There is one word/reason why the Raptors lost this game, and why don’t do shit in the playoffs:
REBOUNDS
Washington - 49 (10 offensive)
Toronto - 37 (13 offensive)
Say what you want, but the Raptors lost because they couldn’t grab a rebound. In a game that was dictated on the boards and in the paint, why isn’t Rasho, Primo, Hump on the floor more?
Rasho - 30 min
Primo - 8 min
Hump - 4.5 min
Final 4:34 of the game = ZERO MINUTES
Rebounding clearly doesn’t win games B.C., you idiot. 106 points apparently doesn’t win games either. Man I am sick of this shit….I don’t even want to finish my article, hopefully a good discussion comes out of this.
Technorati Tags: Bryan Colangelo, Kris Humphries, Primoz Brezec, Rasho Nesterovic, Rebounds, Washington Wizards
March 7th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
It was a great atmosphere, too. Can’t believe they let it slip away.
Thank God Jose has come back to life.
Wonder what TJ was thinking as the 4th wound down.
AltRaps’s last blog post..Linkage - March 07
March 7th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
alt, everytime the camera pans towards your seats, i strain to catch a glimpes, lol. it just never goes far enough over. even an inch more (tv inch) and you’re a tv regular!
i was always in the tj camp, i like how he rolls. but at this point of the year, i don’t want to be messing with the pg situation, and jose is playing so damn well, he is the man until the offseason. tj can’t be happy with that at all. he jacked a couple too many today. i think this is where his play of late has come from…frustration.
March 7th, 2008 at 11:09 pm
http://cuzoogle.com/2008/03/08/friday-night-frights/
I posted a helpful video I hope all of the Raptors watch.
I love T.J. but he is losing it. Does not even look like he cares.
I managed to get a post out but I hated doing it.
GOD DAMN FRIDAY NIGHT RAPS!
cuzzy’s last blog post..Friday night frights
March 7th, 2008 at 11:19 pm
Can we please sign Jamison in the offseason….lol. I can dream can’t I!
March 7th, 2008 at 11:29 pm
I would settle for Haywood.
Big ups to D-Mart for turning 37.
cuzzy’s last blog post..Friday night frights
March 8th, 2008 at 12:20 am
Raps Fan > I hate saying it, but TJ has always been this kind of player. And without one full injury season, it’s hard for even his most ardent, and loyal supporters to argue FOR his $8 mil/Charlie V trade.
On a positive spin, as you allude to, coming off the bench can’t be easy for a player that has been a starter ALL his life. It can be argued that if Bargs (or Moon) deserve to start (with both being VERY inconsistent), why not TJ? + I imagine that THIS version of the Raps, isn’t exactly what the braintrust had in mind as (the now no longer existent) Phoenix run-n-gun East. Imagine TJ playing in Miami with Wade & Marion?
I was hoping that someone, anyone, would have woken up Jose, and reminded of the the now infamous Agent (is a) Zero blog. He did seem fired up to start the 3rd.
I actually thought Smitch wasn’t too garbage with his sub patterns (vs the past 5 games).
The officiating was so GARBAGE today (late & weird calls vs BOTH teams), regardless of who won.
I know this is a moot point that people can’t “see” unless you also watch International ball, but AP, Jose (remember people kept saying his sucked because he can’t create or drive?), etc. CAN get to the bucket, almost at will, but can’t seem to stray from the damned jumpers.
Has Smitch finally let go of TJ’s balls? I was suprised that he didn’t play more.
Finally, I HATE that we are a jump shooting team. I was hoping that they would have @ least gone to Rasho deep more (inside-out).
March 8th, 2008 at 7:28 am
It sure looks like some major trades are coming our way. You can kind of figure TJ may be on the block. Not sure what they would get for him but Miami really needs a PG. If not Jose then maybe they can package TJ. They have a PG coming in from Europe and BC only wants players that want to be in TO. PJ wants to be the man and I understand that. The next 5 weeks are going to be hard to take (hard core fans) but there is always next year.
So hopefully as the weeks go by the experts can entertain us with some predictions on the upcoming trades.
March 8th, 2008 at 8:59 am
The west coast trip is going to be killer. Maybe they can win in Sacto??
cuzzy’s last blog post..Friday night frights
March 8th, 2008 at 10:21 am
John, you are right, but the frustrating thing might be what do we get in return?
TJ’s contract is sizable, so do you take back existing NBAers and still have cap issues or do you trade away for maybe a midlevel player and draft pick(s)? You do that and you maybe take a step back and add another 1-2 years on your “championship journey” (oh, to laugh or dream).
RapsFan, that is EXACTLY the reason I have those seats. My mug ain’t made for TV! Besides, when I take a lady to a game, my gf can’t tell.
SiC, I think Rasho is a good inside out guy, to an extent. I’m not sure he is so great at backing his guy down, which is what is needed. Primoz has shown some of that in the past, but since he’s been here he seems a bit too shot happy.
Which leads me to another point: Sam will yank his bigs if they “shoot too much”, yet we are a jump shooting team. Hmmm..
AltRaps’s last blog post..Linkage - March 07
March 8th, 2008 at 10:22 am
lets first focus on Seatle, then worry about the trip. jamison would be a sweet pick up, but we can’t afford him, if we are worried about signing calderon and delfino. i appreciate the dream rod, i too, once had a dream: not to hae to wait till next season in the hopes that something happens.
the only thing miami has that would be valuable in a trade is their 1st rounder, which they probably wouldn’t trade. the only way a raptor ends up on that team is if they sign there.
i’d setting for haywood too cuzzy, dude always plays like a champ against us.
sic: aside from the lack of big men down the stretch, i thought the substitutions were the best in the lst 5 games or so.
March 8th, 2008 at 10:46 am
it’s funny, but sam didn’t play how he coached. he was always in an inside guy who would only take/hit OPEN jumpers. he hustled and grabbed boards. really interesting to see him coach a team in this manner.
ok, so forget trading tj for mid-level. if we trade him, we get a maggette type guy back. there will have to be people included with tj to make it happen, but better to package and trade players who aren’t going to do anything for us, then have them sit and shoot 18 footers when they should be nailing treys. that’s all i’m saying.
March 8th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Excellent point man, I didn’t even notice that. With no big guy in there how can we expect to keep Washington off the offensive glass. Seattle becomes almost a must-win because it doesn’t look like Bosh will be back for the roadtrip where we have good chance of going 0-5. Rebounding has been a problem for this team all year long and we chose not to address it at the deadline and are suffering the consequences. With Bosh out you see how weak this team really is and its lack of depth.
Arsenalist’s last blog post..The pain of watching the Raptors offense
March 8th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
My dream:
package TJ and a re-upped Delfino for a solid second piece to complement Bosh.
Delfino has shown enough flash to whet the appetite of a possible trade partner and may take some of the bitterness of a flaky TJ away from a GM. I really think moving TJ by himself will be a tough task, so we have to throw someone else in there.
AltRaps’s last blog post..Linkage - March 08
March 8th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
“altraps has a dream” LOL. I share the same one man. I think it’s doable, just requires some creativity and a willingness to change course mid stream.
this road swing is gonna hurt arse!
March 8th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Heres a trade: Bargnani and Ford or Calderon for Maggette and Chris Kaman.
TJ has had three bad games and everybody is losing it. I’m a TJ fan, and I admit he has been “flaky” the last few games, but lets remember that he is still adjusting from his time off, and it is really hard to come back to a team “you” were running and be playing second fiddle to Jose. I think its important for him to remain professional and not be a whiny bitch and play hard the way Jose did when he was starting.
I would take a healthy TJ Ford over a healthy Jose Calderon anyday of the week, but the fact is that TJ has not been consistently healthy. The reason I would take TJ is that he is faster, is a better penetrator and plays much better defense than Calderon. On a team like the Raps were the offense, especially without Bosh stagnates, you need to be able to be creative and move the ball into the paint, which TJ at least “attempts” to do more than Jose (and I’m not talking about taking it all the way, which Jose does, rather driving in the lane and finding cutters like TJ)
To even question the Charlie V trade is blasphemy. I cried when the Raptors drafted him….cried tears of anger and betrayal. He is a lazy mofo who has no commitment to being a professional. And that is like a slap in the face because he has so much skill. That trade was amazing. A plus for BC.
March 8th, 2008 at 2:57 pm
I was always puzzled by the mantra that TJ has more talent or potential than Calderon. “I would take a healthy TJ Ford over a healthy Calderon any day of the week” - that’s every fan’s prerogative, however what is the basis for it? TJ has shown no progress in 2 seasons, Calderon has progressed (or adjusted) immensely over the last 3 seasons. Calderon shoots better, passes better, has lower turnovers, in general displays a much better decision-making ability than TJ. Nash or CP3 break down the defense with a purpose and in a controlled way, TJ is absolutely out of control when he drives. The teammates have no idea what TJ is going to do next therefore the high number of turnovers for him.
I thought a lot about it and I discussed with colleagues at work about this “potential” thing and I came to the conclusion that it has to do with the exposure and experience we get as b-ball fans. People exposed only to NBA or North American b-ball have a certain understanding of potential and the qualities of a good player. Coming from Europe and playing b-ball at a competitive level I have a different understanding of the same thing we are watching. I always considered Calderon to have much more potential and intrinsic value than TJ and for me it was just a matter of time until it became realized. This must be not because I am a better reader of talent than any other fan but because I have different expectations than other people based on my (and many other fans) experience.
Put simply, Calderon is much better 5-on-5 b-ball player than TJ. If this is the value one appreciates the most, then Calderon’s value becomes obvious. If one appreciates the 1-on-5 b-ball with its aura in American media then it becomes normal to value more the “special” player and to expect more “potential” from such a player. This is not to say than in certain instances the “super” player cannot win a game or a play-off series or that a team does not need clutch players to win a close game. In the long haul though b-ball is a team sport and only the team will lose or win in the end.
IMO, this long dissertation has nothing to do with what’s going on with TJ and the Raps right now. It is obvious to me that TJ’s antics and demeanour is taking this team down fast. We do need a good PG to run the fading second unit and TJ would have a huge role to play however he doesn’t seem to accept or understand his role at the worst possible time. If anyone thinks Calderon took easy the fact that he played second fiddle to TJ he/she must be oblivious to the fiercely competitive nature of Calderon. However just compare the two reactions and draw your own conclusions.
Colangelo and Mitchell certainly have their own share of blame in the way they handled and propped up TJ since signing until recently. However it is to TJ to man up and start playing what this team needs from him - nothing more, nothing less.
March 8th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
damn daniel, that is rather compelling. i tend to agree. i was with rod in that i was in the tj camp, for no other reason than style of play. i mean, they both have advantages and disadvantages as players. you are right in that jose has made massive progress in three seasons (seemingly more than tj has). and up until recently, i was still in the tj camp.
since he came back tho, he hasn’t been all there, understandably. i didn’t think it was a good time to make him the starter again. i just think being this close to the playoffs, it would be wrong to mess with the rotation, and move calderon.
watching tj the last couple weeks tho, and especially the last couple games, i am a bit disappointed in his professionalism. jose took being 2nd string like a man. when tj went down, he filled his shoes admirably, and deserved his starter status. i’m sure if he went back to 2nd string, he would take it like a man. unlike tj.
i also agree with how badly smitch and bc handled this whole thing, but what are you going to do? one of them is going to get shipped off in the summer, and there wont be this debate anymore. i just hope it is jose for no other reason than the injury problems tj has. and i hope we get either a big rebounding dude, or a slashing/scoring 3. anything else would utterly disappoint me.
March 9th, 2008 at 5:28 am
I think any coach wants to have a healthy club. TJ is not healthy/happy but still has the swagger to be of interest to some club. What get’s packaged with him is another story. Toronto took a gamble on him (even hired Lucas) but it seems he needs the starting role.
Great to see all the debate about how to get better. No matter what happens they are in far better shape then Miami.
March 9th, 2008 at 8:59 am
Rod > I’ll just put it down as you and I disagree on a lot of things :), CV, TJ, etc. Btw, what’s your take on Rafer Alston and how he was treated by Smitch? Or how Smitch handled Wince Carter?
Daniel >
that’s because a lot of peeps don’t watch international ball (I like watching Euro/Asian [although the CBA/PBA is crap] leagues as well), so the understanding (or lack there of) our criticisms either fall on deaf ears, or we’re branded as racist 
I’ve always said that Jose CAN go to the basket AT WILL, if he chooses to. He just doesn’t BECAUSE of his Euroleague experience.
Raps Fan > the fact that you and Arse who are/were HUGE TJ supporters now see Jose in a different light is compelling.
March 9th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
First off let me say that I love Jose Calderon. Just because I stick up for TJ doesn’t mean that I don’t support Jose or appreciate his game.
I do not watch a lot of European ball, simply because it is not available to me. However, whenever an international game presented itself to me, chances are I watched it. But I think everyone can agree that the NBA is the premier basketball league in the world, and European ball, although improving both skill wise and competitive wise still does not hold a candle to the NBA.
Daniel, I’m not sure what exactly you are driving at with the whole ” you don’t watch European ball, so you don’t understand my point”. I think I know what your point is: that TJ the “chimp” is an out of control ball hog, who doesn’t play the “European” team game the way Jose does. Jose can drive anytime he wants, but doesn’t chose to because “he is under control” and would rather run pick and roll plays with Bosh and use his superior “European” jump shot instead of driving. At least thats what I take from your “dissertation”…..lol. I think Jose should be starting right now. He is having a great year and should be rewarded.
Sic- Peter V. summed up Charlie V’s career beautifully the other night: “9/10 he dissapoints you, but that one game, man is he impressive when he wants to be”