Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Raptors Stay Put At 9th
Tonight the Raptors received the 9th overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. They finished this past season with the 9th worst record in the NBA, and had a 1.7% chance of winning the top overall selection.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Triano's Interim Tag Dropped
On Monday, interim head coach Jay Triano was named the Raptors' full-time head coach. He was signed to a three-year contract, and in 2008-09 posted a 25-40 record, despite leading the Raptors to a 9-4 finish.
The Good and the Bad:
The Good:
- Jay is a respected basketball man. Every current Raptor - including GM Bryan Colangelo - has given him credit for dealing with a tough situation and earning the players' respect. He has been with the Raptors longer than any other coach in franchise history, and coached Team Canada to a 52-42 record from 1998-2004. His experience around the game will be very helpful, and should allow the Raps to be more cohesive, since he'll have the benefit of his own training camp.
- Andrea Bargnani, who before the 2008-09 season, was already hearing more than just whispers of "first-overall bust" was headed for more of the same in 2008. However, after Jay took over, so did Andrea. He brought his season averages up to very solid 15.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. Beyond the numbers, Andrea looked confident on the floor, something we had very rarely seen from him since his rookie season. He shot 45% from the floor and over 40% from three, and on many occasions, he completely took over games. Bargnani himself has cited Triano as the reason he was able to break through. As long as Coach Triano can keep up Andrea's confidence, he has a great shot of having two (or three, if Jose Calderon can get in) All-Stars in Il Mago and Chris Bosh.
- Triano is very much a coach that can look unappealing to the casual fan. He does not command one side of the ball like Mike D'Antoni's run-and-gun offense or Tom Thibodeau's defensive fundamentals, he doesn't have the pedigree of Phil Jackson or Gregg Popovich, and he doesn't speak out to the media like Pat Riley. Triano is a "player's coach", much like the (fantastic) Toronto Blue Jays' Cito Gaston. He doesn't nitpick his players, rather opting to establish distinct roles for players and making sure they know what is expected from them. And - if this year's Jays are any indication - it just might work for the Dinos.
- Triano also had the unfortunate situation of having to join the team in the midst of in injury plague. Calderon was injured and the Jermaine O'Neal experiment had not yet been euthanized. When Calderon was healthy and O'Neal had been flipped into Shawn Marion, the Raptors reeled off six convincing wins in a row, even beating the Orlando Magic, who still had much to play for.
The Bad:
- Well, he simply hasn't won very much. He posted an unimpressive record while serving as the interim, and while one can certainly assert that it wasn't entirely his fault, his coaching statistics will not leave any teams shaking in their Nikes.
- At times, mostly in close and late situations which require delicate substitutions, he looked lost. Again, it can be argued that, having been shoved into a trial by fire, it wasn't entirely his fault. However, Triano definitely needs to work on in-game management to project confidence from the sidelines.
The Good and the Bad:
The Good:
- Jay is a respected basketball man. Every current Raptor - including GM Bryan Colangelo - has given him credit for dealing with a tough situation and earning the players' respect. He has been with the Raptors longer than any other coach in franchise history, and coached Team Canada to a 52-42 record from 1998-2004. His experience around the game will be very helpful, and should allow the Raps to be more cohesive, since he'll have the benefit of his own training camp.
- Andrea Bargnani, who before the 2008-09 season, was already hearing more than just whispers of "first-overall bust" was headed for more of the same in 2008. However, after Jay took over, so did Andrea. He brought his season averages up to very solid 15.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. Beyond the numbers, Andrea looked confident on the floor, something we had very rarely seen from him since his rookie season. He shot 45% from the floor and over 40% from three, and on many occasions, he completely took over games. Bargnani himself has cited Triano as the reason he was able to break through. As long as Coach Triano can keep up Andrea's confidence, he has a great shot of having two (or three, if Jose Calderon can get in) All-Stars in Il Mago and Chris Bosh.
- Triano is very much a coach that can look unappealing to the casual fan. He does not command one side of the ball like Mike D'Antoni's run-and-gun offense or Tom Thibodeau's defensive fundamentals, he doesn't have the pedigree of Phil Jackson or Gregg Popovich, and he doesn't speak out to the media like Pat Riley. Triano is a "player's coach", much like the (fantastic) Toronto Blue Jays' Cito Gaston. He doesn't nitpick his players, rather opting to establish distinct roles for players and making sure they know what is expected from them. And - if this year's Jays are any indication - it just might work for the Dinos.
- Triano also had the unfortunate situation of having to join the team in the midst of in injury plague. Calderon was injured and the Jermaine O'Neal experiment had not yet been euthanized. When Calderon was healthy and O'Neal had been flipped into Shawn Marion, the Raptors reeled off six convincing wins in a row, even beating the Orlando Magic, who still had much to play for.
The Bad:
- Well, he simply hasn't won very much. He posted an unimpressive record while serving as the interim, and while one can certainly assert that it wasn't entirely his fault, his coaching statistics will not leave any teams shaking in their Nikes.
- At times, mostly in close and late situations which require delicate substitutions, he looked lost. Again, it can be argued that, having been shoved into a trial by fire, it wasn't entirely his fault. However, Triano definitely needs to work on in-game management to project confidence from the sidelines.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Heat-Hawks Announcers Mock D-Wade
If you need something to cheer you up after a miserable day in Toronto, watch these radio announcers mercilessly mock Dwyane Wade during a game against the Hawks. It's radio at its finest.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Calderon To Have Surgery On His Finger
Jose Calderon will go under the knife to repair a ligament in his left ring finger. Jose dislocated his finger supposedly in a March 25 game against the Bucks, however we here at PH have learned the true story of what happened.
The evening of March 24, Jose is sitting in his VIP booth at the very trendy Reservoir Lounge Bar. Two twenty-something ladies who are sitting with him see his wedding ring and attempt to forcefully remove the ring from Jose's finger, so they they can marry him and make many beautiful babies. His finger suffered a dislocation, however the ring stayed on his finger and Jose remains happily married to this day.
Good luck with your operation, Jose.
The evening of March 24, Jose is sitting in his VIP booth at the very trendy Reservoir Lounge Bar. Two twenty-something ladies who are sitting with him see his wedding ring and attempt to forcefully remove the ring from Jose's finger, so they they can marry him and make many beautiful babies. His finger suffered a dislocation, however the ring stayed on his finger and Jose remains happily married to this day.
Good luck with your operation, Jose.
Monday, April 27, 2009
The Rumor Mill
Despite the Raptors poor season, there is more buzz around them ever. What will Bryan Colangelo do this summer to shake up the team and get them back on track? The offseason itinerary for BC is no picnic. He will have to solve some serious coaching and personnel issues. Here's whats been making the headlines recently.
Headline 1: Toronto is expected to retain Jay Triano as head coach.
Bryan Colangelo told the Toronto Star, "I think it's safe to say, coming out of all of the player exit interviews, that to a man the players have a lot of respect for Jay, they respect his basketball acumen, they respect his professionalism, they respect his means of communication and they respect generally the way he leads this team." Backed up by Andrea Bargnani attributing his success to Triano, expect to see Jay around next year.
Headline 2: Bryan Colangelo will offer Chris Bosh a contract extension.
Chris Bosh is one of two 20 and 10 big men in the Association (the other being some guy named Dwight Howard), and is the franchise player for our beloved Raptors. Amongst season long rumors of Bosh leaving Toronto, BC looked to assure Raptor fans that CB4 is not going anywhere (for at least a year). "Chris is still the best player on this team and thus will remain the cornerstone of the franchise," Colangelo said Monday. "I will sit down and talk to him and his agent this summer about the possibility of signing an extension."
Headline 3: The Raptors have shown interest in Brandon Jennings.
Jennings, a projected top 10 pick in the upcoming draft, made the decision to forgo college and play a year in Europe before heading to the NBA. The lefty point guard averaged 7.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 steals in 19.6 minutes per game, in 16 games. He shot 38.7 percent from the field and 26.8% from 3 point range. Also, he has awesome hair.
Headline 4: The Raptors will look to sign and trade Shawn Marion.
The Raptors are interested in re-signing forward Shawn Marion (Bryan Colangelo needs someone to sit with at dinner), but hope to sign-and-trade him if they can't retain him over the long-term.
At the end of the Raptors season, Marion made it semi-clear that he wanted to play for a contender. Perhaps BC will try to sign and swing Marion for a higher draft pick.
Headline 1: Toronto is expected to retain Jay Triano as head coach.
Bryan Colangelo told the Toronto Star, "I think it's safe to say, coming out of all of the player exit interviews, that to a man the players have a lot of respect for Jay, they respect his basketball acumen, they respect his professionalism, they respect his means of communication and they respect generally the way he leads this team." Backed up by Andrea Bargnani attributing his success to Triano, expect to see Jay around next year.
Headline 2: Bryan Colangelo will offer Chris Bosh a contract extension.
Chris Bosh is one of two 20 and 10 big men in the Association (the other being some guy named Dwight Howard), and is the franchise player for our beloved Raptors. Amongst season long rumors of Bosh leaving Toronto, BC looked to assure Raptor fans that CB4 is not going anywhere (for at least a year). "Chris is still the best player on this team and thus will remain the cornerstone of the franchise," Colangelo said Monday. "I will sit down and talk to him and his agent this summer about the possibility of signing an extension."
Headline 3: The Raptors have shown interest in Brandon Jennings.
Jennings, a projected top 10 pick in the upcoming draft, made the decision to forgo college and play a year in Europe before heading to the NBA. The lefty point guard averaged 7.6 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.2 steals in 19.6 minutes per game, in 16 games. He shot 38.7 percent from the field and 26.8% from 3 point range. Also, he has awesome hair.
Headline 4: The Raptors will look to sign and trade Shawn Marion.
The Raptors are interested in re-signing forward Shawn Marion (Bryan Colangelo needs someone to sit with at dinner), but hope to sign-and-trade him if they can't retain him over the long-term.
At the end of the Raptors season, Marion made it semi-clear that he wanted to play for a contender. Perhaps BC will try to sign and swing Marion for a higher draft pick.
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.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Craptors Drop 4 Straight: 100-98 Wizards
Not only did Raptor fans have to witness Caron Butler breaking Shawn Marion's ankles and then follow that up with the winning shot, they didn't even get a free slice of pizza!
So, rather than depress you by telling you the tao of how the Craps lost to the second worst team in the league, I will instead show you pictures of mirror images found in nature.
So, rather than depress you by telling you the tao of how the Craps lost to the second worst team in the league, I will instead show you pictures of mirror images found in nature.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Second Last Home Game of the Season
Tonight we have... I can't even say it, the matchup is so bad. The Washington Wizards come to town for an 8 PM tip-off. Why the late start? Probably because no one wants to watch this game anyway. It's the second last home game of this horrid season, and you can watch (if you are some sort of masochist) on TSN 2 (take that! You probably can't watch it anyway!) or on channelsurfing.net, or listen on the Fan590. This game is also available on ESPN2. Something tells me this isn't what the ESPN bigwigs had in mind when they scheduled this game on national TV. More along the lines of: "Dominating froncourts of Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Bosh matched up with Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison! Plus a great guard matchup of pass-first Jose Calderon against shoot-first, -second and -third Gilbert Arenas!" Sigh... and now for a very special What to Watch Instead...
NBA.com preview
W2WI:
- Paint drying.
- Sea Monkeys.
- Grass growing.
- Something that will make you feel good about yourself.
NBA.com preview
W2WI:
- Paint drying.
- Sea Monkeys.
- Grass growing.
- Something that will make you feel good about yourself.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
We Have (Another) Blowout: 130-101 Pacers
Remember last week when the Craptors won six games in a row, and there was talk about the playoffa? Well tonight the Craps reminded us why we went on a non-violent blogging strike. The only thing more embarassing than the Raptor defense tonight was giving up a double double to JOSH MCROBERTS!?!?!?! Captain Suck recorded career highs in points (12) and rebounds (11), outscoring Shawn Marion and Jose Calderon's combined point total. Did I mention that Josh McRoberts is a 2 ppg and 2 rpg player? Could have been Raptor Danny Granger Joey 2.0 put up 29 points tonight.
NBA.com Recap
Player of the game:
Gotta give it up for Patrick O'Bryant tonight (yes, seriously). As opposed to last nights game where he looked tired, disoriented, and Michael Bradley-esque, POB pulled it together tonight, starting in place of Andrea Bargnani. POB finished going 8-11 from the field, good for 16 points, grabbed 7 boards, and used every one of his fouls. The kicker: Patty led the Craps tonight with a stunning +3 performance.
Notables:
Chris Bosh - 'Nother day at the office for CB, 21 and 9. His infatuation with the three ball continues however, he has now attempted 7 threes in his past 10 games, he's 0-7 beeteedubz.
Joey Graham - 14 points, 4 boards, 8-9 from free throw. Joey showed up his twin brother good. Steven only had 8 points and 3 boards.
Full box score
Stat of the game:
The Craptor defense was just comical tonight. The Pacers had their highest point total and margin of victory of the season (Toronto makes the record books again!). They also shot 62 percent from the field in the first half, and 72 percent in the second quarter. At half, the score was an astounding 74-48, the Pacers highest scoring half of the season. The Pacers scored their 100th point with 3:33 left in the third quarter and led 115-74 at the end of the period. The Pacers shot 68 percent in the third quarter. I would attach a lesson for the Craps, but who has the energy anymore?
NBA.com Recap
Player of the game:
Gotta give it up for Patrick O'Bryant tonight (yes, seriously). As opposed to last nights game where he looked tired, disoriented, and Michael Bradley-esque, POB pulled it together tonight, starting in place of Andrea Bargnani. POB finished going 8-11 from the field, good for 16 points, grabbed 7 boards, and used every one of his fouls. The kicker: Patty led the Craps tonight with a stunning +3 performance.
Notables:
Chris Bosh - 'Nother day at the office for CB, 21 and 9. His infatuation with the three ball continues however, he has now attempted 7 threes in his past 10 games, he's 0-7 beeteedubz.
Joey Graham - 14 points, 4 boards, 8-9 from free throw. Joey showed up his twin brother good. Steven only had 8 points and 3 boards.
Full box score
Stat of the game:
The Craptor defense was just comical tonight. The Pacers had their highest point total and margin of victory of the season (Toronto makes the record books again!). They also shot 62 percent from the field in the first half, and 72 percent in the second quarter. At half, the score was an astounding 74-48, the Pacers highest scoring half of the season. The Pacers scored their 100th point with 3:33 left in the third quarter and led 115-74 at the end of the period. The Pacers shot 68 percent in the third quarter. I would attach a lesson for the Craps, but who has the energy anymore?
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