Ed Davis Gives Weary Raptors Fans Something to Be Positive About

 Toronto  No Responses »
Dec 082012
 

There has been little to be positive about in terms of the Toronto Raptors, but Ed Davis might be the rare exception.

While Toronto has struggled its way through this NBA season, Davis’ play has been one of few bright spots after a season in which he, along DeMar DeRozan, both seemed to take major steps in the wrong direction in their development. Davis has started to show signs of maturity on and off the floor.

Hard to focus on anything positive after a pathetic effort from the Raptors in Utah that has fans demanding answers. Davis was not much of a factor in this one, as he struggled then left the game after bending his left ring finger while diving for a ball.

It was said via Twitter from several Raptors’ media in attendance that he had X-rays that came back negative. He was in theory able to return, but given the state of the game, Toronto decided not to risk it.

Davis had a bad night before the injury with no points, a rebound and a couple of fouls. Prior to tonight Davis had been fairly consistent. Things had been going well for Davis, since a game that sparked controversy from his good play and the poor play of Andrea Bargnani. The game was against San Antonio and ended in a double-overtime loss.

Davis had a double-double in that game of 15 points and 14 rebounds with a career-high eight offensive boards. I said at the time it was the best game of his career for the Raptors, having seen them all. Yet Ed and I—who was in attendance covering the game—were both spectators for the overtime. Raptors coach Dwane Casey would on that night pledge his allegiance to Andrea Bargnani, and things have been terrible for Toronto since.

Ed Davis however, has thrived since that time. Excluding tonight in Utah he has scored in double figures four of the last six games, including the performance against the Spurs. He had another double-double in a tough loss to the Kings in which he again would only be watching at the end of the night thanks to Casey’s decision. 

In this six-game window Davis has averaged 10 points and 8.6 rebounds a game as well. He’s also had five blocks and three steals, never shooting below 50 percent in any of the six games.

Ed Davis has had a bumpy start to his NBA career, not many would deny that. He missed training camp in his rookie season and than had a rushed camp thanks to the NBA lockout in year two. This season he was able to experience his first full training camp and preseason, after an experience at Las Vegas Summer League in which he was a major focus.

There was a change in Davis, and it was something I noticed right away covering the team’s media day. Davis had always been a fairly quiet guy, not mean at all, but not engaging. I was taken aback when Ed approached me and said hello, and we exchanged pleasantries.

This came after a surprise Twitter exchange we had in the spring not long after the draft. He told me through my Twitter handle (@DinoNationBlog) to keep sleeping on him. I have never asked him what caused him to tweet this my way. I think it was based on some tweets I had made about the possibility of him being traded, as part of a deal for the Raptors eight pick in last year’s draft.

That was a possibility, but it was not meant as me reporting, or speculating, but more as a joke to someone I know that is a huge Ed Davis fan. A lesson learned in social media for me for sure. This thought came to me after as to why Ed might have tweeted that. Instead, I just responded with that, I was rooting for him to prove his doubters wrong in Las Vegas.

Won’t break out the Vegas stats for you, but he did lead the Raptors in scoring, and over the summer he reconstructed his jump shot with the help of Raptors’ coaching staff. He is pretty proud of the work he put into it. I had an interview with him about it and you could see the pride beaming from his face.

While DeMar DeRozan’s improved play was noted earlier in the season, Ed’s play deserves mention too. He faces a great, yet tough situation, in being the backup to public enemy No. 1 these days in Andrea Bargnani.

Can Ed remain motivated and keep playing at this high level, despite averaging a career low in minutes this season under Dwane Casey?

Time will tell and as Ed Davis told me, sleeping on him might not be a good idea. Many were heading into this season after he struggled in 2011-12. In a crowded Raptors’ frontcourt he is starting to make himself noticed. He is also getting a lot of fans jumping off Bargnani’s bandwagon and aboard his.

I’m not ready to declare him the most popular backup next to Tim Tebow or anything. Still, the number of Ed Davis’ supporters is trending up. Impressive in a situation when almost everything connected to the Raptors is trending in the opposite direction.

Read more Toronto Raptors news on BleacherReport.com

Go to Source

Pau Gasol Not Adjusting to D’Antoni’s System, Should the Raptors Swoop In?

 Toronto  No Responses »
Dec 052012
 

To say Pau Gasol looks like a lost puppy in the Lakers new offensive system is an understatement.

Plagued by tendinitis in both knees and by the overall aging process, Gasol has looked a step slow this season with the Lakers, and many experts think he cannot adjust to new head coach Mike D’Antoni’s offensive system.

With Dwight Howard now in town, Gasol’s role with the Lakers has definitely changed, and his numbers have supported that claim.

Having a career-low year in both points-per-game (12.6) and field-goal percentage (42 percent), Gasol’s start to this season hasn’t been pretty.

Gasol is currently out of the lineup with his knee tendinitis, and legendary shooting guard Kobe Bryant is getting on him about his struggles.

Some quotes directly from Bryant in the source below:

“I want him to dig in and be determined, not discouraged,” Bryant continued. “We should go to him more on the post because he can dominate from there as he has to the tune of two rings. I’m sure we will adjust and figure out a balance when he comes back healthy.”

“I know his knees have been hurting and that can be frustrating because you can’t do physically what you are used to,” Bryant said Tuesday. “I just don’t want him to sulk about the change of things.”

“Put your big-boy pants on,” Bryant said after the loss that dropped the team’s record to 8-9. “Just adjust. Just adjust. You can’t whine about it. You can’t complain about it. You have to master what it is that we’re trying to do here and Pau is talented enough and he’s good enough to be able to do that.”

Bryant is not worried about losing Gasol to a trade however:

“We’re not going to lose him,” Bryant said. “That’s just not going to happen. I’ve been around him long enough. I know how to deal with him.”

That’s where the Raptors rumor mill begins to churn.

According to a report by ESPNLosAngeles.com, Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak has supposedly contacted Gasol’s representatives and told them the team would have to explore trade possibilities if Gasol cannot adjust to the new coach’s system.

Will Kupchak be calling Toronto about the availability of two players?

Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani are also stars with the Raptors who are not really fitting into the new coach’s system, which focuses more on defense rather than offense.

When the Raptors were contemplating amnestying Calderon, the Lakers were likely ready to pounce on him.

Bargnani, on the other hand, has struggled at both ends of the floor this season.

Inconsistency, and just an overall lack of emotional engagement, have led to him being in the center of trade talk, as well as trash talk from Raptors fans.

Both of their defensive deficiencies can be made up by the defense provided by Bryant, Metta World Peace and Dwight Howard. Plus, they have solid veteran leadership from Bryant, Steve Nash (when he returns) and sixth man Antawn Jamison, so the responsibility of leading the team will not be on the two European players.

As for Gasol, a change in scenery may be a great option for him. Playing in a more defensive system with players who will look to him to lead from the frontcourt could see Gasol return to form.

His veteran presence could be used to help mentor both Jonas Valanciunas and Ed Davis in their ascent up the NBA frontcourt ranks.

A trade that involves Gasol and, say, Steve Blake for Calderon, Bargnani and Alan Anderson is a trade that makes sense for both sides and works under the CBA.

 

Potential Raptors Lineup:

Kyle Lowry/Steve Blake/John Lucas

DeMar DeRozan/Terrence Ross

Mickael Pietrus/Linas Kleiza/Landry Fields

Pau Gasol/Ed Davis

Jonas Valanciunas/Amir Johnson/Aaron Gray

 

The question is: Do the Raptors take the risk and pull the trigger?

Read more Toronto Raptors news on BleacherReport.com

Go to Source

Why Andrea Bargnani No Longer Fits the Raptors’ Identity

 Toronto  No Responses »
Nov 262012
 

Andrea Bargnani has worn out his welcome with a lot of Raptors fans, but more importantly, he does not fit who Toronto is trying to be as a team.

Dwane Casey came to Toronto and was brought in to make the Raptors’ inept defense better. In his first season with Toronto, he did just that. Even Bargnani seemed to have bought in and was at least giving some attempt to defend his position.

This period I have personally coined as the “mirage of greatness.” The mirage would come crashing to halt with a calf injury. We never saw that Bargnani again, even when he came back briefly, only to be re-injured and head back to the bench. 

Casey’s mantra to sell these new defensive-minded ways was the slogan “pound the rock.” You can’t go around the Raptors locker room or practice court in the Air Canada Centre without seeing the slogan written somewhere. If that is not good enough, the Raptors have a giant rock to the right as you enter their locker room. It is hard to miss that.

If you are not familiar with the story behind the whole pound the rock philosophy, I will give you the quick version. It is a story about a stone cutter who would have to pound a rock 100 times and the rock would still not break. On that 101st time, the rock breaks. It is a story that is about working hard, and eventually, you will break through with hard work and effort. 

This brings us back to Andrea Bargnani, who, for his entire NBA career, has been a massive underachiever in terms of rebounding. He also, as mentioned, has never exactly impressed anyone in the NBA with his defensive effort or ability. Does this sound anything like a guy that fits this story of hard work that is the base for Toronto’s team identity?

In addition to that, there is the question of his attitude, which can leave a lot to be desired. I was there Sunday afternoon to watch Bargnani shoot a pathetic 2-for-19 from the field in a double-overtime loss to San Antonio. After the game, Bargnani admitted the obvious: that this was a terrible day for him shooting.

When he was asked if he thought he deserved to be playing in overtime based on his performance, he deflected the question by saying “that was not his job.”

That would be Casey’s job, who said in his post-game remarks “Andrea is our guy come hell or high water.” This was in response to a question on why the crowd didn’t see Ed Davis in the overtime sessions.

Davis had arguably his best game as a Raptor in this game with a double-double of 15 points and 14 rebounds. Included in that were eight offensive rebounds, a career high for the third-year product out of North Carolina.

Davis, like DeRozan last season, struggled in the lockout-shortened season. Finally, in his third season, he was able to play a full training camp and preseason. In his rookie year, Davis had to sit out the entire preseason and first few games of the regular season. This was thanks to a knee injury prior to start of camp and player optional workouts.

After the game, Davis basically took the high road, saying all the right things to the media.

Casey is the third coach for Bargnani in his seventh season with the Raptors. Dwane seems in the same spot that both Sam Mitchell and Jay Triano found themselves in. Only Casey knows what he truly thinks of Andrea Bargnani. However, if he came in thinking he would find anything resembling Dirk Nowitzki, he was mistaken.

He left Dallas after winning a title as an assistant and was credited for making the Mavericks as group better and finding ways to help Dirk be a more acceptable defender. 

When Casey claims that Andrea is his guy and this team’s guy, Raptors fans don’t exactly believe him. They think he is Bryan Colangelo’s guy and has been since drafting him with the first pick in 2006. It would appear Colangelo’s unwillingness to trade Bargnani has been an on-again, off-again source of pain for the fanbase.

Sam Mitchell was a believer in tough love with Bargnani. It seemed pretty clear he was forced to use Andrea and was never really happy about that. Colangelo and Mitchell were not on the same page on many things. Bargnani was always near the top of the list, though.

It would lead to the firing of Mitchell and the introduction of Jay Triano. It was pretty clear Mitchell was not a fan of Colangelo’s pick of Bargnani, and it was a big factor in the friction between the two.

It leads to legitimate speculation on if Colangelo influences his coaches in terms of Bargnani and his role on this club. Does Casey have the freedom to bench Bargnani? To play Bargnani coming off the bench?  If you asked him and the organization, or Colangelo, they would all tell you he does. Raptors fans may have a tough time believing that given the history.

It comes down to the simple fact that Casey wants to have a team that thinks defense-first and is held accountable. In both cases, you can say that with Andrea Bargnani, this is not going to ever happen.

Yet Casey came out yesterday with such strong support of his choice to roll with the struggling Bargnani.

Is this confidence like Randy “Macho Man” Savage had in Hulk Hogan? In which Savage, who secretly hated Hogan at the time, allowed him to be beat up because he claimed he believed in Hogan.

Dwane Casey is not likely to hit Bargnani with a steel chair or championship title belt anytime soon. That said, you find it hard to believe that he is willing to roll with Bargnani to hell and back. Andrea has had many chances to take control of this franchise and make it his own and has failed to do so.

Now, the highly talented offensive player that lacks effort, rebounding and defensive skills no longer seems to fit the Raptors’ goals and ideals as a franchise. Still, they deny that, and the actions of yesterday seem to suggest the exact opposite.

Patience is wearing thin, as the Raptors sink lower and lower record-wise in the Eastern Conference. Toronto’s next few games are not easy, with stops in Houston on Tuesday and Memphis on Wednesday not offering much hope of victory.

If you believe Casey, after several of his squad’s recent close losses, he has talked about seeing the light and them being close to breaking through and finally getting it. That light, if you ask Raptors fans, is an oncoming train, and the conductor of it could very well be Andrea Bargnani.

Read more Toronto Raptors news on BleacherReport.com

Go to Source

Toronto Raptors: Where Should the Points Come from in the Fourth Quarter?

 Toronto  No Responses »
Nov 132012
 

 

“Onions, baby, onions!” used to be the famous call of former Raptors play-by-play man Chuck Swirsky, when late game heroics were on display for the Dinos.

Lately, the Raptors haven’t had those onions—they’ve been more like sour grapes. At 1-6 the Raptors have struggled to close out games which they had controlled until the end.

The season-opening loss to the Indiana Pacers, and last night’s triple-overtime lost to the Utah Jazz saw the Raptors blow double-digit leads in the fourth quarter.

When the going gets tough, the Raptors haven’t gotten going.

Who is the closer on this team? Where do the points come from when they are needed?

Below are the most likely options.

 

1. DeMar DeRozan

DeRozan has been playing inspired basketball since the beginning of the season. He leads the team in points per game with 20.7, averaging 5.6 of those points in the fourth period and overtime.

Although there’s been a small dip in DeRozan’s field goal percentage, he has shown more confidence in his jumper and has also exhibited a determination of getting to the rim. His free throw attempts are up to 6.4 per game from 5.3 a year ago, which would bode well in late game situations.

 

2. Andrea Bargnani

Bargnani’s versatility was supposed to be a major factor in the Raptors offense this year. His size and ability to draw larger defenders away from the basket was supposed to set up potential mismatches all year long.

We have yet to see this for a full 48 minutes.

Even worse, Il Mago has been virtually non-existent late in games, averaging 2.4 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. He needs to step up, especially in crunch time.

 

3. Kyle Lowry

It’s been a small sample size of Lowry for Raptors fans, but reviews have been positive. His swagger and toughness were welcome additions to the team. Lowry has also been stellar in the fourth period of games, nailing momentum-shifting shots and averaging 4.3 points. Only problem is Lowry has only appeared in four games this season.

Injuries to key pieces Kyle Lowry, Landry Fields and Alan Anderson have forced new guys to step up and play bigger roles. We’ve seen some of these X-factors step up and play phenomenal for three periods—unfortunately for the Raptors this isn’t hockey.

A 1-6 record and the inability to close out games they are in command of may see things get a lot worse before they can any better.

Read more Toronto Raptors news on BleacherReport.com

Go to Source

How Andrew Bynum Will Stack Up Against Eastern Conference Starting Centers

 Philadelphia  No Responses »
Nov 102012
 

The hype around Philadelphia’s newly acquired center Andrew Bynum is getting a little too trite, but the longer wait yields even higher anticipation. The fans cannot wait to see how he will stack up against the rest of the Eastern Conference.

The big question that comes along with this is, “How will Bynum fare against the rest of the centers?” Lucky for you, there are reasonable explanations for this broad question.

In order to truly examine how well he can play and to assess this question, it is vital to establish the top tier set of centers that will compete with him. I narrowed them to this list: Roy Hibbert, Kevin Garnett, Tyson Chandler, Brook Lopez, Andrea Bargnani, Greg Monroe, and Nene.

All of these guys are definitely their own players, but I grouped some of them together because the pros and cons were very similar in certain cases.

Begin Slideshow

Go to Source

10 Things We Have Learned About the Toronto Raptors Early in the Season

 Toronto  No Responses »
Nov 082012
 

As early in the game as it may be, what have we learned about the Toronto Raptors so far? Some of the things we have learned are just reaffirming things we already knew about longtime players like Andrea Bargnani. Other things are more first impressions of new faces to the roster like Kyle Lowry and Landry Fields in addition to rookies Jonas Valanciunas and Terrence Ross.

Despite all the talk of change and the Raptors being a team to watch, they have not shocked the world with a 1-4 start. You want a shocking 1-4 team, you might want to check in on the L.A Lakers. Sadly, most, when looking at the Raptors’ schedule, likely would not be all that surprised with their start to the season.

The bad news is, when you look ahead, things don’t get any easier in terms of the schedule for the Raptors anytime soon. There have been some positives in this start to the year, but not as many as the Raptors would have hoped for.

 

Begin Slideshow

Go to Source

DeMar DeRozan Reportedly Agrees to 4-Year, $40 Million Extension with Raptors

 Toronto  No Responses »
Oct 312012
 

The Toronto Raptors have reportedly locked up DeMar DeRozan and the shooting guard will sign a four-year extension with the team.

Marc J. Spears, who is an NBA writer for Yahoo! Sports, shared the details of the new contract via Twitter:

Toronto completed a contract extension with DeMar Derozan, source told Y! Sports. @wojyahoonba previously reported a possible 4yr, $40m deal

— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) October 31, 2012

The 23-year-old scorer has been a significant part of the Raptors offense, and along with Andrea Bargnani has led the team’s scoring effort over the past two seasons.

The Raptors took DeRozan ninth overall out of USC in the 2009 draft. His playing time increased in his second season and his production dramatically rose as he averaged 17.2 points per game. 

DeRozan followed that campaign with another productive year, averaging 16.7 in his most recent campaign. He is one of the most athletic guards in the league and is capable of exploding towards the rim like few other players.

While he has been a potent scorer, he has failed to establish himself as an efficient shooter, hitting just 42.2 percent of his field goals and 26.1 percent of his three-point attempts in 2011-12.

He has also gained the reputation as a selfish player and averaged just two assists per game last year.

Toronto will be hoping for improvement this season after finishing 23-43 and missing out on the postseason. The team has brought in Landry Fields and Kyle Lowry and will still look for a strong offensive output from DeRozan.

His elite athleticism makes him a valuable player, but he still has to work on shot selection and decision-making with the ball. 

DeRozan is one of Toronto’s most talented players, and the team has now ensured that if he does reach his potential, he will do so in a Raptors uniform. 

Read more Toronto Raptors news on BleacherReport.com

Go to Source

What Toronto Raptors’ Jonas Valanciunas Will Prove About Andrea Bargnani

 Toronto  No Responses »
Oct 212012
 

Jonas Valanciunas is likely to once and for all establish the legacy of Andrea Bargnani one way or the other.

That’s a pretty bold statement to make, that a rookie is going to define the career of a veteran entering his seventh season in the league. The reason why the statement can be made is the bold contrasts between the two players. Some have called Jonas the “Anti-Bargnani” as a way to justify his selection and explain to Raptor fans the notable differences between the two players.

Andrea Bargnani is basically a flat out scorer, and is all about offense. Even his former coach, Sam Mitchell, admitted as much in the NBA-TV preview of the Raptors, that you might have seen this weekend on NBA-TV Canada. Andrea is rarely going to have big rebounding nights. He is likely never going to be a defensive standout on any level.

Jonas Valanciunas, on the other hand, is an aggressive defender and attacks on the glass. In a perfect world, and in if things meet the Raptors vision, they are the perfect complements to one another on the floor. You will have Andrea on the outside dropping three point bombs and Jonas in the post and running pick and rolls with Kyle Lowry.

Sounds great doesn’t it, a modern version of the “Twin Towers” that the Raptors can count on for the next decade.

Things don’t always tend to go that way for the Raptors though, in fact they rarely do. Many times the Raptors’ strengths have become the greatest weakness in the end.

There was Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, that duo was going to team together and challenge for titles for years. Jose Calderon and T.J Ford were a dynamic one-two punch at the point guard position. Chris Bosh just needed another star alongside him to take the Raptors to the top so here comes, Jermaine O’Neal or maybe Hedo Turkoglu . You get the idea here, the Raptors’ plans have not always gone as expected.

Andrea Bargnani has not always been embraced fully by the Raptors fans. Along the way, they have fallen off and got back on the Andrea Bargnani bandwagon many times. Given that fragile loyalty you wonder what the impact of Jonas Valanciunas will be on this.

Raptor fans have always been quick to appreciate players that bring effort regardless of talent level. After being educated on what Jonas Valanciunas actually is and getting to see it first hand it’s obvious that he fits that prototype of a guy that brings “it.” Andrea Bargnani doesn’t fit that at all.

They are also as different off the floor as people as anyone who has spoken with both can see.  Both have English as a second language, so it is a bit of a challenge for both to express themselves in that language. Bargnani tends to come off most of the time as blunt and direct. Even with a better handle on the language that has not changed. Jonas on the other hand is much more warm and engaging in his comments.

The Raptors also took a year and half selling fans on Jonas and trying to show him in a positive light. They did a great job in that which helps Jonas but likely hurts Bargnani in the grand scheme.

What this all adds up to is Andrea Bargnani may have all his weaknesses exposed by the presence of Jonas. They will be more glaring and noticeable to even the most casual fan. You can sit someone down to watch a game, who has no interest in the sport and they could tell you which guy is busting his butt and which guy isn’t.

The other thing working against Andrea is the fact that patience has worn thin for him with everyone. It is time to produce and become the all-star player that many have expected him to be. Jonas has pressure too, but as rookie will be cut some considerable slack, in contrast to what will be given to Bargnani.

Andrea finally had a good performance in the preseason against the Knicks in Montreal. He led the Raptors in scoring and actually had seven rebounds and two blocks which is huge news when were talking about him. The Raptors have ten days and two preseason games left before opening night against the Indiana Pacers. That could be enough time for Bargnani to turn around what has been a horrible preseason for him.

It is also leaves time for Jonas Valanciunas to confirm what is looking more and more like a role in the starting line-up at center for him. This was something that has been a surprise for me. The Raptors seem confident enough to go with Jonas right off the bat. Something coming into training camp I didn’t see happening.

The contrast between these two could be a dynamic duo that will help the Raptors recover from the post Bosh era. It also could be the breaking point for Andrea Bargnani in the minds of Raptor fans and perhaps at some point the minds of the organization as well.

This season was always going to be a make or break one for Andrea Bargnani. What some might not have counted on was Jonas Valanciunas being the catalyst to making or breaking Andrea Bargnani’s run with the Raptors.

If Andrea can do what he does and have his weaknesses hidden by Jonas than it is a positive for the Raptors. If the opposite happens and Jonas’ hustle and determination exposes those weaknesses all of the sudden there is a big problem.

If that problem materializes and Andrea is a disappointment, this is a huge chance for Ed Davis to step up to the plate. If you have a struggling Bargnani, an improved Davis and a Jonas that is better than expected that might be a case to make a move.

The Raptors have always fought against the idea of trading Andrea Bargnani at every turn. So they are hoping for the optimistic point of view. If not you have to wonder how long it will take for Raptor fans to once again jump off the Bargnani bandwagon and want him traded again.

A big factor in if the Raptors could even entertain that idea, will be if they can find more offense beyond Bargnani. He, for all his faults, is easily the Raptors’ best option to put points on the board and their toughest match-up to defend on a given night in the NBA.

Read more Toronto Raptors news on BleacherReport.com

Go to Source

 Older Entries