GT: Raps at Cavs - Raptor Revenge

[ReubenJRD]

We all have to remember Coach Casey is still a rookie NBA head coach, having past experience only in Minnesota, where he was actually doing a fine job, until he got "Sam Mitchell'd".

Coach Casey is a solid, solid coach. Great defensive principles, fundamentally sound, and all about the x's and o's. Those rotations and player management - yes, I agree, it's absolutely awful - are an obvious example of little experience, or lack thereof. He's also a player's coach, who really puts confidence in one's group, and whilst that is a positive for the players, and the organization knowing there's stability, it also is a negative, for one coach's accountability - which he was known for until this season - becomes blinded.

I really do believe it's what the organization needs to do about. They clearly haven't done their job of giving the players Coach Casey needs to use in terms of his team being successful.

Casey asked for three things before the deadline:

- Toughness = Andrea Bargnani is still here.
- Veteran leadership, or experience = Andrea Bargnani.
- A back-up point guard as insurance = Sebastian Telfair, a solid guy who expires this season (if all goes well, I would definitely take him over Lucas).

So, Colangelo only addressed 1 out of those 3 things, and this team is still in need of a low post scorer. Dwane Casey is trying to use his players, he was absolutely correct as well when he pointed out: "I can't have the starters play 48 minutes, actually they played almost 48 minutes.."

[Rapstor4Life]

@Reuben its on the team and Colangelo sailing the titanic right into that iceberg by keeping Bargnani here, literally trading Bargs for even Ben Gordon and a 2nd rounder would have helped the team. Moving Bargnani and not having him anymore is addition by subtraction hes gotta go anytime hes out there its a liability.

[drunkmunky]

The cable tv, internet, and phone cut out at about 7 minutes to go in the 4th quarter so I didn't see the end of the game.

I caught some replays this morning and I want to stab bargnani in the eye.

There seems to be so much frustration with the coaching stafff *ie: dough collins* to ignite players.... It's sad really...

[BasketballCrush]

Toronto Raptors. "where feeling sorry for Andrea gets you out of the playoff hunt"

[T.Dot]

Shut up. Bargnani is fucking trash 15min without anything. The dude can't play D or rebound and he's 7 feet tall, i don't see how you can support such a worthless Bigman. I say amnesty him, the best we're going to get for this guy is another teams garbage and we already have enough of that in Lucas and Anderson

Okay well I honestly don't give a shit what you say because you just pissed me off. You guys are fucking hilarious! I'm supporting him because I know he can do better and be better.

[BasketballCrush]

Team would of been better off if they shut him down for the year. Now other clubs have a confirmation of how bad he truly is.

[T.Dot]

Toronto Raptors. "where feeling sorry for Andrea gets you out of the playoff hunt"

Well this isn't raptors republic. This is anti-bargnani republic where everything that is wrong is Andrea's fault, when he's not playing, it's his fault too.

[T.Dot]

Team would of been better off if they shut him down for the year. Now other clubs have a confirmation of how bad he is.

Yeah if his confidence and motivation wasn't shattered maybe he would play different. Being booed by other people is whatever but being booed by your supposed 'fans' is different.

[BasketballCrush]

Really can't wait till we punt Andrea out of the ACC. He has hurt this franchise more than he has helped. Too many times we were sitting BETTER players to keep Andrea happy and provide the illusion that this guy knows what he is doing.

I don't think he will ever get 20 minutes with another club again. It's obvious that when you play him, you have one less big man on the floor.... that is too much for any team to overcome.


Bryan needs to be fired for this, and both him and Andrea must be culled.

[iblastoff]

Okay well I honestly don't give a shit what you say because you just pissed me off. You guys are fucking hilarious! I'm supporting him because I know he can do better and be better.

everyone knows he can do better. he just doesn't.

[T.Dot]

Really can't wait till we punt Andrea out of the ACC. He has hurt this franchise more than he has helped. Too many times we were sitting BETTER players to keep Andrea happy and provide the illusion that this guy knows what he is doing.

I don't think he will ever get 20 minutes with another club again. It's obvious that when you play him, you have one less big man on the floor.... that is too much for any team to overcome.


Bryan needs to be fired for this, and both him and Andrea must be culled.

And you must think you know everything don't you?

[T.Dot]

everyone knows he can do better. he just doesn't.

Yeah but kicking him while he is already down isn't going to do anything. We're seeing this right now.

[BasketballCrush]

And you must think you know everything don't you?

LOL, about Andrea, I saddly know too much. I can never get those minutes back.

[BasketballCrush]

Yeah but kicking him while he is already down isn't going to do anything. We're seeing this right now.

Feeling sorry for him has cost us the playoffs. I now want to KICK him... booing is too passive for me.

Andrea had to make himself the spotlight while we were winning and sneaking into the playoffs, I feel so duped by idiots like Jack, and Casey's good heart.

A loser is a loser. Feeling sorry for a loser is not going to turn him into a winner.

[T.Dot]

Feeling sorry for him has cost us the playoffs. I now want to KICK him... booing is too passive for me.

If Dwane Casey wanted to make the playoffs he would've sat AB as ALL of you want. Stop using him as an excuse as to why Raptors aren't in the playoffs. Year in year out EVERY single fault with this team has been laid on Andrea's shoulders. He is only one person. There are other players besides him playing for Toronto if you haven't already noticed.

[iblastoff]

Yeah but kicking him while he is already down isn't going to do anything. We're seeing this right now.

well what do you expect people to do? wait another 7 years to see if something changes?

[BasketballCrush]

When he is on the floor it is 4 vs 5. Casey either was foolish, or try to apease Bryan and the commentators who keep insisting that it is Casey that needs to get him out of this funk.

Instead this market should just stop apologizing for Andrea and realize that he is done.

[T.Dot]

well what do you expect people to do? wait another 7 years to see if something changes?

Nope I don't want that to happen. He would be better off somewhere else where he can excel because there is no place for him here.

[T.Dot]

When he is on the floor it is 4 vs 5. Casey either was foolish, or try to apease Bryan and the commentators who keep insisting that it is Casey that needs to get him out of this funk.

Instead this market should just stop apologizing for Andrea and realize that he is done.

Okay then why aren't they doing it? And don't say anything about BryCo. He is a good one on one defender so he is not a complete liability. Casey also has to help, he is putting Andrea out on the floor. When you put a shooter with 2 or 3 other shooters, you just shot yourself in the foot. Casey apparently knows what he's doing. You know he is an offensive threat. Put him in situations where he can succeed not fail.

[joey_hesketh]

Shut up. Bargnani is fucking trash 15min without anything. The dude can't play D or rebound and he's 7 feet tall, i don't see how you can support such a worthless Bigman. I say amnesty him, the best we're going to get for this guy is another teams garbage and we already have enough of that in Lucas and Anderson

We try not to stoop to telling people to "Shut Up" around here .. its very much a Grade-3 tactic that holds no place is real debate.

As for Bargnani, confidence has ALWAYS been his thing. Last year, people were talking him up and low-and-behold, he plays well. This year, people knock him down, he plays like shit. Not surprising.

And while one should never choose to rely on a player who is that emotional and sensitive to outside opinions, one can't overlook the impact he could have had last night (or any other night) if he managed to knock down a few in a row, and get his head out of his shot.
His potential impact is far greater than that of Aaron Gray. However, his likely impact, at this point in time, is not.
Its a tough place to be in if you're Casey. Damned if you do, Damned if you don't.
Bargnani could have been the difference, in a good way, in alot of these games. Unfortunately, he's potentially been the difference in the wrong kind of way.