Bryan Colangelo’s Connundrum: Do I Really Have a Clue What a Small Forward Is?

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Nov 082012
 

The Toronto Raptors have begun the season 1-4 and, to be quite blunt and honest, could possibly point to their lack of depth at small forward as one of the main reasons why they have lost four of their first five games.

Bryan Colangelo‘s attempt to lure Steve Nash to Toronto and screw the New York Knicks over in the process has ended up as a cream pie and it being thrown right back in Colangelo‘s face.

Colangelo attempted to sign guard/forward Landry Fields to an offer sheet to force the Knicks’ hand. Match Landry and try to trade him to get Nash, or let Fields go and hopefully somehow find a way to work out a sign and trade with the Suns to get Nash without Fields.

Fields struggled all season last year, and the start to this season may actually be worse than originally expected.

Going into the season as one of the worst free-agent signings in the NBA, Fields has further cemented himself as probably the worst free-agent signing of the offseason.

Fields brings good defence to the table, but his inability to make lay-ups, free throws and wide-open jumpers is putting him on a fast track to the bench, and possibly to the D-League to work on his shooting touch.

I’d be lying to you if I said I expected LeBron James type of numbers from the small forward spot, but it wouldn’t be too much to have expected Shane Battier, circa 2004-05 type of numbers where he averaged 10.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, a steal a game, while shooting 45 percent from the field, 39 percent from three and 70-plus percent from the line while providing solid defence.

The funny thing about those stats I threw out there is that Fields actually averaged better than those numbers his first season with the Knicks, where he played the most minutes per game in his short three-year career.

Now the point of this article wasn’t to point out Fields’ short comings and rag on him, but rather, to point the finger at the general manager on this one. I begin to question what he really looks for in a standard NBA three-man.

Not since Jorge Garbajosa have the Raptors ever been fully satisfied with their small forward position. Shawn Marion, who was acquired for Jermaine O’Neal, spent 27 games with the Raptors and put up a very respectable 15 PPG, eight RPG, one SPG and one BPG while shooting 48 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free-throw line.

However, I personally would have preferred the Raptors to have kept Roy Hibbert instead of including him in a trade to land O’Neal. Hindsight is 20/20 in the end.

In the years that followed, Colangelo continued to grasp at straws to find a reliable small forward.

He signed Jason Kapono to a ridiculous contract for a spot-up shooter. He failed and was eventually replaced by 10-day contract player Jamario Moon, who enjoyed early success in the NBA. He reminded plenty of an early Scottie Pippen—that was, until the NBA got a book out on him and realized all he was was a jumper. He had next to no jump shot.

Hedo Turkoglu was brought to town via a sign and trade that saw Marion dealt to Dallas as part of the four team trade.

Turkoglu would not live up to his potential in Toronto and was eventually booed out of town. He was later dealt to Phoenix for Leandro Barbosa, who also enjoyed modest success in Toronto.

Linus Kleiza, Sonny Weems, Rasual Butler, James Johnson–whom I believe should have stuck around, all tried their hand at starting at the three for the Raptors; however, only Johnson would have any sticking power.

Unexpectedly, Johnson was dealt this past summer to Sacramento, and the Raptors lost their defensive anchor on the perimeter.

In his place came Fields, and the results so far are far worse than originally expected.

Is it time for the Raptors to finally get that elusive small forward? Are their players the right mix for that small forward? Will the Raptors system allow for that small forward to be successful.

The answers to those three questions should all be yes.

 

Thanks for reading.

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Dwight Howard in seven seconds or less

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Oct 222012
 


Dwight Howard’s debut didn’t do much to illuminate exactly how the Lakers will look in May, but there was one seven-second sequence Sunday night that neatly sums up how Dwight Howard radically impacts both the offense and defense for any team he plays on.

Just a couple minutes into Sunday night’s game, Howard rotated off of the Kings’ Thomas Robinson to pick up noted martial artist James Johnson, who had come free from Metta World Peace on a curling cut.

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Golden State Warriors at Sacramento Kings, October 17, 2012: Fan’s Preview (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

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Oct 172012
 

The Golden State Warriors continue their road trip and will face the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, October 17. In the Warriors’ last game on Monday, October 15 against the Denver Nuggets, the team lost for the first time this preseason by a score of 104-98. In the Kings’ last game on Monday, October 15 against the Portland Trail Blazers, the team received great scoring efforts by Marcus Thornton, DeMarcus Cousins, Aaron Brooks, James Johnson, Jimmer Fredette, and Tyreke Evans for the 117-110 win.

Toronto Raptors: Breaking Down the 2012-13 Depth Chart

 Toronto  No Responses »
Aug 172012
 

The 2012-13 Toronto Raptors shook up their roster this offseason, adding Kyle Lowry, Landry Fields and Jonas Valanciunas, and getting rid of James Johnson, Jerryd Bayless and Gary Forbes.

As a result, the Raptors’ rotation should look very different compared to last year.

While many of the players stayed the same, their roles didn’t. Aaron Gray and Jose Calderon should no longer start his season, while Ed Davis and Linas Kleiza could play more prominent roles.

Overall, the team should be more competitive and fun to watch, and could squeak into the postseason this spring. 

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DeMarcus Cousins and Sacramento Kings Frontcourt Will Overpower NBA in 2013

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Jul 172012
 

DeMarcus Cousins has the potential to become one of the best centers in the NBA. With the addition of Thomas Robinson and the re-signing of Jason Thompson, the Sacramento Kings have assembled potentially an overpowering frontcourt.

The Kings were ready to trade their fifth pick in the 2012 NBA draft until Robinson fell to them.

Robinson is the only player the Kings would have picked. Having size is a huge advantage in today’s NBA game. Not only do the Kings possess size, but their bigs are very athletic.

Where most big men these days struggle to walk and chew gum at the same time, all three of the Kings’ big men are proficient with the ball in their hands. But what makes the trio the most dangerous is their rebounding. Cousins and Thompson teamed up to average 17.9 rebounds per game in 2011-12. 

Rebounding will be the Kings’ biggest strength this upcoming season.

If the Kings play smart on offense, which means playing to their strength in the low post and not running a no-man’s offense, this team could make a playoff push in 2012-13. The Kings may not have the size of the Los Angeles Lakers, but the Kings’ bigs are more athletic and won’t be defensive liabilities against the more athletic teams in the league. Cousins and Robinson are both quality ball-handlers who can bring the ball up the court if needed.

Cousins, Thompson and Robinson will grab the core of the minutes, but they aren’t the only reliable big men on the Kings roster.

Chuck Hayes, an undersized forward/center, can give the Kings solid minutes off the bench. Hayes wasn’t in great shape last season. Since playing time won’t be a given for Hayes, he should come to training camp ready to compete and prove his worth.

The other big on the Kings roster is James Johnson, who the Kings recently acquired in a trade from the Toronto Raptors. Johnson plays small forward but is capable of going down in the low post as well. He will give the Kings height when he’s on the floor and is capable of grabbing rebounds at a consistent rate. 

There are two flaws that could stand in the Kings’ way to becoming a dominating low post in 2012-13.

One is foul trouble.

Cousins has been a foul-prone player at times throughout his two-year career. When Cousins gets in foul trouble early, he struggles to get his game going. If Cousins is ineffective, it messes up a lot of the stuff the Kings try to do. When Cousins is dominating in the paint, it opens up the outside for shooters like Isaiah Thomas and Marcus Thornton. 

The second issue could be the Kings’ maturity.

Cousins’ biggest weakness is himself. He’s an emotional player and at times lets his emotions get the best of him. If Cousins is going to be the leader of Kings, he needs to get his emotions in check and be a professional at all times. He’s demonstrated he’s capable, but he still reverts back to his old ways from time to time.

Robinson will also go through his own fair share of rookie growing pains.

The post is a rough place in the NBA, and it will take time for Robinson to adjust his game to the next level. Thompson will likely be the starting power forward at the beginning of the season, unless Robinson comes into training camp as a man possessed. Thompson is a solid forward and will take a lot of pressure off Robinson early on.

If you take a look around the league, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a team with a better collection of talented, young post players. The Kings haven’t necessarily been known for developing players as of late, but this collection of low-post talent could be a difference maker. 

Good luck trying to grab rebounds on the Kings this upcoming season. The Kings sure are setting themselves up for an interesting 2012-13 season. 

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Examining the Sacramento Kings Acquisitions of James Johnson and Aaron Brooks

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Jul 162012
 

After not doing much for the entire offseason, the Kings got busy, trading for small forward James Johnson and signing free-agent point guard Aaron Brooks to a two-year deal.

The Kings got Johnson from the Toronto Raptors. In exchange, the Kings are giving the Raptors a second-round draft pick in 2014. Johnson will be entering the last year of his contract and is slated to make $2.8 million.

Although he’s certainly not a star, he should immediately help the Kings. As a small forward, he fills a position of need for the Kings. He’s not a great scorer, only averaging 6.6 points over his career and 9.1 points per game last season.

However, he’s a very good defender, he’s athletic and at 6’9″, 245 pounds, he’s bigger than most small forwards he’ll be going against.

Sacramento opened last season playing John Salmons at the three. But after an underwhelming performance for the entire first half of the season, Salmons was relegated to the bench.

Tyreke Evans spent some time playing the three at the end of the season. It wasn’t Evans’ most productive basketball. But after playing point guard for his first two seasons, Evans might have just needed some time to adjust to the new position.

Because of the logjam at point guard, it would seem that Evans will likely play much of his minutes at small forward this season. Even then, James Johnson should get plenty of minutes and have a chance to impact games for the Kings

Aaron Brooks will contribute to the aforementioned logjam at point guard. But he’ll also contribute much more than a simple rotational player.

Brooks played in China last season. He last played in the NBA in 2010-11, when he played for the Phoenix Suns.

Despite only being 27-years-old, Brooks has a storied and decorated past in the NBA. He was drafted by the Houston Rockets in 2007. After sitting on the bench for much of his first season, Brooks started playing more and more minutes for Houston in 2008-09, starting the final 35 games and playing well during the playoffs.

Brooks hit the ground running the next season (2009-10), averaging 19.6 points and 5.3 assists. It was enough to earn him the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.

The following season (2010-11), Brooks’ last in the NBA, was somewhat of a disappointment. He was supplanted by Kyle Lowry as Houston’s starting point guard to open the season. Then midway through the year he was shipped to the Phoenix Suns.

The Kings are hoping that Brooks can return to his 2009-10 form. Still in his physical prime, it would seem that Brooks still has the skill set that made him good. The question is whether or not he’ll be able to adjust back to the NBA after playing in China last season.

It’s a gamble worth taking for the Kings. It’s only a two-year deal. The first year is said to be around $3 million, so you’ve got to think the second year isn’t astronomically higher.

Considering the Kings had Isaiah Thomas capably manning the point last season, it would seem to be a position of strength now. Brooks will likely get a shot to start, but if he’s not performing up to expectations the Kings have a good backup in Thomas.

On paper, the Kings are better because of these acquisitions. They’re a deeper and more experienced team. Now they’ve got to go out and prove it.

Follow me on Twitter: @SimRisso

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Sacramento Kings Acquire James Johnson from Toronto: Fan’s Reaction (Yahoo! Contributor Network)

 Toronto  No Responses »
Jul 162012
 

The Sacramento Kings have finally become active in the NBA offseason. Fans were hoping for something this year and finally have a new player in the fold in Sacramento. The team completed a trade with the Toronto Raptors for young small forward James Johnson. In exchange for Johnson, the team gave up a 2014 second round draft pick.

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