Tip In: "Redemption" Raptors End Road Trip with 94-73 Victory Over the New Jersey Nets
by Scott Campsall on Jan 30, 2012 8:30 AM EST
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The Toronto Raptors ended their road trip with a blowout victory against the New Jersey Nets without Leandro Barbosa and Andrea Bargnani. How did they do it? the HQ has your answer...
On January 6th the New Jersey Nets handed the Toronto Raptors a deflating blowout loss that ended a somewhat promising start to the Raptors’ season and sent them into a tailspin that saw the team lose 10 of their next 11 games.
On Sunday evening the Raptors got a measure of revenge, beating the Nets 94-73 in New Jersey. The win marked the end of their 5 game road swing, a stretch in which the Raptors won 3 of their 5 games; this was the first time the Raptors have come out of road trip of 5 games or more with a winning record since 2001.
With both Andrea Bargnani and Leandro Barbosa out for this contest Dwayne Casey and his coaching staff knew they were going to have to get creative with their rotations—and they certainly were.
Casey elected to go small, starting Jerryd Bayless alongside Calderon in the backcourt with DeRozan sliding down to the 3 spot, James Johnson manning the 4 and Amir Johnson returning to the starting lineup at the Center position. In terms of matchups, the lineup made sense as it allowed a better defender in Bayless to guard New Jersey’s best offense weapon in Deron Williams while the Raptors could hide Calderon’s weaker defensive abilities by putting him on Anthony Morrow whose game is less reliant on him having the ball in his hands.
Casey’s decision to go small was effective early and often against the Nets. The Raptors jumped out to an early lead, looking much better on the offensive end of the floor thanks to an increase in ball movement as well as movement without the ball. After one quarter the game was tied at 24, a promising sign for a team that has had its share of struggles in opening quarters this season.
In the second quarter the Raptors began to separate themselves from the Nets, getting a big effort from Linas Klieza. Klieza bounced back from a poor game in Denver to score 15 points and grab 3 rebounds in this contest.
It wasn’t until the third quarter that the Raptors began to run away with this one. The Raptors’ third quarter push was due in large part to DeMar DeRozan who exploded to score 11 of his 27 points in that third frame. DeRozan put on a masterful performance for the remainder of the game, showing a mix of jumpers and drives to the bucket. Derozan attempted career high 16 free throws, no doubt a welcomed sign for a guy that seemed like he had lost confidence in his game in recent weeks.
DeRozan’s 27 point performance was capped off by an incredible dunk over Nets center Johan Petro in the 4th quarter. He finished an efficient 8-12 from the floor and 11-16 from the foul line.
The Raps would cruise the rest of the way to a very comfortable 21 point victory.
DeRozan was certainly the man of the hour; however Jerryd Bayless also had himself an extremely productive game.
Bayless finished with 17 points on 7-15 shooting with 6 assists, 6 rebounds and just a single turnover, largely playing off the ball—a role in which he is much more comfortable. Just as important as his offensive contributions were Bayless’ contributions on the defensive end of the floor. Bayless harassed Deron Williams all night long, and was one of the main reasons why Williams shot just 8 of 20 from the floor.
The complete game that Bayless put together has to be one of his best—if not the best—performance of brief career in a Raptors uniform. He is a guy who has shown flashes of this play in his career, but has yet to be able to sustain this level of play for a significant period of time. Perhaps if Bayless is allowed more looks as the secondary guard off the ball we may finally see some consistency out him in his fourth NBA season.
Aside from Kleiza, who saw some time at power forward, Ed Davis and Amir Johnson saw the majority of the minutes in the front court. Amir grabbed 4 rebounds and had 6 points in his 19 minutes and set the tone defensively at the center spot. Davis saw the most minutes of any front court player with 26 and was productive, finishing with 6 points and 9 rebounds.
The ex factor of sorts for the Raptors in this game was there energy level. The Dinos recognized their opponent was one they could beat and they went out and played like they wanted it from start to finish. The activity level on the defensive end was great, closing out on shootings and stuffing the lane on penetration. The Raptors held the Nets to 36% shooting from the floor and halted their usually potent three point attack which mustered only 7 makes on 22 attempts.
The Dinos will hope to get repeat performances out of Bayless and DeRozan on Monday night when they take on the Atlanta Hawks to finish out their January schedule.
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Creative coaching
This might take a while to get used to.
Seriously – when was the last time the Raps had a coach who did stuff like this? I love it…but it’s still a shock to the system.
Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com
by Adam Francis on Jan 30, 2012 12:57 PM EST up reply actions
a few things come out of this game for me
1) the Raps opponents matter. We see again Toronto beating a bad team. The Raps have beat 1 +.500 team this year, and thats the Utah Jazz without Al Jefferson (who I fully expect to be sub 500 in a few weeks, although they have proved me wrong so far)
2) pushing the ball mattered. Namely because the Raps don’t have the talent necessary for a half court game. Yes it fits Bargnani very well, but the majority of the team is best suited to running.
3) these wins matter. The Raps are currently tied for 6th worst record in the NBA (with GS and NJ). Yes there is a (short) long season to go so this is a bit premature, and winning does, theoretically, have a positive effect on the team. But if the Raps keep going at the rate they have been (beating bad teams losing to good ones) they may easily end up in no mans land. Barring some miracle turn around where Demar suddenly fits in a half court game, Bayless is the first undersized SG to not drag team down and Magloire drinks from the fountain of youth, the Raps NEED that high pick this year. Otherwise we are talking about the first step towards a rebuild 3-4 years from now
by Not so Friendly Stranger on Jan 30, 2012 9:03 AM EST reply actions
A few other things to consider
3) The wins matter because they translate to “buy-in”. If a coach preaches a certain philosophy and principles and the team never wins it makes for a less than ideal environment from which to build a contending team. The draft pick, however high it ends up being would be better served by coming to environment with a solid foundation of habits. If the team wins some games by playing the right way, it would suggest that some of the pieces needed for success are already here, the team will thus require less turnover in the offseason, allowing for continuity that should translate to a better record next year. Don’t get me wrong, the idea of the likes of Kidd Gilchrist being drafted by this team intrigues me, and I already have the best nickname in the world worked out for him (Baby G-sus) but the team will still be a lottery team this year, so whatever piece they get in a deep draft should be useful.
2) Bargnani has shown an ability to contribute to a running team so I think he would work either way, but being able to play BOTH half-court and full-court will be necessary for any team construct that aims to win the playoff style basketball. I really do think that the defensive habits becoming second nature will allow for a more varied offense in the future.
1) You could easily attribute a few Raptors losses to timing as much as the wins. For instance New Jersey’s win earlier in the season when Williams and Humphries rejoined the team after injuries and were the freshest legs on the court and the difference makers.
Happiness is that which gets lost in the details of its pursuit.
by HQ Interloper on Jan 30, 2012 9:57 AM EST up reply actions
“it would suggest that some of the pieces needed for success are already here, the team will thus require less turnover in the offseason,”
and this is where a fundamental disagreement exists. The team will require alot of turnover over the next few seasons because the peices for success (real success… ie. not just making the playoffs, but being a contender) are not here. Seeing how the Raps aren’t going attract any significant FAs any time soon, the draft is necessary.
One of the worst things that happened to the Raps in 06/07 was making the playoffs. Yes the Garbo/TJ injuries hurt the next year, yes the east was wretched which helped the Raps record… but in the long run the lack of superstar talent, and talent in general, got exposed. It became evident when the playoffs came around. It became evident once the Raps had to deal with injuries the following year. It became evident as teams in the east improved.
And I’m finding this year to be amazingly similar to the 06/07 (not record wise ofcourse). This team is building around Bargnani (and yes they are building around him), which I find quite comparable to building around Bosh. While the east is very good this year at the top, its terrible at the bottom (4 of the 5 best teams in the league are in the east, 4 of the 5 worst are in the east as well… 6 500+ teams in the east vs 10 in the west). The team has suprised with their play (not to the same level as 06/07 but still a jump from last season). While the playoffs may not necessarily be in the cards, a pick outside the top 10 is quite possible.
Right now if things stay similar the team’s future rests on Jonas (who has yet to play a game in the NBA but atleast thats a potential positive), BC making impactful trades (I’ll believe when I see it), and a big FA signing (which isn’t happening). I’d much rather see this team draft, and draft high, in whats considered one of the best draft years in a decade.
I know fans are excited about the change in this team see the ‘potential’ in what could be. The effort and defense is a refreshing change from the last 3 years. But not getting a high pick in the draft over the next couple years is the first step in repeating an old process. Don’t forget the Raps under Sam Mitchell held players accountable, started a (short term) ‘winning’ culture, played reasonble (although unspectacular) defense… yet the lack of talent superceded all that in the long run.
There’s nothing I want more than this team to compete each night, close losses and a random spattering of wins mixed in there. Realistically I’m not sure thats going to happen. Yes the season is young and there is alot that can happen along the way but I’m really hoping BC has his finger on the trade button to move ANYONE/everyone on this team for draft picks.
by Not so Friendly Stranger on Jan 30, 2012 11:26 AM EST up reply actions
best case scenario
The best case scenario would be for the Raptors to get all their wins against middle-tier and better opponents. The more losses against the Wizards and Nets the better (in order to inflate their records and improve Toronto’s draft position). I’d prefer to see the Raptors beating decent teams like the Pacers and Celtics.
by DW19 on Jan 30, 2012 12:40 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
And I want Andrea's unicorn now that he has put it to pasture...
But that isn’t happening any time soon either…
"the Truth"
The Team Has Shown Itself To Be Pretty Good
with Bargnani playing and the rest of the roster intact.
Bayless return is definitely making a difference.
Kleiza, DeRozan and J. Johnson still too inconsistent on offense
Yep beat Jazz in Utah without Jefferson
Clippers beat Nuggets last night in Denver without Ty Lawson
In the NBA you take your road wins any way you can, no questions asked.
There are up to 15 players on a roster for a reason. In a perfect world we could take the best five from each team and play them 48 mpg. However, the world ain’t perfect, sheet happens and excuses are for cry babies.
Looking forward to the seven game home stand in February.
Don't Let It Go To Your Head
you are treading in dangerous waters LOL
Who says Derozen can't play in a half court game?
Of course he can, he just doesn’t get the touches when Bargnani is on the floor. Second options are bound to find it more difficult. Bargnani is always in the screen and roll. The Raps should be running Derozen off screens like Boston does for Ray Allen.
+1
The Raps should be running Derozen off screens like Boston does for Ray Allen.
except
Derozan doesn’t shoot anything near Ray Allen, and the Raps pushed the ball last night instead of trying to get caught up in a half court game (until near the end of the 4th)
by Not so Friendly Stranger on Jan 30, 2012 11:27 AM EST up reply actions
DeRozan actually does shoot quite well when his shot isn't rushed...
His form is good and the results are decent, when he doesn’t rush…
As soon as he has to speed up his release at all, his technique and results go to shyte…
Now if I can see that as a casual fan (okay a little more than CASUAL) I am sure coaches and scouts can pick up on that a mile away…
Just gotta keep working until it’s automatic no matter what the situation…
I have lowered my expectations of All Stardom from DeMar, but he is showing it’s in him to be a feasible starter…long term…
"the Truth"
I Agree Sort Of - LOL
You make a good point that when you can run you should run. However long term if you are thinking playoffs and why not, then being able to execute well in a half court game along with very good team defense become paramount to winning
I completely agree.
But I don’t think Derozan is suited to the half court schemes. He lacks the ball handling, passing and shooting skills (not to mention D in general) to work well in a half court game.
by Not so Friendly Stranger on Jan 30, 2012 1:48 PM EST up reply actions
There are a lot of half court schemes where a slasher and spot up shooter can flourish...
Either hitting open 15-20 foot jumpers or diving to the basket perfectly suits DeMar and there are plenty of sets that can play to that…
"the Truth"
I also think he is woefully inconsistent right now and although against NJ he looked good it was still NJ. Let him do it regularly against premium teams and we have something we can talk about.
This team, these guys, this system needs practices...
Obviously the pre-season practices were 90% defence…
There haven’t been many chances to formulate an offensive identity yet…
It’s in the plans for the future, and I have faith it will come around, but for now the guys have a few basic plays and that’s it…
Other than broken play improvisation what you see is what you get, for now…
That means that if the current three plays aren’t set up well for your skillset, you’re going to suffer until there is significant time to work up new schemes…
It’s a fact of lacking practice in a new system, that’s it in a nutshell…
"the Truth"
ISTM That The Stuck In The Middle Doesn't Apply To This Raptors Roster
1. Lets say that the Raptors get a 8th – 10th pick. and select someone who becomes a solid NBA player.
2. The Raptors current rotation roster is still pretty young. So overall the players should individually continue to show improvement.
3. They have Jonas coming next season who could turn out to be one of the top picks from last season’s draft.
4. BC will have enough cap space to go out and get someone pretty good.
5. The group as unit should continue to improve as they continue to get more minutes together.
So ISTM that the stuck in the middle meme doesn’t apply to this Raptors roster.
-1
Couple of problems with your theory:
- We’ve already seen signs that the young players on this team aren’t going to be game changing all-star talent. This may change but there are concerns.
- Jonas is still relatively an unknown quantity. Not doubting his talent, but he has yet to play an NBA game so still a bit of an unknown quantity.
- When is the last time the Raps went out and nabbed “someone pretty good” through free agency? I’m pretty sure its never. That’s why the draft is so important for this team. They will have to get good before they can attract good players.
hold up here Mas
“When is the last time the Raps went out and nabbed "someone pretty good" through free agency?”
well theres Hedo… ummm, Hakeem? ahh, Kapono errr, Butler hmmmm, Kleiza arghh….
does resigning your own restricted free agents count?
by Not so Friendly Stranger on Jan 30, 2012 1:50 PM EST up reply actions
"does resigning your own restricted free agents count?"
Even if it did, does that improve the picture?
Sure they resigned Vince, but he left shortly there after and Bargnani was more than resign considering his play up to that point.
+1 With a few ifs
- If this draft is as deep as everyone says it is, then there will be better talent available at 8-10 this year that there was at 4-7 last year or previous years. The draft is always a crap shoot too, and there will definitely be some good value mid-lotto
-If Big Jonas is as good as he seems. All my warning lights are on; he is young and will need time to develop, will he need to learn the North American game, and culture even (Which I think set Bargs back). But at the end of the day, I think this kid will be as advertised. He is doing things in Europe that no other player his age has done. I am willing to bet the farm this kid is special.
-If Bizarro Bargnani that we are seeing now, is what Andrea has actually morphed into – that is a game changer. His level of play this year has been incredible, he has willed this team to wins, Been efficient on offence and useful on D. Just because I have seen old Andrea forever, it seem s hard not to fear disappointment. But the changes in Andrea seem to be in his demeaner, not just a little tweak in his game. I am hoping this is a switch that goes on and stays on, but wouldn’t guarentee it 100% – maybe 65% until I see more.
If those three things happen, the Raps will be in a position to take a massive leap in the next year or two. Sure, we may not get the top FA, but we can afford to get someone pretty damned good that will take our money. I think BC has made a few good moves lately (how good is that James Johnson pick up looking now?) and will pull the trigger if anything obvious comes available for Leandro, Jose or almost anyone else really – so long as we get good value for the future in return. Finally, Dwayne Casey is proving to be an excellent coach. He has a system in place that his players are buying into. With a system, it means the pieces that BC needs to acquire can be more clearly identified.
I know that there are many that are thinking top 3 or bust, but I do think that this isn’t the worst thing in the world to happen for this team, with a few ifs…
Walker McKenna
by Robert Archibald on Jan 30, 2012 2:57 PM EST up reply actions
While on the surface you might have some solid points there are still a lot of problems with this team ever being a championship caliber team with the players on board.
We will skip over the Barney question because we have all beaten the point to death.
Unless Jonas is Shaq or Howard good I do not think he is going to be enough to add a mid lottery pick to and suddenly become a contender. I really think he has 14/10 potentially with solid d but being a 25/10 guy seems like a stretch. The Raptors don’t need a “pretty good player”they need a franchise player and you are not going to get one in the 8-14 range unless a lot of teams blow this draft.
A lot of pressure
Basically your argument is that the Raps have to draft a franchise talent in 2012, otherwise we toil in the world of eternal mediocrity. A poor (or even average) pick in 2012, will doom us to improving only enough to lower our draft position.
I do not disagree with this line of thinking (currently often referred to as the OKC model). I do think it is important that this does not guarantee anything. Portland has been drafting well for years, and though they have a nice little team, they aren’t favourites to win a championship. Many teams fail despite having high draft picks year after year; LAC, GS, Min, etc. There is obviously nothing wrong in acquiring talent through the draft, but I think you are putting too much weight on one pick.
Most fans are hoping we can pick high enough to draft Barnes or GKidd. Our surprising depth at the bigs probably means that if we are lucky enough to draft 1 -3, we might be able to trade down and still grab that needed wing. I would totally be happy with either SF. But going back to my last point, and the flaw with putting too much weight in this draft alone, is that neither Barnes nor Gilchrest are the franchise playerrs you are talking about. Maybe someone that really loves these guys might argue, but they aren’t clear cut superstars like LeBron, Durant, Rose, etc. So even if we do pick first this draft, I think we are still following the same course as we would drafting 8th. Maybe we throw our pick and a Bayless and move up to get the SF we desire. Regardless, playing well now, showing toughness that has lacked for years, playing a defensive system with clear roles and changing the culture within the team can and should be happening now. If that means we draft a few spots lower, so be it.
Walker McKenna
by Robert Archibald on Jan 31, 2012 1:57 PM EST up reply actions
RFA and UFA's this summer
Looks to be some interesting ones who didnt get re upped the last week. Whether the teams felt there market value would fall in the summer. Not to sure of how the new cba comes into effect. Is that the team that owns the rights can re sign at a higher figure? I am curious of how Nicolas Batum would look on this team. Though if people feel Demar could be our future SF that could change who we draft as well.
by VancouverIslandRapsFan on Jan 30, 2012 12:11 PM EST reply actions
If players re-signed they could get 5-year deals, if not they could only get max 4 year deals...
I know that much…
"the Truth"
Seems like a big risk to let players like Gordon and Batum hit the market unless they are planning on matching even at the max.
by VancouverIslandRapsFan on Jan 30, 2012 12:24 PM EST up reply actions
Gordon is the top of my list for FA's...
But they have the opportunity to match any deal he gets offered…
And the Pacers are likely to give him a max deal offer (they are his home town team)…
So it looks fairly bleak that he would come our way…
"the Truth"
In all likelihood...
The Hornets saved themselves one year on a contract but at a higher rate than if they had given him the offer he wanted before the deadline…
He will still be a hornet, for max $16 mil per, for 4 years rather than $15 mil for 5 years… Something like that…
When his injury history is of partial concern I can see them prefering one less year of guaranteed pay…
"the Truth"
They get bigger raises as well. And now utilizing the sign and trade does not allow the new team to offer the same contract like it used to – the only way to get the large raises and longer contract is to actually stay with the team now.
by dhackett1565 on Jan 30, 2012 1:33 PM EST up reply actions
Some Good and Some Bad
Good
1. Longer contracts protect some what more against the loss of career damaging or ending injury
2. They also tend to improve the income levels of players who are late in or just past their prime.
3. They are good for marginal players who can one because he guarantees them NBA player income for a longer period.
4. For Max contract players
Bad
1. Disadvantageous to a younger player who will be just short of or just ending his Prime when the longer contract expires. The income in that last year of a longer contract could turn out to be significantly lower than in the first year of a new contract.
2. Unless there is an opt-out clause in the last year of the contract a longer contract puts off one more season any team change that a player may want to make.
3. A player could get seriously injured in what would be the last year of a longer contract vs the first year of new contract. This would cause serious revenue loss to player.
Bottom line is that longer contracts are not necessarily better for a non-Max type player.
Still allowed but restricted...
The new team can’t offer the 5 yr deal the current one can, in a sign and trade scenario…
"the Truth"
The grandfathering of the S+T is that tax teams are allowed to use it for the first couple years. After the first two years, any team signing a player through a sign and trade cannot exceed the tax level by more than 4 million dollars at any point that year.
by dhackett1565 on Jan 30, 2012 2:44 PM EST up reply actions
You sir are a vital part of my RaptorsHQ experience...
They should put you on the payroll…
"the Truth"
Is Gordon worth a max deal? Is an undersized 2 gaurd worth max money?
by VancouverIslandRapsFan on Jan 30, 2012 12:31 PM EST reply actions
His numbers suggest All Star status...
On a team needing a rebuild you can’t let an All Star walk away…
His performance is boosted by his reputation as it were in this case, inflating his value beyond what it maybe truly is…
Maybe the Hornets are banking on him being offered less than max by the Pacers where he wouldn’t be as much of a stand-out…
"the Truth"
To the Lakers? No.
To the Hornets? Probably.
To the Pacers? Maybe, but not necessarily.
To the Raptors? Yes. (Best we could hope for likely)
"the Truth"
If DeMar, at his size, had CLOSE to Gordon's skills... he would be All Star bound annually...
"the Truth"
I see Batum as a more natural fit for us. Not a max money player, at least not the blazers I would think or even on the open market. He has good size, athletic, spreads the floors, would fit in well. Was one of the top players in Europe during the lockout.
by VancouverIslandRapsFan on Jan 30, 2012 12:40 PM EST up reply actions
Batum will NEVER be a Raptor, as has been previously recently discussed...
Search my comment history for “heart condition” or “draft status” and you should find the discussion…
"the Truth"
Never say Never
Don’t have time to search this am. But I will take your word.
by VancouverIslandRapsFan on Jan 30, 2012 12:44 PM EST up reply actions
In a nutshell, Raptors hurt his draft status and therefore his paycheque...
He loathes the franchise…
"the Truth"
Maybe for close to Max money he can be befriended by the great Colangelo.
by VancouverIslandRapsFan on Jan 30, 2012 12:47 PM EST up reply actions
Maybe he'll offer him candy in the men's room?
For some reason your comment makes me feel icky…
"the Truth"
Had this discussion on Twitter but agree that he’s unlikely to come given his recent comments. But that being said, money talks and…
Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com
by Adam Francis on Jan 30, 2012 1:50 PM EST up reply actions
If he had a heart condition ...
he had a heart condition.
Obviously nothing has shown up now, but if the Rap’s picked up on it then, another team would of most likely too.
The point was the Raps said he had a heart condition...
Which no-one else was ever able to find, then or since…
But the announcement of it then drastically affected his draft status and therefore earnings…
Because of their apparently faulty test result…
Likely cost him millions of dollars…
"the Truth"
any stat aside
Gordon’s injury history to date immediately says a max money deal is a bad idea:
78, 62, 58 and 2 (to date) games.
by Not so Friendly Stranger on Jan 30, 2012 12:39 PM EST up reply actions
But, are they genetic injuries or situational injuries?
You can’t knock a guy if he gets undercut and tears an ACL as “injury prone”…
I don’t know his history at all, except that his current injury is a deep bone bruise to the knee, which was from an individual circumstance, having no precedence for recurring…
"the Truth"
does injury prone
mean one specific reoccuring injury or a number of different injuries? I don’t know, you can make that call, but when a guy consistently misses a ton of games year after year, that to me is injury prone.
by Not so Friendly Stranger on Jan 30, 2012 1:59 PM EST up reply actions
He's also been a newbie, busting his butt to make an impression...
So the devil-may-care attitude will probably tone down, lessening his injuries once he gets job security…
That being said, his skills aren’t likely to diminish, his game will mature, and I think he will be worth his paycheque as well as being a lesser risk…
"the Truth"
Also He Has Played in Less Than 75% Of His Team's Games Since He Has Been In The League
I got hell over at Clips Nation when I pointed that out during a discussion of how much EJ should command dollar wise as a FA
You probably know...
What is his injury history?
Freak accident stuff or is there some genetic stuff going on as well?
"the Truth"
Don't Know About Any DNA Stuff
I do know that he is a “big time air crasher” He likes to attack the rim on dribble drives while elevated. He also believes he can get to the rim and score no matter what the defense is which leads him to create numerous high flying collisions. These collisions have been the direct cause of a number of past injuries.
Don’t really know anything about his current injury, what it is or how it occurred.
There is what some would call a NBA myth that players who play closer to the court; i.e. not above the rim as it were, tend to be more injury free than the high fliers. Don’t know it is true or not.
Interesting post on SI.com recently that fits into this discussion:
http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2012/01/27/andrew-bogut-injury-prone-or-unlucky/
Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com
by Adam Francis on Jan 30, 2012 1:51 PM EST up reply actions
Notice The Article Says "Bogut Jumped And Came Down So & So's Ankle
Compare that to a player like Bill Laimbeer who could not jump and managed to play hundreds of consecutive games before a one game suspension. Laimbeer would never have incurred this injury because he couldn’t jump high enough to come down on someone’s ankle. LOL
Andre Miller is another player who can’t jump and has never missed more than two games in any one season during his entire NBA career
The point is that here is a another example of an injury occurring because the player elevated off the floor. Not that Bogut was playing above the rim. LOL
KLEIZA, not Klieza
How hrad is it?
I know that, that doesn't matter, I know you Mr. Rainey, that's what matters. You stole my story.
by TaBu on Jan 30, 2012 1:23 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Bayless finished with 17 points on 7-15 shooting with 6 assists, 6 rebounds and just a single turnover
Is 6 the new 3?
Well...
17 pts 6 rbs 3 assists are actually very decent numbers for a SG, especially considering the minutes…
Maybe he’s finding his niche…
"the Truth"
well yeah
but just pointing out the error
by wallywagon11 on Jan 30, 2012 2:06 PM EST up reply actions
Oh totally, you just made me take notice of his numbers...
I was really only looking at DeMar’s game and not seeing that Bayless had a heck of a good one himself…
Especially considering his badgering of DWill…
"the Truth"
Anyone For Wilson Chandler?
The Raptors are shopping. They’d like to pick up another draft pick or two, but the real need is at Small Forward. Sources close to the process say the Raptors plan to make life hard on the Denver Nuggets with regards to restricted Wilson Chandler. Wilson is waiting for his clearance from China after dominating in the CBA. HoopsWorld
Sources say that Jose Calderon and Leandro Barbosa could be moved to land a traded player exception or smaller assets to swap with Denver in a sign and trade.
The Nuggets say they will re-sign Wilson, but with the dollars committed to Nene, Arron Afflalo and now Danilo Gallinari – Toronto may put a number on the table via a sign and trade offer that makes re-signing Chandler in Denver tough.
Denver holds the power as Wilson is a restricted free agent, but Toronto has eyes for Wilson and seems willing to pony up the dollars. They’d still need a deal, but once one team puts a crazy number on the table that’s how prices get set.
A starting small forward still sits at the top of the Raptor’s wish list, and it seems Calderon and LB are the chips they will cash to get one, so keep that in mind as other names start to shake loose.
It seems to me that Kleiza (as of late, small sample size granted) offers very similar production...
While he may have a few deficiencies (ball handling) the price increase to get Chandler may be tough to swallow, especially when you consider the elevated play of James Johnson and the richness of SF’s in the upcoming draft…
I would say leave the FA moves to either a SG or PG and go from there…
"the Truth"
I’m all for Wilson Chandler – but don’t overpay the guy. Recognize that Kidd-Gilchrist could be starting at SF next season and Chandler would merely serve as a backup.
by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Jan 30, 2012 4:19 PM EST up reply actions
Question about MKG
if everyone’s so hot on him as a prospect, not just us at RHQ, why isn’t his stock going up…He seems stuck at 7-8 still.
Draft Express, one of the more widely respected draft sites has him at 3rd, recently overtaking Barnes:http://www.draftexpress.com/
Oh, word.
Hadn’t checked DX in a couple of days. Yea anyway, MKG just seems to be the type of guy whose stock is going to shoot up during the tourney and/or workouts. I really don’t think the Raptors end up getting him unless they have a top 5 pick.
I like wilson chandler
I think hes a solid player but I think the small forwards in the upcoming draft are the way to go. I really like Perry Jones III he looks like he can be a franchise player. Harrison barnes and kidd glichrist would be good too. I would use calderon and barbosa and try and add draft picks. A young and raw player like kabongo might be available later on in the first round just like jrue holiday and ty lawson were a couple years ago. Someone like the lakers might be interested in calderon and they have 2 first round picks this year.
Cute
Everyone’s so civilized and on the same page today. The Raptors should try this winning thing more often ;)
Always liked Chandler but I wouldn't over pay for him tho.
No doubt he’s got game and will look good in a Raptor Uniform so I’d be happy to see that sign and trade go through.
he's a role player tho and not always a good one so to pay him big money would be
a bad move in my book
missed the game
my son is starting his own game development company and I spent the last 2 days helping him move oout of his old apt and into a house with a bunch of these game developers…
BUY…BOY did I enjoy the self rightiousness ego DW get his loss!
After what he pulled on one of my fav coaches (and ex players) over in Utah…he really needs to spend some time in
purgatory.
The small lineup was a nice trick
No too sure it’s going to work as well next time after the scouting report is out.
Great game, fun to watch Bayless and Calderon together, esp. that alley-oop
Jose To Lakers?
Don’t be surprised if the Lakers surface in connection to Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Calderon. It’s widely known that the Raptors would like to trade Calderon, and they very nearly did before Charlotte backed out of a deal at the last minute at last year’s trade deadline. Now they’re very specifically looking for a starting small forward or a deal that gets them closer to one, and the Lakers could prove to be the team that helps the Raptors in that regard. HoopsWorld
NBA@2: Lakers Interested In Jose Calderon?
By Bill Ingram
Senior NBA Editor
Follow @Bill IngramBill Ingram
The Los Angeles Lakers are foundering, sitting in a tie for the seventh seed in the Western Conference after beating the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. On Saturday, HOOPSWORLD’s Alex Kennedy broke the story that the Lakers have had multiple discussions with Gilbert Arenas, who is still trying to get his knee right before making a decision, but don’t be surprised if the Lakers surface in connection to Toronto Raptors point guard Jose Calderon.
more on link above
The only problem is that the Lakers do not have much the Raptors would want in return. The picks are going to be late 1st rounders and even in a deep draft I don’t know if I trust BC to use them correctly. No matter what though, I think Jose’s salary will demand a player come back in the deal so I am not sure they can even talk much unless another team or two get involved.
Devin Harris is currently having trouble nailing journeyman Earl Watson to the bench in Utah. I know he is injury prone, but Devin Harris has some talent…
What about Calderon, Barbosa, and DeRozan for Harris and the Nets pick (which Utah owns), and the the Mehmet Okur trade exception? It would need to be split into 2 separate deals since the TPE can not be packaged.
Talkinf fantasy bball on twitter http://twitter.com/FinalsFantasy#
by JumpShootersRUS on Jan 30, 2012 11:51 PM EST reply actions
Unless that Nets pick is top 5, Utah is winning here hands down
And here we go againn giving away a young 6’7 wing prospect for a trade exception and washed up Devin Harris. I don’t get y we would ship out young prospects that we’ve worked hard to develop for essentially nothing. If the pick is a top 5 pick then maybe but keep in mind you’re leaving the Raps without a starting SG and a bench shooting guard in this trade. So we end up with no SGs on the team.
M29,
All of those points are valid…Too late at night for me to be thinking straight. Report writing will make anyone crazy. Well maybe not anyone, but me for sure.
Talkinf fantasy bball on twitter http://twitter.com/FinalsFantasy#
by JumpShootersRUS on Jan 31, 2012 7:24 AM EST up reply actions
Well
So we end up with no SGs on the team.
You say this like it’s a bad thing.
The goal of this season is to acquire young players or prospects for the future. If this trade means that the Raptors have to dip into the D League to get a stop-gap SG for the rest of the year, I have no problem with that. If the Raptors are able to acquire a good draft pick and if their record sucks as well, that’s more ping pong balls.
I think it’s increasingly clear to many of us that DD will be a useful player but hardly a star and as a role player he’s certainly replaceable.
Texas
Brown from Texas is playing so well, I wonder if we had a second round pick if he was worth a flyer. Doesn’t show up on the draft board but carries his team more than Kabongo does. Averages almost 20 pts per and he’s under the radar. Maybe he’s worth a second round pick.
His game is very Mike James-esque.
Without any remote ability to play the point. So…I guess you can do the math.
NBA skills
If Kabongo is there, we take him, I am not comparing the two. But by the mid second round, Brown might still be there…
Do you think Kabongo is ready for the NBA?
When I watch him, his game seems a little immature and his body is definately not ready for the NBA game. At the begining of the season I was all for Kabongo but after watching Texas since Novemebr I think he needs another yr at least to learn how to be a floor general. He has all the skills for the PG position but I don’t think he has enough experience yet to use them the right way.
Some mock drafts have him as low as second round right now. A better body and another yr of college ball will do wonders for his draft stock.
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