All I Want For Christmas....
by RaptorsHQ - Howland on Dec 24, 2010 8:01 AM EST
in Feature Stories
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PrintIt's Christmas Eve. For RaptorsHQ that means sending our annual wish list to the jolly man from the North Pole.
Like in years past, there is a lot to wish for.
First and foremost a Happy Holidays to all of the RaptorsHQ community and the broader SBNation. It's a time for family, friends and of course, talk about the Raptors. We hope everyone has a safe and joyous holiday and that Santa finds each and every one of you.
Speaking of Santa, it's time for the HQ's annual letter to Santa. There are a lot of things we're are asking for....
Patience
No matter how onside you are with this ongoing rebuild of the Toronto Raptors, it has been a frustrating season thus far. Amongst some surprising wins have been some devastating losses, and through it all the youth of this team shines through.
The team's inexperience and inconsistent play is not surprising, but it doesn't make it any more fun to watch. Young teams typically struggle and this year's Raptors' squad is no exception. They show flashes at times but for the most part this team is typically on the losing end of games. It's a season for the young talent to go through tough experiences and have the essential "growing pains" all the while hoping that these experiences will push them to work harder and take their respective games to the next level.
On many occasions we have discussed the lack of development from some of the young players, in particular DeMar DeRozan and Sonny Weems. We have also been critical of Andrea Bargnani, a player who has indeed stepped-up but consistently makes us want more. As fans we naturally want things to happen over night. We want Andrea to suddenly wake up and be the next Dirk. We want DeRozan to be that 20 ppg scorer on the wing that this team has been missing since Vince left.
We want progress and we want it right away. Prolonged gratification is not something sports fans are keen on, but it is that we need. As fans we must be patient with these players as they develop and this applies two-fold for management.
As a fan this is a nervous time. The team is just managing to stay above water - not quite in the playoff picture and yet not quite out of it. You have to wonder what Colangelo is thinking. He has never been one to sit idle when a team under his control is struggling, yet that is exactly what he needs to do. Making a trade for an Andre Iguodala type just to see the team grab the 8th spot and get knocked out of the first round in a blink of an eye while lessening the chances at a top lottery pick, is not in this organization's long term best interests.
What is in the best interests of this team? Patience, and lots of it. Let the young guys play. Let them learn on the job and let them become better players in the long term for it.
Consistency
If there is anything this team needs to show it's consistency and hopefully this will come over time. The team needs to show consistent effort night in and night out. Consistency is one trait all of the league's top teams share. The Raptors are incredibly inconsistent and as a result you have miracle comeback wins, tough to swallow losses, and unexpected wins all within a week.
When the Raptors take the floor you have no idea what you are going to get and not just as a team, but also on a player by player basis. Will DeRozan go for 18? Which Linas Kleiza will show up? Will Bargnani take over for more than one half? Is there anything you can be absolutely certain of on any given game night? Last season you could be certain of a 20-10 effort from Chris Bosh. This season? The only thing to be certain of is a less than stellar defensive effort.
Defensive Identity
Speaking of defense, if Santa could put anything under the HQ tree it would be a Raptors team with a defensive mindset.
It hasn't been since the Kevin O'Neill days that the Toronto Raptors have been a strong defensive team. It's been a long time and it's hard to pinpoint exactly why this has been the case. Since O'Neill the team has been through a couple of head coaches and a number of assistant coaches, yet the defensive results have been the same - poor. It was just last season that the Raptors played like one of the worst defensive teams in the history of the league.
Until Toronto manages to find a defensive identity and a defensive mindset that they can hang their hats on night after night, the best case scenario for the team will continue to be less than desired in terms of results.
The Raptors need a break through moment defensively.
If Andrea Bargnani really wants to be the number one option for this team that moment needs to come from Il Mago and I believe it is possible. With his quicks, length and size there is no reason why Andrea cannot be the anchor to an above average defensive team. His one-on-one defense is above average. He now needs to take on the challenge of being a solid all around defender. Is that too much to ask Santa?
Luck
All this being said, for the Raptors to really find themselves back into true contention in the next few years they are going to need a little luck.
Players will need to stay healthy, some players will need to surprise, and perhaps more importantly the team will need a little luck when it's lottery time. One player can change the fortunes of a franchise - just ask the Spurs, the Cavs, the Lakers and the Thunder.
As this team coninues down the long road to respectability a little good fortune would go a long way. Think Santa might have that in this bag of toys? All Raptors fans sure hope so.
Merry Christmas from all of us at the HQ to you and yours.
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Interesting point(hope) on Bargnani
“If Andrea Bargnani really wants to be the number one option for this team that moment needs to come from Il Mago and I believe it is possible. With his quicks, length and size there is no reason why Andrea cannot be the anchor to an above average defensive team.”
I share you view that Andrea can grow into that anchor. I believe we are in the minority on this.
He has the physical attributes to be a good anchor…Unfortunately, his desire is nonexistent.
by untouchable_21 on Dec 24, 2010 10:13 AM EST up reply actions
I agree.
Defense is part effort, part mental and part physical. Bargnani lacks in all three components (however I could see the argument that he has some pieces in his physical tool box). Some players have defense in their DNA. Bargnani does not.
Yeah, I completely disagree that Bargnani can be the anchor to an above average defensive team. He hasn’t shown anything that would lead us to believe that in five seasons. Saying he has the physical attributes to be an above average defender is great… but you could randomly select any tall guy off the street or from the D League and make the exact same statement.
Throw in the lack of desire that seems to permeate Bargnani’s game, and there’s no indication that he’s suddenly going to become more consistent or take the magical leap that some fans seem to think he’s capable of (again, still waiting for that one after five years and now that he’s become the clear-cut number one option).
Bargnani is a scorer and horrible defender. End of story.
The Raptors need to focus on getting above average defenders to surround Bargnani instead of having a starting lineup where four of the five guys are terrible defenders, and the team is constantly playing from behind after the first quarter.
I’d start with a trade for Gerald Wallace and go from there…
Happy Holidays everyone!
by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Dec 24, 2010 10:23 AM EST up reply actions
I don't believe the story has ended on his defense
Gerald Wallace? Your stuck in a time-warp. We needed him 3 seasons ago. Not so much now.
Think this all comes back to what your view is on how this team should rebuild; however I’d still take Gerald Wallace in a heartbeat over anyone on this club. Is he a star? No – but he’d be a great piece on a contending club, and I’d love to see him in a Raptors’ uniform as the rebuild gains momentum.
Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com
by Adam Francis on Dec 24, 2010 12:12 PM EST up reply actions
Desire
To pick up on your thoughts on Andrea’s desire – it seems anything that comes down to committment/heart/desire etc. are not areas that Bargnani excells in (i.e. rebounding, defense hustle etc.).
I think another thing the Raptors need is some perspective from their fans. A playe is not an All Star simply because he strings together a few good game in a row just as he doesn’t suck if he has a few bad games in a row.
And Bargnani’s man-to-man defense is the most over rated aspect of his game. He plays well against specific types of players in specific situations, but overall is simply poor. The thing is he’ll have a good game and that’s what people remember, instead of the ten games where he played poorly on defense. He struggles when his man faces up or tries to go around him and if his man moves without the ball. He gives up deep post position WAY too much and lets his man get offensive rebounds too often.
And I’m shocked you would believe he can be an anchor on defense. He’s good horrible defensive instincts even after neat 4.5 years in the league. Why do people constantly undervalue the skill needed to play good defense? Saying Bargnani has the makings of a defensive anchor would be like saying that Amir has the makings of a 20 ppg scorer, because he’s athletic, has good hands and scores efficiently.
Tim W.
The Picket Fence
by Tim W. on Dec 24, 2010 1:53 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Nobodycalled him a n All Star
so not sure where you got that.
I am banking that the big guy is one of the slowest freaken learners in the game, and little by little, piece by piece, his game is becoming more complete.
Tim, once again, you seem to have a problem with any positive thing being said of the guy. To the point where you twist the words of people.
No good scoring/ weak defensive player has ever made it as an All Star? This is the NBA, right?
Speaking of twisting words, I was not speaking of any player specifically in my first paragraph, which is why I said a player is not an All star, nor does he suck after a few good games or bad games. I was speaking of the fans, who ride too high and too low on a game to game basis.
There was a lot of playoff talk after they won 5 in a row and then people wanted to junk the team after five losses in a row. This is a young team and those types of things are going to happen. Perspective is generally needed from a lot of the fans.
And just so you know, there was actually A LOT of talk about Bargnani being an All-Star after his 41 point performance, so I’m not sure who’s words I’m twisting. Raptors Republic had a poll and the majority of people said that Bargnani was an All-Star.
And the NBA is a league that rewards good players on winning teams. You have to be having an exceptionally good year to make the All-Star game while on a losing team (unless there is a dearth of half decent players at his position, but that’s not the case at the center position in the East, with Howard, Bogut, Noah, Hibbert and Horford all high performing centers on teams currently in the top eight.
Tim W.
The Picket Fence
where to start lol
of the centers you just named i would take howard and noah…bogut is good but hes injury prone and he didnt really start coming along til last year..hibbert gets nice numbers 1 night but than so-so the next if you really follow the pacers season and horford is really a power forward playing center so he really shouldnt count…with that being said isnt bargs like 4th behind voting in the center position? can he be a defensive anchor? maybe not, does he have the tools..of course he does. there has been times where he has guarded, howard, shaq, even duncan one on one and done a good job, most people on here say his one on one post defence is pretty decent but its his help defence that sucks which is true..someone needs to show bargs the tape of last years game between the raps and wiz at the acc where in like the last 5 minutes bargs had like what 3 or 4 blocks during that stretch? thats the kind of defence if he could show on a regular (with his scoring and improve rebounding) he can very well be a top center..even borderline allstar in this league.with derozan he will not average 20 ppg a game this year..and most likey not next year..he just doesnt get the ball enough to consitanly get use to being that agreesive scorer. and until he does will never see the derozan we all want to see develope on this team
Gotto agree
Howard stands above all, a healthy Bogut appeared to be a special player, but beyond that it is up for debate. And Bargnani is in the discussion.
Come on Tim, it’s Christmas, say something nice about the guy. His girlfriend is cute!
If you don’t put Noah up there with Bogut, you’ve got a massive argument from me. The guy has a huge positive effect on his team whenever he steps on the floor. I see him on day winning at least one Defensive Player of the Year awards.
As for Bargnani, if you want to talk about his impact on the offensive end, I will laud him with superlatives. He’s shown more growth offensively this year than I ever figured he would. I would never have predicted the aggressiveness he’s shown at times. It doesn’t make him a great player, though. Too many of his supporters ignore the importance of defense and just how much he hurts the team on that end. I’m not going to jump on someone if they talk about how great Bargnani’s offense is, but saying Bargnani has the potential to be an anchor on defense is an utterly ridiculous statement. Unless you are talking about him dragging the team down on that end, then I’d agree.
Tim W.
The Picket Fence
All those centers I named play both ends of the court. They don’t have to score to have an impact on the game. Hibbert, who you mentioned being inconsistent, nearly always has a positive impact because he defends. If Bargnani isn’t scoring. he’s usually a liability. And he’s still pretty inconsistent offensively.
And how does Bargnani have the tools to be a defensive anchor? He’s incredibly inconsistent on defense and has a very low defensive IQ. Just because he can block a few shots doesn’t mean he has tools to be a defensive anchor. And just because you block shots doesn’t mean you played good defense.
And your statement about watching Bargnani against Washington last year is EXACTLY what I’m talking about. He has ONE good defensive stretch in ONE game and that’s what people remember, conveniently ignoring the 20-30 bad defensive games.
Bargnani has SOME good defensive games, one on one against some good players, but those are few and far between. He’s let his opposing big men have far too many good games this year, including letting Nazr Mohammed look like a real NBA player, but people chalk those up to inconsistency. The problem is that he is most consistently a poor defender, both man-to-man and team.
Tim W.
The Picket Fence
i dont know what pacer games you watch but always having a postive impact is a stretch when it comes to hibbert..thats why the pacers are still struggling and let their oppnents score at will against them that sure is a postive impact hes having on defence. and i was making an example on how we all like bargs to play better help defence thats why i mentioned the wiz game cause that stood out to me the most sorry i dont look at the 20 or 30 games of bad defence like you do im trying to be positive and make a point on what good help defence is like..and its clear you dont seem to remember why nazi had such a good game against bargs..umm maybe cause he wasnt 100% with a bad knee and bad ankle. thats why he sat out the very next game so bringing that up made no sense..and you mentioned even bargs is still inconsistent on offence yet hes still like the second highest scoring center in the league..pretty good for being inconsistent. im not no bargs lover or anything like that but to totally keep trashing the kid on his defence ok we know hes not a great defendered but he has to tools to do it cause like ive mentioned when hes played againsnt allstar bigs he has done good against them would like to see more flashes of that and who knows amybe we will soon.
I find it incredibly difficult to read your comments, so I stopped. Grammar is your friend. Even a period once in a while.
Tim W.
The Picket Fence
Really? Back to grammar policing?
But you told me I should ignore it when you screw up because the point of this forum was to have your thoughts heard and not how you typed it picked apart…
Hmmmm…
Hypocrite much?
KDFREATPED
oh sorry
I didn’t know it was required to have perfect grammer to discuss topics on this forum. Like I’m sure everybody on here has perfect grammer or writes perfect English on here to begin with. But for you next time ill try and do a better job mr grammer teacher lol ;)
by sherwin316 on Dec 26, 2010 11:03 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Jesus christ! There’s a massive difference between perfect grammar and what that post consisted of.
I literally had trouble reading and comprehending what you were saying, so I said something. I’m not looking for perfect grammar. I’m looking for something I can actually understand.
Mikthaniel, I’m pretty sure you know the difference and seem to take any chance to try and pick a fight with me for some reason.
Tim W.
The Picket Fence
You're an educated person, obviously...
Seeing as it only took me one (albeit slow) read-through to understand every point Sherwin made, I’m assuming it would have taken you less than three.
My point is, as an educated person in an online debate with another person, you could have read and evaluated the context of his argument and responded intelligently and maturely. Instead you chose to side-step everything he was actually saying and belittle his writing skill.
I’ve seen similar immature diversion tactics in arguments since early grade school. So, when I read your comments, bashing his ability to write well (and yes other than lack of proper punctuation, it was pretty much coherent thought) it seems to me that you are the one who comes off as immature and uneducated.
" I don’t like what you have to say so I’m gonna call you ugly and make all the other kids laugh, forgetting about what you actually just said…"
Well, I guess it worked, cause here we are ignoring the fact that he commented on:
*He believes the Pacers are very porous on D and Hibbert therefore isn’t as consistent as you claim him to be
*He defended his selection of a certain good defensive game by Bargnani as a light of hope reference
*He defended your position that Bargs made Mohammed look like an All-Star by reminding you Bargs was playing hurt
*He stated that Bargs being the second highest scoring C in the league seems to indicate to him that he isn’t as inconsistent as you say
*He admitted to Bargs being less than great on defense but remembers that he has shown up and had good games against some All-Star bigs so this gives him hope that he may work to become more consistent in those type of efforts…
There you go, broke it all down for you into easily readable pieces, now please continue on with your intelligent debate… or you’ll have to write “I’m an internet grammar Nazi General” on the blackboard fifty times during next recess…
KDFREATPED
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