Tip-In: Toronto Raptors Post-Game: Missing CB4

Never, ever put JC and TJ on the floor together. It didn't and won't work!

Wow! Sam's coaching was just a$$ chewing awful tonight.

Getting outrebounded? Go small cuz the other team did! Switch on EVERY screen? Our bigs can't stop their guards from penetrating and our guards can't outrebound Charlotte's bigs.

Defense stinking up the joint? Keep Kapono on the floor and sub Moon in for Delfino cuz Kapono such a locl down defender? TJ missing his 4th layup in a row? Not one word of reprimand as Sam plays favorites.

Bargnani a 7' with only 18 minutes? His shot was off you say, then stick in Primo. At least he was fired up and throwing some elbows! Or Maceo or anybody who could grab a @%$# rebound.

Hump and Graham actually playing decent and within their games? Only give them
a spot appearance. Can't have rebounders on the floor when you're giving up a 30 - 0 second chance points.

Sam may be great at motivating players and holding then accountable BUT his lack of X's and O's, his sub pattern, and his in game adjustments NEED to get better. Soon. BC needs to hold Sam accountable too.

This is the time of the season that serious teams turn on the after burners in preparation for the playoffs.

In the last 3 or 4 games the Raptors have come out flat against competition like the Knicks and Charlotte. Not a good sign. Neither is our soft as tissue interior D.

I heard Larry Bird saying "Not everyone on the team can be milk drinkers. You need some whiskey drinkers too." The Raps don't need thugs but for gawds sakes can they put someone's a$$ in the floor the next time they drive to the hoop?

This team will only ever be good enough to make the first round of the playoffs if Sam refuses to learn from his mistakes AND if BC doesn't get CB4 some help on the glass. Of course if the rebounders never see the floor...

Hump 14 minutes 7 points 6 rebounds 2 blocks? Wake up SM play Him

-Terrible game by the Raptors, Smitch should have went to a big lineup second quarter when the Cats were making their run

-I am really annoyed by Jamario. His role is to defend and grab rebounds and yet all he did was jack up bad jumpshots

-The offense really struggles without Bosh, is hard to score when you have a team full of jumpshooters

-Both TJ and Jose are struggling.....so much for a full 48 min of good PG play

Howland, the title is lame for this game (wink..): in the previous Charlotte's game we didn't have Bosh, Bargnani and Ford.
I posted a lot in this website (for which I apologize to good souls out there) and I don't like having hidden agenda. Therefore I'd like to state my fav five for the Raps: Jose, AP, AK47, Bargnani and Biedrins with Ukic, Delfino, draft pick at SF and Varejao/big body coming off the bench.
We are right now a pretty bad constructed team however the players play their hearts out and try their best. If the Raps will exit badly from the first round we may be looking at a change of coaching which would be fantastc news for the fans. Until then, just lower the expectations and enjoy the high level of b-ball played currently in NBA.

Pray that the Cavs end up catching the Magic because there is no way we will.

Jose is showing that perhaps the GM's are a little more intelligent than we gave them credit for. Would an allstar pg let his team lose to an Indiana team missing 3 starters? Would an allstar pg let his team lose to a lowly Bobcats team missing their best player?

However Jose has played well enough for us to assume he's just having a rough stretch....whether or not he should have been an allstar is much more debatable.

Andrea needs to stay out of foul trouble.

Sam needs to stop playing a small lineup. If we're getting killed on the boards why would you play a small lineup where your tallest guy was 6'8 (kris Humphries)

Sam much like his team struggles with consistancy. Sometimes he makes wonderful adjusments, draws up excellent plays and does all the right things. Other nights he has the stupidest substitutions, puts the dumbest lineups on the floor and can't make the proper coaching adjustments to win the game.

Sam won coach of the year....but we if we had a Greg Pop, Phil Jackson, Nate McMilliam, Jerry Sloan or Byron Scott I think things would be a bit better for the raps.

Give the ball to Bargnani in the post. He's obviously not going to back his man down but neither does Bosh. He has the speed and size to turn and face up the basket. Either Sam needs to change his game plan around to have that or he needs to tell Bargs to stop floating around on the perimeter if its not in his game plan.

Nice to see you agree'd with me Franchise.
Not much more to say as this game was basicly the same as the indiana game, except the rebounds killed us on top of some less than average defense from the dinos.
We are nowhere without Bosh.
I'm not a hater and theres nothing I would rather see than Sam become a great coach, but right now he isn't doing his job. Im really hoping Brian is talking to him.

Cant wait for the 2009-2010 season, until then im content with being over 500 when only two years ago we were...
If Sam doesnt win or bring us deep in that season, he's gone. I think Brian took a chance when he signed him, hoping he would develope with the team over the three years of his contract, he somewhat had to after he won COY.
Sam was signed for three years right? How does it work for coache's contract if they're fired before its period?

This game was lost in the second quarter, Sam made wholesale substitions which completely ruined the rhythm of the the team. I thought Brezec should have gotten minutes in the seconds which (in theory) would have helped on the boards. Or Sam should have brought Rasho and Jose back in sooner, as they had it going.

Second it seemed like TJ just didn't have it going today. He was looking for his own shot, which is fine, except tonight it came at the expense of every else on the floor. What he needs to do is move the ball around, and then if he gets it back, he can shoot it. when he penetrates with everybody else on the perimeter no one is in position to get the offensive board if he misses.

We needed that energy that Beaker brought to the floor.
Four fouls ....who cares at least he wasn't a pylon....
When was the last time any of our starters got fouled out ?.....
I would rather see Bargs foul out even though his shot wasn't falling,then rott on the bench....
And yes I do have expectations from my team....not to win the East....but to beat the likes of Charlotte and Indiana would be expected.
TJ had some nice assists,when he decided that he was going to pass...
Park moons ass on the bench...oops sorry one of Sams pets...anybody else gets their ass parked on the bench....not moon,he gets humiliated and kept on the floor,go figure!!!
Enough with Jose and TJ,playing together,it seems like sam wants to keep tj on the floor but at the teams expense....

I am not sure who said it after the Indiana game, but it truly is resonating once again. Developing team + developing coach = mediocrity. I am not sure we can even say developing coach though, because that implies one is getting better. The exact same errors in judgement in consecutive games would argue against this implied progress. In both games I was sure that at some point Sam would freak out on a terrible call and get himself kicked out so that more than Brezec was fired up to play. Instead he sat like a timid school boy. Seriously, every clip we saw of him last night when he was supposedly livid (according to Chuck and Leo), he was sitting calmly on the bench. There is certainly an argument that many of his players had awful nights (TJ, Moon, Delfino, Kapono), but one must question why they all had such an extended opportunity to be on the floor if this was the case. I can understand people on this forum being reluctant to outright call for change at the coaching position (with the whole COY deal), but I think they are starting to see it may ultimately be necessary for the next step (if there is to be one).

Tear it up and throw it out.

Forget these players--no effort from anyone outside of Parker and Rasho. If anyone thought Bargs was going to be an average player in the league one day, this game has to shut them up--he can't even stay on the floor when we need him most. Stupid fouls and stupid shots.

Will they win another game? I wouldn't worry about passing Orlando or Cleveland, I just hope we can hang on to 7th or 8th spot.

Dreadful again.

Last night, wow.

Pretty sure you have to pay a coach what's owed on a contract if you fire him halfway through(?), Mitchell has 4 yr deal at 12 mil.(ouch.hope Colangelo gets a nice Xmas gift every year) Correct me if I'm wrong. If that's the case, again, get used to him.

I like the point about getting the ball to Bargnani down low....or at least having him down there when shots are going up:

Obviously Raptors' rebounding woes aren't solely because of softness; also their perimeter oriented offense doesn't allow for offensive rebounds. (uhh kind of like last night's ZERO second chance points.)

What would a season be without a Boshless road trip for the rest of team to gel? Hopefully things work out that way... and we grab sixth to avoid lebron, rasheed and garnett in the first round in the process.

Last night, I would have liked to have seen brezec earlier, like maybe as soon as rasho went out, or when we were still up 10?

The thing I don't understand is why the raps don't run anymore. Even that small lineup is just too slow, allowing the defense to get set up when guys like tj, delfino and moon (yeah, right) should be at the rim already.

The last thing I would like to see is the team tank games to avoid cleveland in the playoffs. It's hard enough to watch them now.

I could barely watch this! It was HOR - what for it - IFIC!!

Mitchell's coaching was brutal again. There were so many mistakes - I was screaming, people had to leave the room. I have not been of fan of his from day one, he should be an assistant coach - chummy, buddy buddy, pushing the players, but a X'/O's, substitution, strategy guy he is not. It is showing big time. We will have a hard time moving up to the next level with our coach/leader who has reached his max. That guys needs a bball mentor/consultant to slap him tight!!

And if I see Calderon get beat off every play. He cannot guard a single person. He over plays, and causes break downs and switches. I don't know if this is a Sam Mitchell defensive thing or European thing. But for god sake, keep your mam in front of you!! We run around chasing so man people because of defensive breakdowns its mind boggling.

Moon, needed to sit on the bench for this game, and the last game.

For the good now. Rasho, offensively looked pretty good for a guy who really get very few touches. AP played not bad offensively again, but his defensive also, get beat off the ball. Watch him not keep his man in front him also.

Doesn't take much to bring out the Sam-Haters does it. Granted, 2 ugly losses in a row to 2 bad teams. But Bosh is down and I'm confident Sam will adjust. The Raps have won without Bosh in the past.

That's the thing with this team. They lose games they should win, and win games they should lose. Intuitively one would think the Raps get smoked by the Magic. Which is why I'm thinking the Raps will keep it close, and maybe even pull out a W.

I'm putting these losses less on the coach, and more on the players. How do you coach a team to box out? To rebound? Sometimes the players just don't care to do it. Sam harps on it all day and all night. But when Jose is fatigued, TJ is thinking he's MJ (not to mention a poorly timed rant to the officials leading to a silly silly technical), Bargs is picking up his 2 quick fouls and nobody else crashing the boards, I don't like to put the blame squarely on the coach. The players have to accept responsibility.

Hey Sam, it's called a zone defense...maybe you should try it one of these days.

Don't buy into the excuses re: Bosh...how's Houston doing without Yao???

This team is so frustrating...drives one to drink...you just can't lose the games that the Raps just did...inexcusable..

Last time I mentioned that Miami would be interested in Jose's services.

You can add Portland and Chicago to that list. ATL was offering Josh Childress for Jose, don't know what Portland was offering. Interesting to note that the bulls article says there will be a dozen teams after Jose.

However an article in the Sun says Brian has made it perfectly clear that he will match any offer Jose gets.

Too bad nobody's interested in ford. I'd like to move him....perhaps get a defensive backup PG like an Earl Watson or Chris Duhon.

Great line from an article on Brezec: "Sam's gangster," Brezec recently told a throng of media gathered around his locker. "As I told you, I just respect the coach and (the fact) they're not scared. They trust in their players and they don't take no (stuff) from nobody. If I do something wrong I don't have any problem with them cussing me out. If I do something wrong tell me straight to my face. That's what he'll do."

Where was Primoz? Does playing your most physical player who's got a chip on his shoulder and is DYING to take it to his former team make too much sense?

The Raptors lose to Indiana because they have forgotten how to play without Bosh. This team has depended on Bosh to do the grunt work of rebounding so completely that it will take a few games for this delicately balanced finesse team to adjust.
The work Bosh did on the boards partially hid a weakness that was glaring in his absence and they will figure out that to replace his contribution, it will take a team focused effort and not just one other person stepping up. They’ve done it before.

That’s as positive as I can muster.

Yes. It did make too much sense to play Primoz, Dinosty. It's not like Brezec is going to be the ultimate solution to anything, but small, good, decisions make a difference.

It's Sam's pattern. Fortunately, he also has a pattern of correcting his ornery, counterintuitive choices, especially when someone encourages him to do so (ie. Colangelo). Unfortunately, taking 2 to 3 games to adapt in the playoffs is a major problem. Another small example: I think it took him a few games in the playoffs last year before he started giving Calderon decent minutes.

I think its accepted Observer that many of us somehow want Colangelo to get behind the bench...I mean he's at every game anyway.....jj dynomite sorry about the bravado, I like your comments the other day about showcasing Delfino.

Look what was given up for:
Moon = nothing
Delfino = 2nd round pick
Kapono = $6 mil/yr for 4 yrs.

As much as I love these dudes I've seen the light....let's cash in some chips along with Parker (love him...buhhbye) and Rasho (love him...buhbye).

Many a fan favourite has to be kicked to the curb, unfortunately. (list too long to mention)

I don't completely blame Sam for the lack of boardwork last night however like the HQ associate mentioned, a zone might have been a nice look from time to time. I personally think Sam Vincent is one of the worst coaches in the league so to watch Toronto go down in flames was pitiful.

As I commented last night, they went to Primoz way too late, especially when he was so fired up to destroy Charlotte. They should have used him in the second quarter to keep the energy level up, not after the game had gotten out of hand.

I think the best example of how bad last night's game was, was when I saw Matt Carroll take Jason Kapono off the dribble and blow by him to the rim. Read that again...that's like crude oil sludge beating molasses in a 50 yard dash. And I don't know what's worse, that Kapono got beat so easily, that Toronto had to foul Carroll so he wouldn't put in an easy lay-up, or that Chuck and Leo defended Carroll by saying he'd been "working on putting the ball on the floor..."

This could be a long weak for us Raptors fans...

6-4 in our last 10 isn’t so bad, it could be worse. Losing to the Pacers and B'Cats were 2 tough pills to swallow, but I think we'll be fine. I think the Raps are playing with a keen eye on which team they will have to play in the playoffs. Smitch definitely has to buck up in his rotation patterns, and practice routines to keep our playa’s ready. Hopefully CB4 will be back sooner than later as they found the development of scar tissue in his knee. The upcoming West Coast swing is going to be brutal starting with the Lakers, Golden State, Denver, Sac-Town, and ending in Utah. I was a little perturbed at JC8’s uncharacteristic turnovers and body language during last nights game, not sure what’s up with his play. I do know Hump and Primoz are always primed to play on both ends of the court and should definitely get more PT, based on the performances of other lately.

"...a long weak for us Raptors fans" -- Freudian slip, Franchise, but you're probably right in both respects. Sigh. I really have no comment on last night's game that wasn't already expressed after Friday's debacle.

DayOner, no worries about the bravado; however, I was earliser speculating on showcasing KAPONO, not Delfino, being traded, simply because Kapono has the profile and the uni-dimensional skill set (long range gunner) that would be perfect on a playoff-bound team. Vujacic kinda serves that role for LA, as does Utah with Korver, and it appears the Suns want Giricek for that role.

Defense is a bit less quantifiable, so I'm pretty sure BC can market Kapono hiding the fact that he couldn't "contain" Matt frickin' Carroll. It is mea culpa on my end to F&H as I thought Kapono would turn into a decent signing (he played for Riley, he couldn't have been that bad on D, right?) But now that Jose and Carlos have proven themselves as above average long-range gunners, he really serves no positive role for the Raps. If Delfino isn't re-upped, however, we may be stuck with him.

'Read that again...that's like crude oil sludge beating molasses in a 50 yard dash.'

possibly the best line ever on this site. awesome!