Raptors linked to Taj Gibson by reports, the five types of Raptors fans and DeRozan’s passing.
Welcome to the Weekend 3-on-2, a not-so-weekly feature that looks at five random topics that weren’t enough to merit standalone posts.
On Taj Gibson
As we relayed here on RR, the Raptors are reportedly in the market for a power forward and have been linked by various reports (Sporting News, Basketball Insiders) to Chicago Bulls power forward Taj Gibson.
Strictly speaking on a basketball level, Gibson would be a good add for Toronto. The 29-year-old is in his prime and one of the league’s best defenders at power forward. He would have easily nailed down a starting gig had he not been pinned beneath Pau Gasol and Carlos Boozer’s gigantic contract in Chicago for years. He’s quick, he’s tough, he rebounds well and he’s disciplined. Gibson can even score a little bit in the post if need be and won’t dick around with midrange jumpers. He’s a consummate blue collar professional and a really good player.
But the fit isn’t as perfect as it would seem. Maybe I’m pinning on a fantastical silver bullet solution in the frontcourt (and that could be ridiculous of me) but I do know that Gibson isn’t perfect. He’s nice, but he doesn’t fully fit Toronto’s needs. He will struggle against huge bigs in the same way Jonas Valanciunas does and he can’t shoot, which kills what little spacing the Raptors have. That means the Raptors would have to sacrifice on offense, especially when he’s paired up with Amir Johnson or Valanciunas.
Think about the Raptors’ closing unit if they get Gibson. He’d likely take Amir’s crunch time due to the spacing thing, which means Toronto would be trotting out two 6-foot-9 frontcourt players. James Johnson would also be hard-pressed for time (whatever, he already is) as DeMar DeRozan isn’t much of a shooter. Would a lineup of Gibson-Patterson-Vasquez/Ross/Lou-DeRozan-Lowry really be that much better than what the Raptors currently have with Amir Johnson? I’m thinking, no, right?
There’s also the cost. Gibson is on a very fair deal that pays $9 million and $9.5 million the two seasons thereafter. That’s fair, but it basically kills any cap space the Raptors would have in 2015, which is pretty much their only chance to add in free agency unless they give up on a core piece (Valanciunas and Ross are up for extensions). That would effectively cement the Raptors in place as is.
There’s also the post-Bulls caveat. It’s no great secret that Tom Thibodeau wrings every drop out of each player and while Gibson has been a loyal soldier, he’s starting to show signs of wear and tear, missing various chunks of time this season. At the very least, this can’t be ignored.
Finally, the Raptors would have to give something in return. Chicago’s weakness is on the wing, just like the Raptors. That means the Raptors would have to trade a player like Terrence Ross along with some other assets, along with cap ballast (Fields along with Ross would work). That would just create yet another hole in the lineup. Plus, I doubt the Bulls would make a deal to improve the Raptors, who are a direct competitor.
So, it’s a nice idea, but I’d pass.
On trade rumors
I’m in the business of news aggregation, so I keep a close eye on how teams operate with respect to leaking reports to the media. I can confidently rank Masai Ujiri’s operation as one of the most iron-clad outfits in the league — right up there with the Spurs. Things don’t usually get out. And if they do, it’s usually from the other side, like with the Lowry-to-NYK reports.
Over the next two weeks, there will be plenty of rumors flying around, and given that Toronto is a psuedo-contender with workable assets to facilitate a trade, it would be a fair guess to hear the Raptors tied to various reports. I’d never doubt the integrity or process of journalists, as they know far more about the goings on in the league than I do, but I would like to stress the following point: The Raptors run a really tight ship.
As always, go with God — trust Woj. Trust guys like Marc Spears, Zach Lowe, Ramona Shelburne, Marc Stein and Sam Amick. And, of course, trust the local beat guys. Eric Koreen, Josh Lewenberg and Ryan Wolstat, to name a few, are really, really solid.
On the 5 types of Raptors fans
I love reading the comments. There’s a very good chance that I’ll respond if you drop a line in the comments on this article, for example.
Because I read so many of the comments, I’m fairly familiar with the psyche of the readership. I can fairly confidently group most readers here into one of five categories.
- The “check the record” fan
- “SMH what a disloyal bunch. Y’all are bandwaggoners. This is the best team the Raptors have ever had and all you want to do is complain about Lou ISOs or Jonas’s playing time.”
- Will often show up after painful losses to denounce “haters”
- The “long-time sufferer” fan
- “This is just like [a previous time in Raptors history]. It’s all going to end in the same way, just like it always has.”
- Will often compare Dwane Casey to Sam Mitchell. The most brazen will even label Masai Ujiri as similar to Bryan Colangelo.
- The “underlying problems” fan
- “Raps won, but OMG I’m not sure how long they can keep succeeding in spite of terrible process.”
- Will often show up after too-close-for-comfort wins to complain about Lou or Casey’s coaching.
- The “happy to be here” fan
- “I don’t care that the Raptors needed OT to beat the Nets. I’ll take wins anyway they come.”
- Different from the “check the record” fan in that they won’t attack anyone for being negative, will often draw the ire of “underlying problems” fans
- The “fan/hater of one player/coach/ideologue” fan
- “Vasquez is so much better than what he has shown because the system is not set up for him to succeed!”
- Think Asif, but he’s probably the most reasonable out of this bunch
The two types of fans were excluded because they just like to see the world burn: Chicken Littles and Trolls.
On DeRozan’s passing
I’ll admit it. I jumped the gun on Tuesday when I wrote a fluff piece on DeRozan’s high assist totals. He had been passing better and looked improved, but it was too small of a sample size to extrapolate from. Nevertheless, I went ahead and wrote it because deadlines and it’s sports, so why not take a shot.
As it turns out, since returning from injury DeRozan has done a much better job of setting up his teammates as evidenced by his assist totals. DeRozan has logged six or more helpers in five of his last six contests, including eight against the Clippers last night.
I don’t want to repeat myself, but DeRozan has looked more confident and willing to create of late. The game seems slower for him. Now, when he attacks in a pick-and-roll, DeRozan will maintain his dribble, but loiter for a second (to sing it in ecstatic songs) to survey his options at the elbow area. He’s especially dangerous in that area as he’s a threat to drive, shoot and pass, which is a lot to account for. Smart teams are just sagging back on him and concede the jumper, but DeRozan has shown the vision to ping kickouts to shooters like Vasquez and Ross, or hit the roll-man when needed.
Passes like these, where DeRozan lures defenders just enough to open up a look, was not in his arsenal in seasons past.
The best part of all this is the trickle-down effect on Lowry. When he’s at his best, Lowry isn’t dominating the ball and dictating every possession. There’s an inflection point in which Lowry’s utility starts to decline, and given his workload this year, that inflection point is much closer to what we saw last night — where Lowry picked his spots wisely after deferring equal share of playmaking to DeRozan — than the 25-shots-a-night Lowry we saw in games past.
On the golden age of basketball analysis
Before I went to work on Friday, I wanted to catch up on the goings on in the NBA by taking a quick trip through the bloggosphere. I hit the usual spots: Grantland, r/NBA, Truehoop, Hardwood Paroxysm, Eye on Basketball, theScore, SB Nation, SI. I had originally wanted to read a piece or two over breakfast. Instead, I found myself glued to my laptop for nearly two hours.
There’s a lot of excellent and insightful writing and analysis on the NBA. Whether you’re a disgruntled Leafs fan ready to jump ship out of the miserable soul-sucking wreckage that is hockey in Toronto, or an old-timey basketball consumer, there’s so much to be learned, so much insight to be gleamed, so much thought-provoking discussion to be had about the league. It’s fantastic. I find myself inspired by them every day.
So in no particular order, here’s a few pieces that I found incredibly worthwhile.
- How Warriors built NBA’s top defense – Ethan Sherwood Strauss delivers a thorough look at what makes the Warriors’ D so damn good.
- Derrick Favors’ big leap – Ben Dowsett on the quiet, but important emergence of Favors
- Don’t sleep on the Clippers – Zach Lowe on why the Clippers are a threat to win it all (despite their intense unlike-ability)
- 13 non-all-star standouts – Mike Prada shows love to the behind-the-scenes situational stars (including Patterson!)
- While you weren’t watching – Rob Mahoney shows you subtle plays that you may have missed
- Raptors face mounting evidence that their defense is just bad – Eric Koreen says what we’re all thinking, but eloquently, with measure, evidence and quotes
- Can we all give Jerami Grant a hug – Drew Corrigan breaks down a shot-blocking, 3-point shooting pterodactyl known only as Jerami Grant
- Gobert’s emergence making Kanter expendable for Jazz – RR’s Blake Murphy gushes about the Stifle Tower
Enjoy the weekend!
