I'm probably crazy (I definitely am), but I think Demar Derozan has a legitimate chance to lead the league in scoring within the next 7 years.
Wow. That does sound really crazy. I wouldn't blame you if you stopped reading now. If you want to kill some time though, allow me to support my craziness.
Last year, Derozan was, for the most part, the offensive second fiddle to one Andrea Bargnani. In that role, he still demonstrated a knack for scoring, both athletically at the rim, and through a rapidly improving midrange jumper. From December on, he didn't average less than 15.9 ppg in any month. Then, when Andrea got injured in the beginning of April, Derozan was thrust into the role of main offensive player. He performed well for someone so young and on such a flawed team. In the month of April, he averaged 23 points a night, while getting to the line nearly 8 times a night.
A small sample size, to be sure, but those who watched the games know this: Derozan has the potential to be a gifted scorer. He had absolutely no 3 point range last year, but considering the improvement in his stroke from his rookie year, I believe he can bring himself up to league average. Combine that with the driving instincts and ability to draw fouls he flashed bear the end of the season, sprinkle in lots of shots on a mediocre to average team, and you have a recipe for 27+ points a night.
Not out of the realm of possibility, right? Please tell me I'm right.
Showing posts with label Raptors. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Raptors. Show all posts
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
So, how about that NBA draft, huh? We saw some crazy things, and some predictable things. All in all, it was a decent night, and the NBA's last hurrah before the lockout hits and renders us all depressed by 4 hour long baseball games.
But for now, let's reflect on the night that was. It's our last basketball for a while, so we should make it last.
Let's first talk about the most surprising parts of the draft. It's obvious almost no one expected Cleveland to draft Tristan Thompson, and for good reason. For all his athleticism and blocks, he's still a relatively short, skinny power forward. But the aforementioned athleticism and shot blocking ability make him an intriguing prospect. He may never be an All Star, but you can see why he was selected.
The severe drop of Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker was also unexpected. At one point or another, they were each considered a consensus top 5 pick, and the fact that they weren't drafted until the mid-lottery probably took many by surprise. And dropping wasn't necessarily beneficial for them. Although Walker will go to a team with some nice pieces around him in Charlotte, Knight is headed to a dysfunctional Pistons team In turmoil. He's still got the physical tools to make it work, but in that organization, it'll be tough.
A more personal surprise was the Raptors choice of Jonas Valanciunas. If you were following the draft on Twitter, you may have seen the reaction by Raptors fans, almost unanimously negative. I myself was shocked and kind of dismayed. But when I stopped and thought about the pick, it started to make sense. Everything I've ever read about Jonas has attested to his work ethic, motor, love for the game, and defensive instincts. Those are qualities Toronto sorely lacks. He may not be able to come over till next year, but with many draft experts projecting him as the best player of the draft class, I think he's worth it.
The rest of the draft, while not uneventful, was a tad predictable. The Spurs found a few diamonds in the rough, the Suns drafted the lesser of a set of collegiate siblings, and Portland made some smart deals. It was both a way to stave off the lockout and reminder of impending doom. We can only hope that both sides figure out a workable solution quickly. I want basketball and I want it soon. Who's with me?
But for now, let's reflect on the night that was. It's our last basketball for a while, so we should make it last.
Let's first talk about the most surprising parts of the draft. It's obvious almost no one expected Cleveland to draft Tristan Thompson, and for good reason. For all his athleticism and blocks, he's still a relatively short, skinny power forward. But the aforementioned athleticism and shot blocking ability make him an intriguing prospect. He may never be an All Star, but you can see why he was selected.
The severe drop of Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker was also unexpected. At one point or another, they were each considered a consensus top 5 pick, and the fact that they weren't drafted until the mid-lottery probably took many by surprise. And dropping wasn't necessarily beneficial for them. Although Walker will go to a team with some nice pieces around him in Charlotte, Knight is headed to a dysfunctional Pistons team In turmoil. He's still got the physical tools to make it work, but in that organization, it'll be tough.
A more personal surprise was the Raptors choice of Jonas Valanciunas. If you were following the draft on Twitter, you may have seen the reaction by Raptors fans, almost unanimously negative. I myself was shocked and kind of dismayed. But when I stopped and thought about the pick, it started to make sense. Everything I've ever read about Jonas has attested to his work ethic, motor, love for the game, and defensive instincts. Those are qualities Toronto sorely lacks. He may not be able to come over till next year, but with many draft experts projecting him as the best player of the draft class, I think he's worth it.
The rest of the draft, while not uneventful, was a tad predictable. The Spurs found a few diamonds in the rough, the Suns drafted the lesser of a set of collegiate siblings, and Portland made some smart deals. It was both a way to stave off the lockout and reminder of impending doom. We can only hope that both sides figure out a workable solution quickly. I want basketball and I want it soon. Who's with me?
Friday, June 17, 2011
Please Mr. Colangelo, Pick Bismarck Biyombo
I've already expressed the fact that I am not in favor of drafting the two point guard prospects most likely to be available for the Raptors at number 5. So who do I want the Raptors to pick? If you've read the title of the post, you know it's Congolese wunderkind Bismarck Biyombo.
Why? Simply put, the Raptors backcourt is reasonably set, with a talented young point guard and an exciting young shooting guard. The areas where the Raptors need improvement the most are at small forward and center. So why did I suggest Biyombo if he isn't a natural fit in either of these positions? Because he's extremely similar to another player who broke positional protocol, and on a championship team.
I speak, of course, of Ben Wallace. Big Ben proved that, as long as a player is athletic, long, quick, and strong, their height in shoes doesn't matter as it pertains to defending big men. Biyombo is all of those things, and he has shown overseas that he is capable of guarding 4's and 5's. Adding him to the Raptors would ostensibly result in a logjam at the power forward position, but Biyombo's defensive versatility means he would be capable of playing alongside Ed Davis or Amir Johnson, resulting in a solid if not above average defensive frontcourt.
So please, Bryan Colangelo. Do the right thing. Improve your defense, and add Bismarck Biyombo.
Why? Simply put, the Raptors backcourt is reasonably set, with a talented young point guard and an exciting young shooting guard. The areas where the Raptors need improvement the most are at small forward and center. So why did I suggest Biyombo if he isn't a natural fit in either of these positions? Because he's extremely similar to another player who broke positional protocol, and on a championship team.
I speak, of course, of Ben Wallace. Big Ben proved that, as long as a player is athletic, long, quick, and strong, their height in shoes doesn't matter as it pertains to defending big men. Biyombo is all of those things, and he has shown overseas that he is capable of guarding 4's and 5's. Adding him to the Raptors would ostensibly result in a logjam at the power forward position, but Biyombo's defensive versatility means he would be capable of playing alongside Ed Davis or Amir Johnson, resulting in a solid if not above average defensive frontcourt.
So please, Bryan Colangelo. Do the right thing. Improve your defense, and add Bismarck Biyombo.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Why Jerryd Bayless Deserves A Shot
The end of the season for the Raptors wasn’t exactly happy fun times. They went 2-6 in their last 8 games, including a season ending loss to the Miami Heat minus their Big 3. But there was a bright spot hidden in all the doom and gloom (EDDIE HOUSE HAD 35 FREAKIN’ POINTS). Jerryd Bayless played big minutes in all of those games, and showed why he was so highly touted coming out of Arizona.
In the month of April, Bayless averaged 22.5 points, 5.6 assists, and 3 boards on nearly 38 minutes a game. He also shot over 48% from the field, 41.2% from beyond the arc on 4.3 attempts a game, and got to the line 7.3 times a game, and made nearly 83% of those. He also only turned the ball over 2.8 times a game, for a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, and he was the best and most focused perimeter defender on the Raptors. Clearly, he was a positive.
The problem is, two of the prospects the Raptors seem to be most in love with are Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker, both point guards. They're both good players, and drafting them wouldn't be seen as a bad choice. However, I think Bayless has shown that he can be a legitimate starting point guard in the NBA, and I think the Raptors would do well to give him a chance.
Bayless has a knack for getting into the paint, he's a good finisher at the rim, he's able to draw contact and get to the line, and he's also become a plus shooter from the perimeter. He's a committed defender in man-to-man coverage, and his quickness and athleticism allows him to play the passing lanes well and gamble on turnovers without leaving his man wide open. And perhaps most importantly, he's a hard worker and seemingly pathological competitor, someone who is willing to yell at his teammates when they need it.
In a nutshell, he provides something the Raptors could use in every facet of the game: aggresiveness on offense, commitment on defense, and vocal leadership in the locker room. He also allows the Raptors to fill a position of greater need, like center or small forward. He may have his flaws, chief among them limited court vision and recklessness, but he's young enough and intriguing enough to warrant a gamble.
In the month of April, Bayless averaged 22.5 points, 5.6 assists, and 3 boards on nearly 38 minutes a game. He also shot over 48% from the field, 41.2% from beyond the arc on 4.3 attempts a game, and got to the line 7.3 times a game, and made nearly 83% of those. He also only turned the ball over 2.8 times a game, for a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, and he was the best and most focused perimeter defender on the Raptors. Clearly, he was a positive.
The problem is, two of the prospects the Raptors seem to be most in love with are Brandon Knight and Kemba Walker, both point guards. They're both good players, and drafting them wouldn't be seen as a bad choice. However, I think Bayless has shown that he can be a legitimate starting point guard in the NBA, and I think the Raptors would do well to give him a chance.
Bayless has a knack for getting into the paint, he's a good finisher at the rim, he's able to draw contact and get to the line, and he's also become a plus shooter from the perimeter. He's a committed defender in man-to-man coverage, and his quickness and athleticism allows him to play the passing lanes well and gamble on turnovers without leaving his man wide open. And perhaps most importantly, he's a hard worker and seemingly pathological competitor, someone who is willing to yell at his teammates when they need it.
In a nutshell, he provides something the Raptors could use in every facet of the game: aggresiveness on offense, commitment on defense, and vocal leadership in the locker room. He also allows the Raptors to fill a position of greater need, like center or small forward. He may have his flaws, chief among them limited court vision and recklessness, but he's young enough and intriguing enough to warrant a gamble.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
On Andrea Bargnani
Andrea Bargnani hasn’t performed like a number one pick.
That isn’t news for anyone. The Italian big man, while showing flashes of All-Star scoring potential, has also shown flashes of D-League worthy defense. His rebounding has been just as bad. All in all, he hasn’t lived up to his top billing. But honestly, he didn’t have top billing. Yes, he was drafted #1 overall, but was there a talent available in that year who was a slam dunk? Brandon Roy was a walking injury risk, LaMarcus Aldridge was still unproven, JJ Redick was thought to be a shorter Adam Morrison, both great college players who would be unable to translate their success to the NBA. Rajon Rondo was a huge project. We can say with relative certainty that the Raptors front office wasn’t necessarily wrong when they picked a 7 foot big man with shot blocking ability and 3 point range.
But that’s all in the past. Right now, we know that Bargnani can’t be the centerpiece of a successful team. So what to do with him? He’s probably best suited for a team with a strong team defense around him, to protect and cover up his own defensive liabilities. He would also be most helpful on a team that struggles to score. One team fits the bill to a T: The Milwaukee Bucks. They’re one of the best defenses (and worst offenses) in the league. That’s good because Il Mago is one of the best offensive (and worst defensive) big men in the league. He would have the second best defensive center in the league protecting the rim for him in Andrew Bogut, and he’d have all the offensive touches he can handle. It’s a perfect fit.
So what can the Raptors expect in return? That’s tough. They would probably want some young guys, either Luc Richard Mbah a Moute or Chris Douglas Roberts (Larry Sanders is basically out of the question). However, in order to make salaries match, they’d need to take on someone like Corey Maggette, whose contract is two years shorter than Bargnani’s, but slightly more expensive per year.
That said, the Raptors would probably jump on this deal. It’d allow them to rid themselves of Bargnani’s bad contract and get a promising young player. If picks are thrown in, that’s just icing on the cake. For the Bucks, they’d get someone who can instantly step in and score 20+ a game, something they sorely need. They’d also move Maggette’s contract for someone with their prime in front of them. They’d probably want to keep Mbah a Moute, a talented young defender who started more than 50 games this last year for them. They’d also probably be hesitant to throw in picks. It depends on what they believe Bargnani is worth.
This wouldn’t be a trade where both teams get better. Toronto would, on paper at least, get worse, and Milwaukee would be making a huge gamble. However, Toronto would also get salary relief and the start of a proper rebuilding, and if the gamble pays off for Milwaukee, it could propel them back into the playoffs.
That isn’t news for anyone. The Italian big man, while showing flashes of All-Star scoring potential, has also shown flashes of D-League worthy defense. His rebounding has been just as bad. All in all, he hasn’t lived up to his top billing. But honestly, he didn’t have top billing. Yes, he was drafted #1 overall, but was there a talent available in that year who was a slam dunk? Brandon Roy was a walking injury risk, LaMarcus Aldridge was still unproven, JJ Redick was thought to be a shorter Adam Morrison, both great college players who would be unable to translate their success to the NBA. Rajon Rondo was a huge project. We can say with relative certainty that the Raptors front office wasn’t necessarily wrong when they picked a 7 foot big man with shot blocking ability and 3 point range.
But that’s all in the past. Right now, we know that Bargnani can’t be the centerpiece of a successful team. So what to do with him? He’s probably best suited for a team with a strong team defense around him, to protect and cover up his own defensive liabilities. He would also be most helpful on a team that struggles to score. One team fits the bill to a T: The Milwaukee Bucks. They’re one of the best defenses (and worst offenses) in the league. That’s good because Il Mago is one of the best offensive (and worst defensive) big men in the league. He would have the second best defensive center in the league protecting the rim for him in Andrew Bogut, and he’d have all the offensive touches he can handle. It’s a perfect fit.
So what can the Raptors expect in return? That’s tough. They would probably want some young guys, either Luc Richard Mbah a Moute or Chris Douglas Roberts (Larry Sanders is basically out of the question). However, in order to make salaries match, they’d need to take on someone like Corey Maggette, whose contract is two years shorter than Bargnani’s, but slightly more expensive per year.
That said, the Raptors would probably jump on this deal. It’d allow them to rid themselves of Bargnani’s bad contract and get a promising young player. If picks are thrown in, that’s just icing on the cake. For the Bucks, they’d get someone who can instantly step in and score 20+ a game, something they sorely need. They’d also move Maggette’s contract for someone with their prime in front of them. They’d probably want to keep Mbah a Moute, a talented young defender who started more than 50 games this last year for them. They’d also probably be hesitant to throw in picks. It depends on what they believe Bargnani is worth.
This wouldn’t be a trade where both teams get better. Toronto would, on paper at least, get worse, and Milwaukee would be making a huge gamble. However, Toronto would also get salary relief and the start of a proper rebuilding, and if the gamble pays off for Milwaukee, it could propel them back into the playoffs.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
What To Do About The Raptors?
So, you may not know this, but I'm a Toronto sports fan, in the sports where Toronto has a team. Unfortunately, this means I'm also a Raptors fan, and therefore subject to all the heartache we Raptors fans know so well. This team is a little different. In the beginning of the season, they showed promise as a squad of youngsters who were willing to go all out every night and overachieve. This effort seemed to fall by the wayside, however, when Reggie Evans got hurt (Evans was, not coincidentally, the best rebounder in the league according to advanced metrics, and an integral part of this Raptors team. Jay Triano has seemed unable to coax consistent effort from this squad ever since the injury, and the Raptor's defense has suffered. I'm not sure if Triano deserves to keep his job, and it's bad form for me to call him out based on the injuries the Raptors have suffered, but one thing's for sure. At times this season, this team has looked downright uninterested, and for a respected coach like Triano, that's unacceptable.
However, life in the last two months hasn't been all bad. We've seen DeMar Derozan mature seemingly before our eyes, as, since the New Year, he's been averaging over 20 ppg, while also showing flashes of aggressiveness and dominance. He's still got a long way to go, but for a sophomore, he's performed admirably given the situation around him. Andrea Bargnani has proven that he can be a legitimate scorer in the NBA, provided he has a banger (like Reggie Evans) to take the punishment down low. Jose Calderon has rebounded from his terrible season last year, and while he's still not back to his All Star worthy form from three years ago, he's proven he can be a solid veteran PG. Ed Davis has been perhaps the most pleasant surprise for the Raps, as his per-minute stats place him at 12th in the league in TRR and 5th in the league in blocks per game in blocks per game among PFs, according to Hoopdata. Jerryd Bayless has also shown flashes of what made him a high draft pick, and while he is still very much a project, Raptors fans should have hope.
This organization and it's fans are obviously looking forward to the future. With a high lottery pick looming, let's hope the Raptors can find someone to complement Bargnani inside, without being the offensive liability Evans has been. The top candidates seem to be Enes Kanter or, if the lottery balls bounce the right way, Jared Sullinger. Those links will take you to the DraftExpress profiles on both those players, where you can see that they're both seen as guys with strong inside games, which is something the Raptors definitely need. For now, we're not sure where the Raptors will fall in the lottery, so all we can hope for is continued improvement from the young guys, and, hopefully, a better showing from the coach.
However, life in the last two months hasn't been all bad. We've seen DeMar Derozan mature seemingly before our eyes, as, since the New Year, he's been averaging over 20 ppg, while also showing flashes of aggressiveness and dominance. He's still got a long way to go, but for a sophomore, he's performed admirably given the situation around him. Andrea Bargnani has proven that he can be a legitimate scorer in the NBA, provided he has a banger (like Reggie Evans) to take the punishment down low. Jose Calderon has rebounded from his terrible season last year, and while he's still not back to his All Star worthy form from three years ago, he's proven he can be a solid veteran PG. Ed Davis has been perhaps the most pleasant surprise for the Raps, as his per-minute stats place him at 12th in the league in TRR and 5th in the league in blocks per game in blocks per game among PFs, according to Hoopdata. Jerryd Bayless has also shown flashes of what made him a high draft pick, and while he is still very much a project, Raptors fans should have hope.
This organization and it's fans are obviously looking forward to the future. With a high lottery pick looming, let's hope the Raptors can find someone to complement Bargnani inside, without being the offensive liability Evans has been. The top candidates seem to be Enes Kanter or, if the lottery balls bounce the right way, Jared Sullinger. Those links will take you to the DraftExpress profiles on both those players, where you can see that they're both seen as guys with strong inside games, which is something the Raptors definitely need. For now, we're not sure where the Raptors will fall in the lottery, so all we can hope for is continued improvement from the young guys, and, hopefully, a better showing from the coach.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)