The Raps played their first two preseason games over the past couple of days and dropped them both, 107-98 in London, Ontario, and 84-79 in Toronto. It's very tough to raise any solid concerns or point out anything of value for two reasons: a) it's preseason (there is a saying that goes, "you can't find out who can play, you can only find out who can't play") as well as the Raps' two leaders (and likely two best players) in Chris Bosh and Hidayet Turkoglu are sitting out for now with minor injuries. That said, here are some points that can be gleaned from the back-to-back:
Reggie Evans does not arrive anywhere quietly. He put up 8 steals in the two games and was a beast inside and on the glass. He's not afraid to let people know how sharp his elbows are at any point and he picked up 9 hard-nosed fouls. He was, as usual, poor from the free-throw line (7-14) which means he likely won't be able to play at the end of games, and will probably be replaced with Rasho Nesterovic, Amir Johnson or with Andrea Bargnani sliding over to the 4-spot.
Speaking of Il Mago, he led us in scoring in the first game with 22 points, showcasing all his tremendous scoring prowess. In the second game he played under 20 minutes in order to give AJ some time (who put up 8 points, 8 boards and 6 fouls), but if Bargnani can be that dominant on the offensive end it will make things easy for Jose Calderon.
Touted rookie DeMar DeRozan did a solid job filling the stat sheet with a two-game line of 18 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 three-pointers (2-5 shooting). It's important for DMDR to establish his presence in all facets of the game and realize that he doesn't have to carry the load offensively with gifted scorers around him in Bosh, Turkoglu, Bargs and Jose. He'll likely get some time with the second unit as well, and it could be fun to watch him and Marco Belinelli, two very different wing players, light it up in their own ways.
The Raptors' next preseason game is tomorrow (Friday), 8 P.M at the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Showing posts with label Rasho Nesterovic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rasho Nesterovic. Show all posts
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
ESPN Predicts East Standing, Undercuts Raptors
I always hate getting my hopes up about the Raptors in the offseason, as I am convinced we are destined for a life in basketball purgatory, to be mediocre forever. However this year (as with every other Raptor season) I could not help myself. I analyzed our team over and over, asking myself how high do you think the Raptors can make it in the East. Fourth? Maybe even third?
Yesterday 53 panelists from across ESPN predicted the number of wins and losses for each team in the East and, to my surprise, the Raptors came in at ninth. They predicted the Raps to finish four games under .500 at 39-43. So here is my list of reasons of why I believe in the Dinos.
1. A re-vamped team
Let's face it, the Raptors last season had problems. Amidst persistent injuries to rotation players, a head coach firing a few weeks into the season, constant boo-ing from the fans, and rumors that the face of the team will walk in 2010, the Raps developed a defeated, lackadaisical attitude. This offseason The Architect went to work. He kept 5 of 15 players from last season, 3 being rotation players (guess who). The 2009-10 Raptors are a different team from last year, let's hope they realize that.
2. Depth and Toughness
BC has been talking for a while about adding tough big men who can bang in the key and grab rebounds. Rather than drafting an unpredictable big man (yes, Rob Babcock and Rafael Araujo, this shout out is for you), BC went into the market and grabbed Reggie Evans, Amir Johnson, and Rasho Nesterovic. These three guys bring a unique mix of abilities - Evans with hard-nosed grit and toughness, AJ with high-flying athleticism, and Radoslav with great fundamentals - and they can clean the glass better than Windex (yes, I hate myself for writing that).
Looking at the Raptor depth chart puts a smile on my face. What was once a depleted wingman lineup has now become filled with young players ready to compete for floor time. Behind Jose Calderon is another point guard who beat out T.J. Ford for the starting spot in Indiana. Raptor fans this season will witness a 10-man deep team.
3. The Wing Spot
With the acquisitions of Hedo Turkoglu, Antoine Wright, and DeMar DeRozan, the Raptors have wing players who are not afraid to take the ball to the bucket. Hedo, 'Toine, and DMDR all have the ability to take the ball to the hoop with authority, a quality that has become lost in the Raptors' style of play in the past couple of seasons.
4. We Are Better Than the Wizards
ESPN put the Wizards in the 8 spot over the Raptors. Naturally because the Raptors have had a big turnover in personnel this offseason raises questions of team chemistry. But can Gilbert Arenas really be expected to come back fully healthy and automatically mesh with Mike Miller and Randy Foye?
Yesterday 53 panelists from across ESPN predicted the number of wins and losses for each team in the East and, to my surprise, the Raptors came in at ninth. They predicted the Raps to finish four games under .500 at 39-43. So here is my list of reasons of why I believe in the Dinos.
1. A re-vamped team
Let's face it, the Raptors last season had problems. Amidst persistent injuries to rotation players, a head coach firing a few weeks into the season, constant boo-ing from the fans, and rumors that the face of the team will walk in 2010, the Raps developed a defeated, lackadaisical attitude. This offseason The Architect went to work. He kept 5 of 15 players from last season, 3 being rotation players (guess who). The 2009-10 Raptors are a different team from last year, let's hope they realize that.
2. Depth and Toughness
BC has been talking for a while about adding tough big men who can bang in the key and grab rebounds. Rather than drafting an unpredictable big man (yes, Rob Babcock and Rafael Araujo, this shout out is for you), BC went into the market and grabbed Reggie Evans, Amir Johnson, and Rasho Nesterovic. These three guys bring a unique mix of abilities - Evans with hard-nosed grit and toughness, AJ with high-flying athleticism, and Radoslav with great fundamentals - and they can clean the glass better than Windex (yes, I hate myself for writing that).
Looking at the Raptor depth chart puts a smile on my face. What was once a depleted wingman lineup has now become filled with young players ready to compete for floor time. Behind Jose Calderon is another point guard who beat out T.J. Ford for the starting spot in Indiana. Raptor fans this season will witness a 10-man deep team.
3. The Wing Spot
With the acquisitions of Hedo Turkoglu, Antoine Wright, and DeMar DeRozan, the Raptors have wing players who are not afraid to take the ball to the bucket. Hedo, 'Toine, and DMDR all have the ability to take the ball to the hoop with authority, a quality that has become lost in the Raptors' style of play in the past couple of seasons.
4. We Are Better Than the Wizards
ESPN put the Wizards in the 8 spot over the Raptors. Naturally because the Raptors have had a big turnover in personnel this offseason raises questions of team chemistry. But can Gilbert Arenas really be expected to come back fully healthy and automatically mesh with Mike Miller and Randy Foye?
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Raps Officially Add Rasho and Marco
Today the Raptors announced via raptors.com that they have added 23-year-old 6-5 guard Marco Belinelli and 11-year veteran 7-footer Rasho Nesterovic.
Belinelli was acquired from Golden State in exchange for cash considerations as well as forward Devean George who arrived in the Hedo Turkoglu trade that also brought in Antoine Wright. Marco will likely battle Wright and apparent starter DeMar DeRozan for minutes at the swingmen positions. He's also the second Italian to play in the NBA, and now joins fellow countryman Andrea Bargnani.
It is rumoured that Rasho was signed to a one-year deal for the bi-annual exception (about $1.9 million which doesn't count against the salary cap), and he will likely serve as Bargnani's backup at the centre position, while becoming the fifth member of the Raps big-man rotation, along with Chris Bosh, Turkoglu, and Reggie Evans.
Both of these deals give the Raptors additional depth and different offensive and defensive schemes to toss at opponents. As well, they give very important backups who can step in if the Raps' starters are hit with injuries.
Belinelli was acquired from Golden State in exchange for cash considerations as well as forward Devean George who arrived in the Hedo Turkoglu trade that also brought in Antoine Wright. Marco will likely battle Wright and apparent starter DeMar DeRozan for minutes at the swingmen positions. He's also the second Italian to play in the NBA, and now joins fellow countryman Andrea Bargnani.
It is rumoured that Rasho was signed to a one-year deal for the bi-annual exception (about $1.9 million which doesn't count against the salary cap), and he will likely serve as Bargnani's backup at the centre position, while becoming the fifth member of the Raps big-man rotation, along with Chris Bosh, Turkoglu, and Reggie Evans.
Both of these deals give the Raptors additional depth and different offensive and defensive schemes to toss at opponents. As well, they give very important backups who can step in if the Raps' starters are hit with injuries.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Raptors Extend Offer to Jack; More Rumours
According to the front page of Raptors.com, as well as a report from RealGM, the Raptors will (or already have) extended an offer sheet to restricted free agent guard Jarrett Jack of the Indiana Pacers. This means that while the Pacers can match any offer (in this case, it appears to be around 4 years, $20 million), RealGM reports that they are unlikely to do so as it will put them close to the salary cap.
Jack (see his player file) is a 6-3 combo guard out of Georgia Tech who was teammates with Chris Bosh on the Yellow Jackets. He enjoyed a solid season in 08-09, posting 13.1 PPG, 4.1 APG and 3.4 RPG with a decent assist to turnover ratio of nearly 2:1 (2.24 TOPG). As well as being an efficient scorer (45 FG%, 35 3P%, 85 FT%), he's a good defender and gathered 1.1 steals per game last year. He figures to assume the backup point guard role, relegating Roko Ukic to third-string duties, but he may also play off-guard at the same time as either Roko or Jose Calderon if the Raps choose to go small (in that case, DeMar DeRozan or Antoine Wright could play the 3). The contract is not an overly bloated one, as he's shown solid consistency since his rookie season and has played an average of 80.5 games over his four NBA seasons. Jack should be able to earn his contract, especially since he will get spot starts if another Raptor gets injured. Additionally, it ensures that the Raptors will have a backup 1 locked up long-term (no more merry-go-round of Will Solomon, Darrick Martin, or Milt Palacio).
Of course, Bryan Colangelo is not done yet. He has shown interest, as noted before on this blog, in Carlos Delfino as well as Denver Nugget RFA Linas Kleiza. However, rumours are swirling that BC has interest in acquiring another former Raptor, Rasho Nesterovic.
Rasho would provide a veteran presence in the middle as well as in the locker room. However, with the acquisitions of Devean George and Reggie Evans, the Raps have a logjam at the bigman positions, and it's possible Rasho would be the odd man out.
Kleiza, on the other hand, seems to be a very sensible signing - he backed-up Carmelo Anthony effectively, as he would be doing for Hedo Turkoglu, putting up around 10 PPG and 4 RPG each of the last two seasons. He's a big (6-8, 245) bruiser at the 3-spot, and would provide a great change of scenery from Hedo's finesse and offensive leadership.
Delfino's return seemed to be a sure thing a couple weeks ago. However, after the blockbuster trade that brought in Turk, George and Wright, as well as the imminent arrival of Jack, the Raptors have sorted out their lack of depth at the guard positions, and Delfino's services may not be needed. That said, he was quite effective in the Raptors' swingman-by-committee of two seasons ago, posting 9 PPG, 4.4 RPG and 1.8 APG. If BC elects to bring back his versatility, he will likely see minutes at both the shooting guard and small forward positions.
What are your thoughts on the (supposed) signing of Jack, and who would you like to see the Raptors acquire to help bolster their bench? Let us know in the comments.
Jack (see his player file) is a 6-3 combo guard out of Georgia Tech who was teammates with Chris Bosh on the Yellow Jackets. He enjoyed a solid season in 08-09, posting 13.1 PPG, 4.1 APG and 3.4 RPG with a decent assist to turnover ratio of nearly 2:1 (2.24 TOPG). As well as being an efficient scorer (45 FG%, 35 3P%, 85 FT%), he's a good defender and gathered 1.1 steals per game last year. He figures to assume the backup point guard role, relegating Roko Ukic to third-string duties, but he may also play off-guard at the same time as either Roko or Jose Calderon if the Raps choose to go small (in that case, DeMar DeRozan or Antoine Wright could play the 3). The contract is not an overly bloated one, as he's shown solid consistency since his rookie season and has played an average of 80.5 games over his four NBA seasons. Jack should be able to earn his contract, especially since he will get spot starts if another Raptor gets injured. Additionally, it ensures that the Raptors will have a backup 1 locked up long-term (no more merry-go-round of Will Solomon, Darrick Martin, or Milt Palacio).
Of course, Bryan Colangelo is not done yet. He has shown interest, as noted before on this blog, in Carlos Delfino as well as Denver Nugget RFA Linas Kleiza. However, rumours are swirling that BC has interest in acquiring another former Raptor, Rasho Nesterovic.
Rasho would provide a veteran presence in the middle as well as in the locker room. However, with the acquisitions of Devean George and Reggie Evans, the Raps have a logjam at the bigman positions, and it's possible Rasho would be the odd man out.
Kleiza, on the other hand, seems to be a very sensible signing - he backed-up Carmelo Anthony effectively, as he would be doing for Hedo Turkoglu, putting up around 10 PPG and 4 RPG each of the last two seasons. He's a big (6-8, 245) bruiser at the 3-spot, and would provide a great change of scenery from Hedo's finesse and offensive leadership.
Delfino's return seemed to be a sure thing a couple weeks ago. However, after the blockbuster trade that brought in Turk, George and Wright, as well as the imminent arrival of Jack, the Raptors have sorted out their lack of depth at the guard positions, and Delfino's services may not be needed. That said, he was quite effective in the Raptors' swingman-by-committee of two seasons ago, posting 9 PPG, 4.4 RPG and 1.8 APG. If BC elects to bring back his versatility, he will likely see minutes at both the shooting guard and small forward positions.
What are your thoughts on the (supposed) signing of Jack, and who would you like to see the Raptors acquire to help bolster their bench? Let us know in the comments.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Raptors' (Totally Accurate) Season in Review
The Raptors this year experienced a very successful season after swinging a big deal in the offseason to send malcontent T.J. Ford and Rasho Nesterovic to Indiana. While Jermaine O'Neal exceeded expectations handily, averaging 18 points, 9 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game, 2008-09 Executive of the Year favourite Bryan Colangelo swung a deal to send O'Neal and Jamario Moon to Miami for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks - both of whom experienced complete rennaissances in their own rights in Toronto. Marion put up a fantastic stat line rounding out the frontcourt with franchise player Chris Bosh and first-time All-Star Andrea Bargnani, and Marcus Banks assumed the backup shooting guard position behind First All-Defensive Team member Anthony Parker. Jose Calderon also qualified for his first career All-Star appearance (he insisted that he did not want other guards to feel left out, and refused to play), posting an average of 19 points and 10 assists per game. After the trade, the Raptors played extremely well as a team and, while they were unable to catch powerhouses Orlando, Boston and Cleveland, qualified for home-court advantage in the first round, losing to NBA champion favourite Philadelphia 76ers, led by Elton Brand, Andre Iguodala and above-average point guard Andre Miller. The 76ers battled injuries all season, when all three members of their core played, they went an astounding 23-1, led by all-around good guy Brand's monstrous 29 and 14 per game.
As well, the Raptors' future looks extremely bright, especially since CB4 has verbally committed to staying in Toronto for his entire career. Expect many accolades to come the Raptors' way this summer.
As well, the Raptors' future looks extremely bright, especially since CB4 has verbally committed to staying in Toronto for his entire career. Expect many accolades to come the Raptors' way this summer.
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