khandor’s sports blog

With the following blog entry in mind ….

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Evans is comfortable with his role

“Reggie (Evans) is a guy in this league who isn’t ashamed of his role,” Jack boasted to Hoops Addict after the game. “Most guys who grabbed 16 rebounds would want to know why they aren’t getting plays called for them. Reggie is very comfortable in his own skin and is a very selfless player. You can’t ask for anything more from a veteran leader.”

A lack of touches on the offensive end could qualify as the understatement of the year. Despite grabbing four offensive rebounds, Evans still only attempted two field goal attempts.

Granted, fans and the coaching staff cringed when he attempted both field goals, but you have to admire the restraint it must take for Evans to kick the ball back out to a teammate after he has worked so hard for the rebound as most guys around the NBA are worried about pumping up their scoring averages even if it comes at the expense of their team.

Not Evans, as he’s more than happy to do the little things in order to give his team a chance of getting a win.

“I don’t really worry about my shot because at the end of the day even if I hit both my field goals we still would have scored 100 points,” Evans told Hoops Addict after the game. “Scoring is the least of my concerns. My biggest concern is rebounding the ball and playing defense. In the past this team has been labelled as soft so I’m doing my best to try and get away from that label. ”

As great as that selfless attitude is, it also means that opposing teams can sag off him when he’s on offense. Against New York he only attempted two field goals and one that sticks out in my mind was when it appeared the defender was begging him to shoot. When Evans did get goaded into taking the shot it clanged off the backboard and rim and there was a noticeable gasp and then groan among the fans at the Air Canada Centre.

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and the specific comment which you see there from yours truly …

Here’s a simple question for Raptors fans to consider:

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Thus far, the Raptors’ record in such games stands at 0-1.

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PLEASE NOTE: For those who might be interested, here’s a Statistical comparison between Reggie Evans and Dennis Rodman, Maurice Lucas and Paul Silas.

 Chris Bosh’s interview on FAN590 [Fri Oct 29 2010]

“I love Toronto. I got drafted by Toronto. I wouldn’t be here today without going through that city, and going through the changes, and the ups and downs, while I was there. So, at the end of the day, it’s nothing but good memories. And, like I said before, I don’t have anything bad to say, you know, and I always thank everybody for their support, and if they didn’t think … you know … that I’m thankful, I am. I thank everybody for everything. It was a hell*va ride while we were doing it.” – Chris Bosh

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A prime example of a fine young man with his priorities back in the right place.

MLSE employees … and members of the ‘pro team sports’ media, in Toronto … who choose to speak poorly of Chris Bosh reveal a great deal about their own flawed character and only succeed in putting themselves in a negative light.

According to the most recent reports … i.e. Cavaliers-Raptors Preview … Anderson Varejao [PF-C] will not be in the line-up this evening for the visiting Cavaliers.

If the home side should manage to lose this game, with their first west coast road trip of the regular season schedule set to kick off on Monday:

Mon Nov 1 @ Sacramento Kings
Wed Nov 3 @ Utah Jazz
Fri Nov 5 @ LA Lakers
Sat Nov 6 @ Portland Trail Blazers

there’s a very real possibility for the Raptors to be 0-6, by the time they play their next game in the cozy confines of the ACC.

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The first published wagering line for this evening’s game was listed as:

Toronto -2.5/-110

The currently published wagering line, however, is now showing as:

Toronto -3.0/-108 [as of 8:15 AM]

Although this is not the NBA game which will be given out to KSS clients today, the Cavs should also be a solid selection, at +3.0 … if Byron Scott is able to use Leon Powe [PF-C], as the primary replacement for Varejao, while continuing to feature JJ Hickson [PF], as his go-to scorer, with Antawn Jamison [PF] coming off the bench … and, especially, if this line continues to rise, in their favour, as tip-off approaches. 

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Up-date:

The currently published wagering line for this game is now …

Toronto -3.5/-104 [as of 11:00 AM].

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PS. Despite what many Raptors fans might think about them, each of Jamario Moon, Anthony Parker and [even] Joey Graham [Reserve-?] are solid NBA players – if used in their proper roles – who are quite capable of succeeding on a lower tier playoff team … when working under a top notch coach and without the benefit of playing beside a ‘superstar’ teammate … in comparison with their current counterparts in Toronto’s line-up.

Now it’s time for the fun to begin for real

So here we go.

But before we get into the silliness and the angst, I want to say this:

Folks, it’s fun.

I don’t know whether the Heroes of the Hardcourt will win 22 games or 34 games or 41 games and I don’t care and, you know what? I don’t know whether you should, either.

Sports is supposed to be about fun, isn’t it? Isn’t supposed to be a couple of hours of escape, from the boss and the bills and life? A diversion, a thing to entertain you and make you smile.

Yes, being a passionate fan is nice but to live and die with possessions, to dissect every nuance of every game? That’s too much.

Yes, this team will get absolutely drilled some nights and it will win some games out of nowhere. And in every game you watch – win or lose – there will be a moment, a play, a shot, a dunk, a move that makes you say “holy crap” and that’s what it’s all about.

Who cares whether this guy or that guy says they’ll win 20 games or 25 games or whatever? Does anyone really need to obsess about the predictions of others, or seek validation for their opinions all that much?

I think we all need to take a deep breath and maybe a step back and realize what it is:

A game.

It will be nice, indeed, when they win; it will be a tad less nice when they lose but at the end of the day, it’s entertainment.

Please, enjoy the good moments and quickly forget the bad. There’s enough in each of our lives that we don’t need to feel anger and angst and dismay over a bunch of guys playing a kid’s game.

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The business of professional sports is a billion dollar industry.

The prime objective of a well-run pro sports franchise … at least one with the best interests of its own fanbase at-heart … is to try its very best to win the league championship, as many times as possible, over an extended number of years. 

The prime objective of a well-run pro sports franchise … at least one with the best interests of its own fanbase at-heart … is NOT to make copious amounts of money, on behalf of its principal owners, while merely trying to put a somewhat “competitive” product on the floor, from season-to-season, and thereby provide a fair dose of “entertainment value” to the paying customers.

When a regular fan of “the ballet”, or “the opera”, or “the symphony”, or “the theatre”, or “the movies”, or all other manner of the performing arts, in general, goes to see a specific event take place that fan is NOT going to see what essentially constitutes:

“A live competition between adversarial opponents who are trying to amass more points on the scoreboard in that particular game and accummulate more wins during the regular season, on the whole, in order to qualify for a post-season tournament, in which a single championship-winning team will eventually be declared and acknowledged by the general populace as THE BEST team during this specific season.”

The exact nature of the environment which exists in the world of pro team sports is fundamentally different from every other form of so-called “entertainment” for the masses … and, it is simply outrageous that a journalist, or a sports reporter, or anyone else for that matter who is paid a healthy full-time salary to cover the events associated with this industry, should be able to get away with making a suggestion of this type,

i.e. That the winning and the losing of what are seen as merely “children’s games” does not really matter … at least, in the grand scheme of things … and, therefore, should in fact be mostly dis-regarded by those who elect to use their hard-earned currency to support a specific pro sports team.    

While “Sports,” in general, is definitely supposed to be about its many participants “having fun,” the notion that this SHOULD somehow be the exact same premise which exists in the world of professional teams sports … that is predicated on the money provided by paying customers and wide-scale community-based financial support … is completely ludicrous.

Toronto is unlikely to play a single game the rest of this season in which they will have a better chance to earn a W than they had last night.

Knicks 98
RAPTORS 93
Complete Game Info

Initial Observations from Game 1

#1. Bargnani is always going to get his, offensively … i.e. high teens, or low 20′s, in points scored with 5-8 rebs … as long as he gets enough minutes, and enough touches, and enough shots, etc.; while being relatively porous on the defensive end of the floor.

#2. Toronto’s level of offensive efficiency will likely be reduced this season … i.e. only 0.802 Points Per Possession [PPP] last night … operating without at least one player who is able to draw a double-team consistently [as Chris Bosh was able to do for the last 5 seasons].

#3. Toronto’s overall level of efficiency/effectiveness this season is unlikely to be substantially improved … i.e. Raptors/.802 PPP [93/116] vs Knicks/0.875 PPP [98/112] = Raptors/-0.073 PPPD [Points Per Possession Differential] … considering New York, historically, is a relatively weak defensive team without, either: i. A number of highly accurate perimeter/3FG shooters, or ii. A dominant back-to-the-basket Low Post scorer.   

#4. As the losses of this type begin to pile up for the Raptors, the attention of the media, and the fanbase, in general, is gradually going to shift to a more intensive evaluation of the work of their head coach, Jay Triano.

#5. Friday’s Game 2, at home, against Cleveland, is now looming large for the Raptors … if they are going to avoid an 0-6 start to the regular season schedule.

The currently published wagering line for this evening’s match-up between the Raptors and the Knicks is:

Toronto +1/-109 [as of 1:55 PM]

which means that there has been a rather substantial 3 point shift, in New York’s direction, in the last 48 hours, since the originally published wagering line for this contest was Toronto -2/-105.

Hmmm …

Considering that:

i. Almost every major news/sports publication has recently forecast the Raptors to finish in the basement of the Eastern Conference this season [in all likelihood];

and,

i. The most recent news from the Knicks’ morning shoot-around indicates that New York will in fact be playing this evening without Anthony Randolph [F];

this is certainly an interesting development. 

Although this specific game is not one which will be given out today to KSS clients … everything about it now screams that Toronto will be a solid play to win their home-opener out-right and, thereby, cover the number… since the Knicks – like the Suns, perhaps – are one of the few outfits in the league whose Team Defense, overall, may be worse than the Raptors this season [i.e. Toronto had a -4.5 scoring differential (SD) in the 6 pre-season games played against teams other than Phoenix; while, New York had a -6.6 SD in their 7 pre-season games played against NBA squads].

PLEASE NOTE: If the Raptors should, somehow, fail to accomplish this initial task this evening and, instead, lose straight-up to the Knicks … playing without Randolph/A, completely, and using a rookie Center [i.e. Mozgov/T] for major minutes … then, Dino fans should, indeed, brace themselves for a LONG and DIFFICULT season.

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PS. It is now interesting to note that – as of 6:00 PM – the currently published wagering line for tonight’s game has shifted, substantially, once again … in the opposite direction, i.e. Toronto -1/-105 … given the possibility that the Knicks might actually be playing this evening without the services of [#1] Randolph/A, [#2] Mozgov/T and [#3] Chandler/W.

According to Ryan Wolstat [whose basketball opinions are usual quite sound] …

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Calderon vs Jack; NBA pitching contraction

A few quick things today. Had a good discussion on Twitter Thursday about Jose Calderon vs. Jarrett Jack in the starting lineup. I don’t get it and it seems very few people do. Jose looks like a shell of his former self, he isn’t helping the team much and he is helping his trade value even less.

I’m not huge into the +- stat in basketball, but it isn’t completely useless. Calderon is -15 for the pre-season playing almost exclusively with the starters, Jack is +29 playing mostly with the reserves. Calderon is shooting 28% and 9% fromt three, meanwhile Jack is posting absurd numbers that won’t last (north of 70% from three). I know Jack is playing extremely well with the second unit, but the Raptors aren’t going to win games if the first unit puts them in a hole – which it will if Calderon tries to guard the likes of Rajon Rondo, Derrick Rose, Jrue Holiday, John Wall, etc., etc., etc. Teams don’t do well when they are always battling back from a deficit. At least if Calderon is coming off the bench he will only have to guard backup point guards.

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If, however, you take a careful look at …

A. The actual Play-By-Play from Wednesday’s game between the Raptors [i.e. Calderon & Jack] and the Bulls [i.e. Rose & Watson],

and, then, examine:

B. The following “Substitution Chart”:

what you should be able to see is that:

C. The Plus/Minus [+/-] comparison between the 4 Point Guards

Reveals the following 3 observations:

#1. It is a complete fallacy to believe/perceive/think/suggest that Jose Calderon was/is unable to be successful defensively when matched-up against the likes of Derrick Rose [i.e. the Bulls' starting PG], in comparison with Jarrett Jack;

and,

#2. A main reason why the Raptors were, in fact, able to maintain contact with the Bulls in this game, in the first place, was because of the way in which Jarrett Jack was able to succeed during his shifts on the floor vs CJ Watson [not Derrick Rose];

and,

#3. Two main reasons why the Raptors were not able to eventually beat the Bulls were:

i. The relatively poor play of Jose Calderon against both Derrick Rose and CJ Watson;

and,

ii. The exceptionally poor play of Jarrett Jack against Derrick Rose, specifically.

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PS. In addition to the 3 points mentioned above, what should also be quite clear from the “Substitution Chart” is the actual degree to which Coach Triano’s decision to use the combination of Jarrett Jack [PG] and Leandro Barbosa [OG] against the Bull’s back-court pairing of Derrick Rose [PG] and Ronnie Brewer [OG] was wholly unsuccessful!

Yes, the Raptors did manage to beat the Knicks last night, 108-103, in Montreal QC.

However, after building up a comfortable 17-point lead at the half-way mark, Toronto played very poor basketball in the 3rd and 4th quarters and was actually in significant/real danger of losing last night’s game out-right at two distinct points during the final frame:

#1. At the 10:24 mark … [i] when Mike D’Antoni chose to substitute Andy Rautins [PG] and Anthony Randolph [C] into the game for Raymond Felton and Amare Stoudemire, respectively, in the immediate aftermath of cutting the Raptors’ end-of-3rd-quarter-lead from 14 points down to only 8; and, [ii] when Jay Triano made the decision to re-insert Andrea Bargnani [C] back into the game for David Andersen. 

Then,

#2. During the last 3:28 frantic minutes, when the following sequence occurred:

and New York had 2 full-fledged opportunities to make it a 1-possession game … with more than enough time still left on the game clock to steal what would have been a miraculous victory.

When the regular season tips off for these same two teams, next Wednesday, in Toronto, it is highly doubtful that either squad will decide to play the final 4th quarter with the following 5-man units on the court:

… in what will probably prove to be a close game throughout the final 12 minutes of action with both sides actually trying their best to get the W.

The published wagering line for this evening’s match-up between the Raptors and the Knicks … which will take place in Montreal QC and serve as the final pre-season tune-up for each squad, prior to their meeting next Wednesday [in Toronto], in Game 1 of the regular season for each team … is currently:

Toronto -2/-105 [as of 9:30 AM]

In a game which should see both teams keep their cards fairly close to their vest … with the visitors also described aptly as a poor defensive team … expect the “home” side to be in an advantageous position during the latter stages of the 4th quarter, and to be slightly more motivated to actually win this contest – while simply playing straight-up – in a concerted effort to build positive momentum for Wednesday’s tip-off to the 2010-2011 campaign.  

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When things start for real next week, however, what you should be able to see is that, in terms of individual match-ups …

there really isn’t too much separation between the actual “talent levels” of these two teams, this season, except on the sidelines … re: in-game coaching decisions.   

According to …

The specific take of an NBA Secret Scout

… who was asked to provide his breakdown of the Raptors’ main weaknesses for the coming season.

1. Toronto is one of weakest defensive teams, overall, in the league.

2. They struggle defending Pick & Rolls … i.e. every team’s basic ‘Bread & Butter’ play.

3. Their Guards [i.e. in general, not just Jose Calderon] don’t get “over” screens.

4. Their Bigs don’t “battle” and are “at risk of being split”.

5. They struggle “to defend 1-on-1 in the post”.

6. You must get the ball inside on post-ups or dribble drives.

7. Bargnani, specifically, has trouble containing dribble penetration from wing players when the Raptors go to a “big” line-up [i.e. which refers to any 5-man unit with Bargnani at, either, the PF or the SF position].

8. They are a jump-shooting team that was 6th in 3FG% last year.

9. “Get into them” [i.e. which means "to crowd" their players, A. on the dribble, and B. in close-out situations] in order to prevent uncontested/unharassed comfort jump shots. 

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As difficult as it may be for some many? die-hard Raptors fans to believe … from the perspective of this corner … the specific areas targeted in this video by the ‘NBA Secret Scout’ are precisely what a real life basketball expert actually sees when s/he watches Toronto play on a regular basis, and the truly unfortunate fact is that it’s been this exact same way for the last 3 seasons … as Andrea Bargnani’s individual PT has been steadily increased – i.e. following his rookie season when he first had the good fortune of being able to see only limited floor time, working behind a solid group of 4 other Bigs, who were with the Raptors at that time, including Chris Bosh [#1/C-PF], Jorge Garbajosa [#2/PF-SF], Rasho Nesterovic [#3/C-PF] and Kris Humphries [#5/PF] – and the team, in general, has moved away from using ‘experienced and effective’ wing players who were [at least] adequate [by-and-large] individual defensive players, from a physical, skill-based and cognitive standpoint [e.g. Morris Peterson/SF-OG, Jamario Moon/SF-PF-OG and Anthony Parker/OG-SF-PG].