Those of us who are lucky enough to have Raptors NBA TV are in for a treat. Tonight starting at 6 will be the RNTV preview of the new Raptors. At 7 is part 1 of The Beginning: Inside Raptors Training Camp.
For those who don't have RNTV, make sure to check back here, as we will be scouring the depths of the internet for a stream.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Preseason Update: A Budding Bromance
Just like me and In BC We Trust, it seems as if DeMar DeRozan and Sonny Weems have a developing Bromance.
The evidence? Look at the recent tweets from DMDR and Sonny:
Sonny:
Sitting at my boy DeMar crib, about to get at him in this Fight Night.
DMDR:
About to kill @Sonny13 in this Fight Night!
At ruth chris steakhouse with my boy demar, good win today.
DMDR:
@Sonny13 is the funniest teammate I ever had.@Sonny13 needs his on reality Tv show. Lmao
The evidence? Look at the recent tweets from DMDR and Sonny:
Sonny:
Sitting at my boy DeMar crib, about to get at him in this Fight Night.
DMDR:
About to kill @Sonny13 in this Fight Night!
At ruth chris steakhouse with my boy demar, good win today.
DMDR:
@Sonny13 is the funniest teammate I ever had.@Sonny13 needs his on reality Tv show. Lmao
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Preseason Update: By the Numbers and What To Watch For
The Raptors are four games into the preseason and are sitting at a 2-2 record. What can we take away from the 2009 Raptors first games? Lets check out the numbers from the games. Of course, keep in mind this is the preseason and not actual basketball.
The Numbers
A key issue for BC in the offseason was toughness on the defensive end, especially when it came to rebounding. Thus far it seems that the same old Raps are coming out on the boards. They were beat on the glass in two of four games and are a combined -10 on the glass. In a conference of superstar forwards and centres, the importance of limiting second chance points will be crucial towards Raptor success this season.
Another point of stress for The Architect was defense. In the first 4 games, Raptor opponents are shooting on average 45.1% from the field and have scored an average of just under 101 points per game. This is very similar to the Raps 2008-09 numbers, as they gave up just under 102 points per game and allowed opponents to shoot 46.5% from the field. Oh yes, and the Raptors also allowed the 76ers to shoot 64% from three point land (J-Killa had 12 points on 4-6 from three, in case you were interested).
Save for one outing, the Raptor offense has shown little sign of weakness (even without Hedo). The Dinos are averaging just over 97 points per game on 44% from the field. Andrea Bargnani, largely considered to be the Raptors x-factor for success this season, is averaging 16 points in about 22 minutes per game.
W2W4:
Pleasant Surprises and Position Battles
The preseason has taken a more interesting turn for the Raptors this season. Why? Because with the influx of new players, (almost) nobody has a guaranteed rotation spot. Players like Amir Johnson, Sonny Weems, Marco Belinelli, and DeMar DeRozan have all began the preseason with a spark, trying to catch Jay Triano's eye.
To be honest, I was (and still am) confused at where Amir Johnson would fit into a Raptors lineup which had a veteran backup centre and a fierce backup power forward. However Amir is putting on a show in the preseason, averaging 8 points per game and 8 rebounds per game in just over 20 minutes per game. If Amir can keep up the energy off the bench and solid production, he may just find himself in the rotation.
Sonny Weems has been a pleasant surprise in my eyes. Coming off the bench for the first two games and then starting the last two, Sonny has scored over 10 points in three of is four outings.
Perhaps my favourite addition of the summer, Marco Belinelli has not disappointed so far. Marco has averaged just under 12 points per game thus far. I'd take that for Devean George.
To top off the seemingly crowded wing position is DeMar DeRozan (pictured above, pun definitely intended). DMDR is doing some special things on the court this preseason, including a 19 point outing in Washington. However, I am most impressed with DMDR's persistence in taking the ball to the rim. He is averaging 4.25 free throw attempts per game. Oh yeah, and he can dunk too.
The Raptors' next game is Wednesday, as they fly into Hartford to play the Celtics. Hedo Turkoglu is expected to make his Raptor debut.
Friday, October 9, 2009
RealGM's Andrew Perna Previews the Raptors
Yesterday Andrew Perna, one of the editors over at RealGM (and one of the few people on that site who actually know anything about the sport, but that's another story) previewed the Raps. I happen to agree with a lot of what he has to say, but I'd like to analyze what he has to say and add some commentary of my own.
Read the full article.
On Jose Calderon:
"After playing in all 82 games during the 2007-08 season, Jose Calderon missed 14 contests last year. Regardless of the time he missed, Calderon averaged career-highs in points (12.8), assists (8.9) and minutes per game (34.3). As Toronto’s best play-maker, he had a 41.0 assist percentage, which quantifies his chemistry with teammates Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani.
He isn’t an explosive scorer by any means, but is careful with the basketball and is extremely reliable at the foul-line. His defense is decent, although he is often beaten by faster point guards."
I don't think Perna gives Jose enough credit for his scoring abilities. He set a career high in points by about a point and a half, but that included a drop of 20 points in his FG% and 25 in 3PT%. He was definitively the leader of the team last year for the first time, so his shots per game did rise, but I think it's more than likely that his drop in percentages and lack of an explosion in his scoring average (as some analysts predicted) was due to his playing hurt for most of the season. Also, it's a tad generous to say he's a "decent" defender, though his injury may have had an effect here as well.
On Raptors swingmen:
"DeRozan is an interesting piece, especially since his role isn’t exactly clear-cut. Turkoglu could take a majority of the minutes at small forward, or even shooting guard, but Belinelli should have to show something significant in order to lock down a majority of the perimeter minutes over the rookie. The former Trojan is raw, but his potential may be higher than any other member of his class.
If Belinelli blossoms in Toronto, the three-man rotation of the Italian, the Turk and the American could help the Raptors climb near the top of the Eastern Conference."
I would assume that Jay Triano is spending most of this training camp giving every player a defined role (at least I hope he is). The comparisons between this team and last year's Magic have been beaten to death, but it's not at all out of the question for DMDR to have a similar season to Courtney Lee's last year - defend hard, get easy buckets in transition, and contribute offensively when he's hot. With regards to his potential, I agree, and he's already gotten much stronger to add to his prototypical swingman build. The final point is the one I think resonates strongest, though: should Belinelli have a big season (think 12-15 PPG or so) he could very well be this team's Manu Ginobili-type sparkplug off the bench, something we missed dearly last year with all the injuries and poor play.
On the season:
"Forecast: Colangelo believes that the Raptors can be a 50-win team with home-court advantage in the postseason. That’s not out of the realm of possibility, but the club will have to gel quickly and their studs (Calderon, Turkoglu, Bosh and Bargnani) will have to remain healthy in order to have a shot. They’ll finish with around 45 wins, which should put them in the four-six range in terms of playoff seeding. They aren’t anywhere near the beasts of the East (Boston, Orlando and Cleveland), but there isn’t any reason why they can’t complete with or surpass the rest (Atlanta, Miami, Chicago and Philadelphia)."
I agree here 100%. The Raps will likely steal a couple victories from the big dogs in the East but they'll have to defend their turf against the second tier if they plan to win those 50 games. It's certainly possible, especially if the young guys take a step forward and Chris Bosh's added weight brings him to the next level.
Soon PH will bring you our season preview. Remember, tonight the Raps take on the T-Wolves in Minnesota at 8 PM EST.
Read the full article.
On Jose Calderon:
"After playing in all 82 games during the 2007-08 season, Jose Calderon missed 14 contests last year. Regardless of the time he missed, Calderon averaged career-highs in points (12.8), assists (8.9) and minutes per game (34.3). As Toronto’s best play-maker, he had a 41.0 assist percentage, which quantifies his chemistry with teammates Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani.
He isn’t an explosive scorer by any means, but is careful with the basketball and is extremely reliable at the foul-line. His defense is decent, although he is often beaten by faster point guards."
I don't think Perna gives Jose enough credit for his scoring abilities. He set a career high in points by about a point and a half, but that included a drop of 20 points in his FG% and 25 in 3PT%. He was definitively the leader of the team last year for the first time, so his shots per game did rise, but I think it's more than likely that his drop in percentages and lack of an explosion in his scoring average (as some analysts predicted) was due to his playing hurt for most of the season. Also, it's a tad generous to say he's a "decent" defender, though his injury may have had an effect here as well.
On Raptors swingmen:
"DeRozan is an interesting piece, especially since his role isn’t exactly clear-cut. Turkoglu could take a majority of the minutes at small forward, or even shooting guard, but Belinelli should have to show something significant in order to lock down a majority of the perimeter minutes over the rookie. The former Trojan is raw, but his potential may be higher than any other member of his class.
If Belinelli blossoms in Toronto, the three-man rotation of the Italian, the Turk and the American could help the Raptors climb near the top of the Eastern Conference."
I would assume that Jay Triano is spending most of this training camp giving every player a defined role (at least I hope he is). The comparisons between this team and last year's Magic have been beaten to death, but it's not at all out of the question for DMDR to have a similar season to Courtney Lee's last year - defend hard, get easy buckets in transition, and contribute offensively when he's hot. With regards to his potential, I agree, and he's already gotten much stronger to add to his prototypical swingman build. The final point is the one I think resonates strongest, though: should Belinelli have a big season (think 12-15 PPG or so) he could very well be this team's Manu Ginobili-type sparkplug off the bench, something we missed dearly last year with all the injuries and poor play.
On the season:
"Forecast: Colangelo believes that the Raptors can be a 50-win team with home-court advantage in the postseason. That’s not out of the realm of possibility, but the club will have to gel quickly and their studs (Calderon, Turkoglu, Bosh and Bargnani) will have to remain healthy in order to have a shot. They’ll finish with around 45 wins, which should put them in the four-six range in terms of playoff seeding. They aren’t anywhere near the beasts of the East (Boston, Orlando and Cleveland), but there isn’t any reason why they can’t complete with or surpass the rest (Atlanta, Miami, Chicago and Philadelphia)."
I agree here 100%. The Raps will likely steal a couple victories from the big dogs in the East but they'll have to defend their turf against the second tier if they plan to win those 50 games. It's certainly possible, especially if the young guys take a step forward and Chris Bosh's added weight brings him to the next level.
Soon PH will bring you our season preview. Remember, tonight the Raps take on the T-Wolves in Minnesota at 8 PM EST.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Raps Stumble in Preseason Back-to-Back
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Beginning of Training Camp Update
So we inch closer to the start of the NBA season with the arrival of the Raptors' training camp. Interesting tidbits: DeMar DeRozan and Chris Bosh have both bulked up significantly - Bosh has apparently gained about 20 pounds on his upper body. DeRozan has been working out hard this off-season (judging by his Twitter feed) and looks very chiseled. Speaking of Bosh, he tweaked his hamstring and will miss the start of training camp. Here's hoping he gets better quickly, and that his new tattoo (sorry, he's not showing anyone yet) looks dashing.
The Raptors Charity Golf Classic was this week, and Bryan Colangelo, Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon as well as front-office staff looked like they were having a great time.
As well, Media Day was also this week and you can check out all the video on Raptors.com. Plenty of Raps are interviewed and all sound really excited for this season to start.
Friday, September 11, 2009
ACC Gets A Makeover
In a relatively undercover operation, the Air Canada Centre closed for 10 weeks to complete the last phase of the arena’s $48 million "renovation and revitalization". The re-vamped ACC features an expanded West side, which now includes a new entrance, new retail areas, and additional concession stands. The new multi-level atrium also adds a High-Definition studio for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment’s three networks: Leafs TV, Raptors NBA TV and GOLTV.
More than physical changes were taking place though in the ACC. Full replacement of the current signage panels to digital signage, an upgrade of all food, beverage and retail concessions and further investments in the security program are also happening. Also a new automated arena seat conversion system is being introduced. We don't know what it is supposed to do, but we are excited to see it.
Lastly, in what could be the coolest feature of all, a covered glass bridge will connect Air Canada Centre to Maple Leaf Square, a sports entertainment and residential development presently under construction. Maple Leaf Square's public square will play host to tailgate parties and pre-and-post event celebrations. Now Leaf fans have an excuse to get belligerently drunk even earlier!
More than physical changes were taking place though in the ACC. Full replacement of the current signage panels to digital signage, an upgrade of all food, beverage and retail concessions and further investments in the security program are also happening. Also a new automated arena seat conversion system is being introduced. We don't know what it is supposed to do, but we are excited to see it.
Lastly, in what could be the coolest feature of all, a covered glass bridge will connect Air Canada Centre to Maple Leaf Square, a sports entertainment and residential development presently under construction. Maple Leaf Square's public square will play host to tailgate parties and pre-and-post event celebrations. Now Leaf fans have an excuse to get belligerently drunk even earlier!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
The Broadcast Schedule Is Here!
On Thursday the Raptors announced the broadcast schedule for the 09-10 season. You can get it here. As with the past three seasons, all games will be available in HD. The station breakdown looks like this: 50 games split on TSN and TSN 2 (thank God it got resolved), 20 on The Score, 10 on CBC, and 2 on Raptors NBA TV.
Some early dates to watch out for:
Wednesday October 28 vs. Cleveland. The Raps open at home versus BraunBraun, A-P, and Jamario Moon.
Sunday November 1 vs. Orlando. Toronto's most notorious super villain comes back to Toronto for the first time with new threads. You can change teams Vince, but you can't hide.
Friday November 27 at Boston. If the Raps want to make a legitimate run this year, they must contend with the star-studded teams.
Tuesday December 1 vs. Washington. The authors of ESPN took the Wizards over the Raptors for the number 8 spot in the east. It will be interesting to see if Gilbert can come back and perform to the level he was at two years ago
Lastly we would like to apologize for being a couple days late on this, things have been a bit hectic in our lives. But hey, if you followed Jurassic Hoops you still would have no idea.
Some early dates to watch out for:
Wednesday October 28 vs. Cleveland. The Raps open at home versus BraunBraun, A-P, and Jamario Moon.
Sunday November 1 vs. Orlando. Toronto's most notorious super villain comes back to Toronto for the first time with new threads. You can change teams Vince, but you can't hide.
Friday November 27 at Boston. If the Raps want to make a legitimate run this year, they must contend with the star-studded teams.
Tuesday December 1 vs. Washington. The authors of ESPN took the Wizards over the Raptors for the number 8 spot in the east. It will be interesting to see if Gilbert can come back and perform to the level he was at two years ago
Lastly we would like to apologize for being a couple days late on this, things have been a bit hectic in our lives. But hey, if you followed Jurassic Hoops you still would have no idea.
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?
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Bosh's Stance Toward Extension Changes
The Globe and Mail reported today that Chris Bosh has come around on the idea of a contract extension with the Raps.
“We haven’t read the book yet, but when he has it ready, I’ll gladly sit down and talk about it, discuss pros and cons, and come to a decision,” Bosh said. “But I like that we’re not sitting around, waiting around, putting all our eggs in the basket and saying we’re going to wait for 2010 because we want to have [salary] cap space to get players you might not be able to sign. The do-it-now approach is very motivating, for everyone.
“We’re a lot deeper and I think we have a fantastic team. If we work on the small things, we can make some noise.”
It certainly seems like Bosh loves Toronto (see: "I love Toronto and Toronto loves me") and the Raptors have definitely shown that they are willing to do anything to build a talented core around him. In this economy, it's easy for teams to focus too much on saving money while forgetting the on-court product, and come 2010, Bosh may realize that Toronto is one of the teams most willing to gather up a supporting cast capable of competing.
“We haven’t read the book yet, but when he has it ready, I’ll gladly sit down and talk about it, discuss pros and cons, and come to a decision,” Bosh said. “But I like that we’re not sitting around, waiting around, putting all our eggs in the basket and saying we’re going to wait for 2010 because we want to have [salary] cap space to get players you might not be able to sign. The do-it-now approach is very motivating, for everyone.
“We’re a lot deeper and I think we have a fantastic team. If we work on the small things, we can make some noise.”
It certainly seems like Bosh loves Toronto (see: "I love Toronto and Toronto loves me") and the Raptors have definitely shown that they are willing to do anything to build a talented core around him. In this economy, it's easy for teams to focus too much on saving money while forgetting the on-court product, and come 2010, Bosh may realize that Toronto is one of the teams most willing to gather up a supporting cast capable of competing.
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