Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Should Triano Swap DeMar for Wright in the Starting Five?

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Should Triano Swap DeMar for Wright in the Starting Five?

    Just curious to know what you guys think of Tim Chisholm's piece today over at TSN which he suggests taking DeRozan out of the starting line-up and perhaps substituting him with Wright.

    Yay or Nay?

    Nonetheless, Triano held firm that he was going to start the rookie each night to get him time with a quality starting crew; but to do what, exactly? The only thing that this starting five lacks is a defender, and DeRozan was never advertised as being suitable for that role. He's a scorer first, and he looks positively unsure of how to use his primary skill set to help this team early in the season. He's not terrible at sticking to his man on defence, but as soon as he's screened off of him, or asked to pick up someone else's man in a rotation, he's lost.

    To compound matters, because of the depth at his position, DeRozan will typically play only six-to-eight minutes to start each quarter before being quarantined on the bench, which means that not only is he being asked to guard starting shooting guards exclusively, but he himself is being guarded by them at the other end. That means that he's never put in a position where he might be at an offensive advantage against an opposing reserve, where he might be able to get some offensive traction as a rookie who has gotten to this point in the NBA on the back of scoring and athletic prowess. So in a sense one could argue that not only is he letting his team down by struggling defensively against some of the league's most potent scorers, but also he's letting them down again by not being in a position to utilize his offensive assets to compensate. In a starting five with Turkoglu, Andrea Bargnani, Jose Calderon and Chris Bosh, DeRozan is the team's last option on offense, making him a wholly unnatural fit in the Raptors' current configuration. As a result he's also being portrayed in the media (especially in the U.S.) as a rookie unable to find his feet at the NBA level and his stock is plummeting as a result. Well, of course he can't find his feet since it's starting to look like they've been lopped off to accommodate a bizarre requirement that he start games as the team's fifth scoring option come hell or high water.

    Let's put it more plainly: if you were to take a look at the four players surrounding DeRozan in the starting five, what would you say that they needed to help them be more successful? From this vantage point it looks like they need someone who can slow down opposing guards, especially in light of the fact that Jose Calderon is ensconcing himself as one of the worst defensive guards in the NBA. It would need to be someone who didn't hang his hat on his scoring and could, ideally, guard multiple positions out on the court. Someone, like say, Antoine Wright, the guy I wrote a piece about this summer as the ideal starting shooting guard for this lineup.
    Source - Click here

  • #2
    As a result he's also being portrayed in the media (especially in the U.S.) as a rookie unable to find his feet at the NBA level and his stock is plummeting as a result.
    DeRozan's stock is plummeting? Huh?

    Where did that idea come from?
    nbaroundtable

    Comment


    • #3
      Nay. Let's not mess up the chemistry right now.

      I'm guessing that has to be an older article from earlier in the season, cuz I'm liking how DD is playing recently. He has found a nice little niche in the starting unit. DeRozan's D will continue to improve (it helps that he is out there with JJ to start). If anything i'd like Triano to leave him in a little longer in games when DD is "feeling" it. I gotta admit I had my doubts about DD starting games, but it seems to be working out. Good call by Triano.

      Comment


      • #4
        That article was written in November 2009

        Comment


        • #5
          I want DD to get more minutes. I want Wright to get less minutes. I know, how about Triano play DD when he's on instead of arbitrarily pulling him after 20.

          Comment


          • #6
            Darien wrote: View Post
            I want DD to get more minutes. I want Wright to get less minutes. I know, how about Triano play DD when he's on instead of arbitrarily pulling him after 20.
            Sounds like a plan!

            Comment


            • #7
              IMO - Only someone who doesn't go to games or watch the Raps on TV would be promoting Wright over DD.

              Even then? Who thinks these things up - some puck head?
              The best Raptors discussion board is at Raptors Republic.

              Stephen Brotherston, Pro Bball Report

              Comment


              • #8
                Think of DD as an investment. A valued investment by those making the descisions (BC). Keeping him on the bench or playing him in garbage mins. would be like putting cash in the mattress. So far imo playing him the way JT has (except for maybe adjusting to in-game situations) not cost the team much if any ...and will have paid dividends the deeper we go into the season and next year.

                Remember he played very little defensive ball with his talent so he is actually doing better than expected I think. And nevermind finding out for sure whether he was in fact a good pick. Wright is fine coming off the bench.

                And who really cares about what Stephen Smith or espn pundits think about DD. They have a jaundiced view about the Raptors to begin with.

                Comment


                • #9
                  I'm usually with Tim but he's off here. He's not appreciating DeRozan's offensive game enough and crediting Wright with being way too good of a defensive presence, when in reality both players are athletic types that can disrupt defenses with their length. Wright is a better man defender but I wouldn't sacrifice DeRozan's slashing, shooting and transition game in favor of just a little more defense. I think Wright loses this battle hands down.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Why fix it, when it's not broken?

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      What ! Wright should be buried on the bench .. if anything Derozan should be getting more minutes !
                      ~ Court Surfing ~

                      Comment

                      Working...
                      X