3 in the Key - Raptors' Game-Day Preview vs Timberwolves
by Sasha Kalra on Jan 9, 2012 8:30 AM EST
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Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams have been added to an already-dangerous squad of up and coming players. Kevin Love in particular seems to be benefitting from a great on-court relationship with Rubio, much akin to the chemistry we are currently seeing develop between Jose Calderon and Amir Johnson.
Rubio seems to have settled into the NBA style and is already rounding into form. Derrick Williams remains a work-in-progress but his offensive game and his rebounding are there for all to see. The jury is still out there as to whether he is a true small forward or a power forward, but its pretty clear that he is a very good basketball player. Rick Adelman has already gone on the record saying that when Williams learns how to play and more importantly defend at the 4, he is going to run with a frontcourt of Beasley, Williams and Love.
The T-Wolves might sport a fairly non-glamourous record of 3 and 5, and are coming off a game last night (a win over the hapless Wizards), but they should not be underestimated.
Here are 3 things the Dinos should keep in mind while trying to get a much-needed win tonight:
1) Rebound the ball: Minnesota come into this game 1st in the league in rebounds per game and it all starts with Kevin Love. The 1-time all star and reigning Most Improved Player has had 8 straight games with at least 20 points and 12 rebounds. In order to keep possessions alive and prevent easy second chance points, the Raptors need to hit the glass and make sure they grab any rebounds that come their way. Andrea Bargnani was great on the glass last time out and Amir Johnson needs to remain active.
2) Target the Rookies: Ricky Rubio and Derrick Williams are two terrific talents but they are relatively new to this whole NBA thing. Rubio and Calderon know each other well from their days as teammates (and positional rivals) for the Spanish National Team. Calderon should have some idea about what his tendencies are and how he can exploit potential weaknesses in his game and I fully expect him to come into this match looking to make a statement against his compatriot.
3) Get to the Line: The Raptors only made it to the free throw line 12 times against the Sixers and are near the bottom of the league in the free throw categories. Bargnani has shown an improvement in his attacking of the basket this year but the rest of the team needs to step up and help get easy scores. This team is probably the most offensively-limited Raptors’ club we’ve seen in a while and if they plan on hanging around in games (or scoring more than 62 points) they need to generate easy offence.
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This Ain't The 60s
Time for the Raptors to inflict some pain on Love and gang.
By pain I mean beat them them soundly.
Just look at what the draft can do for a club..,
sigh
Formerly known as timboslice85
by Rebrand_the_Raps on Jan 9, 2012 9:12 AM EST reply actions
Fun game
I am looking forward to this one. Even if the Raptors lay another egg at least it will be a chance to see Rubio, Love and Williams play.
Minnesota finally has an interesting ball club. Now they just have to figure out how to put the pieces together and get some experience. I think the Wolves may top out as a good squad that is not really a title threat (like the Hawks, for example) but who knows.
Bargnani Has Had A Day Without A Plane Trip
I am looking for a big game from him tonight and a solid Raptors win. I will be watching this one.
Waaaaaaay too early to say something like that.
The Wolves in 3 years are going to look vastly different than the Wolves you see today. Much more so than most other NBA teams.
by LanceArmstrong_LIVESTRONG on Jan 9, 2012 9:50 AM EST up reply actions
That's a valid opinion
Yeah, I am saying that based on the current roster (and it is just my opinion, not based on any deep analysis). Another comparable team for me would be the Nash-Amare Suns. The current T-Wolves have great scorers and rebounders, but I don’t see them having the defensive difference makers that you need to be a title contender.
Anyway, I am looking forward to watching the T-Wolves in the coming years to see if I am way off base or not.
What's the word on Jerryd Bayless?
I was a big fan of the Trailblazers a few years back and I couldn’t wait until he played up to his potential. How do Toronto fans view him in 2012?
When he was in Portland he was a phenomenal athlete who unfortunately couldn’t shake being a score first PG, turnover machine, and couldn’t get his shot to fall like he did in college.
by LanceArmstrong_LIVESTRONG on Jan 9, 2012 9:59 AM EST reply actions
He competes hard, plays good defense and the team’s second unit has sucked while he has been out. On the minus side, he still is not a great playmaker and tends to look for his own shot too much.
It would be great to see Bayless, James Johnson and Ed Davis develop some chemistry on the second unit. So far that hasn’t happened yet.
Say What?
Bayless is the leader of the second unit. He is walking around in an air cast and you are wondering why the second unit hasn’t developed any chemistry. SMH
I agree that Bayless should be the leader of the second unit and that his injury is obviously preventing that from happening right now. In the first few games, he looked ok, but not great leading the bench guys. When he recovers I hope to see him develop more chemistry with those guys. In the pre-injury games I didn’t see it.
He Has A Good Chemistry With Ed
Ed seems to missing Bayless on the offensive side of the ball.
Bayless has been terrible so far this year. Outside of putting points on the board, he hasn’t done much else, and the more I see him, the more I’m pretty certain he’ll never be a 1 in this league.
And it’s too bad because he’s a great guy, and a tough competitor and yes, the team, and second unit, misses him right now big time. But unfortunately going into next season, I’m not clamoring for BC to keep him around.
Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com
He May Have Been Playing Hurt
from the gitgo.
Since he only played three games before going down and those were all within less than a week it is entirely possible that he was hurt from the start of the season or hurt in the first game.
he wasn’t. We saw him twist his ankle during the game. Thats where the injury happened.
by Not so Friendly Stranger on Jan 9, 2012 4:03 PM EST up reply actions
That Is What We Saw
the injury that sent him to the sidelines
I understand Curry has already resprained his operated on ankle numerous times but has kept playing in spite of it.
Bayless could have originally sprained his ankle in practice and no report was made of it because no one noticed. You don’t have to crumble to the floor after spraining your ankle to have done so.
I am not saying your are wrong. I don’t know. I am just saying there are other possibilities as to when Bayless first sprained his ankle and what we saw was the coup de crace (sic?) that send him to the sidelines. However, he may have been playing injured before he finally sprained it enough to send him to the sidelines.
It is possible and his sub-par play in the three games in which he played tends to support this idea.
+1
He’s speedy, he’s quick, he can put up points, but he cannot be a PG. There are numerous times where he fumbled an offensive play. I like his intensity, but he simply does not have a PG mindset.
Evidently He Is Walking Around With An "Air Cast" on His Bad Ankle
Kleiza should be cleared to play today and hopefully in action by Wednesday at the latest. The Raptors are at the Wiz tomorrow and hope to the Kings Wed.
Toronto guard Jerryd Bayless did not dress for Friday’s game against New Jersey as he continues to deal with an ankle injury. The Raptors officially list Bayless as day to day, but the injury could take another week or so to heal.
Wolves fan.
Good luck tonight. Just hoping we see good basketball from both teams.
Few quick points about the Wolves.
Weaknesses:
1) We turn the ball over a lot. We’ll likely gift the Raptors 4-5 possessions beyond what they earn. Turning them into points will have a big impact on the outcome.
2) Wing play. The Wolves don’t have an average SG or SF on the roster who is healthy. Derrick Williams is a stretch 4. Anthony Tolliver has played a large chunk of SF because Johnson and Beasley have been terrible.
3) Free throws. The Wolves have missed far too many free throws. I don’t expect it to be a trend all season, but they have been struggling to convert free throws early this year.
Strengths:
1) Kevin Love. A bad night from Kevin ends up looking something like 18 and 11. Some games he looks dominate for 4 quarters and others he looks terrible and still ends up with a double double and nearly 20 points. How does he do it? He’s crazy good in sneaky ways. He is always establishing position and wearing the opposition down. He ends up getting a couple offensive boards a game and usually converts these into points. He’s also elite at drawing contact and getting to the line. He has to be one of the most frustrating players to play against.
2) PG play. It’s not just Rubio. Rubio is really good. I don’t want to overstate it as he’s only 8 games in, but he’s a nightmare in transition. Once it hits the half-court it’s up to his shooters. Rubio can read the defense and get the ball to the shooters it’s just a matter of if the guys can convert the open looks. If they do it goes well. If not we end up forcing things. Ridnour can shoot. Fans often rag on Luke because he’s not a top flight starting PG. He’s not, but he’s likely top 30 or close. He can shoot and while his man to man defense is not great he plays passing lanes really well. JJ Barea may or may not play. If he plays he creates a great change of pace for the team playing on his own or along side of Rubio. He gets into the lane at will and plays pesky D staying in front of almost all PGs.
3) Three point shooting. This team is a little bit live by the three die by the three. Our bigs of Love, Williams, Tolliver and Beasley can all hit the 3 and will stretch the floor creating space for Rubio and or Barea. Our guards are a little different. Ridnour can hit the three. JJ and Rubio are also both able to hit the three, but more of at an average level. Ellington and Johnson are both supposed to be three point specialists, but both have bad habits of passing up open looks to try and create off the bounce. Neither is good off the dribble and both are probably better served just shooting the 3.
600 N First Ave "like a Pirate's cove".
Thanks for the insight Airete
Why do you think Johnson has struggled so much? He’s pretty much struggled from year 1 with little improvement. Can you tell us a little about his game and what he struggles with?
He thinks too much and doesn't just play.
Best guesses.
1) He played with Beasley. I like B-Easy, but he’s a bit of a chucker. Johnson was not very assertive as a rookie. He acted like a 4 or 5th option always looking for other guys when he should have been taking open shots and looking for other guys when the shot or driving lane wasn’t there.
2) Rambis was historically bad. He did Johnson no favors and help set the tone with him as a player who defers first.
3) He can’t dribble. He can for a college player, but not for an NBA wing into traffic.
4) He’s smart enough to know he hasn’t been very good and is trying now rather than doing. Best sort of example I can think of is he’ll get hit for an open three and hesitate. Now no longer open he’ll reset the offense with the PG. He’ll get hit with another open look from the three hesitate again realize the mistake and take 2 dribbles in to miss a semi-contested 18 footer off the bounce.
5) He’s not a SG. He’s fast enough to cover most SG, but he’s played out of position in a role he’s not suited for due to roster imbalance and no better options.
6) He never gets to the charity stripe. His release is quick enough and high enough that he’s rarely blocked, but he doesn’t create contact and ends up playing jump shot basketball in an and-one league.
600 N First Ave "like a Pirate's cove".
nice breakdown, thanks
I like him, i hope he gets it together for Minny or moves to a team than can use him at SF.
Love the recent comments by Love regarding Beasley’s chucking. Man I was wrong about him being an impact player in the NBA…proof that all the advanced metrics in the world can’t predict attitude and maturity in the NBA.
Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com
True
But the droopy eyelids that he played with at KS St sure were a good indicator of problems to come.
When I watched him play at KS St even though he was putting up great numbers he looked stoned all the time. Seriously.
Was never sold on Beasley...
Simply due to the fact he was a classic tweener. Not quick enough to play the three, not big enough to play the four. The attitude/weed smoken were the nails in the coffin.
If "weed smoken" deters you...
Then good luck fielding a team. Smoking weed is the last of Beasley’s problems. It’s intelligence, or lack of intelligence (basketball wise) that plagues him.
Decent assessment...
Rambis had a lot to do with it. He really screwed up Beasley, Darko, and Wes’ games. Wes may never recover. Even if he does, he’s nothing more than a spot up shooter. He’s not particularly smart with his decisions and has very little actual ability.
The imaginary “2” vs. “3” argument is irrelevant. He’s not good period.
No Mention Of Darko
Your comments are sorely lacking LOL
Free Darko
He is what he is.
We need him against a few post players, but his TO’s and poor shooting make it so you can’t keep him on the floor too much.
600 N First Ave "like a Pirate's cove".
Do you know the status of Martell Webster?
I think a healthy Martell is exactly what the Wolves need.
by LanceArmstrong_LIVESTRONG on Jan 9, 2012 10:40 AM EST up reply actions
He's scheduled to be back sometime later this month.
He’ll be a nice addition. We definitely miss him.
600 N First Ave "like a Pirate's cove".
You think he goes right into the starting lineup?
by LanceArmstrong_LIVESTRONG on Jan 9, 2012 12:58 PM EST up reply actions
No.
If we had a full training camp and he was healthy from day one I think he’d be our starting SF or SG (if we insisted on playing Beasley as a starter), but given his coming off surgery I expect him to be limited for the first month or so.
600 N First Ave "like a Pirate's cove".
Interesting stuff
Thanks for the info. T-Wolves fans must be happy to finally have some good talent on the roster. I don’t know how things will work out with guys like Beasley, Darko, Webster, Flynn, WJohnson. They all have had trouble living up to their potential. But, Love, Rubio and Derrick Williams look like the foundation of a pretty exciting team. If at least some of the the other pieces work out then you could have something pretty interesting in Minnesota.
Btw, Raptors seem to have some of the same issues as the T-Wolves so far, namely turn-overs, wing play and free throws (in the Raptors case it is free throw differential that is the problem).
3-point shooting
The Wolves should have a field day against the Raptors, who have difficulty defending the perimeter.
by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Jan 9, 2012 12:24 PM EST up reply actions
This will be an area where Bayless will help when he comes back. Carter and Calderon don’t have the quickness to consistently contest 3s.
I’m worried about 3’s, but mostly because I see Love grabbing 20 rebounds and repeatedly kicking it back out for open looks. Could be ugly tonight.
Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com
Last game that Love played in Toronto which was last season when his rebounding numbers were higher than they are now he only had 15 rebounds.
I think it will take a herculean effort by him tonight to get to 15 rebounds.
We shall see
Wolves have a good team here.
I thought Wesley Johnson would have been a better player tho. He’s been disappointing for them.
They Are A Better Team Without Beasley
Their offense is much smoother and fluid without Beasley the ball stopper in the lineup.
You want him?
us Wolves fans like DeRozan…You like Wes, match made in heaven!!!
No? Fine…
Rasual Butler
Is there any reason for Butler to play if he can’t make a bucket. I really felt like he’s pushing, trying to do too much, same as J J. But at least our D is solid with JJ out there. I hope Rasual is on a short leash, because i’d rather see JJ miss those open jumpers. Also want to mention, i like the no talking to refs policy, but i’d like to see Demar be allowed too, it could help the team get some calls, because the refs are letting other teams stay in the game vs our d but not helping us when our offence sputters. If the ball goes out of bound its a call against us. I see Derozan on the floor a lot but no refs protecting him, he needs to build a repetoire with them.
Demar
just needs to keep being agressive. If he keeps going to the net he’ll start getting calls. So far this year he hasn’t been attacking the bucket enough.
by Not so Friendly Stranger on Jan 9, 2012 12:11 PM EST up reply actions
Butler's Starting Is Only Temporary
Once Kleiza gets into game shape, probably before the end of the month he will start. Butler will go to the end of the bench and used in select situations.
It’s sad to think that everyone’s penciling Kleiza in as the starting 3 when he returns. Just speaks to how bad Butler has been and how frustrating James Johnson can be.
Adam Francis - Publisher - RaptorsHQ.com
True
However, we never saw the real and a healthy Klieza last season.
The guy can flat out score when he is healthy
He has a career average of 16 Points Per 36 Minutes and almost all of that was before his last season in Europe where he became an even better scorer.
When healthy given 30+ mpg Kleiza is a 15 ppg man if not more.
When I Say Flat Out Score
I mean compared to who the Raptors now run out there at the #3.
I doubt he will ever average 20+ a game in the NBA over a full season but I think as a starter when healthy he can average over 15 a game.
You’re aware Kleiza is a rather inefficient scorer, right? If Kleiza is dropping 15 ppg, he’s probably taking 14 or 15 shots to get the points… and your team is losing and losing badly.
by RaptorsHQ - Defensive Stance on Jan 9, 2012 6:55 PM EST up reply actions
Actually, if you disregard last season (in which he has injured the entire time), career wise his ratio of FGA to points (averaging up to 15 PPG) is 11.7 FGA. That is hardly inefficient. Even including last season (which I think is erroneous to do), the ratio works out to 12.0 FGA to 15 points.
by dhackett1565 on Jan 10, 2012 8:45 AM EST up reply actions
+ 1 billion
Or how over-inflated some fan’s assessment of Kleiza’s play is.
Interesting...
Should be a fun game if nothing else. I think one of the problems the Wolves may have is the Raptors keep teams out of transition with their style of play. Against Philly our Turnovers killed us but normally we take good care of the ball.
The teams ability to control Love on the Oboards will be one of the key factors. We are not a very good O rebounding team ourselves so Love will have a field day on the D boards.
Should be a fun one.
Against Philly our Turnovers killed us but normally we take good care of the ball.
You’re kidding right? Our turnovers are low due to our slow pace – we have the 6th highest turnover rate in the league. We also force, by far, the least turnovers in the league. Now, Minny is actually the worst team for turnovers, so that will help, and they don’t force very many, but turnovers are still going to be a problem for us.
by dhackett1565 on Jan 9, 2012 12:48 PM EST up reply actions
The Turnover Rate Will Come Down
It says so in the CBA
by Buddahfan on Jan 9, 2012 1:20 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Actually
The teams ability to control Love on the Oboards will be one of the key factors. We are not a very good O rebounding team ourselves so Love will have a field day on the D boards. [Shalax23]
You’re right about tonight, in that Love will should be a beast on the Boards. Also, we are last in Offensive rebounds – relative to the league – so not arguing that point.
.
But I will argue how rebounding is one of focus points, when it comes to Raptor deficiencies. Reality is, we’re 13th best in allowing (or minimizing) ORb by opponents. Which considering we’re 2nd best in opponent fg% allowed (or minimized), one can conclude there are more available – notwithstanding our style of game which features lower possessions per game. Our differential Rebounding record is – 0.1 … essentially a draw.
.
Where we lose out is:
- Perimeter scoring – highest 3pt completion by opponents
- Turnovers – we’re at the bottom in turnover differential
- FG’s made by Raptors – Ranking in the lower echelon of the League
- Our Bench – as our Starters rank 9th in Deff … http://www.hoopsstats.com/basketball/fantasy/nba/teamstats/12/6/diffeff/1-1
.
If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
by RapthoseLeafs on Jan 9, 2012 4:57 PM EST up reply actions
The Last Time The Two Teams Played In Toronto
which was last February 4th before Amir injured his left ankle
Amir had five offensive rebounds
Love had three offensive rebounds
Not saying that will happen tonight, but if Amir can stay on the court who knows.
Darko Also Had Three Offensive Rebounds
and the T-Wolves wound up winning the battle of the offensive glass 13 – 9
Free Darko
We win tonight if
Amir has a big game, and the AB-DD duo ratchet up 35+ points.
Plus we can’t go 1 – 20 from the 3 pt line.
.
If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
by RapthoseLeafs on Jan 9, 2012 5:05 PM EST up reply actions
Hey!
Between ripping rebounds down a prodigious rate, legendary ball handling, and abysmal shooting, the Candyman is well worth watching.
Clippers Fans Already Love Him
They are going “nuts” over him. LOL
Who should I be afraid of if I'm a TWolves fan?
When player X has the ball for the Raptors it spells trouble. Who’s player X. Bragnani?
by LanceArmstrong_LIVESTRONG on Jan 9, 2012 3:11 PM EST reply actions
Bench scoring and DeRozan having a good game are the two things you should worry about. Bargnani will most likely get his 20 points, but when other guys start chipping in too that’s when the Raptors get dangerous. DeRozan can score 20+ on a good night, but he can also stink it up like last game where he had 3 points.
Bargnani Goes For 30+ Tonight
Wishful thinking?
we shall see
Was thinking about this
.
Would you rather have Bargnani go:
- 21 & 11 …. and we lose by 35 points, or
- 27 & 3 ….. and we pull out a tough win
.
If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.
by RapthoseLeafs on Jan 9, 2012 5:09 PM EST up reply actions
THis nigh (actually tomorrow morning, thank you League pass)
I am curious to see Andrea square off with the self appointed best PF in the league, let’s see who comes back to earth.
After Kleiza Is Reinserted In the Starting Lineup
I see
Bargnani as the #1 option
DeRozan as the #2 option
Kleiza as a legit #3 option
Jose as the distributor and occasional scorer when the situation warrants
Amir as the garbage man on the offensive glass and scoring occasionally off of the P&R and spot up mid-range jump shot.
That would be the most logical way for things to work given this year’s line-up. Then you have Ed and Bayless off the bench with JJ for defence. Unfortunately, you also have to factor in Barbosa coming in to chuck up a few bricks (he hasn’t looked good at all from my point of view this season).
I Think Barbosa Is Looking More and More Like
he is just in T-Dot to grab $7 million for about four months work
Agree with everything except Amir taking jump shots. I really hope he develops his game there. If not, Amir should just not shoot lol.
His Shooting Percentage from
2009-10 – 43%
2010-11 – 42%
2011-12 – 40% in limited shots
My Mistake
Based on those statistics, Amir Johnson is a good shooter. Apologies for my remark.
Could you pull up how many mid-range shots he has taken over those seasons? It would be interesting to see if he has taken more as the seasons go by.
Its On The Link
I think this season his per game attempts are down. I believe he injured his shooting hand either in the first or possibly second game.
After that this shots per game were way down until the last two games. Last game he had a season high 11 FGA but unfortunately no FTA
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