Tip-In: Toronto Raptors Post-Game: Friendly Faces

by RaptorsHQ - Archives on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT

Looks like a good start on paper, but these guys just don't mesh.

Lacing Them Up

CB4 was interviewed at the half of last night’s game. His comment?

"This place is like a funeral."

The importance of this game wasn’t lost on anyone attending the ACC last night. The fans were nervous and quiet, the players started out tight but were focused, and a loss to a team that has only won seven games on the road all year would have been a devastating blow. Good thing the Raps pulled it out 111-93, and much of the credit goes to CB4.

On a night where much of the talk focused on Charlie Villanueva (more on him below) it was CB4 who stole the show for me. After coming out and acknowledging that he was (i) fatigued and (ii) having trouble trusting his teammates, the franchise player took it upon himself to lead by example by elevating his game when the chips were down.

For those of you who didn’t watch the game you can’t determine the effect Bosh had on the game solely by looking at the box score. By diving for loose balls, showing great emotion, and simply being a franchise player Bosh willed his team to victory.

Not only did Bosh have 32 and 11 but set the tone and kept up the intensity all game. CB4 has been through the highs and lows in his short career and if there is one guy responsible for righting this ship it’s Bosh.

The thing is he can’t do it alone and on a night like this one you could see what the Raps can do with a full effort. Ford, Calderon, Kapono and Bargs all contributed to this victory which was a relief. Almost every Raptor needs to get back on track before the playoffs start and this game was a step in that direction.

A Numbers Game

The Raps have now kept back-to-back teams under 100 points which is a good sign and what’s amazing about this number is that behind it are some interesting shooting percentages. The Bucks, actually shot a better percentage (44%) from three than they did from inside the arc (42%). In what feels like forever, the Raps managed to play some decent defense. The boys in red managed to get in the passing lanes and did play better but at the same time let’s not take too much of out it. Guys like Ramon Sessions couldn’t shoot 40% from a free-throw line.

21-12

On rare occasions do the Raps manage to get to the line more than their opponent. This was one of those times. Once again CB4 gets much of the credit as he managed to get to the line 11 times. Despite the poor play by the team as of late at least Bosh has been consistently getting to the stripe. Bosh’s frequent visits to the charity stripe are essential to the Raps success. Even when CV Smooth was lighting him and everyone else up, Bosh continued to force the issue and get to the line rather than trying to go head-to-head with Villanueva and shoot J's.

The Turning Point

The Raps really started to pull away in the third Q. Having withstood the absolutely magical performance by CV Smooth in the second Q the Raps stayed the course while the Bucks essentially imploded. This Bucks franchise really boggles my mind. There is some really nice talent on this team, but they just have not gelled. Their offense is pretty dysfunctional and they don’t play to their strengths. I for one questioned the hiring of their head coach right from the start and I will be amazed if he is kept on when they bring in a new GM (whether it’s Bill Simmons or someone else).

In the third quarter the Bucks forced a lot of shots and their offense was really stagnant. The wing players essentially ignored Andrew Bogut and Michael Redd, despite being a big threat to score, just does not make anyone around him better. As a result this Bucks team didn’t execute and although the managed to keep pace in small stretches the Raps just managed to pull ahead by being more consistent.

Temperature Check

Hot – Charlie Villaneuva – Hot DAMN! What an amazing second quarter and game overall with 38 and 12. When the rest of the Bucks team looked liked they would be better at lawn bowling CV Smooth was absolutely tearing it up. That stretch in the second quarter was a joy to watch. CV Smooth simply couldn’t miss and it was just one of those moments where you had to sit back and enjoy. A lot of people will be thinking about the CV-TJ trade a lot today…and I can’t really blame them considering the storm that surrounds Ford these days.

Hot – Rasho Nesterovic – Man this guy has been solid. Once again Rasho did some nice things on both ends of the court and is becoming an essential part of the Raps attack. In the playoffs where many teams will want to slow it down Rasho will play a key role. If the Raps do manage to get that sixth seed back.

Cool – Jamario Moon – As many of you know I have always been a proponent of Joey Graham although I have always understood the frustration. When Graham played some solid ball late last season I though he might have turned the corner. Looks like I was wrong. The reason why I mention this is because my feelings about Jamario Moon parallel the feelings many of you have had about Graham. This guy makes the same mistakes over and over. His willingness to leave his feet and settle for jump shots infuriates me. If there was more season left I would be calling for Mitchell to replace him in the starting line-up, but with only a few games left it’s too late to make a much needed change. For whatever reason he seems sheltered from criticism among the fans but I firmly believe that he must play better much better for the Raps to have a chance.

Why are we not seeing more dunks from this guy? Why does he seem to get a free pass when the team plays poorly?

Cold – Andrew Bogut – Having played a ton of minutes the night before it would be hard to ask for too much from the big man but he was simply non-existent in this game. Although his teammates barely looked for him it’s not like he was demanding the ball. Bogut, much like his first pick counterpart Bargnani, still has a lot to prove to live up to the first pick billing.

Moving On

Think this game was a must win? Well frankly all the games are at this point. With a weaker schedule ahead there is a great chance for the Raps to fix all that ails them (in particular confidence), before entering the second season.

The reality is after this win Raps nation is collectively exhaling a breath of relief. All is not lost yet.

HOWLAND

Tweet Comment 22 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

I love CV3, but he is one inconsistent dude. Sure, he was on fire last night, but just watch, he'll drop like 7 and 2 in his next game. You can't deny the talent, but you have to question the focus.
That said, his skill set is so tantalizing...I'd love to see him back in a raps jersey. The one thing that I had forgotten about his rookie campaign until I checked the stats is that he actually rebounded decently (6.5rpg in 29min)...not huge numbers, but better than anyone not named Bosh.
On top of that, he seems like a genuinely decent guy.

As for Bosh's "funeral" comment and others regarding the quiet crowd...hey, the last 5-6 weeks these guys have been playing horribly and losing to inferior teams. If you play such a frustrating and inconsistent brand of ball, you have to expect the fans to be a little hesitant in their celebration.

by the styling assassin on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

"This place is like a funeral."

Most likely the fans just not wanting to bother tj

Charlie unreal last night but it showed again the raptors cannot guard somebody going off like that

by Davl on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Okay, forget this year . . . what is the realistic 2008-09 roster?

Forwards: Bosh, Bargnani, 1st-rounder, Humphries, Moon, Garbajosa
Centres: Nesterovic, Baston
Guards: Ford, Calderon, Parker, Ukic, Kapono, Graham

I can't see Delfino being re-signed, and Brezec is filler. So, including the pick, that's 14 guys for 15 spots.

Baston and Graham could be released, Ford could be traded (but I don't think Colangelo will admit this mistake), and possible Kapono could be a throw-in because he's been so useless.

How do other people see it? Any others on the trade front?

by Aaron on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Good Game......Bargs played ok........it seems like bargs only plays well against crap teams (besides the detroit game). Anywayz i think we'll have to win out to get out of the 7th seed.

BOOOOO PHILLI

by Sho on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Every year I hand out the awards for our Fantasy Pool Draft and figured it would be fun to share with people outside our poolies. Here's a recap of the "It's U(station) not Me" awards based on my two pools.

1. Pick of the Year nominees: Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Amare Stodoumire, Marcus Camby, Baron Davis.

Winner: Chris Paul - With Steve Nash like numbers + 206 steals, he was picked 11th overall in our league. Clear runaway winner.

2. Worst Pick of the Year: Gilbert Arenas, T-Mac, D. Wade, Gerald Wallace, Luol Deng, Jermaine O'Neal.

Winner: Gilbert Arenas, single handedly cost me my year as I chose him with my first pick 9th overall.

3. Sleeper Pick of the Year: Allen Iverson, Manu Ginobili, Rudy Gay, Mike Dunleavy, Jose Calderon, Hedo Turkoglu

Winner: Mike Dunleavy - hey at least I win one. I managed to pick him with my very last pick. Every year I get suckered into drafting Dunleavy, and for once it paid off.

4. Injury of the Year: Yao Ming, Jamaal Tinsley, Gilbert Arenas, Adrew Bynum, Jermaine O'Neal, Adam Morrison, Greg Oden.

Winner - Yao Ming. As much as I personally would say Arenas, or Bynum whom I had. The injury to Yao helped keep me in the battle for first.

by ustation on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Howland, I'm not thinking about the CV-Ford trade as much as I am about giving up Villanueva for Bargs. Colangelo did say that CV became expendable with the drafting of Bargnani because both bring much of the same game to the table. I just think it would have been better to keep CV and draft Brandon Roy or Rudy Gay... Oh well, hindsight is always 20/20.

by CVfan on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Glad to see the win and especially glad to see the few great dunks that seemed to empathically state that perhaps some of them are trying to get it on. I was in favor of the CV/Ford trade even though 'you don't trade big for small' and all. But one interesting perspective (after sitting close behind the bench last night) is with about a minute left in the 3rd quarter when Sam was making a substitution Calderon for Ford and the scowling and 'common man' directed at Smitch - it is getting really hard to root for this guy and that pains me...

by Double M on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

You are right about Moon Howland. He does get a comparative free-pass despite playing like a bench guy every night. I think a lot more heat on him, from fans and the press, might be necessary for two reasons. First, Sam's absolute refusal to remove him from the starting line-up (unless playing the Hornets) and second, bringing in Johnson on the 10-day, seemed to do nothing in terms of sparking Moon. I would love to see this guy get called for a few charges, so that we could at least say that he is looking for opportunities to get into the paint. As it is, unless no one is guarding him and he can make a b-line for the hoop on an alley, or a lane the width of the 401 opens up in the defence on the odd occasion, this guy is Jamason Kamoono (as I said the other day). I am not sure why people are not riding him more, probably related to the low initial expectations. At the same time, and as much as I love the guy, Parker gets this sort of treatment as well. On the nights when he goes into invisible mode, no one ever seems to mention it. But on the nights where he is a legitimate 2nd scoring threat, we heep praise on him. The worse part is that you would be exaggerating if you said that these two types of nights for Parker occurred in a ratio of 1:1. I think he stays out of the spotlight on stinker nights lately because he is so likable and we have the idiot (TJ) to discuss. I think that these two guys are going to both have to show what they are really made of in the playoffs, or Parker becomes expendable, and Moon permanently receives Fred Jones/Gerald Green status (better for And1/Globetrotters type deals).

by Branden on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Besides the win last night, particularly happy right now about the number of players declaring for the draft. With guys like Green, Jordan and Alexander coming out, it means that there will be a ton of talent regardless of where Toronto ends up in the standings. Also means some really good players should be available for cheap in the second round.

by Franchise on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Bosh sucks... trade him. bargnani sucks like ass trade him. moon ... i dont know release him. humphries sucks release him.

by justme on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

trade bosh for rashard lewis and turkoglu and battie. trade bargnani for bogut. rlease humphries and pick up a good draft. release moon and sign joe smith when his contract is up next year.

by justme on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

o yea and keep brezec and nesterovic delfino nd calderon and ford and kapono. and give linton johnson playin time. this dude has a lot of potential he could become a guy who averages 13.7 ppg 2.4 assists and 3.9 rebs

by justme on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

go away justme.

FYI Linton is no longer on the roster.

by BeginnersLuck on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

justme: I think you showed your basketball iq by saying we should trade Bosh for Lewis, Hedo and Battie. There is a thing called the salary cap....salaries have to match up in a trade.

Rashard is already making more money than Bosh.

Moving on....

Originally I had thought this season was were it should have been given all the injuries. However the raps really fell apart at the end and it will likely result in a quick first round exit.

I think the third season will really show what type of player Bargnani is.

After all of the critisism (mostly deserved) will he work hard and prove the doubters wrong or will he give up and be a bench player.

Move Ford....I know he's young, I know he has as much upside as anyone however I don't like his attitude and i think he might develop into a minor cancer for the team.

by wtf on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Nice to see CV have a big game last night, even if it was at the Raptors' expense. I always felt kind of bad for him after he was traded. Here's a guy who legitimately wanted to play in Toronto at a time when this wasn't a very popular destination for NBA players. When everyone lambasted the Raptors for drafting him seventh overall, he proved that he deserved the selection. And then he got traded to... Milwaukee. That's gotta hurt.

CV definitely has legitimate offensive skills, but he can't guard his shadow. Still, one can't help but wonder what might have been.

by Skywalker on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Still too early to move on to next season.

Can't get too excited about a victory over the Bucks but we played a solid second half. Nets will be a better test - think I heard Carter gonna sit. Boo him on the bench!

Lets get some confidence going. Head into playoffs on a roll. Everyone's healthy!

Too soon for next season.

by Tinman on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Just in case anyone cared the international team for the hoop summit game has started practicing (Game takes place in Portland).

From every article I've read the big men were the ones to keep an eye on.

However it looks like Devoe has also been impressive...

http://blog.oregonlive.com/highschool/2008/04/nike_hoop_summit_world_team_pr.html

by wtf on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

The raptors are where they should be in the standings despite the fiasco of last 20 or so games. I think most fans are spoiled by last season and over-estimate the talent level on this raptor roster. The raptors simply couldn't match the star powers of top 4 eastern team. We have a 27-year-old rookie and 31-year-old sophomor in the starting line up for christ sake.

So what is the expectation next year. A lot of people are talking about getting the next level, that means compete with Bostan and Detroit. I don't think raptors stand a chance with Parker/moon matched up with Allen/Pierce or Hamilton/Prince.

If raptors don't make roster changes in the off season, the expectations shouldn't be too high for next season either, if everything went well the raps are probabbly the 5th team in the east.

by JYD on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

It will definitely be interesting to see how Bargs comes back in year 3. Hopefully it will be after a summer spent in the gym battling in Texas with John Lucas, as has been mentioned.

As for TJ, I've been against him since day one. When we add Roko he will become even more expendable. I just hope he has a great playoff and some team falls for him. I don't think he will become a cancer, I think he already is one. If his sulking and selfishness, which was at least partially responsible for our run of crappy games when he came off the bench, isn't the sign of a cancer, I don't know what is. I think between him and the other potentially expendable player's (ie. Hump, Delfino, Baston, Joey, Moon, Parker, Garbo and maybe Rasho to make it work, although I doubt it if he continues to play well) we could bring in a real asset to address our athleticism issues, either via trading for a player or moving up in the draft (my personal preference, by far, due to the positive long-term effects on salary structure that result from having young player's who are being paid less than they would command on the open market).

Either way, a little bit more patience, one or two more young guys, ie. Roko and draft pick, and one more year of seasoning and this team will really be ready to make a run. That will be the time to take on some rebuilding teams overpaid "stars" to fill whatever gaps remain, and I think a 2-3 year window of really being elite is going to happen. Let's just all take a deep breath and be patient.

by RaptorsAddict on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

Why has it been hand-across-America for John Lucas ever since he was hired on as essentially TJ's personal guru? Just putting this out there, but too bad we couldn't retain Hopla, a bonafide shooting coach, who might have been a bit more useful to a team full of... shooters!

by observer on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

WTF - Lovin the Devoe updates...I'm waiting for DraftExpress to do a piece on him.

Lots of big games going on in the next week - the Denver/Golden State game was a great example tonight. Shame that one of these teams isn't going to be in the big dance.

by Franchise on Apr 10, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions

kk lemme be more realistic. keep bosh. trade moon,humphries,kapono(sincemitchell doesnt set up plays for him anyways) and graham since he doesnt even play.
GIVE UP GUYS, IF THE RAPS PLAY PISTONS IN THE FIRST ROUND THEY ARE GOING TO GET SWEEPD. GAME 1 (DET 105 TOR 88) G2. (DET 112 TOR 91) G3 (DET 97 TOR 94) G4 (DET 115 TOR 92)

by justme on Apr 11, 2008 12:00 AM EDT reply actions