Tip-In: Toronto Raptors Post-Game: Marathon Matinee

Great read howland. I thought they were done in the third. Couldn't be more impressed by the comeback.

New york is killing detroit at the moment, hopefully they'll be reeling a bit when they come into toronto.

Another one for the Hot:

JC 7 for 10 Roy was 12 for 25
each had 10 assists. God where would Raptors be without JC?

Also lets hope Roy get a rubdown for the game tomorrow against NJ

Excellent breakdown Howland...and yes, a very entertaining game indeed.

Roy is nice, that's all I can say.

Sam's and BC's expressions in the 4th were very telling at one point. They had that defeated and the 'we lost again' look. Glad they won, just to keep the tempers and feelings in check.

At any rate, this is great for Jose's confidence, the attention and his recent play will help him to overcome any future obstacles or slumps...I hope all continues to go well with him and the team, health wise.

I don't think Kapono should be shipped just yet though...actually I think we will see his value as the season progresses...

Although he's not a 'vetran' he brings experience that I feel will be vital when playoffs roll around.

At anyrate, I do see that he isn't a wepon yet so I guess we'll have to just wait and see what BC does .

AP is starting to warm up, can't wait till he gets hot.

cheers.

Got to love Jose, Bosh and Parker. Great that after that #$%% up in the 4th, Moon kept his composure. What a game. Thanks for the great analysis Howland, as always.

It will definitely be interesting to see what happens at the PG when TJ is back. If we hear that he won't be playing for awhile, I hope we can get someone decent like maybe Stoudamire to keep us going until TJ is back. I think Kapono just needs someone half decent to set up the offence and make some good passes to shine. Think of the game in December where he shot the lights out. Since Jose left the second unit, the bench has looked weak. No matter whether it is TJ who comes off the bench, or Jose goes back to his 6th man role, the bench and especially Kapono will start to look better once we can see someone other than DMart or Dixon out there.

Wow! I’m definitely, absolutely, totally jacked.
This was the best win of the season, two young teams at the top of their game giving it their all. Can’t beat it.

Calderone – What can you say about this guy? He’s a conductor out on the floor, communicating, encouraging, instructing his teammates with a calm assurance that only can be gained with experience and a winning attitude.

Bosh – I think his recent performance has removed any doubt that he should be considered for the all star game. I didn’t agree with the criticism he was getting of late but thankfully they’ve been silenced.

Parker – Welcome back Parker. You have been missed.

Bargnani – instead of Roy. Ouch, ouch and ouch. Things that make you go hmmm…I wonder if any of our past GMs had taken a pass on Roy for Bargnani if we would be as patient to wait for his development to blossom?

With the number of minutes JC is playing saying the bench is not producing because they dont have JC running the second unit is just wrong!

The bench minutes are down because they are not producing. (with JC or whoever)

JC drove a little more when comming off the bench opening up the floor for the shooters.

Sam Mitchell---produce and play (Delfino)

I can hear the comparables already. Bargs,Roy,Aldridge...How can you compare? Bargs is on the floor for five minutes and gets yanked because of the two fouls...up to that point he had a nice drive to the hoop and a nice fifteen footer...then two quick fouls and park your pasta ass on the bench.Why the quick hook is it because of the 2 fouls? because its been awhile since he has fouled out,how can he.Sitting to save him from fouling out? Ain't going to happen if he doesn't see the floor.He is emotionaly fried...out of the block 2 nice baskets,now sit down for the next hoor and watch your draft class humiliate you.I'll take the win,but I'm seeing Tracy McGrady all over again.

It's hard to judge young big men in this league, so I'm certainly not quitting on Bargnani. But I''m guessing that Brandon Roy will remain the best player from last year's draft. He's a good, not great, athlete, but damn does the man know how to play the game.

d279 – Don’t loose sight of what the Raps are trying to accomplish. We are trying to get into the playoffs and possibly win a round. Anything less would be considered a major setback. We need our best players on the floor to build momentum towards attaining that goal and can lest afford to throw away games to develop Bargnani’s game. The Raps themselves are in a higher phase of development than when McGrady was cutting his teeth.

As Kanye's opening sequence at the game goes," what doesn't kill you makes you stronger", I feel this win has the potential to really elevate this team. JC has been an amazing QB for this team, and frankly there can be no going back. If TJ comes back at 80%, he can still create enough shot opportunities for the Kaponos and Bargnani's to keep the team intact.

There has been the obligatory comments on Bargs-Roy-Aldridge. How about Outlaw? This guy took a couple of years to get it together and now he is Portland's closer. No reason Bargs can't.

thrilling win, but i thought i'd have an annurism if i saw portland get one more offensive board. it was killing me.

bargs' 3rd quarter play was also giving me brain spasms. he was horrible. maybe there is still hope for him but at the moment he is bring nothing.

smitch coached a great game in this drawn out battle. ran good plays, got good match-ups, kept his players motivated, gave them hell when they needed it and kept their confidence up.

I agree with all you all, the bench needs JC to get them back in order, TJ needs to get back here so we can have our bench back.

Just a few points on Bargnani. During his draft year ,Roy was considered the most ready for the NBA and Aldridge was considered the best center. At the time, I had hoped the Raps would pick Aldridge because we already had a 4 as our star. I think Bargs can develop into a really good player but is he the right fit for Toronto? I have watch his interviews and I don,t think he understands the language very well at all. When he goes to the bench, I don't see a lot of input from the coach and I don't see him talking much. I wander if his is a lonely kid, a long way from home, struggling with the language. It would also be interesting as to who is tutoring him as a basketball mentor because maybe he needs an improvement there. Saw an interview on Dirk N where he said that the first couple of years ,he was over here was a nightmare and he had planned on quiting.

Howland: Just to "defend" the fans at the game a little bit. I was at the game and it was Family Fun Day. The crowd was pretty young, so not really versed in the nuances of the game. That said, I almost got into it with some jerk and his woman sitting behind me after they told me to sit down after jumping up to cheer a bucket.

That said, after watching this game later on that night with the Portland announcers (who are very good), I realized just how absolutely screwed this team is going forward.

For all of you people pining for Jose to make the all-star team, you might want to reconsider. With every column of pub Jose gets his price goes way up. He's probably the top free agent right now, and teams are going to throw a lot of cash his way. I doubt the raps will be able to match, and it for sure means no Delfino next year.

This leaves us with TJ, who is a fantastic PG, but has an uncertain future. And a quality back-up to replace Jose is very hard to find. Just ask Portland fans who saw Jerett Jack lose the game for them yesterday.

I wonder sometimes if the Raptors are simply handling Bargnani all wrong. I think Smitch should just let him play it out regardless of how many fouls he has (at least as long as the effort is there). Normally you sit someone who picks up a couple of quick fouls in order to have them available at the end of games but it's obvious that Bargs isn't going to be playing the end of games very often so why bother. Wouldn't it be better to let him play through it instead of crushing his confidence and making worry constantly about getting yanked on every mistake? Maybe trading him away isn't the worst thing that can happen especially if he goes to a bad team where he can play heavy minutes.
I felt bad for Moon with the silly foul. Yes he fouled but there was no doubt that Outlaw flopped either. Moon barely clipped his hand yet Outlaw fell as if Moon ran him over. The flopping in this league is getting out of hand (and yes the Raps are bad too). I understand some of the flopping on charges as you see guys run over people all the time when they are attacking but there have to be limits to what is acceptable. I felt that giving Outlaw the foul shot was fine but the refs should have called a Tech on him for flopping like he did to offset it. I really think the NBA needs to find a happy medium with flopping. Maybe educating the refs and players alike on what is acceptable and what isn't.

I hate to be the wet blanket here, but… Is it just me or are you tired of the Raps giving up leads in the 4th quarter? (See Cleveland, Portland games and even the game against NY)). It has come to the point where yesterday, I was waiting for it, then watching it happen and then turning off the TV. Yes, I had a commitment to get to, but I just couldn’t watch, I was that pissed. I was so pissed that when I heard the raps won in a double OT thriller I was only mildly amused. This team can not, I repeat CAN NOT get stops when other teams go on a run in the later stages of games. Why is this you ask… Two major issues: 1) There guards/wings can’t defend their own position. This translates into an overdependence on help defence, heavy rotations and therefore being out of position, leading to mismatches. 2) The overdependence on help defence and rotations leads to players being out of position this coupled with the fact no one on this team outside of Bosh and Moon could rebound to save their lives leads to alarming offensive rebounding by opponents. Howland, great point on Kapono. When BC used the mid-level exception to get him this summer, everyone was aware that this team lacked defensive and rebounding minded talent questions were raised. His answer was as lame then as it is now (paraphrasing) "… with better shooters there will be less rebounds" HUH!?!?!?! Really!? How do better shooters get DEFENSIVE rebounds?

BTW loved the crowd booing the absolutely frustrating play of Derik Martin after two (TWO) missed deep contested three pointers in the same possession!

June 2006 doesn't look too good for Colangelo now, doesn't it? Drafting for Bargnani, an unproven perimeter big from Italy and bringing in as a starter an undersized, chronically ill PG look today as bad choices.
For Bargnani I still have patience because he's learning a new position and he showed last year, especially games 5 and 6 of the play-offs, just how good a player he could be.
However the TJ move blows my mind and I really question this organization knack for discovering talent. We had Calderon for 1 season and we brought in TJ for 8 mill/year, a back-up PG in Mil. Then after 2 months Calderon becomes world champion as a starting PG for Spain and we all know what followed. Mitchell recognized a few days ago that none of front-office or coaching people thought Calderon would be this type of player. I know hindsight it's easy however it's scary for me that in one full season they were not able to evaluate a player in their own yard.
Colangelo made a few other good moves though that made up for his mistakes and especially he seems to have the ability to recognize quickly his mistakes and act on them. I still trust our front-office and I'm sure a great team will be build in Toronto.
I guess the morale of the story is never to assume or to judge too quickly. Let's evaluate people based on results and see what's happening. Patience is a virtue when you have confidence in your vision.
Go Raps go.

Great game, the best this year. Chris, Jose, & AP just refused to lose. Do we have a BIG THREE growing? Defense in 2nd OT great, Roy did not score.
Referees were blind. Missed at least 4/5 calls on Portland. Gave cheap fouls on AB and nothing when Bosh being mugged in the paint.
Keeping Calderon, who wishes to stay, and who BC wishes to resign, is a priority.
With TJ's health issues, when he returns, they will always be there. Calderon has considerable upside as a PG and team leader I believe.

Re: Bargnanai

For those saying that Bargs should be allowed to play through his fouls… His fouls are only a part of the problem, the real reason he gets yanked from the game, and Sam has said this on countless occasions is that Bargs is a complete liability defensively. He is out of position constantly, he doesn’t box-out or rebound, he gets pushed around continually, doesn’t rotate properly and poses no resistance when opponents drive to the basket.

This is similar to those who always say "they never give Bargs the ball when he posts up". Realy… Seriously, have you watched the majority of Bargs’ post moves? My friend calls him "the Funky Chicken" when making a post move because he is so uncoordinated.

What are the options here? Play Bargs unconditionally and this team will loose. Play him sparingly, providing more court time with good play and allow him to develop at his own pace. Second option makes more sense.

Lost in all the giddiness of Bosh, Calderon and the double OT win was the excellent play of Delfino. This guy knows how to play Bball and is an excellent playmaker (however it doesn't show up in his stats).

I loved it when the Raps went small and moved Delfino to the SG guard and Parker as the SF. I hadn't noticed that particular line up before. He tries to get to the rim, unlike Moon, and when he drives he can then dish to Calderon or Parker for the open J. Forget Martin and Dixon and let this guy come in as the PG when JC needs a rest. Plus he has great chemistry with Kapono - they seem to look for each other, which would help to increase the bench production.

Sam need to utilize Delfino in a better defined role.

I'm thinking Ford going down may ultimately end up being a good thing for the "Raptors" (bad ofcourse for TJ). For a couple of reasons. The prospect of not signing JC now is almost inconceivable. Which prior to the injury, they MAY have considered allowing him to go elsewhere if the cost of keeping him was too high. Secondly, I frankly think that this first unit is better with JC as the PG. He's has the ability to score if you need it, but sees himself as the last option. I'm not so sure TJ is of the same mindset. He has a better outside shot which opens up the middle and let's face it, the best assist to turnover ratio in the league. (I had actually heard that he's up there with the all-time bests in history - not sure about that though).

On the matter of Bargnani and frankly Kapono for that matter, Raptor fans have to remember that neither of them was touted as having much beyond the suite of skills sets that they were drafted/ signed for. So if they are to develop other skill sets other than the ones that they have made a living on it may take some time. What do agree with though is that I personally don't think that the Raptors have done the best at developing these two guys or putting them in positions to succeed. This team may do well to develop these guys so that they are able to contribute come playoff time, I’m certain they’ll need them.

Lots of great points to touch on...

1) Darrick Martin. I've never been the Martin hater that some people have been but yesterday was the last straw for me. How can a "veteran" come in and take a wild drive to the basket, jack up a 3, then get the ball RIGHT back and jack up another? The first three was in the motion of the offense but the other two shots were inexcuseable, especially from someone who's supposed to be helping to get the second-unit going through is passing. I would have much rather had Dixon out there, at least he can shoot and would have hit a couple of those shots.

2) Jose. I agree with Mazel - this could be a major issue come off-season. It's great to see Calderon play so well and behind Bosh he's been this team's MVP to date. But that also means teams needing a pass-first point guard who can knock down open shots (and there are a number of them) are going to throw mega loot at JC. I know Jose wants to be here in the long run, but if he's guaranteed TJ's salary and minutes on another team, I'm not sure how Toronto is going to keep him. Jose said so himself in the half-time interview that one of the reasons he came to the NBA was because he wanted to compete at the highest level. If he gets the All-Star nod and realizes just how good he can be in a starting role, I'm not sure why he's stay to back-up TJ. And from BC's perspective, can they afford to have $15 to $16 million tied up in two point guards when other areas need to be addressed?

3) Bargnani. This whole Andrea situation ultimately comes down to the Raptors guiding philosophy - winning games vs. developping your future players. I felt bad for Andrea considering the two ticky-tack early fouls as he was looking to take advantage of his mismatch opportunities. Down low he is indeed the funky-chicken with his post moves and needs a summer at Pete Newell's annual camp for Bigs.

If Toronto is still trying to emphasize Bargs' development, I think Sam should let him play through his fouls too considering they never use him in crunch time. Let him get three or four in the first half as otherwise it's quite hard for him to get in rhythm.

4) Reffing. WHAT IN THE WORLD IS GOING ON?? This past week represented the absolute worst stretch of blown calls I've ever seen. Jamario Moon's foul was almost invisble, and I agree that the diving on Outlaw's part should have been called - but I don't have a huge issue with the foul. The same as you don't go near a player on a breakaway dunk, you don't lean in to block a shot on a 3 in that situation - refs call a foul if they even smell contact. However it was other parts of the game that I thought were called poorly. And outside of the Toronto game, another blown call cost a lessor team a game last night. The Lakers beat Memphis after a phantom call on Rudy Gay gave Kwame Brown free throws with seconds left. Kwame simply missed the dunk and on the other end, Randy Foye was hit by Derek Fischer and then bodied by Brown and no call was made. Game over, Memphis loses. Many people have talked about conspiracies against "lessor market teams" but this week has shown either a) that that theory rings true or b) that the state of reffing in the league is at an all-time low.

5) Delfino - small lineup. Love the small line-up Mitchell used in OT as it's the best way to utilize Carlos' ball skills. Unfortunately it leaves Toronto under-sized and that almost did them in in terms of rebounding in OT. As a result, Mitchell can only use this line-up in certain situations although it truly is Toronto's best five players from an overall skill standpoint.

I was at the game yesterday and considering the other games I have attended this year include the two Boston tilts, and the collapse against Cleveland, I was expecting the worst at the end of regulation and the first OT. What an amazing game. My main thoughts revolve around how effective and aggressive Parker has the potential to be. I know this has been a developing theme for maybe 5 games now, but just wanted to reinforce what I saw firsthand. Second, Jamario's foul on Outlaw was far from his only flaw in this game. I must have pointed out to my girlfriend at least 5 times where he was simply floating and looking completely un-interested on defence. I hope he is not already losing that hunger and passion we all love. Anyways, gotta run, hope the momentum carries into Detroit.

PS I cheered loud all game Howland. Unfortunately, there was a couple on their first date beside us. I am not sure they were awre there was a game going on, soooooo much meaningless small-talk. Soooo close to beating them bothg senseless.

Am I the only one thinking that maybe part of the reason for Colangelo's sour expression is the fact that his # 1 pick gets put on the bench so quickly? I respect Sam's consistancy with his players but maybe Bargs should be allowed to play through his foul troubles.

Marc stein says Bargs is a bust.

We at Raptorshq say that Bargs was the wrong #1 Choice draft pick

Bargs plays zero minutes in overtime/4th Qtr/Crunch Time

Bargs play diminishes as we speak
We need to trade Bargs right now and get a defensive rebounder center- Prompto.

For all those who think Bargs has potential and that we should wait on him - think again.

He's healthy right now and shows no sign of improvement.

Yeah Raptors.

Couple of points from the Portland feed of the game:

Calderon's foot was CLEARLY on the line for his 3 at the end of the game. Now the Balzers probably wouldn't have shot a three, if it was counted as a two, so it doesn't mean the Raptors didn't win or anything. Plus there were so many bad calls it's not that noteworthy but still... I imagine Portland fans feel a bit annoyed.

Speaking of, everytime Roy made a big play their coverage cut to a shot of Swirsky. If you remember Chuck was the only person who didn't vote for Roy last year for ROY, denying him from being the 1st unanimous winner in a long time (Chuck voted for Bargnani). It seems that people in Portland haven't quite forgotten.

If you add these things, to the great game earlier in the season, as well as the great one last year where TJ dominated, this is becoming a pretty great rivalvry, especially considering we're both up and coming teams that are getting better every year.

I feel the 5 spot experiment with Bargs is done with,let it go....With all the comparisons to Dirk,the Dallas star and MVP,is not a 5 but a 4....so can the exercise ,and put him back where he belongs.... Bargsbust,remember the last two games of the playoffs,oh!!! how soon we forget...

That is the most aggressive I have ever seen Bosh play. The way he was attacking the basket was unreal. I think he's over his foot problems ...

Same goes for AP. He's flicked the switch in the past week or two and he's no longer invisible. Never seen him dunk with authority on multiple occasions like he did yesterday.

People should not be so quick to give up on Bargs. We saw what he's capable of last year. We've seen glimpses of it this year. He's go a long way to go, but he'll snap out of this. I see the thinking behind that T-Mack comparison posted above, and it creeps me out. I really hope that's not the case.

Not sure if anyone's mentioned this yet, but BC said the other day that the Raps are going to see to it that JC remains a Raptor.

I was also at the game yesterday... Bargnani looks like more of an oaf every game. His only "move" is his flat-footed jump shot, which only works if he is WIDE open. Where he got the "Il Mago" (magician) nickname from is beyond me -- unless this was a reference to him dissapearing during games.

In my mind, he cannot fit with this team unless you play him as PF with Rasho beside him at Center. Then at least there is a strong defender to back him up and someone to get boards.

As for the rest of the game, most of the people on this thread have covered the basics: crowd was asleep until the 4th, Refs were BRUTAL (I had thoughts of a Donaughy-like betting scandal every time a call was made), and the Raps "depth" is definitely overrated because the only way that the 2nd unit gets any offense is when they play with Jose. Darrick Martin is way too slow to play PG in the league. Sadly, Humphries is the best person at creating his own shot.

Joey Graham getting 4 fouls in 5 minutes was definitely amusing... funny how Sam doesn't pull Joey G after his quick fouls.

Anyone who is complaining about Moon's inconsistent performance should realize that the alternative is to play Joey G...

Refereeing - Here's a prediction - within a few short years - the focus for NBA referees will change to call only real fouls on shooters in an effort to speed up the pace of the game.Do you basketball fans really enjoy watching players lined up at the foul line because of a touch. fouls? I'm sure some will jump to their defence but there needs to be some means of reviewing these guys because there are some pretty bad calls being made on shooting fouls and charges. My hockey friends laugh at it as a pansy sport because of these little touch fouls.

Regarding the "refereeing" (if you can call it that): what about the OBVIOUS travel (up and down) by Channing Frye late in the 4th quarter that all 19,800 fans noticed and started to boo instantly… C’mon, how was that missed by so called "professional" referees?!?!

Another bad call by refs - how about when calderon lobbed to moon for the dunk and a blazer steps in to take the charge, after calderon had left his feet. How can they miss that?

Not to mention, for every legit foul called on bargnani, there's a bogus one. It's like he's the only center in the NBA not allowed to fight for position. He's being tough, he's not giving up an inch against smaller players and the refs always call him off the ball. Have they ever seen shaq play?

For all the people who are saying we overpaid for tj and kapono, etc. You have to understand that good players need to get good size contracts or you can't get value back for them when trading. Since salaries have to match up, you don't want to be clearing 2 or 3 players just to make salaries match then be stuck replacing more bodies anyways. There's a lot more factors than just that, but nickel and diming for cap space isn't the end-all be-all.

That said, I predict TJ will be bought out at some point. Maybe even the next 'stinger' will be his last.

"Where he got the "Il Mago" (magician) nickname from is beyond me -- unless this was a reference to him dissapearing during games."

Yikes ha ha...I've been waiting for someone to post something along those lines for a while. In our preview of the Pistons game tomorrow I'm going to get into the whole Bargs situation a bit deeper.

Some great mentions of other blown calls, especially the Frye travel and Jose charge. I'm not saying refereeing is an easy thing, but lately I've seen so many OBVIOUS blown calls that I'm starting to wonder.

LA - Thanks for the insight on the US feed, I'm laughing out loud right now just THINKING about what those close-ups must have looked like...and they probably all involved Chuck with that huge grin of his. I think Portland-Toronto could be a good rivalry for a while too...if Bargs gets his act together there would be the him vs. Roy stuff, Bosh vs. Bosh Jr in Aldridge, two young demanding coaches, two great three-point shooting teams (two best in the league) as it stands, the Spanish point guard dual...you could go on and on.

Random hillarious sighting from the crowd yesterday that I saw. There was a dude wearing a T-shirt that said "Colangelo is the Mangelo..."

Very exciting game to watch, but a game we should have had long before OT. The Raptors have had trouble closing out quarters all season long. Last night, at the end of every quarter (I can’t for sure remember the 3rd, but at least 3 out of 4), Portland made a big shot. This was the case against Cleveland as well as we just couldn’t close out the 4th. At the end of quarters, teams really sharpen their focus and for some reason, the Raps don’t. We really need to focus on the last 2 minutes of quarters and get good execution, no turnovers and focus defensively.

I’m not saying Bargnani is a bust, but will he ever be as good as Roy? Don’t think so. And even if 4 years from now he is fantastic for another 5 years. Is that better than having a very good Roy for all 9 years? Add this to the long list of drafts we lost (as better players were available than the one we selected). After all, Bargnani is a number 1 pick. We are getting NOTHING from him. It’s been many years since a team has had a bigger bust at the number 1 in his second season. No I don’t mean his career is a bust, but certainly his second season is. Our team is playing without him right now. Think how good we would be if we had a number 1 pick playing for us now? Just like everyone talks about how good Portland will be next year with their number 1. We’re still waiting for ours. I don’t think we trade him, that helps nothing. But maybe send him to the D-League where he can get many minutes, work on and develop his game and get his confidence back.

Man, talk about kicking a man when he’s down. Ford, lest we forget, was our best player for the first chunk of the season. We win one exciting game (which we should have had locked up much earlier!) and everyone is ready to cast Ford out. Ford brings to this team something that JC just can’t. He brings defensive anarchy to our opposition. That’s what makes our offence work and why we looked so horrendous offensively in many games this year. This is what our team was built on. This is why Kapono can’t get a shot off now. Both PGs can shot very well and find the open man, but Calderon is the cool calm to Ford’s hurricane. We need someone to break down the defense and that’s an area where JC just can’t touch Ford. Also, if anyone has been paying attention, JC continually gets burned defensively. To say he is not a good defender would be polite. He can’t seem to stay with his man, that’s him you see running after or beside (not in front of) his player to the basket. He also often breaks down defensively which causes other players to rotate and leave guys for open looks (which we’ve seen many times).

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t like JC, I love what he brings to this team. But let’s not get delusional about what his role on this team is. There is a reason SM and BC haven’t moved JC to the starting lineup when Ford is available.

I don’t think anyone has mentioned this yet, Sam deserves a lot of credit for defensive adjustments on Roy after the half. In the 2nd half, you can see the adjustments that Sam made to trap Roy and get the ball out of his hands. That, I think, was the subtle turning point of the game.

Do average Raptor fans know what a 2 for 1 is? Probably not as I don’t remember the last time a Raptor team was focused on this. Why aren’t we trying to maximize possessions? Is Sam aware of the 2 for 1 strategy?

Lastly, the quality of the broadcasting has been the worst in years. it’s been mentioned before, but really, what is up with the scoreboard? CBC obviously uses a different company to run the production whereas all the other stations share the same one. Why do we always have problems with it. From time lag of updating the score, to hidden score (which I’m convinced they take off the air to try to correct the score without bringing attention to the fact they posted the wrong score to begin with) to not having a clock. Not to mention the fact that’s it’s hard to read. Two thumbs up to CBC who apparently took control of the production of this insanely complex technical aspect of the game. Also, how many times do we need to see several replays or close ups instead of the game. It’s like they automatically switch to the close up regardless of what happens in the game. You could almost make up a fast break or a steal developing as the pass is about to go in when they break a way to the close up and take 10 seconds to recover. The worst of it is that they don’t even tell us what’s happening, Chuck is too busy going to his fridge. For anyone who was there, what happened with the JG foul? At one point he appeared to be fouled going for a shot under the basket. Cut away to close ups and come back with Portland with the ball. Anyone catch that? Maybe we need to replay our game with Portland at a later date…

Great article and great posts by everyone.....the best site by far...

A lot of fans seem to be like goldfish....no more than a 10 second memory. Everywhere you listen to the media...check articles online...other boards...newspapers everyone is saying ford needs to be moved or perhaps bought out or isn't worth the contract he got. People get injured...it happens....that doesn't take away from what TJ does (as the previous post stated)

When we were on that mini losing steak people were screaming for change...dying for Ford to come back and complaining that Calderon can't do what TJ does. Win a few games and its TJ who?

Either way great win for the raps....tought stetch coming not really in terms of the competition but the number of games in such a short period of time. Can't wait for the allstar break....our guys deserve a rest....hopefully TJ can get back afterwards and the time off can only help Andrea get his focus back as he can't seem to play much worse..

Erezona - I think TJ is a lame duck from here on out. How many more stingers can he endure if he has to worry that the next one will leave him paralyzed? The hits that gave him them didn't even look that bad, except the horford one.

Next bad stinger and he might have to hang up the sneaks. Sad, and hopefully wrong, but probably true.

Axl, how many "stingers" did Bosh get this year? What about Parker? It isn't that common. It's just some bad luck. If he ever hangs them up, then we can debate who the next starter will be, until then, he is the starter.

Howland, another great post game analysis. Keep up the good work. Since yesterday's game has all of raptor's nation questioning the 2006 draft, I'd like to point out this article on the Bargnani vs Roy debate: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/6500-NBA-Toronto_Raptors-Portland_Trail_Blazers-Blazers_v_Raptors_Bargnani_v_Aldridge_and_Roy_-140108

It's just a view on the other side of the coin. Again, I'd like to emphasize the conclusion of the article that hindsight is always 20/20.

jus

Erezona - bosh and parker don't have spinal stenosis

Axl, I'm no Dr., but I thought that the spinal stenosis doesn't make a stinger more likely, just makes it more dangerous if he suffers one

Definitely not basing anything on my medical knowledge, zona.

Just because of how many issues TJ's had with the back, the hits he took looking pretty standard in NBA terms, the amount of time he's missed, the worries he's admitted about his condition, and the number of specialists he's seen lately, I don't think TJ's viable long term.

Again, I'm a fan of TJ (sergi, I love caldy too and would keep them both!!), just don't have a really bad feeling about his health going forward.

*edit typo* I just have really bad feeling ...

I was at the game, first one after an extended vacation (love the Raps long road trips over winter break). So Erezona, Joey G picked up that 19th foul on a charge.

Some points:

1. Bargs vs. Roy vs. Aldridge, blah. Look, Bargs has shown promise and skill. Morrison {2006 Draft pick #3) has NOT. Thomas (pick #4) has NOT. Shelden Williams (pick #5) has NOT. Randy Foye (pick #7) has not played a minute this season. I do recall Rt's mention of that Dirk interview where he hated his first couple of years. It took Okur a while to break out too; now both are all-stars. Roy played 4 years at Washington and now he plays in the Pacific Northwest. A fair bit easier transition than a big man foreigner like Bargs. Give it time, boys.

2. I have one more BRUTAL call to add to the list (Frye's up-and-down, Parker's manhandling, Jose's "charge"). In OVERTIME, Aldridge went over-the-back on Bosh. At least Bosh hit the shot, but no call. It was so obvious, I lost my voice yelling at the fat white Donaghy-lite refs. Pathetic.

3. I can't imagine why Jose won't resign, or why BC will NOT follow through on resigning him. For all the worry-warting of "Oh no, he's an All Star, the Raps can't afford him, blah blah", he is a RESTRICTED Free Agent. The only way the Raps won't afford him is if he BC chooses not to, or is told by the MLSE Board not to (but as opposed to the Leafs, I think it's in BC's contract to give a middle finger to the Board). So call the guy a liar if you want but I consider Jose resigned already. Look, they're nowselling charity "Right To Play" T-Shirts with Jose's "trey" silhouette on it. What more do you want?

Oh yeah, forgot to mention, Franchise, smooth move here:

http://www.blazersedge.com/story/2008/1/12/4011/33139

"I expect a close-fought match but Portland coming away with the W in the end."

No need to ass-kiss on the Blazers fan-site, I didn't see "Dave" making the prediction that the Raps would win at home, even though that would make more sense given the Blazers' 9:30 AM PST start-time. Geez, have faith in your own frickin' team.

Just wanted to say did anyone notice that the CBC used Bo Outlaw's picture instead of Travis' on a stat card? They fixed it later on but made me laugh all game.

DileRoscoe - I did notice that and considered putting it into the recap. I was dying. I know we have beaten up on the production (and rightfully so) of the Raps games but putting up the wrong guys photo is unbelievable.

Wow,

My comments about Kobe being a rapist were edited out.....I think the world of PC has reached its pinnacle!

I hope to be able to continue posting on a great site, if not peace out HQ; its been a blast....obviously one of you or both of you can't take the truth about Kobe.

I know a thing or two about TJ's condition from consultation with specialists due to personal experience.

Its a lot like a sprained ankle (please keep reading I know that sounded stupid)

Once you sprain an ankle your are more likely to sprain it again because athletes return too early and just hope they won't have another one.

TJ's stinger is basically the same thing....he is always going to be more likely to suffer the stingers because of his spinal stenosis which he won't recover from. However he can't come back early from a stinger because if he's not healed up it could lead to more serious complications....he needs to let it heal up until he is back to his normal condition which is still worse than a player who does not suffer spinal stenosis.

So basically he can't return until he is healed physically. And then once he does he likely won't be at any greater risk than he was at the beginning of the season which is still a higher risk level a than a normal person.

Dayoner - Yeah ha ha, we're the PC police I guess. I dislike Kobe more than most but your comment was just a tad on the um...HowardSternHQ.com side of things...

Hey guys could somebody help me out here...

When I click the nba.com box scores theres a category called BA in between blocks and pts...could somebody let me know what the BA is?

Boston goes down to Washington again.

Tommy the goof has got to be the worst color announcer going.

Him and the Cleveland guy makes the games almost unbearable.

Erezona You sounding a little bit like You know Who!

Guess they should bench JC for His defensive play like Bargnani!

Like it or not Ford is hurt and is injury prone.Can't base the Raptors future on a pg who misses so many games.

How many games missed since the raptors got Him? How many since He started in the NBA?He has health issues that are not going to go away. Is sad because He is one heck of a player!

wtf: It means Blocks Against. It is a new stat the league has just started putting on the box scores.

thanks howland I appreciate it

erezona - you sound like marcia. JC could walk on water and shoot fireballs out of his arse, but it still doesn't matter, huh? Ford will always start! So much for earning your minutes and role.

There's a reason the term "sophomore slump" exists. Bargnani's main problem right now seems to be trying to do too much and getting away from his particular strengths. Too many people telling him he needs to be more of an interior player and more aggressive on D. He looks overanxious to make a big play every time he has the ball or is defending the ball, which isn't uncommon among young players and especially young big men. He needs to relax and play more at ease and in control, like he did last year, and the other stuff will come in time. Now, if it's this time next year and we still haven't seen anything from him, then it might be time to start throwing out the "bust" label. Right now it's pretty dumb and betrays a lack of knowledge about how nba players develop.

Also, everyone keeps pointing to JC's stellar play as the starter as "proof" that he's better than TJ and the long term solution for the Raps at starter. First of all, Calderon's played well but his per minute numbers are right around where they've been all year. If Jose had been the one to go down, TJ would be playing the same minutes and be averaging 20 and 9 and everyone would be singing a different tune. If you look at John Hollinger's PER rankings, TJ actually rates a little bit higher than JC in efficiency (22.38 to 21.85). The fact of the matter is that both guys, while having different games, are of comparable talent. That's what makes any decision between them so hard.

And the talk about Bargnani over Roy is a little silly. If you'll recall, the consensus EVERYWHERE was that Roy wouldn't go higher than 4 or 5. It's not like any other team would have taken Roy with the first overall pick either. Any other team would have taken Bargnani, Aldridge or Thomas first, if only to later trade the pick for something of more use to them, since they were the consensus top three picks. For God's sake, it was considered a total tossup whether Brandon Roy or Randy Foye would be the best guard to come out of that draft. If that doesn't prove the draft is a crapshoot, I don't know what does.

And anyways, Roy is a year and a half older than Bargnani, I mean He's from the same graduating class as Bosh and Carmelo! He played four years of college ball, the last couple as the go to option for a highly ranked team. He isn't being asked to adjust his game or his life very much at all. Compare that with Bargnani, who has had to move to a new country, learn a new language, learn a new position, and all the while everyone is telling him something different he should do, or shouldn't do. Not to mention big men always take longer to develop. It is too early to say the Raps should have taken him over Bargnani, their situations right now are apples and oranges.

Thanks for responding; in retrospect the Kobe comment was a bit vulgar. I'll try to stay within reason.

We can't all be sober on a Monday night I guess.

Respect!

ok... so, since Roy was never projected to go higher than 4-6 in the draft, let's look at the other considerations:

- Aldridge: Bosh wanted him (Texas guy), and he can do everything you want him to... run the floor, rebound a bit, block a shot or two, and have a few post moves and a bit of a jumper. He would have been a nice pairing with Rasho.

- Rudy Gay: Would be the Shawn Marion of the Raps, only with better dunks and a less ugly shot. He wasn't projected to go #1 either, but some had discussed it.

- Adam Morrison: proof that things can always be worse.
JJ Reddick may actually have a better career!

- Tyrus Thomas: he's an athletic freak, but his attitude is not worth the hassle. Jamario seems to be more useful to this team.

So, overall, the 2006 draft just wasn't that strong. Keep in mind, this was the year when High Schoolers weren't allowed to jump to the NBA --- OR WE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN ODEN OR DURANT.

Isn't that twice that T.O. got screwed by David Stern's BS rule changes??? (Getting Camby at #2 instead of Iverson at #1 was the first time)

DayOner

That last message was big of You and thanks. Its good people that helps keep this a quality place to visit