Tip-In: "Bizarro-World" - 12-Point Fourth Quarter Dooms Raptors in Loss to Bulls
by Adam Francis on Jan 15, 2012 9:45 AM EST
in Tip-In (Post Game Reports)
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The defensive work is a welcome site, but as the HQ notes, it's a bit of a 180 from previous seasons...
I never really read or got into Superman when I was a kid - was always more a Spider-man and Batman fan.
But I'd here about this whole "bizarro-world" concept a lot, especially once I became a huge Seinfeld fan.
From the Wikipedia entry on the subject:
The Bizarro World (also known as Htrae) is a fictional planet in the DC comics universe. Introduced in the early 1960s, Htrae is a cube-shaped planet, home to Bizarro and his companions, all of whom were initially Bizarro versions of Superman,Lois Lane and their children. Later, other Bizarros were created to add to the population including Wonderzarro, Bizarro Flash, "the Yellow Lantern", Bizarro-Kltpzyxm and Batzarro, the World's Worst Detective.
Everyone got that?
No? Well here's a photo:
It's weird.
Essentially the world is the opposite though of earth, and the characters on it, well, they're opposites of Superman and the Justice League.
It's like the Toronto Raptors this season is it not?
Ok maybe DeMar DeRozan and Jose Calderon haven't been flying around the ACC in tights, but watching this team lose a 77 to 64 match last night to the Chicago Bulls made me chuckle a bit. It was as if someone had put the exact opposite team on the court of years past.
Seriously.
I mean 64 points?
Most times in the 2009-10 season, Toronto had that many at the half!
Sure, their opponents probably had 70, but now even getting to 70, especially minus Andrea Bargnani, is proving to be a not so easy task for the Dinos.
It's simple math in some ways as after Andrea, there are only a few guys on this club, capable of putting up 20+ point games. And if any of them are misfiring, like Leandro Barbosa's 7 of 20 night, then it's even tougher.
As we saw last night, Toronto's defence can only hold for so long before the offence needs to kick in too. The Raps held the Bulls to 40 per cent shooting from the field, and matched them line for line in terms of most stat categories, but a complete inability to manufacture scoring down the stretch did them in. 12 fourth quarter points just isn't going to get it done, especially against a very good Bulls team.
Eventually Derrick Rose took over, Chicago started making 3-pointers (they were 1 for 9 at the half), and guys like Taj Gibson and Luol Deng put the final nails into the coffin with huge hustle plays in the game's final moments. The Raps launched jumper after jumper, but without Bargnani commanding double-teams, or anyone attacking the basket, you could just see the loss coming.
The free-throw shooting category was particularly bad because the Raps made ONE free-throw all night.
One.
Oh wait though, the team only attempted seven!
It was the second time in franchise history that the club failed to score at least three points from the charity stripe, the last time? Nearly sixteen years ago on January 9, 1996.
If your jumpers aren't falling, it's pretty hard to generate much offense if you're not attacking the rim and getting to the line.
Contrast that stat to the recent Chris Bosh-led teams that made getting to the line a regular part of their attack and again, it's a bit of a Bizarro-World for Raptors' fans right now.
But in spite of Toronto's lack O, it's not as if last night's loss has the team way off track record-wise. Anecdotally, when we first saw the 2010-11 NBA schedule, my prediction was that the DInos would sport a 7 and 15 record by the end of January.
Last night's loss drops them to 4 and 9 and with only games against the Nets, and banged up Celtics and Hawks clubs looking as potential W's, I'd argue the club is on track for a pretty similar record, especially if Andrea returns.
Health is in fact suddenly a major concern as the team lost James Johnson to a sprained ankle last night as well. It doesn't sound serious, but Johnson may be out on Monday along with Bargs and Jerryd Bayless, so the shallow pool suddenly gets even more shallow. It will up to guys like DeMar and Ed Davis, both of whom were very invisible last night, as well as guys like Gary Forbes (solid work at the back-up PG spot - 5 points, 5 assists, 8 rebounds in 16 minutes) to take their games up a notch.
And that's what this season is all about though right?
As much as sporting a 7 and 15 record come Feb 1 smarts as a fan, we've argued all along that it's a necessary part of the rebuilding process.
However a break from Bizarro-World would be nice too.
There's only so many 70 point games you can take before you want to smash your hotel room lamp...
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Some Encouraging Signs Last Night
The Bulls are arguably the best defensive team in the league except for maybe MIami and possibly the best team in the league other than maybe MIami
1. The Bulls have played 5 games at home and won them all
2. Only Atlanta has lost by fewer points in Chicago than Toronto did last night
3. Only one of the five Bulls opponents has scored more than 68 points in Chicago vs the Bulls
Of course only two of the five Bulls opponents in Chicago are considered a playoff teams
Here is the Bulls record at home so far this season
Sun, Jan 1 Memphis Grizzlies vs Memphis (1-2) W 104 – 64 + 40
Tue, Jan 3 Atlanta Hawks vs Atlanta (4-1) W 76 – 74 +2
Mon, Jan 9 Detroit Pistons vs Detroit (2-6) W 92 – 68 +24
Wed, Jan 11 Washington Wizards vs Washington (1-8) W 78 – 64 +14
Sat, Jan 14 Toronto Raptors vs Toronto (4-8) W 77 – 64 +13
As Amir tweeted last night
IamAmirJohnson Great game defensively.. Couldn’t hit shot tho..we gotta keep on pounding that rock #raptornation
About 11 hours ago by Amir Johnson
Good progress. I was encouraged last night going forward except for Ed Davis. Have no idea what is going on with him. Casey pulled him in the second half in favor of Jamaal Magloire who at this point in his career is not very good to say the least.
Some encouraging signs last night
Time To Jinx Amir?
Amir is now averaging 8.2 PPG and 8.1 RPG
Only 27 players in the league are averaging at least 8 PPG and 8 RPG. Amir is 20th on the list in Win Shares.
Amir is also averaging 1.5 APG.
There are only 17 players in the NBA averaging at least 8 PPG, 8 RPG and 1.5 APG
Next target is 9 PPG, 9 RPG and 1.5 APG Don’t know if he can reach it but if he does it would put him among an elite group of only 10 players
We shall see
Amir Elite?
2011-12 vs 2010-11 data for Amir Johnson (not including last night’s game)
Usage Rate: 15.25% vs 15.33%
TS% : 62.5% vs 60.8%
Assisted: 65.1 vs 64.1%
ORR: 14.4% vs 11.8%
DRR: 17.3% vs 17.9% (also note Andrea is 18.5% this year)
Assist Rate: 15.77% vs 12.77%
Turnover Rate: 25.5% vs 10.88%
Advanced PER: 14.46 vs 17.02
Amir grabs offensive rebounds at a higher rate than last year and passes the ball somewhat better. However, he turns the ball over at almost 2 1/2 times the same rate he did last year, which is reflected in his drop in APER.
I would not say Amir took a step forward based upon his stats; actually they suggest he took a step back. I have a suspicion he will improve his turnover rate and end up with a similar APER to last year.
That makes him a more valuable player in my opinion as Amir is showing he can play the center position adequately for extended minutes. A very useful 3rd big but nowhere close to an elite player.
by OxNumberNine on Jan 15, 2012 11:55 AM EST up reply actions
Step back
I think he took a step back statistically for two reasons:
First, the hand injury. I think that explains some of the turnover issues.
Also, he’s playing out of position so think that impacts the stats too.
Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com
by Adam Francis on Jan 15, 2012 2:58 PM EST up reply actions
I Didn't Want To Make Any Excuses
I don’t think he would have tweeted this yesterday
IamAmirJohnson Great game defensively.….we gotta keep on pounding that rock #raptornation
About 16 hours ago by Amir Johnson Toronto Raptors – Forward
unless Casey said something positive to him last about his defense in last night’s game.
I thought he played a good game. His shot wasn’t falling but I liked his aggressiveness on offense. Hope he keeps it up.
I don't count Amir
in that elite category but it is impossible to not love the hustle he gives. He is a keeper. His game improves every year and it continues to get better.
Here Are Some Other Advanced Stats
Player – 1 Yr Unadjusted On/Off Rating
======
Johnson, Amir———19.83
Calderon, Jose———12.66
Bargnani, Andrea—— 6.15
Johnson, Jame———-5.89
Forbes, Gary————-5.82
Magloire, Jamaal——-5.21
Derozan, DeMar———5.02
Butler, Rasual————-0.36
Kleiza, Linas————- (0.66)
Bayless, Jerryd———- (2.88)
Barbosa, Leandro—— (15.69)
Carter, Anthony———- (18.25)
Davis, Ed—————— (23.65)
He is currently ranked 15th in the NBA in 1 Year Unadjusted On/Off Ratings
Last season he was 28th in the league despite playing the six weeks of the season on one good ankle before they shut him down for the season
Two seasons ago, his first with the Raptors he was 24th in the league
You need to sort the data
Man
I don’t dispute the stats and have been aware of them for years and discussed them on Carefoot’s old sight before he was a Raptor.
Amir has always helped his team win, his foul troubles crippled him for a big paqrt of his time.
Of our bigs, with the exception of the Bargnani of the first 10 games, he is the one to keep. His contract will not be a joke and is will work out to be a bargain.
But as a full time starter, he is no more established as Bargnani. And he is not to be mentioned in the elite status.
Fuck your stats, watch the games!
Demar DeRozan is Playing Soft.
There it is. Formally on record. Demar DeRozan is playing soft and may just be a soft player (still time left to persuade me otherwise).
Ask yourself the following question: “When was the last time Derozan dunked the ball in traffic?”
With all that athletic ability, the former dunk contest contestant should be putting it on people much more often. Or at the very least attempting to take it to the rim with force on a regular basis. He regularly gets blocked because he’s usually going to the rim soft.
This needed to be a breakout season for DeRozan. He’s just not getting it done. Looks like the high usage “scorer” on a bad team. He’d probably struggle to average double digits on a playoff squad.
by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Jan 15, 2012 12:28 PM EST up reply actions
Ya after a somewhat encouraging start, it hasn't been encouraging
Just take a look at some simple stats for this season vs. his career. Not that much movement here. In fact the only significant change is that his shooting % is DOWN this season vs. his career average.
STATS PPG FG% APG RPG BLKPG STLPG
2011-12 14.8 .426 1.4 3.5 0.38 1.08
Career 13.2 .472 1.3 3.4 0.31 0.83
This coupled with the underwhelming play of Ed Dais is concerning. If two of the Raptors core young “assets” don’t pan out, it could prolong this rebuild and test fan’s patience.
So far this bunch is looking more “Washington Wizards’ish” than OKC.
I think the issue with DeRozan is that he’s going to struggle in Casey’s slower pace. So while he might not be a good fit here in the long term, he might go somewhere else and thrive if they play at a faster pace.
Now, that being said, Casey’s style is ultimately what’s going to bring this team any kind of success. So DeRozan being a casualty of that is looking like a necessary evil.
by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Jan 15, 2012 1:56 PM EST up reply actions
We are in a position
to allow both DeRozan and Ed Davis to continue to take their lumps. Even though Demar is in his third year, he is now just stepping into manhood. The first two season’s he was a baby faced kid who was given too much responsability. And that’s how I see Ed Davis. It might be his second year, but he still looks like a kid. And thats not a knock against either, it’s just taking longer for their bodies to grow into men.
One thing, the Raptors are handling Davis’s growth better than Demar’s.
There is no point in the Raptors to even consider given up on either this season. This season we should allow them to grow, continue to learn what they can do and hope it costs us a few W’s along the way.
I his defense
He just can’t buy a call… He’s takes a lot of punishment when he attacks, but very few calls. Of course the solution is to attack more, but it will come, I think.
I think the lack of calls has to do with the manner in which he goes to the basket....
He tres to avoid contact rather than initiate it. Weak sauce… For example, DeRozan is arguably as “athletic” as say Derrick Rose. However, their approach to attacking the basket is markedly different. Rose takes it strong and invites contact. DeRozan tries to sidestep the contact. He should be trying to dunk everything.
by MAS11 on Jan 15, 2012 2:06 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
+1
that has, in my opinion, been one of Demar’s biggest weaknesses
by Not so Friendly Stranger on Jan 15, 2012 4:04 PM EST up reply actions
Yes but still
A foul is a foul and refs do not like to call them in favor of non stars in this league
Rose used to twist away from contact
When he changed that he started getting a lot more FT’s.
Rose decides not to go 1-on-2 and I was thinking, "what are you doing?! You've got the numbers!" -Zach Harper, Daily Dime Live
DD and Ed
They are both still very raw but also very young. If we are hoping to improve at least those two players have a chance to be good to great players in the NBA in the next 3 or 4 seasons.
Butler, Magloire, and several other players…not so much.
Davis Is Only Two Years Younger Than Amir
So Ed is “a very young player” what is someone who is just two years older.
Can’t be any thing but “a young player” LOL
Nope
He has more experience than Ed but his still young.
Think in terms of experience and body maturity.
1. He never started regularly until last season. It is one thing to come off the bench and another far more challenging thing to start.
2. He really had never played Center very much before this year, so like Adam pointed out he is learning. Amir probably played Center in high school though I am not sure but that was basically it.
3. Bigs bodies often start to fill out in their early twenties. Some fill out earlier like D12 and some later. His body is just now stating to fill out . I think he can still add another 15 pounds in muscle to around 270 without it damaging his athletic ability. He came into the league at around 190 pounds. You don’t play the same way at 190 pounds vs 270 pounds. LOL
4. He has never been given much of an opportunity on offense in the NBA. He was scoring at 12.5 PPG last season in Jan and Feb before he injured his ankle. I still think if he starts to play the way I believe he can on offense that he can improve his offense.
5. He was never really coached at Detroit. This is a well known fact among Pistons players at the time. Affllalo and Stuckey have said as much.
6. He has never really played for a coach who puts defense first and was willing to invest time in Amir to help him how to improve his defense until Casey came along.
The point is is that even with the 7 years that have passed since he signed his first NBA contract he is still young, his body is still maturing in a good way, he works hard and now has a very good defensive coach. At 24 with his work ethic there is still a lot of room for him to grow his game if he continues to put his mind to it.
I agree with you wholeheartedly, I am just saying that seven years of being in the system takes care of some of the young mistakes or at least he has had opportunity to learn from others direct experience in those seven years...
Much like a 17 year old girl who had a baby at 15, she knows things about life that the next 17 year old girl doesn’t that makes her older than her years…
I would say the same can be said to an arguable degree about Amir… he has had opportunities to acquire knowledge and experience that the others haven’t, partially nullifying his actual age…
"the Truth"
Buddha
While you try to be objective it is my opinion you fall short in this case. Amir is two years older with 5 more years of professional experience.
We all love Amir but it always seems like you are so high on him that you see his play with rose coloured glasses. And you feel threatened by Ed and put him down too frequently.
Just imagine what Detroit was saying about Amir after one season and twenty games? I bet it wasn’t too positive. Come on Buddha, stop picking on Ed. He’s like a typical Bourdeaux wine freshly bottled, it needs more time.
by defensive rap on Jan 15, 2012 6:03 PM EST up reply actions
I Believe He Has Unreleased Talent
I don’t see him with rose color glasses at all.
1. Lousy footwork around the basket
2. Relatively small hands
3. Relatively short arms and wing span
4. Below average handles for a big man
5. Fouls too much
6. Plays defense too much with his hands
7. Too unselfish – Too much a team player and coach’s guy. He will always try and do what the coaches want of him and not try and do anything else. Way to passive here. Got to break out and go on your own a bit especially on offense. He has the talent to do this because I have seen him do it when his coaches have asked him too. For example he made a three the other day and then took another as I recall the game after. He should shoot more threes. He can make them. I am not saying shoot 1 or 2 a game but maybe 30 or so for the season. He won’t do it because he is not expected to . He needs to take some initiative on this. He is way to compliant with what coaches want of him. He can do more.
8. Average basketball IQ
9. Can’t shoot with his left hand
There are probably a few more things that I can come up with if I wanted to.
What I do see is more potential on offense up to 15+ PPG if he were ever to get more aggressive and even a bit selfish on offense. I base this on having watched him play where he was more aggressive on offense and regularly made plays on offense that we have yet to see much if any of.
I still think if he ever decides to get more selfish and can increase his minutes from 28 to 32+ per game then on on offense he could be a 15 – 17 PPG and 8.5 – 9.5 RPG player.
He is already an above average defender despite his foul rate. I think with more experience (despite this being his 7th season he does not have that many career minutes), more coaching and more muscle he could be become a very good interior defender.
An all-star player? I doubt it.
A very solid starter with a better than average all around game, yes.
Forbes backup PG?
I think after last night he should be given more opportunity to play the 1. If Barbosa leaves this year than Forbes might, might, might, be able to back up Jose and Bayless could back up DD.
Grade 2 called ....
and think you should go back to class
“… Nearly six years ago on January 9, 1996”
;)
An old school veteran coach vs young players
It’s possible that young players like Ed and DD struggle to deal with a strict old school coach like Casey. Neither of them look happt out there, their body language kinda sucks sometimes.
You Could Have Brought Up A Very Good Point
Especially Ed who was raised with a “silver spoon in his mouth” in Washington D.C. where there are far too many silver spooners for the good of America, LOL.
Evidence Of Ed "Silver Spooning" It
After he was called up from the D-League last season he uttered and I am paraprhasing.
“I never want to play in the D-League again and have to eat at any more iHOP restaurants”
It's all about energy
There’s only so much energy to be expended. If it’s going into defense, there’s less available for offense. The way the raps spend their energy has shifted and that puts the onus on offense to be efficient. And most of our players require a lot of energy to score.
That considered, I thought they looked great last night. A lot of easy shots were missed at the rim and there was a nice attempt to try to get out on the break as much as possible on a team whose forte is stopping the fast break. I’d like to see that more, even if it means bargs is still trotting past half court when dd is at the rim dunking. Outside of that, this team needs dd also to shoot that three pointer more.
Not sure I agree
Many teams are able to expend effort on D and still be able to function offensively. It really is about talent as I believe for the most part, this team is giving effort on both ends this season.
by MAS11 on Jan 15, 2012 2:10 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Tough storm to weather, but ....
Raptors have some positives – despite things.
- It’s a shorter schedule, which means the draft will be here before we know it
- The back-to-back-to-backs, and then back-to-back are a killer for a young team – no time to practice. No time to gel. No time to actually learn the game – and we know how inexperienced the Raptors are, especially with a new system. All this is exasperated by the schedule make-up …. fly here one night, fly back, fly there the other night … yada yada yada.
- Dallas got off to a slow start (kind of like exhibition), but is now on track. That’s where veteran players have an advantage, albeit … they pay for it at the end of the season. This is what could help the Raptors – I’m guessing their Record will get a lot better as the season progresses (injuries not-withstanding).
- Ed will pick it up. He’s young, and trying to learn a new system. People are too impatient with his progress. Granted, he should be further up the ladder in his play, but as the season progresses, and he learns what’s expected, his playing time should increase. This season will help him learn not only what it takes to play good defense, but what it takes to play good offense – including getting stronger.
- Demar – despite our concerns – is having to go from a faster paced offense, to a methodical style. Suffice to say, he needs to learn when to turn on the jets, and when to stop – and pass. Everyone wants youth (draft … draft … draft), but forget the cost – mentally … on our brains.
- Lastly …. JV, top pick (it seems), lots of cap space, and a Coach changing the culture. That’s our light at the end of the tunnel, despite how hard it is to endure the remodeling. All I know, is that if Andrea can pick it up (and he’s surprising even me), I’m assuming the rest of the gang can.
.
If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
Ed
Depends on what is holding him back and even caused his game to regress this season from his rookie season.
If it his attitude it may not improve until he out of Toronto.
Lets hope for the best
We shall see.
couldn't it be just the usual. ..
sophmore slump?
I Think That Seems To Be More Applicable to Baseball Than Basketball.
Though I do think along the lines that you mentioned that since his game on offense at this time is limited to around the basket that Raptors opponents might be playing him tougher in the low paint and he has as of yet not been able to figure out how to adjust his game to offset this.
I have noticed that Raptors opponents are making it difficult for Amir to get a clan shot off on the P&R. Teams now know that he can score pretty efficiently that way unless they clog the paint against him on defense. NBA defenses especially the good ones will adjust to what a player does best on offense in order to slow the player down on offense.
That is what makes Kobe so from out of this universe. Even after 16 seasons in the league at 33 years old with torn ligaments in his shooting wrist and thousands of minutes under his belt he still finds a way to get it done on offense to the tune of over 30 PPG. No NBA player has ever averaged over 30 PPG at age 33. We will have to wait a few more months to know if Kobe can become the first.
On top of that he is averaging the 32 PPG while shooting .464 from the field and .835 from the free throw line which are almost identical to his career FG% and FT%. The guy is simply frigging amazing and i swear from another universe.
personally....
I think that Kobe sold his soul to the devil. haha
I always thought that Kobe was one of the greats, but not better than MJ.
Now, after how many 40 points per game in a row?
However, Jordan in his later years knew how to win, which meant including the team.
If Jordan's main focus was putting up consecutive 40 pt games instead of winning at all costs...
He could have done it no problem. Kobe is more concerned about his legacy than winning…
actually...
Numbers are pretty interesting on this if you look it up. If anyone is actually interested in it, I can post a thread but it makes for some pretty interesting debate.
Numbers don't tell the whole story
Remember, this is a different league than what Jordan played in. They’ve changed the rules a lot to bring up the scoring (eg: no hand checks now).
I'd say that
Jordan’s play which changed the rules, at the very least, gives him an edge
by Not so Friendly Stranger on Jan 16, 2012 8:23 AM EST up reply actions
I think Kobe is concerned more about winning ...
just that he might have gone back to his old habits of not trusting his team, and tries to carry the team himself.
Jordan was close ....
30.4 PPG at 32, and 29.6 and 33.
And I think MJ had a better team then too (they did win the championship both years, no?)
For Raptors Fans In America
Tomorrow’s game vs the Hawks on MLK day will be televised nationally in America on NBA.TV
Blazers and Nicolas Batum very far apart in contract negotiations
A source close to the negotiations tells CSNNW.com that the Blazers made a "low-ball offer" this morning and that sides are "very far apart" and “no progress was made.”
-————————————————————-
However, the same source has said things have changed and that Batum’s camp will not request another meeting if the Blazers don’t move up from their number by Jan. 23.
...
And what does that have to do with this thread?
Sorry, I don’t come here often, might be missing something.
And how about those Clips last night?
Yep You Missed Something
Adam is pretty cool in allowing O/T stuff to be posted on the current main thread rather than having to create a Fan Post or Fan Shot.
I could have created a Fan Post on this but I just decided to throw it in here.
Batum has been discussed here at Raptors HQ as a possible solution to the Raptors SF problem. So I posted this article since it is slow here and thought it might generate some discussion about whether it would be a good idea for the Raptors to go after him if he becomes FA. There is no guarantee that Barnes or MKG will be available on the Board when the Raptors pick comes up in the June 2012 draft.
Hope that answers your question.
Re Clippers see my Fan Post on ClipsNation titled “My Clippers Moment Today Has A Very Nice ‘Ring’ To It.” We can discuss them over there if you like
Liked what I saw.
I will keep telling everyone that they will be a totally different team come February than now.
The Bulls will become a lot more transparent once everybody in the NBA gekls with the newer teams and systems.
…at least thoise that are not killed by inguries.
But the Bulls are one of the lucky few that stayed together after last year and came out of this stupid lockout/winter 1/2 season with a put together team.
So all thses stats we are being told of now are meaningless…to me, anywho.
Wait for teams to gel…
Wait for THIS team to gel AND be whole!
I actually liked watching last night’s game…very defensive and at times I thought the offense showed what we should, hopefully , see once everybody is healthy and the rotation has some sort of reality for the coach.
Good Points
However, I wouldn’t hold my breath on everyone being healthy at the same time before the season ends.
Updated Jonas Stats 2011-12
Season: Euroleague
Games—-MPG———FG%———FT%——-RPG——BPG—-PPG
—3————18.0——-50.0%——83.3%——6.3———1.3—— 8.0
Lithuanian League
Games—-MPG——FG%———FT%——-RPG——BPG—-PPG
—10———22.9——71.1%—-86.3%——7.9———1.9—— 16.2
VTB United League
Games—-MPG——FG%———FT%——-RPG——BPG—-PPG
--9———-20.9——60.4%——80.0%——6.4———1.1—— -8.7
Eurocup
Games—-MPG——FG%———FT%——-RPG——BPG—-PPG
--6———-20.7——58.8%——78.6%——6.2———1.3—— -8.5
Probably No Jonas In Las Vegas Summer League This Summer
LTU has to qualify to play in the 2012 London men’s basketball Olympic tournament. The qualifying dates are July 2 – July 8. If LTU qualifies which most think they will then they will need to prepare for the actual Olympic competition which will be from July 28 – August 12.
The LVSL is always held in July. While it would be possible for Jonas to play in the 2012 qualifying for LTU then fly to Las Vegas to play for the Raptors in the 2012 LVSL and then fly back to Europe to play in the Olympics that would mean that he would miss all of Team Lithuania’s preparation for the actual games including some of what they call the “Friendly Games”.
Given Jonas immense popularity in Lithuania I just can’t see him taking a three week absence form Team Lithuania at that time to come to America to play some basically meaningless games in the desert heat.
We shall see
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