Posting up the Regular season- Eternal Optimism? Not so much...

Toronto Raptors- 107

Memphis Grizzlies- 115

Any momentum, optimism or hope that was conceptualized on wednesday night was quickly proved false only a few minutes into friday nights loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.  It was clear from the opening few possessions that this was not going to be Toronto's night and what may begin to reveal itself a trend it seems that as Andrea Bargnani goes, so too do the Toronto Raptors.

The two entities looked out of sync early last night with Bargnani failing to catch simple passes and missing shots he would normally hit.  It is a disappointment to a club that with 9 new faces, was looking to turn a loosing culture with a history of defensive ineptitude around for the better.

Wednesday nights successful defensive dominance, or at the very least timely defense was countered Friday night with a soft defensive non-effort that Raptors fans have become accustomed too.

The season is 82 games long, this was just 1 of.  There will be many lessons learned and the true identity of this team will not be revealed until time and games are behind them but if performances aren't closer to those on Wednesday rather than Friday, Raptors fans will not have much to cheer about.

The Good

Chris Bosh

There is not much you can say after a performance by an individual player like that other than dominant.  Bosh, as he tends to do against inferior teams with slow counters, took the Memphis forwards to school friday night.  The Raptors franchise player had 25 points and 8 rebounds in the first half on his way to a 37 point 12 rebound night in a loosing effort.

The offense is not necessarily surprising, there is not much more he has/can add to his arsenal.  He beat men in the post, blew by them with a face up game and even hit a 3 point shot which he has become accustomed to take.  The more impressive part is the tenacity he has shown, and nose for the ball.  Bosh had 8 rebounds in the first half and 6 of those rebounds were in the first few minutes.  His ability to rebound in heavy traffic has been impressive and if he can sustain the effort he had early in the game it will go a long way to help the defense.

DeMar DeRozen

His line will not look overly impressive (6 point 3-7, 5 rebounds) but the way he is playing in limited minutes, along with the patience and obvious quick learning curve he has shown has given reason to think the young guard can become a major player as early as this season.

His athleticism was on display a few times last night.  On one occasion he had been beaten off the dribble by O.J. Mayo and recovered for a Lebron James like block.  Another time he took a hard cut along the baseline and claimed a Chris Bosh air-ball for a put-back dunk.

We knew those parts of his game would be revealed.  The more impressive part is his ability to fit in on offense and let the game come to him without forcing bad plays or shots.  Too often rookies think the only way they can positively effect the game is to score, so when they haven't shot the ball in a while and finally have the opportunity, they chuck.  DeRozen has not forced many bad shots, none last night, and has done his job of going after offensive rebounds and running the floor.

The progress he has made in these areas since the first summer league game, combined with his ability to take the ball to the basket off the dribble could mean big things for he and the Raptors by the second half of the season.

Marco Belinelli

Consistency is the theme of the day, probably will be for the season, and is certainly the case with Marco Belinelli and his career.  Consistency was the problem in Golden State in regards to the minutes he received and as a result, the production he outputted.

Triano went back to him in the second quarter, which seems to be his designated time slot, and while he did not have the same impact on the game as he did against Cleveland, Belinelli put together another solid if not unspectacular game.  Marco had 7 points on 2-4 shooting with a few steals and only 1 turnover.  

Hopefully this trend will continue from both the coach's side and a production side and the Raptors will have a very valuable scorer off the bench. 

The Bad

Focus

As discussed before, the game was really there for the Raptors to take.  Toronto had momentum coming off an emotional win, the FedEx forum was empty and the few fans that were there did not seem to have much interest in the early stages of the game.

If Toronto had come in with a focused, business-like attitude and built an early lead, the young Grizzlies would have reverted back to a young selfish shot happy team, ignored their strengths and in essence given up.  

Instead, the Raptors were lazy on both offense and defense, taking outside shots and recovering slowly on rotations and Memphis took advantage.  The Grizzlies played with a lot of energy, which became almost as contagious as H1N1, shared the ball and worked to their strengths.

Defense

Sometimes you cannot help good shooting nights from opposing players, and the Grizzlies did have a great shooting night (51.2 % from the field), but what the Raptors aloud them to do is get open shots early and as a result facilitated the hot shooting.

The Raptors want to trap the ball high just after mid-court.  This trap will only be successful, if the person who is coming over to the ball to trap, quickly recovers to his man.  Early in the game the trap-man was late recovering which left open shooters, particularly O.J. Mayo.

The Raptor big men were also at fault, despite some good effort by Andrea Bargnani and Chris Bosh, they let Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph get into the paint at will, and the opposing big men took advantage.

Coaching

One of the unsung heroes for Memphis was young DeMarre Carroll.  He provided a spark off the bench, and athleticism the opposing Raptors could not keep contained.  During their two key runs in the 2nd and 4th quarters Carroll was on the floor making things happen.

Triano seemed to have the perfect counter on the bench when Lionel Hollins went small with Carroll at power forward; Amir Johnson.  Amir only saw 2 minutes of action though and instead the minutes went to a struggling Andrea Bargnani, Rasho Nesterovic (who played well) and Antoine Wright who was relatively ineffective.  I know Triano is worried about mistakes but Johnson can be a game changer with his defense and energy and needs to be given some confidence building long runs on the court.

Much of Toronto's offense is predicated on ball movement and unselfishness, Triano does not want the ball to stick.  However the bottom line is that on the road, in a game where the momentum is not on your side, you have to milk to cow and go to what is working.  What was clearly working all night was Chris Bosh.

There was a long stretch in the third quarter where Bosh was not on the floor and when he did return he seemed cold.  Part of his rust could have been shaken off if he was force fed in the post and that didn't happen.  In a close game on the road when you have the luxury of having a post player like Bosh, you must utilize him. 

The Outlook

Fans were on an emotional high after the opening night victory and are now probably at the depths of despair after last night.  While the loss was disappointing the season is long and the Raptors will have more good nights then bad.

Even last night there were glimpses of the mental toughness and defense they will need to be successful and while it did not prevail, the glimpses should develop with time.

Orlando will provide the real true early season test on Sunday.  The Magic have virtually no holes on their roster and the kind of depth and athleticism that does not match up well with the Raptors.

Look for the Raptors to respond with a solid effort and hope that if they provide energy early they can take advantage of a Magic team that will undoubtedly be tired after the Jay Z concert the night before at the ACC.

- J.Moore

Posting up the Regular season- Hope Prevails

Cleveland Cavaliers- 91

Toronto Raptors- 101 

One thing that has been clear about sports fans in this country; there are Toronto sports fans, and then there is everyone else.  Fans in this city are not necessarily fans of a sport, they are fans of Toronto.

Over the last few years Argo fans, Leaf fans, Reds fans, Jays fans and Raptors fans have had nothing to watch, or nothing to read once the playoffs in their respective sport because the local heroes were sitting at home or practicing the slice on the golf course.

Hope in the form of wins or success has not come easy and often in this market, but for one night at least Toronto fans were rewarded with a prize they could show off to their inter-provincial neighbors; the Toronto Raptors.

There is always a feeling of eternal optimism coming into opening night of the season when the club is undefeated and tied for first especially with the relatively naive Raptors fan base, but last night the realists (or pessimists) would have told you that by 10:00 pm Wednesday night the feeling of doom and despair hovering over the Toronto sports landscape would be solidified by a Raptors loss to a very good, hungry team expected to win a championship from Cleveland.

For at least one more night though, the eternal optimism will prevail and Toronto fans can breath a sigh of relief.  It was not easy however, the script was written and the plot was unfolding like it had so many times in the past.  Part comedy and part tragedy, the Raptors as expected scored the ball, road the emotion of opening night and the raging fans in the Air Canada Center to a 18 point lead at halftime.

This though, is when the tragedy hits.  Some will chalk it up to poor defense, when really it is just the obligatory run that a team of the calibre of Cleveland with the best player in the world will/must make.  So halfway through the third quarter when fans looked up at the scoreboard and saw the 18 point lead had evaporated and the score was tied, they must have known what was coming next.  Like so many times over the last few years, the Raptors would not have the mental toughness, fortitude or defensive commitment to throw a counter punch, and they would fold like a cheap suit.

Not on this night though, whether it is a one night only aberration or a trend that will set this city on fire, the Raptors counter punched with the force of Foreman and road out the night with an impressive win.  What is more impressive is that the team won it with defense capped with a Turkoglu steal on an  Anthony Parker 3 point attempt that would have cut the lead to 3 points with less then a minute to play and LeBron James looming.

On a night that could have sent the collective masses into a tailspin, it pleasantly surprised with a win that will spring hope until at least Friday night in Memphis.

The Good

Andrea Bargnani

If the night could belong to one man, he would be a 7 foot Italian.  The number 1 pick in the 2006 draft did well to quiet the still lingering nay-sayers and continued his maturation with one of his all around best games as a Raptor.  Setting the tone right from the opening possession with a punk fake, followed by a dunk on Anderson Varejao, Bargnani was near unstoppable for most of the night going 11-15 from the field and made Shaq look like the semi-retired disinterested player he is most nights.

More impressive was the way that he scored and the effort and discipline he showed on defense.  We have seen big scoring nights before from the Italian usually due to hot shooting from the outside but on this night he had more free throw attempts (4) then 3 point attempts (3).  Picking his spots from all over the floor Bargnani used his face up, post and jump shooting game all effectively to confuse who ever was guarding him.  At one point he had LeBron James on him, who is one of the best defensive players in the league, and made him look goofy by posting him up, used two shot fakes and ended the play with a nice up and under layup to score on James.

On defense he competed hard against Shaq, trying to be as physical as possible without fouling out of the game.  While he did get in foul trouble early he used his discipline on defense to keep him in the game where the Raptors utilized his stellar offensive output.

Defense/Mental Toughness

The most important development that revealed itself last night was when the Raptors' collective metal was tested.  As stated above, most nights in the past when an opposing team gained momentum and made a run at the lead, the Raptors would wilt and go meekly into the night.  Last night, they responded emphatically and claimed the game back.

The Raptors held Cleveland to 34.9% shooting and more importantly LeBron James to 23 points on 19 shot attempts (7-19).  While most would chalk up the poor Cleveland offense more to do with unfamiliarity rather then anything the Raptors did defensively the point still remains that the Raptors made key stops when they needed too.  For a team that on most nights is going to be better offensively then their opponent, defensive timing may be the key.

Marco Belinelli

If the most important thing to come out of last night was the timely defense, a close second would have to be the production of Marco Belinelli.  After a preseason where many thought he played himself out of the rotation, coach Jay Triano showed confidence in Belinelli giving him second quarter minutes and Belinelli rewarded the coach by tallying 10 points in the quarter and sparking a run that would extend the lead to over 20 points.

Belinelli also showed great offensive awareness with a few glowing passes that should have been converted for assists and plucky defense that will keep him in games when his shot is not falling.

One of the main keys to this season will be whether the first unit can play defense and whether the second unit can score.  Seeing that Jarrett Jack is still trying to find his way to fit in on offense, the emergence of Belinelli as a scorer off the bench is paramount.

Chris Bosh/Weight Gain

Bosh never really got his offensive game going but still managed to score 21 points due mostly to 12 free throw attempts (9-12), his biggest impact came on the glass.  The 25 pounds of muscle he added in the offseason showed itself to be an asset last night when he repeatedly battled one or two opposing big men for rebounds.  You could credit much of the defense to the fact that Bosh did not allow second shots by gobbling up rebound after defensive rebound.

The Coach

Coach's generally get too much credit and too much blame, but Triano did a very nice job last night pulling the right strings at the right times to give his team the competitive advantage.  Defensively he did not just limit one man to guard LeBron James and one man to guard Shaq.  DeRozen, Turkoglu, Wright and Belinelli all has a turn guarding James changing the defensive looks LeBron saw and spreading the fouls out amongst the wing players.  Shaq saw Bargnani, Bosh, Johnson and Nesterovic and a few times midway through the game Triano based his substitution pattern on Shaq, send Nesterovic to guard him limiting Bargnani's opportunity to foul and letting him be fresh on offense.

At one point in the third quarter Triano realized that the game was being dictated by Mike Brown when the Cleveland coach sent out a small line up that was they key to their offensive outburst.  Once this was realized Triano quickly changed to a big line up, exposed LeBron in the post and few times, and all of a sudden it was Triano dictating not being dictated to.

Jay has also done a nice job of carefully mapping out his substitution pattern so that one of his key offensive big three (Bosh, Bargnani, Turkoglu) was on the floor at all times.  Too many times coach's will just throw on the back ups and hope they can keep the score close.  Last night the coach spaced out his substitutions so that one of those men were on the floor at all times.   

The Bad

Not Much

The offense was fluid and efficient, the best players played like the best players, the bench stepped up when they needed to, and the Raptors even played defense too.  Yes, the Cavaliers did score 32 points in the 3rd quarter and tied the game and many will tell you the defense was not good enough during that stretch.  The bottom line is, good teams make runs.  Cleveland is a very good team, made their run, and most importantly the Raptors responded with timely defense and a run of their own.

Jarrett Jack has still shot the ball poorly and does not look like he knows yet where his shots will come from, but he did enough to affect the game positively in other ways.

Amir Johnson didn't show the energy and tenacity he needs too when he comes in the game.  He was invisible for the 5 minutes and 45 seconds he was in the game, but it was in a short period of time against match up that were not favorable to the athletic big man. 

The Outlook

The Raptors are going to win most nights if they play the way they played last night.  The preseason did not necessarily live up to the optimism the offseason facilitated but last nights performance did a lot to re-warrant optimism around the team.

Memphis will be a good test for this team.  From a talent standpoint there is no contest, the Raptors should win handily.  The test will be from a mental perspective, a lot of talk has been about not putting the preverbal cart before the horse.  Coming off an emotional high opening night win, we will see if the Raptors come out focused and take care of business.

Coming into Sundays contest 2-0 with momentum and confidence would be a great asset against a very talented Orlando team.

Oh ya, and it would be good to beat that Vince something-or-other guy.

- J.Moore 

Breaking down the Eastern Conference

I am sure you have been inundated with various media, blogs, newspapers all telling you how the season will unfold, and ranking the various divisions and conferences.  While I would like to change it up and innovate something new, but I will not.

Here is how I think the Eastern Conference will look:

1. Orlando Magic

The magic are the deepest and most talented team in the Eastern Conference.  Like many of the other top teams they made a big splash by adding a top level talent in Vince Carter.  However, it is moves like acquiring Brandon Bass, Ryan Anderson, Matt Barnes and Jason Williams to add to the depth of players like Marcin Gortat, Mickael Pietrus and Jameer Nelson (back to full health) that will make this team one of the toughest to beat in the league.

2. Boston Celtics

I have flip flopped on this team for most of the summer but seeing Kevin Garnett back at full strength along with another season of development for Rajon Rondo and Glen 'Big Baby' Davis would be enough to propel them into the top 3.  The additions of Marquis Daniels and Rasheed Wallace eliminates their biggest weakness; depth.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers

This is a huge gamble for Danny Ferry (Cavs General Manager) at a time where he had to try to do something to put the Cavs over the edge and hope that a Larry O'Brien trophy will bring LeBron back.  This could be a colossal failure, or the missing piece that will propel the team to a championship.  Look for injuries and a feeling out process to limit regular season wins but also look for the Cavs to be the most feared team in the playoffs.

4. Atlanta Hawks 

This is another team that made a gamble of sorts when they acquired Jamal Crawford.  All signs point to the fact that he is embracing his role of coming off the bench and is just looking to help the team.  This is a team with no mental toughness though, and if things start to go south the personalities on the team could shut down any chance of success.  The talent level is very good, and continued success over the last few years has proven they are not a fluke.

5. Chicago Bulls 

The loss of Ben Gordon will hurt the Bulls the most in the playoffs.  During the regular season their depth at the wing position with Hinrich, Salmons along with a healthy Luol Deng and the addition of rookie James Johnson should make up for the loss of Gordon.  Look for that group of wings to provide more then enough scoring with the frontline providing the defense and an improved Derrik Rose running the point that will all make for a successful 2009/10 campaign.

6. Toronto Raptors

If the stars align and all things come together properly the Raptors could be as high as the 4 seed, they could also be as low as 10 or 11 though.  Due to injuries and players missing time to rest the Raptors are a little behind schedule as far as conditioning and cohesion are concerned.  Unfortunately the month of November is one of their hardest months.  If the Raptors can stay afloat early in the season they could be poised to make a run for the top half of the conference.  The first line will score, the second line will defend, but if the two cannot learn to do the others role with any consistency the Raptors could be in trouble.

7. Washington Wizards

Will their version of the big three finally make it through a season together healthy?  That is the only key to their success and considering Antawn Jamison is already hurt, it says here they won't.  However unlike other years the added depth of Mike Miller and Randy Foye along with the development of Andre Blatche and JaVale McGee will be able to keep them afloat through any minor injuries.

8. Indiana Pacers

This is a team that has more talent then their record has reflected over the last few years.  I expect them to finally stay healthy (Mike Dunleavy) and put it together this year to be a very scary team night to night.  Troy Murphy might be one of the most underrated big men in the league and with the added depth of rookie Tyler Hansbrough and what I expect will be a big year for Roy Hibbert the Pacers' front-court will be a strength.  Do not forget about Danny Granger and the unsung addition of Earl Watson to make up for the loss of Jarrett Jack.

9.  Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers will have a lot of athleticism with Andre Iguodala, Samuel Dalembert, Marreese Speights, and Thaddeus Young.  They will have scoring with Lou Williams, Willie Green and Jrue Holiday.  However they have a high priced piece that doesn't fit in Elton Brand and no one to run the show since Andre Miller left for Portland.  Those critical issues will kill them down the stretch of games.

10. Detroit Pistons

Detroit is stuck in the middle of an identity crisis.  From the old regime that was based on team work and defense you have Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Ben Wallace.  From the new regime of youth and scoring you have Chuck Villanueva, Ben Gordon, Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers and Jonas Jerebko.  This team may still be good, but it will take time for youth to develop and define the team identity.

11. Miami Heat

Expect Dwayne Wade to do everything humanly possible to make it work, expect development from Mike Beasley but also expect Jermaine O'Neal to continue to be often injured and a shell of a player he once was, and expect Quentin Richardson to enjoy himself in South Beach.

12. Milwaukee Bucks 

The additions of Carlos Delfino and rookie Brandon Jennings to help Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut but the supporting cast just doesn't have enough to over compensate for the losses of Ramon Sessions and Chuck Villanueva.

13. Charlotte Bobcats

The Bobcats went on a nice run toward the end of the season but they have two scoring point guards in Augustine and Felton, one of their best players is a walking injury in Gerald Wallace, Boris Diaw has come into this season out of shape and anyone that tells me from a basketball standpoint trading Okafor for Chandler was a good move is a little loopy.

14. New York Knicks

Might be an interesting team to watch with the likes of Nate Robinson (who they didn't really want) and David Lee (who they didn't really want) and Danilo Gallinari (who cannot stay healthy) but they have already decided to sit this season out and hope that someone will want to come to their franchise because it's in New York.

15. New Jersey Nets

Their only hope is the Russians.  

- J.Moore

Posting up the Preseason volume IV- The last word

Fans were chomping at the bit to finally see their team come together on the court and play competition that wasn't 'intra' and find out how the puzzle would construct.  Preseason was once again well anticipated and as the general rule continued to disappoint overall.  There were injuries, shooting woes, failing player performances, defensive improvements, player coagulation, and a man they call CB4.  Developments were plentiful this preseason, now for details.

The Good

Deconstructing both the offense and the defense it is hard to come up with a definitive answer on how they faired through this preseason.  A comparative approach versus expectations could be implemented to gauge the success or a far more darwinian approach could be taken in regards to the bottom line.  Given that preseason is like a first date, you test the waters at first, then blindly see how far you can push the envelope, I will adhere to the former principal rather then the latter and compare the performance against the expectations. 

The Defense 

The defense was pretty good at times.  More shocking then that (if you can believe something would be) it was pretty good on the first line.  I was one that thought this first line would struggle, to put it politely, on the defensive end the whole season and the second unit would be the anchor.  However the starters have used execution, discipline, attention to detail along with effort and provided some solid defensive performances.  They certainly are not the Detroit Pistons of the earlier part of the decade, but solid defense should be all this team needs to win.

Against the Celtics the starters were up 5 points at the end of the game versus the Celtics' starters and against Minnesota the starters played good enough defense to hold the Timberwolves under 40% shooting in the first quarter.  The sample size has been small, but if the trend continues, this team could be a middle of the pack defensive team, which should translate into battling for a home playoff series.

First Line Cohesion

There was a line of thinking that questioned the Hedo Turkoglu signing on the merit that he, Bosh and Bargnani were too similar.  They all liked to score on the perimeter, and all did not care to play much defense.  

The cohesion that the starting unit has shown has been astonishing when you consider that Hedo had not practiced until the second week of preseason and sat out all of training camp to rest.  There already seems to be a synergy developing between the frontline, Calderon is beginning to find his place within the offense and as soon as he begins to find wide open corner 3 point shots off of passes from Turkoglu, he'll fit in even more.  

The intriguing piece will be DeMar DeRozen.  While I am still not convinced he should be in the starting line-up, his willingness to learn and speed of learning combined with Turkoglu's vision is going to result in some weak side baseline dunks by DeRozen, watch for it. 

Chris Bosh

Chris Bosh is very good.  Sometimes we forget how good this guy is.  There is not a hole in this man's offensive game, he can shoot with range out to the 3 point line, has enough of a post up game to open up his jump shot, and has the best face-up game of any power forward in the league.  

Can he score at will at the end of the game like LeBron, Kobe or Wade?  No, but name 3 others that could.  Is he a great defender?  No, but this is without ever playing with a true center and now with the added weight, he may shut up critics.

Bosh has looked close to his MVP start to last season, and already seems to be in mid-season form.

The Bad

The Offense

Overall the offense has not been good.  This is due mostly to missed shots, and at time overpassing.  As discussed above, the starting unit seems to be in synergy but the shots, and particularly the outside shot has not been falling.  

The 2-20 3 point shooting performance has been well documented but to give you an idea of how worried the players are this is a quote from Turkoglu:

Hedo: “I know we didn’t shoot the ball well, we were like two-for-something from the three.”

When told that the Raptors were 2-2o, Hedo replied:

Hedo: “We could be like 2-for-40, if we didn’t make the turnovers.”

Obviously the players feel like the shots will come and the ball will begin to fall with time.  This will be true on the starting line, but the second line offense is the real worry.

It has been written in this space that the second unit offensively has been out of sync.  The offense will be largely dependent on Jarrett Jack.  He is the only player outside of Marco Belinelli whose role is undefined at this point, that can create his own offense.  He will be responsible for providing instant offense off the bench as well as getting guys like Amir Johnson and Antoine Wright some easy looks.

Jack has been up and down so far.  His shot has been off especially from beyond the arc and he will be counted on to provide more offensive efficiency if this team's second line will be effective.

Marco Belinelli

Do you wonder if this is how they felt in Golden State?  Marco has been an enigma in the preseason.  He can undoubtedly create offense which is something this team desperately needs coming off the bench, but is it the right offense at the right time, and efficiency is the key.

His preseason shooting percentages of .379 field goal and .250 3 point field goal are well bellow his career averages of .429 and .395 respectively so the hope is that the law of averages will prevail.  The problem at this point is Belinelli needs time and shots to work his way out of the slump and with the regular season approaching and with a logjam of wings, these are things he may not have.

Jay Triano is going to have to do something to get him going, and into the games because Jack cannot lead the second line on his own, he will need a back-court mate to play off of. 

The Record

It was only the preseason and everyone around the team will tell you that the wins and losses do not matter at all.  Ending the games was also usually a band of rapscallions named O'Bryant, Banks, Douby, Weems and Johnson who are all primarily (outside of Johnson and including Calderon) in charge of handing out Gatorade at halftime.

At a certain point though, I naively believed that the talent level of the Raptors would win out games.  Houston, Minnesota, Washington, Philadelphia are all teams that the Raptors, if they hope to be fourth or fifth in the Eastern Conference, should beat.

Their record of 2-6 is not a big deal, but if everyone is being honest, is still a little concerning.

Grades

Andrea Bargnani- B+

Outside of two games Bargnani looked like he was in mid-season form.  He scored in a variety of different ways never relying on the 3 point shot, and most importantly was a force on defense a few times.

Chris Bosh- A

Chris looked unstoppable at times, had a high level of intensity, has rebounded the ball extremely well and his attitude towards winning is just what any team wants from their highest paid player.

Hedo Turkoglu- B

Looked good in limited minutes, shot the ball with efficiency, was patient on offense and transitioned seamlessly between Jose Calderon as the primary ball handler.

DeMar DeRozen- B- 

Did not shoot the ball very well, but got to the line with ease, played adequate defense, and grew as a player over the course of the preseason.

Jose Calderon- C

Started the preseason off slowly but as preseason unfolded, picked his spots on offense and was his same efficient self.  Did not get beaten too often on defense.

Amir Johnson- B

First half of the preseason looked outstanding in regards to rebounding, shot-blocking, and playing to his limitations on offense.  The second half of the preseason he failed to bring the energy and disappeared at times.

Reggie Evans- B+

Missed the last few games due to an injured foot, but when was in the line-up he brought the intensity, toughness, and energy that will make him an instant crowd favorite a favorite in the locker room.

Antoine Wright- N/A 

Only played in one preseason game in which he had 8 pts and 4 turnovers.

Marco Belinelli- F

Did not shoot the ball well from outside, failed to provide that breakthrough game that was anticipated, seemed to loose the confidence of the coaches at least for now.

Jarrett Jack- C-

Did not provide the offensive spark that was expected, had poor shooting performances especially from beyond the arc.

Rasho Nesterovic- C

Provided steady offense and defense that was expected, will be looked upon to match up against big centers in the East and will be key in the playoffs.

Sonny Weems- B

Sonny was the biggest surprise this preseason and showed off great athletic ability and energy.  If there is an injury to either Turkoglu, Wright, DeRozen or Belinelli the coaches will be comfortable with letting him play

O'Bryant, Banks, Douby- LOL

Does it really matter?

The Outlook

Overall the preseason was a success.  The most important things that needed to be accomplished were getting through the weeks with no major injuries and making sure Turkoglu fit in with the starters.  Both of those were accomplished.

The second line is shaky at this point, but much of the issues could be solved with familiarity.  If Jarrett Jack and Marco Belinelli can get their game sorted out, and their shots falling the team is going to win more then they lose.

- J.Moore 

Assisting your day with some touch passes?

Before I start I just need to ask, is this touch pass thing working out? Part of me thinks it's really clever, like some writers have their random thoughts or quick hitters, I have touch passes! But then again the other part of me thinks it's just a little too far out as the 1980's would say. Let me know if you are digging what I am tossing out!

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The last game of the preseason is tonight, in case anyone hadn't noticed already, and it brings a few interesting sub-plots that do not mean much, unless your a Raptors fan and your grasping at straws for interesting sub-plots. That being said, let's touch on a couple that might make this journey to Sioux Falls a little more interesting then it normally would be.

Touch Passes

He's back! Yes excitement levels are high for one Antoine Wright. For people that are new to the Raptors, or this space, no he is not our 20 ppg all-star wing that will lead us back to the promised land. No, he is not the hated villain that once was our saviour and now is our goat. Heck, he probably isn't even a starter for this team, but man, excitement levels are high.

Some will finally get a look at the man who was once an afterthought in a trade to get Jason Kidd to Dallas, then later an afterthought that would land us the Turkish beard- Hedo Turkoglu. However, he can apparently play defense, which is something we lack, and will be a strong presence on the court once games start meaning more then this spaces version of 'The View's- Hot Topics'.

It will be interesting to hear reports on how he looks on the defensive end in what I expect will be limited minutes. He has already been a presence on the practice court pushing young DeMar DeRozen with both physical and verbal abuse and hopefully it will translate to some success on the court.

- - - -

Another interesting spin-off to the heroes return will be the allocation of minutes. This being the last preseason game, coach Jay Triano will look to shore up his rotation, meaning all the regulars and subs will be getting as close to real minutes as possible.

As discussed previously, Jay likes an 8 or 9 man rotation so who's out and who's in on the wing? DeMar will start tonight, Antoine Wright will get the majority of the back-up minutes but is Jay going to let Sonny try to jump his way into the rotation? Will Belinelli get another chance to shoot his way into our hearts and minds? Stay tuned, but my bet is we get another dose of Belinelli while Weems will be the odd man out. Weems is just too similar to DeRozen, and to have a successful year we need shooting on the second line- enter Belinelli.

- - - -

Speaking of the second line, and the observation I have made that the chemistry doesn't seem right as we enter tonight's game. I had a thought, which is dangerous.

Right now the coaches want Jack to come into the game and provide instant offense. Something that Jack himself has said he is not comfortable with yet. Then you have Belinelli who is looked upon to come in the game, and find his offense through the flow of the game. Here's a thought, switch the two job descriptions. Belinelli is a natural scorer and a volume shooter that excels with more touches and minutes. Jarrett Jack is a true point guard that likes to get other involved and find his offense as the game progresses, it only seems natural that the solution to the second lines problem might be letting those two play to their strengths.

- - - -

Those who are looking forward to Reggie's return to the line-up opening night against Cleveland to battle with Anderson Varejao (which would be very fun) will undoubtedly be disappointed. Reggie is still on crutches and while there is no official word, my best guess is that he would not be available until Wednesday November 4, 2009 at home to the visiting Detroit Pistons, just before their road trip out west.

What does this mean? Well for the long-term not much, because once his foot is taken care of there should be no real lingering effects. For the short term it will hurt, but those of you who were not sold on the Delfino/Ukic for Johnson/Weems trade must concede that this is exactly why the trade was consummated. Instead of having a depleted front court that is relatively slow, methodical and weak in the rebounding department (Bosh, Bargnani, with only Nesterovic on the bench), we have a horse, in Amir Johnson who will be able to fill in admirably.

- - - -

Hey remember that Marcus Banks for Matt Carroll deal that was exciting for a day but was never brought to fruition? Well it turns out the deal ended up falling apart because the Mavericks were worried about the short-term luxury tax implications (Banks makes more this year than Carroll) rather than the long-term savings the deal would have provided. It's a shame too, because with the shaky preseason Belinelli has had, another shooter coming off the bench could really pay dividends.

- - - -

I saw a headline the other day that Shaq wants a television show once he is done playing and a few things came to mind. Shaq versus? That doesn't count? In that case, then no kidding! Unfortunately the Big Aristotle has become the Big Media Prostitute in his elder years.

The other thought was, Shaq is still playing? I thought he was at least semi-retired...

- - - -

Is anyone else starting to think that Stephen Jackson might be quickly becoming a modern day Latrell Sprewell?

For his sake I hope not because he can be a heck of a player at times.

- J.Moore

Posting up the Preseason volume III- Glass half empty, or half full?

A unique phenomena occurred this morning as a took a stroll through memory lane way back to yesterdays game against the Boston Celtics.  Opinion is not something I tend to be short on, I will waffle at times, but in the end decide (rightly or many will tell you wrongly) on one side of the argument or the other.

So when I woke up this morning and began my regular rotation of literature on everything basketball and Toronto Raptors and could not firm a strong stance on a myriad of issues pertaining to the Raptors and their preseason performance.  So I thought I would try something new; a glass half empty perspective, and glass half full perspective.

But enough about me, lets start with:

The Offense 

There is no doubt that this teams first unit is going to be able to score.  During the Chris Bosh/Bryan Colangelo era scoring has never been an issue and this team has the potential of being the most potent.  I am shocked about how seamlessly Hedo Turkoglu has fit into the starting line and how well he has gelled with Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani and Jose Calderon.  16, 15, and 13 were the respective point totals from Turkoglu, Bosh and Bargnani in limited minutes and having those three as your leading scorers will be an obvious trend as the season unfolds.

On the other hand...

The second unit has been a bit of  mess offensively and conversely I am shocked at how the pieces have not fit together yet.  The second unit was thought to be a strength coming into the season and while the pieces are there to fulfill those expectations it has been a slow start.  Belinelli has yet to have the kind of breakout game I had expected and while Jarrett Jack has shown glimpses of great play, on the whole there just seems to be something off about the chemistry.  One would have to hope that the additions of Antoine Wright along with Reggie Evans and continued familiarity will galvanize this unit going forward.

DeMar DeRozen 

DeMar is really starting to do the things that the fans had hoped, and the coaches have asked him to do.  He is patient on offense and when he does shoot the ball it has been off of penetration and not jump shots.  He has shown a knack for getting to the free throw line (another 7 times in 26 minutes against the Celtics) and he has been making strong cuts to the basket that will prove fruitful once he develops a chemistry with Turkoglu.  On the defensive end DeRozen doesn't seem to have the deer-in-the-head-lights look that most rookies do and their is definitely a commitment and effort on that side of the floor.

On the other hand... 

There were a number of times where he got to the rim and missed some easy lay-ups or cut to the basket, took his eye off the pass coming his way and turned the ball over.  His jump shot has not looked good thus far, there are only a handful of times this preseason where I can remember him hitting a jump shot.  On defense, even though the effort was there, he was abused by Ray Allen who had 20 points on 8-13 shooting.  Now Allen lighting someone up and in particular a rookie happens more times then it doesn't but the result is still the same. 

Jose Calderon

Jose is finding a comfort zone on offense running the pick and roll with either Bosh/Bargnani or handing the ball off at the top of the 3 point line to Hedo Turkoglu, then running off a series of screens to the baseline corner.  It is a play that has resulted on a couple of open jump shots off of nice cross court passes from Turkoglu.  Calderon has been his same steady efficient self shooting over 50 % from the field and limiting turnovers.

On the other hand... 

When Calderon starts the break there are times where he needs to force the issue and does not.  We saw this toward the end of last season and it has become a minor side issue as well in a few games.  What makes Calderon so effective is also costing some fast break opportunities.  He clearly does not want to turn the ball over and is much more comfortable in a controlled half court environment.  However if this team does want to run, and they have some horses in DeMar DeRozen, Sonny Weems, and Amir Johnson, Calderon has to learn to either force the issue or give up the ball sooner.

The Defense

Man, I was way off on this one!  The starters, at least on Sunday, were the clear defensive strength on a combination of basketball IQ (playing the system that they were taught well) and some surprising one-on-one defensive intensity.  When the starters were on the floor for both teams Toronto came out of the game up 5 points.  This was in large part due to their offense but you could see that their defensive principals were sound.  I may sound crazy because the Raptors gave up 33 points in the first quarter with one stretch of Boston shooting 13-17 from the field but a lot of those shots were tough shots at the end of the shot clock and on the perimeter.  In that first quarter the Celtics did not get into the painted area with any frequency.  In the third quarter the Raptors held them scoreless for the first two minutes in large part to some great defensive intensity from Andrea Bargnani.  On one sequence, he was pinned under the basket with Kendrick Perkins, still recovered to block the shot, then took a charge on Perkins on the same possession.  Bargnani is becoming the best on the ball defender in the starting line up, and I never thought I would write those words.

On the other hand... 

The Boston Celtics scored 33 points on a stretch where they were 13-17 from the field.  Moral victories are all well and good, but in the end they just gave up too many points.  In the second quarter, and end of the third quarter when the second line was on the floor they gave up far too many ally-oop dunks on set plays with either Garnett or Wallace.  The Celtics also got into the paint seemingly at will during certain stretches of the game.  Transition defense is also a point of emphasis that has to be taken care of.  Many will explain that the bad transition defense is a product of poor conditioning and will be taken care of with time.  This was a major problem throughout all of last season though, and could be a huge problem come October 28. 

Touch Passes

I am sure you are sick of hearing about it, I know I am, but these replacement referees can be pretty bad at times.  There was a good intensity and flow to yesterdays game considering it was preseason but it would be interrupted by constant whistles.  There were 32 fouls called within the first 24 minutes of the game.  Many of these whistles came on incidental contact that had no real impact on the game.

- - - -

Something that flew under the radar a bit that struck me was Triano talking about his preffered rotation.  He said 8 or maybe 9 players deep and with conventional wisdom that would mean a back up point guard, back up wing, and a back up big for an 8 man rotation, and the 9th would probably be a big as well given Bargnani, Evans and Johnson's pension for committing fouls.  

Jarrett Jack is clearly the back up floor leader, but the others at this point are a little murky.  Evans will undoubtedly be the first big off the bench when he is back from injury but I believe Amir vs. Rasho will be an interesting decision and may be game-to-game depending on match-ups.  

The most interesting though will be the back up wing.  It seems to be a forgone conclusion that Antoine Wright has the respect of the coaches enough that he would be the back up wing getting the lions share of the minutes.  This leaves out Belinelli, which is disappointing because I thought he would finally breakthrough this year, but not surprising since he has been underwhelming in preseason action. 

- - - -

Last year Boston was the loudest or most talkative team in league with the likes of Kevin Garnett, Eddie House, and Glen 'Big Baby" Davis.  Which coincidentally lead to them being the most annoying.  In the off-season they pick up Rasheed Wallace.  Opposing teams are in for a long, ear-filled year and if the Celtics could just sign Damon Jones they would monopolize the league as far as 'talkers' go.

- - - -

You know, I'm still on the fence about Sonny Weems.  He can't shoot much, he makes some mistakes and I don't know if he'll ever be a player but when he's on the floor things happen.  Things might be good, things might be bad, but man they happen.

- J.Moore   

Posting up the Preseason volume II- Just over halfway until the games count...

With four games officially in the annals of preseason records and with three games remaining to wet our collective whistles I thought (which is dangerous) that this would be as good of a time as ever to digest what has transpired and speculate on what may in the future.

The preseason has been greatly consistent with our expectations which is really all you can ask for.  Bosh has looked stronger but still the same very good power forward we have come to know.  Bargnani can still score the ball.  Calderon is efficient.  Quincy Douby takes shots and Patrick O'Bryant is funny looking.

The main thing is that there have been no major injuries and if that stays consistent then we have had a very successful preseason.  The one big difference from this preseason than others in the past is that I get the distinct idea that if there were to be an injury to a 'key guy' this team does have the depth to compensate for a short period of time.

Now lets observe and be bold with speculation:

What happened to the offense?

Through the first 4 games the boys in red... or white... or black have looked out of sync on offense.  Bosh has not played very much in those 4 games, add 35 minutes a night with Bosh on the floor and the offense will be better.  Coach Jay Triano has also injected some new sets into the offense that, because of their justified emphasis on defense in training camp, do not look polished.  Triano also mentioned that having Turkoglu back will help:

“Just watching him in drills, he gets the ball to the second side, if it’s (with) a skip pass or if someone gets caught cheating, he’s got strong enough wrists he can throw it across the court.

“He knows how to play basketball, he knows how to find guys and move the basketball."

The problem though is that the Raptors have been horrible shooting the ball from the 3 point line so far and shooting .431 from the field and for a team that was thought to need their offense to win games it is a little concerning.

The one very interesting statistic pertaining to offense so far is the free throw shooting.  Last year the Raptors averaged roughly 22 free throw attempts per game.  In the preseason so far; 32 attempts per game.  Assuming the Raptors shoot around .800 % again this year, that is an increase of around 8 more points per game and in a league where the point differential is so low, that is a huge 8 points.

Defense... The Raptors are playing it?
I know I'm full of them today but here are a few more statistics for you:

Steals (totals over four games)
Raptors- 41
Opponents- 33

Blocks (totals over four games)
Raptors- 24
Opponents- 12

Opponents Shooting Percentage
2 point field goal- .431 
3 point field goal- .298 

These statistics speak for themselves but a few things to note.  In 2006/2007 when the Raptors won 47 games and the Atlantic division title on the strength of our bench.  Over the first four preseason games the second unit has been playing the majority of the minutes and looks like they will be a strength of the team once again.  Especially at the defensive end. 

Touch Passes

I had mentioned this in a previous entry but what continues to impress about Jarrett Jack is his ability to keep his dribble alive and his patience on offense.  He will routinely dribble out of or split double teams at the top of the arc then get into the heart of the lane.  When most guard get to this point they either pass or shoot, Jack if none of the before-mentioned options are wise will dribble out of the lane and either reset or take a short corner baseline jump shot which is very effective.

He has only shot .345 from the field and has yet to make a 3 point shot but all his shots have been open jump shots or have been in the lane.  He has not forced many shots.

- - - - 

One Toronto media pundit (who I have a lot of respect for) compared Marco Belinelli to Jason Kapono when the italian was first acquired from Golden State.  He made the case that they were essentially the same player and that we would be getting a cheaper, younger version of Kapono.

Marco Belinelli is the Anti-Kapono.  This is a guy that is not afraid to take open shots, especially of the 3 point variety.  Will breakdown his man off the dribble with relative ease without turning the ball over, and seems to have a passion and almost fury for the game that will endear himself to the Raptors fans. 

- - - -

Something that is very clear, Amir Johnson is going to have his fair share of short nights due to foul trouble, he leads the team with 18.  However the Raptors have not had a young shot-blocker this good or exciting since Keon Clark.  Johnson has the potential of being the anchor of the second line defense, and with Reggie Evans being a good one-on-one defender, a perfect compliment with opportunities for help side blocks at a high rate.  

One of the things that makes him such a good shot-blocker is his ability to block shots with his left hand.  This is key because most players in the league are right handed and instead of trying to go across the opponents body with his right hand to block the shot,  Amir can go up with his left hand to block the right handed opponents shot.  This was evident with his impressive block on Dominic McGuire Sunday.

- - - -

Biggest surprise of preseason so far?  

Sonny Weems!

I have to admit I was dead set on him becoming the brunt of most jokes Raptors this season but he has looked good.  He has not forced bad shots which most players vying for court time do in preseason (see Quincy Douby), he has gotten his points on running the lanes on the break and being active on the offensive end.  He has also played decent defense and if he continues to give effort on that end of the court with his athleticism and frame, he will earn himself a lot of respect with the coaches.

Is he going to crack the rotation? 

No, the minutes are still Antoine Wrights to loose, but if injuries pop up or players really struggle the coaches will not hesitate to let him fly.

- - - -

A friend of mine was commenting that he thought Belinelli kind of looked like Hedo Turkoglu the other day, then another thought he looked like Manu Ginobili which got me thinking.

It has to be the neck beards?  Check out the Euro's around the league, an inordinate amount have neck beards...

- J.Moore

Posting up the Preseason volume I- London calling

Philadelphia 76ers- 107
Toronto Raptors- 98

First word the comes to mind?

Sloppy.

Second?

Expected.

Many things happened Tuesday night that we thought would probably happen for a group on their first preseason game. Especially when you consider their are 12 new faces from last year and the line-ups were... well... lets keep it clean and say juggled. 25 turnovers for the Toronto Raptors will be an aberration, you can also bet that shooting percentages of 41.0 and 35.3 respectively for field goal percentage and 3 point field goal percentage will go up.

Less encouraging is the field goal percentage aloud on both field goal (50.7%) and 3 point field goals (64.3%). These numbers are inflated but the concern is that the defense is predicated on keeping the offensive players 'out of the house' and limiting the opposition to tough outside shots. Well 50.7% percent from the field tells you that Phili didn't just slip through a window, they kicked down the front door and there has to be more then just token pressure on perimeter shots or opposing 3 point percentage in the 60's may continue.

But all that said, its preseason, the Raptors two best players were out of the line up and its all just fun and games. Here are a couple observations:

A sign of things to come...

First defensive possession of the game Lou Williams blows by Jose Calderon at the top of the key and gets fouled by the spaniard.

First offensive possession of the game missed shot by Marco Belinelli, Reggie Evans battles two players for the offensive rebound.

Learning curves...

To give you an idea of the little things Demar has to learn to become an effective player I present you this:

First quarter both he and Marco Belinelli start under the basket long the baseline. There is a double screen by the bigs and the two guards are supposed to come off of the screens along the baseline to opposite ends of the court. Demar slowly drifts off the screen with no real purpose or move, Belinelli uses a change of speed and a quick misdirection look and jets off the screen sharply, receives a pass from Jose Calderon and makes a mid-range jumper.

Keeping the dribble alive...

Jarrett Jacks ability to keep the dribble alive out of double teams and create is outstanding. On a few occasions he managed to keep his dribble, split or dribble out of the double team, get into the heart of the defense and pass off for an open look. It sounds simple because it is, but it's something the Raptors have lacked even with Calderon and it will huge as the season progresses.
New Offense?

Last year the primary offense, and secondary offense for that matter, was a high pick and roll. It's a great play because if it is run properly it can't be defended, either way the defender goes, he makes a mistake and there is an open shot. A little diversity can never hurt though right? On multiple occasions last night the Raptors were running some new sets that were predicated on screens away from the ball on the wings, a quick read and react, and the point guard makes his decision.

It didn't work very well, but it will be interesting to see how it develops as the season does.

The Son is shining?

I don't know if Sonny Weems can play a lick in the NBA and if he will ever stick, but the cat can run, jump and has a great frame for an NBA player. There was a fast break where Marcus Banks had Demar Derozen and Sonny Weems on either side of him and on a team usually starved for athleticism, it was nice to see.

The Good

Reggie Evans

Overall, the Joker as they call him, was not the best player on the floor last night but if the first 3 minutes of the game are any indication of what kind of energy Evans will bring off the bench this year, our bench will be our strength. Evans had 6 points, 3 rebounds and 4 steals in 19 minutes. If you just check the box score in the morning, it's entirely unimpressive. If you watched the game, it was outstanding. Within the first 2 minutes of the game he had 3 of those steals, 2 of the rebounds and 5 points and the crowd was already chanting RE-GGIE! RE-GIE!

Jerome Williams may have found a rival for most popular energy player or junk yard dog, thats if Evans can stay on the court, he was limited by foul trouble.

Which brings us too...

Amir Johnson

Johnson was easily the second best player on the court last night. Physically he looks like he is in great shape and a little bigger and more chiseled than in years past. He had 8 points, 10 rebounds and 2 blocks in 21 minutes, brought the energy, intensity and hustle the coach's want out of him. This will earn Amir minutes. The 2 blocks on the score sheet don't do him justice, he looked like he was all over the court.

On one particular play, he pinned an opposing player from the help side, grabbed the ball off the backboard, dribbled (yes dribbled) coast to coast and got fouled on the lay-up. Triano has given his forwards and centers plenty of lee-way to start the break and Johnson has obviously taken that to heart.

Andrea Bargnani

Andrea was clearly the best player on the court last night from either side. The numbers are impressive 22 points on 9-14 shooting from the field and 2-3 from the 3 point line in 22 mintes but most impressive is his demeanor and physicality.

Last year much was made about Andrea putting on extra muscle and coming back physically ready to take on centers in the East. Last year though he still didn't look the part. This year he has come back and looks like he is in great shape and has the muscle definition of a kid that has grown into his body. This has helped his confidence clearly, because he is unwavering on the court.

Andrea showed that he can, and is willing to score anywhere on the court and go to the basket with aggression and thats a great sign.

The Bad

Jose Calderon

I will preface this by saying that I am a Jose Calderon fan and think that he is an above average point guard in this league with the ability to be an elite point guard in the NBA.

Blame on rust or blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alchohol but Jose was uncharacteristically sloppy last night. He had two or three turnovers within the first 3 minutes and ended the night with 4 turnovers to only 3 assists in 16 minutes of action. This is not typical for Jose and will not be as the season unfolds but he just looked out of sync last night.

Calderon did shoot the ball well as one would expect and combine the new offensive sets with new teammates this is not neccesarily unexpected but for the second game (the intrasqaud scrimmage and the game last night) Jack looked more comfortable and effective on the court. The interesting thing to look out for is how Calderon adapts to the new offense. Jose is perfectly suited for the high pick and roll offense and if he cannot adapt this could become a problem.

Demar Derozen... in the first half

Derozen did not do anything particularily bad so this is a bit misleading. He seemed to be getting the defensive concepts pretty well and did not loose his man to the point where he got beaten on a back door or even off the bounce which is encouraging.

However, he was a non-factor for the entire first half. Demar scored all of his points in the second half when he was playing with second line and sometimes third line players which does and has concerned me. The coaching staff would like him in the starting line so that their isn't pressure to do too much. The problem with that theory is that it takes away from his strengths on the basketball court which is creating his own offense, and to do that he needs his hands on the ball.

In the second half we saw more encouraging signs when he got some fast break opportunities and it was particularily encouraging to see him take and demand the ball down the stretch of a relativley close game but to be effective in the role he has been put in, he needs to find away to score without the ball.

Marcus Banks

The dudes not very good... Seems disinerested at times even though his career is on the line and his play is usually out of control.

Patrick O'Bryant

The dudes not very good... Seems disinterested at times even though his career is on the line and his play is usually lazy.

- J.Moore

Training Camp is over, lets talk!

So as a quiet week in Ottawa concludes and a new level of excitement is presented with the introduction of the 2009 preseason, I thought it would be best to quickly present a couple of observations from this years preseason.

The Good

Reggie Evans

I am not even going to hide my bias when it comes to Reggie Evans, I am infatuated with just about everything he brings to a team on and off the court.  This is a guy that I have been hoping we would target back since 2000 when he came on the scene with the Seattle Supersonics.  The man came with the billing of being a tough, unrelenting rebounding presence and he has definitely delivered through one week at training camp.  

What has surprised me are the other traits he brings that makes this team and people around him better, and the impact he is/will have on this team.  For what ever reason it seems like the guy has been around the league forever, so ignorantly without doing my homework I thought Reggie was already in his 30's with his best days behind him, thus making his role a minor one.  Reggie Evans is 29 and by all accounts in the prime of his career.  He has clearly outplayed Amir Johnson, his primary competition for minutes, and to a lesser degree Rasho Nesterovic by gobbling up every rebound in practice, challenging players on defense, and more specifically challenging Andrea Bargnani.  

Most remember the last time the Raptors went out and acquired a tough veteran player that did the dirty work, and was physically imposing enough to challenge the young stars on the team.  Charles Oakley was able to reign in and focus Vince Carter enough to get some of the most professional and productive years out of the young high flyer.  

Evans has done this with Andrea Bargnani starting from day one, and so far it has worked out beautifully.

Andrea Bargnani

After the first day of training camp Andrea must have been wondering what parallel universe he was in.  After 3 years of training camps where all the players went through light contact and were primarily trying to avoid each other and injury, Andrea ran into the mack truck that is Reggie Evans.  Evans challenged him in the low block with plenty of contact and intensity and in a training camp tidbit that may be to most intriguing and exciting,  Bargnani licked his wounds, came back a day later and brought it to Evans responding to his challenge.  

This could be a pivotal breakthrough year for Bargnani, with a new contract comes security, with a new coach comes confidence, and with a bad ass bruiser potentially comes a focus and intensity that will bring Bargnani to elite status.    

The Bad

Injuries

There is no question that not being able to see Turkoglu and Bosh do some work on the and gel with their new teammates was disappointing, but their is also no questions that the injuries are not serious and there is plenty of time.

The concern is that with 12 new players from the beginning of last season until now, and with training camps and practice time before and during the season so limited you have to hope that these two guys will be able to integrate into the line-up and develop a chemistry quickly with their teammates, especially the starting line.

Hope is the prevailing emotion around this team right now due in large part because of the acquisition of Hedo Turkoglu because of his impact on the franchise both literally (the Toronto Raptors) and figuratively (Chris Bosh).  If the team gets off to a slow start and the preverbal wind comes out of the teams sails, lack of chemistry may be the excuse, and lack of time to gel may be the cause. 

Jose Calderon

Two schools of thought could be used to explain Jose Calderon in training camp, and they revolve around the phrase 'no news is good news'.  Yes, the fact that we have not heard of Calderon in the injury report is great news considering what transpired a season ago, and how his injury affected both him and the team.  

On the other hand when you ask people that have seen practices and scrimmages who has impressed the most, Jose's name seldom comes up.  While this alone is not cause for concern in the final scrimmage Jose seemed pretty invisible and had very little impact throughout the game.  This may just be a veteran being a veteran but his defense still has been lacking and with Jarrett Jack making an impact throughout training camp, it does exasperate the problem and causes mild concern.   

The Mixed

Belinelli

It is very simple with Marco Belinelli, offensively impressive, defensively there are concerns.  Coming into training camp I was one of the many that believed Marco could have a major impact on the court this year as a 6th man of the year candidate.  In training camp he was as advertised, a guy that could create a lot of offense for himself or teammates which is great.

The problem is that if he does not make the commitment to play defense, his minutes could be lowered significantly.  I do think there are some quiet concerns around his defense and a renewed commitment must be shown in preseason going forward

Derozen

This is also very simple, Demar is what we thought he would be.  During practices he has had trouble grasping some of the intricacies and nuances of NBA basketball both on the offense and defensive end.  His shot is a work in progress but his basketball instincts are good and that showed during the inter-squad game going to the basket on multiple occasions and scoring 13 points.

If Demar can show consistent energy and effort on the defensive end, and concentrate on what he does best at the offensive end (going to the basket) then the rookie will have a good rookie year.

Weems

Sonny is apparently funny... So thats good.

- J.Moore

Philosophy, Culture, Coaching and Training camp...

In the last 5 years much has happened around the Toronto sports landscape in the way of change.  MLSE, which pretty much has the monopoly on Toronto sports franchises finally seems to becoming wise in that they have removed themselves from the day-to-day operations of their biggest sports commodities, the Toronto Raptors in the coup that was Bryan Colangelo's signing and recently a similar scenario in which the Leafs got their man Brian Burke.

 These men have great minds in their respective sports, but more than individual talents, they have the perspective to surround themselves with other great thinkers, and the confidence to utilize them without paranoia and ego meddling with their vision or mission to take their teams to greatness.  Brian Burke (President and General Manager), on the hockey side, has Dave Nonis (Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations), Dave Poulin (Vice President of Hockey Operations), Jeff Jackson (Assistant General Manager), Cliff Fletcher (Top Advising Consultant) and a strong willed veteran Coach in Ron Wilson who Burke has said deals with the players and day-to-day hockey side by himself.  On the basketball side Bryan Colangelo (President and General Manager) has surrounded himself with an extensive brain trust which includes Maurizio Gherardini (Senior Vice President of Basketball Operations), Marc Eversley (Assistant General Manager), Masai Ujiri (Assistant General Manager), and Wayne Embry (Senior Basketball Advisor).  These men who are two of the most sought after, successful minds in their sport have made the commitment to improve themselves by insulating themselves with creative minds, not responsive ones and it seems to be rubbing off.

I have not talked a lot about Jay Triano and how his appointment as coach will affect the team coming into this season.  This is because I have always been of the opinion that coaching in professional sports is in large part vastly overrated.  Unless a team has the top 3 percent of coaches in the league, a team can win with just about any coach given the right circumstances.  That being said the culture that is being created around the Toronto Raptors franchise thanks to Bryan Colangelo, and now Jay Triano's philosophies are beginning to excite this particular fellow.  The Toronto Raptors hierarchy has become something of a model on how to put together a management team.  Evidence of this was when Burke was brought in on the hockey side, and the same model is already gathering steam when discussing the Toronto Blue Jays.  Get the best guy, and build the best brain trust around him.

Triano, in his first full off-season with the team, and now first training camp is taking this philosophy and running with it.  First, it was the hiring of Marc Iavaroni, a former assistant coach to Mike D'Antoni and head coach for the Memphis Grizzlies.  Then it was keeping on Alex English, which he was a lead assistant with under Sam Mitchell.  Then it was bringing in Alvin Williams, a former player for the Raptors who came into the coaching ranks with much fanfare.  These three moves are significant, Iavaroni was once thought of as the successor to Sam Mitchell and thus an easy target for Triano to avoid if he felt threatened by the former Memphis coach.  Instead, he hired him as a lead assistant.  English's hire is interesting because very rarely would a new head coach hire on an old coach's assistants, instead the new coach usually prefers to have 'one consistent message' by bringing in his own guy.  Finally having the perspective to hire on a young mind that isn't far off from playing in Alvin Williams, he will have the chance to reach players in the inevitable times the locker room doesn't feel like listening to a 50 year old white guy from Canada eh.

Now with training camp underway more evidence of his willingness to learn and listen to others that have come before and potentially after is evident.  Triano carries a notebook around with him in which he has documented any idea that he liked or could use at some point over his coaching career.  The defense will look very similar to the same structure Kevin O'Neil (remember him, the guy that one-punched a lamp) had in place when he coached the Raptors.  If you check out the court in Ottawa (where they are holding training camp) this week you will notice that the key/painted area has been transformed into the shape of a house (with the roof peak pointed up to the top of the college 3 point arc).  This is an old tactic used by non other than Bob Knight to try to keep team defense focused on keeping opposing players out of the painted area and 'protecting the house'.  Triano has also taken lessons from his time with Mike Krzyzewski.  At the begining of each day he plays the part of school teacher by setting the desks of a classroom up in a circle and draws his message up on a white board, the thought being there will be a greater focus in a classroom rather then a basketball court.  Time will tell if these things work, but the fact that Triano has taken strategies from proven coaches that have proven to work very well in the past is encouraging.  

The Raptors seventh head coach in franchise history is also doing his best to pay it forward and possibly fill up his notebook in the process.  He has invited local coaches from around the area including National Coach Leo Rautins,  to come and observe practices during training camp, ask questions, and Triano has been open to not only receive their thoughts but has also encouraged his assistants to do so as well.  One of the coaches is Jasmin Repesa a man that is regarded as one of the top basketball minds in Europe.  Over his 15 year coaching career he has been under the tutelage of our own Maurizio Gherardini, and has coached Raptor Marco Belinelli and former Raptor Roko Ukic.  Open practices are not common by NBA head coaches, especially open practices where head coaches encourage their 'inferiors' to give advice, however this open-mindedness by Triano is a breath of fresh air and particularly encouraging to a Raptors fan-base.

A forward thinking culture has been created by Bryan Colangelo, its trickle down effects are beginning to show through the franchise and the hope is, all this philosophical BS will translate onto something special on the court.  If not, at the very least Colangelo could probably do a heck of a seminar for big business, am I wrong?

- J.Moore