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  • #16
    Matt52 wrote: View Post
    I have great respect for Anderson but he is a deep bench player who got hot and has been asked to do more than he ever should be expected to do.

    It is time to send Anderson back to the end of the bench.
    It is time to give Ross a bigger role as long as he is working hard.
    It is also time to get Fields back in to the mix.

    AA is averaging 26 minutes over the last 5gms.
    Ross is averaging 19 minutes over the last 5gms.
    Fields has not played.

    AA SHOULD be averaging 0 minutes.
    Ross SHOULD be averaging 25 minutes.
    Fields SHOULD be put back in to the mix with 20 minutes.

    The shoulds are all my opinion, of course.

    *EDIT*

    Pietrus is another player who should be scaled back eventhough he has averaged just 19 minutes the last 5 games - though he has averaged 26 in 11 games.
    This is very conflicting, and I honestly believe this is a good problem for a coach and the team.

    First of all, the rotation of wings:

    - Derozan
    - Ross
    - Fields
    - Anderson
    - Pietrus
    - Kleiza

    Not going to lie, but having 6 capable wing players on a roster is very good.

    Now back to the minutes and your question of "should the rotations and minute distributions go back to what they should have been?"

    I'm going to answer, no.

    Because, Anderson has been playing lights out recently, there's no question he is our best answer at the 3 right now. Pietrus has been struggling, but in the winning streak he's come up with some big plays whether it's hitting a shot, making a drive to the basket, or making a key defensive play.
    I certainly believe, when you go back to rotations (case made looking at Lowry, Bargnani), chemistry or the overall rhythm the team plays at, may be (and usually is) disrupted. When guys are going good for you, the question is:

    "Why fix something when it's not broken?" Calderon has certainly been a joy this season whenever Lowry is unhealthy (which has pretty much been all season), Anderson/Pietrus/Ross have all earned some playing time, and they no doubt have delivered. Ed Davis has been a quiet dominant monster in the interior for us. I feel Coach Casey is just doing his job as a coach not playing Fields, bringing him along slowly is certainly a good way to allow the team to continue to flow, also for Fields to possibly get burn in the future (possibly out of shape). Same case should be make for Lowry, and Bargnani went they return.
    Last edited by ReubenJRD; Sat Dec 22, 2012, 01:49 PM.
    Twitter: @ReubenJRD • NBA, Raptors writer for Daily Hive Vancouver, Toronto.

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    • #17
      white men can't jump wrote: View Post
      I was so freakin happy we didn't draft Austin Rivers. I couldn't believe people thought he would be good, especially right away. Classic 'combo' guard who actually doesn't have enough of the best of both worlds. He's not a great distributor/floor general, and he's not quick enough or athletic enough in some way to be a truly great scorer. He doesn't have the motor of Lou Williams, or the crazy deceptive athleticism and handle of Jamal Crawford.
      I was also glad we didn't draft Jeremy Lamb. I thought he was even less likely to compliment Demar. Despite his freakish length, Lamb is actually kinda short and kinda soft. Given how nice a surprise Ross' athleticism and D have been, I'm so happy we drafted him over Lamb. For a rookie, Ross' effort level is surprisingly consistent, and those dunks have been a sweet thing to watch. I really can't think of a player I would have rather used on that pick, and even on draft night, it didn't take me long to see he was the best option if we wanted a wing. Again, Rivers just had bust written all over him to me, and Lamb just seemed less likely to fit with Demar. Other options at SF were clearly much lower targets and while we may have 'reached' for Ross, it still seemed likely he would go in the lottery, I just thought later.

      On Demar and Ross: I don't see any reason why they can't coexist. Their games will probably always be quite different. Demar is developing into a nice post player. Ross may never have the bulk to really excel there, but is a great shooter. Frankly I think neither will ever be great at driving from the perimeter, that's why Demar's post skills improving have been so great, because now his drives just got a step or two shorter. The big question will be on D. Always about D. One of them has to be able to guard SFs, and Ross looks like a better natural defender. I don't necessarily buy this whole 'needing a big SF' thing. Ross and Demar are both around 6'6'' or 6'7'', so yeah they'll struggle some nights, especially in the post, but that's about it. An extra inch does not make a huge difference on the perimeter. Hustle and instincts are much more important, and Ross has those naturally. On offense, they shouldn't have problems. Ross should compliment Demar's post game, and other teams will have trouble dealing with that. IF you put the bigger defender on Demar, then Ross might be able to take jumpers over a smaller player all night long. If you switch the bigger guy onto Ross for his reach to bother him, then Demar can suddenly go to work in the post on a small defender, which if there's one aspect of his post game that's really obvious, it's that he's pretty much always abusing smaller guys.
      Agree with this. People were making WAY too big a deal about Ross or DD guarding "grown men 3s) like Gerald Wallace. Reality is that there are only a few of these guys in the league (and hell, weve been playing MP/LK at the 4 during these last few games and havent even got exploited there. We can play zone (which has been working well) and half or more of the 3s in the league look/play like DD/T Ross so they should be able to handle them man to man easliy

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      • #18
        RaptorReuben wrote: View Post
        This is very conflicting, and I honestly believe this is a good problem for a coach and the team.

        First of all, the rotation of wings:

        - Derozan
        - Ross
        - Fields
        - Anderson
        - Pietrus
        - Kleiza

        Not going to lie, but having 6 capable wing players on a roster is very good.

        Now back to the minutes and your question of "should the rotations and minute distributions go back to what they should have been?"

        I'm going to answer, no.

        Because, Anderson has been playing lights out recently, there's no question he is our best answer at the 3 right now. Pietrus has been struggling, but in the winning streak he's come up with some big plays whether it's hitting a shot, making a drive to the basket, or making a key defensive play.
        I certainly believe, when you go back to rotations (case made looking at Lowry, Bargnani), chemistry or the overall rhythm the team plays at, may be (and usually is) disrupted. When guys are going good for you, the question is:

        "Why fix something when it's not broken?" Calderon has certainly been a joy this season whenever Lowry is unhealthy (which has pretty much been all season), Anderson/Pietrus/Ross have all earned some playing time, and they no doubt have delivered. Ed Davis has been a quiet dominant monster in the interior for us. I feel Coach Casey is just doing his job as a coach not playing Fields, bringing him along slowly is certainly a good way to allow the team to continue to flow, also for Fields to possibly get burn in the future (possibly out of shape). Same case should be make for Lowry, and Bargnani went they return.
        Not sure about that .. hes shooting 33% from the floor (2 of 9 last night) on the year, despite being "on a hot streak". I agree he has brought us some good minutes .. but he is very confused between what he is (defense, rebound, hit the open 3) and what he thinks he is (offensive scoring threat, guy who deserves to get plays called for him). Weve squeaked by so far (and dont get me wrong AA is THE reason we have won a couple of games in this steak) - but it will end badly and is already headed that way .. these stats dont lie

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        • #19
          mountio wrote: View Post
          Agree with this. People were making WAY too big a deal about Ross or DD guarding "grown men 3s) like Gerald Wallace. Reality is that there are only a few of these guys in the league (and hell, weve been playing MP/LK at the 4 during these last few games and havent even got exploited there. We can play zone (which has been working well) and half or more of the 3s in the league look/play like DD/T Ross so they should be able to handle them man to man easliy
          So very true. Size is not a significant factor for perimeter D. Obviously on some of those matchups they could be exploited in the post, but by the type of players who exploit everyone. Even some of the bigger SFs are not great scorers. Wallace is nothing special. I wouldn't worry about Ross being on Deng in the post or something. Even Gay pretty much mostly settles for long jumpers in the post. There are really just a handful that are not only big, but use their size, and are good enough scorers to be a concern... LeBron, Melo, Durant, Pierce (maybe a bit less now for him). And you need a team plan to stop those guys.

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          • #20
            Matt52 wrote: View Post
            Nice post.

            On bold, this is why a penetrating PG like Lowry is extremely important in my opinion. Raps rely too much on jump shots right now - great when falling, nerve racking when not.

            The big SF's like Pierce or LBJ: shit, no one stops them anyways. DD and TR playing at the same time hardly matters, in my opinion.

            Bruce Bowen, Andre Igoudala, Tony Allen: all great wing defenders and all same size or smaller than TR & DD.
            Didn't even see this...you could also throw in Afflalo, another great defender who's not very big.

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            • #21
              On playing the older wings...I don't see it as a huge problem, and definitely not an Alan Anderson problem. Right now he's stronger and does more things than Ross. That doesn't mean Ross can't take a couple of his minutes. And if Fields comes back, and you know, is worth even half his contract, PIetrus should become the 5th wing. He clearly just does have knee issues, so his legs are not there a lot of nights.
              Having a guy like Alan is good. He does play hungry, as they have been saying so much lately. That is great to have in general, but especially at a position where there's competition. I don't think it matters so much if he's a vet or a young player. He might take a few too many shots, but he does generally earn his minutes so it forces Ross to do the same. Don't think it's a coincidence they've both been playing well lately, especially given they share time on the court.

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              • #22
                RaptorReuben wrote: View Post
                Since we drafted Ross, the first couple weeks, I'm not gonna lie. I was a little disappointed because we didn't draft Austin Rivers. He had one good game in the Summer League, the rest were fairly mediocre. From that point on, I sort of threw Ross under the radar, and sort of just said "yeah, yeah, he'll be okay."

                Being a huge Derozan homer, with people comparing the 2, I found it silly (I still find it silly today with the complete differences in style of game-play), because Derozan also has the potential to be very good. I guess I was going under some tunnel vision at the time, and not truly recognizing that Ross was (and still) a project.

                But, ever since he started getting some burn, man he hasn't disappointed. The guy can handle the ball, he can shoot from basically anywhere on the floor, arguably as good as athleticism as Demar (some say better), wonderful on-ball, system defender, and he knows the game of basketball. Not to mention the stage presence he possesses. Every time he touches the ball, it gives you a random feeling he's going to pull off something spectacular.

                So, my point is, Terrence Ross has proven me - probably many as well - wrong. This guy is a really good talent, with really good potential. I'm just excited to have two really good wing players, who will be with this team for awhile, and both willing to grow and get better at each part of the game.

                Time to get my head out of my Derozan homer head, because there's no doubt Ross has the capabilities to be a better player than Demar, not to mention he could be an elite wing in the league.

                With all the Bargnani stuff going on, and the BC mistakes, I'm just happy to know we've got a really bright future (near, and far) with Ross, Derozan, Valanciunas, Lowry, and Davis.

                Oh yeah, forgot Jonas Valanciunas is on this team... That's a good thing by the way.

                I agree with everything you said except one thing T-Ross AINT NO PROJECT, we won't have to wait 2 seasons for him to develop a jump shot or learn how to play D. I think what we wanna know is, what is he ? because by watching him play in this 5 game winning streak, the Raps could have a legit player ready to contribute NOW, not next year or the year after that. He's got the shot, the athleticism and D, and all he needs is MINUTES. I try to find someone to campare him to, but everyone i find is either an all star or HOF and i just don't want to make that comparison YET.

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                • #23
                  mountio wrote: View Post
                  Not sure about that .. hes shooting 33% from the floor (2 of 9 last night) on the year, despite being "on a hot streak". I agree he has brought us some good minutes .. but he is very confused between what he is (defense, rebound, hit the open 3) and what he thinks he is (offensive scoring threat, guy who deserves to get plays called for him). Weve squeaked by so far (and dont get me wrong AA is THE reason we have won a couple of games in this steak) - but it will end badly and is already headed that way .. these stats dont lie
                  I sort of agree, and sort of disagree if that's a possibility. :P

                  Anyways, I don't think he is one bit confused. Alan Anderson has been doing what he is (Defense, rebounding, hitting the 3), also adding in his capability to take people off the dribble, and I believe he's been delivering when plays are called for him. He's been a spark off the bench, I guy a team needs who can carry the team for a stretch/period of time to keep the game in rhythm, keep it close, or to help get back into a game.

                  He has been shooting inefficiently, but he's a guy who brings energy to the table when the team is need of a boost. Whenever he hits the floor, it seems like this game is in slow-mo. I don't like the nickname, but it sort of says what he is: "Everywhere man."

                  Rebounds, scoring, defense, hustle, tenacity. I do agree he takes some un-called for shots, and make some rather weird decisions, but he seems to be able to make them anyways.
                  Twitter: @ReubenJRD • NBA, Raptors writer for Daily Hive Vancouver, Toronto.

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                  • #24
                    Love how Ross is confident now. Like he knows his shots are going in - and they do now.
                    TORONTOOOOOO RAPTORSSSSSS

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                    • #25
                      white men can't jump wrote: View Post
                      So very true. Size is not a significant factor for perimeter D. Obviously on some of those matchups they could be exploited in the post, but by the type of players who exploit everyone. Even some of the bigger SFs are not great scorers. Wallace is nothing special. I wouldn't worry about Ross being on Deng in the post or something. Even Gay pretty much mostly settles for long jumpers in the post. There are really just a handful that are not only big, but use their size, and are good enough scorers to be a concern... LeBron, Melo, Durant, Pierce (maybe a bit less now for him). And you need a team plan to stop those guys.
                      And to add to this: this season, LeBron and Melo have spent most of their minutes at the 4, and Durant has had significant PT as a 4 as well. Starting with the removal of perimeter hand-checking and continuing with the legalizing of zone defenses and the rise of trapping defenses, quickness and length have been becoming much more important than bulk. Ross is looking to be a perfect player for the new NBA era. I'm not expecting him to be an all-star any time soon, but he'll be an above-average starter for a lot of years, I think.

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                      • #26
                        I'm really not trying to be overly negative but some of you guys need to take off the homer shades and relax. Ross has about one above average game out of every 5 contests on a team that is banged up with injuries and frankly hasn't been very good so far this year. Yes, he's talented. Tons of potential. Yes, he seems to be putting it together somewhat more regularly lately but you're crazy if you think he's turned the corner for good. Don't let the 4th quarter of the Magic game cause you to start making irrational statements.

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                        • #27
                          Matt52 wrote: View Post
                          I truly do respect AA. Love where he has come from and what he has done with his opportunity. With that he is 30 years old and a fringe NBA player. I don't think people should confuse a hot streak from a great guy with a legit NBA player. Raps have had quite a few flavours of the season under Colangelo (Moon, etc.).

                          Why can't the Raps rebuild and develop while winning? Ross is starting to show he belongs on the court regardless of age or rookie status.
                          I agree. Anderson should get burn but we need to continue to develop. I don't care what happens this season in terms of record. In a rebuilding you develop your young players if you have any, and we do. Fields and Ross should get the minutes while Pietrus and Anderson come in as backups and foul-trouble filler.

                          I also wanted Rivers, and he's been terrible up to this point. Still, I have trouble not having faith in players who are sons of former NBA players. I think it's only a matter of time before he figures out his niche and then he'll be a good player.

                          I think DeRozan stepping up his game has taken a lot of pressure off Ross and that's the reason we've been able to see him flourish in his role.
                          your pal,
                          ebrian

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                          • #28
                            Fully wrote: View Post
                            I'm really not trying to be overly negative but some of you guys need to take off the homer shades and relax. Ross has about one above average game out of every 5 contests on a team that is banged up with injuries and frankly hasn't been very good so far this year. Yes, he's talented. Tons of potential. Yes, he seems to be putting it together somewhat more regularly lately but you're crazy if you think he's turned the corner for good. Don't let the 4th quarter of the Magic game cause you to start making irrational statements.
                            I agree with this.

                            The bold is key. We know what Kleiza, Pietrus, Anderson are going to bring to the table. Ross is a brand new shiny unknown. Since the Raps are hardly making any deep runs come late April and May, play the guy and lets see what the Raps have in him.

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                            • #29
                              Matt52 wrote: View Post
                              I agree with this.

                              The bold is key. We know what Kleiza, Pietrus, Anderson are going to bring to the table. Ross is a brand new shiny unknown. Since the Raps are hardly making any deep runs come late April and May, play the guy and lets see what the Raps have in him.
                              Yup. The only situations Ross should be sitting are:
                              - tired
                              - minor injuries
                              - fouled out
                              - he did something he was told not to do
                              - learning situation where Casey has put a veteran into the game to demonstrate a scenario
                              - texting during a game in mid-flight during a huge dunk
                              your pal,
                              ebrian

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                              • #30
                                ebrian wrote: View Post
                                Yup. The only situations Ross should be sitting are:
                                - tired
                                - minor injuries
                                - fouled out
                                - he did something he was told not to do
                                - learning situation where Casey has put a veteran into the game to demonstrate a scenario
                                - texting during a game in mid-flight during a huge dunk
                                Haha.

                                Agreed.

                                Only one I'd add is not playing balls out on both sides of the ball. Too young to get tired and too inexperienced to float on talent alone.

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