Second Half and Final Grades - Part II

by RaptorsHQ - Archives on May 16, 2007 12:00 AM EDT in Feature Stories

DARRICK MARTIN:

Howland: (B) + (Mid-Term B+) = B

Martin is what he is and on a whole did exactly what I expect out of a third PG. I don’t think there is a roster spot on this squad for him next year but much of that will depend on the coaching situation. Having Martin around this season was a good idea but the PG’s have played enough now to recognize things on the floor themselves. When Martin did play he was a good third string PG.

Franchise: (B) + (Mid-Term B+) = B

While I agree with the mark, I disagree with your take on his status for next season. The team needs a third stringer and provided Martin wants to keep playing, I’d rather have him than Juan Dixon running the show. The other option of course is to move Martin into a coaching position if B.C. needs the roster room but with no draft picks and barring a trade, I think D-Mart keeps his spot. In fact, this is another player who exceeded my expectations. Martin provided some valuable minutes for this club at times even into the playoffs and I’m not sure there’s a better third-stringer out there.

RASHO NESTEROVIC:

Howland: (C-) + (Mid-Term B+) = C

At the mid-point I was debating an A- for Rasho as he was exceeding my expectations. The second half was another story. Rasho seemed to disappear for stretches and slowly his minutes were cut back. There were times when I felt like I was watching a Hoffa-like scenario. Not that Rasho isn’t way more skilled that Araujo, but Rasho would start, play six or seven minutes and then barely see the floor again. He did little to impress or elevate his game in the second half and I expected his playoff experience to shine through. I was disappointed and now wonder whether he has a role on this team next season. He is a good player to have around in terms of chemistry and for particular situations, but he is making some serious loot. The second half of the season was really disappointing, enough so that for the year he gets a C. I simply wanted and expected more.

Franchise: (C-) + (Mid-Term B+) = B-

Totally agree again with my co-writer. In fact, I’m almost tempted to give Rasho a D based on the last thing we remember, his no-show in the playoffs. Here was a player brought in to help out in the "experience" department yet he hardly saw the floor. Perhaps the match-up just didn’t dictate it but I refuse to believe that he couldn’t at least have gotten the better of Jason Collins. Rasho is essentially a better scoring version of Collins so I’m not sure why he didn’t have an impact to start things off in the series. And as mentioned, his cost to the club compared to his production makes him an easy target. That being said Rasho did do a lot of good things this season for Toronto and was the club’s first real center in ages. Maybe he’s no Shaq, but I’m convinced that Nesterovic does a good number of things which don’t show up in the box scores yet lead to wins. And for this reason, I’m not going to vilify him completely as he basically did what I expected of a lumbering 7 footer.

ANTHONY PARKER:

Howland: (A) + (Mid-Term B+) = A-

Parker in the second half became my favourite player on the Raps squad. Over the course of the second half of the season Parker really started to find his niche on the offensive end and his play usually dictated the end result. Outside of "Parkerville" number 18 can do a variety of things on the floor and I think next year depending on the SF situation may play an even larger role in the offence. Over the course of the second half of the season I probably asked myself a thousand times why this guy wasn’t in the NBA. I have not even mentioned his defence which at times was simply spectacular. Looking back in Raps history there are few (maybe Doug Christie) who could play D like Parker. Parker exceeded expectations and as a result deserves an A- for the year.

Franchise: (A-) + (Mid-Term A-) = A-

Bang on with Howland again on this one. After Jose, this is the probably the player who did the best job in exceeding my expectations. I really thought Parker was going to be an off the bench Juan Dixon type scorer with a better defensive presence. I didn’t think he’s be Raja Bell part II and a player who in my mind comes as close to Shane Battier as anyone else in the league. In fact in retrospect it’s funny because last off-season Battier topped our readers’ wish list as a guy who could really help take this team to another level. Right now it looks like B.C. got a cheaper version. I’d still like to see a bit more consistent offence from Parker to match his consistent D, but I think that will occur next year as he takes on more of a scoring role in the offense.

MORRIS PETERSON:

Howland: (B-) + (Mid-Term B-) = B-

When you compare the second half of the season had by Mo Pete to that of Joey Graham you get somewhat of a mirror image. Even when Garbo went out with his injury Peterson still had a tough time coming off the bench and couldn’t find any consistency. When the playoffs came around Peterson elevated his game and was much better. Of course it was surprising that Peterson couldn’t really pull it together in the second half of the season. I think the shot against Washington at the buzzer sums up his season nicely. There were times when he would get little or no PT and then others when he would do some really nice (if not spectacular) things. On a whole however Mo Pete did not meet expectations. Considering it was a contract year no-one can be more disappointed than Mo Pete himself.

Franchise: (C-) + (Mid-Term C) = C-

As most of you know, Mo Pete’s my favourite Raptor and therefore I’m maybe harsher on him then some. But on a team in which nearly every player surpassed my expectations, Peterson definitely fell a good bit short. Yes he received sporadic playing time. But with the exception of games five and six of the playoffs, a miracle shot vs. the Wizards and a 23 point outburst March 23 against Denver, the Peterson of 05-06 was MIA. Personally I think he showed up to training camp out of shape and just couldn’t get back into the swing of things until playoff time because he wasn’t getting the "game time" minutes. In any event, he’s now two for two in terms of hurting his stock prior to a free agency period. Can the Raptors retain him? I think financially they can but I’m not so sure it makes sense. At his best (take games five and six of the playoffs) Peterson is a solid individual defender, a good three-point shooter and great glue guy. Sound familiar? Oh yes, Toronto already has someone like that - Anthony Parker. The only problem is that Parker is better and turned in a much more consistent year. I’d love to see Morris back in the fold as a seventh man but I think he’ll test the market and try to find a bigger role with another club. Toronto needs a slashing wing to share that 2/3 spot with Parker and Peterson unfortunately just isn’t the answer.

UROS SLOKAR:

Howland: (Inc.) + (Mid-Term Inc.) = Inc.

Although Slokar got some minutes later into the season it is hard to really give out a grade. Slowly he is becoming a fan favourite and I do think there is a spot for him on this team moving forward, maybe even as the back-up centre. On a whole he remains solid value and a decent asset considering where he was picked in the draft.

Franchise: (Inc.) + (Mid-Term Inc.) = Inc.

Slokar didn’t get much opportunity to showcase his skills but when he did, it was obvious that the kid is no stiff. He’s much more of a gritty interior player than I anticipated and while his contract is up at season’s end, I think B.C. and co. will see the value in keeping him around for a little while longer. A future back-up centre? I’m not sure about that but I could see him being a match-up problem at the 4 along when Bargnani’s at the 5 and maybe even a little bit of Bosh at the 3.

PAPE SOW:

Howland: (Inc.) + (Mid-Term Inc.) = Inc.

It may be the end of Pape’s time in Toronto. Pape got even less burn than Slokar and when he was out there did little to show any sort of improvement.

Franchise: (Inc.) + (Mid-Term Inc.) = Inc.

Ok, the agreement has to stop soon. I think Sow’s time with the Raptors may be over too and I’m not quite sure it should be. The NBA is filled with undersized, rugged, athletic players who took a while to learn the game (Ben Wallace, Reggie Evans etc.) and prior to his neck injury I really thought Sow was starting to come into his own. The problem is, like Howland said, he’s not getting even as much playing time as Uros Slokar and his one offensive move is still that spin to the basket off a post-up. Perhaps an off-season of pro leagues and post work will do him some good but it’s his defence and rebounding that he needs to use to stick right now in the league. I wish Spidey the best in any event and maybe we’ll see him get a training camp invite even if he doesn’t get asked to return via a new contract.

SAM MITCHELL AND HIS STAFF:

Howland: (A-) + (Mid-Term B+) = B+

Mitchell and his staff turned essentially what was a new roster with inexperienced NBA players into a division champion. That’s a fact. Mitchell and Co. also did a better job in particular situations and when you add it all up it meant being voted Coach of Year. The playoffs were evidence that Mitchell still has to learn about making adjustments but has there ever been a bigger swing in a coach’s fortunes over such a small period of time? From being on top of the trash heap to top of many teams’ lists of head coaching candidates, Mitchell performed admirably this season. In the second half he and his staff made other teams react and managed to never let this team get too high or too low.

Franchise: (B+) + (Mid-Term B+) = B+

Without factoring the playoffs into the equation I too would have given Mitchell and his staff an A- mainly for two reasons. The first is that this team almost always competed. I can remember two or three blowouts but this was the first season in years in which I saw Toronto win a number of close games that maybe they didn’t deserve to win based on early play, or in past seasons would have been unable to close out. (A comeback victory over the T-Wolves in Minnesota late in the season, a one point OT win over Seattle, an OT victory over Washington highlighted by Morris Peterson’s improbable 3-pointer and a December victory over the Clippers in which TJ Ford hit the winning jumper at the buzzer stick out in my mind.) Second, when this team did suffer a bad loss, or lost a couple in a row, the club would always bounce back. We even saw this against New Jersey where despite being thrashed in games three and four and outplayed for the majority of the series, Sam Mitchell still got every ounce of his club and almost forced a game seven back in Toronto.

However this grade does look at the post-season too and being that I felt the Raptors were out-coached, I can’t give an A grade. Mitchell is still a young coach learning the tricks of the trade but even an avid fan like myself saw that Sam’s starting line-up in game four featuring Bargnani at the 3, had disaster written all over it. However one bad playoff round does not a coach’s season make and overall I felt he and his assistants did a good job. Will Mitchell be back with Toronto next season? I would like to see him return but for now the ball is firmly in his court as to his decision.

BRYAN COLANGELO:

Howland: (A) + (Mid-Term B+) = A-

The second half of the season was an interesting one for Colangelo as he acknowledged his mistakes and made the best of them. Tucker to Jackson, Jones to Dixon. I question whether the man ever sleeps. Although neither of those moves were franchise altering, they were good moves. This off-season will be an interesting one as with Colangelo you learn to expect the unexpected. A great first season for the basketball genius.

Franchise: (A+) + (Mid-Term A) = A+

Ok, so the site of Paul Millsap reeking havoc for the Jazz in the playoffs still burns me up but beyond the drafting of PJ Tucker, there’s not much you can say that’s negative about the job Bryan Colangelo has done. I expected B.C. to come in this season and make some good choices for the future of the franchise, but I didn’t expect him to be a miracle worker! Hoffa for Kris Humphries is starting to look like water into wine and when it was obvious that Fred Jones wasn’t the player the Raptors thought he could be, (and from his stats in Portland it doesn’t look like he’s the player the Blazers thought he was either) B.C. promptly swapped him for Juan Dixon. Dixon was disappointing in the playoffs but had some great games to help Toronto capture the Atlantic Division crown and looks to be another solid player off the bench for Toronto. Even when PJ Tucker didn’t work out Colangelo combed the D League and grabbed Luke Jackson, a player who already looks to be a much better fit. Injuries to Charlie Villanueva in Milwaukee leave the verdict on the Ford/CV trade up in the air so perhaps in the end it will be revealed that the Lego Master is human. But for now I have nothing but praise for the NBA’s executive of the year and can’t wait to see what he does this coming off-season.

The HQ

Tweet Comment 20 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

I'll continue the interesting PG conversation from yesterday. Ummm, I guess we have the whole off season to do so, so I'll try and keep it short.

Let me disclose, I'm a Mike James hater (for those who didn't already know), and even the slightest reference to him will set me off -- even if it's a remote comparison of TJ.

This is a strech, but take a look at MJ's career vs TJ and the records of their teams. There's a reason MJ is a career back-up and has been on 7 teams in 5 years!

Mike James
06-07 Min 32-29
05-06 Tor 27-55
04-05 Hou 51-31 [27 games]
04-05 Mil 30-52 [47 games]
03-04 Det 54-28 [26 games]
03-04 Bos 36-46 [55 games]
02-03 Mia 22-60

TJ Ford
06-07 Tor 47-35
05-06 Mil 40-42
03-04 Mil 41-41

by ustation on May 16, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

What do you guys think of the Amare/Diaw suspension - consistent application of the rules or total gong show resulting in blind adherence to the letter of the law, ignoring context and derailing what was shaping up to be a classic series. (You can probably see which way I'm leaning)

by Sam Bowie on May 16, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Hate the ruling Mr. Bowie...I think Barkley said it best last night. The rule was designed to punish players coming off the bench to make a bad situation worse in some capacity, it shouldn't be there to punish human nature...

by Franchise on May 16, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

wow -- 2 reasonable posts on the Suns/Spurs incident!!!
(and - I agree with Franchise and Barkley)

I don't think that I've seen 1 post on any US site (cnnsi, yahoo, sportsline, etc.) that wasn't completely biased in some way. People are suggesting that Nash *intentionally* got himself hit (spurs fans), that Popovich planned the whole thing (suns fans), that David Stern is the worst commissioner in sports, etc. etc.

by BC on May 16, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

I'm not sure how much weight we can put on the ukic rumors, but it does seem like BC is at least thinking about moving him over here. which would answer the martin question.

as far as rasho is concerned, I was huge fan of his all season, still am, but wow - I haven't seen butter fingers like his for a long time. he certainly is smart, boxes out, all that good stuff, but I would get furious watching him let soft rebounds get away from him.

everybody else, including BC, is pretty much right on the money for me.

now in terms of the tj thang: first off...can we just clarify that for all the trash talking we're doing about mj, the truth of the matter is he played his butt off for this team last year.

the main problem most of us had with him was when the team was either losing, or towards the end of a game and how he felt like he needed to take it over. it was maddening to watch.

and this is where tj comes into play.

tj usually in the first quarter of any game he started was a pleasure to watch. beautiful stuff. and, coincidentally, it's usually when he would rack up the majority of his assists, you'll notice.

but a funny thing would happen in the second half. Mr. 'me first' would sometimes shows up. and I don't buy the 'well the opposing team just made the appropriate adjustments' theory. as a point guard, (a pass first one anyway,) you look for different ways to break down the defense by getting all your teammates involved. all the best do it. tj hasn't. some of this has to do with sam, no doubt.

now does this mean he won't learn and get better? of course not. but the mj comparisons aren't unwarranted. because I don't think anybody is comparing their skill sets, it's their mentality we have a problem with.

and that's the last I have to say about that!

by papa on May 16, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Here's my two-cents on the Nash deal:

1. Nash: He was absolutely smoked there by Horry and dealt with it post-game in his usual classy manner.

2. Horry: Apparently he forgot he had 2 arms to wrap Nash up and instead dropped the shoulder.

3. Amare/Diaw: This suspension is crazy. Suspend them next year for a game. Not the game (if at all) that is arguably the KEY game. Marion's worse nightmare is having to spend any time at all guarding Duncan...in particular now that he is used to chasing Parker all over the floor.

4. Horry's supension should be for the rest of the series. If that had been say Jordan.....

5. Stern must know in his gut this is the wrong call and he just stole all the thunder from the best second round series.

by HOWLAND on May 16, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Guys great job once again. Now, T.J Ford I think can be a really effective player if used right. This was Sam Mitchell's message to T.J.: " If they go under the screen (which they always do) shoot the ball!!!" So guess what happened, T.J. shot the ball. T.J's inconsistent play is a direct result of Mitchell. I also think that we need a coach who will tell the players to cut to the basket. This will help T.J. a lot. Jose is a pick-and-pop point guard. That is how he gets his assists. I think if we can get a small forward who is athletic and quick enough to run with T.J. Ford, you all will see his brillance in open court.

by sandeep on May 16, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Wow, the Coach of the Year and Executive of the Year only got one A+ out of 4? If you two were my high school teachers I would have gone on a hunger strike.

Other than that, your ratings are sound and are more-or-less the exact same except for MoPete. MoPete turns 30 in December and we already have two 30+ SG/SFs in Toronto (Garbo and AP), so goodbye MoPete. But Mo's numbers and shot opportunities were actually consistent with his minutes:

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3420/career;_ylt=Ar0twoT4Y7viJUvwgEYbhmqkvLYF

As they say in Fantasy bball, with minutes comes numbers, and Mo played 17 more last season. Why Smitch felt the need to reduce his minutes by more than a 1/3 may well have to do with conditioning. Or, more likely, as the 21st pick of the 2000 draft, he was never really that good to begin with, but had the Mike James Syndrome last year(decent player on a crappy team). On a good team he just ain't that good. To wit, he has a career FG% of 42%, and he was "better" than that this season.

by jjdynomite on May 16, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Not argue because we all had different expectations, but these guys are all "A+"s in my book:

Tj Ford - He just hasn't been as quick after the ankle injury, but i think he's got huge potential. So he doesn't see the floor so well yet, he sees bosh amazingly and when the offense goes through bosh, things are good too.

Calderon - Praying this wasn't some fluke year. This guy seems headed for steve nash, jason kidd stature but might take just as long to get there.

Rasho - My expectations were fairly low for Rasho, but he allowed us to match up with anybody, from haywood to shaq. The way he played in San Antonio made me think mitchell could use him as a go to guy, but he never does. Seems like even when he's playing great, he doesn't get enough minutes.

Mitchell - I'm not even a big fan, but seems to me he has not wasted a second of his time since colangelo came on board, learning, changing his courtside demeanour from constant panic to cool confidence. I'm oversimplifying, but he definitely has some serious strengths.

Colangelo - I think he's mentoring mitchell (and the entire organization) in a sense and doing a super job. He's a ninja master, what can you say. A++

by axl on May 16, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

OK, so here’s the thing on the suspensions. Unbelievable stupidity to apply a rule blindly without consideration of circumstances. The reasons I don’t agree with Stern (who I usually side with) are threefold:
1. You could not tell from the replay whether Amare/Diaw were on their way to visit with Horry (to further escalate the situation) or to assist their fallen point guard (a natural reaction which does not escalate the situation). Therefore, it’s hard to draw conclusions.
2. The only reason you saw the Suns bench is because of were the incident transpired. I am certain that there were Spurs who left the bench as well (because it’s a natural reaction, I got closer to my TV, who didn’t) which the camera did not pick up. Punishing only one team for something that both teams were likely guilty of is not fair.
3. Lastly, rewarding an instigator is just not right on any level. This was not a fight between two players, just one team’s dirty play (in a series full of them). Rewarding that act is incomprehensible.

Something they should look into next year is perhaps assigning an "Instigator" label to one team. If a player from a non-instigator team leaves a bench, the team can pick which game he sits out with an option of next season during playoff games. If the instigator team’s player leaves the bench, he’s out next game. If there is no clear instigator, then both teams are assigned the instigator label.

For now, tonight’s loss is on Stern’s head and to be honest, I lost a lot of respect for him. I’ve also cooled off to the rest of the playoffs a little due to his decision.

by Erezona on May 16, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Ok here's the thing, Toronto falls in love with their blue collar athletes. Athletes who aren't or shouldn't be superstars - but are good people, which maybe leads us to think we can be them or maybe be friends with them.

Think: JYD, Alvin Williams, Popeye Jones, Tie Domi, Wendle Clark, Doug Gilmour, Cliff Johnson, Ernie Whitt.

We like our superstars, but we really don't LOVE them - they're kinda like the hot chick you wanna take home to bed, but you know they're going to leave you and then you want to return to your everyday wife.

We love the athletes who'd prefer to stay with us, but eventually we kick to the curb. So there in lies MoPete, another typical Toronto favourite.

How he doesn't get an F- this year is a wonder to me. In an all important contract year, he shows up to camp in horrible condition, like he does every year. Even BC refered to this at the end of season press conference (paraphrase: if Mo wants to come back to us in a lesser role, and if he's prepared to come to camp in shape). He's given the starter role and drops the ball. How many fast break dunks do you remember from him this year? How many quick threes did he take?

He definitely redeemed himself over the playoffs, but if there's a guy who should be disapointed in himself, it's Mo. On any scale, comparative or by expectations he failed this season.

by ustation on May 17, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

ustation, you're absolutely right about our city's love for blue collar athletes, but you forgot the one of the best and most recent examples - the Red Rocket!

(I know the red hair made the nickname "obvious", but given his speed I think "fire hydrant" might have been more apt...)

by MattK on May 17, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

It is too bad that being the "godfather" of the situation keeps Maurizio Gherardini from having the up front role that would allow him to get a grade at all....

by renato on May 18, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Sounds like Smitch is close to a deal. If you were to offer a contract what would the terms of the deal be?

I'd go 3 years $13M. Which I think puts him at about #6 or 7 overall, which maybe a bit much, but a tradeoff for a shorter contract. And in 2 years time, if this team isn't competing for a championship, then it'll be time for a change.

by ustation on May 18, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

My grades:

-TJ Ford: B. Like others have said, he can do the best and the worst. I don't question his skills, but his decision-making is generally awful, if he could only improve it to decent he'd have a lot more impact in the league.

-Calderon: A. I'm a huge fan of him and he had a great season. However, i have a little doubt for the future: i think he has benefited a lot from having Ford carry all the expectations and pressure. He excels when being underrated, but has never really played as a top-3 player in his team (neither in the Raptors, in Tau or in Spain's national team), his performance under pressure is still pretty much an unknown.

-Parker: A-. What else can you say? Excellent season, however having witnessed his Euroleague feats i was kinda expecting he'd step up big time for the playoffs, which didn't happen.

-Joey G: C. I don't see him becoming the kind of player many people hope he can be. I'd say trade him.

-Dixon: B. Disappointing ending after a great start, but can't ask for much more considering the low cost.

-MoPete: B. I was actually quite satisfied with his performance, probably because i didn't follow the Raps before the spaniard invasion so i can't compare at all with what he used to do or could have done (which from your comments seem to be a lot better than what he did this year).

-Humphries: A-. A lot better than i expected, has earned his spot in the team as a decent backup.

-Bosh: A. Underwhelming playoff series but still a great season overall. I love how he always strives to get better and works hard to make it happen, so i am sure he will improve his current shortcomings (settling for the J too much, not playing much back to the basket) and have an even better season next year.

-Rasho: C. Biggest disappointment for me. Can't blame the guy or his attitude, but his skills were not really as useful to the team as i expected.

-Bargnani: B+. The potential is there, but i'm probably not as absolutely sure of an All-Star caliber future as everyone seems to me. His second year will be key for his future development.

-Garbo: A-. I didn't expect such a quick adaptation to the NBA. The worst was how he struggled from the 3p line (neglecting one of his defining features as a player), but on the other hand i give him a lot of credit for doing so well while playing out of position (he hardly ever played SF in Europe, he was more of a shooting PF/C threat).

-Mitchell: A. I don't expect much from coaches anyway, so he surpassed my expectations just by transforming all this new guys into a team that seemed to have been playing together for years.

-Colangelo: A+. Can't say a thing that hasn't been said already.

by Sergi P on May 18, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Having watched the Cleveland and New Jersey series I can'
t help but wonder what if the Raptors had a little luck on the last play of game 6. I believe the Raptors could of beat Cleveland and gone on to meet Detroit. Oh well we will never know! Go Detroit!

by Davl on May 18, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

I know I'm wading in a little late into the suspension debate, but I've been busy at work the last few days, so humour me.

It was, as Bill Simmons stated (and by the way, his article on the NBA vs. Common Sense is must reading) the correct interpretation of an idiotic rule. If you were Diaw or Stoudemire and you just saw your franchise player decked by a cheap shot, what would your natural reaction be? Do we really want a passionless league where the players dutifully wait on the sidelines for the league to mete out punishment? I know I don't.

Furthermore, it's absolutely ridiculous for the NBA to suspend two players for getting up off their butts to defend a team mate while Bruce Bowen runs around crippling people. As Simmons pointed out, there's nothing accidental about sticking your feet under another guy as he's taking a jump shot.

So why did Stern so vehemently defend this stupid rule even though it quite possibly ruined this year's playoffs (although I will be rooting for Utah to clean San Antonio's clock). If I may draw a historical analogy, it reminds me of the Lavon affair, an episode in Israeli politics. Basically, a minister was wrongly blamed for giving an order that resulted in a disastrous espionage failure. Years later, it became apparent that he had been falsely accused, and he demanded that his name be cleared. Ben Gurion, the Israeli prime minister at the time, wouldn't do it without holding a full inquiry. He was trying to make the point that no one was above the rule of law, and that only the law could clear Lavon, but in the process he alienated virtually everyone around him and caused his own political demise.

I don't think the analogy has to be stretched very far to be applied to Stern. While there's no doubt he has done great things for the NBA, his ego is getting in the way of common sense, even though he's "technically" correct. But do sports fans really care about such niceties? They're more likely to say "screw you, I'm watching something else."

by Skywalker on May 19, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Here's my two cents worth;

Nash gets belted head first into the scoring table, and colour me biased, but it sure looked to be on purpose (and I mean in a 'Rob, take that guy out', kinda way). From that, we get Stoudemire and Diaw serving time? And this is the game after we watched Bruce Bowen 'accidentally' knee Nash in the groin without a call? Redonkulous.

The Raptors:

Set a record for season wins. Actually, they tied the record. And 47 isn't actually a very high record. But we won some awards (EOY, COY, All-Star nod for Bosh). And we made the playoffs.

But we lost in the first round.

To Vince Carter.

Overall: C+ (and definitely trending upwards)

Ford: He's got warp speed feet, lightning fast hands, and a ten-speed bike head. Needs to find a gear where everything is comfortable. Once he does, he'll be Tony Parker/Leandro Barbosa un-stoppable. Carried the team for stretches with Bosh out, and still hasn't hit his ceiling talent wise. On the downside, he's both predictable and not yet a shut down defender. B+

Calderone: I was going to write something about Spanish chocolate tasting better as the season wore on, but it just sounded so...wrong. B+

Bargnani: I remember watching Bosh in his first season and thinking 'once this kid puts it together, he could be freakish'. The feeling I get when I watch Bargnani is 'once this guy puts it all together he could be going to the Hall of Fame'. We're talking Roman God of War type stuff (ok, maybe it's just me talking).

At worst, he's an over-sized Keith Van Horn. Finishing second overall in ROY voting (ala CV Smooth), earns him a B+.

(Rocking the pinnacle of laissez-faire bedhead gets him an A+.)

Bosh: Has put it all together. Routinely freaks me out. Flat out sucked in the playoffs when it counted. A-

Rasho: I actually thought he displayed a lot more scoring touch than I ever expected (which lets face it, was close to zero) - especially in the playoffs. Left me wanting more, but part of that is Mitchell not giving him the full burn. Was an above average defensive presence against half-court offenses, threw several block parties and was a great team-mate throughout the season. B-

Anthony Parker: The ultimate no frills two-guard. And he doesn't mind that the offense runs through someone else. And he plays hard D. And he's genuinely very nice. And he has a very reasonable contract.

I don't care if he drinks the blood of puppies. A-

Mo Pete: My heart says 'yes', my head says 'no', and then it says 'is their anyone out their obviously better'? Jason Kapono? Really? Depending on how the landscape looks (and it could look pretty bad), If that's the case I say...Pay Mo Pete. B-/C+

Hump: Knows his limitations and his role. Has a quick motor and lives to bang at the glass. A total steal for Hoffa. B-

Garbajosa: He's a 6'10" version of Parker without all the quickness, and with by far the seediest facial hair on the team. He does everything well and nothing very well. He fits into just about any big-man role, is fearless, and outside of ankle bones that snap like rotten twigs a month before the playoffs, he's a lower case starter and uppercase bench guy. B+

Juan Dixon: From what little I saw, he has some versatility, and could be a project. Incomplete.

Darrick Martin: Already has the double chin, mustache and casual calm demeanor that screams 'assistant coach'. C+

Uros Slokar: May actually be a covert Russian intelligence officer who is activated by posthypnotic commands involving playing cards and the queen of hearts. Is he Secret Agent Uros Slokar? Or the Manchurian Candidate? Until I can tell the difference, Incomplete.

Kilo-Graham: Gave a solid effort, but I believe he is the poster child for what the NBDL is for. D+

Ok, so here's the raw future:

5-Bargs
4-Bosh
3-??
2-Parker
1-Ford*

Which is cause for excitement! Bosh, Bargs, Ford all getting closer to prime, and Parker is still in his.

Bench

5-Rasho
4-Garbajosa
3-Humphries
2-??
1-Calderone*

Well above average - and one of the reasons why the Raps won as many games as they did - superb bench contributions.

Others: Slokar, Ukic?

Some questions:

Are we in play for;

Shawn Marion?
Boris Diaw (I hope not at $9M a year)
Marc Iavaroni?
Pau Gasol?
Andres Nocioni?
A 1st or 2nd rnd pick at the draft?

by Bedhead on May 20, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

For what it's worth, Bedhead, I'll take a stab at your questions.

1) I think it would take an awful lot to pry Shawn Marion from the Suns. We don't have a 2007 draft pick to trade and you'd have to break up the core of this team to bring him in (i.e. trade Bosh, Bargnani, Ford or Calderon).

2) I would think Diaw's definitely on the market, but that salary is a deal breaker.

3) It looks like Mitchell is going to re-sign, so Iavaroni is a non-starter. What kind of message would Colangelo be sending to Mitchell if he brought Iavaroni as an assistant?

4) I've heard that unless the Raps are willing to give up Bargnani, they won't get Gasol. And Bargs ain't goin' nowhere.

5) Nocioni's a fine player, but in a relatively weak free agent market, someone's going to overpay for him. The guy I'd love to see in a Raptor uniform is Quenton Ross of the Clippers. Killer defender who doesn't need a lot of touches at the offensive end.

6) Tough to answer. My guess is that a first round pick will cost too much to acquire, especially a top ten pick in this year's draft. It's possible that if Colangelo sees someone he likes who is slipping down the draft, he might make a trade for him on draft night. Apparently he tried to do just that last year in an effort to acquire Marcus Williams. A couple of names I'll throw out are Derrick Byars and Brandon Rush.

by Skywalker on May 21, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

For what it's worth, Bedhead, I'll take a stab at your questions.

2) I would think Diaw's definitely on the market, but that salary is a deal breaker.

3) It looks like Mitchell is going to re-sign, so Iavaroni is a non-starter. What kind of message would Colangelo be sending to Mitchell if he brought Iavaroni as an assistant?

4) I've heard that unless the Raps are willing to give up Bargnani, they won't get Gasol. And Bargs ain't goin' nowhere.

by Skywalker on May 21, 2007 12:00 AM EDT reply actions