Comparing the Raptors to the Hawks
When Raptors fans look at the way their team is perfoming during the final 20 games of their disappointing season …
———-
|
Date |
Opponent |
Result |
|
Mar 6 |
vs Mia * |
L |
|
Mar 8 |
vs Uta * |
L |
|
Mar 11 |
at Phi * |
L |
|
Mar 13 |
vs Det * |
L |
|
Mar 15 |
vs Ind |
W |
|
Mar 16 |
at Cha |
L |
|
Mar 20 |
vs Cha |
L |
|
Mar 22 |
vs LAC |
W |
|
Mar 25 |
vs Mil |
W |
|
Mar 27 |
vs OkC |
W |
|
Mar 29 |
vs Chi |
W |
|
Apr 1 |
at Orl * |
W |
|
Apr 4 |
at NYK |
W |
|
Apr 5 |
vs NYK |
L |
|
Apr 7 |
vs Atl * |
L |
|
Apr 8 |
at Ind |
? |
|
Apr 10 |
vs Was |
? |
|
Apr 12 |
vs Phi * |
? |
|
Apr 13 |
at Was |
? |
|
Apr 15 |
at Chi |
? |
* – >.500 Team
winning only 7 of the 15 games [.467] they’ve played thus far.
———-
they need to make an accurate appraisal of the players who will form the nucleus of this team going forward from here:
|
khandor’s Player Efficiency Rating [kPER] RAPTORS vs Hawks [Tue Apr 07 2009]
|
|||||||
|
Best RAPTORS |
Best Hawks |
||||||
|
1 |
Bosh |
+30 |
38:35 |
1 |
Horford |
+23 |
32:16 |
|
2 |
Calderon |
+28 |
35:00 |
2 |
Johnson |
+22 |
39:29 |
|
3 |
Marion |
+16 |
37:02 |
3 |
Smith |
+22 |
46:38 |
|
4 |
Douby |
+10 |
08:58 |
4 |
Bibby |
+18 |
34:08 |
|
5 |
Bargnani |
+7 |
29:07 |
5 |
Evans |
+16 |
35:52 |
|
6 |
Parker |
+6 |
31:06 |
6 |
Pachulia |
+9 |
16:22 |
|
7 |
Kapono |
+4 |
18:39 |
7 |
Murray |
+7 |
28:23 |
|
8 |
Graham |
+3 |
13:42 |
8 |
Law |
0 |
06:14 |
|
9 |
Ukic |
+2 |
05:11 |
9 |
West |
0 |
00:19 |
|
10 |
O’Bryant |
+2 |
16:22 |
10 |
Gardner |
0 |
00:19 |
|
11 |
M-Bonsu |
0 |
06:18 |
11 |
Jones |
DNP |
|
|
12 |
Voskuhl |
DNP |
|
12 |
Morris |
DNP |
|
|
|
TOTAL |
+108 |
|
|
TOTAL |
+117 |
|
Unlike many others in Raptorville, this corner does not believe that the main problems this team has experienced this season have been rooted in the assortment of injuries they’ve sustained and/or the overall poor performances of Chris Bosh and Jose Calderon, who are their best players by a wide margin.
Until Bryan Colangelo significantly upgrades the players who are currently slotted into the #3-15 spots on the Raptors’ roster:
i.e. Shawn Marion/#3, Andrea Bargnani/#4, Anthony Parker/#5, Joey Graham/#6, Kris Humphries/#7, Jason Kapono/#8, Roko Ukic/#9, Pops Mensah-Bonsu/#10, Quincy Douby/#11, Jake Voskuhl/#12, Patrick O’Brant/#13 and Nathan Jawai/#14
there is little chance this team will make serious headway in the Eastern Conference next season.
Using the 4th place Atlanta Hawks, as one comparative example:
1. While Chris Bosh [C] can hold his own against other up-and-coming young players like Al Horford [C] or Josh Smith [PF], Andrea Bargnani [C] cannot; and, is simply out-classed by either of these two players.
2. While Jose Calderon [PG] can hold his own against a solid veteran like Mike Bibby [PG], Shawn Marion [SF] cannot stay with a multi-dimensional, dynamic Wing player like Joe Johnson [SF/OG/PG].
3. While Joey Graham has made a significant jump this season … i.e. from a seldom-used after-thought to a serviceable Wing player … he is simply not as good as Maurice Evans [OG/SF], nor as consistent.
4. While Jason Kapono is one of the best stand-still “catch & shoot” artists in the NBA, he is simply not as versatile a Back-up Guard/Forward as a Flip Murray, who can capably fill in for the Hawks, as an under-sized OG and an emergency PG.
5. While Kris Humphries is a solid Back-up Big Man, he is simply not as good as Zaza Pachulia.
6. While Roko Ukic has the make-up of a solid Point Guard, in the NBA, he is not a superior player to Acie Law, at this position.
7. While Pops Mensah-Bonsu certainly brings some badly needed energy and NBA athleticism to the Raptors, he is simply not in the same class of serviceable Back-up Big Man as a versatile player like Solomon Jones [who was a DNP in last night's game but can capably fill-in for the Hawks at both C and PF].
Most of which was on full display in last night’s game.
FINAL SCORE: RAPTORS 110, Hawks 118
Complete Game Info
Tags: Acie Law, Al Horford, Andrea Bargnani, Anthony Parker, Chris Bosh, Flip Murray, Jake Voskuhl, Jason Kapono, Joe Johnson, Joey Graham, Jose Calderon, Josh Smith, Kris Humphries, Mario West, Maurice Evans, Mike Bibby, Nathan Jawai, Patrick O'Bryant, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Quincy Douby, Randolph Morris, Roko Ukic, Shaw Marion, Solomon Jones, Travis Gardner, Zaza Pachulia
April 8th, 2009 at 6:57 pm
re: Bargnani
His issues exist on the defensive end. From what I see, the issues are knowing how and when to switch on D, and not any lack of athleticism or ability to defend individually. I believe, therefore, that WITH PROPER DEFENSIVE COACHING Bosh and Bargnani could be far more potent than they currently are, before they will be able to score, Bosh will be hitting the glass and should hold their own defensively.
re: Marion
His movement without the ball is a refreshing change from the status quo from our other wing players. On a REASONABLE contract, I hope he comes fairly cheap, he is a good player, provided the Raptors can find a suitable starter at the #2 who can handle the ball and score. In an ideal, world, such a player, who would compliment Marion would be someone like Joe Johnson, whose skills were on full display the other nite.
I acknowledge our deficiencies on defense. Largely it is a problem, I believe in the pick and roll defense. This is a matter of proper defensive sets, not individual skill, in this case.
April 8th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
khandor, how did you come up with your efficiency rating? looks interesting!
April 8th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
Raps Fan,
It’s a simple metric which works like this:
[[Points + Rebounds + Assists + Steals + Blocks] – [[Field Goals Att. - Field Goals Made] + [Free Throws Att. - Free Throws Made] + Personal Fouls + Turnovers]], in order of MP
and is far too “uncomplicated” to satisfy the specific needs of different “new-age stats gurus” who spend their time trying to explain exactly how the game works based on numerical machinations of all sorts.
In my book … it provides nothing more than a rudimentary understanding of the “basic” contributions which a player makes to his team, in a given game, relative to the other participants.
It’s a useful starting point; that’s all.
——————————————————–
PS. What’s more meaningful, IMO, is the array of OTHER measurements which I factor into the equation when evaluating a player’s actual contribution to his team’s performance in a specific game that I get to see on videotape. Those are the things that do not show up in “regular” stats sheets but make the world of difference when assessing accurately which players can really play and which ones cannot.
April 8th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
verbatim,
Andrea Bargnani’s most glaring deficiencies are on the defensive end of the floor … but this does not mean that his offensive game is problem-free.
The same thing applies to his rebounding.
———-
The harsh, cold fact is that Bargnani is a perimeter-based Scoring Big:
whose strengths include his [i] long distance 3PT-shooting and his [ii] straight line perimeter drives to the basket
but …
who is still without a well-developed post-up game on the block
who is still without a well-developed face-up game on the block
who is slow in his defensive ransition
who is an inconsistent rebounder
who is an inconsistent shooter
who lacks lateral agility
who is a poor defender
who fouls a lot.
———-
Can Bargnani continue to improve as his pro career develops further?
Yes, he can.
Will Bargnani improve enough … at the position he plays best … to be considered one of the best players in the league during the next few years?
No, he will not.
———-
Perimeter-based Scoring Bigs are simply not THAT valuable in the NBA game.
April 8th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
verbatim,
re: Shawn Marion
IMO, you’ve got the order in reverse.
Shawn Marion would be a good complementary player to Joe Johnson … not the other way around … and, it’s not just a matter of semantics.
———-
IMO, there is no valid reason for a player like Joe Johnson to forego other very attractive playing opportunities in order to become a Toronto Raptor, as a Free Agent.
———-
If the Raptors are going to find a youngish dynamic scoring Wing player to augment the skills and leadership of Chris Bosh and Jose Calderon they will NEED to acquire him in the NBA Draft … as they once did with one Vincent Lamar Carter.
April 9th, 2009 at 6:07 am
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