khandor’s sports blog

Toronto was listed as a 10 point home favourite in their match-up against the LA Clippers last night.

Despite the size of this “number”, the Raptors were also the “best selection” on the NBA board, according to yours truly.

LA Clippers [27-48] 92
TORONTO RAPTORS [37-37] 114
Complete Game Info

QUESTION
For what specific reasons?

ANSWER

From the Clippers’ Perspective

1. The Clippers were playing without their Starting Point Guard, i.e. Baron Davis, which left the combination of Steve Blake and Bobby Brown to match-up with Jose Calderon and Jarrett Jack.

MAJOR ADVANTAGE for TORONTO

2. The Clippers were playing in the 2nd half of an away-away back-2-back, i.e. @ Milwaukee [Tue, Loss, 89-107] and @ Toronto [Wed], while the Raptors were playing after having an off day on Tuesday [following their win, at Charlotte, on Monday].  

MAJOR ADVANTAGE for TORONTO

3. Since firing Mike Dunleavy, first, as their head coach, and second, as their GM, the Clippers have been operating with an unproven leadership team [i.e. Kim Hughes and Neil Olshey, respectively], at the helm of their franchise. 

MINOR ADVANTAGE for TORONTO

From the Raptors’ Perspective

If you take a close look at the Substitution Chart for the 2nd half of last night’s game:

and, the Plus-Minus Charts for Specific Pairs of Raptors Players:

… what you should be able to see is that:

4. Since adjusting their Principal Rotation, by shifting:

PART I – Jarrett Jack/PG;
PART II - DeMar DeRozan/OG [but still giving the rookie plenty of valuable playing time, especially, with all-star Chris Bosh]; and,
PART III - Hedo Turkoglu/SF;

to their 2nd Unit, and inserting:

PART I – Jose Calderon/PG;
PART II – Sonny Weems/OG; and,
PART III – Antoine Wright/SF;

in their place, with the 1st Unit, the Raptors have re-worked the blend of Defense, Rebounding and Offense with their team, in a way that creates better balance, overall, and places increased emphasis on the specific contributions of certain players who are less focused on scoring.

MAJOR ADVANTAGE for TORONTO

5. Specifically, this shift in personnel has allowed the Raptors to:

i. Use Sonny Weems/OG and DeMar DeRozan/SF together, along with either Jose Calderon/PG [i.e. not a line-up they have used frequently this season, despite the repeated urgings of yours truly ] or Jarrett jack/PG;

ii. Use Demar DeRozan for an increased number of minutes in the 2nd half [Amen!];

iii. Use Sonny Weems [athletic] + DeMar DeRozan [athletic] + Jarrett Jack [athletic] + Reggie Evans/Amir Johnson [good rebounders], in conjunction with Andrea Bargnani [non-athletic, non-defending, non-rebounder], if/when Chris Bosh is off the floor [Hallelujah!];

and,

iv. Improve their overall ability to match-up effectively with individual opponents, at each of the 5 positions, in a specific game, without simply adhering to the rigid confines of a carved-in-stone line-up that has:

A. Hedo Turkoglu/SF,
B. Andrea Bargnani/C, and
C. Jose Calderon/PG

… each of whom is a liability on the defensive end of the floor …

together in the same “1st Unit” which is used to:

* Begin each game
* Begin each 2nd Half, and
* Finish every game.

MAJOR ADVANTAGE for TORONTO

6. Chris Bosh [i.e. 34 Pts; 11 Rebs; +13] is a much better basketball player than, either, Chris Kaman [22 Pts; 13 Rebs; -18] or DeAndre Jordan [i.e. 3 Pts; 3 Rebs; -27].

MAJOR ADVANTAGE for TORONTO

—————————–

The simple fact is …

Despite their many struggles of the past few weeks, right now, the Raptors are a much better team than the sad-sack LA Clippers.

re: How an astute NBA observer might expect the first part of the schedule to unfold for the Raptors this year

The first back-2-back of the season for the Raptors will be a difficult one to win. In general, whichever team gets the best player in a NBA trade will eventually be seen as “the winner” in that specific transaction. In this instance, Dallas won the 4-team player swap of the summer by acquiring Shawn Marion, who is a flat-out better player than Hedo Turkoglu. Shifting Dirk Nowitzki to the Center position this season will present the Mavericks with their best possible 5-Man Unit, allowing Josh Howard and The Matrix to co-exist as interchangeable #3/SF-#4/PF’s, in an under-sized line-up that is going to be very difficult for opponents to match-up against, given their ability to rebound ball with their superior athleticism. Rookie PG, Rodrigue Beaubois has the makings of a future “star” in the NBA, and it will be very interesting to see whether or not the Mavs choose to integrate him into their line-up this season with J-Kidd, Jason Terry and JJ Barea still on their roster. The Mavs are going to be a very good team this season and a tough out in the WC playoffs.

Game 6– @ Dallas [Sat Nov 07]

Raptors expected W-L Record: L, 2-4

Yesterday’s action finished with the following results:

W-L: 2-2/.500
Units: -1.08

which are slightly better than Day 1 but not where they need to be … just yet. 

Overall, after Day 2:

W-L: 3-4/.429
Units: -3.37

Hopefully, the news will continue to get better today.  

================================================

Mon Apr 20 2009

Game 1 – 2/Celtics vs 7/Bulls

As was said here two days ago … the strength of Derrick Rose’s individual game is a giant neutralizer of one Rajon Rondo for the defending champs. How Doc Rivers copes with this reality will be a key in this evening’s Game 2 of this series. It’s one thing knowing that your emotional center-piece is not going to be you your line-up in the playoffs and another thing altogether, lacing them up and taking the court without him, at the front of the line, wearing #5. The Celtics should be much better prepared for this evening’s tilt, from this standpoint alone. There is no Superman coming in from the Wings to save them. If they’re going to get to Round 2, they will a far better performance from both Jesus Shuttlesworth and Da Truth. Keep your eyes peeled, as well, for Bill Walker, as he presents one of the few options on the Celtics’ bench that can increase their size and athleticism at the Wings when Pierce and/or Allen-R need to rest. Can the Baby Bulls [i.e. Rose, Noah & Thomas-Ty] possibly perform as they did on Saturday afternoon, for a second consecutive game in the playoffs? 41-41/.500 suggests that it’s a stretch to think it likely. Expect the C’s to start much better this evening; then, ride the emotion of their home crowd through the balance of the 2nd half. The Bulls are young at key positions, and it will be difficult for them to maintain their concentration for 96 consecutive minutes, in enemy territory, with the champs at the ready and staring at 0-2.

Chicago +8.5/-102
BOSTON -8.5/-106
Call: BOSTON [1 unit]

Game 2 – 3/SPURS vs 6/Mavericks

Everything about the San Antonio organization says that they will find a way to square this series, somehow, this evening. But, 6.5 points is a lot to give up … without Manu Ginobili, completely, and Tim Duncan being far from 100%. Can Coach Popovich pull another rabbit from his hat? You bet, he can … especially if he goes retro with the deployment of his troops in this series, i.e. MAIN PLAYERS: Parker + Finley + Bowen + Oberto + Duncan; KEY SUBS: Mason, Hill, Udoka, Gooden & Thomas. Matt Bonner has had a good season, and has provided the Spurs with solid points production from the #4/PF spot beside the Big Fundamental … but, that will do them no good in this series when what they NEED is to DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE THEIR REBOUNDING, at positions #2/OG, #3/SF, and most importantly #4/PF. The Mavericks are a veteran outfit that many have a tendency to forget were good enough to put up 67 wins just two seasons ago and lost in the NBA Finals, to D-Wade & Co., the year before that. Dallas matches up exceptionally well with their opponent in this series [especially, given the absence of Ginobili, and Pops' questionable decisions to start Mason and give only reduced minutes to the Karate Kid]. Even if they go down to defeat this evening, Dallas should have the know-how to keep it close until the final minute of the 4th period.

Dallas +6/-105
SAN ANTONIO -6/-105
Call: Dallas [2 unit]

The following is an excerpt of something which Kelly Dwyer wrote today, pertaining to the recent goings-on with the Bulls’ starting line-up:

Behind the box score, where the Bulls are mixed up
Give the Bulls coaching staff credit. Starting Derrick Rose, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, [Tyrus] Thomas and [Joakim] Noah means that the Bulls are starting their five best players, at appropriate positions. For those who have been complaining about this for years, it is a wonderful thing to behold.

… which promptly set the wheels in motion in this corner, thinking about whether or not this statement is, in fact, accurate.

———-

Q1. Are Derrick Rose, Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah the Bulls’ five best players, at the respective positions they should be playing in the Starting Unit for Chicago?

A1. No, they are not.

———-

How come?

At the moment, Chicago is 18-25/.419, 4th in the Central Division and 10th, in the EC, overall.

Derrick Rose [6-3, 190] is, by far, the best PG on the Bulls’ roster. He SHOULD BE starting games for this team.

Ben Gordon [6-3, 200] is NOT the best OG on the Bulls’ roster, although he is a solid Combination Guard. He should NOT BE starting games for this team.

Luol Deng [6-9, 220] is NOT the best SF on the Bulls’ roster, although he is a solid mid-range jump shooter. He should NOT BE starting games for this team.

Tyrus Thomas [6-9, 215] is NOT the best PF on the Bulls’ roster, although he is exceptionally athletic. He should NOT BE starting games for this team.

Joakim Noah [6-11, 232] is the best C on the Bulls’ roster. HE SHOULD BE starting games for this team.

Only 2 of these players are the best Bulls at each of their respective positions, and who SHOULD BE starting games for this team.

In contrast to these perceptions of Gordon, Deng and Thomas …

Who are the Bulls’ best OG, SF and PF right now that SHOULD BE starting games for Chicago?

OG - Larry Hughes [6-5, 184] … by far their best Scorer/Defender with good Size
SF - Thabo Sefolosha [6-7, 215] … by far their best Defender & Rebounder with good Size
PF – Drew Gooden [6-10, 242] … by far their best Glue Guy with good Size.

What specific roles should Gordon, Deng and Thomas be playing instead for the Bulls right now?

Gordon SHOULD BE coming in off the bench, as a Score-first replacement for either Rose or Sefolosha, with the 2nd Unit.

Deng SHOULD BE coming in off the bench, as a Score-first replacement for Hughes, with the 2nd Unit.

Thomas SHOULD BE coming in off the bench, as an athletic Defender/Rebounder/High Energy replacement for Gooden, with the 2nd Unit … as should Aaron Gray [7-0, 270], a Low Post Presence replacement for Joakim Noah.

This would then give Chicago the following 9-Man Rotation:

STARTERS – Rose/PG + Sefolosha/Wing + Hughes/Wing + Gooden/Big + Noah/Big

KEY BENCH SUBS - Gordon/G + Deng/F + Thomas/Big + Gray/Big

RESERVES – Lindsey Hunter [PG, 6-2, 195], Kirk Hinrich [PG/OG, 6-3, 190] & Andres Nocioni [SF/PF, 6-7, 225]

EXTRAS – Cedric Simmons [6-9, 235] & Michael Ruffin [6-8, 248]

… which would do a better job of balancing out the individual strengths and weaknesses of the players on their overall roster [i.e. in terms of Rebounding, Defense and Shared Team Offense] and provide order for a squad that would then be good enough to qualify for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference this season.

Co-Captain for the Bulls

As an elite level NBA player, this corner of the net does not have a real appreciation for the individual game of the Bulls’ current #90, who is not the type of PF these eyes prefer, on a regular basis, e.g. like The Worm, Worthy, McHale and Lucas.

That said …

There are several reasons why Chicago seems to play better when he’s on the court this season …

Bulls’ Best 5-Man Units [2008-2009]

———-

Bulls’ Joakim Noah frustrated with individual play
One day after Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro doled out some uncharacteristically stern words regarding Joakim Noah and Tyrus Thomas, fellow big man Drew Gooden said it was unfair to compare the former high draft picks to rookie wunderkind Derrick Rose.

“[Rose] was handed the ball and told, ‘Lead this team.’ ” said Gooden. “I don’t think it’s fair to say Tyrus and Joakim should match what Derrick is doing. It takes more time for certain people. … You have different roles.”

Del Negro said that Noah and Thomas must focus better and work harder.

“It takes a while,” Gooden said. “I went through my growing pains. There’s not one guy in this league who hasn’t.

“This is a job. This is a work atmosphere [compared to] going to college and playing basketball basically for your education. This is your living and this is a business.

“[Noah and Thomas] understand it. … They will grasp it sooner or later. … They’re still young. They have a lot of potential.”

———-

not the least of which is the fact that he’s a first-class teammate, who says stuff like this ^^^, in support of his younger struggling and still largely erratic teammates. 

If the Baby Bulls do actually end up “getting it”, sometime during the latter half of this season, they just might be able to sneak into the 8th and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

Related: The Better Half in the NBA - Day 1

Q1. Who are now the key players for Da Bulls? 

A1. Ben Gordon (PG), Thabo Sefolosha (OG), Nocioni (SF), Gooden (PF), Joakim Noah (C), Larry Hughes (G/F), Luol Deng (F), Tyrus Thomas (PF/C), Gray (C) and either Duhon (PG) or Hinrich (PG). 

If you take a closer, detailed look at this …

from the 05:39 mark of the 1st Quarter, when Ben Gordon (playing at the PG spot) subs in for Kirk Hinrich (CHI 10, Uta 14) … to the 10:11 mark of the 2nd Quarter, when Hinrich subs back in for Thabo Sefolosha (CHI 31, Uta 23) …

you can see quite clearly

what the future holds

for this collection of

Bulls …

with ‘the right’ coach in place.

Running of Da Bulls

The ‘game ball’ is now firmly in the hands of John Paxson/GM.

If … he makes the right choice, re: the next head coach in Chicago … LOOK OUT! … Da Bulls will be back in business, in a major way, as ‘PrimeTime Contendas’ in the East for the next decade. 

If ‘Da Bulls’ decide to play ‘up-tempo’ basketball, ’4 out/1 in’ style … Run, Run, Run … Is there (now) another team in the league with more depth, athleticism, ‘scoring’, and rebounding – at each of the 5 spots on the floor – than this ‘Group of 15′ for Chicago?

2007-08 Roster 
NUM PLAYER POS HT WT DOB   FROM YRS
6 Shannon Brown  G  6-4 211 11/29/1985   Michigan State 1
20 JamesOn Curry  G  6-3 190 01/07/1986   Oklahoma State R
9 Luol Deng – C  F  6-9 220 04/16/1985   Duke 3
21 Chris Duhon  G  6-1 185 08/31/1982   Duke 3
90 Drew Gooden  F  6-10 250 09/24/1981   Kansas 5
7 Ben Gordon  G  6-3 200 04/04/1983   Connecticut 3
34 Aaron Gray  C  7-0 270 12/07/1984   Pittsburgh R
12 Kirk Hinrich – C  G  6-3 190 01/02/1981   Kansas 4
32 Larry Hughes  G  6-5 185 01/23/1979   St. Louis 9
35 Demetris Nichols  F  6-8 216 09/04/1984   Syracuse R
13 Joakim Noah  F  6-11 232 02/25/1985   Florida R
5 Andres Nocioni  F  6-7 225 11/30/1979   Argentina 3
2 Thabo Sefolosha  G  6-7 215 05/02/1984   Switzerland 1
15 Cedric Simmons  F  6-9 235 01/03/1986   North Carolina State 1
24 Tyrus Thomas  F  6-8 215 08/17/1986   Louisiana State 1

Maybe … only 1.

The problem with Da Bulls … is no more!

Despite their disasterous start this season – and keyed by the trades from yesterday - the Chicago Bulls are now poised to (once again) make the Playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

Kudos to their GM, John MacBeth Paxson.