Dwayne Casey:

We’re trying to hold on to him and keep him, but he has played his way into a very high status as a point guard. A lot of teams have been calling and wanting him.

Call me crazy, but the non-committal tone is something I don’t want to hear as a player, and Jose deserves more from this franchise. In fact, it has the stink of Danny Ainge all over it. It’s no secret that Jose needs to go if we really want to blow this mother up and rebuild, but the way he’s been playing…makes you second guess your armchair quarterbacking. He also deserves to be handled with the utmost respect, because that’s all he’s done for this city…

Trade speculation and free agency are my two favourite parts of the year by far. Rumours and plugging retarded scenarios into trade machine have been the only thing that has kept me going between mediocre season after season.

Before I get my head ripped off, let me go on the record as saying that I only support trading Jose IF it brings back young players who can be core pieces to build around, OR, brings back a youngish, serviceable replacement plus draft picks. I’m all for loyalty, but I’d rather have a winning team to cheer on.

The reality is that we could hold on to him, be happy with his stellar improvement, have his contract expire in 2013 then either resign him for half of what he’s getting now, or let him walk. Both scenarios hurt this team’s long term outlook because you aren’t getting max value for the guy by dealing with him at the right time.

Dumping Jose for cap relief makes no sense given how he’s playing and leading this team, so here are a few scenarios I’ve come up with that work and make some level of sense for the teams involved (in no particular order):

Raptors/Rockets/Lakers
To Rockets – Gasol
To Lakers – Calderon, Scola
To Raptors – Lowry
Trade Machine
Raptors do this because…they get a younger point guard who’s having a hell of a season, and save some money
Rockets do this because…they finally get Gasol, whom they covet for some reason
Lakers do this because…they upgrade at the point while getting a solid replacement for Gasol

Raptors/Lakers/Celtics
To Lakers – Calderon, Bass
To Boston – Bayless, Gasol
To Toronto – Rondo, Jermaine O’Neal
Trade Machine
Raptors do this because…it’s a no brainer
Celtics do this because…they can field a starting five of Bayless/Allen/Pierce/Garnett/Gasol; much better than what they have now
Lakers do this because…they upgrade at the point, clear $5mil from their cap and look to move Bynum for Howard to field a starting five of Calderon/Bryant/MWP/Bass/Howard

RaptorsSixers/Lakers
To Sixers – Gasol, Walton’s contract
To Lakers – Calderon, Brand
To Raptors – Evan Turner
Trade Machine
Raptors do this because…they save cap space and bring in a young swing guard who has lots of upside
Sixers do this because…they add an elite low-post scorer who can actually run the break with the other wings
Lakers do this because…upgrade at the point, and replace Gasol with a capable veteran

There was one more deal I came up with, that could happen if the pot was sweetened with picks and cash: Raptors send Calderon to Dallas for Odom and Beaubois (trade machine). Odom is useless, and I don’t want the shit-show that comes with Kardashian infection, but he will soon become ‘Odom’s expiring contract’ which will have some value. For Dallas, Jose could be a solid Plan B if they can’t land Deron Williams this summer; a core of Calderon/Nowitzki/Howard could compete for a championship for a few seasons.

I’m leaning towards the 1st scenario; it makes sense for all the teams involved, and the Raptors replace Calderon with Lowry, whose younger and makes half the money. Getting Rondo would be the best move to make here, but any deal that helps the C**tics drops to the bottom of my list. I concede each scenario has the Raptors getting back max value for Calderon, which doesn’t happen in real life, but desperate teams (Lakers, Celtics, Rockets, Knicks, Magic and the Nets ) in extraneous circumstances (lockout shortened season) will be working overtime to make something happen. BryCo needs to be ready.

I’m sick as a dog, so this will be a short one…

Tonights game will mark the second time this season the Raptors and Rockets throw down. The first time around, Bargnani came up huge, and the bench had his back as the team played as close to a perfect game as the Raptors possibly could against a Rockets team that has been playing rather well considering they were missing Yao and Aaron Brooks.

I spoke with Jacob from Red94 about the Rockets:

So the Yao Ming era is over for the Rockets huh? Given his history of injuries (and the potential of never playing again), and all the expiring contracts out there, what is a realistic trade scenario you see happening?
While it warms my heart to know the Rockets’ marriage to Yao has been one of basketball-related devotion (and not commercial), the opportunities out there for Yao’s contract to be dealt sit somewhere between slim and none. The most attractive part of his deal will be the $8 million of the $17 million he’s owed that will be covered by insurance (though the entire contract will still count against the salary cap any team in possession of it) thanks to his most recent season-ending injury, an almost-panacea for this league’s poorer millionaire owners. The problem with dealing such relief remains that it’s hard to find a team so broke that it will simply give up $17 million worth of assets, expiring contracts or not, for some money and a broken icon who will likely never play a game for said team. Rockets fans will bring up Andre Iguodala (because doesn’t everybody at this point?), but unless Morey suddenly takes an interest in Rashard Lewis or Brandon Roy or Elton Brand, that large man and his large expiring deal will likely run out in Houston.

Kyle Lowry has been pretty solid this season (I own him in my fantasy league); with Aaron Brooks coming back from injury, can the two of them play together in the back-court, or will we see Kyle’s minutes slashed?
There had been a pretty healthy debate over who would be the ideal starter among the two before the season began, so after Lowry’s success as the primary point man, the discussion has only gotten more heated. Brooks seems so perfectly suited to the role of the 6th man, an offensive sparkplug who could ideally share the court with Lowry to close out games (although that would likely invite a three-guard-lineup featuring Martin that would mirror Dallas’, except for the whole not-having-Tyson-Chandler thing), but Aaron Brooks has earned his role as the starter. He’s the team’s best offensive option in crunch time and bid his time while watching Rafer Alston fling up errant threes his first couple of years, making any transition back to the bench after the work he’s put in seem like punishment for success. I expect the two point men who have shared the backcourt quite ably over the last two years to do quite well together given the added confidence on Lowry’s part from his successful run starting, but if you’re a fantasy owner of Lowry, I hope your league is Sarlaac-Pit-deep because Brooks will likely be starting by the end of January, especially if the Rockets hit any kind of rough patch.

So how’s that Ariza/Lee trade working out for you?
Well… the moves for both prove Daryl Morey may not be infallible, but the deal sure seems quite prescient on a financial level at least. Lee’s shown promise as a defensive stopper/energy player (and his three-point shot off of the catch is gravy, a lot more than I can say for Ariza), but that deal looks more and more like the salary dump every pundit claimed it was when the deal was made as the days go by.

Scola is having a career year, after signing a massive contract, at 30 no less. He has been improving year over year, but this is a dramatic jump; what’s changed? Will he still be contributing at a high level?
My opinion diverges from the majority of the Rockets fanbase here, but I think Luis Scola has always been this good (his numbers after Carl Landry was dealt last year are equally impressive). And by this good, I mean perfectly fine and the exact kind of player that a team like the Rockets cannot afford to have on contract for three years after this (the last year of his deal is partially guaranteed, ensuring his trade bait status in 2014-15). His production comes from abusing mismatches and finding his spots on the court, excellent skills to have if the player in question is one of a team’s lesser options; unfortunately, he has been the Rockets’ second-best player in 2010, a big reason for the team’s mediocrity. Scola himself has done nothing but produce at full-tilt all year, but his age already raises concerns (and his defense can only get more excruciating) while four years remain on his chunky contract. He exemplifies the all-world role player, and the Rockets should be glad if they find the all-world team that needs to add one of those and seems willing to send back some youth, draft picks and/or cap flexibility in return.

Other than Yao potentially getting traded, what else is in the cards for the Rockets?
Aaron Brooks looks to be the most likely Rocket to be traded, well before Yao or Scola. His contract expires after this year as he thinks extension, meaning Houston will be looking to get some kind of value for his contract before the deadline. There has also been a lot of talk including Anthony Randolph as the Knicks vehemently try and stock up draft picks (even their old ones that Morey took from them as recently as last year) in order to bring Carmelo to the Mecca; let’s just say that I would be more than enthused to try and let Randolph develop his superhuman skillset in the H. Otherwise, um, we’re getting Chris Paul and Melo, and watch out in 2012, suckas (I figure Bill Simmons and Peter Vescey try to will such trades via nonsensical rumors; I am no better).

Injury Report

Toronto
Andrea Bargnani – Out
Reggie Evans – Out
Peja Stojakovic – Out
Jose Calderon – Day-to-day
Sonny Weems – Day-to-day

Houston
Yao Ming – Done
Chuck Hayes – Out
Kevin Martin – Day-to-day

Match-ups

Point Guard
The Rockets are currently 2nd in the league in assists per game, this starts with the PG’s and Kyle Lowry has been solid in Aaron Brooks’ absence. Between the two of them, they average about 12 dimes a match, with the everyone else on the team chipping a couple a game. Brooks will be coming off the bench for a few more games, so his energy and scoring from a 6th man role. With Calderon potentially out for tonight, Bayless needs to do better than the 2-10 performance he turned in against the Mavs. I’d feel a lot better if Jose was around to bring some stability to the point, but Barbosa’s speed and aggressiveness will go a long way in countering Brooks off the bench.
Edge: Rockets

Shooting Guard
DeMar’s been playing really well over the last 5 games, averaging 16.2pts a match; but he needs to get to the line much more than 5 a game he’s averaging. He can take some notes from Kevin Martin tonight (if he plays, he should), who gets to the line almost 9 times a game – easy/cheap points. So since both these guys don’t play much defense, it’s going to come down to who scores more, and my money is on Martin. Although his shot is ugly, it’s deadly, and he does a great job of getting to the line and getting folks into foul trouble.
Edge: Rockets

Small Forward
I’m not sure which has been my saving grace: Weems being injured or Kleiza playing up to potential? Regardless, the venom I’ve been spewing at the both of them has dropped considerably. With Weems out of the picture, I’m liking Kleiza’s Yin to Wrights Yang; lame I know, but it’s a nice 1-2 combo that covers a lot of angles. Battier and Budinger are basically the same player, but one is younger. They can knock down open threes, play solid defense and smart basketball. Gotta go with Kleiza/Wright on this one, since neither have the size/strength to defend Linas in the paint.
Edge: Toronto

Power Forward
Ed Davis is coming off a ridiculous career game that has let him crack the Top 10 rookie ladder for the first time. While he wont be averaging 17pts 12rebs 3stl 3blks for the rest of the season, we can expect a significant contribution from out boy; at least while he gets increased minutes while Bargnani’s out. As for Amir, AltRaps said it best:

Playing hurt, he turned in 42 minutes of simply inspired play. Hard nosed off the ball, attacking on both ends of the floor, playing with smarts. You simply couldn’t have asked for a better game from a wounded soldier.

We will need both these guys playing a high level against Scola, who’s playing huge. The last time around, the Raptors had the luxury of great performances from Bargnani, Evans, Johnson and Andersen (the latter two off the bench). Even with wave-after-wave of Raptor big man coming at him, Scola still put up a solid 19pts 6rebs 3ast. Tonight, the depth isn’t there, so Amir/Davis will have to dig in tight.
Edge: Even

Center
Neither Dorsey or Hayes are real centers in the league, but they’ve been thrust into this position. Both these guys are brutes in the paint. Expect one of them to die by halftime.
Edge: Even

The Line

Houston is 8.5 point favourites with an over/under of 212.5. Expect a fast paced, up and down match.

Happy New Years Eve.

Not sure if you realized, but 8 of the last 10 games the Raptors played were on the road. They only won 2 of them, but if you’re an optimist, they’re 2-2 in their last four; that’s something right? It’s definitely been a trial by fire to start the year, and from some of the rumours I’ve been hearing, Triano is a dead man walking. I personally don’t think it’s the right move to fire him, not that I think he’s a good coach, but it really wasn’t fair to hand him this team and expect much out of the situation. We’re good at the mob mentality in Toronto, so if people scream bloody murder loud enough, it might force BryCo’s hand in the matter.

Had a really good discussion with Jacob Mustafa from Red94, about the rough start to the year the Rockets are having, as well as a bold claim:

I’m actually stunned how poorly the Rockets have started the season; yes they played 7 of their first 10 on the road, but this was supposed to be a team that went into the playoffs and could have made some noise. Defense, which used to be a staple, has fallen off the map. What happened?
If you’re stunned by this year’s start, you can’t imagine the jaws agape among Rockets fans. I know the notion might seem crazy, but plenty of Rockets followers had gotten attached to the idea that this team might be the only answer to the Lakers in this conference thanks to years of tough matchups with them (that almost always ended in defeat except for one glorious seven game series… in which four of them ended in defeat). To see the team flailing along and struggling to get its head above water just feels incongruous, and I think most Rockets fans are still dealing with the shock of cheering for a below-average team. As for defense, the answer is simple; this team built its defensive mindset with a certain roster and with a certain coach, and now only three of those players remain on the roster, while the coach bickers with Mark Jackson to make ends meet. The defensive powerhouse that was the Houston Rockets simply dissipated, too far removed from its source to be its own entity.

You essentially traded Ariza for Lee, and he’s been a huge disappointment. This is a two part questions: 1) why did you make that trade 2) why isn’t Lee performing?
Money was saved, and an asset was gained. Observers have flippantly written that move off as a straight salary dump, and while I do think the Rockets were prudent to cut their losses (Ariza fit on the Rockets like the glove fit OJ), Lee simply fit in better with what Rockets management thought its team would be. As for Lee’s performance, he’s simply seemed out of it, though he is being saddled with the responsibility of a ballhandler at times, a role for which he’s almost cartoonishly ill-suited.

I heard some grumblings that the Rockets are still in the market to land Chris Bosh after an unsuccessful summer courtship. Can you shed any light on this subject?
After Wednesday’s rise from the grave, I doubt Bosh will be mentioned in trade talks for a while (like 4 years), but I’m pretty sure that was all based on a Jason Whitlock article where he got his Peter Vescey on and just started spouting ridiculous trade scenarios for Bosh. The Rockets’ chances at Bosh range somewhere between snowball in hell and long-term viability of Disney pop stars.

Yao Ming…I feel bad for the guy. At what point do you say “enoughs-enough” and try to salvage something for him?
Through consistent under-performance, the Houston Rockets have been one of the NBA’s more profitable franchises; that is mostly thanks to the giant one, Yao Ming. This team obviously needs a new building block, but the Rockets’ attachment to Yao runs much deeper than who the offense should be run through. This will likely be the major conflict of the Rockets’ season if playoffs keep looking less and less possible.

How do the Rockets match-up against the Raptors?
The Rockets have been decimated by super-athletic perimeter players in recent weeks, especially stud point guards; though Jarrett Jack and Jose Calderon are fine game managers, they don’t exactly strike the same fear in me as names like Paul, Rose and Westbrook. If Demar Derozan can be contained and Reggie Evans doesn’t decide to eat our faces and collect 752 rebounds, I think the Rockets’ “depth” will be a little too much for the Raptors. I also think Houston’s big man who plays no defense but can pour in buckets, Luis Scola, is better at this point in his career than the Raps’, Andrea Bargnani.

Injuries

Toronto
Ed Davis – Out
Leandro Barbosa – Shoulder, Should Play
Linas Kleiza – Achillies, Should Play

Houston
Aaron Brooks – Ankle, Out
Yao Ming – Leg, Out
Chase Budinger – Ankle, Day-to-day

Match-ups

PG – Jack vs Lowry
One of my favourite parts the season so far has been how we’ve flip-flopped between Jack and Calderon depending on who had the better. Overall, we each have a favourite, but going between them is funny; even if you’re doing it in your head. That said, we can all agree when one (or both) of them is playing like doodoo, and Jack has been playing like doodoo of late: 7pts 3reb 3reb over the last 3 games. The good news tonight is that Brooks is out, and his lightning quick speed and scoring ability will not have us face-palming for large stretches of the game. Lowry is an energetic player, who runs the break well, but doesn’t make the best decisions. His jumper is poor, so there is no reason we should see Jack play him tight right? Let the guy shoot, and keep him away from the glass since he rebounds so well for a 6″ guard. The kids got a knack for getting to the line, so like I said again…let him shoot all he wants.
Edge: Jack

SG – DeRozan vs Martin
So we can all agree that DeMar isn’t a 26pt/game scorer, but he’s also not a 6pt/game guy either. He needs to consistently be dropping 14-17 points every single night if this team wants to be in games for the rest of the year. Martin is an excellent scorer who can get his from anywhere, and most alarmingly, from the line. The kid is great at getting to the line, and great at hitting his free throws. His shot is ugly, but it’s deadly. He gets to the rim, has nice head fakes, and will score an obscene amount of points tonight. The only chance DeRozan has is to go back at him, since he’s such a terrible defender and either get him into foul trouble, or go tit-for-tat on offense. I’m feeling positive on this one for DeMar after a brutal performance against the Sixers, he should be back, but beating Martin in this match-up will be challenging, especially if the pace of the game picks up.
Edge: Martin

SF – Weems vs Battier
Shane Battier is like Anthony Parker to me: a classy, hard working guy who makes good decisions, plays defense and makes their shots; all with a good attitude. He’s a solid cat, and would play for my team anytime. Weems is going to have to play a smart game tonight, since that’s how Shane rolls. He isn’t very athletic, but his length and high basketball IQ make him a solid defender. Weems wont have to worry about him attacking off the dribble, but if he floats a little too much on help, Battier will stick shots from the corner. Weems can use his athleticism to attack Battier off the dribble, but he should avoid over dribble and make his move quick; which he’s been doing a good job of recently. Sonny can get out on the break, and has the advantage if this gets into an up-and-down/running game. I’m looking forward to seeing this match-up play out.
Edge: Even

PF – Evans vs Scola
You have to give Evans his due: he’s playing within himself during games, and being a vocal leader of this team in the locker room. Before the Sixers game, he got the guys together to get everyone on the same page, and they won. I hope he did the same thing tonight, since this Rockets team isn’t as bad as their record says they are. He absolutely will have his hands full with Scola, as the Argentine is having a ridiculous start to the season. Luis is a crafty scorer in the post who can hit the mid-range jumper; he’s deadly from 15ft in where he’s shooting 54% this season. The one knock is that he isn’t the best defender, which wont hurt him much tonight against Evans who isn’t looking to score when he touches the ball as a first option. Scola’s rebounding has come down some since the first four games, but he is more than capable of battling on the glass if the Raptors front court lets up. This is going to be a 1-2 attack with Reggie and Amir giving Scola different looks at different points of the game. Given Johnson’s propensity to foul, Scola might get the nod in that match-up too unless Amir uses his head before trying to out muscle Luis.
Edge: Scola

C – Bargnani vs Miller
It’s amazing Miller is able to move. At this point in his career, he’s really just filler until Yao can play major minutes. Bargnani has an advantage in every facet of the game tonight, and needs to establish himself from the tip (hopefully winning it tonight). I know I’m glossing over this rather quickly, but if Andrea doesn’t dominate this match-up, there is really something wrong with him.
Edge: Bargnani

Keys to the Game

Rebounding
The Rockets are the 4th best rebounding team in The Association. Everyone crashes the boards, and makes an effort on the glass. The Raptors aren’t slouches either, even though they are 16th in the league, they only grab 2.5 less rebounds a game than the Rockets. Controlling the glass will be critical since Houston is also 4th in the league in offense (next point), and if you control the glass, you control the tempo of the game, and force them to play a different style; all on the road.

Defense
The Rockets are 4th in scoring, with a Pace Factor of 100 (# of possessions used in a game). This also ties back to rebounding since the Raptors are the 4th best team in Offensive Rebounding Rate, if they can grab a few more rebounds, the Rockets will get a few less possessions. Regardless of that, with Aaron Brooks out, Kevin Martin and Scola are the focus on offense, and need to be respected as such. DeRozan can’t be taking tonight off, and playing passively. Scola gets the room to operate in the mid-range because K-Mart attracts so much attention on the perimeter. One of these two need to be shut down, and since Evans is a weaker defender than I’d like, it will be tasked to DeRozan (and Weems in certain match-ups) to play Martin tough. I’m not so confidant in this, so rebounding will be crucial to control the flow…ok I’m rambling, but you see where I’m going.

Pick-up where they left in Philly
It’s not like we haven’t played well before. The energy, assertiveness and will to win on our homecourt need to be there from the tip. Like I said earlier, the Rockets are a lot better than they have shown, and need to be respected as such. Can’t get down early, can’t take bad shots, the ball needs to be moved around, and every needs to be vocal on defense.

The Line

This game is even, and that’s exactly how I see it. The Raptors can win it, but they have to take it; the Rockets wont be laying down. This is an important game since we got the Celtics on Sunday.

In Toronto? Come on down to Sports Center Cafe for Raptor Fan Fridays.

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One love.

The Raptors gave as close to a full 48 minutes as we’ve ever seen. Yesterday against the Rockets, the Raptors solidified themselves as one of the most interesting teams in the league, since you don’t know which squad you are getting from a game-to-game basis. In a masterful display of defense, the Raptors flipped the switch on the Rockets, leaving them swinging elbows and wondering wtf happened. It was great. I was speaking to my buddy after the game, and he asked me if the Raptors had won the game (not knowing the outcome), since I was in a good mood. “Night and day” were his exact words.

It was the defense that stepped up yesterday and won it for the Raptors. From the tip, DeRozan and Turkoglu kept Ariza and Battier on a short leash. Not giving them the ability to spread the floor and create some space to operate in the paint. Scola was a beast in the paint early with 6pts 2rebs, but he was earning every basket with McHale-esque post moves. Jack got the nod with Jose out, again, and had a tough time with Brook’s quickness off the bounce. He made the little dynamo work on defense, bullying his way to the rack, but he didn’t let Brooks orchestrate any offense. The Rockets were forced to beat the Raptors off of one-on-one play in the first, and they just couldn’t. On the other end, the Rockets couldn’t deal with the Raptors size in the paint, as Bosh, Bargnani and Turkoglu made them pay possession after possession – scoring 26 (of 32 points) in the paint.

From the 2:25 mark of the 1st quarter until about the 8:40 mark of the 2nd, the Raptors bench provided QUALITY minutes of relief for the starters. A lineup of Banks, Belinelli, Weems, Johnson and Pops conceded 8 points in a 6 minute stretch that allowed the Raptors to stretch a 9 point lead to 15. Shocking, I know, with Banks on the floor and all. Pops was extra….Pops(?!?), as he wanted to exact some revenge on the Rockets for letting him go earlier in the season. He had two really big blocks, one of which forced me off the couch. Weems carried the offensive load for the B-squad, getting his points from slashes to the rim. We talked about this in the podcast, but Weems is doing a lot of the things that we thought DeRozan would be. It will be interesting to see who does what for the rest of the season with nothing guaranteed for the rook at this point.

The 3rd started ugly. The Rockets closed the gap to 9 points with a 5-1 run to start the quarter. The Raptors buckled down, and collapsed into the paint, forcing the Rockets to take bad jumpers from the perimeter. The surprising part was that they closed out on the shooters, not conceding an inch. A 12-0 Raptor run pushed the lead to 21 with the Raptors taking the ball into the paint, and kicking to the open man. Textbook. Jack and Turkoglu were doing everything. In fact, both of them had their best game of the year.

The Rockets cut the lead to 9 a few times, but the Raptors responded every single time. The second half saw the Rockets front court take it right to Bosh hard and in waves. Landry, Hayes and Scola were relentless with Bargnani part injured/part in foul trouble, and Bosh not carrying his weight in the second half (0 rebounds, ridiculous). It was the Raptor rebounding, or lack thereof, that let the Rockets hover on the fringe through the second half. Houston grabbed 9 offensive boards (25 total) in the second half compared to the Raptors 0 offensive (13 total) – Jack and Bargnani had 5 apiece accounting for 10 of the 13. And that was pretty much the game. The Raptors built a lead off of their defense, and maintained it with their defense.

Four Factors to Winning

As you can see, the Rockets lost this game because of their poor shooting. 38.5% eFG will not win you games, regardless of how well they defended the ball, grabbed offensive rebounds and got to the foul line. I’ll spare you the details, but it was defense that won the Raptors this game.

Player Impact

Jarrett Jack, it was all him today. Close to a triple-double, he did everything that was needed. This is the first time that Bosh hasn’t lit up this graph. Jack had a ridiculous game, to the point where I forgot about Calderon and was able to stomach Banks getting minutes

Quick Thoughts

• Surprises me to say so, but a 27pt 6reb performance by Bosh was an uninspired one. He had ample opportunities to really dominate the paint on both ends but he didn’t.
• A rolling strategy for the Raptors in regards to Bargnani would be to let him get off first. Unlike most men, when he gets his he doesn’t roll over and fall asleep.
• Speaking of Bargnani, if the guy is injured, we need to sit him. Can’t risk having him go down for extended periods of time this season.
• Sonny Weems is doing what DeRozan should be. After glimpses into what Heir Canada can do, he has taken a backseat the last two games while Weems is doing everything he can with the opportunity he is getting.
• Is it time to trade Calderon? While I’m not a Banks fan, Belinelli/Turkoglu could be used to orchestrate the offense while Jack gets rest on the bench. Calderon (other then Bosh/Bargnani) is probably the only guy who can fetch anything of value in a trade, and if Jack keeps up this level of play…I’m just saying, it is something to think about.
• Above all, Triano had the best game of his life. His substitutions were spot on the whole time. He managed the starters minutes, especially during that 6 minute stretch between the end of the 1st and beginning of the 2nd.
• WTF was with Ariza and that elbow? It looked like he wanted to hurt our boy. DeRozan did shut him down (1pt lol), but you can’t be throwing MMA style maneuvers at a dude on the court. At least it should cost him some money when Stu Jackson watches the tape. Tell me you didn’t love seeing Jack standing up for DeRozan who had no idea what happened.
• We wont know until tomorrow night if the Raptors have turned the corner, when the Raptors roll into Florida to play the Magic and Heat on back-to-back nights.

With the possiblity of Girogos joining the Raptors for the 2009-2010 season, we turned to Chris Denker from NetScouts to give us a scouting report on the Greek adonis:

Printezis is a 6’8 220 PF/SF who plays for Olympiacos Piraeus in Greece. He is a 24 year old guy who the San Antonio Spurs drafted in the 2nd Round in 2007. The Raptors acquired him in exchange for their 2008 2nd Round pick. He has been considered to be one of the better up and coming Greek players since winning the Greek League Best Young Player (aka. Rookie Award) in ’07. He also played for the Greek National Team in the 2008 Olympic Games. His team Olympiacos, features Josh Childress (Stanford & Atlanta Hawks), Lynn Greer (Temple), and Jannero Pargo (N.O. Hornets) and played in the EuroLeague Final Four this season losing to eventual champ and Greek rival Panathinaikos ultimately settling for fourth place.

In EuroLeague action this year he averaged 8.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. One thing he has always been is efficient offensively. He shoots a very high percentage because he usually scores in transition, on pick & roll to the rim sets, or on the offensive glass with put-backs. Although his stroke is decent he doesn’t look to shoot much beyond 15 feet and shoots a low % from the International 3-point line which is obviously closer than the NBA line.

Olypmpiacos to Toronto?

He won the Slam Dunk Contest at the Greek League All-Star game in 2007 which shows he has some athleticism, however he is a bit of a tweener size & skill wise. He runs well but isn’t overly quick laterally but possesses good strength and leaping ability. At 6’8 and 220 he’s a bit smaller than Luis Scola who took all kinds of knocks prior to his arrival in Houston about being too small to play PF in the NBA. Keeping in mind Scola was one of the best Spanish ACB and EL players as well as all of his FIBA exploits representing Argentina. I’m a huge Scola fan and as I’ve said in prior posts on this site, I much prefer a guy who has proven he can produce rather than worrying about how tall he is. However, with respect to Printezis, his numbers are nowhere near that of a player like Scola AND he’s an inch shorter and gives 20+ pounds.

Although he’s not a SF in my opinion from a skill perspective, I do think he possesses the toughness and a good amount of athletic ability to defend that spot as well as the PF position. Perhaps the Raps, with the ability of their current bigs to play outside/in, could utilize Printezis as a rim runner, slash cutter against rotations, and overall garbage guy on the offensive end while playing solid defensively at a couple positions. One of our scouts at NetScouts Basketball, Dionysios Nikiforos, has a sound knowledge of the Greek League and has suggested that Giorgos is a hard working guy, very coachable, very tough, who shows up to compete night in and night out.

On paper he seems to be a solid 2nd round pick-up with a chance to become a good role player for the Raps. Only time will tell.

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We’ve given him a fair shot to prove that he’s cornerstone material but in his five years with the club he’s only proven that he’s a good player, maybe even a very good one on some nights but is he irreplaceable? Not by a stretch. We’ve all come to accept that Bosh needs major help if this team is to go anywhere significant, and that having players like Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani and Shawn Marion isn’t good enough. We need to do better than that and I find it awfully difficult for Colangelo to import All-Star talent when he’s already cutting fat cheques to the players mentioned (Marion isn’t going to come cheap and Bargnani is due for a raise). If the only way to keep Bosh on the roster is to hand him an escalating contract starting at $21.5M a year, is it really worth it? Does it make sense for us to tie up $45M in just Bosh, Calderon and Bargnani given what they’ve shown?

Ideally you’d like to give these players another year to see if they can produce some magic but it’s too late for that, the Bosh decision is looming and the Raptors can’t afford to head into next summer with the only collateral being a sign-and-trade offer for him. Short of Bosh starting next season on fire and the team winning a good chunk of its games, this summer is the least riskiest time to trade him. If we start next season poorly the Bosh rumour mill will be working overtime and there will be valid speculation that he might want to leave a losing situation. Colangelo will be left to field low-ball offers form GMs knowing that he has to pull the trigger or else risk losing him for nothing. Right now, the chances of Bosh staying are perceived to be 50-50 which are the best odds Colangelo is likely to enter any trade negotiations with. A Bosh trade could also help us off-load one of our two terrible contracts in Jason Kapono and Marcus Banks giving us flexibility to sign the swingman that we need.

Bosh has proven to be a perimeter-oriented PF who can’t adjust to dynamic defenses that throw different looks at him. He’s slow to negotiate double-teams and almost always fails to properly read the defender who is showing help but not yet helping. His anticipatory senses are weak which means he resorts to very generic and predictable moves which are often easy to defend and much more importantly, do not make his teammates better because he does not yield good shots for them. His drives to the rim do not have an outlet option and his decision-making at the elbow is slow and painful to watch. He does not have the basketball IQ or skill to warrant a touch on every possession, in other words, he’s not the guy you want to fall back on in times of crisis, and if I’m investing $21.5M a year in a player, I sure hope he can do that for me.

Take Kevin Garnett’s example in Minnesota, he was handed a max-contract and outside of one playoff run, couldn’t muster a thing in the post-season. He’s a great example of very good player that can be counted on to do certain very valuable things such as playing defense, toughening up the inside, being a floor leader, but the second you ask him to provide for you when it counts you run into trouble. The Celtics have 60M dollars tied up in three Hall of Famers and only then can they think about contending. The same is true with Bosh, you’ll need Hall-of-Fame-type help to go anywhere with him and unlike the Celtics, we can’t pull that off. There’s no point building a team around him without getting All-Star quality help at two other positions.

You get a sense of where a player’s ceiling might be in their third or fourth year and although Bosh hasn’t hit it, he’s shown what it is. He’s living off the same skill-set for the last three years – mid-range jumper and blow-by quickness. He has shown little to no improvement in his post-game which has prevented him for truly punishing defenses that put a quicker defender on him. His footwork is mediocre and his finishing ability around the rim is poor and soft. I think it’s fair to say that he’s never going to be an efficient scorer like Tim Duncan, a power player like Dwight Howard or as explosive as Amare Stoudamire was before the injuries. He’s best suited for a team that doesn’t depend on his scoring and can have him play a freelancing role with little offensive pressure – much like Kevin Garnett. The difference is that on the Raptors we need him to do more while the Celtics can afford Garnett to do less.

Luis Scola has averages higher rebounding per-48 and is 1.58 points behind Bosh in terms of scoring per FGA. Bosh averages twice as many FT attempts as Scola which also means he gets that many more touches. Luis Scola is a more efficient player than Chris Bosh. That’s a fact and the worst part is that I haven’t seen anything in Bosh’s game to suggest that he’s going to improve on his rates. Other than his improved jumper his growth as an offensive player has slowed down if not stagnated.

He’s still the best player on the team but you have to wonder how much of that is the result of him being a good player on a bad team. If we have the chance to convert him into assets that could have more potential we should jump on the opportunity, after all, we have a pretty good idea what we have here and its still not good enough. Five years and two first-round exits later you have to re-examine the strategy of building around Bosh and move on. He will be a perennial All-Star with someone like Wade or Lebron around him but here in Toronto where resources are scarce, he’ll always be asked to perform beyond his means and that’s not fair to him and the fans. Simply put, we don’t have the financial capacity to surround him with the caliber of players that he needs while paying him big bucks at the same time. If Bosh had the ability to attract other free agents to Toronto it could’ve been considered or maybe even if had shown the ability to lead and motivate his teammates, but he just doesn’t have those oh so important intangible characteristics.

Surrounding a dominant player with a collection of good to great role players is a viable strategy of team-building and one that is working for teams such as Orlando, Cleveland and LA. Unfortunately, the Raptors can’t follow that model because they lack the dominant player needed for it to have a chance. I’d much rather see this team sure-up as many positions as it can and try to instill a concept of team-ball which can produce success. The “shorter rotation” strategy failed miserably for us last year and if the primary difference between next year’s team and the previous one the replacement of O’Neal with Marion, we’ll be running into the same issues again.

A Bosh trade right now could help us solidify two or more positions, if we allow his contract situation to drag on into the season we’ll be encouraging teams vying for him to wait it out till next summer and make a clean run at him. Colangelo has to try to and sign him into a reasonable extension and if that’s not possible, do what’s best for the franchise, not for Chris Bosh. Listen intently to the trade offers that will come from Detroit, Golden State, Miami, Dallas and Cleveland and swing a deal that gives this team 1-2 years to gel the incoming players and aim for serious contention in 2010-11 or 2011-12. It can be done, we just have to barter our highest valued resource properly and do our homework in the draft, no reason why this thing can’t be turned around if Bargnani continues his development, Calderon returns to form and we solve the defensive rebounding issues.

This franchise should not be held hostage by Chris Bosh’s indecision on whether to sign or not, we need to be proactive and do what’s best for the team right now. The Chris Bosh chapter of this franchise is over and it was the least exciting of them all.

Normally, RuPaul would respond to being called Bosh “sashay shante“, but he’s in Bush country and you can’t blame him for looking over his shoulder. We know how dem rednecks like dem der colored transvestites…they don’t. The Mavs rolled out the welcome wagon with a 109-98 spanking. Bosh put up a lady-like 28pts and 10rebs, all from the out-side, best part – he didn’t break a nail.

Normally, when a cornerstone of your franchise goes down for the year, the team packs it up. This season, we have seen the Bucks and Rockets play arguably better. I have watched a few Rockets games over the last couple seasons, and always found that they play a better brand of ball with T-Mac out of the lineup. Call it Iverson-syndrome, or the fact that karma is a b*tch, but since McGrady shafted the Raptors, his career has been nothing but cashing pay-checks ever two weeks.

This Rockets team is loads better without McGrady IMHO. If I were Daryl Morey, I would be trying to move McGrady for a couple pieces that would solidify the bench. Over the last 10 games, the Rockets are 8-2, with their two losses coming against the Bucks (what I tell you?) and the Bulls (a furious rally in the 4th). Their most recent game came at the hands of the Timberwolves, which doesn’t really count seeing as Jefferson is out for the season.

Backshot girl.

The Raptors on the other hand is 4-6, in the  middle of a 2 game losing streak that could stretch to 7. Marion is out with a flu, Bosh is the laughing stock of the league and each day we realize that this team is damned if they do, and damned if they don’t with their current management team in place. The last time these guys met earlier in the season, the Raptors managed to spank these guys 94-73.You might remember that game, the Rockets played some of the ugliest basketball, going 7-27 from the 3pt line.

They aren’t as well endowed as the Mavs cheerleaders, but we have ourselves a winner (and not by default). Her name is Julie, she takes pride in how far she has cum, and lists ‘How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days’ as the greatest movie ever. There’s no accounting for taste, but she’s damn hot.

Injury Report

Raptors
Kris Humphries
Shawn Marion – questionable

Rockets
Tracy McGrady

Match-ups

Calderon vs Brooks
The Edge: Brooks - Calderon sucks. Brooks was a non-factor the first time they played this season, but with Rafers exile to Orlando, and Head being waved, he has been thrust into the starting role: 22pts 10asts? Raise of hands, who thought Calderon would put those numbers up this year? LOL

Parker vs Artest
The Edge: Artest - Ron-Ron will be having a big night for the Rockets, unless Marion is healthy enough to go, which wont change the outcome, but could keep Artest in check…to a degree. There is a possibility that Parker will cover Battier and Graham on Artest, that would a better match-up for the Raptors, still don’t like for either of them though.

Graham vs Battier
The Edge: Battier - How big a contract will Joey Graham get this off-season? I suspect a 3yr/$10mill type deal. I say this because we really don’t know what we have in this guy. Is he playing for a contract, or did Smitch really have it in for the guy? I’m leaning to the former, but who knows. Battier is easily the best player in the match-up, and easily will win this match-up for one reason: he does what he needs too. If he needs to play defense for the Rockets to win, he will and they will. If he needs to hit treys for the Rockets to win, he will and they will. The guy is a pro, he can play for my team any day.

Bosh vs Scola
The Edge: Scola - Does dropping 28pts 10rebs while losing mean you won the match-up? Statistically yes, but not where it matters, in the W column. I suspect RuPaul will put up solid numbers, but Scola will do 15pts 10rebs and the Rockets will win. He gets the nod.

Bargnani vs Yao
The Edge: Yao - It’s a sweep. Yao will dominate in the block, Bargnani should dominate on the perimeter. Yao will win the battle on the boards, Bargnani will hit more treys. Yao will win the game, Bargnani wont.

Note - Von Wafer is someone to watch out for. He lit us up for 18pts the last time around, and is averaging 17 a game over the last 5 games (since McGrady has gone down I believe, I wonder how he feels that every time he goes down, the team plays better?).

The Line

VegasInsider.com has the line at Rockets -8.5

Prediction

Go with the line, Raptor suck and the Rockets are jockeying for 2nd round home court advantage.

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Free Ukic .

And resign Bosh to a max deal or this team is in dire straits (or just ship RuPaul out for a few young QUALITY pieces).