

by Sorael on Dec 14, 2007 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Im telling you guys, regardless of what you think, X amount of games won consecutively....we are not gonna be a beast in the east till Bargs starts playing to his potential!!

I like Hump, but Bargs he ain't!
Peace&Love

by lil keon C on Dec 14, 2007 12:00 AM EST reply actions

I like Hump, but Bargs he ain't!

but Bargs is not Bargs right now play the best players which sam is doing.

by Davl on Dec 14, 2007 12:00 AM EST reply actions

best win of the season +1

bargs has got to be hurt still, but he'll come around.

by axl on Dec 14, 2007 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Great win. 16 assists...........nice

However, as well as Hump is playing it is getting me a bit concerned about Bargs.
He looks like T-Mac on the bench in his second year. The same year that McGrady said eventually led to him leaving the Raps because they pretty much ignored him when he began to struggle.
Anyways, great win.

by sharpy on Dec 15, 2007 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Bargs/ Il Mago/ #1 pick is a bust. You heard it hear first.
But, maybe if we didn't pick Bargs we wouldn't get the Godfather - Gherardini

by BargsBust on Dec 15, 2007 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Great Win.
It was nice to see Kapono get untracked and take a turn leading the attack.

Were it any other Raptor, I'd say they were shooting out of their mind.

Kap shooting threes is like alleyoop dunks for Moon. Get it in the right spot and he'll take it from there.

As a sidenote, wanted to pass along an interesting article on Colangelo in the Sun.

Has a few points I haven't seen written up anywhere else.

http://torontosun.com/Sports/Basketball/2007/12/12/4720425-sun.html

by yardley on Dec 15, 2007 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Pssst, Il Mago...I know this tattoo guy...really cheap....hehehe! dude will get there, don't be a hater "Bargs Bust" you're getting off the bus a little too quick for me and I am sure a number of others on this blog, he's just trying to do "non-bargs" stuff.

Two words from last night's game: CARLOS DELFINO! I am totally hyped about Humpty and Kap-One not too mention CB4 and Jose, but this guy is jsut awesome. Defence (hey Joey Graham take notes) toughness (last night takin one in the head and being really pissed about having to leave the game) and he doesn't EVER give up on any play (right Mike Dunleavy??) BC is a smart guys and we've all agreed but did any one of you see this coming? Other than the crazy dunk he did last year Carlos was non exsistant on the Pistons bench....sorry about your loss Joe Dumars!

Tomorrow is again going to be a test. Ray Allen is nursing a sore ankle but most likely will play. (Just a first injury of the year for that team, and not the last)

Best win of the year by far last night. Humoty's defence on a non-effective Jermaine pretty much sealed the Pacers fate. Hey was it just me or should one of the Pacers coaching staff pulled Troy Murphy aside and said..Pssst Troy, you're a passer tonight! He was brutal!

Anyways go get em boys. KG were comin for ya!

I'm out!

Fresh 1

by Fresh1 on Dec 15, 2007 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Wow, I can't believe some people are writing off Bargnani so soon. You have to remember, Bargnani went from playing like a 50 game season in the Italian league to playing a 70-odd game season in the NBA, which is both a higher level of competition and more physical. Then he played all summer with the Italian national team. I think his main problem right now is fatigue, and maybe nagging injuries caused by the fatigue. He doesn't look like he has the same energy and burst as he did last year, especially putting the ball on the floor. I hope this reduction in minutes lets him get some rest and come back fresh for when we need him.

Don't write him off yet.

by jordan on Dec 15, 2007 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Bargs will not be a bust, I've already seen enough of him to know that. We've seen games this year when his has been on fire. Sam himself has been praising his work ethic in practice. It is a luxury that this team now has that we can send him to the bench and still have different scoring options on the floor. He is in probably the biggest slump in his life, but he'll work his way out.
I agree that this was the most impressive win this year. This team is finding itself

by Tinman on Dec 15, 2007 12:00 AM EST reply actions

It seems crazy to say, but Bargnani needs to develop more offensively. This is subjective (I only know of 82games.com as an objective stats site, are there any others?), but I feel that he takes a lot of charges with his one move (shot-fake, dribble-drive, charge). I found myself yesterday wanting him to take a pullup after the initial shot fake that led to the charge. Bottom line...his skill set seems to be duplicated to the nth degree on this team. He must change up his game to add value

by rishi on Dec 15, 2007 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Nevermind...I found a site that attempts to use "corrected" stats to evaluate playsrs. ABCPmetrics.com

by rishi on Dec 15, 2007 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Sure, "BargsBust", the kid (22 and 1 month) scores 26-6-3 with 1 steal, 1 block, then gets INJURED the following night and is obviously not yet in game shape. At least state "you heard it HERE first" instead of "you heard it hear first" when you post your moronic comments.

Anyway, Franchise, glad to see you're realizing Kapono's worth his contract; he is really special at what he does -- and he has a fun personality, as opposed to available options like Ruben Patterson, so he complements our "good guy" clubhouse well. One cannot deny the importance of chemistry along with talent; look at the Knicks, or closer to home, the Raps of 2-3 years ago, for the contrary example. And the team is still not healthy and firing on ALL cylinders (last night's second half was pretty close).

Fresh1, Doc said Ray Allen might miss tomorrow's game too to rest the ankle since the Celts are off the following two days. I think that's a pretty good trade- off, TJ for Ray Ray, since both were the best two players in the last home meeting. I'm also happy because that means Pierce may go off again for my Fantasy team, though the Raptors team D of late has been impressive.

by jjdynomite on Dec 15, 2007 12:00 AM EST reply actions

I'm having trouble translating some of the stats that I've seen on "APBRmetrics" (my apologies for the original mistake). The models that some of these "experts" use aren't that great (adjusted R^2 of .43, that is not great, Dan Rosenbaum at least is on to something). I should say that I'm an economist as well, so I'm into the stats. I just seems like Basketball and Hockey get the short-end of the stick (ball?) when it comes to analysis like this. It seems to be quite difficult to quantify player contributions to team success. I'm curious, how valuable do you think Bargnani will be now and in the future, Let me know, Franchise and Howland,

Thanks

by rishi on Dec 15, 2007 12:00 AM EST reply actions

By the way, you guy's do an excellent job...thanks for the site

by rishi on Dec 15, 2007 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Rishi - thanks for the props - we'll take a look at the metrics.

I'm not giving up on Bargs yet either. I gave Hoffa the benefit of the doubt for a year and a half and he never showed HALF the potential Bargs does.

As you mentioned Rishi, right now Bargs' skill set is being duplicated by other players on the roster who are a) playing better and b) better fits currently. However I agree Keon C - Bargs at the top of his game takes this team to another level.

Anyone else pumped about Knicks and Nets at 7:30 like me??? Yeah...maybe not...guess this storm is going to my head.

Lots of games this week so I haven't had a chance to finish talking about some of the salary stuff that we've been discussing the past few days. Perhaps when we launch version 3.0 of the HQ, we'll get a "capologist" on staff ha ha.

by Franchise on Dec 15, 2007 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Anyone notice this?

ALL TIME RAPTORS REBOUND LEADERS:

1. Antonio Davis-2839
2. Chris Bosh-2825

They mention this kind of stuff in the big papers, but I don't read those and haven't seen it anywhere else.

by Aaron on Dec 15, 2007 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Is it just me, or is everybody here just as sick of JJDynomite's obsession with other poster's grammar?

Dude,get over yourself.
Sad, innit....

Peace&Love

by lil Keon C on Dec 15, 2007 12:00 AM EST reply actions

Wow.. it sure is nice to be able to have a pg with 16 assists and not have him in the hot list. Lol.. cuz that means the rest of the team must have absolutely NASTY. ( and i mean that in the most positive way haha) Isn't it great to have so many players that we can speak positively about on the same roster after the same game?

Woot.. I'm back in T.O!
Bring it Celts.

by gDon on Dec 16, 2007 12:00 AM EST reply actions

lil Keon ... I agree with you and this grammer thing, if all these nerds want to be hip why don't they find some nerd blog to make their comments on, THIS IS NOT A GRAMMER BLOG, THIS IS BASKETBALL BLOG, WE ARE HAVING FUN DOES NERDS EVER HAVE FUN. WE WRITE WHAT WE WANT HOWEVER WE WANT.

by Marcia on Dec 16, 2007 12:00 AM EST reply actions