khandor’s sports blog

Last year, the specific talk coming from Raptors training camp was about the team’s new over-riding Defensive Philosophy, referred to as, “Protecting the House,” in an all-out effort to improve their Defensive FG%. 

Unfortunately, last year’s Raptors then finished the 2009-2010 season as one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA.

Now, during this year’s training camp, this is what is currently being said about the Raptors Point of Emphasis, defensively, for the coming season:

———————————–

Raptors focus on fine art of defence

It is a delicate balance the Raptors seek as they try to improve the weakest aspect of their game.

They have to teach aggression tempered with intelligence. Quickness rather than speed.

They need continuity from a group of relative strangers and a dedication to a cause that brings with it little glory.

Easy? Not so much, but if they don’t shore up their defence and find a system that suits their personnel, any chance of being even a mildly surprising team in the coming NBA season is gone out the window.

It is the topic as training camp drones on, the one thing that coach Jay Triano and his assistants are more worried about than any other.

“One, you’ve got a number of new guys who are going to be in the rotation so that’s immediately a challenge,” said assistant coach P.J. Carlesimo. “Two, you don’t have a lot of continuity. Even though you could say it’s Jay’s third year, it’s at least a second, if not a third, different roster so it’s not like he’s had two years to install his system and the same guys are playing his system.

“The good news is you have some young guys with some quickness and enthusiasm. The bad news is you have young guys and inexperienced guys.”

What the Raptors want to do defensively sounds so simple: They want to apply pressure as much as possible, take away outside shots, force turnovers and score off their defence.

“I’d say we’re more aggressive,” said Triano. “Last year we had a tendency to sit on boxes (in the low post) and elbows (at the top of the free-throw lane) and protect the paint and the house and all that. This year, we’re just out and guarding guys.”

———————————–

1. Pressure the ball.

and,

2. Create more turnovers.

Hmmm …

Simple to do, perhaps … if you have enough of the right type of players on your roster, in the first place.

When you actually compare the individual defensive ability of the 15 players on the present roster for the Raptors to the group which ended the 2009-2010 campaign, what you get looks something like this:

Those who think the Team Defensive woes of the 2009-2010 Toronto Raptors will be cured by this year’s squad making a renewed commitment to ”applying increased ball pressure”, over the course of an 82-game regular season are, quite simply, unfamiliar with the way in which the NBA actually works:

General Truths About the NBA Game, From a Defensive Perspective:

1. “Less experienced” players are not superior Individual or Team defenders, in comparison with veteran players.

2. “Faster” players do not necessarily prove to be superior Individual or Team defenders, in comparison with slower players.

3. Authentic “high end” Team Defensive ability stems, primarily, from just 2 sources:

i. Having enough rotational players whose specific WEAKNESS does not originate in their own Individual and/or Team defensive game;

 and,

ii. A head coach’s PERSONAL COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE, on the defensive side of the floor, based upon the successful implementation/execution of sound and highly integrated strategic and/or tactical concepts. [NOTE: Please recognize the plural form of the final word in this last sentence.]

When a team is atrocious on the defensive side of the ball, however, it does not become significantly better by:

while retaining non defensive stalwarts like:

in their existing roles, in the regular rotation, AND retaining the same head coach who was responsible for the implementation of the Defensive Philosophy which was used the previous season, even if the nature of THAT specific philosophy is supposedly going to change for the new campaign.

Scoring enough points to win games … against high end competition … has not been a major problem for the Raptors during the last several seasons. Preventing high end opponents from doing likewise, however, has consistently been one of the Dinos main problems.

With the set of players, coaches, and GM – i.e. who is responsible for putting together the roster – currently in place for this team, do not expect this reality to change this season.    

Last summer, the Toronto Raptors re-worked almost their entire roster, in an effort to qualify for the playoffs - and, to advance to, at least, the 2nd Round - by making the following personnel moves:

Although the team improved its win total from the previous season [i.e. 40 vs 33], it still failed to make the playoffs … due, primarily, to: [i] The 2nd half of the season injuries to their marquee player, Chris Bosh; and, [ii] The fact that the rest of their players – and coaches – were simply not good enough to win the required number of ’late season’ games, without their Captain in the line-up … after spending the middle portion of the schedule solidly in the playoff picture.

This summer, in addition to losing Chris Bosh, via unrestricted free agency, the Raptors have decided to re-vamp their roster, again, by making another series of sweeping personnel changes:

———————————–

Raptors acquire F Wright from Hornets

The 6-foot-8, 225-pound Wright averaged 8.1 points and 4.6 rebounds in 68 games with New Orleans last season.his move should help balance the roster and alleviate some of the redundancy we have with our guards,” Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo said in a release Wednesday. “Julian is another young athletic player that will add depth at the small forward position.”

———————————–

As a result of these consecutive drastic ‘summer make-overs’, the Raptors line-up now projects like this for next season:

… which means that the only remnants of the 2006-2007 team that went 47-35, to capture the Atlanta Division and earn a #3 seed in the EC playoffs, as well as the 2007-2008 version that finished in 6th place, are Jose Calderon [i.e. a high efficiency PG] and Andrea Bargnani [i.e. a low efficiency C]. 

There’s an old saying in life which goes something like this:

“Never make the error in judgment of mistaking activity for accomplishment.” - Anonymous

To these eyes, the Raptors are almost right back where they were, in 1997-1998, prior to the arrival of Vincent Lamar Carter.   

———————————–

PS. Don’t think for a minute that the Raptors have actually concluded their annual “summer make-over” … with the expiring contracts of Marcus Banks and Reggie Evans still in their pocket, plus a high efficiency PG – who they have already tried to trade on two occasions this off season - and, a 7-deep depth chart at the PG and OG positions which includes Calderon, Jack, Barbosa, Banks, DeRozan, Weems and Barbosa. Nosiree … instead of simply flying under the radar next season, in an effort to land a high quality player like Harrison Barnes, expect the Raptors to continue to try to upgrade their existing roster, in another futile push for a lower-tier spot in the playoffs.

Going forward from this point …

Which player[s] should become the new face[s] of the Raptors franchise?

If the primary long term objective is to win as many NBA championships as possible then the correct answer is quite simple.

PART I

Basketball is a game with 3 distinct phases.

i. Defense – i.e. When your opponent has possession of the ball.

ii. Rebounding – i.e. When neither team has possession of the ball.

iii. Offense – i.e. When your team has possession of the ball.

In the grand history of the NBA, the best teams in the league have consistently been built with multi-dimensional players, as the key foundation pieces.

PART II

Which player[s] on the Raptors’ current roster:

is someone who displays a high degree of proficiency in at least 2 of the 3 main phases of the game, without also being abysmal in the 3rd component?

Answer this exact question properly … and, it will tell you who, if anyone, on the Raptors SHOULD become the new face[s] of the franchise.

[NOTE: 1. R - Rookie. 2. The above classifications are based on accumulated Basketball Acumen. For the benefit of those who need to rely on game stats to make an accurate assesment of these things, feel free to peruse the available information at Hoopdata which pertains to these players. ]

Unfortunately, you might not end up liking what you will find.

As presently constituted …

* There is no Low-Post scoring Big Man on the roster.

* There is no Low-Post scoring Forward or Guard on the roster.

* Without a Low-Post scoring Big Man on the roster, there will be far less room for perimeter-based shooters to find uncontested shots, in half-court offensive situations.

* To a large extent, 4th quarter scoring in the NBA is driven by the main offensive players on a team who are capable of commanding a double-team from the defense. The Raptors have no such player[s] on their roster.

* To a large extent, consistent 4th quarter scoring in the NBA is reliant upon a team’s ability to generate easy points [i.e. high efficiency scoring opportunities] from the Foul Line. The Raptors have no players on their roster with the ability to generate large numbers of Free Throw Attempts in the 4th quarter.

* In half-court offensive situations there are few-to-no players with the ability to “break down” their individual defender off the dribble – without the benefit of a pick - in order to penetrate the perimeter of the defense and create easy scoring opportunities for their teammates.

* There are too many players with negative career Assist-to-Turnover Ratios who will need to play major minutes.

* The Raptors were a poor Points Allowed team last season and have added no experienced players this off season who should be capable of scoring more points themselves than the number of points which they will be responsible for allowing to their opponent, while still being adequate performers at the offensive end of the floor.

* The Raptors were a mediocre-to-poor rebounding team last season and have added no experienced players this off season who should be capable of securing more rebounds themselves than the number of rebounds which they will be responsible for allowing to their opponent, while still being adequate performers at the offensive end of the floor.

* While the Raptors have lost their best player from last year [i.e. Chris Bosh/C-PF], many of their opponents in the Eastern Conference have not and, in fact, have added other quality players to their roster this off season:

MIAMI HEAT, 5th place
Noteworthy:
Retain – Wade/D
Add - James/L, Bosh/C, Miller/M, Ilgauskas/Z and Howard/J
Lose - O’Neal/J, Richardson/Q, Wright/D and Beasley/M

ORLANDO MAGIC, 2nd place
Noteworthy:
Add - Duhon/C and Richardson/Q
Lose – Williams/J and Barnes/M

ATLANTA HAWKS, 3rd place
Noteworthy:
Retain – Johnson/J
Add – Larry Drew and Powell/J [?]
Lose – Mike Woodson

BOSTON CELTICS, 4th place
Noteworthy:
Retain – Pierce/P, Allen/R and Robinson/N
Add – O’Neal/J
Lose – Thom Thibodeau, Wallace/R and Allen/T

MILWAUKEE BUCKS, 6th place
Noteworthy:
Retain: Salmons/J
Add – Maggette/C, Douglas-Roberts/C, Gooden/D and Brockman/J
Lose – Ridnour/L, Bell/C, Gadzuric/D and Jackson/D

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS, 7th place
Noteworthy:
Retain: Thomas/T
Add – Dampier/E, Najera/E and Carroll/M
Lose – Felton/R and Chandler/T

CHICAGO BULLS, 8th place
Noteworthy:
Add – Thom Thibodeau, Boozer/C, Korver/K and Watson/CJ
Lose – Vinny Del Negro, Hinrich/K and Miller/B

INDIANA PACERS, 9th place
Noteworthy:
Add – George/P and Stephenson/L
Lose – None

NEW YORK KNICKS, 10th place
Noteworthy:
Add – Stoudemire/A, Randolph/A, Turiaf/R, Fields/L and Jordan/J
Lose – Lee/D, Harrington/A and Duhon/C

DETROIT PISTONS, 11th place
Noteworthy:
Add – Monroe/G
Lose - Brown/K 

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS, 12th place
Noteworthy:
Add – Doug Collins, Nocioni/A, Hawes/S, Battie/T [?] and Turner/E
Lose – Dalembert/S

NEW JERSEY NETS, 15th place
Noteworthy:
Add – Avery Johnson, Outlaw/T, Farmar/J, Morrow/A and Favors/D
Lose – Kiki Vandeweghe, Douglas-Roberts/C, Boone/J and Jianlian/Y

———————————

PLEASE NOTE:

Although the Raptors just finished the Las Vegas Summer League with a 5-0 record, this performance was achieved without Andrea Bargnani [C] playing a single minute beside some combination of DeMar DeRozan, Sonny Weems, Ed Davis and Solomon Alabi … which is a fact the team’s basketball brain-trust WOULD DO WELL TO KEEP IN MIND, as the 2010-2011 season unfolds.

Related:

The Architecture of the Raptors

Can Toronto Overcome the Loss of Chris Bosh

When the Raptors’ current roster looks like this:

sound personnel management SHOULD dictate that the team does not add a player with the specific skill-set of Matt Barnes, as an unrestricted free agent, at a cost of $4.5 M per year.

The fact is …

Matt Barnes chose to opt out of his contract with the Orlando Magic.

Matt Barnes sees himself as a starting calibre player in the NBA.

However, Matt Barnes is not a starting calibre player in the NBA.

Matt Barnes is a mediocre Small Forward, who does nothing well, in particular … in spite of his reputation as a worthwhile defensive player who brings a certain amount of grit to the table … and, whose team usually goes in a reverse direction, once he comes on board [e.g. which is precisely what happened in both Phoenix and Orlando]. 

Playing for the Orlando Magic last season, Matt Barnes had a contract which paid him something less-than $2.0 M/yr.

In his 7-year NBA career, Matt Barnes has already played for 7 different teams.

If your team aleady has a starting calibre wing player – e.g. Grant Hill [Phoenix Suns] or Vince Carter – then Matt Barnes can be an adequate back-up player … if he chooses to play within his role, as a cost-effective substitute. 

However, if your team does not already have a starting calibre wing player on its roster … e.g. DeMar DeRozan [20], Sonny Weems [], Marco Belinelli [], Linas Kleiza [] and Leandro Barbosa … then, adding a disruptive player like Matt Barnes – see exhibit A and B – is a waste of organizational resources.

When you read the following article:

———————————–

Magic match Bulls’ offer sheet to retain Redick

The decision drives the Magic deeper into the luxury tax and gives them one of the NBA’s highest payrolls at about $93 million next season. The move keeps Orlando’s roster mostly intact as the Magic hope continuity will overcome Miami’s All-Star trio and Boston’s Big Three in the Eastern Conference.

“When it came down to it, when we’re talking about what we’re trying to do here, it came down for me to pedigree, DNA, things that most people don’t think about,” Orlando general manager Otis Smith said. “It was less about the money for me, being the basketball guy, and more about keeping a guy around that we’ve had in our organization for the past four years.”

The decision was ultimately made by ownership.

Because Redick was a restricted free agent, Orlando had seven days to match the contract. Billionaire owner Rich DeVos and team president Bob Vander Weide took all seven days to make the move that nearly doubles Redick’s salary from last season.

Teams have to pay a dollar for every dollar they are over the luxury tax, which the league set at $70.3 million for next season. The tax hit is based on the roster at the end of the season, meaning it’s likely the Magic could make trades before then to lessen the financial burden.

Orlando should find relief in a new downtown arena that opens this year and creates new revenue streams. Smith also believes a roster that remains one of the deepest in the league is attractive for potential moves and doesn’t mortgage the Magic’s future.

“The fact that we have players that other teams want makes you pretty flexible,” Smith said. “Is it possible to give out contracts and move a little bit less money? Sure. My thing is you don’t want to take a step back with talent.”

At the very least, keeping Redick assures that.

The former Duke standout was the 11th overall pick in the 2006 draft. He struggled early in his NBA career but has become a significant contributor for the Magic.

So much so that Smith decided that Redick and recently signed small forward Quentin Richardson(notes) had more value than Matt Barnes(notes), who became a free agent after one season with Orlando. Smith said he never offered Barnes a deal and all but ruled out the small forward returning next season.

“It really came down to out of those three, which of the two do we bring in?” Smith said. “We like what Matt brought to the table, but sometimes you have to make decisions that’s best for your club long-term.”

———————————–

and, are then made aware of the following information:

EASTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS

2003-2004, 2004-2005, 2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-2008, 2008-2009 and 2009-2010

TRANSACTIONS

Orlando vs Toronto

Isolating the performances of the Raptors and the Magic:

———————————–

———————————–

what you should be able to see is that both of these respective franchises have, in FACT, had a legitimate opportunity to build a first-class operation … starting from a lower tier position in the league 7 seasons ago; and, which has included the hiring of a new GM, along the way … focused on being able to compete for a NBA championship in the not-to-distant future.

To this point, however, only one has made significant head-way … and, a key question going forward for the other, then, becomes:

How many of the players expected to be on their roster next season actually fit into the “Just Winners” category, based upon their experience in the game, thus far?

Unfortunately for the Raptors, the correct answer, according to these eyes, is … quite possibly … as few as 3. 

Those calling for Bryan Colangelo to be dismissed, as the GM for the Raptors, are delusional.

What the Raptors – and Bryan Colangelo – NEED to do, however, at this point in time, is implement a fundamental PARADIGM SHIFT … in the way that their basketball operation conducts its business, by prioritizing the objective of TRYING TO WIN MULTIPLE NBA CHAMPIONSHIPS through the gradual construction of a top notch player roster that is filled with solid “NBA level talent” [i.e. in terms of specific skill sets and athleticism] and a proven coaching staff.

As wrong as each of Bryan Colangelo’s major personnel moves have been, thus fas, in his tenure as the Raptors’ GM, the fact is …

1. He finally did the RIGHT THING … by failing to making any trades this season at the Trade Deadline;

and,

2. He is finally now saying the RIGHT THING … as far as [i] properly managing the expectations for the team heading into next season AND [ii] assessing accurately just how far away this current collection of players is from actually being able to compete successfully for a Top 4 playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, in the not-too-distant future …

provided that he is NOW willing to:

A. Keep Chris Bosh/C;

B. Exceed the Luxury Tax Threshold;

and,

C. Trade Andrea Bargnani/C, in exchange for a solid, veteran wing player with good size, NBA athleticism, and a commitment to sound defensive play and rebounding.

To wit:

Andrea Bargnani Trade Proposal

What this specific trade would accomplish …

OPTION 1

From a Raptors’ perspective:

Keeping Bosh would be Step 1.

Trading Bargnani for Battier + Taylor would be Step 2.

- it would rid the team of a defensive albatross
- it would add a 3rd string PG to play behind Calderon and Banks
- it would add a solid wing defender/rebounder with good size to go with the younger tandem of DeRozan and Weems

Step 3 would then involve trading Hedo Turkoglu.

Step 4 would then involve trading Jarrett Jack.

Step 5 would then involve keeping Amir Johnson.

Step 6 would then involve selecting another future rotation player with the 2010 1st Round Draft Pick.

The Raptors would then be moving forward with the following group of players:

1 Chris Bosh, C
2 Amir Johnson, PF
3 Shane Battier, SF
4 DeMar DeRozan, OG
5 Jose Calderon, PG

6 New Player #1 [obtained via trade for Turkoglu]
7 New Player #2 [obtained via trade for Jack]
8 Sonny Weems, OG-SF
9 Marco Belinelli, OG-PG
10 Jermaine Taylor, PG
11 Marcus Banks, PG
12 2010 1st Round Pick
13 New Player #3 [FA signed to replace Antoine Wright]
14 Reggie Evans, PF [or New Player #4, obtained via trade for Reggie Evans]
15 Rasho Nesterovic, C [re-signed for the veteran's minimum]

Patrick O’Bryant would not be re-signed.
Joey Dorsey would not be re-signed [or, he would replace Reggie Evans].

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

From the Rockets’ perspective:

1. Bargnani could play Center for them, if Yao Ming isn’t ready to go at the start of next season.

2. Bargnani could be used as Yao Ming’s offensively oriented back-up off the bench, if the big fella is ready to start the season.

3. Bargnani could be used at the PF position, beside Yao Ming, if the big fella is ready to start the seaon, and the Rockets want to go with a twin towers line-up.

——————————————–
NOTE: In every situation, Morey would need to play Bargnani with solid positional defenders in order to compensate for Il Mago’s deficiency in this area. Morey is smart enough to pull that off.
——————————————–

OPTION 2

The same as Option 1, above, except … the Raptors would simply elect to keep Hedo Turkoglu.

——————————————–

What would the 2010-2011 roster then look like for the Raptors?

The more time an astute NBA observer actually spends looking at the depth chart involved with OPTION 2, the more this observer should then begin to see a variety of different possibilities which would be quite a positive development for the Raptors … moving forward … as a team that finished in the No. 9 position this season [especially if Bryan Colangelo can also get a future protected 1st Round Draft Pick included in the trade with Houston].

——————————————–

Despite what some might think, yours truly is firmly in the Raptors’ corner and of the belief that the pro hoops franchise in Toronto has ALWAYS been just a few RIGHT moves away from being able to develop into one of the premier organizations in the entire NBA.

According to Toronto Sports Media 20 “local and well-known NBA observers” were contacted, directly via email, and asked to give a one word answer [i.e. either "yes" or "no"], in confidence, to a straight-forward question concerning:

Toronto Raptors Should Let Chris Bosh Go

“Your [sic] the Toronto Raptors, assume you can sign Bosh at the maximum- would you do it?”

Apparently,

17 respondents said, “NO.”
3 respondents said, “Yes.”

———————————

These are very interesting facts.

In response …

These are 2 comments which yours truly submitted earlier today to the Toronto Sports Media.

Enjoy!

==========

1st Comment, April 19, 2010, 8:20 AM

2nd Comment, April 19, 2010, 8:34 AM

There’s an old adage in the world of sport that goes something like this:

“You should never, ever, take solace in the mis-fortune of your opponent.”

… because:

i. It’s simple not the right way to live your own life;

ii. The “Sporting Gods” do NOT shine their favour on those who fall prey to this affliction;

iii. The “Sporting” Gods do shine their favour, however, on those who focus on what they CAN DO themselves to give their own team the best chance of winning. Period.

In general, this is a tried and true philosophy which makes a great deal of sense … when it comes to NOT taking any solace in the mis-fortune that can sometimes befall AN OPPONENT.

As far as the Raptors are concerned, however …

This adage HAPPENS NOT TO APPLY … when the misfortune, in question, actually be-falls a player on YOUR OWN TEAM!

To wit:

Yes, the Raptors are about to take the court this evening against the Bulls, as a battered and bruised team.

EXhibit A

Chris Bosh/PF is out of the Raptors’ line-up indefinitely while recovering from facial fractures he sustained this past week, against Cleveland. This fact hurts the Raptors’ chances for a W tonight.

Exhibit B

Hedo Turkoglu/SF is in the line-up for this evening’s game, but with a protective mask on his face his face to guard against incurring further damage to his own broken nose, sustained this past week, against Boston. Since Turkoglu simply hates wearing a protective mask on his face, this fact also hurts the Raptors’ chances for a W tonight.

Exhibit C

Amir Johnson/PF … who replaced Chris Bosh in the Raptors’ Starting Line-up against Atlanta … is playing in this evening’s game, but with a slightly sprained ankle which he incurred during the 2nd half. This fact hurts the Raptors’ chances for a W tonight.

Exhibit D

Jarrett Jack/PG … their solid Back-up to Jose Calderon … is playing in this evening’s game, but with a slightly sprained ankle/foot which he also incurred during the 4th quarter against Atlanta. This fact hurts the Raptors’ chances for a W tonight.

But, all hope is far from lost for the Raptors, as …

Exhibit E

Antoine Wright/SF-OG … their defensive specialist at the wing positions and the primary back-up to Turkoglu and Sonny Weems … is out of the line-up indefinitely with a severely sprained right ankle which he incurred during the 4th quarter against Atlanta. This fact HELPS the Raptors’ chances for a W tonight … in a major way.

Huh? … What’s that you say?

It’s impossible to have a 5th injured player from a team’s regular rotation out of the line-up completely for a do-or-die, quasi-elimination game … and, somehow, believe that HIS ABSENCE will actually help his team get a W in that game.

Well, you know what?

NOT IN THIS INSTANCE!

If the Raptors are forced to use a tight 8-Man rotation which looks like this:

it says here that Toronto WILL WIN TONIGHT’S GAME AGAINST THE CHICAGO BULLS …

because using Antoine Wright, as a defensive specialist … when he isn’t very good on defense, to begin with, AND is absolutely horrid on offense, MOST of the time … is actually a huge detriment to the Raptors ever being able to win any game against a decent-to-good opponent when their team could instead be giving his PT to:

a. Sonny Weems, or
b. Hedo Turkoglu, or
c. DeMar DeRozan, or
d. Marco Belinelli,

at the same time as it is also giving increased PT to Amir Johnson [i.e. an athletic rebounder/defender] and Rasho Nesterovic [i.e. a non athletic rebounder/defender].

The fact is … not having Antoine Wright in the line-up tonight is a HUGE CASE of “Addition by Subtraction”, in favour of the Raptors.

Chris Black … for whom this corner has a considerable degree of respect …  suggested yesterday that the Raptors would be doing the “right thing”, if they were to insert Reggie Evans/PF into their Starting Unit, given the recent injury sustained by Chris Bosh/PF:

Ball v.1.33

[excerpt #1]

… I think most people would suggest you should just move Johnson into the starting lineup and go from there, however, the more Evans plays, the more the numbers are starting to say something fairly startling. That’s why I think he should start alongside Bargnani. And it’s why I think he should start alongside Bosh when/if the time comes.

Let me build my case:

First off, and in simplest terms: With Evans on the floor, the Raptors outscore their opponents by 2.15 points per 100 possessions (best mark on the team).

Why is that possible? Why does it happen?

[excerpt #2]

… here are Toronto’s big men, listed by their Opponent’s PER:

STAT OF THE DAY CHARGES PER 40 MINUTES – NBA LEADERS

Evans 11.1
Bosh 18.1
Bargnani 19.1
Johnson 19.8
Nesterovic 21.6

Reggie gets after it defensively. And that’s why I think he should start for the remainder of this season and the playoffs.

One more reason Reggie is quickly becoming a favourite of mine, and it’s my Stat of the Day

Nick Collison 1.45
Reggie Evans 1.36
Jose Juan Barea 1.26
Kyle Lowry 1.25
Jared Jeffries 1.20

==========

Q1. Could it, possibly, be that Chris is right about this?

A1. No, unfortunately, in this instance, he is not correct.

Here’s the take from yours truly:

———-

[from the comment section at T.Jose Caldeford]

Chris,

If you check the actual play-by-play data for Reggie Evans’ minutes played so far this season, you should be able to see that he has seen quite a bit of floor time playing Power Forward with Chris Bosh at the Center position.

To expect Reggie Evans’ +/- numbers to remain constant when he’s used in combination with [Andrea] Bargnani or [Amir] Johnson, instead of Chris Bosh, is to fail to understand how the NBA game actually works, based on individual match-ups, mismatches and who exactly is on the floor, both, with and against you.

As difficult [counter-intuitive?] as it might seem …

The Raptors best chance for success in Chris Bosh’s absence would be to:

PG – Play Calderon more minutes over Jack
OG + SF – Use a 3-player rotation of Weems, Turkoglu and DeRozan
PF + C – Use a 3-player rotation of Nesterovic, Bargnani and Johnson

in a tight 8-man rotation

… with support from Antoine Wright/OG-SF, Marco Belinelli/OG-PG and Reggie Evans/PF.

Starting and giving copious amounts of PT to Reggie Evans is NOT the correct answer to the Raptors’ current dilema, when Chris Bosh is the one who is missing from their everyday line-up.

———-

Reggie Evans is a low end PF who:

1. Has a great deal of difficulty finishing around the rim;

2. Is a poor mid-range shooter;

3. Is a non-shot blocker [i.e. similar to other very limited back-up players like Collison-N/PF, Barea/PG, Lowry/PG, Jeffries/PF];

4. Fouls excessively;

5. Is slow-footed in both defensive and offensive transition;

6. Is a poor individual defender, when facing Top Tier opposition;

7. Is a poor individual defender in Pick & Roll/Pop + Hedge situations;

8. Is a poor team defender in Help situations;

9. Is a good “hustle/energy” player that can use his body, physically, to rebound;

and,

10. Gives his “best effort” at all times [i.e. which is highly valued by a hockey-crazed fanbase]. 

Nothing more, and nothing less, than THAT.

———–

It can sometimes be amazing to see just how many NBA observers actually watch the games that take place each night without paying closer attention to who exactly is on the floor, matched-up against what individual check, and with what specific set of teammates beside him, working at what specific positions … despite the increased level of statistical sophistication which exists in today’s on-line hoops community.

Despite what you might have been told by countless others …

including, for example, Dean Oliver, Kevin Pelton, David Berri, Wayne Winston, Dan Rosenbaum, John Hollinger, Justin Kubatko, Neil Paine, and even Daryl Morey, etc.

… when it comes to being able to win the league championship,

Basketball is simply not a game of “macro data analysis”, pertaining to “average” performance levels in a host of existing game-stat categories, by a set of “generic” players, represented through their rotisserie league “production numbers”.

Basketball is a game which is based on a seemingly endless series of individual and inter-connected match-ups and mismatches … that can best be understood through a combination of highly specific “micro data analysis”, relevant “macro data analysis,” and highly developed “basketball acumen”, derived from countless hours of practiced learning, playing, and actually teaching/coaching others how the game is really played [properly?] by the very best players in the world, both, in isolation AND when working in conjunction with teammates, coaches and opponents. 

———-

Hopefully, Jay Triano & Co. will heed the specific suggestions provided here and, in the process, be able to secure enough wins from their 4 remaining regular season games to qualify for the Eastern Conference playoffs.