Tip-In, Toronto Raptors Post-Game: That’s A Wrap!

It's quite sad, I have playoff tickets to the first two rounds (if we get that far), and yet as hard as I try I can't seem to get excited. The last little while has been such a downer that I almost feel disinterested. I'm sure that will change come Sunday!

On a more humorous note..."While his players will get the day off, Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell and his staff will hit the books today in preparation for their first-round series against the Magic, which is expected to begin Sunday in Orlando."

...sorry...I just couldn't resist!

it's a waste of money to send scouts to orlando games if they showed what the raptors did last night. Can U imagine scouting raptors last night what would they come away with that hasn,t already been known about this team?

I hear ya Ass'tGM. I'm actually more excited for the off-season than I am for the playoffs. Especially after that write up. I think Deng in a Raps uni would be a great fit. What a stark contrast from last year!

Of course, I'm sure that will all change within the next few days as I gear myself up for the 2nd season.

On the radio this morning, I heard some Ottawa Senators (I know, hockey sucks, but as we all know you can't avoid hearing about it no matter how hard you try) say "We limped into the playoffs and you can't just turn it on once the playoffs start. Unfortunately it doesn't work that way".

Hopefully the Raps prove them wrong.

Franchise,

What six players do yo keep?
CB4, Jose, Rasho, AP? and then who?

I say those 4 then a new starting SF with Andrea, Jamario or Carlos (not both), Hump, another big rebounder and a new backup PG off the bench.

I don't know why I'm still excited about the playoffs. Oh yeah, I'm a Phil Jackson fan too!

And I hate the summer, disappointing raps are better than no raps.

Some fodder for you Bargsbust from ESPN:

"15. Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors

His scoring, rebounding and shooting numbers have all dropped from his rookie year. He's had three scoreless games in the past month.

Do you think he'll average 12.9 points and 6.6 rebounds in the postseason? If he doesn't, that means he won't match Kwame Brown's numbers from Brown's second trip to the playoffs. Just as baseball has the Mendoza Line, the Kwame Numbers would have to be the modern standard for No. 1 overall draft pick bustdom.

You draft guys No. 1, you expect them to win championships for you. Or at least get you to the Finals. From 1980 to 2000, 10 of the No. 1 overall picks played in the NBA Finals with the teams that drafted them. Bargnani needs to show some signs he won't be in the other group."

Tough to argue too much with that, Bargs needs to step it up against the Magic as the ultimate X Factor.

I actually watched the final few mintues of the Sens-Pens game last night Sonic and totally agree. Pretty hard to be pumped about a team that limps into the off-season. Nevertheless, have my playoff tickets and am ready to try and be that "sixth man" for the Raps at home.

I'm excited about the off-season but like you said Axl, the summer sure does drag on from about July 15 to September 15.

Finally, Todd, keepers. Right now before we see what happens in Orlando I say CB4, Jose, Rasho, AP, Bargs and Moon (but not as a starter.) Delfino is on the fence for me and so is Hump. Hump could be a nice 8th man for this club if he would stick to the little things and not try to do too much. Delfino needs to be much more consistent. I'm not ready to give up on Bargs yet. I gave Hoffa 2 full seasons and will do the same with a player whose upside is a million times higher. Season 3 in my books is make-it or break-it time for him, although this playoffs will go a long way in determining his mettle.

The Great Divide
The general feeling of most Raptor fans is basically glum due to a less than successful season just completed. Expectations at the beginning of this year I thought were modest but according to many including myself, was not achieved. However looking at how last night’s game was played and the laughter and joking witnessed on the bench, it appears that players were quite satisfied. Bosh addressed the fans at the last regular home game and admitted to having a great season.

Why does the team leader think they had a good year but fans think otherwise including our much respected Franchise/Howland? Do we place too much emphasis on regular season performance or is this all spin? If Bosh sincerely believes what he says how can we expect more from them if they’re so content?

I’ve tried to convince myself that injuries was responsible for this lack luster season but how are we different than every other team that had injuries? If you look at the individual performance of returning players from last year only Calderon improved his game. Our supposedly deep bench was relatively healthy and our longest losing slide was largely after TJ Ford returned.

This season’s performance is what most of us was expecting last year when everyone was new and unfamiliar with each other and NBA. What am I missing?

I was impressed with TJ last night by the way he was whizzing around Capt. Kirk. When his off balance shot is falling (which is not often, I agree!), this guy is a major weapon. If he is on, he could have Nelson in serious foul trouble by the first half of the game Sunday. Calderon looked almost disinterested yesterday.

It was hilarious how Leo was so sure that AB will turn things around in the playoffs as it is a new season and he has all this pressure-packed experience in Europe. And then AB misses 3 defensive assignments in a row giving up 2 dunks to TT and Noah.

joey G's predictable turnover on the raps' last (or second last?) possession of the game essentially caps off his career in a raptors uniform... i suppose you could say that it was a fitting moment to mark the end for him, just like the way he began his career... with a thud.

I'm with you OldSchool. This is my eighth year since moving east and jumping on the raptors bandwagon and spent the entire time dreaming of .500.

I predicted 50 wins for the year, if bosh stayed healthy. He didn't. Plus garbo and tj were out.

Hollinger accurately predicted that career years for multiple players aren't often repeated and they weren't. Although, still calderon has increased his value and moon is looking to be a 10 carat diamond in the (very) rough.

The bargnani experiment, although disappointing had to be done and I can't say watching rasho start and having a few more wins just so we could play Lebron would be a good thing.

At the end of the day, there's parity in the conference, the raps are on par with other newly rebuilt clubs, who've suffered less injuries and have less flexibility going forward.

Not to mention the lack of respect from players, refs, and analysts has not diminished one iota.

Rubik, I also found that comical and puzzling, with nothing to back up Leo's hilarity:

Bargnani has been driving a bit better but I expected that coming out of camp, not the last month of the season....and his shooting is worse than....ever.
This season is a huge disapointment record wise. As far as where they are sitting presently, I guess you could say things could be worse?

Would Garbo really have given us 10 extra wins? Maybe a couple, but he was averaging 2 minutes a game at the start of the year, remember?

Ford was out a long time. So what? We have THE best backup PG in the league, and he played out of his mind during that time to boot.

Rasho and Jose are playing great, Moon had a good season, everyone else regressed.

Most of you know I think Sam's useless as a head coach.
...did Mitchell improve at anything this season? Next question.

Overall, a dissapointing year, record wise for sure. But wasn't this what everyone predicted at the start of the year. I too hoped that the Raps would win 50 this year but the East was perhaps the worst it's ever been last season. The addition of KG to the Celts alone got us two more losses (we beat the Celts 3 of 4 last year and reversed that this year). The East seemed to be a lot more competive with the West this year than in year's past. The Raptors even knocked off the Spurs and the Hornets on their homecourts, 2 of the top three seeds out west right now. The Wizards beat the Hornets twice and the Lakers as well. Overall, I think the East was stronger this year than last. Also, this season word has got around that the Raps are a good team.

Somebody brought up an interesting point in the previous recap or preview. It was a point about Bosh and TJ as well as some others laughing on the bench even though they were losing.

They were laughing because they got the matchup they wanted in the playoffs. They were laughing because that matchup was not going to change. They were laughing because this game meant nothing.

They were also laughing because they are lacking a little something.

I think what seperates a guy like KG from everyone else is his competitivness and desire. It doesn't matter if its a simple game of black jack....KG wants to win at all costs.

Can you say that about two guys who are laughing on the bench as their teammates are going out there and losing?

Shouldn't they be encouraging their teammates instead of chilling on the bench?

Watch some of the Boston highlights....you'll see how amped up Ray Allen, KG and P squared are when their bench is playing even though they've pretty much been ensured to a tripped to the semi finals. They want to win...doesn't matter the importance or time....their desire to win never changes and KG makes sure of that.

I think everyone on the Raps is relieved they don't have to play the Pistons are for some foolish reason they are taking it easy.....assuming they are just as good as the Magic when they are not.

The Magic absolutely blew out the Wizards in their last game....you need to bring the noise, intensity, energy, toughness and anything else you can possibly bring....its playoff time....after getting their butts whopped by J-Kidd last year you think the guys (especially our two leaders) would be a bit more serious although TJ's actions don't suprise me.

However this season has been a good one...when you look at the talent on the other teams in the East the raps are not near the top or even the middle. The Magic have three guys who have been on an allstar team, even the Wiz have two allstars on their team (Gilbert doesn't count otherwise it be 3)....so from that perspective this season has gone alright and when you consider the injuries it has gone pretty well.

Toughen up and win a series....

"...From 1980 to 2000, 10 of the No. 1 overall picks played in the NBA Finals with the teams that drafted them..."

Funny, I know it was supposed to mean just the opposite, but when I read that quote I immediately thought "Wow, half the No.1's from 1980 to 2000 did not even make it to the finals!"

Raptors @ 41-41 have managed to match up with the team (Orlando) they would probably select as best suited for their game. Would you rather play 76ers, Wiz, Cav's, Atl, I think not. So why so dissapointed with the record, which fell apart after Bosh was injured with a 32-24 record? If they play Raptorball with (Andrea,Carlos,Jason, and Moon contributing) as they are capable they stand a cood chance of winning. If they don't they do not deserve to win, and BC can go to work early for next yr.

WTF
Re the Magic blew out the Wiz
Arenas, Butler and Jamison were rested and did not play.
Garbage game like the Raptors.

A couple of points:

1. The season was a disappointment and let's not forget the major issues around this team - even if they beat Orlandlo. Changes will need to be made to address the SF position, a hard-nosed rebounder and at PG.

2. Who plays PG down the stretch of the 4th quarter in the playoffs. I hope its Calderon. I'm not convinced that Sam has figured out what he will do with the PGs in the playoffs. Since TJ was reinserted in the starting lineup, Sam has tiptoed around this issue by playing both at times in the 4th quarter and by playing Calderon in the 4th quarter when the team had a lead. I will be interested to see Sam's PG substitution patterns in the playoffs. Franchise or Howand, any thoughts on this?

3. How is it that Bargnani only plays 20 minutes against Chicago. This guy could be an X-factor in the playoffs and he needs to find his game - he should have played 40 minutes.

4. Wow, San-Antonio vs. Phoenix. That will be a great matchup. I can't believe 1 of these 2 teams will be out after the 1st round.

I agree with Bball's comments on bargs. He should be playing anytime there is garbage time to be had. Ithink sam has had a big role in his backwards slide this year. The 3 quick fouls and you're pulled thing still makes me mad. I see why you'd do it with someone who is gonna play in the 4th, but Bargs barely ever plays down the stretch. Whenwas the last time he fouled out. Bargs has gotta get his confidence back but I'm not sure he can with Smitch walking the sideline

I for one am concerned when my team becomes completely unravelled in the last third of the season (roughly 30 games). Instead of playing better together as the season progressed, they have played (much) worse. They have zero chemistry on the court right now.

Yes, Bosh and TJ have been injured for parts of that unravelling, but they have been back for a while now and the team still struggles with consistency.

Sadly, TJ's return has been one of the major reasons for this slide. If you think about it, the moment that TJ returned and was relegated to the backup role, our second unit began to fizzle (i.e., Delfino and company). Therein began this disconnection between players and whole units. Jose then decided to switch roles with TJ, which has backfired because Jose is now trying to find his teammates too much in order to compensate for TJ's selfish play. I look forward to seeing which Raptors team shows up this Sunday, but we definitely have some work to do this offseason. We can begin by reassessing our coaching staff and then trying to fill in those crucial missing pieces. In BC I trust!

My 6 would be: Bosh, Calderon, AP, Moon, Garbo, Rasho. I could live with losing everybody else if it meant bringing in a Quality swingman and a serviceable backup PG and C. I would move Bargnani for the first good piece I'm offered. Let's face it, he's not a Center....never will be. I think he's best suited to the PF position, and we're already pretty good there.

Another thing that's kind of dawned on me the past couple of weeks regarding Bargnani, is that he put on some significant weight this offseason, and that combined with playing in the Olympic Qualifying this summer, has probably taken it's toll on him. Not that he's been any good most of the season, but I'm wondering if the weight issue has impacted his game.

I'd love to see us take CDR if he's available when we draft. If we pass him up for a Branden Rush or Tyler Smith, I'm gonna be UPSET.

Orlando's beatable, but Bosh and Ford/Calderon have to bring it from the start. We can't have a repeat of what Bosh did (or more appropriately, didn't do) against the Nets.

...and please don't blame BC for only tweaking the roster. Yes, he didn't get us that tough rebounder that we all hoped for. He simply tweaked the roster based on our performance last year knowing that there was room for growth. It's the coaching staff who has failed to develop this year's roster. Mishandling and misusing various players. And please don't tell me that it was BC's philosophy to shoot 100 times per game because that's what Sam preached when he was first hired as coach by Babcock. The whole "we need to make more shats" precedes the BC hiring. BC WILL make these necessary adjustments this offseason...especially if you heard his interview on the FAN 590. He is not happy with his coaching staff and their decision making.

BBall, according to BC, Bargnani has a booboo on his Achilles and thats why he lacks confidence (590 interview)

Btw, SI picks Raps in 6. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/marty_burns/04/17/east.breakdown/index.html?eref=writers

"Toughen up and win a series...."

Totally agree. Hated seeing the laughing etc last night but did like Boshs intensity when playing last night.

And yeah, why not 42 mins for Bargs seriously?????

Good question on Thomas vs. Bargs. Scary to say that id take Tyrus right now.

Who plays PG down the stretch of the 4th quarter in the playoffs. I hope its Calderon. I'm not convinced that Sam has figured out what he will do with the PGs in the playoffs. Since TJ was reinserted in the starting lineup, Sam has tiptoed around this issue by playing both at times in the 4th quarter and by playing Calderon in the 4th quarter when the team had a lead. I will be interested to see Sam's PG substitution patterns in the playoffs
- great point Bball - will be interesting to see.

A (regular) season wrap-up, as I see it.

Bargnani (keep) …. Some might call him a bust, but his value is greater with the Raps, then as a trade entity. And someone, anyone, PLEASE get him a REAL coach. And maybe a hypnotist …. "I can make this shot, I have made this shot, I will make this shot"

Baston (trade/waive/whatever) … Can we trade him? Would someone take him?

Bosh (keeper – no shit) …. Needs to bring it to another level though.

Brezec (technically speaking, he’s gone)

Calderon (keep) ….. Needs a quality PG back-up. How many games could we have squeezed out, if that 2nd PG was available.

Delfino (trade) …. Too inconsistent, and with his reasonable contract, someone has to go.

Ford (must trade) … can be a great player, but not at Jose’s expense. At this point, trading Jose would be a risky proposition. If TJ went down, and Jose was gone, does that mean we'd have to bring back Martin?

Garbajosa (keep) … We miss his grit.

Graham (trade/release/whatever) … Say what you want about his game, and his basketball IQ, but Joey is in really good shape!

Humphries (keep) … unless he’s part of a big trade deal. I still think there’s potential.

Kapono (trade/keep/trade) … Who would take on his contract? If we can trade him, then Delfino should stay.

Moon (keep) …. Needs experience, and would be better in a 6th man role.

Nestorvic (TRADE) …. He’s peaking, and his value is at a premium. Waiting till the trade deadline (in order to maximize his value), could be a risky option. We need a top quality wing who can rebound, and Mr. N. is the bait – sorry Rasho, but business is business.

Parker (keep) … He might seem like he’s an enigma on the team, but I think we need to keep him …. Unless of course, he makes a trade package work (for that top notch wing)

I think it’s important to give recognition where recognition is due.

Hot: The Score. Fantastic to have a network that is willing to commit to basketball. It was great to see that they made a decision to carry the end of the Utah-SA game last night on a special late night edition of court surfing. As it turned out, it was meaningless as SA blew out the game, but their commitment deserves recognition.

Frigid: The Fan. Bonehead move to pick the Jays 10th game of the season instead of the 4th last game of the Raptors season (which incidentally was against VC and the Nets) on Friday night for broadcast on 590. Instead, fans had to look around to find an obscure station in the 1100s to listen to a static filled broadcast which kept cutting in and out of another signal broadcasting in Spanish. Folks, I’m not talking about Bracebridge, this is in the heart of Toronto! The Fan has shown consistently that it is not committed to the Raptors and basketball in general.

BC has cleaned up the airways for next season making sure his deals are for national distribution only. I hope he turns his focus to radio as well. I’d love to see the Raptors picked up by another station that is truly committed to basketball, like the score is on TV. Imagine a station that has regular basketball talk, during the off-season as well. One that would actually tell you the basketball scores, not just junior hockey scores. One that would not pre-empt pregame shows and post game shows so they could get back to hockey or baseball. TIME FOR A CHAGE!

Some great stuff here today as usual...

-Who plays PG down the stretch of the 4th quarter in the playoffs?

HUGE point BBall and something we'll be getting into over the next two days. I'm surprise the local media hasn't picked up on it yet in fact. Like you and Tinman said, Mitchell has been tip-toeing around this issue big time. Also, what about Bargs? Right now it looks like he should be nailed to the bench (his man-to-man defense was just atrocious last night) but I'm sure BC will want to see him get minutes.

Lots of questions.

Sergi - Like you, I read that stat as "wow, half the top picks in the past 20 years weren't impact players." It would be interesting to see that stat broken down a bit more...hmmm...do I detect a topic for this summer?

Zona - Some great off-the-court points. The Score is the ONLY sports network in Canada I watch unless a Raptors' game is on. Simply put, they try their best to cover ball be it NCAA, Canadian University Athletics, or the NBA. And yeah, the Fan590 still cares way too much about the Leafs considering how bad they are. Perhaps by next year Howland and I can set up a radio station and do the broadcast...hmmm...the "to do for the site" list this summer gets longer by the minute...

Well sadly, the Joey Graham Era is officially over. What a way to end it too. He joins the Chris Jefferies and Michael Bradley's of the world.

Hmm 10 #1 picks in the finals eh? As Serg alluded, so it's a 50-50 chance eh? I like it.

1980 GSW - Joe "I barely care" Barry Carrol
1981 Dallas Mavericks - Mark Aguirre
1982 Los Angeles Lakers -James Worthy
1983 Houston Rockets Ralph Sampson
1984 Houston Rockets Hakeem Olajuwon
1985 New York Knicks Patrick Ewing
1986 Cleveland Cavaliers Brad Daugherty
1987 San Antonio Spurs David Robinson
1988 Los Angeles Clippers Danny Manning
1989 Sacramento Kings Pervis Ellison
1990 New Jersey Nets Derrick Coleman
1991 Charlotte Hornets Larry Johnson
1992 Orlando Magic Shaquille O'Neal
1993 Orlando Magic Chris Webber
1994 Milwaukee Bucks Glenn Robinson
1995 Golden State Warriors Joe Smith
1996 Philadelphia 76ers Allen Iverson
1997 San Antonio Spurs Tim Duncan
1998 Los Angeles Clippers Michael Olowokandi
1999 Chicago Bulls Elton Brand
2000 New Jersey Nets Kenyon Martin
2001 Washington Wizards Kwame Brown
2002 Houston Rockets Yao Ming
2003 Cleveland Cavaliers LeBron James
2004 Orlando Magic Dwight Howard
2005 Milwaukee Bucks Andrew Bogut 2006 Toronto Raptors Andrea Bargnani2007 Portland Trail Blazers Greg Oden

Technically we can also say that no one in the last 8 years has brought their team to a championship either. :)

I think the whole Bargnani as #1 pick is a silly way to evaluate him and BC. It was a mediocre draft class. We could have had him at #5 but no one was willing to trade up, cause there was no one of interest. In last year's draft he probably would have fallen as far as 10 or 11. Yes he's had a down season. But where he was taken is inconsequential at this point. It's not like BC took him over Lebron or Howard. Is he valuable is the more prescient point? The answer is not really today. But in the future, I still think so... We'll see in the playoffs, and early next season if I'm right.

check out this link...nice read!

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/st...son/080417

It really puts a lot of things in perspective.

I agree with many posters that most of the Raps players did not play up to potential, but I don't know if BC is going to make wholesale changes. As the old saying goes, it is easier to fire the coach than trade the whole team. I say thank goodness.

All of these questions point to Sam's firing:

-Why does this team look better on paper than it looks looks on the court.

-How can we be heading into the second season without any players being in clear roles? (ie Nobody has any clue who might be the 4th quarter PG)

-Has Sam ever been BC's guy? BC's hands were tied after the roster changes won a COY award for him

-Can anyone remember a successful play following a timeout? (the only one I remember was killed by the timekeeper)

-Who has Smitch turned into a better player? (Can we really keep giving him credit for KG and Bosh?)

-Oppositely, would anyone disagree that Smitch has hindered the development of: Jose, Bargs and Kapono?

-Has Smitch helped develop hoops in a hockey mad city?

But most of all...

-Does anyone think that there aren't any coaches available that would be BETTER?

Like him or not, there HAS to be better coaches out there than Smitch. He has several glaring weaknesses that are starting to show up on his players. I know that some out there will say that we need stability, but Smitch has been around since the '04/'05 season. Replacing him doesn't exactly reflect a revolving door. He has a losing record and has to go regardless of what happens in these playoffs. I only hope squeeking into the second round doesn't save him again.

(and so the "real fans" don't get on me)

Go Raps Go - Raps in 6!

Assistant GM: Thanks for the heads up on Ford/Calderon article. Nice read.

Is it possible that we (media, fans) don’t understand or appreciate the unique relationship that exists between these two?
Is it a given that one must go before next season?

I'm not so sure OldSchool!

If we could go back to the way it was pre-TJ injury, wouldn't that be the ideal situation? Again, assuming that both players are willing participants. Have we created this soap opera?

I think unfortunately the house cleaning above won't happen unless we get decimated in the first round...which isn't a sure thing.

Raps have handled Dwight reasonably well, and he’s yet to show inklings that he can take over a series.

Their backcourt/bench is paltry from an offensive standpoint, but if they are able to penetrate easily (which they probably will), the drive-kick will hurt.

Turkoglu is a premier penetrator (thats got to be a porn title, right?) and will give the matadors in our backcourt some fits.

Also, it could come down to our guys being in foul trouble because of their penchant to get to the line (28 attempts a game, 3rd in league). Otherwise manageable, if Sam wasn’t so inept at subbing.

Also, great editorial work, a good read.

Anyone interested in some more raps related content, check out the blog at www.firesammitchell.com

FSM

Why is everyone in Toronto so disgustingly positive??? 59% of the people here think the Raps are going to win. Are you people on crack?

What about this awful team suggests a win? Defense? Nope. Toughness? Nope. Experience? Nope. Really hot right now? Nope. Genius strategist coach? Nope.

Good lord, I started a little pool with friends ($10), and no one out of eight people would put down their money that the Raps would win even 3 games, let alone win the series.

I think Chuck's comments on how the Magic aren't really that good have gotten to the collective brains of Raps fans everywhere: bottom line, Magic won 52, Raps 41. That's not even close, and the Magic are going to show us how much of a gap there is between these two teams this week. (Magic 4-1)

Skip the series preview and skip right to the draft.

Aaron: Don’t know how you came up with that percentage but I don’t detect that much confidence amongst Raps fandom. Perhaps you are confusing fan encouragement/support with expectation/belief. I will be supporting them with as much energetic vocalizing as I can muster but divine intervention is what it will take for the Raps to pull out a first round victory. But as Mitchell has stated, if victories were a certainty there would be no need to play.

yeah, aaron I thought everyone except me thinks they're going to get killed. And I'm just going with the blind faith thing...