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.

-DL

Monday night was MLSE’s “Toast to the Teams” gala event at the Royal Ontario Museum. The exclusive event featured a ton of Toronto Raptors and Maple Leafs players, along with most of the organization’s bigwigs. Only premium season-ticket holders were invited (which I am not), but I was lucky enough to score an invite from some friends.

Of course, there’s no doubt that MLSE was looking to impress their biggest-spending fans, but I was still very impressed with the evening. Richard Peddie, Bryan Colangelo and Brian Burke greeted us at the entrance and made small talk. I noticed they made sure to speak with absolutely EVERYONE, while genuinely enjoying it. Oh, did I mention Carlton the Bear was there, too?

Once inside, we were all pretty blown away – First of all, the new wing in the ROM is unbelievable. None of us had seen it yet and it’s definitely the right place to host a fancy event. The walls featured running slideshows of Raps and Leafs players, while the open bar and free food made me pretty damn happy.

About an hour in, MLSE’s Adnan Virk and Raptors’ commentator Matt Devlin hit the stage to introduce Burke and Colangelo.

Colangelo spoke first – He acknowledged how disappointing last season was (obviously, right?) and heaped praise on many of the new signings. Again, it’s a PR-event, no question, but I found the man engaging and sincere.

Following him was Burke, who started off by saying, “I always hate speaking after Bryan because he’s a lot better looking than I am.”
The rest focused on the Leafs and here were his main points:

He spoke about two main objectives this offseason…

1. Changing the culture of losing in Toronto. “Losing was tolerated in the past,” he said, “and it won’t be anymore.”
2. Putting a much tougher squad on the ice, something I think he has accomplished

As for the short-term results, Burke wants to win now, as evidenced by the Phil Kessel Trade. “Our intention is to make the playoffs,” said Burke.

Burke also said he’s determined to entertain fans each and every night. “I’m not in the hockey business,” he said. “I’m in the entertainment business. We won’t win every game but we will be exciting.” Burke promised lots of hitting, and fighting, this coming season.

Finally, Toronto’s GM said that “sometimes the best trades are the ones you don’t make,” noting that he’s thrilled to have retained Tomas Kaberle. Speaking of which, Kaberle was there, too.

The rest of our evening was spent mingling with players and coaches – Both teams were there but we spent more time with the Raps. And I’ll say this – Again, I’m fully aware that players were on their best behaviour, but I was continually impressed with their sincerity and personality. I really believe Colangelo has assembled a roster of quality people that will represent Toronto well. Of course, the nice-guy label isn’t something many teams are too proud of, hence the addition of Reggie Evans (who wasn’t there). Still, I had a great time meeting everyone.
Here are some thoughts on each guy:

Andrea Bargnani was absolutely swarmed at all times. Chris Bosh, Jose Calderon and Hedo Turkoglu were the no-shows, making Bargnani the lone star presence (if you can call him that – I just did). It was pretty funny to look across the room and see what appeared to be a skyscraper rising above the crowds. The guy seemed a little uncomfortable at times – When his entourage led him out for a short break, my buddy Brandon told him to enjoy the time away from everyone.

“I will,” said Bargs, who was noticeably wearing down by the end. With him, it was Shake hands-Pose for Picture-Move on, all night.

Alvin Williams was there, and he’s as nice a guy as I expected. The former player turned coach says he’s excited to start working with the guards and to be back in town. Pretty much everyone I saw speaking with Alvin said they were thrilled to have him back, and he’ll be a positive force in the community, no doubt. Hopefully, his impact on the players will be just as great.

The funniest guy I met? Not even close – Qunicy Douby was great. I’m walking by with a glass of wine and the guy taps me on the shoulder. Next thing I know we’re discussing everything from living in California (he played for the Kings), to tossing DeMar DeRozan alley-oops in summer league. Even NBA players are mighty impressed with our rookie, if that means anything. I asked about friends around the league and Douby said he’s tight with Francisco Garcia, beginning with his early days as a King.

“Why do you all hate Vince Carter so much,” said Douby, as I tried to explain. But seriously, he’s right – It’s in the past. There’s practically no players left from the VC-era and the new guys are pretty amused, if anything, by the situation (and frankly all it does is fire up Carter). Can we stop, please?

DeRozan also seemed like a nice kid – Soft spoken, but confident. Says he’s getting used to Toronto and can’t wait to get going.

We also ran into Marco Belinelli as I resisted the urge to crack Don Nelson jokes, and Patrick O’Bryant, who is freakishly tall in person, too.

Other Maple Leafs in attendance included Colton Orr, Vesa Toskala, Luke Schenn and Niklas Hagman. I really enjoyed meeting Toskala, who loves the fans and the city… The media? “They’re tough,” he said.

-DL

When Bryan Colangelo signed Jarrett Jack to a 4-year deal in July, it was assumed the former Indiana Pacer would split his minutes between point guard and shooting guard. Now, two months later, it’s still a little unclear.

Back in July, the Raptors had Roko Ukic backing up Jose Calderon, with the recently acquired Antoine Wright and rookie Demar DeRozan at the 2-guard spot. Since then, things have changed. Colangelo shipped out Roko for frontcourt help in the form of Amir Johnson, while acquiring Marco Belinelli from Golden State.

Those moves added depth to Toronto’s 2-guard spot, while opening up more minutes behind Calderon.

As it stands now, the 2-guard spot will be filled by DeRozan, Wright and Belinelli.

At point guard, the Raptors have Calderon and a small dose of Qunicy Douby.

So where does that leave Jack? In my opinion, he’s the best backup on the team, and needs to play significant minutes. He’ll probably play 15-18 minutes behind Calderon at the point guard spot, and even more if Jose deals with injuries throughout the season.

But even if Jose stays healthy, Jay Triano needs to find a way to play Jack more. Clearly, this means putting him at shooting guard, where he is somewhat undersized, and will steal minutes from others. Plus, at only 6′3″, even average-sized wings will be able to shoot over him. So what gives? And who loses minutes?

I can envision one scenario in which DeRozan plays fewer minutes than many expect, as he develops slowly while adjusting to the NBA game. As for Wright and Belinelli, they will need to produce, or their minutes will suffer at the hands of Jack.

Really, though, Jack is most valuable at the point guard spot, where he will be one of the best backups in the league. The question is, how much will he play at shooting guard, and at who’s expense?

-DL

Before I get started, I’ll say this – NBA Summer League is crap.

This is the same league that saw Marco Belinelli absolutely destroy opponents and seem poised for NBA greatness…Instead, he mostly rode the bench during the regular season. Likewise, Adam Morrison (yes, THAT Adam Morrison) averaged over 20 points per game this year. So, obviously, it’s not the greatest indicator.

Still, it’s not that you can’t glean anything from summer play. More so, the stats mean nothing.

The eye test is another story completely, and Raptors’ rookie Demar DeRozan has passed that with flying colours. Let’s not start crowning him as Rookie of the Year just yet, but it’s becoming obvious he’ll be at least a solid player at the NBA.

TSN’s Tim Chisholm has an excellent breakdown of the Raps at Summer League. From his blog:

“DeRozan looked surprisingly composed on the court in Vegas, and that bodes well for the Raptors. His ball-handling skills were better than advertised, and he got to handle the ball a lot more than he did at USC. The club was looking to see what he would be able to do in different situations offensively, and while he wasn’t able to beat his man off of the dribble all that often en route to the basket, he did show a remarkable ability to keep his dribble alive and create when cut-off. He was tremendous at moving without the ball to get himself open for mid-range jumpers, and after some first day jitters, that jumper looked about as smooth as you could ask for. It isn’t always a case of whether he hits all the shots or not (though his .493 shooting clip was very impressive) but where and when he chooses to shoot. He rarely forced his offence, even in situations where the team was isolating him and asking him to create, and he was very active rebounding the ball and, of course, he finished with some thunderous dunks before the week was out.

There were pitfalls, too, though. His defence was certainly a work in progress, as was expected after one year of college ball. He looked lost A LOT off of the ball, rarely moving or using his length to disrupt plays, and he was beaten by his man frequently. While this isn’t a huge issue for a rookie like DeRozan, who was seen primarily as a scorer/athlete, it probably affects the plans of the Raptors going forward.”

All things considered, DeRozan has looked great. Look, we already knew he was considered a project, and that means he should be raw. Well, he looks a lot more polished than almost anyone expected, and that’s great news. Defensively, there will be problems, but it looks like Toronto may have finally found a slashing wing player. The fact that DD looks poised and in-control, even at Summer League, is both somewhat surprising and incredibly encouraging.

The next step is watching him face real pros, and that won’t happen until preseason.

Oh, and you can check out DeRozan’s highlights this video. Check out two pretty impressive dunks starting around the 12-second mark.

Another is here.

Check out the rest of Chisholm’s blog here – Some great nuggets on Quincy Douby (who looks great, too), along with Patrick O’Bryant (who doesn’t).

In other Raps news, it looks like Jarrett Jack will in fact be a Raptor, now that Earl Watson has signed for cheap with Indiana. A solid signing for Toronto, and I’ll break that down once it becomes official this week. Carlos Delfino, though, seems like he may not be a sure thing anymore. Fans and analysts had mostly assumed Delfino would come back from Russia to sign with the Raptors, but it seems the sides are far apart on an offer. My take is that Delfino (who wants at least $5 mil/season) is asking for too much in this economy, and over-valuing himself. Still, the fact remains that he can make more than that in Russia, so he probably will.

I’m cool with that – Frankly, there are better bargains to be had in the NBA right now. Here’s hoping Colangelo takes a long look at Von Wafer and Flip Murray, two guys who can be scorers off the bench. And if Douby plays well this year, he’d fill the role perfectly. Now that Turkoglu has signed with Toronto, there isn’t the same need for another creator, and again, Delfino is simply asking for too much.

It will be interesting to see how the rest of free agency shakes out – Here’s to hoping Rasho Nesterovic ends up in Toronto.

-DL