Atlanta Hawks @ Toronto Raptors, 3/23/14

[JimiCliff]

We Need Athletic JV from last year !!!

Man. He looks so much different.

Are we sure him putting on weight was a good thing?

(BTW, from 2:34 to 2:49, Bargs passes it off the backboard to JV twice for dunks. It was these kinds of plays that had me drinking the poison for so long.)

[Jangles]

Jimi, how sure are you that those were intended passed by Bargs? lol

[Bandit]

We Need Athletic JV from last year !!!

I miss mobile JV... you can just see how much easier he was getting lift. And that roll on the screens is beautiful.

Maybe next year we see the best of both this and last year's JV

That's a guy I could really get behind

[JimiCliff]

Jimi, how sure are you that those were intended passed by Bargs? lol

Heheh excellent question!

The first one, I'm almost certain about. To me, the giveaway is the second angle, starting at 2:32. Look at Bargs' hands; they aren't in any kind of normal 'layup' position, and when he puts it off the glass, he's gives it a two-handed push, with much more force that he would have if he were trying to actually for a layup IMO.

The second one I'm less sure of, but I still think it was intentional. Hibbert helped hard and Bargs definitely would have known that Val would be wide open. The giveaway on this one for me was how high he put it on the glass. Way higher than a normal layup would go. And again, with more force than normal to make sure it totally clears the rim.

Of course, now we can cue all the "Bargs is just a terrible shooter who misses layups by a foot and a half" jokes. Whatever, I still think I'm right. Also, he made the single greatest big to big pass I've ever seen in my life. Maybe others have seen this - I can't find video of it - if anyone has it, please post...

It would have been his first or second year. I think we were playing Atlanta. It was on a fast break. Bargs and the guard (I think it was AP, but I can't remember) were leading the break, Bosh was trailing. AP was on the left and passed it to Bargs, who was streaking down the right. AP passed it too late though, so when Bargs caught it, he was too far under the basket (and running too fast) to shoot. He knew, though, that Bosh was trailing behind him, so he bounced it of the ground, twelve feet in the air straight up (again, doing all of this is mid-stride) so that Bosh would be able to catch it and dunk it. Thing is, Bosh got fouled on the dunk attempt (Horford I think) and didn't convert - which is why you can't find this play on any highlight reels.

If you've seen this pass, you know that making intentional passes off the backboard would be something well within Bargs' wheelhouse.