Everything Bargnani

[Raptor Cowboy]

Would you rather bargnani with no three point shooting, but 8-10 boards a game, or three point threat, drawing defenders out.

All I care about is that he is grabbing defensive rebounds. If he can pick up 7-8 defensive rebounds and misses 10 rebounds per game b/c he's not grabbing offensive ones, I'm fine. But other than offensive rebounds, shooting 3s shouldn't have an impact. If anything, it's easier for him to run back on D.

He can leave those offensive rebounds for Weems and DD. I wanna see two put back dunks per game!

[Hassan]

I think bargs should be resting. Im scared the hedo effect will set in with bargs

[PapiJulio]

Bargnani takes soooooo much slack. Just another example on how our AMAZING fans alienate our players. I'd want out of Toronto if my fans talked Poo Poo about my game. Why would I want to stay somewhere where people poo on me all the time. Even if GOD was selected to play for Toronto *these* fans would say "He's way to nice. We need somebody tough!" Come on people....

Bargnani IS A POWER FORWARD! NOT A CENTER! Until he is put in his natural position he will always be blamed for Toronto POOR rebounding & defense. Bosh HOGGED the elbow shot all last season. That a spot Bargnani will LIGHT UP. He needs the ball there or at the 3-pt spot, *with* a Center ready for the rebound. A big defense center is what Bargnani needs. Last couple years we were bad at rebounds because we had our Center(Bargnani) shooting 3balls most of the time. Bosh hovered just outside the paint *Tweeting* for boards. If the rebound didn't bounce outside the Paint we were screwed.

My prediction....... IF Bargnani is slotted to play center ALL year again, we are FUBAR! IF we get a starting Defensive Center at least by Christmas then Bargnani will be able to show Toronto his skills and why he's one of the TOP 10 Powers Forwards in the NBA.

[Raptor4Ever]

If the Raptors have to rely on Bargnani to carry the weight of a franchise player they are in deep deep dooda

The franchise is now in the hands of the "Young Gunz".

I think you have lost your mind.

Raptors in the hands of " YOUNG GUNZ" !!! What are we , a D-League team ?

At best, young gunz are one solid starter (DD) and 2 good rotation player ( Amir and Weems).

[DonCarlos]

Bargnani's biggest issue last year was that he worked hard to get stronger but his cardio didn't keep up - check how many times he was winded while he was lined up watching FTs. Now that he's grown into his body he should be able to maintain a higher level of conditioning.

Playing ball with Italy is only going to help this.

[Pizzaman]

I think you have lost your mind.

Raptors in the hands of " YOUNG GUNZ" !!! What are we , a D-League team ?

At best, young gunz are one solid starter (DD) and 2 good rotation player ( Amir and Weems).

AGREED!!
I love the three of them but trying to make them the stars alone means turning two or all three into possible jackers always looking to do it themselves. The future of this team rests with all their young players ( including Bargnani, Davis, Alabi, Kleiza) and how they turn into an unselfish team.

[Buddahfan]

I think you have lost your mind.

Raptors in the hands of " YOUNG GUNZ" !!! What are we , a D-League team ?

At best, young gunz are one solid starter (DD) and 2 good rotation player ( Amir and Weems).

It shall be decided starting in 48 days. At least that is the number of days until camp opens according to Hoopsworld. All of these arguments while interesting and fun will go the way of the archives starting in 48 days. I am sure most of us can't wait for the answers to the question, how good will the Raptors be in 10-11 to start being answered on the court rather than on a fan forum

http://www.hoopsworld.com/

[Red and White]

You're kidding right. Barbosa and Belly are both streaky shooters for one, Marco is a better passer..Has better handles..But isn't as quick as Barbosa. Weems still can't consistently hit the 3.

Dont agree with you at all...belinelli is not as good as weems or barbosa. Maybe belinelli is a bit of a better passer, but over all i am taking the blur and sonny over him. Belinelli is a great trade chip, and that is what we should use him for. If the season begins and he sucks, his trade value goes down, we need to trade him asap. or atleast we should have.

[Buddahfan]

Dont agree with you at all...belinelli is not as good as weems or barbosa. Maybe belinelli is a bit of a better passer, but over all i am taking the blur and sonny over him. Belinelli is a great trade chip, and that is what we should use him for. If the season begins and he sucks, his trade value goes down, we need to trade him asap. or atleast we should have.

Could be that the Raptors will try and inflate Belinelli's numbers in the early exhibition games and then move him in October.

I don't have sense of whether he stays or goes. We shall see.

[Bendit]

While I agree that Bargs is better off keeping in shape with a ball in his hands than a plate of pasta or lying somewhere on the Riviera with a bottle of Chianti, I wonder about the style he is playing in these games...ie is he being used as a pf or c, is he playing inside more than outside? Imo, these are the needs for the Raps so I hope the Italian team is using him in this way or his sessions would only serve as cardio sessions rather than skills upgrading.

[Afro_Daddy]

does he play C or PF for italy? well what ever his positon is on that team should be his position on the raps, i think its a bad i dea if he's playing all summer getting use to playing

[Afro_Daddy]

(sorry accident) getting use to playing PF, and then coming back to play C, especially against NBA centers

[Buddahfan]

According to that article he is playing center. I wonder if BC and Triano asked Team Italy to do this so that Bargs would continue to get more experience playing center. It wouldn't surprise me given that the Raptors have Johnson and Davis, two young PF regardless of which one eventually winds up starting.

[sixtyeight]

According to that article he is playing center. I wonder if BC and Triano asked Team Italy to do this so that Bargs would continue to get more experience playing center. It wouldn't surprise me given that the Raptors have Johnson and Davis, two young PF regardless of which one eventually winds up starting.

I don't know about bc/triano, could be, but I think italy simply has no other choice: the only classic pivots (centers) in the team are below average players, slow and with zero offensive skills. The only other big man with some talent is the other starting big man Gigli, a good rebounder with poor post skills, and too skinny to be a real c. Still it's europe, so playing C is not exactly the same thing as in the nba and Bargs, being the first (sometimes the only) offensive option has to be pretty versatile.

[sniper]

According to that article he is playing center. I wonder if BC and Triano asked Team Italy to do this so that Bargs would continue to get more experience playing center. It wouldn't surprise me given that the Raptors have Johnson and Davis, two young PF regardless of which one eventually winds up starting.

It does play center.
And, what is also important, he is carrying team Italy on his shoulders as a "franchise player" (actually it didn't happen before in the national team).
About defense, the new Italian coach, Pianigiani, is a good teacher, we can hope he can teach him some team defense.
In 3 games, he averages 21 pt, 7 reb, 3 blocks; negative aspect: too foul prone (4.3).
Ok, he is not playing against Howard, but anyway he is doing his job.

As a further note, about the contacts between BC and the Italian team management: Cuzzolin, the Raptors athletic trainer, follows the Italian team too.