Morning After Meltdown

Frustration Peaks

I personally have watched ever Raptor playoff game ever played. I can not recall a more sick feeling then yesterday’s first quarter. Vince Carter missed shot in game 7 vs. the Sixers was a painful moment but I could understand that. To understand some of the things I was witness to on Sunday afternoon was much more difficult to wrap my brain around. The first thing that I don’t get is why Andrea Bargnani was in the starting line-up in place of Jamario Moon. I often come to the defence of Sam Mitchell mainly because I like Sam as a person and respect the effort he gets out of this team. He has never been able to solve how to get that effort from Bargnani though. Mitchell said himself that teams don’t change what they do when they reach the post season. If that is true then what was Andrea Bargnani doing starting in a position he had not started at all year? Sure if it worked it would have been a intelligent move but if what Sam said about changing things is true then this move was doomed from the start wasn’t it? Bargnani only scored 5 points in 28 minutes of play. I am to the point that I have 0 faith in Andrea Bargnani. I do not think he can respond and I question what he eventually will become in this league. He does have a ton of ability but he seldom delivers on that. He does not encourage me to cheer for him in anyway. I use to think his honest kind of brutal English evaluations of his own play and the team we’re amusing. Not that fact he could not speak the language that well but the just honest brutality in the words he uses to say what he wants say. But I no longer find it funny. I want results and I don’t care if Andrea Bargnani does his interviews in whatever language he likes. Point to me is produce on the floor. I think if Bryan Colangelo does not move this guy sooner rather then later his value could be so low that the player or deal you make could be far less then you would expect for a former number 1 pick in the draft.

 

I also don’t understand how on earth this team does not understand basic defensive fundamentals. Things like contesting shots and crashing the boards. This is not rocket science here. Go find someone and box him out. See that open guy over there maybe you might want to guard him. I always go back to an expression Jack Armstrong uses and it is that HELP is the weakest word in the defensive vocabulary. Well Raptors are very weak in that regard. T.J Ford and Jose Calderon are the first line of defence and need to do a better job staying in front of their man. Ford is the fastest player in the NBA and that says to me that he should be able to stay in front of anyone he chooses to. T.J often is guilty of too much effort on offence. Well take that effort to the other end of the floor. This Toronto Raptor team would have a much better chance to win if T.J Ford has 4 or 5 steals then if he scores 20 or 30 points. I don’t hide the fact I am a Ford fan but as a fan and a guy that has his best interest at heart he needs to improve his defensive effort and if he does that no one is talking about trading him. Jose Calderon is also not getting it done as he often is easily picked off by the offence. He needs to fight through screens and challenge his man rather then hanging back and hoping not to get beat. He needs to do better on defence. That is my greatest fear if Ford does get traded is can Jose play any sort of defence at all. T.J has the skills and ability to do it. I am not sure if Jose does. Coming from Europe where they use far more zones then man to man defence I am not sure if Jose can be converted into a solid on the ball defender. Roko Ukic who many see as the answer to make trading Ford acceptable also plays in the same European system. So I am not confident he can get job done in that regard as well as fact he would be new to the league which is always tough for anyone. I was watching one of the other games Pistons/Sixers I think. I saw both teams putting on like 3/4 court pressure and almost bordering on a press. It made me think when was the last time I saw the Raptors do that. I mean could the defence get much worse? Why not try a version of a press and see what happens. It sure couldn’t hurt and you never know it just might work. If not at least you tried.

 

I am starting to rethink my opinion of the new Chris Bosh and his whole more present media persona. This whole nonsense with Stephen A Smith seemed to be a distraction that was not needed. Smith was totally wrong in his comments and I have not changed a bit about that. I did stop to think though. I get that Chris Bosh was pissed and rightfully so. But why are you taking the time to write a blog right before the most important game of your season? Could you not have said the same stuff in a media scrum or addressed it post game  in the press conference? This may seem like I am being hyper critical of Bosh but perception can be reality in this world. The perception of you being concerned about what a guy said on ESPN and not on the task at hand. It may not be the truth of the matter but if people think it the truth doesn’t matter. Bosh has yet to have that solid playoff performance. You know like the guy across the way did. Howard has never got the better of Bosh till yesterday. Bosh always was that little bit better. But when the chips are down Dwight delivered and Bosh not so much. To much is given much is expected. I think Chris Bosh understands that concept. He must not only understand it but live up too it. He called out the fans which was great. But he needs to follow that up with his own play being on a high level. I never question Chris Bosh’s effort. His execution of that effort is another matter.

 

So all this being said the Raptors are dead right? That is what they want you to think. I have watched this team since the first game ever and they always seem to come up with great performances at the most unlikely time. When the entire world doubts the Raptors that is when they show up. It is part of the frustration of being a fan of this franchise. They are always hard to figure out at the best of times. It makes no logical sense but then again being a fan of a sports team is not as much about logic as it is about passion. I am not saying it will happen but if the Raptors won game 2, I would not be shocked. That being said I would not be shocked to see them turn around and lose Game 3 at home after that. It would be the typical Raptor thing to do. My mother often says I do things the hard way. Maybe that is why I relate so well with the Raptors because they always seem to take that path of the hard way. I really don’t know what the reason is to be honest with you. It must be something to write a blog everyday and lose sleep over concern for this basketball team. I full expect a mass exit from the Raptor bandwagon but be careful jumping back on because the people like me that remain might just push you back off. Some fans and there constant negative attitude drive me nuts. I mean it gets crazy. I participate on the Real Gm forums from time to time and I saw a post after yesterday’s game explaining the positive merits of Raptors being swept by Orlando. Honestly do us all a favour go find another team to cheer for. I am not saying the points made were not valid ones they were but they are valid points for the off-season and not now. You may think I am being over the top about this but that is your right. I have the right to say I don’t like sharing a fan base with people with this type attitude.

 

NBA PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK Day 2

 

• Lakers looked impressive and I looked smart as Lamar Odom was very good. But not as good as Gasol who was massive in his Laker Playoff debut. Kobe Bryant his happy he didn’t get his way and get out of L.A. This Laker season would make a heck of a movie if they happened to win the title. Jack could play himself.
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• Down goes Detroit, Down goes Detroit. Worthy of another movie which would be like a basketball rip off of Rocky would be the Sixers should they beat the Pistons 3 more times. I am not banking on it. But what I am banking on is that I am not nearly as sold on the Pistons as I was 24 hours ago.
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• Boston is the Favourite to win the whole thing and did nothing to change that opinion against the Hawks. One thing I have noticed in sports lately is poor planing as far as bringing children into this world. KG is a proud father of a new baby and so was the Canucks goalie right at the end of the hockey season. Women will hate this, but fellas can you get a calender you please plan ahead. Sure you both got to see your child born which is great. But what is wrong with you doing that in January and not April or May. Next time plan ahead.

 

That seems a strange way to end this blog so I need something else. I got it. I tried that Raptor Shot Caller game during the demolition of the Raptors. I hold it responsible for my T.V still working today. But seriously it was fun. I just think this would have been a better idea at the start of the season. Playoffs are not a good time to start this game. It was fun interacting with fans though. If anyone found this blog from hanging out there I welcome you to the Dino Nation Blog. See this game launch is also about poor planing . The poorest planing of all was the Raptors game plan for game 1. Time to find a new one for Game 2. Come on Sam I know you don’t read blogs or newspapers but people are starting to say you might get fired and I don’t want to see that happen. I like you to much. Jeff Van Gundy would never make me laugh as much as you.

Tags: Andrea Bargnani, Chris Bosh, Jose Calderon, K.G, Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, Magic, NBA, Raptors, Sam Mitchell, T.J Ford