Tip-In, Toronto Raptors Post-Game: That Uneasy Feeling…

I have no idea how this team will do this year but I'll predict the first 20 games. We win somewhere between 10 and 14 of our first 20, assuming Bosh, JO and Calderon play heavy minutes. After that, who knows. It will depend on Roko's ability to climb a steep learning curve (while dealing with the disadvantage his weak jump shot creates) and Sam Mitchell's ability to make savvy substitutions and call plays that play to our many limited bench players' strengths.

As of now, I lean towards thinking BC has to make an upgrade through a trade but I don't think that's remotely possible unless he convices MLSE to go into the tax.

While I'm going to games and will cheer like hell, the realist in me thinks that next year is the year we make the leap.

So many Ifs........but if Jermaine doesn't play 70+ games, we're lottery bound

They looked tired and slow. Every possession was a half-court grind. Seems like hump and moon can barely get off the ground right now. You have to think they're taking it pretty easy because it's pre-season. I hope.

Q1: Does Graham deserve to start at SF? Q2: Do either Soloman or Ukic deserve to be the PG Sub? LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

axl - not only do they grind things out, but did you notice just how slow a pace this team plays?? Its like jazz basketball in the 90s.

1) I agree with Axl. Everyone seems a little tired, slow, and mostly bored. The only players entitled to this attitude towards the pre-season are Bosh, JO, Calderon, and Parker. Everyone else better be working their asses off.

2)If Moon doesn't step it up when the regular season starts, there will be no big contract next year. To me, he's been the biggest disppointment of the pre-season. As it is, I believe he's lost the starting job already.

3)I believe Roko will back up Jose for one reason and one reason alone. When Solomon picks up his dribble pre-maturely (happens alot), the offense stops and dies quicker than roadkill. While Roko isn't a whole lot better, his dribble penetration and kick out to a wing seems like it has more potential than anything Will has to offer.

One more thing:
Did anyone notice the amount of man-love Devlin gives Kapono during play by play. I mean come on, I know they're friends but everytime Kap-One shot the ball, it sounded like Devlin was having a baby.

All great points. Personally I don't see anything to be optimistic about. I hope I'm wrong, I know he's in a contract year but when Joey is your best player I really think we're in for a world of hurt.

Just a friendly reminder that you can vote for the best Toronto Raptors blog on the net here:

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Here is my thought of a way forward to address the obvious lack of direction for the second unit at the PG position (I love Roko's potential, but he's just not ready to be the #2 guy).....

I believe that Joey has finally shown everyone that he's a capable and versitle SF to crack a starting lineup on a mediocre team... this means he FINALLY has some trade value.

If we traded Joey for a solid back up PG we wouldn't have a big drop-off in production with our next best SF (Moon?) and we would expect much more composure with the 2nd unit with a bonified NBA backup.

Regardless, if we stay with the current lineups I fear we're in for a frustrating start to the season.

Forget another PG, Solomon & Ukic are it to start the season. They will be ok for the 10/12 minutes to sub for Jose, as the will not be playing with all subs as they have been, and will only be in for 5/6 mins at a time, unless Rap's have a large lead.

I'm starting to (once again) question Mitchell.

the same deficiencies are popping up time and again, year after year, with the same players, with different players, and it's all starting to look a little suspect to me. (blaming it on players.)

yes the raps definitely need more athleticism. yes they're going to need another point until the transition to a decent roko comes around.

but seriously...moon is regressing; joey is possibly coming out of a 3 year stop and go regression (we'll see); kap 1, one of the deadliest shooters in the league, still doesn't look to be a solid contributor; and of course bargs is a wavering plastic bag in a strong breeze - the kid could fly away any second and no one would notice.

something's not right.

but as doug smith (the star) pointed out this morning in his blog, we're probably never going to see a full '1st squad' and a full '2nd squad' at any point in the regular season. the rotation is going to slim down to 8 or 9 guys with jose doing some serious lifting.

also, I don't really think we've even seen half of what Bosh/O'neal can do. they've been playing softer, staying away from the hard drives and serious dirty work against back-ups playing reckless looking for more minutes.

those two are going to be sick.

Great write up. I’d love to vote for you, but the link doesn’t work. For some reason, Philadelphia, Toronto and Washington don’t load right and there is no "Vote" button. Anyone else getting this?

It’s great to see Graham having a great pre-season. I’ve always been a fan and I’m glad to see him put it together for a few games in a row. I think he will start. I see last night as a chance to get Moon a start to see what he does with it. I think we have to start Graham. No way he’s getting traded as he currently has no value and secondly he is too gifted for us to give him a way for a back up PG.

Ukic has impressed me and I think he will be a good point guard in the league, one day. We can’t rush his development and our expectations. What I would do is send him to the D-League for a couple of months to get constant playing time with good coaching around him. I would get rid of Sampson and replace him with Darrell Armstrong. Salaries can’t be that different. I would use Armstrong as the back-up PG for the first few months of the season bringing back Ukic when he’s ready. I would use Solomon as the back up 2 guard when we have to. After all, that’s the position he tends to play even when we ask him to play the 1.

The good thing about Moon being hesitant is that he finally stopped taking those 3s!

The Raptors offense does not seem to be right, however, I have an explanation that helps me sleep at night. Sam has been working on new offensive plays with the team which he has yet to reveal. Therefore, I believe that in practice, they are running much different looks than what we are currently seeing on the floor. The result would be running plays in pre-season games that haven’t been practiced much (last year’s plays).

Is it too early to question the coach? I am a Sam supporter, but the evidence is mounting and it’s getting hard to ignore.
Exhibit A – Joey Graham: Joey has shown that has the skill set and put together an impressive 16 game stretch to close out the season a couple of years ago. Yet no further development till now.
Exhibit B – Andrea Bargnani: Andrea regressed in his second year and one notable report last year suggested that Sam hasn’t talked to Andrea for a long stretch.
Exhibit C – Jason Kapono: Jason clearly has game, but Sam REFUSES to utilize that game by calling plays for him.
How much of the above is a result of Sam? I still like Sam and do not want a coaching change, just a little focus on these items by the coaching staff, is that too much to ask?

If you haven’t seen it already, the schedule has finally been released. There will be 25 games not for our eyes. http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/521892

You can't blame Joeys slow development all on Smitch. If yall recall, at the end of 2 seasons ago, he started to show that he was ready for more minutes (to the point he got a contract extention) but then the Raps brought in Delfino, Kapono and Moon to essentially play the same position. How is he suppose to develope when he is buried on the bench? You have to think that those moves also messed with his confidence. I don't think it is a suprise that he is playing better now that Delfino is out of the mix. His confidence was also helped by his playing in summer league while last year (if I recall correctly) the Raps didn't field a summer league team which could have really helped him.

McGateway, I don’t know if the readers want us to turn this into a Joey debate, but just to clarify, his confidence wasn’t aided by the fact that the second he made an error, he was yanked out of the game. That is Smitch’s fault. He was given zero room to operate and learn on the floor.

I'm still believing that this team will be fairly bad out of the gate. Right now, even though it's "pre-season" nothing about what they have done has set the tone for the year. They haven't established themselves whatsoever.

I think an additional problem that no one has brought up is that with out a real slasher, the Raptors don't practice defending against that type of player. Therefore, guys like Joey G and Moon end up playing poorly against anyone with even a mild inclination to go to the basket. How many pump fakes did we see Joey go after last night?

Sorta on the mitchell topic, i worry about the scoring this year and where its going to come from. If andrea is shooting airballs and turning it over while bosh is on the bench, whos going to put the ball inthe basket? Moon? Adams? Mitchell has said hes not running his new plays in the preseason so i hope they address some of these issues

Two final notes, franchise? Proofread! Too many spelling errors.

Doomsday is NOT upon us! There aren't many C/PF subs more talented than Bargnani. There aren't many SF/SG subs that block shots and rebound as well as Moon, or shoot 3s as well as Kapono. The ONLY real concern is will Soloman be a PG sub, or will we have to pull off a trade to get one who will. We will have some spare parts to work with.

Jim Jon,get a life !!!

Judging by other team blogs mentioned, you guys have nothing to worry about. Hands down you are the best on the list. "You don't need a weatherman to tell you which way the wind blows".

Wasn't the best preseason in recent memory. I cannot recall going into a season, expecting to compete, with so many questions.
What if JO(or JC or CB4)get hurt?
Who plays the 3 ?
Who plays the 4?
Who'll backup Jose ?
What about Bargnani ? Bust or not?

It's not the most comforting feeling having these questions a week before tip off.
Last season I had high expectations, 53 wins if I recall correctly, placing them in the upper standings in the East. This year I see them as more middle of the pack in an improving East, right at 44 wins with the fifth or six seed.

We have the potential to be much better but we are also an injury or two from the lottery. It's a big season for Sam.

Preseason is an enigma, to say the least. I think we put too much stock into what goes on during this time. If you look at baseball, a pitcher is trying new pitches that he may not get a chance to "perfect" during the regular season.

As for guys like O’Neal (and Bosh) I’d think they prefer that pre-season pass as quickly as possible – not withstanding the ability to get into the right mental & physical shape.

And for guys like Joey & Bargnani, it’s becomes a means to show they now have the right stuff, when the reality is, the real season is the truest test.

From my perspective, I see preseason as akin to foreplay ..... it’s important, but if that’s all ya got, well ..... c’est la vie.

Try another sport.

Tinman, your Qs are very close to mine ...
"What if JO (or JC or CB4)get hurt? Can one of AB, JK & AP be hot every night? Does JG or JM play the 3? Who'll backup Jose?" GO RAPTORS!