From my earlier post it may seem like I think Sam Mitchell is the only reason this team has struggled so far this year, but I want to assure you, that’s not the case.

I think Bryan Colangelo needs to bear a chunk of the blame, and of course, the players do too.

Here’s how I break it down: Mitchell: 40%; Colangelo: 35%; Players: 25%.

I covered Mitchell’s part earlier: Team wasn’t prepared for games, no offensive creativity, bad/no playcalling down the stretch, odd substitution patterns, team appeared to be tuning him out.

The players deserve blame, of course, because clearly, they did not come to play every night. And you can lay some of that on Mitchell, for not preparing them, but at some point, as Mitchell said the other day, guys just need to come and play hard without being told to - that’s part of being a professional. And on top of that, you have players not answering their roles on offense (Calderon not turning the corner on screen and roll, Kapono not shooting threes, Moon not driving, O’Neal shooting too many fadeaways) and making dumb mistakes (Solomon leaving his feet to pass, Hump and his running one handers, etc.). They gotta accept responsibility too.

As for the rest, well, that’s gotta be on Colangelo. I talked about it a while ago, how this thin roster was not constructed with enough flexibility to make any moves, so if it stunk, we were essentially stuck with it. Also a problem that in today’s NBA, where the bigger bodies and advanced medical analysis mean more missed games, that it was considered a good idea to run with a 12-man roster.

And it’s been borne out, obviously, that there is a serious deficiency at the wing positions and that there is no one on the bench to help and no moves to be made to bring help in.

Here’s where I think BC’s biggest mistakes came:

1) First of all, letting Carlos Delfino walk away.

Now, I know they couldn’t re-sign him without going over the tax and you can absolutely argue that he’s not enough to go over the tax for. And of course hindsight is 20/20. But comparing him to the other wing players: He slashes more than Moon, Parker and Kapono combined, and although his overall shooting percentage was low (40%), he shot 38% from three and I guarantee that with regular, consistent minutes, he wouldn’t force as many shots.

Furthermore, he can play backup point guard. You could have brought in Roko, left Solomon to rot in Europe, and had Delfino as your third guard. And, he can rebound - 4.4 per game in 23 minutes is an excellent number.

Most important, he was a better defender than Kapono and equal to Moon and Parker last year. And since both of those guys have taken a step back on defense (which couldn’t be predicted, I know) Delfino surely would have been a better option right now.

Most important… he was the only guy on the team last year other than TJ Ford capable of his creating his own shot. Again, not always good shots, but again, with consistent playing time…

Either way, the Raptors now don’t have a single soul who can create, no one who can defend, a crappy backup PG, and a three point shooter who won’t shoot threes. Delfino could have helped out in every case. (The Raptors still hold Delfino’s rights, but by all accounts, his contract is 3 years/$12 million dollars without any out clauses. Meaning he’d have to negotiate a buyout to get out of his deal before 2011. Doesn’t seem likely.)

2) The other mistake, a much larger mistake, was buying out Jorge Garbajosa’s contract.

This was huge for two reasons. Number one, if - and I admit it was a big if - Garbajosa was able to get healthy and play, he could have provided the physical perimeter defender they sorely need. He’s also, as we all know, an incredibly smart basketball player, a good hustle and energy guy, who provides a lot of the “intangibles” the Raps are missing. Again, I don’t know if he’d ever be healthy enough to contribute (I note he’s averaging 9 points and 4 boards in Russia, but that’s a little different from NBA competition) but why not keep him around to see? And surely, another veteran presence around the locker room couldn’t hurt, could it?

But just as important (more important maybe?), he had a $4.3 million expiring contract. Even if he couldn’t play a minute, as we all know in today’s NBA, expiring contacts are like gold at the trading deadline, and having small contracts (relatively speaking) to trade gives you even more flexibility advantages. This is exactly the type of asset we don’t have to trade! Any team looking to dump salary would have looked right here, with $11 million in Garbo, Graham and Parker available, plus Hump and his two years. And you don’t think taking back an expiring or two would make a longer contract like Kapono’s more attractive in a package?

Why in the world Colangelo thought it’d be a good idea to buy out an expiring contract, instead of trying to trade it, is beyond me. Maybe it was outta respect for Garbo, but come on. This is a business. And this was a bad, bad GM move. I mean, seriously. This was like a Rob Babcock move. The Raptors got absolutely nothing out of this, except what, a savings of about a million dollars? Chump change. I’d rather have a trade asset.

So, those two mistakes were huge contributors to the problems the Raptors are having:

• They have no perimeter D - which both could have helped with;
• The bench is too thin - obviously, a couple of veterans never hurts;
• They have minimal trade assets - Garbo’s contract, if not Garbo himself, would be of value;
• The roster is at the minimum, so they can’t do a 2-for-1 trade - again, more bodies, more tradeable assets, means a trade is more likely.

Now, another factor was drafting Nathan Jawai in round 2; I know second round players are absolute crapshoots, but it might have been nice had they chosen a guy who could at least attempt to play. Sigh.

If he’d kept Delfino, kept Garbo, left Will Solomon under whatever rock he was under, drafted a raw 7-footer whose only job would need to be “hack Dwight Howard,” we’d have a 14-man roster with better perimeter defenders, more fouls to give, and some bargaining chips. And BC still could have brought on Hassan Adams to play cheerleader!

Instead we’ve got three good bigs plus Hump, five mediocre swingmen, a good PG backed up by a rookie and a guy who would struggle to make the D-league. Oh, and a 7-footer who hasn’t dressed once.

And next-to-no bargaining power to make a trade.

That, my friends, is all on Colangelo.

Should the roster be producing more wins? It looks like it - it looks like some playcalling and offensive creativity, combined with sustained effort, should have won at least two more games already this year (and avoided struggling in the close games they almost blew). So yes, I do believe - at this point - that a coaching will help.

But if this team continues to flounder under Jay Triano, if Triano puts in some new sets but they still struggle or appear listless, then it’ll be clear - it’s not the coaching, it’s the roster. And BC is going to have a hard time fixing it, because he’s left himself so few options.

Tags: Bryan Colangelo, Jay Triano, Sam Mitchell, Toronto Raptors

Well, yesterday was a big day. Big day for the Raptors. Sam Mitchell was fired after an 8-9 start - and let’s be honest, given the poor effort and blown leads, it’s a bad 8-9 start.

Was the timing right? From a PR standpoint, you can’t do much better than firing the coach after one of the worst losses in franchise history, on the west coast, to boot.

In addition, you have to figure that at 8-9, they’re still in the playoff chase - if they can survive this brutal stretch of the schedule - so if you’re going to make a coaching change, better to make it now then when you’re 12-20 and out of the race.

I simply can’t understand the people (Doug Smith, I’m looking at you) that keep saying “it’s too early.” It’s not - the season is slipping away. When does too early become “just right” and not “too late”? It’s a fine line, obviously, but I’d rather make the move too early than too late.

No, 8-9 isn’t bad on paper but look at the games - the blown leads, the poor effort, the lack of execution down the stretch.

Is it all on the coach? Of course not, but it starts there - the coach is the leader and if he can’t get the players to even play hard, then he’s gotta take some blame.

We all know Mitchell is not a great X’s and O’s guy, but it’s always been said that he’s a good motivator, the players respect him and play hard for him, etc.. But that no longer appeared to be the case, at least not this season, am I wrong? I count three zero-effort games: The first Hawks game, the second Celtics game, and Denver. I count two listless games where a few threes kept it respectable: The Lakers game and the second Sixers game. I count three blown leads where the team simply got lazy in the second half: Orlando, Boston, and New Jersey (which was at home, and featured the still-unbelievable twice-botched inbounds play). Then you’ve got the second Miami game that they very nearly blew after leading by 17, and the first Charlotte game that they slept through the entire first half and got down 16 before Bosh single-handedly brought them back to win. And in the second Atlanta game, they played great almost the entire game until the final two minutes when they almost blew a 9-point lead and it took the poor decision making of the Hawks to seal it.

So by my tally, that’s five games with entirely poor efforts, three games where they didn’t play hard for 48 and lost, and two games where they didn’t play hard for 48 and still managed to win, plus one they won despite not executing down the stretch. They’ve only won one game against a +.500 opponent (Atlanta) and aren’t putting even bad teams away with any authority. Also consider the 13-20 finish to last year and the 1-4 playoff run, and that’s a pretty bad stretch, no?

So I don’t think you can you say that Mitchell has them playing hard anymore. And if they’re not playing hard for him, and he’s not going to help them win with X’s and O’s… then what is he bringing to the table? Some fine suits and a lot of excuses, that’s what.

Now. I like Sam, don’t get me wrong, and I am going to miss him. A lot. He was entertaining, enjoyable, a good person and someone who never gave less than his best. He did improve as a coach, greatly, over the years, not just on the floor but also in his management of the team, changing the attitude of the team, dealing with the media, everything. And, up until recently, the Raptors always played hard. Always - just like Sam did.

But something obviously changed and they aren’t playing hard right now.

Going forward, do I really think getting rid of Sam is going to make a big difference? Probably not. As has been said many times many places, even a great coach like Phil Jackson would have trouble teaching Calderon how to stay in front of his man or Moon to stay on his feet on pump fakes. But I think we all feel Sam’s weak X’s and O’s meant the team struggled as much on offense as it did on defense.

If Jay Triano brings a few more plays to the playbook and manages to mix things up a little, the Raptors should, at the very least, manage to score a little more easily. And if you’re not using up all your energy on offense, maybe you’ve got a little more left for defense, no? That’s the hope that I have, at least.

Whether it’s more transition hoops, whether it’s plays that get Kapono, Parker or Calderon more open looks, whether it’s more post-ups for Bargnani when he’s playing smaller 3s… a team with Chris Bosh and Jermaine O’Neal and so many shooters on it should not struggle to get open shots. I hope Triano has something up his sleeve to solve that.

I also hope he gives the guys consistent minutes on a consistent basis. Time to stop judging guys on one missed shot or turnover. Either let them play through a good chuck and determine if they can learn from these mistakes or if they’re just bad players.

In my opinion, and in the opinion of many, Sam was never Bryan Colangelo’s guy. The two never saw eye-to-eye; they have distinctly different styles and philosophies, and Bryan, well, I gather Bryan has a bit of an ego and a “I know more basketball than you” air about him, so he probably wanted to bring his own guy in from day one.

But, it didn’t make sense to fire Sam right off the bat, in the last year of his contract, and have to swallow the cash - after all, no one expected the team to be any good in Bryan’s first year. But, it was - good enough to win 47 games and give Sam the Coach of the year Award.

And that, folks, was the worst possible thing that could have happened.

I think Bryan was expected maybe 38 wins and was simply going to let Sam walk at the end of the 2006-2007 season. Thanks for a good year, you did good enough to land another job, we’re going a different route, blah blah blah.. But he simply had to bring Sam back - you can’t let the coach of the year walk away.

And that set Bryan’s plan back. I think he was hoping to bring someone in that offseason - maybe Iavaroni, maybe Messina - but he’d lose face letting the coach of the year walk away. And maybe, like me, he thought Sam would continue to improve and that there was value in the continuity of having one voice.

But, obviously, that improvement never came and it looks like the voice was getting tuned out. The timing, unfortunately for Sam, is right. I applaud this move at this time - it was, I believe, 100 per cent necessary.

I wish Sam the best of luck. I really will miss him. It’s been four years plus a couple months we’ve had Sam as our coach. That’s a long time - longest tenure, and winningest, in Raptors history. He and Chris Bosh were the only remnants from the “old days” - the only people left on the team that coached/played with Vince Carter. And I won’t forget the 47 wins and the division title or the playoff series against the Nets, and I won’t forget being there to see him win coach of the year, and the way he brought all the players out to the court with him. Great moment. All the best to you, Sam, really.

And Jay, well, best of luck to you too! I hope you succeed because it will be great for Canada, but mostly, I hope you succeed so that we can see our beloved Raptors get back on the winning track.

Tags: Bryan Colangelo, Jay Triano, Sam Mitchell, Toronto Raptors

Well, that’ll go down as one of the worst weekends for basketball fans in Toronto in recent memory. First, Vince eats us up like Hannibal Lecter (just call it The Silencing of the Fans) and then the Raptors didn’t bother to show up against the Celtics.While I’ve never really been a Sam Mitchell “supporter,” I’ve maintained over the years that having one coach, one voice, is better than a rotating door of coaches. Consistency is important. I hate these teams that fire coaches every 18 months.

That said, consistency has been the only thing Sam’s had going for him, and I think we’ve just about reached the tipping point. Before Sunday’s non-effort, the Raptors had blown 15+ point leads in three straight games (although they managed to escape Miami with the win). Add in the Celtics game where they were also up 17, and you have to ask yourself: why can’t this team keep a lead?

And when you come out clearly unprepared to play, what possible excuse is there? Who is to blame, except for the coach? Good teams get up when playing the champs, and good teams bounce back from tough losses.

These things didn’t happen. Yes, of course, some of it is on the players. But it starts with the coach. And when it’s a habit - remember, they had a rough loss to the Celtics two weeks ago and laid an egg - in the form of a 26-13 first quarter - against Philly next game - the coach has to take the heat for not breaking players of the habit. That’s his job.

Obviously, I don’t expect Sam to be fired; we all know MLSE doesn’t want to eat his salary, there’s not a whole heck of a lot of candidates and I don’t see any of the assistants really creating any real change (though I’d love to see Jay Triano get a head coaching trial).

And I don’t think Bryan Colangelo is exempt from blame either. This is the roster he created, and it is far to thin to realistically compete. I know hindsight is 20/20 but how did he, or anyone, expect this team to be competitive with only a 12 man roster? It seems like everyone - myself included - looked at the good things O’Neal and Bosh could do, assumed Moon and Kapono would be better, and that the team would stay healthy. But I have an excuse - I have the eternal fan optimism in me; Colangelo should have been preparing for the worst, that there would be injuries, that one player or more would regress, that the chemistry wouldn’t be there… whatever. That’s his job.

But he clearly didn’t prepare for any eventuality other than “we’ll be healthy and everyone will be as good or better than last year and our new guys will be able to contribute right away.” Now reality has set in: Rarely do teams stay completely healthy, the swingmen are worse than last year, and a roster that includes no backup centre (behind an injury-prone starter) and a pair of unproven PGs is not a real contender. And a 12-man roster, obviously, cannot compete in the trade market, and the team won’t go over the tax to sign anyone (even if there were help available) so there is no method of improving mid-season.

I still like the O’Neal trade, but it really needed to come with the caveat that BC could go over the tax level to sign some veteran backup centre - like a PJ Brown type - to come in and play 12 minutes a game and give JO some rest. Or, it should have been Parker or Kapono in the trade instead of Nesterovic, or maybe included Rasho and one of them, and brought Jeff Foster back… something, anything to shore up the depth.

And I’d rather have a journeyman NBA retread like Darrell Armstrong or Damon Stoudamire - hell, even Darrick Martin! - playing backup PG than a guy who washed out of the league six years ago.

And frankly, I’d rather have Carlos Delfino than anyone else the Raps have at SF or SG.

But, like I say, I’m not a GM and hindsight means squat. This is the team we have and we’re stuck with it.

Unfortunately, they’re in a big hole right now. With three-game and six-game road trips in December, it was imperative that this team get off to a good start in November. When you consider the early schedule and the upgraded expectations, the Raptors SHOULD have been 10-5 heading into this three game trip, the five losses coming to Boston, Detroit, Boston, Orlando and split with Philly. (I say this because those four teams are better than us and Philly’s about even.)

But the losses to Atlanta and New Jersey should not have happened, and we should have been looking at the next two home games from an 8-5 record and a nice dose of confidence.

Instead confidence is eroding, the team is last in the division (the only team below .500), 10th in the conference, two key players are fighting injuries, the superstar is frustrated, and the team’s play has steadily deteriorated. The way they’re playing, I have absolutely zero confidence this team can beat Charlotte or Atlanta at home before heading west to take on the Lakers, Jazz and Nuggets.

Add it up, and we’re looking at coming back from out west on a 7-game losing streak with all hope of the playoffs - let alone a first-round victory - long gone.

There. I said it: I believe the Raptors are in danger of missing the playoffs.

I’ve hit the panic button. And I’m serious. It’s not just “I’m upset coming off a loss.” I’m looking at the way this team is playing - worse every game - and the upcoming road games, and I’m seriously concerned that this roster, with this coach and a GM’s hands tied by the luxury tax, not to mention the injuries, will not be able to right this ship in time.

I’m not saying they can’t turn it around; of course they can, and they might even start tomorrow night! That’s the great thing about sports. Maybe they can’t make a trade, but sometimes, the motivation comes from within. One game, heck, one play can restore confidence and change everything. You never know.

But I just haven’t seen the evidence that this team of players, with this coach, can do that.

And, you can’t keep saying “it’s only 13 games.” They were very important games, and frankly, the Raptors have not had a “good” all around performance since the first week. Heck, they’re 16-28 since February!

Not only that, but do you realize that in his four-plus years here, the Raptors have had exactly three five-game winning streaks under Sam Mitchell? That’s 340 games! Even bad teams go on runs sometimes, but the Raptors - a supposedly good team - just don’t do that.

Do you really think this is a team capable of winning 5 or 6 in a row, or going on a 12 of 15 run? They need a win streak to get back in the race, but I don’t see any evidence to suggest that they can do it. (And don’t say “they did it in 06-07″; yes, they climbed out of that 2-8 hole, but the competition in the East that year, was, um, not exactly world-class. It’s a lot better now. And part of the reason the Raps were so good was with their depth - they were able to withstand injuries to Parker, Bosh, Garbo and Bargnani. They can’t do that now.)

Obviously, I want them to prove me wrong, and I hope and pray they start tomorrow. They gotta turn it around and win these next two and hopefully one of the road games. If they come back from out west 9-9, some confidence will be restored and they may be set up to get some wins before going back on the road at Christmas.

Otherwise it’ll be 6-12 and only the delusional will be saying “it’s only been 18 games.”

Tags: Sam Mitchell, Toronto Raptors

Well, the Raptors overcame one of Sam Mitchell’s worst games as a head coach to beat the Heat last night. I don’t know when I’ve ever been as angry at Mitchell as I was last night.

Seriously, this idea that a player MUST sit when he picks up his second foul - it has to stop. IT HAS TO STOP. Fucking unacceptable, to sit Jose Calderon down because he picked up foul #2. Then when he came back and picked up #3 he sat him down AGAIN.

Yo, Sam? HE’S THE POINT GUARD!!! Has Sam Mitchell even watched a basketball game? How often do point guards foul out? Rarely ever! If a guy is committing lazy fouls because he’s overmatched - like Michael Beasley’s two fouls on Bargnani in the first two mintues? Sure, sit him. But ticky-tack fouls? For a point guard? Which is the only position you don’t have a capable backup for? YOU DON’T FUCKING SIT HIM WITH THREE FOULS.

I have to wonder, does he realize the limit is six, not five? This isn’t college. And you know what, Sam? IT’S OK TO FOUL OUT. Seriously. There’s no fine or suspension or anything for fouling out. I’d rather my team give its all rather than sit meekly by, doing nothing; this team is too thin to be sitting guys with two or three fouls. ESPECIALLY THE FUCKING POINT GUARD.

Sam also decided it was OK to take Chris Bosh out with three fouls in the first half; I was actually OK with this since Bosh was clearly tired and could use the rest, but for the record, guess how many fouls Bosh and Calderon finished with? Three each. ARGH.

Moving right along, the second object of my ire - for the second game in a row - was Will Solomon. Once again, Willie tried to give the game away to the Heat. I don’t understand what is wrong with this man. I’m sorry, you’re complaining to ref after fouling Dwyane Wade? What are you, some sort of moron?

Check out this unbelievably awesome sequence by Solomon that started at about the 10 minute mark of the fourth quarter. And no, don’t ask me why Solomon is playing in the fourth. Most coaches rest their best players - especially when there’s no real backup - in the third quarter. Dwyane Wade didn’t sit in the fourth quarter, did he? No, he only single-handedly brought the Heat back. Sigh. Back to the sequence I was referring to:

Score is 83-75, Toronto. DeQuan Cook buries a corner three to cut it to 83-78, and this is where Solomon decides it’s time to take a dump on the court. First, he dribbles out the clock for 10 seconds before launching a jumper. He’s only on the court with superstar Chris Bosh and the best shooter in the game, Jason Kapono. But Solomon thinks he should be taking the shot without even making a pass. Naturally he misses.

Down the other way we go, and Solomon finds himself guarding Wade on a switch. He reaches in, whacks Wade in the arm - and remember, this is Wade, if you so much as flare your nostrils at the guy it’s a foul. But Solomon clearly reached in, got the arm, and gets called… and then he decides to bitch at the official about it. Actually, “decides” may not be the right word. Perhaps “continues” would be better because he’s been complaining to the refs pretty much non-stop the past two games. You’re Will Fucking Solomon. What the fuck gives you the right to bark at the official?

Well, nothing apparently. Will gets a well-deserved technical, Chris Quinn hits the free throw and now it’s a four point game.

You’d think that, since his backup - BACKUP! - point guard is suffering a Chernobyl-level meltdown on the court that Sam Mitchell might take him out at this point. After all, not only is he not contributing, he’s actively giving the opposition points, and even if Jose Calderon is completely gassed, I guarantee you Roko Ukic isn’t picking up any technicals. Naturally, Sam doesn’t think this is the time to make such a sub, so guess what happens next?

On the ensuing inbounds, Solomon goes under a screen on Quinn - whose only weapon is the jump shot - and Quinn buries a three without so much a hand in his face. This is a day after Solomon spent a game going OVER screens on Jameer Nelson, whose best weapon is the drive-and-kick game. What the fuck, man? Do you not read the scouting reports, or, you know, REMEMBER ALL THE OTHER TIMES YOU’VE ALREADY BEEN BURNED ON THE SAME PLAY!?!?

Then, Mr. Solomon completes his highlight reel evening by throwing away an entry pass on the ensuing Raptors possession. Heat ball with a chance to take the lead. At least that stops the clock - and Mitchell has apparently arisen from his nap - so Solomon finally comes out of the game.

Let’s recap. Cook hit that three at the 9:47 mark. The turnover came at the 8:53 mark. That means in 54 seconds, Solomon missed a jump shot, got called for a foul, got called for a technical, lost his man on defense for a three-pointer, and turned the ball over. 54 seconds! When I write my post-mortem on this season,”54 seconds” is going under Will Solomon’s name and that’s all you need to know.

Although, I may also mention the clear-path foul he committed at the end of the first half that gave Dwyane Wade two free throws and the ball back with 2 seconds to go. Another brilliant fucking move. Where the hell did they find this guy, anyway? Talk about taking a dump on the court… hell, I wouldn’t have been shocked if he actually took a dump on the court.

Anyway, when play resumed after that career-defining 4th quarter sequence, Wade drove the lane for another incredible dunk - one of several on the night, but clearly the most important, as the 17-point Raptor lead had officially evaporated - and it was 84-83, Miami and I thought the Raps were cooked. But, Anthony Parker decided it was an emergency and finally broke the glass on his jump shot.

In the first half, Parker looked like he looked last night - a step behind on offense. It seemed to me he was expending so much effort on D - and I give him all the credit in the world for it, I hate to think how much worse they’d be without him - that it was completely taking him out of his offense. He was 0-4 from the field in the first half, making him an awful 9-31 over the past 14 quarters.

Then it was slump-bustin’ time. He went for 19 in the second half! 5-5 from downtown, including a three after Wade’s dunk that gave the Heat the lead. He hit another with a minute to go that gave the Raps a six-point lead, and hit the sealing free throws with 10 seconds to go. He also grabbed three key rebounds down the stretch.

He also did the best he could on D-Wade, “holding” him to 4-10 shooting after The Dunk.

Kudos to Mr. Parker for redeeming himself.

Sigh. A win is a win. I just wish it didn’t have to be such a struggle. Even with Wade going off for 40, the heat looked discombobulated, the Raptors had the inside game and the outside game going (finally!) and it should have been an easier win. I say the Raptors won this one despite the boneheaded sub patters of its coach.

Other thoughts:

At least they didn’t waste another solid performance from the frontline. Bosh and O’Neal combined for 31 and 28, and Bargnani had his best offensive output of the year with 25 (9-15 shooting). The rest of the perimeter players provided just enough to get them the W.

What a difference Jose Calderon makes. Thank God he’s back. From 21 turnovers the night before to 10 last night, and that’s not even the whole story. It’s about getting the ball in the right spot at the right times, which Solomon and Ukic have not mastered yet.

Speaking of Ukic, he didn’t get off the pine last night and I say it’s time to give him a go. Even if it means you have to tweak the rotation a little - not that Sam has any discernable rotations that I can tell - to make sure there’s enough scorers on the floor with him that his lack of a shot won’t hurt them, I think you need to get him in there. He can’t possibly play any worse than Solomon, that’s for sure, and at least he’ll get some development time for the future.

Jermaine O’Neal has been impressive. In case you missed the 834 times Matt Devlin mentioned it, he’s got five straight double-doubles. That’s five straight, folks. Five straight double-doubles for Jermaine O’Neal. My expectations coming in to the season were that he’d average about 14-8 and take some of the pressure of Chris Bosh. Well, he’s averaging 13.5 and 9.5, and Bosh of course is having his best year ever. Right on the money. And if his 17/13 over the last five games - you do know he’s had five straight double-doubles right - are indicative of him rounding into shape rather than an exception, then he may just exceed those expectations. Yeah, I know TJ’s having a great year in Indiana, but I’d do that trade again in a heartbeat - even if the numbers trail off. You just can’t overestimate the impact O’Neal has had on Bosh’s game.

Can Bargnani please put together back-to-back good games? C’mon Andrea, you can’t play the Heat every night so let’s see you bring it against someone else. Seriously though, he was great last night, and his scoring came from all over, which was nice to see. He was so one-dimensional last year, to see this development, it almost makes me think there’s real potential there after all. I just need to see the consistency.

That’s three straight games the Raptors have outrebounded their opponents. OK, two of those games were against the Heat, but still, that’s a pleasing sign.

Tags: Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat, Sam Mitchell, Toronto Raptors

Before we talk about the Sixers mathcup tonight, let’s discuss the change in the starting lineup that Sam Mitchell announced yesterday: Rasho Nesterovic starting and Andrea Bargnani going back to the bench (a move my friend E predicted yesterday morning!).Sam says it’s designed to help the Raptors get into a good first-quarter groove, and not get stuck trailing early like they have the last three games. Doug Smith of the Star speculates it’s because when Bargnani and Bosh are both on the floor together, they’re taking away from each other’s games; since ideally, they both play best setting the high screen and roll with Ford or Calderon.

It’s hard to disagree, as it’s obvious they are both struggling, and since everything worked so well with Andrea coming off the bench last season. But if this really is the case… isn’t this a serious problem!? Your two best players can’t play together? I think the Raptors need to sort this one out, pronto!

As for the Rasho move, well, again, I can’t disagree that the team needs something to wake it up in the first quarter. And as everyone knows, I’m a huge Rasho fan - I think he deserves more minutes, I think the Raptors need to give him more minutes. As I said to E, yes, he’s overpaid, but he’s also strangely underrated. Can you be both at the same time? I don’t know but I think that if he only made $5 million and played 22 minutes a night, people would be saying he’s a steal!

So, while I’m a huge Andrea fan, and while I think your best players should generally start ballgames… this is probably not a bad move. And look at San Antonio, the way they bring Ginobili off the bench… sometimes you need to have a great offensive player coming off the pine to provide that spark.

Overall, though, I wonder if it’s possible that the Raptors are playing too many guys? I tend to think that you should go eight or nine deep, and that’s it. Basketball is a rhythm game, guys need to play, to get shots, to stay in rhythm. Especially a jump-shooting team like the Raptors. I wonder if it’s time for Sam to shorten the rotation a little? I definitely think he needs a more consistent rotation. This whole “we play the best guys on any given night” thing never works - your best guys are always your best guys, even if they’re having an off night.

Look at Orlando the other night. They had 3 guys play 35+ minutes - Bogans, Lewis, Turkoglu - and Howard played 33 only because of foul trouble.

The Raps had Bosh at 38 and Bargnani at 35 exactly. Kapono - he of the 3-11, 1 rebound, 0 assist, 0 steal night - was inexplicably the only other player over 30 minutes (33).

Maybe Bogans, Lewis and Turkoglu were a little tired at the end, but they were in rhythm, and each knocked down shots down the stretch. Maybe longer, more consistent minutes, with the same guys playing with each other, would raise the comfort level and help Parker, Bargnani, Delfino and Kapono settle down a little.

Here’s how I would break it down:

Bosh 39
Rasho 16
Kapono 27
Parker 32
Ford 28

Bargnani 36
Delfino 28
Calderon 20
Dixon 14
(Total 240)

Maybe you bring Hump in for some of the Bosh/Bargnani/Rasho minutes depending on matchups and foul trouble.

As for the rest: Garbo - much as I love him - isn’t bringing enough to the table; and Joey G, well, what does he do that Delfino doesn’t do? (Oh, right - make stupid mistakes…)

Here’s the main thing - never, ever, EVER - with the exception of bad foul trouble or a blowout - should both Bosh and Bargnani be on the bench at the same time. That’s rule #1. They are the two best offensive options on the team, the offense should always revolve around them. One or the other should ALWAYS be on the floor.

Along the same lines, Kapono and Bargnani shouldn’t both be on the bench at the same time either. Keep a deep threat on the floor at all times. (And if Kapono, Bosh and Bargnani are all on the bench, well…)

I think sometimes the concern as a coach - and definitely as fans- is if a guy misses a shot or two, to replace him with someone else. But sometimes you gotta let guys ride it out. You gotta let guys find their rhythm. You also have to let players play together, to develop that chemistry. And, mostly… you gotta let your best players play. OK, so maybe Bargnani misses a couple shots. The odds of him making a big play, even when he’s struggling, are greater than the odds of Humphries making a big play, even if Hump’s having the game of his life.

So I hope that’s what the Raps do moving forward - keep it to a consistent rotation. Whether Andrea starts or not, hopefully, doesn’t matter - I hope it doesn’t affect his confidence - it’s what you do in the minutes you’re given, right, so as long as he plays well when he’s on the floor, everything should be fine.

Tags: Andrea Bargnani, Chris Bosh, Sam Mitchell, Toronto Raptors

OK, I’m gonna go through and do the typical “grade everyone on the season” thing. Yeah, everyone does it. So what. It’s fun.Let’s start from the top down:

MLSE

I have to give MLSE credit this year; first of all, they shelled out the money for Bryan Colangelo, and second, they didn’t stand in the way of any of the moves BC wanted to make. Peddie and Tanenbaum have, mercifully, stayed behind the scenes. Finally, they have good basketball people - BC, as well as Wayne Embry and Maurizio Gherardini - in place, and they’re actually letting them make the decisions. I realize that I shouldn’t be praising them for something they should just be doing anyway, but this is a step forward for these guys.

Now, they’ve still massively screwed up on the television thing - as I’ve ranted about on numerous occasions - but I hope that the success of this season should give them more options going into next season, and hopefully, they’ll make the right decision this time.
Grade: B

Bryan Colangelo

I have absolutely nothing bad to say here. Every move he made was good, except the Fred Jones signing - and he turned Jones into Juan Dixon, another solid move. But more than just the moves themselves, he’s added a definite sense of credibility to our franchise that was a laughingstock under Rob Babcock. We were a joke before, now we’re respected around the NBA. That’s no easy task.

Furthermore, he’s left the fans with the feeling that success is actually possible. We were getting used to losing, with no end in sight. Now we’ve had success, and BC’s clearly got a plan in place to bring continued success. He’s got the core guys signed long-term, and all the role players have manageable, or tradeable, contracts. There’s no dead wood on the roster. And he’s given us the confidence that any move that gets made, will be a good one - or will be corrected if it isn’t.

This franchise looks damn good moving forward. You sure as heck couldn’t say that 14 months ago.
Grade: A+

Sam Mitchell

I like Sam, I’ve decided. Two years ago, I hated him. Thought he was the worst coach the Raptors ever had and couldn’t coach 10-year olds, let alone NBA players. Add the yelling, the weird stories of fighting in the locker room, the patronizing tone at press conferences… he brought nothing to the table.

Last year, he was handed a terrible roster, one which his own GM said was even worse than the year before. So I let that slide. Even after the 1-15 start. You know what? That team sucked. Red Auerbach couldn’t have coached them to 35 wins. Why not let Sam coach it out and see if he learns anything.

Well, he may not have learned much in the way of Xs and Os but I do believe he’s grown in leaps and bounds in his ability to relate, prepare and motivate his team - all while facing a whole host of additional challenges, incluyding the nine new players, the international players, the new GM, the constant threat of being fired, being a “lame duck,” the 2-8 start. All of it - the Raptors were always prepared, always played hard.

And he made adjustments that worked, and wasn’t afraid to try new things. He gave Bargnani extra playing time after watching him struggle early. He moved Fred Jones into the lineup for MoPete, and moved MoPete out for Garbajosa. He integrated Juan Dixon as a major piece in mid-season! He juggled minutes for two starting-quality point guards.

He coached the team to 47 wins, the Atlantic Division title, and home court in the playoffs. For all those things, he was named coach of the year.

Still, there are questions, many of which arose in the playoff series against New Jersey. His Xs and Os, long suspect, are still an issue - why couldn’t he figure out how to get Chris Bosh the ball in good position for the first four games? Or how to beat the zone? Or how to keep Jason Kidd off the glass? As the series went on, you saw how successful the adjustments he made were. But of course, in the playoffs, you don’t have a lot of time to wait and see how things work, so it was too little too late. And hey, he did draw up a great play on the final possession.

All in all, you can clearly see the improvement Mitchell has made as a coach, in all areas - including talking to the media. Now he’s witty and sarcastic, not a jackass.

He’s a free agent now, and I believe they should bring him back. There, I said it. I’ve thought about it a lot, and that’s my opinion - he has proven his ability to learn on the job and improve, there’s no reason to think he won’t continue to get better. The team likes him, and I think continuity and chemistry is important. And besides, the credibility of the franchise is in danger again if we let the coach of the year walk away. I think - unless of course Sam doesn’t want to come back - they need to make him a good offer and not let him get away.
Grade: B+

Chris Bosh

A no-show in the first 5 ¾ games of the playoffs shouldn’t diminish what a great season this guy had. His game continues to evolve and he continues to improve his basketball IQ. His shot selection and passing got better and better as the season went along. His range is solid all the way out to 18 feet, and he even knocked down a couple of threes.

His defense, though, is still lacking. He’s a decent one-on-one defender, but a terrible help defender (although I thought he did a much better job on help in the playoffs - that may be because the guys he was guarding, Moore and Collins, are not offensive threats). Basically 80% of the time, he makes the wrong decision on when to leave his man and help, and when to stay. Hopefully this instinct will improve with time.

As for rebounding, he averaged 10+ which is a great number. But, he had definite trouble blocking out smaller and slower players, leading to many instances of me yelling “Box out, Chris!!” at the TV. No, I’m not normal.

Anyway, this is another skill/instinct that I hope and suspect will improve over the next couple of years. He’s improved in every way across the board in his first four years, I’m sure we’ll continue to see improvement going forward.
Grade: A

TJ Ford

Solid first year as a Raptor. Would I like to see the turnovers down? Yes. Better body control going to the rim? Yes. Better decisions overall? Yes.

So, he’s not perfect. But he’s got some good qualities - his blazing speed, court vision and awareness (by awareness, I mean, he’s very good at knowing where the ball is, and where his man is on defense - very rarely do you see him beaten without the ball), and his shooting - well, that deserves its own paragraph.

TJ’s jump shot was great this year. I have not one single complaint about it. How can I not complain about a PG shooting 43% you ask? Here’s why - I honestly believe it’s all the missed layups and off-balance runners in the lane that are dropping that percentage. I honestly have 100 times more confidence in him shooting a 15 footer than I do when he drives through traffic. He’s a weak finisher around the rim, that’s all there is to say. Whether it’s because he’s so small or so fast or whatever - he needs to improve that. I swear he’d be shooting 48% if he could hit a layup.

Defensively, he was better than I expected in terms of guarding guys one on one on the perimeter. Still not great, but he knows how to use his speed on defense.

Unfortunately, his small size is still an issue when faced with bigger guards like Jason Kidd - they can post him up and beat him for rebounds - or when he’s caught on a switch.

Overall, I’m happy with TJ’s play (and the trade that brought him here) and I hope he settles down and becomes the rock solid point guard I believe he can be.
Grade: B

Andrea Bargnani

What a season for the rookie - he developed far faster than I expected. I thought it would take a year or two for him to get into the flow of things, but he grew month after month after month. And it wasn’t just offense, though that of course is the most noticeable thing. But his defense and positioning improved. His rebounding improved. Heck, even his shot blocking!

And man, can this kid shoot. He has a super quick release, and his range seems limitless. His floor game still needs a little work, sure, but that’ll come. I’ve never seen a rookie with his potential in a Raptors uniform - since Vince.

Now, I’ll grant it’s still early in the guy’s career and there’s always a chance he’s already peaked - but I highly, highly doubt that. This guy is going to be good.
Grade: A

Anthony Parker

What a pickup this was - an absolute steal, getting Parker from Israel. I’d say that next to Bosh this guy was the most important guy on the team this year. Just look at what happened to the Raps when he was hurt! He had a slow start, re-adjusting to the NBA, but once he hit his stride, wow. He can score in a bunch of different ways, he can defend 2s and 3s, he can handle the ball… and his 3-pt shooting from the corner is automatic. And his basketball IQ is off the charts - I feel like I could count the number of mistakes the guy made from January through May on one hand.

Basically, this a guy you don’t build around, this is the guy you use to shore up your foundation and make it solid - he does everything well and never does anything to hurt the team. I’m thrilled we have him for two more years at about 3 mil a year - total bargain.
Grade: A

Jorge Garbajosa

Garbo had a bit of an up and down year. He never really found his shooting stroke for any extended period of time, yet he almost always found a way to contribute when on the floor. He played solid defense and made all kinds of hustle plays, and like Parker, is just a smart ballplayer.

His limited athleticism kept him from getting too many rebounds though, which was a weak spot for the team all year. And there were games I didn’t think he’d ever hit another shot.

Still, even if he was having an awful season - which he certainly wasn’t - no one deserves the kind of injury he suffered against Boston. Most gruesome injury ever in a Raptors uniform.

I hope he can come back strong next year - it was obvious in New Jersey that the Raptors needed a solid body to clog up the paint, one who doesn’t make too many mistakes or panic when the other team goes on a run, and that’s Garbo. Of course, when he comes back, if he wouldn’t mind bringing his jump shot too….
Grade: B

Jose Calderon

The best backup point guard in the NBA, Jose could probably start on 20 other teams (and you’ll find no shortage of observers saying he should start on this team). Amazing to think that last year, as a rookie, the story was “decent backup, can’t shoot the ball.”

Well, this year he shot .521. That would second among point guards, behind Steve Nash’s .532, and a 100th of a point ahead of Tony Parker’s .520. Yeah, that’s some pretty good company there! Granted, he only shot the ball 7 times a game, but still, he scored 8.7 per. Add to that five assists and only 1.4 turnovers in 21 minutes per game - this is a guy who could be making a lot of money when his contract expires after next year.

He’ll never make an all-defensive team and could probably haul in another rebound or two per game at his size, but overall, he is, in my opinion, one of the most important players the Raptors have, and have ever had - you just can’t describe how important it is to have a quality backup point guard. Most teams suffer a huge drop-off when their starter goes out for a rest (look at the Nets!), but not the Raptors. Jose is the new Bobby Jackson.
Grade: A+

Morris Peterson

The longest serving Raptor has probably played his last game in Raptor Red (or purple). Frankly, this is a goddamn shame, as not only is Morris a class guy, but I still don’t see why he’s not the answer for this team’s biggest need - athletic swingman who can slash, score, hit threes and defend 2s and 3s. I guess he could be a little bigger, but otherwise… he still seems like the man, to me.

Unfortunately, the decision isn’t up to me and as such MoPete is 99% gone.

Obviously, any grade I give Mo based on this season should be a little low. After all, all of his numbers were down and he was pretty inconsistent. But I still blame some of it on the coaching staff, for demoting him from starting when he was playing well, for Fred Jones who wasn’t; for giving him wildly inconsistent minutes all year long, then benching him again after he got a start and struggled a little, when Garbo went down. Mo proved it last year - give him consistent minutes, he gives you consistent numbers.

He redeemed himself in the last two playoff games, though - he gave the effort and intensity that the team needed. I was so happy to see his final two games as a Raptor were his best of the year: 13 PPG on 9-13 FGs (3-3 from downtown); 5-6 FTs; 6.5 RPG; and 10 total fouls (because you gotta play with an edge in the playoffs) - in 45 minutes per game. 45 minutes!

And those are just the numbers - they don’t tell you about the defense he played, the charges he took, the hustle plays he made - and they don’t tell you how much he fired up the home crowd in game five. I’ll tell you right now: They wouldn’t have even had a chance to win either game without MoPete.

Based on those two games and his tenure as a Raptor as a whole, Morris Peterson deserves an A. And he’s getting one.

And I’m getting choked up… I’m serious, it’ll be a sad, sad day when Morris signs with someone else.
Grade: A

Rasho Nesterovic

The Raps highest paid player this year did exactly what he was supposed to - clog the lane, guard any real true centers, get rebounds, and knock down the open shot when presented with it. He doesn’t put up great numbers or do anything amazing or spectacular on the court - but he knows his role, does his job, and does it well. 6 points on 54% shooting, 4.5 boards and 1 block in 21 minutes a game, with solid defense on most bigs (he manhandled Dwight Howard when Bosh couldn’t handle him!). You can’t ask for anything more.

He’s also a quiet locker room leader and veteran presence on this young team - the only guy with any real post-season experience going into the playoffs. He’s also known as the locker room joker and every team needs one of those. People may scoff at his big contract - yes, he is overpaid - but as far as I’m concerned, he’s a very important part of this team.
Grade: B+

Joey Graham

The great mystery. No one knows what you’re gonna get from Joey on any given night, as evidenced by his great play down the stretch of the regular season and his disappearing act in the playoffs. I’d say that his subpar work in the postseason may have shown him the door, but who’s gonna want him?

He’s an incredible athlete, with the perfect basketball body, but unfortunately, has absolutely zero basketball IQ. He’s like the reverse Garbo.
Grade: C-

Kris Humphries

Hump had an OK rookie season. He seemed to struggle accepting his role at times - that of hustle and rebound guy - and tried to involve himself too much in the offense. But when he did the things we needed him to - get boards and make the energy plays - he definitely helped the team win.

He also played great down the stretch with Garbo out; unfortunately, like Joey, he kinda disapperared in the playoffs.

If he can accept his role, maybe shed a couple pounds and get a bit quicker, I think he’ll be a solid rotation player next year.
Grade: B-

Juan Dixon

Juan came over for Fred Jones in an inspired Colangelo move and stepped right into the offense - and he was great. But we knew he was a streaky shooter, and one of his cold slumps unfortunately coincided with the end of the season and playoffs. In his defense, he was battling a sore wrist, and not using it as an excuse.

Overall, I’m happy to have him on the team - it’s always good to have a microwave-like scorer on the bench.
Grade: B

Darrick Martin

More coach than player, Martin didn’t do much on the floor this year except jack up the occasional three - including the one keeping the Raptors dubious record of “games with a three pointer” streak alive.

As we all know, Martins’ role is more of a coach than anything, and in that respect, I think he’s a valuable member of the team. Particularly with TJ and Jose. I have no doubt that he helped them develop this season, and I’d be happy to have him back next year, though preferably as an actual coach so we can free up the roster spot.
Grade: B

Pape Sow

Didn’t get a chance to do much, after coming back from the horrible neck injury he suffered in the summer. As much as I like the guy, and appreciate his story, coming over from Senegal… I just don’t think he’s ever going to develop into an NBA player. I think the Raps need to cut ties with him at this point, let him work on his game in the D-League and see if anyone gives him a shot.

No disrespect to ya, Pape. I love ya. But it’s time to move on.
Grade: C

Uros Slokar

Unlike Pape, it seems like there’s still a lot of potential here with Uros. He showed some of it in the Detroit game, and I’d like to keep him around one more year and see what we’ve got. Hopefully, some international and summer league play this year will do him good and he’ll get a chance to prove himself next year.
Grade: Incomplete

Luke Jackson

Signed for next to nothing in the final days of the season, Jackson’s a classic “why not take a chance and see what this guy’s got” pickup. A former lottery pick who’s battled injuries, Jackson showed some flashes in his brief time with the Raps; he’s got a good outside shot and can put the ball on the floor, and he appears to be another high-IQ, knows-where-to-pass the ball type of guy. Hopefully, next year, with a training camp and pre-season games, he’ll learn the offense and tendencies of his teammates even more and be able to contribute.

Unfortunately, he can’t guard a tree, so he’s gonna have to work on the defensive side of his game too if he wants to get more than scrub minutes.
Grade: Incomplete

The 2006-2007 Toronto Raptors

As I’ve said previously, this team exceeded every expectation anyone had for them this year. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had following the Raptors - you never knew what was going to happen next, and besides, they’re all a bunch of quality guys who care about each other, about the team, and about winning.

They share the ball. They always give 100%. They work together. They have the scrappy personality of the coach.

They provided some thrilling moments and amazing games.

They won 47 games, the Atlantic Division and third place in the eastern conference. Unfortunately they came up against a tough, playoff-tested opponent in the first round, but hopefully, going home early left them hungry.

I would give them an A+ - they deserve it - but that would mean there’s no room for improvement next year, when of course there is. They need to improve the defense and rebounding. They should finally crack that 47-win team record and win the Atlantic again. And they should get out of the first round of the playoffs.

All these things and more are possible. And I can’t wait for it to begin.

Overall team grade: A

Tags: Andrea Bargnani, Chris Bosh, Sam Mitchell, TJ Ford, Toronto Raptors