khandor’s sports blog

For the benefit of both Raptors and Heat fans:

Enjoy! … what should prove to be a highly entertaining game.

PS. Is there any doubt, however, that the Heat have the “coolest” [baby, baby, baby] roster web page in the NBA today?

Following last night’s deflating home loss to the Atlanta Hawks, the conference standings in the East look like this:

Prior to the 2009 NBA Draft, however, these were some of the players who were recommended in this space for the Toronto Raptors:

Terrence Williams [OG-SF, New Jersey, 1st Rd]
Earl Clark [SF-PF, Phoenix, 1st Rd]
Derrick Brown [SF-PF, Charlotte, 2nd Rd]
Taj Gibson [PF, Chicago, 1st Rd]
Dante Cunningham [PF, Portland, 2nd Rd]
Marcus Thornton [OG, New Orleans, via Miami, 2nd Rd]
Nando De Colo [OG-SF, San Antonio, 2nd Rd]

Prior to the 4-team trade that involved the Raptors, Magic, Mavericks and Grizzlies, it was also suggested here that Toronto should:

If the Raptors would have followed those recommendations, instead of:

culminating with a roster that looks like the middle column in the following chart:

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Yours truly thinks they would.

It’s by developing and then implementing a sound Basketball Philosophy … which emphasizes the importance of [I] Team Defense, [II] Rebounding, and [III] Shared Team Offense, in this order … maintaining general roster stability, from one season to the next, while acquiring Quality Depth, and obtaining the services of an experienced and successful NBA head coach, that the Raptors would be able to fundamentally alter the direction of their franchise and construct the type of championship-calibre organization which UFA’s like Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Dwyane Wade, and LeBron James, etc., would willingly CHOOSE to play for, if they have their druthers, either, this coming off season or further down-the-road.

This past off season, when this corner consistently rated Miami as one of the few sure-fire playoff teams in the Eastern Conference this year … provided the Heat get a full season from D-Wade … there were many in the blogosphere who took exception and asked, incredulously,

“Huh? How come? … Their overall roster simply isn’t good enough to be put into THAT category. Is it?”

Well …

At this moment, there are only 5 undefeated teams in the NBA:

Boston [3-0], Orlando [3-0], Denver [3-0], Phoenix [3-0] and Miami [3-0].

Reasons Why the Miami Heat Will Succeed This Season 

A. Pat Riley [GM] really does know what he’s doing … and, “all things Heat” spring forth from him.

B. When all is said and done, several years from now, Erik Spoelstra is going to be recognized as a very solid NBA coach; see “A”, above, for further reference.

C. The late additions of Carlos Arroyo and Quentin Richardson are ”good fits” for what Miami needed this season to successfully bridge the gap until the 2010 off season arrives … when they will become significant players in the free agent marketplace; see “A”, above, for further reference. 

D.-Man is a legit MVP candidate, this year … as The Best Guard in the NBA not named Kobe Bryant.

E. The players on their roster this season, although NOT as “talented” overall as the other top squads in the Association, actually DO “fit together” in a way that should/will allow them to remain in the playoff race the whole year, and eventually earn 1 of the 8 coveted berths into the post-season, i.e. With the team culture in Miami, “The whole is usually greater than the sum of the parts,” see “A”, above, for further reference.

Building a championship calibre organization in the NBA isn’t always about performing “radical surgery” on your roster in the summer months.

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“The proof of the pudding is in the eating.” - Anonymous

When certain Raptors fans cannot accept legitimate criticism of the former No. 1 [overall] Draft Pick/2006, they should be pointed toward this specific assessment of his individual game, which includes Offense, Defense and Rebounding:

SI.com’s NBA Enemy Lines: An opposing team’s scout sizes up the Raptors
Andrea Bargnani has to become more “NBA-ized.” By that I mean he still has a lot of that European stuff to his game. He doesn’t get back fast enough defensively, he doesn’t get physical enough and he settles too much for the jump shot as a 7-footer. He should be more of an asset inside, especially as a rebounder, though I did see signs of him trying to do that last year. He hasn’t shown that he’s a real tough, hard-nosed guy. He’s very skilled and he knows how to play, but he needs to be more in tune with what it takes to be successful in the NBA.

Right now, Bargnani can’t defend any position other than the 5, so he has to get stronger and do his work early defensively rather than wait for his man to take position in the post and then try to guard him, because by then it’s too late. He doesn’t move his feet well defensively, and that needs to be addressed in order for him to take it to the next level and be a starting center for a playoff team. As a 4 man, he can’t guard the position at all. I guess he needs to model his game after Mehmet Okur, a perimeter-shooting center who can handle himself physically inside. I trust Bargnani as a shooter. If it’s not a highly contested shot, I feel like it’s going to go in. He has a great release, form and arc with great range and pretty good quickness to get the shot off.

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Those with credible basketball experience are the ones who can see clearly what this young man’s specific strengths and weaknesses actually are, as a highly serviceable [back-up?] Center, in the NBA:

STRENGTHS
1. Has a high offensive skill level and knows “how” to play on this side of the floor.
2. A trustworthy shooter … but, only of shots which are not highly contested.
3. Good form on his perimeter shot with an adequately quick release.

WEAKNESSES
1. Doesn’t get back quickly enough in defensive transition.
2. Lacks NBA “physicality”, “strength” and “toughness”.
3. Not enough of an asset as a rebounder.
4. Cannot defend ANY position other than Center.
5. Fails to do “early work” defensively vs his individual check.
6. Fails to “move his feet well” on defense.
7. Cannot guard the Power Forward position at all.

not those who think that he is still capable of becoming a “franchise” player, as a perimeter-based Power [or over-sized Small] Forward.

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PS. As well, please take note that when a real life NBA scout describes what he actually sees when he looks at and assesses the abilities of an NBA player he DOES NOT include a single “game stat average” in that evaluation.

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

Game 13 – vs Mia [Fri Nov 20]

The first home game following a WC road trip can be a dangerous situation in the NBA. That said … the Raptors might be in dire need of winning this specific contest, given their poor early season W-L record. Miami, on the other hand, might be a few games above .500, on the strength of several home games early in the schedule, and coming into this one off a road loss at Atlanta, a Southwest Division rival. Although there is no defensive match-up on the Raptors roster capable of handling D-Wade effectively … who might well go for 40+ in this encounter … the front-court tandem of Bosh & Bargnani should be able to off-set this single major disadvantage. If the Dinos are going to remain in the playoff hunt this season, they will need to win games like this one, i.e. at home; without an individual match-up disadvantage. 

Raptors expected W-L Record: L, 5-8

The QUESTION is … for, let’s say, approximately $6.4 M … 

What two NBA franchises would Allen Iverson, possibly, be the best fit with at this stage of his career?

[i.e. based strictly on their respective player rosters and regardless of any Salary Cap/Luxury Tax restraints on a 1 year contract]

SCENARIO ONE

If the Cavaliers are truly serious about trying to win the 2009-2010 NBA Championship, then Cleveland needs to ratchet up its Offense with a line-up that looks like this:

STARTERS
PG - Allen Iverson [UFA, high cost]
OG - Anthony Parker [UFA, medium cost]
SF - Lebron James
PF - Anderson Varejao
C - Shaquille O’Neal

KEY SUBS
PG/OG - Mo Williams or Daniel Gibson
OG/SF - Keith Bogans [UFA, low cost]
SF/PF - JJ Hickson
C - Zydrunas Ilgauskas 

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SCENARIO TWO

If the Heat are truly serious about trying to reach the 2009-2010 NBA Finals, then Miami needs to ratchet up its Offense with a line-up like this is:

STARTERS
PG - Allen Iverson [UFA, high cost]
OG - Dwyane Wade
SF - Jamario Moon [UFA, low cost]
PF - Udonis Haslem
C - Jermaine O’Neal  

KEY SUBS
PG - Mario Chalmers
OG - Daequan Cook
SF - Michael Beasley
PF - Joel Anthony
C -  Chris Mihm [UFA, low cost]

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For a single season … a move like that would still leave Miami and/or Cleveland in the free agent sweepstakes expected to take place next summer [i.e. 2010] … while giving their respective teams a definite boost this year, in an effort to reach their specific goal.

Are either of these two situations likely to occur next month?

Hmmmm …

[Probably not ... although either one would certainly be very interesting to see materialize this summer.]

Watching Luis Scola dismantle the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1st quarter of last night’s Game 6, the following thought came to mind …

Q. Do most so-called NBA experts/observers really truly understand just how good, and skilled, and smart, and tenacious, etc., the 2004 Olympic Games [Athens] Men’s Basketball Champions actually were?

A. Not a chance.

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However, if you want to pass yourself off as someone who has a thorough knowledge of the game of basketball, you really SHOULD.

STARTERS
PG/Pepe Sanchez
OG/Manu Ginobili
SF/Andres Nocioni
PF/Luis Scola
C/Fabricio Oberto

KEY SUBS
Alejandro Montecchia [G]
Carlos Delfino [G/F]
Walter Herrmann [F]
Ruben Wolkowisky [F/C]

This is a team which had at least 9 players who were more than capable of holding their own against the very best in the world, and was full value for winning their [i] quarter-final vs Greece [host], [ii] semi-final vs the USA and [iii] final vs Italy, after starting the tournament with an 0-2 record.

If that exact team would have been able to stay together for the 2008 Olympic Games [Beijing] Men’s Basketball Tournament, this past summer, and been 100% healthy, there is simply no telling whether the following group of players, coaches and administrators:

Jason Kidd
Dwyane Wade
Kobe Bryant
Lebron James
Chris Bosh

Chris Paul
Deron Williams
Michael Redd
Carmelo Anthony
Tayshaun Prince
Carlos Boozer
Dwight Howard

Mike Krzyzewski
Mike D’Antoni
Nate McMillan

Jerry Colangelo

would still enjoy the stellar reputations they have today and have been strong & cohesive enough to reclaim the Gold Medal for the Red, White & Blue.

Oh, but, what a game THAT would have been to witness.

FINAL SCORE: TORONTO 100, Miami 108
Complete Game Info

Despite what certain Raptors fans might want choose to believe, the reason Toronto lost last night’s game was not due to the less-than-stellar play of Jose Calderon [or the inability of Chris Bosh to perform as a Franchise Player should, i.e. making a series of clutch plays coming down the stretch of a close game].

As has been detailed in this space plenty of times before … Rebounding and Defense - specifically, FROM THE 3 OTHER PLAYERS ON THE COURT BESIDE BOSH & CALDERON - are the Raptors major short-comings, on a consistent basis … not the sometimes erratic Offensive production levels of their two most important players [i.e. Bosh & Calderon].

Until this team commits to:

* Playing at least 2 more Solid Rebounder/Defenders in a 5-Man Unit with Chris Bosh and Jose Calderon

and

* Playing at least 3 Solid Rebounder/Defenders together, in a 5-Man Unit anytime Jose Calderon is off the floor

… it is not going to be able to sustain a consistent effort for 48 minutes against a High End team in this league.

When Eric Spoelstra called Time-out at the 09:40 mark of the 4th quarter and substituted Dwyane Wade [42 Pts; 74.0 FG%; including 3 Treys and only 5 FTs] and Mario Chalmers back into the game … Jay Triano HAD to respond accordingly and re-insert some combination of:

A. Shawn Marion
B. Chris Bosh
C. Anthony Parker
D. Shawn Marion & Chris Bosh
E. Shawn Marion & Anthony Parker
F. Chris Bosh & Anthony Parker
G. Shawn Marion, Chris Bosh & Anthony Parker

to ensure that the Raptors had enough [i.e. at least 3] Rebounder/Defenders on the floor, at that crucial juncture of the game, to cope effectively with a DYNAMIC player like Dwyane Wade.

Instead of doing this, however … when Jay Triano left Jose Calderon, Jason Kapono and Andrea Bargnani on together [none of whom should be classified as a Solid Rebounder] with Joey Graham and Pops Mensah-Bonsu [who are both solid Rebounders], it was The Beginning of the End for the Raptors last night, as the Heat pumped its lead back up to 10 points.

Then, when Coach Spoelstra substituted Udonis Haslem back into the game, at the 07:09 mark, and Coach Triano responded, by replacing Joey Graham and Jason Kapono with Chris Bosh and Anthony Parker, leaving the Raptors with only 2 Solid Rebounders on the floor again, it was Time To Turn Out The Lights … as the Heat then increased its lead to 15 points, from which the Dinos were never able to fully recover, thereafter, even though they did eventually go to a solid 5-Man Unit which included 3 Solid Rebounder/Defenders [at their respective positions] at the 06:05 mark [i.e. PG/A-Parker, SF/Marion, and PF/Bosh].

It’s highly questionable personnel decisions like these, made by the Raptors’ President/General Manager and/or their Head Coach that consistently put this squad squarely behind the 8-ball, and eventually leads to the unhappiness/frustration of their best players [e.g. Wince Carter, Chris Bosh and Jose Calderon].  

Comparing the state of the Raptors’ franchise, at the moment, to that of the Miami Heat … their opponent this evening … is an interesting exercise.

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In the 2003-2004 season, the Raptors finished 33-49/.402, 6th in the Central Division, missed the Playoffs, and secured the No. 4 [overall] Selection in the 2004 NBA Draft Lottery, Chris Bosh.

Since then, the team has:

2004-2005
Finished 33-49/.402, 4th in the Atlantic Division, missed the Playoffs, and secured the No. 8 [overall] Selection in the 2005 NBA Draft Lottery, Rafael Araujo

2005-2006
Finished 27-55/.329, 4th in the Atlantc Division, missed the Playoffs, and secured the No. 1 [overall] Selection in the 2006 NBA Draft Lottery, Andrea Bargnani

2006-2007
Finished 47-35/.573, 1st in the Atlantic Division, with a 1st Rd Playoff exit 

2007-2008
Finished 41-41/.500, 2nd in the Atlantic Division, with a 1st Rd Playoff exit

2008-2009
Is currently 23-39/.371, 5th in the Atlantic Division, and out of the Playoffs. Bryan Colangelo is the President/GM and Jay Triano is the Head Coach. This is their player roster.

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In the 2003-2004 season, the Heat finished 42-40/.512, 2nd Atlantic Division, with a 2nd Rd Playoff exit, and selected Dwyane Wade with the No. 5 [overall] Selection in the 2004 NBA Draft Lottery.

Since then, the team has:

2004-2005
Finished 59-23/.720, 1st Southeast Division, lost Eastern Conference Final

2005-2006
Finished 52-30/.634, 1st Southeast Division … WON their 1st NBA Championship

2006-2007
Finished 44-38/.537, 1st Southeast Division, with a 1st Rd Playoff exit

2007-2008
Finished 15-67/.183, 5th Southeast Division, missed the Playoffs, secured the No. 2 [overall] Selection in the 2008 NBA Draft Lottery, Michael Beasley

2008-2009
Is currently 32-28/.533, 2nd Southeast Division, 5th in the Eastern Conference. Pat Riley is the President/GM and Eric Spoelstra is the Head Coach. This is their player roster.

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How good are the Miami Heat at the moment?

According to this corner, good enough to say, “No Deal,” to all potential suitors for Shawn Marion [PF/SF] … even those prepared to take Marcus Banks‘ bad contract off the Heat’s ledger. 

Why is that?

At the moment, Miami has a 24-29/.558 W-L Record, is in 3rd place in the Southeast Division, and in 6th place in the Eastern Conference, with a 7-6 mark since Jan 1, having picked up two Quality W’s in their most recent games vs Orlando [1st Southest] and Atlanta [2nd Southeast].

However, when you examine these respective Box Scores more closely:

GAME 1

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GAME 2

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… what you’ll see is that an interesting transformation is taking place with this team right now, in the absence of Shawn Marion.

* After playing “0″ minutes in the month of December …

Mark Blount [C, 7-0, 250] averaged 19 MPG against Orlando & Miami.

* After receiving “0″ minutes during the Heat’s first 15 games this season, and then only sporadic minutes through the month of December [during their next 13 games], since Jan 1, 2009 …

Jamaal Magloire [C, 6-11, 265] has averaged 15.4 MPG and got his first start of the season against the Hawks.

* After working as the Heat’s Starting Center for the month of December and averaging almost 18 MPG, on the season as a whole …

Joel Anthony [C, 6-9, 260] did not start at Center for the Heat vs Atlanta and averaged only 7.5 MPG against the Magic and the Hawks.

* After playing sporadically in Nov-Dec-Jan …

Yakhouba Diawara [SF, 6-7, 225] averaged 21 MPG against the Magic and the Hawks.

* After playing “0″ minutes at all prior to Jan 9, 2009 …

James Jones [SF, 6-8, 200], an UFA acquisition from Portland this past summer, averaged 8.5 MPG against the Magic and the Hawks.

Using a revamped 12-Man line-up:

STARTERS

PG - Mario Chalmers [6-1, 190] 
OG - Dwyane Wade [6-4, 212]
SF - Yakhouba Diawara [Shawn Marion, when healthy?]
PF - Udonis Haslem [6-8, 235]
C - Jamaal Magloire

KEY BENCH SUBS

PG - Chris Quinn [6-2, 185]
OG - Daequan Cook [6-5, 210] [or James Jones]
SF - James Jones [or Yakhouba Diawara]
PF - Michael Beasley [6-8, 235]
C - Mark Blount

RESERVES

PF/SF - Shawn Marion [or Daquan Cook or James Jones]
PF/C - Joel Anthony

the Heat, under the direction of Eric Spoelstra [1st-yr], is plenty big and tough and good enough to challenge for a berth in the EC Finals or, at least, the Semi-finals, this season … carried by a healthy D-Wade.

Then, once the off season arrives, Pat Riley [GM] will be sitting in the catbird’s seat, in position to:

1A. Re-sign Shawn Marion, if both parties are so inclined;

1B. Execute a Sign & Trade with Shawn Marion, if a suitable deal is on the table for Miami;

1C. Allow Shawn Marion to walk away … and use the available capitol instead to sign a player or two or three who might be a better fit upfront with the Heat than an injured former All-Star like Jermaine O’Neal [C/PF, Toronto] or a serviceable but strictly ordinary Big like Brad Miller [C, Sacramento];

2. While adding another Key Rotation Player to the mix for the Heat from the 2009 NBA Draft.

Come on Pat … Show this corner what you’ve got! … When it comes to being an authentic TOP NOTCH Executive in the NBA.

Have some patience, ride it out, and the Heat will be rewarded BIG TIME, down-the-road.

Afterall, that’s exactly what building an upper echelon team is all about, in the NBA, when you’ve got the right type of Basketball Acumen, in the first place.