3 In the Key - Toronto Raptors Game Day Preview vs. Washington
by RaptorsHQ - Howland on Dec 4, 2009 6:45 AM EST
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The Raps are in a major slump and need to get their house in order before things hit rock bottom. A win against Washington would be a step in the right direction.
Can the Raps get W number 8 on the season or will they continue to lose important games?
Before getting into this preview I thought it would be a nice break from the doom and gloom to make note of the fact that although the team is no good on the court they continue to be great off the court. The Raptors organization has always been big when it comes to community involvement and yesterday was no different as the Raps and Wizards, along side former players and Billy Hunter took part in the ‘MIRACLE IN THE NATION’S CAPITAL’
event at the DC Armory. The event was dedicated to the Memory of Wizards Owner and DC Philanthropist Abe Pollin, where they helped feed 10,000 impoverished families. That my friends is quite the accomplishment and we should be proud of the men who represent our city when they take part in such community events.
So that's the good.
On to the not so good.
Prior to the Raps match-up on November 20, 2009 against the Heat I wrote the following in the Game Day Preview:
Now is the time when we will really get a true sense of whether this team is a contender or a pretender. If this team can't secure a W against teams like Indiana, Miami and Washington what hopes do they have of securing a top 6 spot in the East? Probably very little.
Well here we are two weeks later and the Raps have managed a 2-5 record against Eastern Conference opponents. Dare I say the Raps are cementing themselves as a pretender. You can look at the Eastern Conference standings as suggest that the Raps are barely out of the eighth position but their play as of late looks nothing like a playoff calibre team. Nothing.
One of the five losses came against the Washington Wizards earlier in the week. Unlike the loss in Atlanta the game against the Wizards was a closely fought match-up where the Wizards simply outplayed the Raptors down the stretch. In case you forgot what went down the recap is here.
Now apparently the Wizards brass think this could be an entertaining game as tonight is being marketed as "Date Night" for the Wizards and their fans. For $90 dollars you get two lower bowl tickets, 2 drinks, a picture with the Wizards mascot and if you are one of the first 100 fans to order this package you also get a $50 restaurant voucher. It will be a cold day in hell before you can get that sort of value when attending a Raps game (although to be fair I did get an email yesterday for 15% off tickets in the month of December). You can barely get two upper bowl tickets at the ACC for $90. Nevertheless, the real value for Wizards fans is that there's a good chance their team can reel off another W and look damn good in the process.
There is really no other may to describe the Raptors play as of late other than to say they have been getting torched. Consequently, with all the talk coming out of the lockerroom and the dark cloud now firmly hovering over the ACC, the Raps are at a cross-roads less than two months into the season.
So now it is time to put your money where our mouth is. It's either time to bunker down and come together, or start playing for pay-cheques. The players and the coaches need to tow the same line, in particular defensively, or we will, as fans, see rock bottom and likely a remade roster again next year. I have harped about the importance of consistency in an organization for a long time. Right now that seems like a pipe dream unless I take solace in this team being a consistent disappointment.
To me there is only one key to tonight's game. Defense. Pure and simple. The Raps to somehow come together and show they can play defense or at least put up some resistance! Without it nothing else is going to matter.
There are however a few match-ups I will be watching. The first is Bosh against Haywood. Haywood is a giant in the paint and has been solid for the Wizards thus far. He is a good rebounder and creates plenty of second chance points for his squad. Bosh will have to attack Haywood at every opportunity and use his quicks to get easy looks. There is no dout Bosh should be fired up after such a sad performance in Atlanta. Look for him to take out his frustrations on the Wizards frontcourt.
The other match-up I will be watching is Hedo against Caron. Hedo absolutely has to start making his money and tonight gives him the opportunity to make-up for his performance in the fourth quarter in the last match-up. Hedo absolutely cannot just settle for jumpers and he has to take the action at Butler. This team needs more than outside jumpers from its SF position.
It is a winnable game and for some reason I can see the Raps pulling this one out.
If not....well let's just hope they do.
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Put up or shut up
I’d like to see what changes they make tonight. I will be disappointed if they roll out the same line up. Also, I’d like to see Jack and Wright put their money where their mouth is. You can complain about lack of defense in the sarting lineup if it’s justified, but if you don’t back it up and lead by example you’re just blowing hot air and hurting the locker room.
Sounds like there might be changes tonight
E. Smith reporting that up to 3 starters tonight might switch.
Love to see one of the following:
-Calderon, Wright, Turk, Bosh and Rasho – Bargs as 6th man
or
—Calderon, Belinelli, Turk, Bosh and Rasho – Bargs as 6th man
by Adam Francis on Dec 4, 2009 11:45 AM EST up reply actions
Bob Dylan !!!! Times a changin ?
We need this win…I guess at the forfront of these next 3 games,I want to see some changes,in mindset,stategies,perhaps starting line ups,quicker change ups….What I would like to see,has JT seen enough to tweak this mess,or “did you see anybody out there not playing hard”
In my eyes ,the wheels fell off with the knee in the Johnsons …is there a lack of respect for our main man from some of his fellow teammates?,and if there is, and thats what I suspect,Bosh will have to do what he has to do to win them back,maybe more passing to open men out of double teams (as an example)…hey I’m not pinning this colapse on one man ,its a collection of millionnaires who should stand up…but I’m a big believer that it starts at the top,and if its not in someones persona to lead !!! get out of the way and let someone else lead….a leader isn’t always a top scorer…
I could just hear it now…are you guys ready ?…
No practice time to implement !!!!!,blah,blah,blah…
I have said to myself,that I will stay away till they can show me some fight,but I’m a sucker for punishment,I need to be put out of my misery.Help.
Although he is now known to be a great passer when doubled, Chris does not initiate the offense, he is a terminal, so I am not sure how he may have lost respect, he does what is is asked to. I did not pay attention on whether he swings the ball or whether he is a black hole, anectodically I remember him receiving the ball deep and then create. I will pay attention… while watching it tomorrow morning… time to take advantage of the “on demand” feature of league pass, the effort they are currently displaying is not worth it me waking up in the middle of the night.
I think I’m going to start a bring back “Smitch & Marcia” campaign. ;)
I finally know how to explain what reading these blog comments feels like (and when I mean “these” I don’t just mean HQ, I mean all sports blogs are pretty much the same.. “our team should be better than this”)…
It feels like I’m dating that dumb-ass drama queen princess of a blonde again who once claimed she’s going to die when she broke her nail! (True story – she was in tears) And as annoying as she was, there was some value to her, so I kept going back.
She once tried to talk to me about her belief in aliens and ghosts, and recited every believer’s cliche in the book about how everything’s a conspiracy. I had one simple arguement which she refused to acknowledge, with the proliferation of cell-phone cams, NOTHING ever happens anymore without being on Youtube. SO where is it? I also showed her some stats about how belief in the paranormal had dropped significantly since the popularization of Youtube. But there was always the government conspiracy to fall back on.
sigh yes she was pretty, but I did not want my kid’s mother to be her… well technically, any kid’s mother but alas I’m sure she is right now.
Aaaand, there we go… Colangelo falls on the grenade meant for the coaching staff today with his comment :
“This is not a coaching issue,” Bryan Colangelo, the Raptors GM, said Thursday. “If you’re looking for someone to blame, point the finger at me. I’m the one who put the group together. … I have no doubt that these guys can play. I have no doubt about their talent. But talk is cheap. We’ve got to find a way.”
So we’ll see where this all leads, but boy, it could be very interesting.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Dec 4, 2009 10:06 AM EST reply actions
Speaking of Pants..
Ok I got called out in the office.. if I was coaching the Raps what would I do differently?
Substitution patterns aside..
1) Get Andrea to keep his back to the baseline when covering off ball. He gets turned sideways way too often on help “D” then loses his own guy. i.e. He watches the penetrator, then loses sight of his guy. If he kept his back squared to the basket more, he’d have a better chance seeing the driver and his man.
2) Close-out speed is horrible! I know Jay wants to protect the paint, but we’re getting killed inside and the perim. I think everyone needs to take one big step outside the box . I know, I know the dribble drive will kill us, but YOU’RE giving up 60%!
3) When in doubt, trap and pressure! Not just the show pressure but a true NCAA Rick Pitino pressure. Yes, the opposing team is going to get free looks, but is that any worse than what’s going on now? Full court pressure, and if the ball makes it pass the line, double and trap. That mean two opposing players will be standing with no one guarding them, but hopefully that player in the trap is a PF/C with no passing skills.
4) Do not have Bosh, Hedo and Bargs on the court at the same time. That is the triangle of death. Play small ball with Weems — with the pressure/trap.
Do I think this would turn them around? Probably not. The biggest issue with the team is still 1-1 guarding at all positions. This is where we truely miss an AP type player. Someone needs to stop a backcourt player without help.
# 4
Bosh / Hedo /Bargs….triangle of death …lol ;) almost pissed myself
I love the triangle of death; that’s what it shall be referred to in blog posts going forward.
Agree on all points too – apparently the Raps had a one-hour meeting before practice behind closed doors; apparently it cleared the air and got everything out in the open. We’ll see tonight.
As an aside, I actually think Toronto wins tonight…
At this stage I see either Andrea being Benched or Bosh being shopped. Before you laugh at me, try to look at the whole situation from afar (let’s call it helicopter view). Right here right now, what do you think they are doing?
Actually Renato,
I wish they would sit Bargs and play him with the second unit (JJ may pass him the ball a little bit more than JC,) and Bargs would become the focus,as well get some playing time with Beli.I would keep Amir with Bargs.
I would move Rasho to the starting line up,he doesn’t need touches like Bargs,and he is better defensively than Bargs.
Since we are playing armchair coaches,I think its time to sit the rook and let him come off the bench…I would replace the rook with the Mouthpiece (AW) and see if he can put his money where his mouth is !!!
Well, they’ll bench Bargnani first. If he takes to being a real good 6th man, it may suit him, but I don’t think that’s going to fix things. I still think Bargnani is actually one of the better one-on-one defenders this team can have on any given night as he actually moves his feet. But that’s neither here nor there.
Bosh being shopped is if this team continues down the toilet by mid December I think.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Dec 4, 2009 11:58 AM EST up reply actions
These interviews
Did not instill a whole lot of confidence in me. Triano seemed very defensive. Chris Bosh is still under his self imposed gag order (I’m really getting the impression that he just doesn’t give a shite). I don’t buy that “I’m tired of talking. I wanted to hear other people talk.” crap. This is our team captain. I’d like to see a little more passion.
Uhmmm
I am not really sure about AW comment on him sometimes preferring speaking to someone else rather than to an “Italian guy”, if you speak to me AW I can tell you to F**k off in more languages you can handle….
It even made less sense if whatever discussion they were meant to have was about Basketball, which , at the end is something they are paid for playing and all this ended up in him and Jack talking to the media before to their team mates?
I have to face the “problem” he is facing (multicultural communication) on a daily base and there is nothing that cannot be solved in front of a beer if people want to….
Eric Smith's audio files from meeting...
Renato, regarding Wright’s quotes, I actually thought his comment was pretty positive.
I believe he is saying that they can’t let the fact that a guy is from a different cultural background (Italy in this case) prevent you from reaching out and talking to him. That maybe in the past Raptors teammates didn’t communicate internally well enough and that has to change. That is a step in the right direction in my books…
What I think has been part of the problem (which Wright and Jack alluded to post the Atlanta massacer) is that some players don’t feel that everyone is being held fully accountable by the coaching staff for their effort and excecution on D. That is a problem I hope was addressed in today’s meeting.
What I loved was Wright’s coments on what Alvin Williams said when he addressed the team. How, Alvin wishes he could be out there with the team and what a privelage it is to play and how you have to appreciate that and play with pride. I loves me some Alvin Williams. I wish you could clone Alvin and start him tonight against the Wiz. I hope he starts to take a more prominant role on this staff!
Wright? And if I was coach....
I really don’t get the Wright love. I watched probably 11 or 12 of the raps games on TV and one live, and I haven’t seen any positives from him. His D is okay not great…but the game I was at I thought Derozan played better Team D. He does get killed on picks though.
I think Belli is a better defender than I expected. He gets after it, and he is good at playing the passing lanes. He does and will get worked over by the stronger guards in the leage, like Arenas tonight.
Bosh and Bargs don’t play well together. In all the years they have been together you can count 8 maybe 10 games where they have both played really well in the same game. And they still didn’t win a couple of those.
I’m a Rasho fan. Yes he is not energy. But he is solid D, solid fouls, and you don’t need to run plays for him.
Someone asked me that same question about if I was coaching this team and this is what I told them I would do (excluding fouls)
Starting 5
Rasho
Bosh
Turk
Belli
Calderon
I’d run a lot of pick and rolls with Bosh, Turks and Calderon, and I’d demand a lot of penetration from Calderon and Belli to start the game. Try to turn the corner on the pick and make the D respect that. Both players are capable of doing but don’t. Rasho, is just there for boards, garbage baskets, and I’d want him to knock a couple people down who go in the lane. I don’t care if he picks up two fouls in the first 6 minutes as long as they are good fouls. I’d run a few iso situations for Bosh after the first couple of minutes and spread the flour with Calderon and Belli in the corners and Turk up top on the opposite side of Bosh and Rasho on the opposite side of Bosh at the elbow. Creates space, he knows where his shooters are, and he can drop it back to Turks for the clock is running down and let him work from the three to the free throw line.
Bargs comes in at the 6 Minute mark for Rasho (run a couple of plays for him right away in the post to get him involved)
Amir comes in at the 10 Minute mark for Bosh
Jack and Wright come in at the 11 Minute mark for Jose and Turk
Derozan starts the second for Belli(play a little zone with all the atheletes in the game)
Bosh comes in for Bargs at the 4 Minute mark of the second
Calderon comes back for Jack at the 6 minute mark of the second, Turk for Wright
Belli and Bargs come back for Amir and Derozan at the 9 minute mark of the second
A similar rotation in the second half.
Pops, Weems, Wright all become situational players. Wright can lose his minutes to Weems. Evans when healthy can steal some of Amir’s minutes.
No Jack at the 2. Derozan and Belli at the 2
Jack and Calderon at the 1.
At all times one or the other will be on never together. In case of foul trouble, or injury Weems comes into the mix at the 2, and you can drop Belli back to a 1.
Need to score down the stretch
Bargs, Bosh, Turk, Belli, Calderon
Need to defend down the stretch
Amir, Bosh, Wright Belli, Jack. All five players are mobile so switch everything and maybe have Bosh and Amir headge hard on screens.
Okay wasted enough time. Coach out.
by WinnipegRaptorFan on Dec 4, 2009 4:36 PM EST reply actions
Just HOW BAD is the Raptor Defense...
These are just incredible numbers below from ball don’t lie re the Atlanta game. You’ve probably seen this but I just can’t believe my eyes…it’s like movie bad…in 30 years people will be talking about just how bad a defensive team it is possible to have…lead the league in scoring but still lose every game…Remember the Raptors 2009-10…
The Raptors? They played well, offensively. Well over their mark of around 112 points per 100 possessions per game (right under 120 in this loss), but what’s the point when you lose by 31?
Think about that. If the Raptors averaged this sort of offensive output over a season, they would lead the NBA on that end by a huge margin. And yet the Raptors still lost by 31.
I’m sure a few tweaks will fix this defensive problem…
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