"Mission Accomplished"
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 16, 2010 8:30 AM EDT
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It's been a bitter year as fans and the team look back and see that this team just didn't have enough to be competitive down the stretch. With the Raptors now eliminated and the team and its fans obviously on the outside looking in, Vicious D puts his sights on Bryan Colangelo and the management team that has failed on so many levels.
This season has been a tough one folks.
I won't lie to you. Between emergencies of our own making thanks to drama in our own lives and changes coming to our way of living, the HQ staff have had a long battle to cover this team. There's no doubt we had a sense of optimism back on media day when Bryan Colangelo so famously talked about this team being a possible "50 win" team and how confident he was in this group being able to do great things.
It was just very reminiscent of a speech a certain US president gave many years ago about the Iraq War.
For many fans, they gave this team tons of chances while it still looked numerically possible for the Raptors to get into the playoffs. There were times when we, Raptors HQ, gave this team lots of rope because we thought this team was just needing time to develop chemistry, adjust to injuries, or adjust to each other. I thought that I would trust the experts of the Raptors staff since they were so confident in this team and what it could accomplish in a short amount of time. My worries about all the long term, high paying contracts seemed to be far in the back of my mind as we hoped this team would overcome and surprise as that magical 2006-2007 team did many moons ago.
Now this campaign has just about the same bad feeling as the US invasion of Iraq. We have no exit strategy, and we're now mired in contracts and have locked up players who give us no chance at turning things around quickly.
The stated goal was to make this team tougher and I guess you can say that this team is in certain ways tougher than last year. But then again, last year's team was just about as tough as a box of kittens (Jermaine O'Neal, Chris Bosh, and Shawn Marion being the exceptions). And while Bryan Colangelo made moves in the off season to fix this issue, here we are lamenting about this team's toughness yet again at the end of the year.
Underneath that goal was the not-so-hidden goal of retaining the services of one Chris Bosh. Arguably the Raptors best franchise player, and undoubtedly the best franchise player-leader, Chris Bosh's impending free agency meant that Bryan Colangelo had to create an environment where Chris Bosh was comfortable in and was willing to sign a long-term contract with. He had to win the heart and mind of Chris Bosh so that the people of Toronto Canada would greet the Raptors as our pride and joy instead of hanging our heads in shame.
We at the HQ have been highly critical of this team because of all of these goals and more. We've talked about mortgaging the future for the present, but even the present has never been great. We've talked about managing the salary cap because in the future, tying down your team with long, expensive contracts is going to make it extremely difficult to turn the truck after it's barreling down the highway at 200 km/h and fully loaded. Heck, we've even talked about lineup changes that needed to be made in order to make this team more competitive.
And we've done all of this without using our press passes for the majority of the year.
Instead, we looked at what needed to happen to make this year a successful one and were left shaking our heads at the choices made in the summer. Myself, I took it on blind faith that just maybe things would work out despite my skepticism. Instead, almost every single fear became realized as every single point, save one, was left unaccomplished.
1) Draft someone who can help now because we need all hands on deck to support Chris Bosh so that he'll want to stay.
No offense to DeMar DeRozan, but projecting a guy to be effective for the team in two, three years does nothing to improve this team immediately. There may even be a time in the near future where we can say DeMar was the correct long term choice. But was he worth it if he comes at the expense of losing Chris Bosh? Was his development for the majority of the year worth it if it cost us games that could have propped up our win-loss record so we could get into the playoffs? Now that we've seen that we were one game out of the playoffs, it's decisions like this which have really plagued the team. In all of our minds at the HQ, picking DeRozan and sticking with him in the starting lineup for most of the year was a complete failure for accomplishing the immediate needs of this team.
2) Hire a coach who would making winning his sole priority.
You may have some patriotic feelings towards Jay Triano. I certainly do. But for all his qualities, his one biggest flaw was his unwillingness to do whatever was necessary to win. Tactically, Jay Triano has been quite good for most of the year, but strategically, he has been a nightmare. From ignoring advanced statistics to playing to player's egos, Coach Triano may have been a diplomat (how Canadian!) in his approach, but there is no doubt he cost the Raptors many wins. Who cares if a few egos get bruised after the halfway point in a season? This is a job, and if you don't perform, you should be demoted or have your minutes cut.
Instead, Jay Triano insisted on maintaining status quo, whether it be at the point guard position, or with how he has handled Hedo Turkoglu. There's only one guy at the end of the day, who could have put his foot down on the whole Jarrett Jack-Jose Calderon combo lineup that has cost us numerous leads over the course of the season. There's only one guy who threw his hands up in the air in helplessness and announced that there were only so many changes he could make to this team, only to have injuries force his hand and change his lineup for him, thus proving what we in the independent press have been saying for months.
There's only one guy to blame for mishandling this team and costing us any hope of getting into the playoffs.
3) Get a free agent who was high impact and could solve some of the Raptor deficiencies including, but not limited to rebounding.
You can have Bargnani and Bosh playing at the four and five. It's not that big of a deal. Bosh will get you a lot of rebounds, and on most nights, Bargnani will at least box out his man. However, you better put in someone who is going to assist Bosh with rebounding at the small forward position. Instead, Bryan Colangelo decides to grab Hedo Turkoglu, a guy whose claim to rebounding comes from the fact that he's tall for his position. Spending the majority of his cap space and overpaying a player who had many warning signs that he would under perform in a Raptors jersey, the Raptors got a player who was redundant to many positions.
Put it to you this way. Hedo Turkoglu's best claims to fame were his 3-point shooting, his overall play making ability, and his ability to get assists. His supporters point out his assists and (meager) rebounding statistics as proof positive that he's doing something on the court.
But let me ask you this: Were the 2008-2009 Raptors lacking in a point guard who had turnover issues and couldn't pass the ball? Were the Raptors of yesteryear deficient in scoring the long ball? Instead, Hedo Turkoglu is a piece that covers areas which we were already strong at, which is exactly why he doesn't get the touches he wants and isn't the focus on the offensive side of things that he so readily complains about.
And as for rebounding? Turkoglu averaged about half of what Shawn Marion managed to pull down in 27 games with the Raptors.
4) Fill the roster with stronger talent from spots 6-12
Perhaps the only thing that was accomplished with any success over the summer was the fact that Bryan Colangelo managed to get Sonny Weems, Antoine Wright, Amir Johnson, and Jarrett Jack to fill out those final roster spots. Let's also keep in mind that two of these players finally became effective starters down the stretch due to injuries, another has become a constant in the bigs rotation and has filled in amicably for Chris Bosh in his absence, and the final has become a challenger for a starter position (and quite frankly, deserves it). Is that an indictment of how this roster is built? I certainly think so.
5) Fill out the coaching staff with people who would be able to create a winning atmosphere and provide a clear philosophy.
This is not a knock against Micah Nori or Alvin Williams. Those two have done a great job with Sonny Weems and DeMar DeRozan for most of the year.
But I am calling out the Raptors for continuing with Alex English and hiring Marc Iavaroni as their defense coach. While Alex English has shown that he has a good idea about how he runs his offense, we have not seen any of the hard pick and rolls that were hinted at from day one. We haven't even seen any of the Raptors pick and slash, or do anything to create space so that they can attack the hoop. Instead, we've got another year of the Raptors taking jump shots down the stretch when everyone in the arena knows where the ball has to go. Of course, it doesn't help when your next best free throw attempts per minute outside of Bosh are coming from bench guys who aren't seeing any daylight, but that's an argument for another article.
Marc Iavaroni, while he may very well be a nice guy (seems to be the only prerequisite to become a coach for the Raptors) has never proved he was a defensive guru. Not with the Phoenix Suns who always were intent on out shooting an opponent and not with the Memphis Grizzlies where he was routinely outmatched by just about every single team in the NBA. Why you would put such a coach in charge of your defense in arguably your most important season with defense being an issue for the past three years is beyond me.
I started out writing out about by equating how the executive branch of the US has misled the public during the Bush-Iraq campaign with our own executive staff of the Raptors. We were all lead to believe that this year, things would be different. We were sold on some goods thanks to some "bad intelligence" and ironically enough, the media also became overly protective of the organization that they should have been criticizing. There were some detractors, a lot of blogs who were critical, but by large, the mainstream media was not critical of this team until it was too late.
For those that still defend this year as being a bad year due to injuries and how no one was able to predict what this team would do, I would ask you this: Who have the Raptors hired to put this team together, who is ultimately the person responsible for making sure that they are the basketball expert who is supposed to know more than everyone else in the room, and is being paid millions for that expertise?
That's the person who has gotten us into this mess and who should know better.
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Good Post
I especially agree with the comment you made that people in the media were protecting the organization. I think Doug Smith was probably one of the worst in this regard. He is still adament that Jay Triano should be given another chance. They fired SMitch when the team was 1 game under .500, yet Triano has had 2 consecutive losing seasons. Not to mention his defense of all Triano’s decisions (Derozan, Turk, Jose….). I beleive that a large reason why this site is so popular is the fact that the posters call people out when it is necessary, and most intelligent people don’t want to read BS. It’s too bad that the writers on this site aren’t in the “mainstream media”, but I guess that’s why they call it mainstream, it’s watered down. Again excellent job on your coverage all season RapsHQ, job well done.
Something to be said for NOT having/using press passes
I firmly believe there is a space for bloggers NOT affiliated with the team. It allows for a clear, unfettered, third party perspective, closer to the fan’s perspective.
Having access to the organization (vis-a-vis a press pass) has its merits and limits. The merits are obvious: access to insiders, players, coaches etc. to ask questions. However, how much intelligence do the answers to these questions provide? The answers are usually spun and or public relations type answers. The limits are that you are beholden to your access. Meaning, a beat-writer always has to consider his writting in the context of “will this offend the people I have to ask questions to tomorrow”, “will writting this article and my true opinions in the end LIMIT my access?”. This is why you see the obvious equivocation in beat reporter’s articles.
That it is why it is important to have bloggers, to offer free opinions and forums for fans to discuss. So good on you Raptors HQ crew and ignore the misguided ramblings of Eric Smith and the like. It’s obvious he/they have a vested interest in discrediting your work.
I will say thought that a guy like Michael Grange or a guy like Tim Chisholm and even sometimes a guy like Dave Feschuck do quite a bit with their press passes. But at the same time, your mass market appeal guys are clearly toeing the company line.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 16, 2010 10:56 AM EDT up reply actions
Thanks PNUTZ
The mainstream media’s inability to properly cover this team is the reason we started back in 2005 and is still a major factor in our day-to-day efforts.
Things have improved in this regard thanks to the likes of Grange and Arthur, but the Doug Smith’s of the world still unfortunately hold a lot of clout. How else can you explain Bryan Colangelo presenting him with a jersey for the “success” of his blog? That fact that this ocurred is wrong on so many levels…
Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com
by Adam Francis on Apr 16, 2010 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Let's leave the IRAQ war alone
Can people say this is a roster that should win 40 games? Did you see how this team has lost at least 10 of those 42? I do not feel like shooting on the roster (structure) but I feel it is fair to say they have underacheived and that blame is to be shared betweeen coaching staff and players…. and yes with the person who has appointed that coaching staff
War....really?
I fail to understand why writers continue to compare a simple game to battle? Thousands of people have died in Iraq…not quite the same as the dissapointing Raptors season is it?
I love the Raptors and am disappointed in Bryan but I certainly do not have the same level of……..dislike……for him as I do for George Bush.
So let’s stay away from the war/battle comparisons.
First off
What I was talking about was simply how everything was covered by the media and just how misguided B.C. was in stating how this team would be so great. I’m not equating the loss of life to the actual stuff that this team has been through. Not.even.close. But the fact of the matter is, we were sold a bad bill of goods on this whole thing and now, we’re stuck with a mess with no end in sight.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 16, 2010 11:01 AM EDT up reply actions
BC vs Bush
.
The difference (war stuff aside), is that Bush KNEW what he was selling. BC was just being overly optimistic (and hopeful).
.
by RapthoseLeafs on Apr 16, 2010 5:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Nice post but the persuasive approach was hardly neccessary as you preach to the converted.
The litmus test for me was seeing this team play without bosh… There needed to be someone to step up and constant line up changes done until someone was found. Triano would have found someone (ie weems) or at least message would have been sent-play hard or sit.
by axl t on Apr 16, 2010 9:53 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
As much as I like Weems and think he should have been the starter sooner I am not convinced he is good enough to carry a team. He is more of a guy who fills a role for this team, a role that Anthony Parker once filled. A guy to play d and add to the offense not a guy who is going to win you games all by himself. He may prove me wrong but from what I have seen he is good starter not a star.
Agree
Huge Weems fan but the fact remains that he shouldn’t be a starter…that he is again, as Vicious D noted, is an indictment of this roster…
Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com
by Adam Francis on Apr 16, 2010 12:30 PM EDT up reply actions
I actually think...
Weems should be a starter.
Dave "Howland" Randell
Co-Creator of RaptorsHQ.com
by RaptorsHQ - Howland on Apr 16, 2010 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Compared to what's on the team now, then yes.
However contrasting the Raps to other teams, don’t think he’s reached that Ariza-ish level yet.
Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com
by Adam Francis on Apr 16, 2010 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed
But I would feel comfortable starting him next season if he puts in the work on his ball handling and defensive quicks.
Dave "Howland" Randell
Co-Creator of RaptorsHQ.com
by RaptorsHQ - Howland on Apr 16, 2010 2:07 PM EDT up reply actions
Sonny Weems has a chance to be a very good player in this league, if he can extend his range, improve his ball-handling a little, and better learn to use his athleticism to become a shut-down defender (he’s already decent). Right now, however, he’s just an average player with potential.
But it’s about fit. His ability to get up the floor and defend while not having to run plays for him on offense made him a much better fit in the starting lineup. This was true early in the season, but we didn’t get shown how true until late in the season.
This is the thing that Colangelo and Triano need to realize. You cannot just throw 5 offensively talented guys on the floor and expect results. This isn’t fantasy basketball. Each player has to bring individual skills to the table that the team needs.
That’s why we looked better with Wright and Weems next to Calderon, and that’s why we looked better earlier in the season when Calderon was hurt and Banks played next to Turkoglu. The skills of one hid the weakness of the other. That’s how you build an effing team!
Exactly. These guys are supposed to know this and when they just shrug their shoulders and pass the blame, it shows a complete lack of forecasting and proactive moves to create a good team and balanced lineups.
For me, Weems (and DeRozan especially) have to work a lot more on their free throws. These guys have the chance to draw fouls on a very consistent basis, but they’re almost afraid of going to the line at this point.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 16, 2010 2:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed, but...
only because he’s a sophomore… he hasn’t had enough court time to develop, so I’d be all for giving it to him… thought he brought more than derozan from day 1 actually
BEST. PICTURE. EVER!
Litteraly laughed out loud at the BC Mission Accomplished photo. Also, the Iraq war analogy was funny.
Seriously? You're focusing on the Iraq tie-ins?
This was not a comment on the Iraq war, but rather a lesson in premature celebrations and poor planning.
All those pats on the back from the Atlantic Division Champion year and the legomaster summer of 2009 with the Hedo trade are long forgotten now.
Here’s my comment: stop the “legomastering”, and get a plan in place. If Triano is your coach, then what is his game plan? Get players that fit the game plan. Hedo might have succeeded in a “Phoenix North” system, but that would require dedicating the team to that system. Given that Bosh is not Amare (he may be better as an overall player, but not in a Phoenix-type system), and Jose is not Nash, and we traded Kapono (the one player who would have excelled in the Phoenix system), that whole concept should have been thrown out the window.
This is really sad to say, but the Sam Mitchell gameplan of dumping it to Bosh on every possession and waiting for magic to happen was probably a better fit. At least you’re playing to your strength.
So, if Bosh stays, trade whoever you need to (Bargnani and Calderon included) to get players that fit whatever the strategy is… maybe look to the Celtics/Timberwolves w/ Garnett as the blueprint. If Bosh leaves, pick your new style, and consider the team as a clean slate to start again.
Here Here
I think what Vicious D is discussing here is that the gameplan has been flawed since day one.
Think back…Jason Kapono? That was a good signing?
Fred Jones?
In fact of all of BC’s free-agent decisions, Jarrett Jack is the first that has panned out at all!
Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com
by Adam Francis on Apr 16, 2010 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions
and on most nights, Bargnani will at least box out his man
What team were you watching? LOL
Great points though. I think the quality of the coaching staff – particularly the assistants – is one of the underreported weaknesses of this organization.
by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Apr 16, 2010 10:13 AM EDT reply actions
Hey now
He does do it most nights. Might not get a rebound all the time, but he was doing that for the first 3/4 of the season.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 16, 2010 11:04 AM EDT up reply actions
Disagree, Bargani is terrible at boxing out.
Watch the game tape. He consistantly watches the flight of the ball and fails to put a body on his/any man. Then an openent comes up, pushes him out and grabs the rebound.
Disagree, but still good post
If he was boxing out, the raps wouldn’t give up so many offensive rebounds and his rebounding numbers would be higher. Boxing out is the largest chunk of actually getting the rebound.
Yeah, Bargnani stands around flat-footed and out of position the majority of the time.
And the comment about him not understanding the concept of team defence? He’s been in the league how many years?! Unreal…
by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Apr 16, 2010 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions
box of kittens
You lost me @ everybody but J.O. Bosh and the Mattrix….come on Bosh does not equal toughness !!!!
Toughness does not always mean being a physical instegator. Sometimes it means putting your head down and continuing to fight even though your teammates (the guys in the fox hole with you) are equal to a box of kittens… In this respect, I would say Bosh qualifies as tough.
Agreed
Those games this season where Bosh just kept rebounding the ball and trying to get fouled in the paint…to me, that’s toughness. I’m not talking Kenyon Martin thuggery, I’m simply talking about a player who keeps fighting till the end.
That’s what was so disappointing about Bosh’s play post-All-Star game. For the most part, that toughness wasn’t there to the same extent.
Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com
by Adam Francis on Apr 16, 2010 12:39 PM EDT up reply actions
As far as an NBA player is concerned
Bosh is considered tough. He’s no Reggie Evans, but he’s the one guy who can be found in the post at least 80% of the time.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 16, 2010 11:03 AM EDT up reply actions
Bosh is considered tough ? by who ?
Takes a lot of toughness to launch those jump shots…..toughness is going to the hole for 82 games…
Bosh was one of the top free throw shooters in the NBA for much of the season.
So not sure how you would can say he didn’t go to the hole…
82 games....not for a part of the year
We may have to agree to disagree.
BOSH = TOUGHNESS
Problem is he is constantly being judged by soft players around him. I know I would not want to guard him, Andrea though i wouldn’t mind it.
+1
Dave "Howland" Randell
Co-Creator of RaptorsHQ.com
by RaptorsHQ - Howland on Apr 16, 2010 1:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Bryan Bushelo may have to replace “The Legomaster” as Colangelo’s nickname…
Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com
by Adam Francis on Apr 16, 2010 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions
See above image (waaaaaaay up)
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 16, 2010 9:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Still not as Diva as when Cher did an entire battleship….
I know BC does not like to be out ’Diva’d’….
This might have to be brought up Monday.
Franchise: “Bryan, what are your thoughts on Cher?”
Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com
by Adam Francis on Apr 16, 2010 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions
After watching Raptors’ Today yeserday, I have to say the door doesn’t seem slammed shut on Bosh returning. As Feschuk pointed out this morning in his article Bosh has stated what it would take to make this team a winner (and for him to come back):
“Bosh strongly suggested that GM Bryan Colangelo must: a) make appropriate changes to 40-win roster, b) convince Toronto’s pension-fund ownership to take the unprecedented step of spending in excess of the NBA’s luxury-tax threshold, and c) figure out a way to bring an all-star calibre slasher to Hogtown.”
While none of these things are likely possible, at least he is not slamming the door…
It's a HUGE to do list
But as I’ve said for the past while, Bosh is going to take his time in finding the right team and wait to see how FA plays out for other guys. It’s going to give BC a small window to make a deal and show Bosh that the Raptors are serious about winning. Problem is, the Raptors have practically no expiring contracts outside of Banks and Evans.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 16, 2010 12:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Basically, Colangelo needs to deal Hedo. And that’s not going to happen.
by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Apr 16, 2010 1:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Hedo
hes causing so much problems for us like seriously if i was him and i was picked on by the media everyday i would just quit. obviously not going to happen in hedo’s case but he has to be the worst free agent signing in raptors history
by raptors_run_the_show on Apr 17, 2010 9:29 AM EDT up reply actions
Dunno about worst, but it’s Colangelo’s biggest flop. I mean, Hakeem was pretty bad.
Every time Colangelo has some money to spend, or some wiggle room he always has trouble. Outside of that very first summer, it’s a LOT of misses.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 17, 2010 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions
We have, a #12-14 Draft pick, Bird Rights and the Mid-Level-Exception
That’s not something to scoff at.
Get MLSE to open up the coffers for Luxury tax (to convince investors its in their best interest to do so), and we might not be ‘bombed out and depleted’ …. next year
Thats the best case scenario…
I will probably talk about this more....
but the ONLY way BC can bring in the additional All-Star Bosh wants is to deal Bargs and the draft pick. Nothing else adds up to another All-Star.
The answer to the Raps problems is to deal Bargnani with Calderon/Hedo.
Interesting that people don’t think he will leave because he wants to be the man yet he is clearly saying he wants All-Star help (thus taking some pressure off of being the man).
Dave "Howland" Randell
Co-Creator of RaptorsHQ.com
by RaptorsHQ - Howland on Apr 16, 2010 1:09 PM EDT reply actions
How about Bargs and the draft pick for Maggette? He’s not an All-Star, but he’s way better than anything they have at the 2/3 right now.
by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Apr 16, 2010 1:16 PM EDT up reply actions
No Maggette...
ever. Selfish player, never been on a winning team. If I am Bosh that simply is not good enough.
Dave "Howland" Randell
Co-Creator of RaptorsHQ.com
by RaptorsHQ - Howland on Apr 16, 2010 1:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Hate to dash water on this but...
Bargs new deal kicks in this year, meaning he cannot be traded until December 2010… Another reason why I don’t understand why we had to sign him to an extension a full year in advance…
If that’s the case, that’s seriously depressing.
by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Apr 16, 2010 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Great point
Oh my lord, even less wiggle room now.
Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com
by Adam Francis on Apr 16, 2010 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Occasionally you can strike gold with a player like that (Jamal Crawford).
But yeah, I think BC has dug himself such a hole, he’s going to be unable to acquire the type of player Bosh wants. And I’m not sure BC has the ability to make a decent trade or signing anyway (at least when it comes to getting a big-time player).
by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Apr 16, 2010 1:45 PM EDT up reply actions
Huh...
I didn’t know that. Now I am for sure that this team is in serious trouble.
How many GM’s hang-up on BC this summer when he mentions Hedo’s name? 29?
Dave "Howland" Randell
Co-Creator of RaptorsHQ.com
by RaptorsHQ - Howland on Apr 16, 2010 2:09 PM EDT up reply actions
No kidding. Dude will be batting 1.000 (29 for 29).
by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Apr 16, 2010 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions
You know...
maybe the Il Mago nickname is appropriate given he has cast such a spell over BC.
Dave "Howland" Randell
Co-Creator of RaptorsHQ.com
by RaptorsHQ - Howland on Apr 16, 2010 2:32 PM EDT up reply actions
lol Good one.
I am saying right now that the Raptors should let Bosh go (sign and trade) as unless a miracle happens, this team will not move forward with the current roster. I guess if you are happy with a BCS of 6th seed and 1st round playoff fodder then we can keep the gang together but as I like the idea of building a championship team, it will not happen with Bosh on this current team. The only movable piece on this team right now that will net you something back (no matter how little it is) is Bosh. BC should not be trying to talk Bosh into staying, he should talking him into going to a contender with no cap room who will have no choice but to send assets back if they want him. Unlikely, but probably the best chance of this team being able to start from scratch.
bargs has some trade value i think him and calderon would fetch us some good players i think calderon and a second round draft pick ( I hear we have one) to denver for Aaron Afflalo
by raptors_run_the_show on Apr 17, 2010 11:27 PM EDT up reply actions
ROFLMAO, We could also trade Marcus Banks for Kevin Durant too.
Why would denver trade away a very promising defensive guard for a back up PG making 9 million a year? I am not saying Calderon is untradeable but if you think you are going to much back other than cap space, you are crazy.
Hey
Has anyone realized we still have 4 years left on Hedo’s contract. Yesssssssssssssssssssssssssss(Napolean Dynamite style).
Guys any luck with the real time counter on the time left on said contract?
It’s being built as we speak
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 16, 2010 3:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Hedo Countdown Timer
Is this piece of technology being built under a hatch on an island where some dude name Desmond has to push a button every 108 minutes to make sure earth doesn’t end?
Some guy named Jacob is messing around with it behind the scenes.
No worries
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 16, 2010 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions
Let me ask everyone here...
How many players does everyone honestly believe this team is away from being a top contender? Like honestly, in 4 years, how many pieces are we better for now?
That’s what I’d really like everyone to think about.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 16, 2010 3:32 PM EDT reply actions
Starters: Bosh (but he’ll be gone soon)
Bench: Johnson, Weems and perhaps this year’s lottery pick
And then there’s everyone else…
by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Apr 16, 2010 3:37 PM EDT up reply actions
It is too hard to say
Since there are question marks on whether Bosh is in the plans or not and also how much money they tie up to keep him if indeed they do. That limits the type of player they can get. Honestly in 4 years, unless Hedo retires, that is looking like it will be the light at the end of the tunnel. Can they just buy out his contract now and save the trouble?
If the question you are asking is:
Has BC moved this franchise any further towards a championship during his tenure? The answer is an unmitigated NO.
When BC arrived, he had cap space, CB4 and the number 1 pick. Now he has no CB4, no cap space and a middling first rounder with a first rounder still owed to Miami.
If you are asking generally how many players are we away from being a contender… We are curently a “Big Three” away. Most contenders have a “Big Three”, without Bosh we don’t even have a “Big One” and we don’t have the flexibility to get one…
So at least two major players away.
So no closer than we were when he inherited this team.
Is anyone else surprised by just how much people still defend BC at this point?
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 16, 2010 4:51 PM EDT up reply actions
lol
i have been dissing BC for atleast 5 months you guys just started
by raptors_run_the_show on Apr 17, 2010 9:36 AM EDT up reply actions
LOL
Yup. I think that bandwagon is growing very large nowadays.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 17, 2010 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions
For all my negativity
I feel like the Raps (with Bosh) are much better than they showed this year, and while Hedo was abysmal, I think a lot of that is contributed to the coach and the play calling. What the Raps need is the glue guy, the guy that brings the missing elements. The most glaring being toughness, defense and rebounding. So instead of worrying about removing Hedo, which is just spinning the wheels, who can be added to bring those necessary traits? Two off the top of my head (since former Magic players seem to work so well) are Gortat and Barnes. Gortat would require a trade of some sort but Barnes is a free agent if he ops out, and he brought the toughness to the Magic as well as being a good rebounder. But Gortat might be able to be traded for since the Magic don’t need him, and perhaps Bargs could play as a PF/C. Just shooting out ideas, I am not sure what other free agents are out there this offseason so I am limited to my knowledge base.
Play calling is a big factor, but as I was alluding to and will bring up later, Hedo’s a bad fit because he demands the ball like a point guard. On the Magic, where they had Jameer Nelson and whoever else, this worked fine. On our pass-first, fairly good ball handling team, this really doesn’t work out. Jose may shoulder the blame himself for not getting Hedo involved enough, but this is simply a team which is poorly constructed to take advantage of each player’s skills.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 16, 2010 4:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I can see Barnes signing a 4 million dollar contract to play on a non-contender going nowhere, not. Naming players who can help this team at this stage is pointless unless BC can move some salary to bring in someone who will entice role players to come here, unless you to make matters worse by over paying players in order to get them to come here. As for Gortat, what can Toronto offer them to entice the Magic to trade him, without trading away any of the young players this team needs to build on?
On a separate note
Just want to say this site is one of the best blogs I have been on. Besides the great analysis, I particularly appreciate how you guys all interact in the comments with fellow bloggers. Keep up the great work!
Iavaroni
I guess I had reasons to be worried about Marc Iavaroni as our defense coach. When I said that the Phoenix Suns’ defense coached by Iavaroni was a terrible defensive unit and wasn’t evidence of him having good credentials, people jumped on me and criticized what I said.
Anyway, I think these last 4 years is a good indication of why you should never rely on quick-fixes to turn your team into a contender (Why are teams owned by the MLSE so impatient with rebuilds?). It worked in the 06-07 season, and somewhat in the 07-08 season, but afterward things turned to shit. They are good in the short term, but can risk destroying a franchise in the long run.
I also believe that Colangelo was overrated by the media after turning a cruddy Suns team into a contender, when it seems that it was his lucky trade to bring Steve Nash to the team that helped them win. They also seemed left out the fact that he has never won a championship with his philosophy, but that’s for another time.
This season, like the last, was just utterly disappointing. Worse than the Leafs season, and they don’t even have a 1st round pick!
I don’t think yours was the only head that was turned around by what was said about Iavaroni being the Raptors defensive coach. I’m still not sure why people were saying “defensive guru” but he’s just the guy assigned to that position. It’s just weird how he was assigned that position.
They do have that first round pick. It’s lottery protected.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 16, 2010 7:17 PM EDT up reply actions
Actually, I think his first season was suppose to be the rebuild, things just turned around faster than anyone though for a number of reasons outside of the Raptors control.
I thought Burke was suppose to be a genius but he trades away 2 1st round picks for an injured scorer on a team that was destined to be a bottom 5 team. How does that make sense? Its kind of like trading your 1st round pick and your future cap space for an perpetually injured all-star making 20 million a year and who won’t really fit with your team. It is a good thing that the Raptors never did that.
Hahaha. Comment of the thread :D
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 17, 2010 11:57 AM EDT up reply actions
Biedrins,Dalembert or Noah
just let bosh go for someone like biedrins or dalembert (although it aint gonna happen as they are stucked with Brand at PF) or noah..clear that bosh n bargnani wont work together as opponent point guards just pass by them with the help of escort by calderon…wish we could trade jose too but dont think there is any GM who hasnt watched a single raptors game this season..so then as to turkoglu..the history books would honor colangelo if he could get it done
Mission Impossible?
Great article VD. :-)
On your points:
1) I agree that we need to draft a "ready-made" NBA player – I’m just not so sure our sole focus should be to keep Bosh, like we did last summer (and bombed doing it). We need to look beyond the 2010-11 season.
As for Demar, I still think he was a decent draft pick. But I do believe his development would’ve been better coming off the Bench (ASAP).
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2) Hire a coach who would making winning his sole priority. Like #1, I believe winning should not have been the ONLY priority. Of course, who wouldn’t want to win? I just don’t think it should’ve been at the expense of the Raptors future.
As for Jay, he needed to deal with the Turk issue much sooner. And the Jack/Calderon up & down was not handled very well. Should JT be shown the door? I’m indifferent to that – coaches are too often like a revolving door in Toronto. No wonder players don’t give enough respect to the Coach around these parts. As for Ivaroni …. he needs to check out.
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3) I thought Hedo would’ve been better at the rebounding thing. I figured, since Howard was a Rebounding hog (don’t take that literally), that Turk’s numbers would go up. Just like Amare’s numbers will go down if he doesn’t have Nash.
As for "warning signs", I didn’ t see that. Spending 10 million x 5? Well, too many overpaid players are in the NBA, so I disregarded that issue. Was he redundant? Yes, but only because we had a 2-headed PG situation – precipitated by Jack proving more than his worth. Should we have ditched Jose and got a quality 2 … now that would’ve been a smart move on BC’s part.
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4) A Better Bench? Sonny, Antoine, Amir & Jack were great pick-ups. Trouble was, they became Starters far too often, leaving Evans, POB, Rasho & Banks as 2nd bananas. We had no depth once injuries came about (and for reasons of poor play). If you had said, fill the roster with stronger talent from spots 8-12, I would hold heartedly agree.
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5) The coaching staff – this is one area where BC needs to do some serious re-jigging. And as I said, Marcus Ivory needs to vacate the premises. English needs to revamp his jump-shot strategy, or we need to find someone who’ll do just that.
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All in all – Vicious – I thought this was a great read. Looking forward to a draft break-down (when all the cards are on the table, so to speak).
Thanks
1) I wouldn’t say it was my goal specifically, but rather MLSE’s and Colangelo’s to make this team appetizing to Bosh. There was a sort of “1-year” urgency that had to be there, but didn’t seem to get followed through by the team.
2) Especially in the second half, everything needs to be let go and you have to have the best players on the court. Triano is not supposed to be a teacher anymore. That was his role as an assistant. His role as a head coach has to embody more than that and that also means doing whatever is necessary to win.
3) Warning signs weren’t from us, but from just about everyone else in Orlando and beyond. Michael Grange indicated in his article that it would have just taken one phone call to know about Hedo’s attitude issues and I linked to several articles that also talked about it from a non-Raptors perspective.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 16, 2010 7:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Haven’t really posted in a while…life…work…disinterest at times (for the Raptors not the HQ – I still read the blog daily).
Re: The Iraq reference. It should have been taken in the context that it was written. Sometimes we create issues or become overly-sensitive when it isn’t really warranted! Nice post Vicious!
On to some simple thoughts that I have been having throughout the year while staying in tune with the HQ and it’s insightful posters. I think sometimes we need to take a step back and look at decisions made with a less critical eye. BC didn’t quite fill the void(s) that have been plaguing this team for some time, but you cannot fault how hard he worked last offseason to try to change the face of a team that was in disarray. Hindsight is 20/20. I personally wasn’t bothered by the Turk signing because at the time I was envisioning what Turk did during the playoffs and thought that he could bring a dimension to the team that was lacking. Going back to the Orlando series, he kept killing us in the paint. I was hoping that this would be an element that would help the Raps. Yes the length of the contract was an issue, but I was willing to live with it. He brought in players that should have filled certain needs, i.e., Evans, Amir, and let’s not forget that he did all of this with little or no wiggle room. So we find ourselves in a shitty position and it bites, but with his hands tied, BC managed to (or attempted to) reshape/remodel a team that was going nowhere in the hopes of keeping CB. The alternative at the time was maintaining the status quo, which believe me would not have appeased any of us anyway!
I also love how CB is calling BC and MLSE out! If they want to retain him, they will have to spend. If they choose not to, every Raptor fan will know without a doubt that this ownership group is not serious about winning, and plan on running this team like the Maple Leafs of the last 40 years…just some thoughts…and Thanks HQ for your great work!
Actually I would say it is more shrewd then anything else. Bosh knows this team cannot bring anyone in and resign him so he gets to look like he was willing to stay if only team pulled out a miracle and cleared some cap space and signed another star when he has no intention of staying. The real question is, what will happen if the Raptors get said star? Will he really resign?
Great call.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 17, 2010 12:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Really?
Everyone seems to be pilling on BC but would you really rather have someone else?
BC moved Ford when we all thought he was going to be tough to move. He then moved JOs massive contract when there seemed to be no hope in sight.
Again, everyone is focused on Hedo, but what was the alternative? Things don’t happen in a vacum. It wasn’t Hedo over Marion, Marion was never going to sign with us. Ultimately, it was Hedo, Amir & Sonny over Delfino. I’ll take that trade again right now.
“Bosh knows this team cannot bring anyone in and resign him”
With respect McGateway, you have no idea what BC can do or what Bosh is thinking. And before we all throw BC to the wolves and start comparing him the Bush’s war which I found completely tastless and disrespectful, ask yourself this question, who would you rather have as your GM?
I was at the game on Wednesday and dispite the disappointement, I actually was comforted by what I saw. I think the last 5 minutes where JT had Jack, Johnson, Weems, DD and Beli on the floor is a glimpse into the future. That’s our young core that will continue to develop along with Bosh + some others that will make BBall exciting to watch for years to come.
Was I disappointed this season? You bet! But I can’t take this out on BC. I was with him in thinking this was the best team we ever had. The players didn’t work well together, now it’s time for a change. But looking at the ulternatives available to him at the time, I do believe BC did the best he could.
Once again
It’s not talking about the actual loss of life. This article is simply comparing how both have grossly misled the public with the way that they’ve sold their agendas to everyone. I will personally stand up and applaud and salute every single solder that has put in any kind of effort in the war. However, you should also be able to separate the soldiers from the decision makers and that’s what I’m comparing here.
We can’t take this out on BC?
Let me ask you. TJ Ford, Jermaine O’Neal, Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Kapono. Who brought all these players to Toronto? You want to excuse him for every move, but on all of of these, he made the wrong call, for the wrong player, creating the wrong chemistry. Along the way, he’s had to give up draft picks to teams to correct these and other problems.
I will be writing about this later, but this is no way to run a team. You do not simply just throw a bunch of players together and simply hope that they will fit.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 17, 2010 1:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Sam Presti comes to mind or Kevin Pritchard. The issue isn’t that we cannot find anyone better because you could apply that to coaching as well and don’t bring up all the retreads like Van Gundy because they are not necessarily the solution. The issue is that he has failed as a GM for the Raptors and I question his decision making. Finding another GM is not going to be easy but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be done. The trade for Marion was in my mind never about resigning him as I felt he was old and wouldn’t give the team much (he played here better than I expected). To me it was about dumping Oneal and getting the cap space which he then squandered (if you take the argument that Turk was a bad signing). As for trading Delfino, I agreed with that trade at the time and I still do. Delfino had a good year but I like Johnson’s and Weem’s upside.
Hmm. Ok, granted all of that was possible, but let’s just think back also to just after the All Star break where he was comfortable with the team that was assembled. I don’t know if you were comfortable, but I really wasn’t. Having one good month while Hedo was completely minimized on the team was pretty scary. I’m surprised that he wasn’t trying to go out and entertain more offers while the team’s value as a whole was a lot higher, because you got the sense that the team was going to hit a wall. At least a lot of us did. Maybe Colangelo had too much trust on his team and coach, but at the same time, it’s his responsibility to have some foresight into this kinda stuff.
No, definitely I agree. It’s good on Bosh to call MLSE. Good that a STAR did it too.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 17, 2010 12:01 PM EDT up reply actions
More Good News
Not sure if its already been posted on this site but we lost the coin flip with Memphis. Means 13th pick vs 12th pick.
Yup
Made a short post about it
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 17, 2010 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions
MLSE & Winning
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With Bosh calling out MLSE to spend, it’s interesting to note that the Blue Jays’ 2 World Series (92 & 93), corresponded with being #1 in payroll spending for both years – that was the only time they were #1 for both categories (spending & winning).
As such, I have to agree with some of the sentiment here … the only way the Raptors can move to the top, is if they spend like the top.
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Hmmm..spend on coaching
The NBA is different in that you have to be willing to spend on the right pieces. Many have spoken of how this team is lacking, or how we might have been sold a bill of goods on this being a 50 win team, but I look back on the season, look back on how on multiple occasions the likes of Johnson, Jack, Weems, Bargnani, and DeRozan showed themselves to be more than just useful pieces. How those talents along with an inspired Bosh couldn’t be harnessed into enough wins is beyond me. Now, more than ever, I believe the team had 50 win potential, but under the guidance of a 30 win coach there was too much to overcome.
That said, if Bosh has to go, what Colangelo should be looking to do is capitalize on the disappointment that many playoff teams will experience in the next few weeks. I would be looking to see what S&T possibilities exist with teams like Denver, Phoenix, even Boston. Would any of you do Nene for Bosh (and filler on either side) or even Garnett for Bosh and pieces?
Hedo was a mess in retrospect, but perhaps he eyed a dear in headlights coach and figured to take advantage of the situation. Or perhaps he took it easy during the year in order to conserve energy for the World Championships in his home-country, thinking that a few good games here and there would have been enough to lock in a 5th or 6th position playoff spot.
Look at some of the teams that made it and ask yourself in all honesty whether the Raptors should have made the Eastern Conference’s second season on talent alone?
This was a ridiculous collapse and the consequence of going cheap on the coaching hire (again).
As I brought up previously, we are wasting our breath discussing the addition of this player or that player if the coaching staff in place can’t lead them to anything but mediocre. Forget the cap and tax levels. Money spent on coaching doesn’t count against either and I think that’s the best path to success going forward.
I suppose the next question is who?
Here are some names
Butch Carter
Jeff Van Gundy
Lawrence Frank
John Calipari
Tom Izzo
I suppose the question for Raptors Brass to consider is whether upside exists with Triano. Will he pull a Mike Woodson and eventually lead this team to perennial contention? Are they willing to wait a while for that to happen (was surprised to see that Woodson only achieved his first winning record with the Hawks only last year).
by HQ Interloper on Apr 17, 2010 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions
Blaming the coaching staff is selling the team short of their mediocrity. The Raptors collapsed because the team was not designed correctly in the first place and all the great coaching in the world isn’t going to help that. As I said previously, if you are happy finishing 6th every year and doing no better than winning a single round of the playoffs every once in awhile then fine, bring in a new coaching staff and keep the team the same. Personally, I want a championship. Making the playoffs is pointless if you have no chance of ever going anywhere.
Coaches – Van Gundy – what has he ever won? He is a two year coach (meaning he can coach for 2 years then the players get sick of him) and that is about it.
Butch Carter – You are kidding right? Carter has black balled himself out of the league. He had one good year when he had a pretty good team (Carter, TMac et al).
Lawrence Frank – Ironically if you read the Nets blogs from when he was coaching, he appears to be their Triano. Guess that says something about fans and coaches.
John Calipari – ROFLMAO he had something like an 85 – 129 record (or I should say from 96-99 the nets had that record when he was coach) so even though he is a great college coach, I think he has already proven that he is no NBA coach.
Tom Izzo – College coach with no NBA head coaching experience. I am all for rolling the dice but why not go hard after Coach K who has winning experience coaching NBA players (internationally).
Payroll spending & Coaching
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I agree that coaching is essential, and that teams with strong financial situations need to use that advantage to hire top quality staff, as well as more supporting staff (statisticians, video guys, etc.), than lower tiered teams can afford.
But, the point of my comment, is that MLSE needs to give BC the green light (maybe encouragement), to extend the Raptor payroll into the luxury tax range.
The top 4 teams in each Conference (8 in total) are amongst the top 9 teams in Payroll spending (cap hits) for this season. That pretty much says it all.
Only New York falls into that top 9, and we know why. We had the guy running the Raptors at one time.
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It Was A Bitter Year
I feel bad that it was a bitter your for you personally.
However, I see no reason why that should drive your attitude toward the Raptors in 2009-10 as written in this article.
Better to leave your personal feelings out of your writing when writing as a professional sports writer.
I learned a long time that it is a losing attitude to expect are favorite sports teams and players to fix the misery in the rest of our lives.
I agree, we should all hold hands and sing kumbaya while the Raptors ship sinks into the Clippers. Kumbaya my Lord, Kumbaya. The Raptors are great! They are going to win a championship every year. All we need is to be nice to each other and leave our personally feelings out of notes. Hey, Vicious D. You do not deserve the millions of dollars you get paid to do this blog. You are a rank amateur because you do not see the greatness that is the Raptors. You should return all the money you make on this blog because you are not a professional.
I understand where you’re coming from, but I don’t follow that school.
I do know what you are talking about, but it’s a conscious decision on my part personally. I do read a lot about the new journalism movement that has been a part of the thinking the past few years. There’s a large argument for responsible journalism with subjective opinions rather than just rehashing the talking points of corporations as “objective” journalism.
But let’s make this clear. We are a BLOG. B.L.O.G. We try to back up all our talking points and opinions with facts nonetheless, but we are essentially a space full of editorials. You can argue about journalism all that you want, but we do not ever pretend to be journalists. I have written as a journalist before for Hoops Addict by the way. It was not to my liking and I do know the difference between the two. We make that distinction pretty clearly, even though we are independent press members. We do have press passes for the Raptors should we choose to exercise them but we do not abuse them.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 17, 2010 7:31 PM EDT up reply actions
I was replying to Buddahfan. My post is under yours, but not tabbed, so its not a reply to your (hilarious) comment.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 18, 2010 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions
Alex English Did A Phenonminal Job
The Raptors had one of the best offenses in the league.
On top of that English was the main personal responsible for the Johnson’s offense over the season. People should go back to Oct and read what was written about Johnson by Raptors writers and fans and then look at what is being written now.
In Oct who would of ever thought that Johnson would average 17.8 points as a starter even if only for 5 games and score 47 points in the last two games of the year?
No one.
That did not happen in a vacuum. English deserves a lot of credit for that.
best offence?
you looking at the boxscores, or the jumpshots? When the game counted, the offence sputtered. Come on! No posting up, taking 15 and 20 footers, game after game after game. Crap, THE basket of the season was a flubbed layup maybe because Bosh had so little practice doing that kind of shot in the rest of the season!
Gimme a break. I would take the league’s 15 best offence if it meant taking higher percentage shots, drawing fouls and getting the OPP starters in foul trouble as a result. Then the D gets easier too.
Raptors GM
There are a lot of comments here criticising Colangelo, and all his mistakes and what he should have done to make the Raptors winners. I assume there are a lot of resumes being sent into MLSE to replace BC.
This year his attemps in that area brought in 9 new players, a new coaching staff and a lot of optimism which when the team was 29-23 before the All-Star game looked great and every one was over the moon, BC had worked a miracle, JT was doing great.
Then Bosh was injured in the first game and the team went 11-19 with him missing 13 games plus several more struggling, getting into game shape, and the team went into the tank, missing their All-Star, franchise player, top scorer, top rebounder, and finished 40-42, and out of the play-offs. THIS IS A BIG SURPRISE TO EVERYONE ?
What happened to Cleveland when the sat LBJ for the last 6 games, after beating the Raptors. They went 1-5, SURPRISE !!!. What happend to the Lakers when they sat Kobe for 5/6 of the last 10 games, they went 4-7 in last 11, SURPRISE !!!
When teams lose their KEY PLAYER, who the offense is built around, it is not simply a matter of everyone else picking it up and keep on cliking along, especially a team with 9 new 1st year to the team players, a lot of youth, and a new coaching staff.
Even experienced teams like the Lakers and Cav’s struggle without their MAIN MAN, why would you expect the Raptors not to struggle.
LETS WAIT TO SEE WHAT COLANGELO HAS TO SAY MONDAY BEFORE EVRYONE GOES OFF THE DEEP END AND LOOKS TO TRADE EVERYONE.
If the Raptors had won 3 more games and finished 43-39 they are in the play-offs, getting killed by Cleveland and everyone is happy with the 10 game improvement and the expected improvements, and re-signing Bosh for next year.
THREE GAMES is not a lot to make up with a break here or there with this same TEAM.
Getting into the playoffs is not enough
Hold on. It’s not our goal to just barely make it into the playoffs. When the Raptors were already doing well back in Jan/Feb, we were still wondering about this team. Not all of us were sold on them back then.
You lose Bosh for a while, you will expect to find some slippage of course. That’s all to be expected. But for the margin of victory in those wins was completely out of proportion. The Raptors weren’t simply losing. They were being killed. How the team was playing game to game without Bosh was pretty inexcusable.
You may believe that before the All Star Break, everything was fine. Not everyone felt the same. If we mentioned any kind of negative thoughts back then, we would get killed by the Raptors fans for being too negative. I know that I have been highly criticized for my comments against Hedo Turkoglu. It can’t be both ways. We call it out and say what we feel, and it’s considered to be looking down on a team that is winning. Then we say the same thing after the team has lost a lot and now we’re being too negative about a team and kicking them while they’re down.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 18, 2010 4:48 PM EDT up reply actions
I have to agree with Vicious D here. If you are happy making the playoffs only then fine but some of us want to see signs of this team moving towards championship material and this team isn’t even close to that level. Minor changes are not going to do it. We need to make massive changes and maybe even go as far as to as to start from scratch.
My usual anti pessimism post
Been a regular at the HQ since 2005, pretty much whenScott Carefoot over at Raptorsblog went corporate. Love the work you Howland and Franchise did getting this thing off the ground. The number of commenters, and the intellect of the posters put it a step above. Real GM is a joke and the writers and main posters at Raptors Repubic woud rather complain about the Raps than support them. Gotta say though that VD and to a slighly lesser extent Defensive Stance have changed the tone around here.
Listen, I get it, the Raps were disappinting. They were annoying to watch. They have not had any toughness or got any production out of their wings for years, and BC has failed to address these problems. But it is boring to keep reading all the ‘I told you so’ posts. Of course Marion or Ariza would have better met our needs, but they weren’t coming here. Sure BC has made a few mistakes, but if we should know by now that BC is working with one hand tied behind his back. He does bring credibility to the basketball department within MLSE that has never existed before, not to mention the credibility he brings the Raptors around the league.
You know all those crap US teams in the NHL that just aren’t hockey markets? That is what the Raps are to the NBA. Getting players, coaches or executives to come here will always be tough. I think that BC’s plan to focus on international players is still a smart move, but he has to find some international players that aren’t soft jump shooters – think Scola, Nocioni types. Who knows, I may be wrong but opinions are like assholes – everyone has one and most stink.
Difference for the people who post articles on this site is that you are writing articles for other people. As a commenter, I can vent, bitch and complain – but if you do that as the writer you run the risk of alienating yourself from Raptor fans – and that is your fanbase.
As you stated, many of us were optimistic coming into the season. That is because BC made some good moves to improve our PG depth, our rebounding, our bench strength and upgrade our talent level, all of which would help convince Bosh to stay. We were supposed to be optimistic. Sitting back now and saying we were all fools and that the HQ has seen this all along is stupid. I don’t want to read Bargsbusts blog saying how he was right all along.
I think that this team has shown a lack of patience, dating all the way back to the Jalen Rose trade, when we included a 1st rounder to get him off our books. Possibly Babcocks plan way back then was a lot smarter for long term. We’d have more draft picks and they would have beem higher.
Sorry for the rant, I was a little all over the place. Call me a Kumbaya fan, better than running around saying the sky is falling. We’re not an upper eschelon franchise and never have been. I don’t know how our expectations have got so high anyways.
Walker McKenna
by Robert Archibald on Apr 18, 2010 1:58 PM EDT reply actions
Given the fact that I got called out in this comment, I’d have to respectfully disagree with a lot of the points (except the part about the organization showing a lack of patience – that’s impossible to argue).
Do you really visit a Raptors-related blog in order to get a vanilla, opinionless view of the team? I believe Doug Smith has the market cornered on that. And he’ll always answer your questions in his mailbag if you start them with “I love your work” and “you’re doing a great job” – Dougie seems to enjoy posting that stuff to give his fragile ego a boost.
Sure, if you bitch and complain without anything to support your argument, you risk alienating your audience. But I think we’ve been pretty bang on in our assessment of the Hedo Turkoglu signing, Andrea Bargnani’s self-admitted lack of effort, Jay Triano’s mind-boggling rotations, the fact that DeMar DeRozan should not have been starting, etc.
Many fans were optimistic coming into the season because they completely overvalued a 30-something free agent signing who managed to hit a couple of big shots on television during last year’s playoffs. Turkoglu actually performed EXACTLY as you would’ve expected him to perform this season. He was another year older and his numbers continued on what has been a three-year slide as he moves away from his peak.
And guess what? He’s going to be even worse next season!
Unfortunately, the ‘Toronto is a small market so they can’t be an upper echelon franchise’ argument doesn’t hold a lot of water when I’m watching the likes of San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Utah and Charlotte in the playoffs.
But that’s the beauty of this blog – lots of authors and commenters with a variety of opinions. That’s why this particular post is on 118 comments and counting…
by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Apr 18, 2010 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions
My small take on this
I’ve said it before, but I’ll put it out there again. Coming into this season, I was the most optimistic of our Raptors HQ writing staff, including Franchise and Howland. I wasn’t sure how Turkoglu was going to work out, but I was pretty confident that Jay Triano was going to need time. So I really gave him a lot of time to integrate this club.
But there were a lot of concerns starting to show. Things that we kept seeing as bad indicators kept popping up and we kept pointing it out. Now here we are after a disappointing season. We did not set the expectations quite that high, but Bryan Colangelo sure did. My article is not going to be the last one being critical of this campaign. It won’t be for this site or bloggers in general. This organization will have a lot to answer for if Bosh walks.
You are more than welcome to rant about this and other things or how I have single handed ruined this site for you. I will take those comments to heart and work towards doing something more productive hopefully that will make you want to keep reading. Unfortunately, a lot of what we write about is dictated by how this team performs. But I will do what I can to make what I write a bit more appetizing.
Kinnon "Vicious D" Yee
Author - RaptorsHQ.com Twitter @RapHQVicious
by Raptors HQ - Vicious D on Apr 18, 2010 5:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Chisholm’s new post is another well though out piece. Worth checking out. Really feel like Calderon needs to go.
http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/tim_chisholm/?id=318404
Also, can someone confirm if Bargnani can be traded or not this offseason? I remember someone posted on this site that due to the extension, he can’t be traded until December.
not as down as everyone else
i like the post but now imma do a lil rant of my own since everyone else is LOL i love this site and you guys do a great job, and im glad i joined this site to read the articules and opinions of others..i myself is not all doom on this francise as alot of people are..trade this guy trade that guy fire him etc. first we needed to improve on the roster from last year and not 1 person on here can say that BC didnt do that..the bench had more dept, they signed a guy who was suppose to be a game changer that they never had since vince left hedo had a bad season he knows it hopefully he’ll come back better next year.alot on here said they didnt like some of the moves BC did and im like what???? look at every trade or signing he did..hedo ok that didnt go well this year..but hopefully it’ll work out better…devean george for marco bellini..marco might have had his up and downs but that was a good trade..jarrett jack was a great signing, amir johnson and sonny weems we hands down won that trade from the bucks, rasho was a steady vet in the locker room and also played well when called, reggie evans did give this team a bit of toughness and was up and down too but its not like philly won that trade kapono couldnt even get on the floor for philly for god sakes and when he did he didnt play well..and wright was this teams best defender and made clutch shots at times.so with all the transactions i just name the only real bad one was hedo..but like i said maybe hedo will come back better next year.the bosh thing is still a tough call, but if he really wants the max money hes lookin for i dont know what team would give too him either he has to sign with the raps OR do a sign and trade thats been said over and over and MLSE has said if bosh stays they will go over the tax to sign another player to help this team more.if im bosh why wouldnt you sign back here?..you have a city that loves you, your the face of the francise, you have a organization that says they’ll go throught their pocket books to get the help you need to turn this thing into a winner..oh and you also have a 2 time GM of the the year in BC who’ll do anything in his power to make this team better..as a player why wouldnt you want that.bosh has said he wants to be the star of his own team and if he leaves i dont see him being a star anywhere else.BC did make a prediction saying this was a 50 win team and you know what i think hes right i could remember at least 6 games after allstar break they should have won and gave it away and a few at the beginning this team could have easily won 50 games in my books..all i know is BC didnt get 2 time GM of the year by being dumb he must be the most pissed on how things went down and im sure hes working as we speak to try and get this thing turned around..end of rant keep up the great work guys and i guess the next topic will be the draft
re: Mission Accomplished
re: Negative Opinions
I’ve got no problem with any opinion, as long as people care enough to articulate how they arrived at it in the first place.
re: Rather be a Kumbaya fan then a Sky – is – falling fan.
That’s a choice that every fan has to make for themselves. Of course, they could also just respond to events as they happen, without a predetermined angle.
re: Hedo
BC did improve on the team’s bench during the last offseason. However, the fact that signing Hedo allowed him to improve the bench doesn’t mean that Hedo’s signing was a great decision regardless of how he played this year. Signing Hedo is the only action which has any long term consequences for the team. Amir was on the last year of his deal, if he bombs he doesn’t come back. Weems was on a league minimum deal, with an unguaranteed option for 2011. No loss if he get’s cut either. Belinelli had his option picked up, but it was less then three million for a rotation player.
Hedo received a massive deal, one which can’t easily be undone like the rest of BC’s offseason acquisitions. Can’t speak for anyone else, but i think part of the HQ’s outrage was the potential long term ramiifications of his deal. In a cap world, an overpayment in one area means less funds for another. If anyone felt that signing Hedo would prevent those funds being used on a more crucial area, I can’t see how that constitutes not being a true fan. Sounds more like being a fan with the foresight to look a few blocks ahead down the path the team has resigned it’s self to.
I recall a quote, probably HQ, of Grange calling the Raptors current situation a state of “Indiana-ness”. To elaborate, Indiana has spent the last season(s) waiting for the summer of 2011 when their most onerous contracts (Dunleavy, Murphy, and Ford) will all expire at the same time. Until that magical summer, they’ve been bidding their time, working around those salary commitments, and trying their best not to add contracts that extend beyond that date. I can’t tell you how frustrating this must have been for Indiana fans. Yes, the Pacers seems to have a coherent strategy, but being handcuffed in such a way must have been torture for the fanbase.
The issue wasn’t just Turk’s signing. The issue is that he has continuously made bad decisions with both contracts and direction (as in the team really hasn’t had one). He has bid against himself a number of times by resigning players a year early to contract extensions with huge raises. Calderon gets a raise and an extension after having like 25 quality starts when TJ goes down. He could have waited a year and even if Calderon’s contract was up, I just do not believe anyone would pay him 9 mil a year based on less than half a season of work. Which brings us to Bargnani where he did the exact same thing. Remember how he said it would look like a bargain in a few years? The problem I have with that is that there was very little in Bargnani’s play to suggest that was the case. Yes he improved in last half of last year but not nearly enough to warrant an automatic extension. Imagine if had waited for Bargnani to become a RFA this offseason. Do you really think that Bargnani warrants that kind of money? Do you think anyone else in the league would sign him to that kind of contract? BC has also tended to sign multiple players with similar skill sets which in and itself isn’t a bad thing but he has ignored other areas while doing this. Hence we have multiple players who move the ball and run an offense but few who can rebound or create their own shot off the dribble. We have tons of guys who can make jumpers but few who can or will attack the basket constantly. This is not a sign of GM who has a plan but a of a guy winging it and hoping for the best. That is simply not enough for a team in this city anymore.
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