It’s only preseason and way too early to judge this year’s Raptors squad. Still, it’s hard to ignore TSN’s ridiculous headline following last night’s game:
“TURKOGLU IMPRESSES IN HOME DEBUT, BUT ROCKETS BEAT RAPTORS”
Um, really? Were the folks at TSN, or the Canadian Press, watching the same game I was? Were they even watching at all, or just checking the boxscore?
Here’s the opening couple paragraphs:
“Midway through the second quarter Thursday, Raptors newcomer Hedo Turkoglu threaded a beautiful bounce pass through a forest of legs to Andrea Bargnani, who finished with the running jump shot.
Turkoglu made his Air Canada Centre debut in Toronto’s 124-112 loss to the Houston Rockets, finishing with nine points and five assists. The Raptors’ most significant off-season acquisition played just 22 minutes but showed glimpses of the veteran savvy and all-around game that had attracted the Raptors to the Turkish big man in the first place.
Look, there were definitely some good moments – Turkoglu showed his ability to initiate offense and drive to the basket. I’m sure he’ll be a valuable piece on this team, and hopefully continue to mesh with his teammates.
Still, I was less than impressed last night. We’ve heard all about this team’s commitment to defense, and while it was collectively bad against Houston, Turkoglu was especially horrible. I have never, ever seen Shane Battier look so good, and much of that was due to the guy (who was supposed to be) guarding him. It was more of the same for Raptors fans, as we watched a solid player dominate our team.
With regards to Turk, I don’t mean to be harsh. If anything, I’m criticizing TSN. I just don’t see how you can write this kind of lead after watching this particular game. No mention of the atrocious D, no mention of the ugly turnovers, and no mention of the missed layups. If anything, we saw Turk’s potential, but his night was far from impressive. We already know the guy can score – I’ll be impressed when the Raps can stop somebody, and that begins with our starters.
I know it’s easier to write a positive story, but I’d be surprised if many Raps fans were impressed with our free agent signing against the Rockets. Not to say he won’t be good, but he wasn’t last night.
For a long time, Pau Gasol was described as “soft.” It’s a word we heard a lot after the Lakers fell to Boston in the 2008 NBA Finals, when Pau was pushed around by Kevin Garnett and the rest of Boston’s frontcourt. I never bought that crap in the first place, but if Gasol was soft, what do we call Hedo Turkoglu?
Let’s see – Turkoglu signed a huge deal with the Toronto Raptors this summer. Now, he’s sitting out most (all??) of the pre-season after missing training camp. We heard rumblings of quad tendinitis, but for the most part, it’s described as fatigue.
Seriously, fatigue?
Yes, Turkoglu played in the NBA Finals last season, meaning he was on the court until the middle of June. Then, he represented Turkey at EuroBasket, playing about two weeks of basketball in Poland. It’s certainly understandable that he’d be tired, but how is that still a factor? Shouldn’t Hedo Turkoglu, who makes millions and millions of dollars to play basketball, be in shape? It seems especially bad after signing a lucrative contract with a new team.
Some might argue that it’s just training camp and pre-season. That it won’t matter as long as Hedo’s healthy for the start of the season. I’d say that with nine new faces, along with new offensive and defensive schemes, it’s plenty important. In fact, it’s borderline inexcusable.
Here’s another thing – Pau Gasol also played in the NBA Finals. He also played in EuroBasket (more, in fact).
AND HE’S PLAYING RIGHT NOW!
So why is Hedo so tired if Gasol isn’t? I thought of age first, but Turkoglu is 30 while Pau is 29. Maybe, as it was suggested to me, Turkgolu spent very little time working out this summer, between negotiating with teams and moving his family. Fine, but if that’s the case, he shouldn’t have played in EuroBasket. Or, he’s just soft.
I haven’t heard an explanation for this that makes sense. Nobody else seems to understand it any more than I do. All I know is that Hedo’s getting a pass from the local media, who should be asking more questions about this situation. As an outsider looking in, I think it’s ridiculous. Let’s just say it’s a pretty unimpressive start to a five-year stay in Toronto.
And again, why isn’t Pau tired? If he’s considered soft, Turkoglu is baby food.
-DL
Note: Michael Grange is thinking along the same lines. From his blog:
“I wrote about it in the paper today, but the whole Turkoglu thing is officially seeming strange to me. How long does a 30-year-old professional athlete need to recover? It’s basketball, not the Tour de France or ultra-marathoning. The NBA Finals were over June 14th. The European championships were held from Sept. 7-20. Turkey played nine 40-minute games. I accept the notion that missing the first week of training camp — giving Turkoglu two weeks after the end of Eurobasket made some sense. But last night Turkoglu was talking vaguely about suiting up in a week from now, which would give him nearly a month off. It takes a month to recover? Really? Isn’t part of the reason you’re paid $10.5-million as a professional athlete to make sure you’re prepared for the rigours of your job?”
Chris Bosh will make the trip to Minnesota, and should play. Triano plans to limit his minutes, but says Bosh is excited to get going. The coaching staff asked if he’d like to sit out one more game, but Bosh declined.
Triano was much happier with Toronto’s defensive play on Wednesday. He also talked about careless fouls and trying to avoid bailing out the opposition.
Hedo Turkoglu won’t make the trip but he’s participating in 5-0 drills and is getting closer to action.
Triano was asked about Amir Johnson and said he’s pleased with Amir. He likes the energy Johnson brings to the floor, and wants to give him extended minutes throughout the pre-season.
When asked about integrating Bosh and Hedo, Triano said it could be interesting to see how Toronto’s ball-moving offense is affected. Hedo and Bosh both like to hold the ball and we’ll have to wait and see how they fit in.
For Raptors fans, the second pre-season game was undoubtedly better than the first. That’s not saying much, based on Toronto’s pathetic performance on Tuesday, but there were certainly encouraging signs. One night after giving up 65 first-half points, the Raps played impressive defense and held Philly to 35% shooting in the rematch. The energy level was higher, despite using a depleted roster on the second night of a back-to-back.
Some specific thoughts on the game:
While he showed flashes of potential, DeMar DeRozan has a long way to go. Expectations for this kid had gone way up since the draft, but fans should remember that he was never supposed to make a huge impact in year-one. It’s pretty obvious why, after seeing the rookie in person. He needs to develop his left-handed dribble if he wants to be an effective slasher, and it’s something Jay Triano is trying to enforce. DeRozan was yanked for the second straight game after settling for jumpers, and had some trouble getting involved in the flow of the offense. Still, there were positives – He filled the lane and finished with a power dunk off a pass from Quincy Douby, and he scored on a finger-roll after stealing the ball. DeRozan also knocked down a three-pointer for the second straight game, but I wouldn’t expect that to be a trend just yet. Defensively, he struggled against Andre Igoudala and is still adjusting to the speed and athleticism of the NBA. On one play, Igoudala grabbed an offensive rebound right over DeRozan – How often do you think that happened at USC?
Jose Calderon rebounded (somewhat) from a brutal first game, finishing with six assists and zero turnovers. That was the good news, but Calderon still looked passive on the offensive end. Remember when Jose would turn the corner on the pick-and-roll, going all the way to the basket for lay-ups? We need that guy back. There’s no doubt that Calderon is more effective when he’s surrounded by talent, and I expect improvement once Chris Bosh and Hedo Turkoglu are in the lineup.
I really like Marco Belinelli. He was out of control at times, but the kid is skilled. Belinelli scored 12 points, while struggling from the three-point line. I’m not worried about his shooting – Instead, I was impressed with his ballhandling and passing ability. With more playing time and an elevated comfort level, Belinelli should be a valuable part of Triano’s ball-movement offense. I also think his shot selection improves when Bosh and Hedo are on the court.
Andrea Bargnani was quiet, but continues to prove he’s the guy we saw in the final third of last season. He still can’t rebound, but has developed into a very good offensive player. Bargnani’s baseline drive for a dunk was beautiful, but it hardly seemed like he was trying for most of the night. Again, I’m excited to see what he can do with Bosh and Hedo attracting attention from opposing defenses.
The real bright spots for Toronto were Sonny Weems and Amir Johnson. Acquired together in the Carlos Delfino trade, both players brought a ton of athleticism and hustle to the building on Wednesday night. Both were all over the court, forcing Philly into tough shots, while running the floor and showing a nose for the rim. Johnson might have the agility to play a little bit of small forward, while Weems treated the crowd to three huge dunks. After leading the team in minutes (and deservedly so), he’s making a case for playing time when the real games begin.
I really can’t talk about the defensive end without mentioning Reggie Evans. Like JYD, the fans have fallen in love fast. Evans was a beast, grabbing nine rebounds to go along with four steals. On the other hand, he forced tough shots in traffic and TWICE dribbled up the court. While his work ethic and determination are much appreciated, this needs to stop. There is no way Reggie Evans should be leading the break, and grabbing an offensive rebound shouldn’t entitle him to shoot immediately after. If he can control his game, Evans will be a fan-favourite all year long.
Jarrett Jack was fine. He made a few nice plays in the second half, including a sweet behind-the-back pass to Weems on a fast break. Jack didn’t really stand out, but he was solid. He stole the ball twice and played good defense.
Once again, Marcus Banks played better than expected. It’s hard to imagine him seeing much of the court this season, but I expected absolutely NOTHING from him. I guess it’s a case of lowered expectations, but I was impressed with his overall game on Wednesday. Put it this way – Calderon and Jack were no better, while Quincy Douby was worse. I still think Douby can be an effective scorer in limited minutes, but he didn’t show it last night. Meanwhile, maybe (it’s a long shot) Colangelo can find a way to trade Banks if he plays decent for any extended stretch. Don’t count on it.
Up front, Patrick O’Bryant and Rasho Nesterovic both played like…well, themselves. O’Bryant still hasn’t figured out how to use his 7-foot frame, but did block three shots. Still, he has a long, long way to go. Rasho was solid in very limited minutes, reminding us that yes, he only shoots from the baseline.
Overall, the Raps were much, much better on Wednesday, but it’s tough to say much without Bosh and Hedo in the lineup. Without say, Igoudala and Elton Brand, the 76ers would have plenty of problems. Defensively, though, Toronto challenged Philly to make difficult shots, improving drastically from Tuesday’s weak effort. At the shooting guard spot, both DeRozan and Belinelli have room to improve, while Antoine Wright has yet to play. Hopefully, the Raps are healthy in the near future, so we can see what this team will really look like on the court.
Toronto Raptors fans have gotten used to seeing Marcus Banks this way – On the bench, in a suit.
Heading into the season, many writers and bloggers have ignored Banks altogether in their depth charts and previews. Since coming to Toronto with Shawn Marion, he’s done absolutely nothing on the court, with even fewer expectations for this year. With Jarrett Jack in town to back up Jose Calderon, there is nowhere for Banks to play.
On the other hand, Calderon says he was “embarrassed” by his play last season, despite posting some pretty decent numbers. Plagued by a hamstring injury, Calderon was useless defending opponents and had trouble getting to the rim effectively. Supposedly, things were going to be different this year. Jose sat out of EuroBasket and claimed to be 100% healthy during training camp.
He sure didn’t look it last night at the John Labbatt Centre in London, Ontario.
In Toronto’s first pre-season game, Calderon was repeatedly burned by Louis Williams as the Raps gave up 65 first-half points. He also looked sluggish running the offence, holding the ball too long and turning it over on telegraphed passes. Calderon should have been the best point guard on the floor – Instead, he was the worst.
Now, I know it’s pre-season. Jose hasn’t played in a long time, and it’s understandable that he’d be rusty. Still, with talk of improved defence, it’s disconcerting to see such a pathetic display from the start. Calderon will have a shot at redemption when the teams meet again tonight – Hopefully, he’ll adjust and play better.
On the other hand, Banks actually played well. He easily exceeded his non-existent expectations, throwing a nice alley-oop and showing off a decent handle.
It would be great if Toronto can actually get something from Banks this year. We heard nothing about him in training camp, and it was assumed that his big contract would waste away on the bench for another season. But again, it’s pre-season, and nothing matters. Or so I hope.
Because if Banks and Calderon play anything like last night, the Raps have problems.
From Raptors.com, here are highlights from Toronto’s opening preseason game against the 76ers. The Raps looked sloppy but it’s way, way too early to pass judgment.
From the guys at Raptors Republic, here’a a pretty sweet video for the start the preseason. Has a bunch of footage from training camp, along with some highlights from last season.
(Note: The previous picture, depicting Kanye West, a banana and a watermelon, has been deemed offensive, and thus removed. I hope this new picture offends only Kanye West…which was my, and Sonny’s, original intention)
Here’s another video on this Thursday morning.
Courtesy of Raptors.com, it’s a funny moment from Toronto Raptors training camp, as newcomer Sonny Weems ends rookie DeMar DeRozan’s media session with a Kanye West imitation. The interview session itself reveals pretty much nothing, so I’d recommend scrolling to the end. Weems seems like a funny guy, and DeMar gets a good laugh out of it.
Without doing anything at all, the Toronto Raptors have improved themselves in the eyes of ESPN. On September 1, the “Worldwide Leader” predicted the Eastern Conference’s order of finish, putting Toronto 9th. The reaction from many fans ranged from amusement to anger, mostly because the general consensus was far more optimistic elsewhere.
Now, in the latest edition of ESPN’s power rankings, the Raps are 14th, and 6th in the Eastern Conference. Toronto leapfrogged Washington, Detroit and Miami, and sit one spot behind the Bulls.
It’s not like this is much of a change – The 9th place prediction had Toronto missing the playoffs by one game.
More interesting to me is the reaction these rankings elicit from fans… Why do people care? In this case, the rankings come from one person, Marc Stein, who has an opinion and nothing more. Still, the rankings have generated over 2000 comments in one day – Many angry, many celebratory.
These comments always crack me up, like this one from a Pistons fan:
“Obviously stein doesnt look at full rosters… did he forget to mention the pistons also have rodney stuckey richard hamilton tayshaun prince? and also a man child in dajuan summers? they are one move away “hamilton for a big”.. to compete again.. i think stein must have got beat up or robbed in detroit thats why hes so bitter.. tisk tisk.”
These accusations of bias and stupidity are endless, and pretty funny too.
Raptors fans are especially sensitive about this kind of thing… Again I ask, why?
