Everything Bismack Biyombo

[DanH]

If Biyombo (taken of the top of the scrap heap and paid peanuts) plays well enough to beat out the incumbent starter on a playoff team then that is a bad thing? And it's bad because of his contract status next year? Really? This is what is called "losing the plot".

Having said that, this whole thread is crazy in the first place. Biyombo is not a starter in the NBA. He will be able to fill in for these few weeks and he'll likely play just fine but if he's your starting centre over the next 66 games then the Raptors have serious issues....

What plot? Consider what has been suggested here. If we trade JV, odds are we are bringing back similar salary. Which means that this summer we have to pick between keeping DeRozan and re-signing Biyombo. Unless we shed 10-15M in salary in a trade, which is hard to do without bleeding assets.

As I noted, yes, there are loads of obvious reasons why it is ridiculous to suggest that Biyombo should be the long term starter.

That said, I just wanted to point out a reason that didn't seem to have been considered. It really would be a disaster from a roster building POV if Biyombo was chosen over JV, due to the lack of Bird Rights.

[slamdunk23]

What plot? Consider what has been suggested here. If we trade JV, odds are we are bringing back similar salary. Which means that this summer we have to pick between keeping DeRozan and re-signing Biyombo. Unless we shed 10-15M in salary in a trade, which is hard to do without bleeding assets.

As I noted, yes, there are loads of obvious reasons why it is ridiculous to suggest that Biyombo should be the long term starter.

That said, I just wanted to point out a reason that didn't seem to have been considered. It really would be a disaster from a roster building POV if Biyombo was chosen over JV, due to the lack of Bird Rights.

Why does everyone assume that by starting Biyombo we have to trade JV or play him a lot less. Biyombo can start and still play his 20 mins and then bring JV off the bench for the his usual 28 mins. This way the majority of biyombo's mins are with the starting unit where his terrible offense can be hidden and JV can be more of a focal point on offense as he won't have to play the majority of his mins with DD, Lowry & Scola all on the floor.

[DanH]

Why does everyone assume that by starting Biyombo we have to trade JV or play him a lot less. Biyombo can start and still play his 20 mins and then bring JV off the bench for the his usual 28 mins. This way the majority of biyombo's mins are with the starting unit where his terrible offense can be hidden and JV can be more of a focal point on offense as he won't have to play the majority of his mins with DD, Lowry & Scola all on the floor.

Yeah, that makes perfect sense and Casey would never do it.

Of course, I think there are better solutions for fit (Patterson for Scola). But IF you were going to try both, that's the way to do it. Again though, way outside of Casey's comfort zone.

[LJ2]

There's no way Biz is replacing JV as the starter, but that doesn't mean that Biz doesn't fit the system better than JV. They are much more equipped to match small ball line up's with Biz than JV. Don't think I've ever seen our guards get to the rim as easily as they did agains the Cav's.

[KHD]

There's no way Biz is replacing JV as the starter, but that doesn't mean that Biz doesn't fit the system better than JV. They are much more equipped to match small ball line up's with Biz than JV. Don't think I've ever seen our guards get to the rim as easily as they did agains the Cav's.

think that had more to do with the fact that the cavs rolled out a 3rd string point guard and have Kevin Love on their team than Biyombo starting.

Theoretically you should be able to do even better running JV in the pick and roll as they have to pay attention to him. Although Biyombo does seem to be setting better screens than JV has been this year.

[rightsideup]

I am pleasantly surprised with Bizs performance though I do not think he should start when JV returns. Both biz and JV need to have our gaurds to envolve them more consistently. It happens in spurts like KLOW did with biz in the cav game he fed him for high percentage looks matching Bizs current skill set. Both dd and KLOW earlier in the season were doing the same with JV then they reverted to hero ball. During the exhibition season biz s freethross were awful but he has shot reasonable well during the season

[golden]

The main reason Biz fits with the starters and JV doesn't is because of Lowry (and to a lesser extent DD). Lowry simply does not have great passing chemistry with shooters or big men. Lowry has a straight-ahead pit-bull with blinders on, score first mentality, not a probing cat-and-mouse type of PG game.

Biz is basically Amir, minus the hands and Amir fit Lowry/DD's game perfectly. Biz/Amir sets good screens and rebound the ball and can finish at the rim with dunks (although Amir had incredible hands and could finish in traffic with contact using great body control).

There's absolutely no problem bringing JV off the bench. You usually see that in the NBA with wing players where a starter quality player comes off the bench (Harden-OKC, Manu, Iggy,...) in favor of a defensive wing to sustain O&D over 48 minutes. Don't see why that can't apply to centers, and is somewhat the case in OKC with Kanter.

But I think it's becoming obvious that as long as the Raptors are "Kyle and Demar's team", JV will never be utilized to his full potential, so I would actually love to see him get some run as the first option with the bench and develop some PnR chemistry with CoJo. The bench also needs the boost.

[LJ2]

think that had more to do with the fact that the cavs rolled out a 3rd string point guard and have Kevin Love on their team than Biyombo starting.

Theoretically you should be able to do even better running JV in the pick and roll as they have to pay attention to him. Although Biyombo does seem to be setting better screens than JV has been this year.

I dunno about that to tell you the truth. The offence has always revolved heavily around the guards and perimeter play. Incorporating JV into it almost seems like a choir or something they are adding because they have to and not because they want to.

I've always felt that the system wants their bigs simply to play great defense, and be passable on offence...the whole Tyson Chandler thing again.

[KHD]

I dunno about that to tell you the truth. The offence has always revolved heavily around the guards and perimeter play. Incorporating JV into it almost seems like a choir or something they are adding because they have to and not because they want to.

I've always felt that the system wants their bigs simply to play great defense, and be passable on offence...the whole Tyson Chandler thing again.

passing off to JV in a pick and roll would be better than passing off to Biyombo, hence defenders should have to watch him, hence you should have better success at getting to the rim if you're a guard.

[LJ2]

passing off to JV in a pick and roll would be better than passing off to Biyombo, hence defenders should have to watch him, hence you should have better success at getting to the rim if you're a guard.

But the offence doesn't really run a lot of pick n' roll with our bigs. Biz had no hands and can't finish, and JV is really slow and the defender can recover when he receives the pass. It's not a play I've seen run very often (I could be wrong). I think they prefer the open lane for guards to penetrate and dish or take the shot themselves. When Amir left that play seems to have left with him.

[Miekenstien]

seems like a catch 22 here. jv would never be left alone like biyombo is and sending it to biyombo takes dead on passes. lowry made those plays happen. a little extra on either of those balls and biyombo drops them out of bounds. a little less and the defence can react.

and it doesn't matter where jv gets the ball in the pick and roll because he can knock down any shot in the paint or muscle to the whole, the best part about giving him the ball in the pick and roll is his amazing ability to catch balls passed to him.

[raptors999]

seems like a catch 22 here. jv would never be left alone like biyombo is and sending it to biyombo takes dead on passes. lowry made those plays happen. a little extra on either of those balls and biyombo drops them out of bounds. a little less and the defence can react.

and it doesn't matter where jv gets the ball in the pick and roll because he can knock down any shot in the paint or muscle to the whole, the best part about giving him the ball in the pick and roll is his amazing ability to catch balls passed to him.

Lowry is good but the Cavs D let those play happen

[Chr1s1anL]

“The most important thing is that we played tough,” Bismack told cleveland.com. “Cleveland is a good team, but when they come in here, they feel like we are the tough ones and that’s what we want to accomplish as the definition of the Toronto Raptors.”

BB

[Chr1s1anL]

8.5 points, 13.0 rebounds .700 FG as a starter this year(these stats don't reflect tonight's game)

[Chr1s1anL]

16 Rebounds, 4 Blocks, 1 steal. Amazing paint presence.