Tip In, Raptors' Post Game: Spanish Inquisition

One twisted ankle away from ping pong balls.

A win on the road is a win on the road. Take it anytime.

I'm gonna show patience with Solomon, give him time to get comfortable.

JO seems to of found his groove. Correct me if I'm wrong but we've outrebounded our last three opponents. Whens the last time thats happened?

Bargnani continues to baffle on the offensive end. Was this the same player who has been shut out twice this season? His defence continues to improove. Even with the doughnuts he is no longer a liability on D.

"He who shall no be named" , quoting the great Doug Smith, is up next.

We're only 11 games in...it's still November. New Orleans is .500, the Spurs are stinking it up, the Wiz are 1-9, Atlanta is above .500 and the Raps seem disorganized. What do all these things have in common? It's early and all of these are most likely going to get turned around.
But whatever happens, Will Solomon needs to be replaced with Roko. I realize Roko isn't much better but he does play a tad smarter than Will.

I agree, Vicious D, that wins like this tend to mask our weaknesses and make it hard for BC to make tough decisions: like firing Sam. Solomon was terrible again; and Joey was absent again.

I'm not going to show any patience with Solomon. He is a vetern, (albit in Europoe) and he is not going to change his style of play drastically...or his attitude. Lets start to develop the kid, or at least find out if he can plahy, or learn to play. I dont care if he doesnt have a shot, I would rather spend the early season find out if he can play, because we can always move back to will IF we need to (remember, he won't change)Now is the time to lose fames with ukic if we are going to OR find out if we can win with him.

Yup, it's early guys, but this team is largely unchanged from last year, so I don't think chemistry issues play as large of a factor as some people make it out to be. Yup, it's taking time to learn to dump the ball into the post without hesitation, but that's not going to fix the glaring problems on this team right now that we face every time we play the elites of the NBA.

And Solomon... I'm really done with him. I've always looked at basketball with the balance of the salary cap and future prospects in mind, and every time I think about Will Solomon, I think about how he just won't be around next year (does well, will get contract with another team, does poorly, goes back to Europe for more money), as well as the need to develop Ukic, and it just doesn't make sense.

If the backup is going to be "learning" on the job - then it should be Ukic. Period.

I would think the Raptors would know a thing or two about the value of developing a young point guard prospect.

Totally agree with Utes - my last straw was the technical last night. Why is someone who carries the ball on almost every crossover attempt, and keeps leaving his feet ala YMCA to make passes, bitching about calls? I was defending Solomon as I liked him in college but last night was the final nail in the coffin for me. Roko can't guard the Yi chair right now but I'd rather he start learning on the job.

And like d279 said - this club is still a Jose ankle injury away from the lottery as Miami just isn't a very good team right now.

I think Solomon has shown signs of being servicable, but his demeanour last night was ridiculous. As others pointed out, he needs to quit arguing calls and just settle down. I don't think Ukic is the answer but against miami, why not give him some minutes?

The problem with Will Solomon is that he seems not to "think" the game. He comes in and is on a different page from everyone else. A backup point guard's responsibility, at the very least, is maintenance. Keep the lead intact and get the starter some rest. That's it. Whether this is accomplished defensively or offensively depends on the skills of the backup.

As for potential and how well someone will develop, I apply the following philosophy: most players can be as good as they when they were at their peek at the place they were playing before coming into the league. So, D-Wade is playing as he was at Marquette having adjusted for the realities of the NBA. A person who was a star player at one level and is allowed free reign by the coaching staff and organization to assume the mantle of star player at the next can make the transition from one level to the next without much of a problem. I didn't see Solomon play in Turkey, so I'm not sure what's up with him and what he could contribute once making the adjustment to not only the pace and intensity of the NBA, but also his hierarchy on the Raptor Totem Pole. He wants to dominate the game when he comes in, but he has not yet accommodated the realities of his not being the best player on the team. His sense of worth is being compromised and manifesting itself in the form of poor play. Parker was able to make that adjustment when joining the Raptors because he seems inherently humble. Bargnani is just now getting it. Ukic looks like he can make the same seamless transition. If Solomon could deal with the disconnect between his expectations of self and the expectations of the team, he could be useful, but right now it's not working.

Although I see your point about Solomon being what he is, it is still too early to abandon him completely. There are simply not enough options out there to correct the backup PG situation. It really looks to me like he is pressing and trying to do too much rather than let the game come to him and I think that is a result of him having problems (especially with turnovers). However, I might agree more if he was the only one making mental mistakes. I see Parker and Kapono making bad decisions with the ball as well and jacking up weird shots with no chance to go in even when they are wide open. Parker started clicking at the end of the game last night but I found it funny that earlier in the game Moon was playing smarter and doing a better job of defending Wade then Parker (although he did have a stupid foul out at the 3 point line again). Until our wings show some consistency (bad or good) it is too difficult to blame any one player for the Raptor's problems. At the end of the day Solomon (and Roko)only has to play about 15 minutes a game so getting bent out of shape about him is a little pointless. I am much more worried about the real vets in the backcourt who seem to have completely lost any ability to contribute on a nightly basis.

Hey guys, I asked this yesterday in late afternoon. Most discussion is basically done by then, so I figures I would restate my curiosity.

Are we better off having cap space in 2010?

Because it would be very difficult to be enough under the cap to resign bosh to a maxed out deal, and then still sign a player of significance. And even still, we’d be looking at a presumably thin line up.

The other option would be flipping JO in the offseason, cashing his contract in for longer term players. Then in the offseason we would enter over the cap with a more talented roster: we could resign bosh and use the MLE, and go up into the luxury tax.

More4 so be cause our roster has a lot of weaknesses: I do not see BC waiting idly by until 2010 to address them. Any moves would presumably bring back players under contract past 2010, which would further eat into any potential space we might have under the cap that offseason.

(I know a lot of people say 2010 is a long way off and not to worry about it – but BC is worrying about it! And part of the fun in following sports (for me and a lot of people) is doing the arm chair GM thing and not simply rooting for whomever is wearing our favourite laundry).

TJC - Personally, I'm of the opinion that something is going to have to be done now, for this year, in order to stop the Raptors from falling into that Timberwolves trap that Garnett had years ago. You know, fairly good to average season, and first round exits. For us to keep Bosh in the mix, it means that we have to show some kind of progress. Frankly, this team just hasn't been able to find a way to replace Garbajosa. And Sam Mitchell, being who he is, needs players with fairly decent basketball IQ on the court.

It's also important to note that Garbajosa's contract will come off the books in the off season, freeing up a little room. It's not much (about $4.5 mil).

But at the same time, we all knew with the Jermaine O'Neal trade that we were tossing a lot of money into the front court, which would make it really difficult for us to address any other issues without going over the cap.

Already calling for a first round playoff exit. While it may or may not turn out to be true, at this time, 11 games in, who the hell knows.
Ask any coach if the want to meet a healthy Bosh, Calderon and O'Neal in the playoffs.
Writing us off already!! Sorry but I've come to expect better from this sight.

"Yup, it's early guys, but this team is largely unchanged from last year, so I don't think chemistry issues play as large of a factor as some people make it out to be. " - Vicious D

Largely unchanged? Hmm.

New starting PG, new starting C, new starting SF, new backup PG. In an 8 man rotation (ideally), that's HALF the rotation that has changed.

Tinman - lol. Chill. I'm not jumping the gun. Look, this team can do well in the playoffs, I have no doubt. Inside presence and more free throws are good signs. But the danger is there. Are the Raptors a dominant force in the Eastern Conference? If not, how do we become that team? I mean, I think every one of us wants to feel so good about this team that we expect them to go far in the playoffs. That's the goal we should be looking at, and having trouble with the Miamis of the world isn't going to cut it. Neither is blowing chances against Orlando. I mean, doesn't it scare people right now that it takes a 20+ point performance from Bargs, and an incredible 2nd half of shooting from AP to beat a team that most expect to be a fringe playoff team at most? Yeah, that scares the heck out of me.

Hey guys I could have sworn we won the game?

Any recap that doesn't lead of with Andre Bargnani scoring 25 points is massively off base. Hey guys Andre Bargnani, the player we would have all traded straight up for any moderately servicable swing man... last week? Is more and more looking like the third best player on our team! That's the story.
Yeah we suffer if Jose turns his ankle. Guess what, so does New Orleans without Chris Paul, the Suns without Steve Nash and oh crap, almost any NBA team without it's starting point guard.

The Heat may not be great but they had a winning record before we played them so let's not totally discount a win against a team with DWAYNE WAYNE PLAYING OUT OF HIS MIND in th last quarter!
Bargnani dominated. Oneal looks like a lock for at least 15 and 10 the rest of the season and Bosh may be the best power forward in the game.
Roko is the answer? He has one minor flaw. He cannot feed the post. This wouldn't matter much except, OUR BEST PLAYERS ARE IN THE POST!!!

We're gonna cry ourselves to sleep worrying about twisted ankles? Let's celebrate the fact that we have a number one pick who at the very least is rounding into a top five pick instead of a second rounder. We took a MASSIVE risk on Oneal and he is rounding into all star form.
I hate to break it to you, but things aren't that bad.
There are three teams in the East, Detroit, Boston and Cleveland, that I would trade rosters with, and none of them have the youth that we have.

So let's smile.

Don't kick the cat after a W.

Sam said he was going to give Solomon "a block of games" to see what he could do... Well he's had a block of games and its obvious that we might as well play Roko 'cause it can't be much worse than Solomon... I mean he almost single handedly gave up a 17 point lead last night!

Jack Armstrong made a good point post-game last night... the team has played 11 games, of which 7 have been on the road. I think we will get a good indication over the next four games (at home) of where this team is at. Especialy considering the oponents are a good sampling of the league:

New jersey and Charlotte are non playoff teams

Atlanta is a boarderline playoff team

And the champs, Boston.

I'll be interested to see where the Raptors are at after these next four games... If they go 3 and 1 that means they will be 9 and 6 for the first 15 games, just shy of 20% of the season. It should be mentioned that we knew that it might take time to integrate O'Neil and get him playing up to speed. Therefore, if (IF) we can come out of the home stand 3 and 1 I think this team is in pretty good shape going forward.

Heard that piece from jack too mas - and i agree. Say toronto takes 3 of the next four, then things might not be so bad. Bargs was great last night but how will he do friday night? I really want to see some consistency with him thats all. I think hell be matched up with chariman yi though friday so maybe he can put together a solid backtoback because i dont see him doing that against pierce on sunday.

Miami's terrible.

Sean Marion, one of the most athletic and versatile players in the game. He guarded Bosh for goodness sake!

The number two pick from the draft, in Michael Beasley. Yeah he's not an all star yet but he's 6'9" versatile and a slasher.

Arguably the best player in the game in Dwayne Wayde, finally healthy for the first time in a while.

We would have defeated Miami soundly except Dwayne Wayde got pissed off at what he felt was an undeserved flagrant and went NUCLEAR.

Terrible team with a three athletic slathers one of whom happens to be an NBA Finals MVP and the best player on an Olympic championship team.

We didn't beat them by 40.

Season over.

Why is it that we cannot move Garbo's contract??

I mean, if it counts against the cap, we should be able to flip it.

Question for Vicious D..why are you so hard on Will...it took Jose 1 and a half season before he started to become productive in the NBA. This is a very tough league and you do not learn the toughest position on the court after 1 training camp and 11 regulars season game coming off the bench. Will is a good scorer is court vision is a work in progress and I can see him being a very good back up point guard in this league. Will possesses 2 of the 3 qualities that you said make up a good point guard so We just have to be patient with him in developing his court vision. So cut him a little slack VD until about the Allstar break. I know its frustrating to see the turn overs and the Mike James shots, but if they fall, they are not so bad are they, so we just have to take it with a grain of salt. I for one like the fact that he is not afraid to shoot the ball and he is a very quick pg....Beating the teams you have to beat is a good thing, I myself do not consider Orlando one of the top teams in the NBA they are on the same level as the Raps right now and in time we will seperate ourselves from them as a better team. Top 3 in the East is Boston, Detroit and Cleveland next is the Raptors, Orlando, Philly and Atlanta..now all the Raps have to do is put some kind of a streak together to seperate themselves for the 2nd tier pack and move to the next level and they can do it with the personnel that they currently have, everyone just have to be more cosistent like Bosh, Jose and Oneil....Raps4Life.

Amen R4L - agree with all your points.

and we got 71 games to work on it.

You're totally on point Vicious... With every Raptor win it solidifies Smitchell's role as coach (or spectator). Bryan C was in the audience, so we can assume that he saw the Raptors squander a 17-point lead. With the talent that the Raptors have, they should've blown out Miami.

There are a ton of question marks that will remain unsolved unless Bryan C forgets about his pride and makes some deals (coaching and personnel).

Some good points hope and I wanted to especially touch on O'Neal. Right now we're getting almost a BEST CASE scenario from him. I mean, I expected more along the lines of 10 and 10 with 2 blocks a night. But offensively he's looked nearly like his old 2003 self, quite a feat and a testament I'd say to his hard work over the off-season. I stated prior to the start of the season that Toronto could have two double digit rebounders in Bosh and O'Neal and so far it indeed looks to be the case.

Bargs is still this team's X Factor though and if he can continue to step it up, Mitchell may FINALLY be able to force other teams to match up with US for a change.

On a non-Raptors-related note, anyone else ready to send an angry email to the Score? What's with the constant technical difficulties, not to mention the commericals being 8 times as loud as the game coverage?

And Caino - working on your 2010 question...need a bit of research time here at work...

"and having trouble with the Miamis of the world isn't going to cut it..."

The more I read Vicious D posts is the more I think we need to put out a GAG Order on him......Franchise please, what happen to Howland?

I thought it was just my TV that had the technical difficulties during the score games...or at least that it was my home theater system that made the commercials ten times as loud as the game...nice to see its happening to everyone else too....im all for an angry email to the score!

R4L - It's my opinion about it, but I don't think Solomon has displayed those qualities, and more importantly, he hasn't displayed the chief quality that I outlined... Arguably, the one that is not so much taught, but based on instinct and natural ability. My argument is that if he hasn't displayed court vision and a feel for the game after a few years in Europe, and some time around the NBA, he's not going to develop them now. It's simply not a "skill" that can be developed.

And any comparison with Calderon is more adept with regards to Ukic than it is with Solomon, as far as development is concerned. Ukic is a guy that just doesn't have that much court experience, and no jump shot, but he has displayed that intangible quality a point guard needs. Unselfishness, seeing the seams in the defense, and making plays to get the ball to players in open position are things that come naturally for him. And age has to become a factor as well.

I don't think I've changed my tune about this since pre-season, but I am trying very hard to bite my tongue lately, as more Raptors fans are starting to see what I've been seeing since the beginning. Solomon saves himself with his shot, but has little else to offer this team.

And as for Calderon, I've loved his game since his rookie year. It was during that time that I saw something extremely special in the young man (at the time) and it's the same reason why I argue for Ukic now. Yes, in his rookie year, Calderon wasn't half the player he is now, but he showed that same court vision and ability to be unselfish while getting the ball moving that makes me see a future pure point guard in the Raptors organization. If it wasn't for that Plantar Faciitis in his rookie campaign, I think a lot more people would have jumped on his bandwagon as well.

Raps4Life - I know you are a HOMER but it is very uncool to ask for someone to get a gag order just because they voice their opinion and it isnt homerism. I don't completely agree with his choice for change (Solomon) but I do agree the team needs a change in the back court. The difference is I feel the problem is more on the wing then at the point. He is entitled to his opinion and I like a little frankness in the discussion. We can all hold hands and sing Raptor figthsongs if that would make you feel better but it would make for a boring website. You are right that it is still early and maybe both myself (wing) and Vicious D (PG) will be proven wrong but there is nothing wrong with saying the Emperor has no clothes if that is what you think.

Raps4Life - I know you are a HOMER but it is very uncool to ask for someone to get a gag order just because they voice their opinion and it isnt homerism. I don't completely agree with his choice for change (Solomon) but I do agree the team needs a change in the back court. The difference is I feel the problem is more on the wing then at the point. He is entitled to his opinion and I like a little frankness in the discussion. We can all hold hands and sing Raptor figthsongs if that would make you feel better but it would make for a boring website. You are right that it is still early and maybe both myself (wing) and Vicious D (PG) will be proven wrong but there is nothing wrong with saying the Emperor has no clothes if that is what you think.

I too agree with raps4life, Hope and Tinman.

People need to remember that it takes time to establish team chemistry. This is a very different roster from last year.

I am also really confused about the negative hype the Heat are getting from various posters. They have actually played much better this year and have been in most of the games that they have played. Besides, any team with D-Wade always has a chance.

I haven't been thrilled with Will's play thus far, but he is being reintegrated into the league, which takes time. He is also being integrated by Sam Mitchell who is not known for his developmental skills, which isn't helping his cause.

JO is playing out of his mind and has brought something that the team has been lacking for years. JO bashers beware. He is starting to form a nice chemistry with Bosh.

AP is starting off slowly as per usual, but will improve (at least slightly) as the season progresses. Yes, Moon shouldn't be playing as much as he is. Yes, Joey should be at least getting some burn (this one is still a head scratcher). Yes, we are lacking a slashing 3. Yes, Sam's suspect rotation patterns are still an issue. Yes, Sam still doesn't know when to effectively use his timeouts.

The bottom line...this team still needs more time to jell. As much as I dislike Sam as a coach for this team, I still feel that he too deserves at least SOME time to get things going. Let these guys come together and try to establish an identity. If 25 games into the season they are still lacking in these areas, then something will have to be done. I just feel that they deserve a shot. 11 games into the season is hardly that...just my thoughts!

McGateway Gaging Vicious D was just a joke..probably bad taste in humour, because I do value everyone's opinion, but classing Miami as the Miami's of the world, does not say a lot for the players on that club, namely Dwade who is arguably one of the best players in the nba. And we all know that on any given night any team can be beaten by any team in the nba, it has happen time and time again, no lead is safe in the nba. Heck I remember when the Raptors with a worst team than the current roaster came back from 21 down and beat the world champs Spurs...so beating Miami is not an easy task and should be recognise for what its worth.....However gaging VD for his comments is a bit presumptious of me...we are all Raps fans and I love VD passion for the team and the game......Raps$Life

...I don't agree about the gag order comment either, but with his original post.

Why are so many people jumping on Vicious D for that matter. I've never seen a guy get so much smack trying to share his thoughts on each game.

Solomon have to go or get bench. I will repeat this evertime I see Solomon get playing time...He is a bad version of Mike James...Mike James!!!!!

Roko has better court vision and better ball control, he is a gym rat (after the game i saw him running suicide) and won't turn over the ball as much as Mike James bad ego!

Good to see Parker coming out of a slump..We still do have one worst 2/3 guard combo in the league and this still need to be dealt with.

And Like I said AB will always shine againts team with SF and PF not offinsive minded but will get kill against other team. It up to Sam to make sure he uses the Italian right. And base on pass experience this won't happen.

We still need to work on a lot of issues as a team and not let a win over a sub-par .500 team blow our minds. A win is a win but we all know this won't last if the team continues this type of plays for our back-up PG and SF.

I read that trade breakdown, and well humor me for a second...

Trade Bosh for Wade straight up.

Think about it. Wade solves most of the raptors largest problems. He can create his own shot, he's a slasher who gets to the line, an above average rebounder for a gaurd, a good perimeter defender, he can run offense to ease burden on Calderon and is a great playmaker/passer, and as he has demonstrated he can will his team to victory.

Yes we would be giving up Bosh, the heart of soul of the team and the front line. But our problem is that JO, Bargnani and Bosh all kind of do the same things at different levels. technically we only need two of them. No one will touch JOs contract until next year, and bargnani is too much of an unknown quantity to garner anything of serious value back.

A lineup of Calderon, Wade, Kapono/Moon/Parker, Bargnani and JO looks pretty good on paper. Does that team contend for a title? Wade did more with less in Miami...

The main issue, other than this being purely fictional, is will Wade stick around in TO? That is a question. And since this is for fun let's go all teh way with it. Once JOs contract is up, Bosh's will be up too. And we'll have a max contract to throw at him. Plus he got two years paid vacation in south beach.

Maybe you can even throw in graham/moon/roko, WS or some other guys for chalmers/quinn (backup pg) and joel anthony (just for the leo commentary).

Just a thought...

Barg's inconsistency brings up an interesting dilema, one I have noticed in most pro-sports outside of hockey. Why do coaches go with the same starting lineup all the time? I mean who says you can't tailor your lineup to give your team the best chance to take advantage of the matchups? I realise Bosh, Calderon and Oneal need to be starting (or playing the most minutes) but why not fool around with the other two spots and adapt them to your opponent. If your opponent is small (Miami for example) stick Bargs in there and take advantage of his size. If the team is bigger (Orlando) then go with Moon/Kapono/Graham. Maybe the problem here is that no one in the NBA can think outside the box anymore.

For all the Smitch haters, who is available that is better? I remember a lot of people talking about Carlisimo but he isn't making the Sonics any better then they were. In fact they look worse (if that is possible). There aren't a lot of Coaches avaialbe right now so unless you are going to let Alex English coach the team or Triano, what choice is there?

If we're trowing out fantasy trade scenarios... why not this... which is at least potentially realistic.

Barbosa for Kapono.

Salary wise, it's a match. The Suns are winning without Barbosa, and were using him sparingly before he had to leave the team for family reasons. Colangelo drafted him. He can play some 1, but is mostly a 2. Undersized but still a 2. He's provide us with some flexibility... we could play Parker at SF on occasion with a Barbosa/Calderon back court. And Barbosa doesn't need a point guard to set him up... he can work with or without Calderon on the court.

Kapono did well with Shaq in Miami. I'm sure he'd do even better with Nash, Shaq and Amare. I think he also fits the slower pace the Suns are running.

The only thing is we'd have to throw in a sweetner. Be it Moon for a spare part, a draft pick, or a bad contract coming back our way. But I think Barbosa, though not a perfect solution, would help our back court without giving up any essential pieces.

Fantasy? Maybe. But there is some sense in here... especially with Barbosa on the Suns' bench.

one more bit of fantasy to throw in the mix.

Van Gundy replaces Smitch. Discuss amongst your selves.

TJ Caino : "Why is it that we cannot move Garbo's contract?? I mean, if it counts against the cap, we should be able to flip it."

BC bought him out in the summer (early June if I recall) and as such there is no contract to trade. However, his buyout cost is a hit against the cap. So his contract value (~5.5 - 6 million) is off the cap, but his buyout number (~4.5 million) is still on it until the end of this year.

Actually, I like both trade scenarios. Especially the Barbosa deal because it is reasonable.

As for the VD haters out there, I'd like to compare VD to Smitch for a moment. Both have shown a lack of knowledge in the 'X's and 'O's category. What VD lacks in writing skills he makes up for with passion. What Smitch lacks in coaching ability, he too makes up for it with a passion. Smitch's players like him, but for the most part, the general public does not. Franchise and Howland like VD, but many of those who read this site prefer to read articles written by Franchise or Howland. In the end, we probably ought to be more patient with both men.

Ettore Messina,
would give you a hedge, we would have a team that can play (various) zone defense like no other in US. You will have to wait till next season tough.

On second thought, I don't like the Bosh-for-Wade trade scenario. Hypothetically, it works. But in reality, O'Neal and Bargnani cannot be trusted to provide the type of offensive consistency you need from the 4/5 spots. Without Bosh, O'Neal looses a lot of the freedom he has enjoyed away from double teams. The same goes for Bargs. Also, both play a type of game that compliments an elite front court player at this stage in their respective careers. It's too early to tell if O'Neal can produce without Bosh close by.

But why can we not trade the buy-out amount, since it is counting as a hold on our cap?

TJ Caino. I do not know the rules for sure but if how I understand how it works it would create a weird situation. As an example (using Garbs) Garbajosa tried out for the Lakers in the summer (if I remember correctly). If he had made the team and Toronto was to trade his "buyout" for cap purposes, you would be trading a player you don't have on your team and is actually playing for another NBA franchise for an actual player. I just don't think that the NBA would allow that kind of situation. The point of a buyout is to free up cap space after the buyout runs out. If you could then trade that it would create all sorts of weird situations including trading the buyout for the player you bought out.

Where's the Bargnani love man?

The raptors really should have blown out the Heat. It was inexcusable the way they continuously let the Heat back into the game, BUT a win's a win.

The one element Jose is lacking to becoming an elite point guard (I feel he's very good, but not quite great) is the ability to break down the defense. Calderon has good court vision, is a great floor general, get's the ball the right guy, takes care of the ball, but he doesn't (for the most part) force the defense to react to him. He doesn't get into the lane, create havoc, and open things up for his teammates (a la Chris Paul). Calderon can be a very good point guard without doing that, but until he starts orchestrating the opposing teams defense, he won't be GREAT

I totally agree. Jose won't make it to the next level if he does not improving on breaking down the dee...but without downing that he is still an allstar.

A lot of people on Raptors chat thinks Matt Delvin (sp error???) is too harsh on Solomon when he makes mistake and give too much prasie to Jose. I think he was call the saviour of last night game...Just throwing this out there to get you guys opinion?

John Stockton lived by the pick and roll, Believe Me He was great!

No haters here.
VD has shown inprovement from his first recap - thumbs up yo you. Keep up the progress. You write for one of the two best blogs out there and we have certain expectations that for the most part are met.
Its very easy for me to sit @ home in front of my monitor and criticize, sometimes too easy. Especially after a loss and I find the article overly critical. With the Raps I've always been a glass half full kind of guy, yes even during the Babcock years.
VDP nothing but love and maybe a little envy. Wish I had an audience that checked my site first thing in the morning. Hey - you guys hiring?

Been awhile since a posting from me. I agree with the Tinman crew: time to chill, folks. 11 games in, we have lost to Boston, Detroit, Atlanta, Orlando, and the second to Philly (hard to do a double). Not entirely surprising. The season has hardly begun.

Our team is still learning, JC is 1st string all year for the first time, CB is awesome, Bargs is learning, and we have inexperienced backups. It takes time for the pieces to work together.

The regular season doesn't matter (see the Spurs). What matters is, you get into the playoffs, and THEN make some noise. Work out the kinks during the season, steamroll in the playoffs.

One thing that bugs me though is the treatment of Humps and Joey: if these guys don't get more burn, they won't learn. BTW, if they foul out, so what? Then they sit. Give 'em a longer leash and let 'em learn, for Pete's sake!

Hey guys, it's not a problem. Like I said, I'm a big boy, and passion is something that we all have. Don't worry, I don't take it personally.