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Tip-In: Toronto Raptors Post-Game - Battle of Futility

April 14th, 2009

Juan Dixon...thanks for the W!

Someone had to win right?

With the season coming to a close and both the Wizards and Raptors having said “uncle” quite a while ago, last night’s meaningless affair was a great demonstration of why both these teams have had so many issues on the court.

For the Raps, their season has been one of inconsistent effort and poor decision making. That, in a nut shell, describes their performance on the court last night. The Dinos came out of the blocks on fire but then let the Wizards climb back into the game and take a lead. Unnecessary, but typical.

For the Wizards, their season has been ruined by injuries and having to rely on both young inexperienced players and less than stellar veterans. Tonight was no different with the Wizards committing a whopping 24 turnovers, none worse than the Juan Dixon turnover late that set up the winning bucket by CB4.

A game winning three any Raptor, let alone CB4, is not something we fans have seen a lot of this season and having watched the whole broadcast, it was nice to reap a little reward from doing so. It was exciting to see the Raps manage a little pay back, despite its insignificance.

Last night was also another opportunity to see guys like Patrick O’Bryant, Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Quincy Douby get some PT. Before Sunday having one of these guys on next year’s roster, let alone all three, was far from a sure thing but it looks like the Raptors like what Mr. Douby has done during his brief stint here in TO.

The Raps have signed Douby not only for the remainder of the season but for next season as well. I am not quite sure what to make of this. With his second 10 day contract coming to an end it would have been small potatoes in the grand scheme of things to sign him for the remainder of the season as it would have made Douby a RFA rather than a UFA during this coming off-season. Locking him up for next season as well is a different story.

Here’s a small excerpt from the press release:

The Toronto Raptors announced Monday they have signed guard Quincy Douby for the remainder of this season and the 2009-10 season. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed. The Raptors signed the free agent to consecutive 10-day contracts March 24 and April 2.

Douby has appeared in six games for Toronto, averaging 5.2 points and 1.7 assiss in 10.7 minutes. He has averaged 8.0 points, 2.0 assists and 14.0 minutes in the past three games, shooting .667 (10-15) from the field and three-point range (4-6) during that span.

This is a great moment for Quincy Douby there is no doubt about it, but it does raise some questions about the PG position going forward. If we consider Calderon a lock there are still three guys on the roster signed for next season who can back up No.8. It would be shocking if Banks, Roko and Douby were all on the roster next season but and unless BC can package Banks with say....CB4...that would leave Roko out in the cold. I am not sure we want to give up on this kid despite his up and down play.

That being said, we at the HQ have repeatedly discussed what we feel needs to be done to right the ship and for myself that includes a fairly significant overhaul of the current roster. It would appear at first glance that BC may not agree after speaking to him briefly last Friday.

While at Pearson International waiting for a flight I ran into BC and we briefly chatted. Much like the random meeting Franchise had with him at a local grocer, the message was the same - it has been a disappointing and surprising season. What I found the most interesting during our short chat was that when asked about the upcoming off-season, he responded with “We’re not far off”.

A Raptor next season.

I sure hope this is just lip service. I am unsure how anyone could think this is the case, let alone the man responsible for the team on the floor. Struggling to win the season series against this Wizards team should be all the evidence he needs to know that this team is a ways away from contending a playoff spot or better yet for an NBA title, which should of course be the goal.

I guess once the lights go out Wednesday against the Bulls we will see whether he really believes that this team can become relevant again without some major reconstructive surgery.

I have my doubts.

HOWLAND

As an aside for those who didn’t read the Weekend Dime on ESPN yesterday there is a great Q&A with Jermaine O’Neal. In the interview JO discusses the great relationship with BC, his disappointment in how things turned out in Toronto and his affection for the city and the organization. It’s worth the read.

Comments:

TJ Caino says:

April 14th, 2009

A game winning 3 by CB4? - I guess that's cool, but hopefully he doesn't think that is a well he should often visit late in games. Had it been a game winning and-one, or an actual 3pt shooter, it might have inspiring some faith that this was a reliable repeatable approach to winning ball games.

If we end up 9th, and harden goes 8th, and he turns into an all star - the internet will be a groan fest for raptor fans...

That's pretty crazy, another BC run in.

Vicious D says:

April 14th, 2009

The scary thing to me right now, is just how badly this team seems to need Bargnani for his posting and slashing ability, not to mention his interior defense. It's pretty ridiculous seeing him out for a couple games and injured and playing for the other.

renato says:

April 14th, 2009

Vicious D,
why is that scary? I thought it was known and accepted Andrea's role on this team has become a fundamental one, beyond the bizarro stat lines like 6blks and 2(!) boards.

SwirskysSoldier says:

April 14th, 2009

just a little detail (and unimportant in the grand scheme of things):

Howland "the right to match any offer Douby may receive from another team this up coming off-season"

what did happen:

"signed guard Quincy Douby for the remainder of this season and the 2009-10 season"

SO he is not a free agent this offseason... he is on the books for next year

Vicious D says:

April 14th, 2009

Renato - The slashing part is what's scary. I'm still not convinced he can do it consistently enough and if it's a role that we want him to necessarily play. Just illustrates our need for certain players next year. And scary in other ways because our current backups aren't going to do the job.

SwirskysSoldier says:

April 14th, 2009

TJ - I for one do not mind seeing Bosh take the odd three. He can hit them and has hit atleast 5 (by my count) that have won Raptors games over the past 3 years. I'm not saying I want him to start playing from the outside.... but adding 3 pt range for a big man can really open up a lot of opportunities...... mind you it does mean one less player close to the bucket for a rebound.

NBA Champs says:

April 14th, 2009

Note that Douby has not been acquired for only 2 more games.. if you check again the presso you will notice that he is signed for next year as well!!??? To me this signals that BC REALLY believes that we're not far off... Sad.

HOWLAND says:

April 14th, 2009

SwirskySoldier and NBA Champs....

You are correct. I still must be in vacation mode...that or I didn't believe what I had read....

TJ Caino says:

April 14th, 2009

He is partially guarenteed - meaning he is on the books for atleast between 20,000 and 300,000- more if he makes the team.

While we have his and PMB's RFA rights to match any contract offer, we do not have eithers Bird rights to resign them over the cap. So I dunno how we do that? Maybe we can split the LLE on these guys to fill out the bench, maybe they sign a minimum contract, which is allowed without cap space, or we may need to eat into the MLE (which would not be cool).

I think that is pretty much the situation, n'est pas?

TJ Caino says:

April 14th, 2009

SS - I am entirely cool with him taking his share of 3's throughout the year. However, I do not think that is the primo play to be calling in late game situations.

When he dropped the three over Webber v. Philly, that was sick - it was a broken play, clock winding down -pure bad*ss.

I guess he is not likely to be guarded at the 3pt line, and thus might be a relatively better look compared to whatelse might be available in any specific situation - but I still maintain it is not the play you look for out of a timeout in a close game situation.

axl says:

April 14th, 2009

I don't whether it pisses me off in terms of this horrible year or makes me happy, but it was a relief to see the raps not give up on games lately... can't remember the last time I had a reason to hoot and holler like I did last night...

Zona says:

April 14th, 2009

I can’t over emphasis this. Bosh should never shot the 3. Ever. Ever. Ever. He is 2 for 19 in 2009. That is a whopping 10.5%. He got lucky. That does not make him good, just makes him want to shoot 3s more. Ever. Bosh is our post up guy, if he starts shooting 3s who do we want banging down low, Calderon? Ever.

Luckily, our final game is against a team who is in the only remaining playoff race in the east. Chicago is fighting against Phi for the 6th seed. Phi has the tiebreaker which means regardless of whether phi wins or loses tonight, the pressure is on Chi to win tomorrow. Oh yeah, Chi is 28-12 at home this season. This bodes well for this Raptor team that has lost its direction over the last two games. The Knicks are in a dog fight with NJ to see who wants the loss more. If Lawrence Frank outcoaches the knicks and loses the game, combined with our loss, we will be tied with the Knicks. I believe that means a random draw to see who gets the 8th spot which means it may still be in play. Go Knicks. Go Bulls!

Interesting scenarios. If the Rockets (Vs. Dallas), Trailblazers (Vs. Denver) and Spurs (Vs. New Orleans) all win tomorrow night, Houston, Portland, Denver and San Antonio will all be tied for 2nd in the west. Also, if Utah wins tonight and the above scenario plays out, then Utah, Dallas and New Orleans will also be tied for the 6th spot. That mean you have the Lakers 1st, 4 teams in 2nd and 3 in 6th. Wow. That is great stuff. Anyone find any explanation of the tie-breaks that would play out should this happen? The math is too much for me to work through.

The art of tanking. There has been lots of discuss here lately about how this team shouldn’t tank because giving less than full effort would be disappointing to the fans. Tanking isn’t about missing on purpose or trying to lose. It’s about playing full out, with your younger talent. You absolutely try to win, but you do so without Bosh and without AB and without Jose. What are we trying to prove at this point? All that matters now is trying to fully evaluate your talent while losing along the way.

Howland, I am with BC. There have been enough flashes of good to suggest that this team is capable. We are not very different from the team 2 years ago that did much better. I think there are some chemistry things to work out, some defence that needs to be, well, explained, and a slasher that can get to the rim. One guy can make that difference. A move of sending Kapono on his way and getting a DeRozan in the draft or maybe a Gordon somehow could make the difference.
Ever!

Johnn19 says:

April 14th, 2009

With Colangelo likely to be right up against the LUX Tax again next season, acummulating some fairly inexpensive help like Pops, Douby, and O'Bryant for the summer league, preseason, and possibly the rotation, or end of the bench for the season, is, if no one better for those purposes appears as cheaply, is not a bad
thing at this time.

renato says:

April 14th, 2009

Vicious D : I believe the ability to drive is what makes Andrea the tough match up he is for the opponent big man so I guess we'll just MUST hope he'll get more consistent. Now, the fact that he (and Roko and Soloman as long as he plaid in TO) were the only one who could drive for To this season, may go a long way into explaining why the season developed the way it did.

Zona, in any other game Bosh would have been posting up and Andrea would have been there for the three and, in need of a three Bosh would not have been the first or second option so, problem solved.

Zona says:

April 14th, 2009

Ever!

Zona says:

April 14th, 2009

Ever!

fromlongrange says:

April 14th, 2009

I was irate about the 3 too, although the game itself was so choppy and annoying, that might have been the real reason to begin with.

Zona - thx for the 3 point stats, wow - for some reason i thought bosh had hit about 30% or something...guess not.

No 3's for u!

Rt says:

April 14th, 2009

Just curious to know, why has Roko been given up on?

Rt says:

April 14th, 2009

Just curious to know, why has Roko been given up on?

bedhead says:

April 14th, 2009

Question 1: If the Raps had been healthy all year long, do they miss the playoffs? A: No.

Question 2: If the Raps had been healthy all year does O'Neal need to be traded for Marion+Banks? A: No.

Question 3: Are the Raptors better off having had the injuries they did, and making the trade? A: Yes.

Question 4: Is Bosh leaving? A: Yes - I believe he is.

Question 5: If 4 is 'yes', what is the best sign-trade option for BC to pursue? A: To Miami for a package that includes Beasley and a pick.

Thoughts?

Franchise says:

April 14th, 2009

RT - I'm not sure if he's been given up on, but it is curious as to why he's being overlooked a bit all of a sudden. Hopefully that's only because the team wanted to give some more "unknown" guys at the end of the bench a look.

Bedhead – Good questions. We’re going to be looking at some similar questions once things wrap up Wednesday night. I too think the team would have made the playoffs if healthy, although likely as a 7 or 8 seed. So in that sense, perhaps these injuries and issues help in the long-term, we’ll see. And it’s so hard to say if O’Neal really would have made a difference even if he had been healthy. Miami hasn’t really changed in terms of record since the move, but it would be interesting to dig deeper into some of the defensive stats etc.

renato says:

April 14th, 2009

Beasley ? The same Beasley who plays poor defense and who lock himself up on the locker room toilette and cry every time he plaid the Raptors this season?

I believe Bosh has a better value market than that

JENGE says:

April 14th, 2009

I second Renato's comments on Beasley.

Well said..

How about trading Bosh to Portland?

RE:Draft:
I am really turning my choice towards T. Evans over DeRozan. I think Evans will be a fine SG in this league.

If only we could find a way to bag SF Terrence Williams too.

Vicious D says:

April 14th, 2009

Regarding Ukic - I think the Raptors have seen enough of him this year to tell where he needs to improve in the off season. I get the feeling that at this point, if they keep playing him, he'll just keep re-enforcing his mistakes rather than improving on them. And at this point, it also seems as if his decision making has gone way down as his confidence seems to have taken a hit too.

At least, that would be my thoughts on it.

2nd Raps fan in LA says:

April 14th, 2009

Jenge, I really like Williams as well, but he's listed at 6'6" and the way they measure in college means he's probably an inch shorter; even at 6'6", I think he's a SG not an SF because he would be overmatched against taller SF's like R. Lewis, Harrington, T. Outlaw, Durant, T. Young, etc. IMO, nowadays your SF has to be at least 6'8" to be competent enough to defend against other SFs.

Also on the topic of the draft, I think it would behoove BC to try and acquire a few more 1st rounders from cash strapped teams because I think that there will be legit NBA talent in the last third of the first round. Guys like Hansbrough, Williams, Blair and teammate Sam Young. I especially like 4 year guys like Hansbrough and WIlliams who are coming from winning programs where they weren't asked to do everything. This means that they will be adaptable to supporting roles in the NBA and maybe be able to contribute immediately.

Rob

DayOner says:

April 14th, 2009

What....Roko is a keeper.

There is no universe where Quincy Doobie is better than Ukic.

renato says:

April 15th, 2009

I of course meant "in" the locker room toilette, not "on it" :)

McGateway says:

April 15th, 2009

Bosh is a carrer .287 three point shooter and is shooting .239 for the season.
As ususal people complain about one thing then complain when that thing is addressed. People have been stating that Bosh is not a franchise player because he doesn't take the last shot in games. When he does take the last shot (and makes it) they complain that he should never take that shot. I really don't care if he takes that shot or not as long as he makes it.
I am not sure that the Raptors would have made the playoffs or not if the injury bug hadn't hit as the team showed that they do not have much depth and too many of their players underperformed (Kapono only shot like 220 3s which works out to less than 3 attempts per game). It would be interesting to see what happens next season as the team will have another chance to start from scratch and work together during training camp which the current roster could not do.
Bed Head - to answer your second question, it is actually yes. I do not understand why so many people were disappointed by Oneal's production while he was here. Forgetting injuries for a second, it never made sense to me that they traded for a player who plays the exact same position as the franchise player does and then expect that somehow it would work out, especially in light of how we all saw NY do almost the exact same thing and watched it implode on itself. Even if Oneal had been healthy all year, I think we would be much worse off as he would have played all the minutes that Bargnani needed to develop. As it is, his injuries made it possible for the kid to get better.
Oneal's stint in Miami hasn't exactly kicked ass but part of that is due to the Heat not having offensive sets for their centres as most of them are scrubs with no offensive game to speak of. It is hard to change your offense completely mid way through a season (we are all witnesses to this as it was one of the issues with the Raps after the Marion/Oneal trade and the Smitch firing). Next season, I wouldn't be suprised if Oneal becomes more of a focus for their offense as they will have all of training camp to work him into the offense. Oneal (assuming he plays 60 + games next year) will take a lot of the load off of Wade which will make him that much more effective.

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