Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

A Raptor Review - Roll call style

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • A Raptor Review - Roll call style

    [Posted as well on RHQ]
    .
    Considering how Toronto`s schedule has slowed up, I thought it’d be a good time to comment on the players.
    .

    Banks – For a guy who has taken a lot of abuse, he has somehow remained positive. And despite "frightening" me on occasions, Marcus has kind of grown on me. That said, all this Calderon trade talk (and sounding like a good solution), forgets the MB side of things. Should we not get back (or acquire) a point guard – B quality – I can’t bring myself to be positive if Marcus is called upon to elevate his game. Turk aside, the position is critical, as Steve Nash so promptly illustrates. And unless Bankie is ballast in a trade ….. cough … Bosh ….. I can’t see our 3rd stringer (performing Bench quality stuff) changing residence.


    Bargnani – The Enigma. The Raptor Enigma. We can yell at Turk (not so much lately), wanna trade Bosh (pretty much all the time), call Jack a flak (awhile ago), trade Jose (fuck … those were easy wins – don’t get carried away), when it comes to Andrea, he tends to garnish bi-polar commenting.

    I am never afraid to admit a soft spot for the guy. I even enjoy the "trade the useless …." guy comments. Keeps one on their toes – something Andrea could use. Which speaking of toes, maybe a ballet course might teach Bargs how to jump. What’s a couple thousand dollars. Might be nice to see Andrea and Mrs. BC on Dancing with the Stars.

    When checking stats like Double Doubles, it was nice to see that Bargs has 5 so far (with 3 near misses), as compared to 6 – last season. Factor in the AB waking up during this time of the season, and chances are good that this stat will be doubled.
    As for a trade, I think we’re afraid of what he could become, should he leave the Raptor nest. That, and we’d miss those reverse slam dunks – 7 foot style.


    Belinelli – Hot and cold. But cheap. And no matter what – we got him for Devean da George. Suggesting things could be worse, is for someone who needs to review their judgments.
    Marco has the ability – with a hot hand – to elevate the Raptors. For the cost, I think it’s a steal.


    Bosh – Like the spouse who’s threatening to leave – anxiety has a way of affecting fan perspectives.
    And like any star one raises, Chris is a product of OUR development. Some might say a team bad at development, but his stats speak otherwise. The big question, or the one I think is more important than whether CB is a "super" star or not, is whether Bosh is value for 130 million (or whatever the number is). Can we have five – 10 million dollar parts (Hedo, Jose, Bargs, & 2 …. in lieu of Bosh), and be more competitive. For that one, I’d need to phone a friend – Director Steve Fruitman.

    No matter what we would get in a trade, should one come to pass, it will be difficult to watch CB play – in another uniform.


    Calderon – Like many Raptor fans, I’ve been disappointed with Jose. He did pick it up just before shutting things down …. when his Thigh-Master was recalled. I still find myself amongst the "juries out" gang. For the time being, I think he’s deserving of a free get out of jail status.


    DeRozan – Rookie. He needs to play – more so on the second unit. Start him though, and sub quickly. Which begs me to say – Wright is not our start guy.
    DeMar has potential. And if we are learning anything from the AB experience, it’s that need to handle our prospects better – mentally & physically. Plus it’s much more satisfying to get the max out of OUR players, then watch someone else do it.


    Evans – For me, this acquisition meant a couple of things. And I’m not referring to what Reggie likes to grab.
    RE …. (for reference sakes) … is not so much about providing more defense, but about bringing an attitude to our Defense, that will translate well to the rest of the folks. Especially when they`re lollygagging around. Plus, it`s nice to have someone to deal with those Garnett types.


    Jack – The Raptor piece that I really didn`t put much thought into – making it a pleasant surprise.
    Jack offers a different look, that is more conducive to Hedo`s type of play. What it shows, is not that Jose has to go, but that we have to adapt Jose to that thinking, or style of play. If JC can be okay with the ball in his hands less, then we may have found the best way to utilize our new acquisitions – Jack & Hedo.


    Johnson – The perfect tonic coming off the Bench. Add in Weems and DeMar, and the Raptors have something to look forward to. Not a starter, at least not until the foul situation can be corralled. I think Andrea & Amir make perfect foils (for the minutes they get together). Bosh, not so much. Hopefully Reggie (on his return), does not eat away at Johnson`s current minutes.


    Mensah-Bonsu – Nice guy. Nice jump in his step. Hope he stays. Enjoy how he brings the `pop` into the game, control not-withstanding.


    Nesterovic – Feel bad for Rasho. I think we thought there`d be a little more `meat on the bones`, but glad he`s here.


    O’Bryant – Nice tall guy. Be nice BC, and give someone else a chance to try him out.


    Turkoglu – As I`ve said earlier, incorporating Hedo into the grand scheme of things, could be the change that changes this team. I could care less if he drops 5 points from last season’s average (16.8 ppg); if he can muster 7 – 10 assists per game, that might have more impact.
    I don`t think we`ve seen enough of the Turk we saw in years past, but I`m optimistic it`s in Raptor future.


    Weems – Sonny surprised some by his 8 rebounds in the last game – including me. For the most part, Weems has been a nice addition to the team. Just not sure about the Young Guns moniker – maybe it’ll grow on me. My Crystal Ball says Sonny will not meet the same fate as Sonny from the Godfather.


    Wright – not much more to say. Wish I could say differently.
    .
Working...
X