Tag Archives: Kevin Garnett

by | May 29, 2012 · 9:28 am

Lady Luck not Really a Raptor Fan

On Wednesday night the Raptors, and their fans will be hoping and praying for some lottery luck to help expedite the turnaround of this franchise. Whether it’s a rabbit foot, a troll doll, or a purple horse shoe, fans will be bringing out their lucky charms to help send the Raptors positive energy in the hopes that one of the Raptor ping-pong balls comes out first.   

Though the team has shown glimpses of success and has a great deal of free agent money to spend, The Raptors really lack a clear franchise player. This type of player is available, but not likely if they stay where they are at the number 9 spot. 

Either Anthony Davis or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist could turn the Raptors fortune around immediately if the Raptors were to have the opportunity to select them.

The days of Vince and CB4 are gone.  Although there is little reason to doubt that Andrea Bargnani and DeMar DeRozan will turn into serviceable players, they likely are not going to become franchise players.

This NBA draft offers a couple of almost sure shot superstars in the opening round in Anthony Davis and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.  The Toronto Raptors are currently slated to draft 9th if everything stays the same, but could move up or down depending on what happens around them.

Lady Luck needs to smile on the Raptors at this Wednesday night lottery.  I hate to say it, but it isn’t likely to happen.

Take a look at our draft lottery history. 

The Toronto Raptors have never really had great success in the draft lottery.  Even in their first season they were put in the 6th position by the NBA offices.  Something that had never happened before until Canadian expansion.  True, the Raptors went on to draft eventual rookie of the year Damon Stoudamire, but still, a lottery win could have been exciting and the team missed out on players like Rasheed Wallace, Kevin Garnett and Michael Finley all who went on to have better careers than “Mighty Mouse”.

The Raptors actually won their second ever draft, but because of league rules were forced to draft 2nd.  That turned Allen Iverson into Marcus Camby.  Don’t even mention that Isaiah Thomas missed out on Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Peja Stojakovic.  Luck just wasn’t on their side.

The Raptors have only ben able to draft in the first position once in their history and chose Andrea Bargnani. Six years later, the Raptors are still searching for their franchise player.

The Raptors did eventually strike the number one overall pick in 2006, the same year the NBA ruled that it would no longer allow underclassmen to declare for the NBA draft.  Had high school students been given that opportunity that year, Greg Oden and Kevin Durant would have been very serious possibilities to join the NBA.

Nothing against Andrea, he has turned into a very good player and probably one of the top five players from that draft, but I’d rather have Kevin Durant.  I think everyone in the history of time and space would agree with me as well. We may have actually dodged a bullet with Oden, but still, the universe has seemingly been against us. 

Lady luck just hasn’t got it done for the Raptors.  They’ve had to make the best out of their poor draft position and, for the most part, they have.  Early on the Raptors found diamonds in the rough in Tracy McGrady at number 9 in the 1997 draft, Morris Petersen at number 21 in 2000 and DeMar DeRozan at number 9 in 2009.

They were also able to create their biggest success through a draft day trade that moved Antawn Jamison to the Warriors for Vince Carter.  The rest is, of course, history.

It would seem that Bryan Colangelo, Ed Stefanski and Dwane Casey are going to have to make the best of their current draft position, but you never know.  This could be our year.  This could be the year the Raptors get to draft that highly touted “game changer” that has alluded them since the franchises inception.  I mean it is mathematically possible according to Jay Satur  but it really isn’t all that likely.

Raptor fans are better to hope that some bigger names drop for some inexplicable reason like Peterson, DeMar and Ed Davis did in their draft years. Or the Raptors will have to hope Bryan Colangelo does his homework as he appears to have done with last years surprise Jonas Valanciunas. The pick was widely panned at the time until common sense and the opportunity to see him play changed people’s minds. 

Still, at the end of the day; I’ll cheer for our 12.3% chance of landing one of the top three picks and our 3.5% of winning the whole thing.  It could happen.

I mean it’s already happened twice.

Hopefully this time it will land the franchise player the Toronto Raptors so desperately need.

And if not, well we’re going to have to trust the Raptor brain trust to make a smart move at a lower position.  Something, we know, they have been able to do over the years. 

Happy Draft Lottery Day folks!

***

Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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by | January 18, 2012 · 11:12 pm

Ugh

So what is there to say about that one?

That was ugly.  It was so ugly it was ooglie.

Unfortunately when you’re missing your best player, playing a tough team on the road and don’t bring your A game there are gonna be nights like tonight.

The Raptors, somehow, were able to hang with the Celtics until the half.

Then all heck broke loose and the Raptors were just beaten.  In every way possible, they were beaten.  Their shots didn’t fall, they lost rebounds, couldn’t defend, took bad fouls and could not get any momentum.

The veteran Celtics team smelled the blood in the water and finished the Raps early in the third.  The fourth was  almost unnecessay as the Raps were bested by the Celtics first, second and third units.

In the end the fans out there leading “Tank Nation” will be happy with the result, while others hoping to see, at least, some positive signs of progress will be disappointed with, what is now, the Raptors’ sixth straight loss.

Zan for Three

Panic Button?

So it is well documented in the Toronto media that Demar Derozan is not playing that well.  I’m sure he reads and hears about it more than he cares to right now.  Rightly or wrongly the worry and concern over the team has been focused squarely on him.

It was a long night at the office for the Raptors who were obliterated 96-73 in Boston.

Is it time to worry?

This could be a slump and something he needs to work through.  It could also be evidence that he isn’t ready to be a number one player on this team.

The season is still only starting and there is plenty of time for Demar to turn it arouind.  So, maybe we should hold off on all the doomsday talk for a little while and see how he battles through this.  

The true mark of a great player is how they respond to adversity.

Forbes Nation

I realize that the sample size is tiny, but I’m liking what I’m seeing from Gary Forbes in the last few games. Obviously it is hard to assess a guy that played well in a blow out, but he has looked good over the last little while shooting and handling the ball.  He is taking to the point position well so far and seems to be solid on both ends of the floor.

Tim Chisholm recently tweeted that he wasn’t sure whether Forbes was actually good or just looked good next to the rest of the Raptor team.  That is a fair comment, as the team certainly isn’t setting the world on fire, but I think Forbes has some talent.  He is fast and provides coach Casey with a number of different options. 

He is creative, can shoot the ball and is able to get to the rim with his speed.

Definitely a player to keep an eye on.

Contenders?

So where does this Celtic team stack up in the East? Obviously they are not the beasts they once were, but still possess major stars in Rondo, Allen, Garnett, and Paul Pierce.  All these players are significantly older and their once strong bench has been depleted by trades.

Are these guys for real?

Sure they can beat up on Toronto, but can they handle the Heat? Can they match up against Chicago?  Are they a serious threat to compete for a championship or even for a top 4 seed in the Eastern Conference?

Are they a team to fear?

A few years ago this was something that wasn’t a question, now it’s debatable, but in the end they are a far cry from what they once were.

Zan of the Night

Aaron Gray

Welcome Back to the Show! Extended minutes that showed hustle and a desire to win.  I liked the fight he had in him tonight, despite the fact that he was coming in cold and hadn’t played competitively since the summer.  Glad to see him finally haelthy enough to play.  Welcome to Toronto Aaron!

Not Zan of the Game

Everyone who had the misfortune of watching that debacle.  Honestly, one of the worst I can remember in recent memory.  Thank goodness this shortened NBA season has a quick turnaround most nights.  The Raptors are back at it on Friday against Portland.  May our memories be short.

***

Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald

***

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by | May 1, 2011 · 2:55 pm

Ex Raptors become X-Factors in Round Two

As round two begins in the NBA, we’ve said goodbye to a few old allies.  Jarrett Jack and Marco Belinelli have packed their bags after a very succesful first round series against the Lakers.  Matt Bonner had a disappointing first round with San Antonio as they were bounced by the Grizzlies and Roy Hibbert and TJ Ford find themselves spectators as round two begins.

As the second round begins,  a few former Raptor favourites could tip the scales in their second round series.  Let’s take a look at the key Ex-Raptors that will likely be X-Factors for their respective teams.

Miami vs. Boston

The Big three vs. the Big Three.  This is a dream matchup for the NBA and any fan who enjoys good basketball.  We know that Lebron and Wade are going to score in bunches and we know that Ray Allen will be tossing key three pointers throughout the series and Kevin Garnett will be intense.  What we don’t know is how Chris Bosh will play against some really tough playoff competition.

If Miami has dreams of championship glory, they will need Chris Bosh to fight like he has never fought before.

Chris Bosh will be the key to winning this series for Miami.  Bosh has played very well thus far against Philly, but he is about to match up against Kevin Garnett who he has never played well against.  He will also have to play against the likes of Big Baby and Jermaine Oneal.  These are not finesse players.  They get dirty and fight with everything they have for a loose ball or a rebound.

If Chris Bosh is to be successful against these tough players he is going to have to channel is inner Reggie Evans and JYD.  Bosh needs to be less finesse and more banger.  He will need to fight like he has never fought before and be the player that keeps possessions alive and gives Wade and Lebron second chances.

On the flip side, Boston will rely heavily on Jermaine O’neal.  There likely won’t be a Shaq appearnce until later on in the series so Jermaine will be handed the task of containing Chris Bosh.  This is someone he knows quite well from his days in the T-dot.

Jermaine O’neal has been through the rigors of playoff basketball and is no newcomer to intensity in the playoffs.  His Indiana teams played their fare share of tough games.  He will need to be defensively sound and provide help defense when Lebron and Wade bust through the key.  If you need a hard foul to send a message, Jermaine O’neal is your guy.  He backs down from no one and may be the last line of defense for the Celtics.  He will be a key if the Celtics hope to head to the Eastern Conference Finals.

If Bosh can find that inner fight, Miami wins this series.  If he gets bullied on the glass by Garnett and O’neal and is shut down on the offensive end then it will be a second round exit for the boys from South Beach.

Dallas vs. LA Lakers

This series will be a shoot out.  Scoring is going to happen in bunches and defense will likely take a back seat as it often does in Dallas.  The mavericks have a number of players that can score in bunches in Nowitzki, Terry and Jason Kidd.  These three will score but might have trouble keeping up with Kobe, Gasol and Bynum.  If they are going to keep up, they will need their supporting cast members to step up.

Enter Shawn Marion and Peja Stojakovic.  These two players have the offensive skill set to be deadly to an opposing team.  While the defense focuses on Dirk and Terry,  Peja and Marion will likely get their fair share of good looks.  Marion is a player that makes those around him better.  He can pass effectively, shoots the ball well and knows how to get to the foul line (a valuable asset in the playoffs).  Peja Stojakovic has enjoyed a resurgence with Dallas and simply needs to stand on that three-point line and deliver.

Neither player was in Toronto for very long so we never had the chance to see them at their best.  But this is the playoffs an both are very familiar with the battles of playoff ball.  If used properly these players will help Dallas overthrow the defending champs.

Throw in “Almost Raptor” Tyson Chandler and you have an absolutely lethal rotation that can beat you in a number of different ways.

If Dallas spreads the floor, shares the ball and gets plenty of supporting effort from their bench they will win the series.  If the bench can’t contribute against the defending champs then the Lakers will continue their quest for another title.

Atlanta vs. Chicago

Do not underestimate the Atlanta Hawks.  Pundits and “experts” are already counting them out.

Don’t.

They are a young team finally coming into their own and might surprise the Bulls, who looked a little sluggish against Indiana.  This is a Hawks team that was able to defeat a pretty good team in Orlando.

Although I expect the Bulls to win the series I think it will be a longer  series than anyone thinks.

Watch out for Al Horford.  He will be a tough matchup for Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah inside. He is tough to match up against in the post and provides sturdy defense that could give Chicago’s Bigs fits on the inside.

The ex-Raptor to watch here is Chuck Swirsky, who may just faint when his team reaches theEastern Conference finals.  If the Bulls win he’ll likely look more lost than Tomas Kaberle during the Bruins game 7 celebration earlier this week.

It is likely that the Salami and Cheese will be brought out for the Hawks.

Oklahoma vs. Memphis

This series has no Raptor connections, but the Raptors should take note of these young teams and how they have built themselves into winning franchises.  It wasn’t long ago that a 22 win season was considered a success for the Thunder and Grizz.  These teams were able to build themselves back into contenders and the Raptors should hope they follow a similar path.

Neither of these teams became a success overnight and they surely didn’t do it by trading draft picks or signing  a slew of veteran players to bad contracts.  They built themselves slowly through the draft and then added veteran pieces to compliment those young players.

Watching Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka face Randolph, Gasol and Conely could very well be what Raptor fans will see in a few years from Derozan, Davis and Amir.

In terms of X-Factors for this series I would go with Shane Battier and Kendrick Perkins.  Perkins has been a non-factor thus far in the playoffs but he will need to help lead this young team as they focus on Playoff advancement.  He’s been through the wars before and they will need him to help contain the beast that is Randolph. Hopefully he wakes up soon or the surging Grizzlies might be too difficult to defeat.

Lots to watch as a Raptor fan, as some old friends will likely be keys to the teams that ultimately prevail.

***

Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald
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by | December 16, 2010 · 12:22 am

Bulls Teach Young Raptors a Lesson

So that was ugly, wasn’t it?

Once it was confirmed that Andrea Bargnani wasn’t going to play because of a sore left knee, the Raptors were pretty much destined for an ass whooping.  This one got ugly by the half, but credit where credit is due, the young Raptors showed some fight and there is reason for hope for the future.

Chicago is arguably one of the top four or five teams in the East and, with Carlos Boozer back in the lineup, they are a hard team to beat each and every night.  The Bulls have a tough as nails coach, in Tom Thibodeau, who preaches defense and a young core that seems to be growing well together.

The Raptors should take notice.  This is a team they should try to build themselves in the mould of.

Zan For Three

2010 Free Agency Redux

So looking back at the circus that was the 2010 free agency period Lebron and Wade remain the biggest pick ups and are starting to make a tremendous difference with the Miami Heat.  They are beginning to be everything they were advertised to be but how about the pick up of Amare Stoudamire and Carlos Boozer?

Much was made of Lebron, Bosh, Wade and Amare but Boozer was almost a forgotten bridesmaid during that time.  His off-season injury also erased him from our minds during the first part of the season.  He is back and he is kicking some serious ass.

Carlos Boozer was unstoppable tonight at the ACC. He almost single-handedly defeated he Raptors. There simply was no way to stop Boozer on Wednesday night.

Boozer is, by far, the best player on the court for his team and that is saying something with a starting five that looks the way it does in Chicago.  Miami may have built a winning culture in South Beach, but Chicago picked up a piece that really puts them over the edge.

Forget that he dominated Amir Johnson and Joey Dorsey.  These are not playoff calibre power forwards yet.  Boozer’s dominance inside makes him a very tough match up going into any playoff matchup.  Bosh vs. Boozer?  I’ll take Boozer.  Horford vs. Boozer? I’ll take Boozer .  Kevin Garnett might be the only one who can shut him down, and he’s a bit slower and maybe not as tough.

Watch out Eastern Conference.  This guy is going to make a big difference this year.

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Flattery

Jay Triano and his staff should be paying close attention to what Tom Thibodeau and his staff are doing in Chicago.  This is a team that can score, but man is their defense good.  Chicago allows their offense to dictate their offense and the Raptors still haven’t figured that out yet.

The Bulls forced stops on the defensive end and turned them into points on the offensive end.  The Raptors are still trying to out-shoot their opponents.  This strategy doesn’t work very often, if ever.

It’s time Colangelo, Triano and the rest of the organization look at teams like Boston and Chicago and start imitating what they see.  The players in Boston and Chicago both bought into Thibodeau’s system and have reaped the benefits.  Why would the Raptors not want to try the same philosophy?

Obviously a change of team philosophy requires some new players, and possibly coaches, but it may be something that the “big Wigs” of MLSE should seriously consider.  That is, of course, if they’re interested in winning at all.

Silver Lining

Tonight Sucked.  Let’s just call a spade a spade and move on.  We are not in the calibre of a team like Chicago.  We are not.  Plain and simple.  However tonight provided some opportunities to be hopeful and look, positively, into the future.

Joey Dorsey (12 pts and 13 reb on 5-8 shooting in 29 minutes)

This is an impressive stat line from the young power forward out of Memphis.  Yes, some of those points were scored in garbage time, but he is resembling something the Raptors may want to take a chance on.  He is a big body and possess some post-up skills and might be worth investing in.  He showed some fight tonight and banged inside against some pretty tough interior players.

Jarryd Bayless ( 20 pts and 4 Assists in 33 minutes)

Bayless has been the engine on offense.  Although many of us would like to see a point guard pass the ball a little more, he has played well since being acquired from New Orleans.  He is resembling more of a shooting guard, but this kid is 22 years old and certainly has some upside.  He gets to the rim, can shoot and is serviceable on the defensive end of the floor.

Ed Davis (10 pts on 5/9 shooting, 10reb, in 32 minutes)

His first start as a Raptor and he played well in spurts.  He was overmatched inside by Chicago’s bigs but Davis held his own against some pretty admirable talent.  This kid is going to be a decent NBA player.  I like the look of him, I like the way he plays the game.  He doesn’t force the issue and will only get better and better.  If the team, as I suggested earlier, starts looking at the defensive side of the ball then Davis could be a key player moving forward.  Definitely something to look forward to.

Zan of the Night

Carlos Boozer

The man is an absolute beast.  I would not want to meet him in an alley or in the paint.  He scares me and even thinking of him tonight gives me shivers.  He absolutely dominated the inside tonight and basically took whatever he wanted from the Raptor bigs.  Amir Johnson was his play toy tonight and there was nothing anyone could do about it.

Not Zan of the Night

Amir Johnson

Hey dude, I love you as a player.  On this current Raptor squad, you’re probably my favourite player, but tonight was not your night.  Mama told you there’d be days like this.  More fouls than points, not a lot of minutes for you out there because of the foul trouble and not much brewing on the offensive end either. Take it as a learning experience and move on.  Carlos Boozer is one of the best.  You have work to do before you are competing consistently with the likes of that bad boy.

***
Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald
***
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by | October 26, 2010 · 9:06 pm

The Zan Talks Bigs

The Players
Andrea Bargnani
Reggie Evans
Amir Johnson
Ed Davis
David Anderson
Soloman Alabi
Joey Dorsey
The Story
The Raptors enter their first season in the post-Bosh era and will need to find a way to replace his production.  Not only did Bosh score 2o+ each game and get to the line whenever he felt like it, he also fought hard on the glass and picked up 10 boards a night as well.
Andrea Bargnani, Colangelo’s golden child, is now officially the franchise “go-to guy”.  Whether he plays his natural position on the floor will depend on his effort each night on the defensive end and whether the Raptors acquire another quality big to play the center position.
Bargnani has looked good, not great, since being drafted number one overall and the Raptors franchise has been waiting patiently for him to explode into a Dirk Nowitzski-like superstar.  A prediction that may never come to fruition.
Now Raptor fans get to see if he is everything Colangelo hoped he would be.  Andrea will get the ball more and definitely will have plays drawn up for him on the offensive end, something that was severely lacking at times over the last few years.
He will also have to fight his way out of double teams; something he has never had to do before and will be called on to guard some  pretty tough talent.  (Hello Kevin Garnett!)  This will be a telling year in the life of Andrea Bargnani.
Amir Johnson had a great year as Chris Bosh’s backup and now takes over as a main guy up front.  He was given a contract that has been heavily criticized from the moment pen touched paper.  Still he is a solid rebounder and will play hard every night.  He will also foul-out many nights as he still has trouble staying in front of his man.  The Raptors are hoping he matures quickly and corrects the errors in his game.
Ed Davis may have been a draft night steal, but time will tell whether he has anything to give the Raps in his first season in the NBA.
David Anderson was a marginal pickup by Colangelo but may turn out to be a solid bench player the way Rasho Nesterovic was in 2007.  He had a solid pre-season and may surprise some people.
Joey Dorsey and Soloman Alabi are big projects, and I mean big.  Both are athletically gifted and huge, but their talent is raw.  Jay Triano is hoping this will be a developmental year for them with the club.

Best Case Scenario

Andrea Bargnani becomes a superstar (Yes you read that right).  Without Chris Bosh, the Raptors focus the offense around the Big Italian and he shines.  Fighting his way out of double teams and scoring 20+ most nights.  If he marginally improves on the defensive end everyone will be happy.  If Bargs is to make a full impact on this team, he will need to become more vocal in the locker room and show his emotions from time to time.  The best players usually lead by example.

The torch will officially be passed from Chris Bosh to Andrea Bargnani this year.

Reggie Evans shows Raptor fans what they missed last year.  He plays well, defends the ball hauls down rebounds in bunches.  He is an occasional starter against more difficult matchups and leads the team to an improved defensive presence.

Amir Johnson earns his large pay cheque and plays his way into the starting rotation.  Amir fixes his foul issues and becomes an inside threat and a tough defender.

Ed Davis shows flashes of brilliance and asserts himself as a possible building block for this franchise.  He has his ups and downs on the whole, but shows consistency on the defensive end and becomes a player Triano comes to trust.

Anderson is more than a marginal NBA-er and Colangelo finds yet another hidden gem on the top of someone else’s scrap heap.  He is adequate while players are out with injury and pushes the starters during practice.

If Alabi and Dorsey show they can hang in the NBA then it will be a win for them.  They could be D-League talent or hidden gems.  Best case scenario is they play a few games and lead us to believe they could be hidden gems.

Worst Case Scenario

Andrea can’t handle the pressure of being a number one guy.  He shows little to no ability to fight his way of double teams and is shut down on the offensive end.  He continues to be a poor help defender and as a result teams run right through the Raptors defense.

If Bargnani doesn’t become the go-to guy on this team and consistently earn that right, this season will be disappointing for Raps fans. It may also prove to be time to move on from the Big Italian and start fresh.

Reggie Evans rebounds the ball well, but takes far too many shots and becomes the Kris Humphries of 2010.

Amir Johnson comes out and plays like a backup on a bad team.  He never earns his contract and spends a lot of time on the bench because of foul trouble.

Ed Davis is the second coming of Alexander Radojevic (That’s right I said it!).  He shows little to no offensive ability, which isn’t a surprise; but isn’t able to defend NBA players, which is.

David Anderson, Soloman Alabi and Joey Dorsey have the collective impact on the Raptors that Nav Bhatia has on the team.

Overall, the worst case scenario is if Raptor fans begin to long for the days of when things made sense in the middle, the days of Zan Tabak.

Prediction

Bargnani is going to be pushed this season.  By his coaches, his opponents and by the fans.  He is going to be the most heavily scrutinized aspect of this team aside from who should or should not play the point.  In the end he will be productive, but will continue to frustrate Raptors fans that are hoping he becomes a star.  It won’t happen this year.

Amir Johnson is what he is.  An energy player that fights for the ball, but one that fouls far, far too often and he takes himself out of a lot of games, especially at the beginning of the season.  Reggie Evans fills in for him admirably, but the Raptors will be playing from behind a lot of nights because of the lack of offensive ability he has.

Ed Davis will have an up and down rookie year, if he can even stay healthy.  He will defend admirably, but will be a non-issue as an offensive player.  He will be a project with a lot of question marks by seasons end.

David Anderson will be a pleasant surprise this season.  He will play minor minutes but will definitely hold his own.

Of the two, Joey Dorsey will emerge as a possible surprise talent, but he won’t get much burn.

The Raptors will miss Chris Bosh this year.

***

Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald
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by | July 10, 2010 · 3:53 pm

The Zan Dishes on Lebron-gate

So he made his decision.  Lebron is going to take his talents to South Beach and play with Bosh and Wade.  It stings a little if you’re a fan of competitive basketball and it will definitely sting for the fans in Cleveland more so  than anywhere else.  But, Lebron made the choice he had the right to make.

I don’t think any of the anger comes from the fact that Lebron chose Miami.  Lebron was a free agent and was entitled to choose the team he wanted to play for.  He had meetings with various teams, which was not an issue either.  In the end, the Heat looked like the start of a great team and are led by one of the great NBA coaches and minds of all time in Pat Riley.  A Wade, Bosh, James threesome makes sense on many levels.  For Wade, for Lebron and definitely for Bosh.

The NBA's new Three-headed monster was unvailed this week in Miami. Will they win anything? Will championships follow "King James" to South Beach? We will find out come November.

Where things get ugly is the way in which Lebron decided to make his decision.  A Primetime special?  For a free agency decision?  The NBA and National media were able to stretch this circus into a full hour of television.  How do you spell boring?  arrogant? absolutely ridiculous?

Lebron gave fans in New York, New Jersey, Chicago and Cleveland the collective finger when he made his very public announcement.  The fact that he considered himself so important to have a primetime special in the first place is beyond me.  The classless tact he implored to make the announcement public in front of fans that adored him for seven years was just plain sickening.

Then the three of them being introduced like a WWE tag team to the Miami Heat fans in their new jerseys was tough to watch as well.  The “three-headed monster” are celebrating as if they’ve won something more than a new jersey.  Someone needs to remind these three that they haven’t won anything yet.  Another punch in the gut for the fans in Cleveland to swallow.  Another spectacle for the self-proclaimed “king”.

Players come and players go, but few allow a city to hold its collective breath and then punch them in the stomach like Lebron did on Thursday night.

Cleveland, especially, deserved better.

Watching the jersey burnings and crying fans in Ohio, one couldn’t help but picture the fall of the Roman Empire.  Lebron has gone from hero to villain. The Cavs have gone from title contender to an afterthought.  I imagine the Miami Heat will be the most despised team in all of sports come November.  Minus the masses in Miami and a few bandwagon fans out there.

So what does this all mean?

Well, I wouldn’t fit these three for rings, just yet.  Combined they have one championship ring that a little guy named Shaq had a lot to do with.  Lebron, Wade and Bosh also need to find a few teammates…like nine of them before they can even play a game.  What little money the Heat have left will need to spent very wisely or they’ll have to call in a lot of favours or hope that some veterans don’t mind playing Lebron’s caddy for the league minimum.

The Heat look solid on paper and Boston’s “Big Three” model has proven that three superstars can lead a team to a championship.  But whereas Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett proved to be very unselfish with the basketball and Rajon Rondo emerged to make it a strong foursome, this threesome might have trouble sharing the ball.

Bosh has only been effective in Toronto because the offense runs through him.  On the “superteam” the ball will not go to him very often if at all.  He will have to bang and fight for rebounds and he has never proven to be that type of player.  He may also have to do something he has fought against for the last seven years: play centre.

Lebron will have to share the ball with Dwayne Wade.  Both players play similar style games and have controlled the ball considerably over the last seven years.  Who controls the ball now?  Who will take the bulk of the shots.

Can a guy who had a Primetime special to announce his free agent decision, share the basketball?  Share the limelight?  Share his cookies?  I don’t know.

They all can’t score 30+ every night.  Someone is going to have to pass up taking shots.  Who takes the shot in the fourth quarter?

They will need a good coach to reign in all of that testosterone and ego.  Eric Spolestra is probably not the guy to do that.  I’m not sure he has any testosterone to speak of.

So the Heat will come in as favourites to win it all and also the least liked team in the entire league.  Expect a lot of booing for this trio in Cleveland, New York, New Jersey, Toronto and Chicago especially.  This “super team” will have to find a way to co-exist.  On paper in looks great, but games are not won on paper.  If that was so, the Cavaliers would have been champions this year.

The Heat look hot right now, but lets see how hot they look come November.  A whole lot of teams are going to be licking their chops to beat these three.  The Miami Heat:  Public Enemy Number One.

We’ll have more on what this all means for the Raptors tomorrow.

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Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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by | May 23, 2010 · 1:14 pm

The Boston Celtics: The Team You Love to Hate

I know I’m not alone here.  I hate the Celtics.  I hate them with a passion and every game they get closer and closer to the NBA Finals it makes my stomach turn.  They are, however, one game away from achieving what not a lot of people thought they could.

At the beginning of the playoffs pundits and fans were calling the Celtics “old”, “tired” and “slow. Many thought this playoffs would be the end of the Celtics era.  Kevin Garnett wasn’t looking his regular self at the end of the season; one that was plagued by injuries.  Ray Allen had not been dominant all season and Boston was forced to rely on players that were not used to the pressure.  Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins and Big Baby were all asked to step up their game.  Not many believed they were a strong enough supporting cast to do that.  Even Rasheed Wallace wasnt looking himself.

Boston is one of the least-likable teams in the League, but you can't help but appreciate the way they are playing in these Playoffs.

This team is one that is hard to like because of the cocky swagger they exude when on the court.  Kevin Garnett’s “stink face” is one of the best “stink faces” in the league.  It all seems a little put on to me, which is why it can become so annoying.  Remember him getting into Jose Calderon’s face?  That was the peak of my dislike for the guy.  Hard to like a player that is so “mean” and “intense” all the time.  Like a villain wrestler in the WWE.

At least I can handle it from, arguably, one of the best players in the league.  But Kendrick Perkins getting into people’s faces?  Big Baby? Arguably the least like-able player in the world.  He has no right to get into players faces and walk around with the confidence of a league scoring leader.  Kevin Garnett, he is not.  Big Baby, one of the worst nicknames in the league by the way, has been riding Kevin Garnett’s tail feathers since he came into the league and is copying the wrong attributes.  Playing with the stars in Boston is the only reason a guy like him could ever win a championship.  Put Big Baby on any other team and he would fade into the background.  One of the most over rated players in the league and everyone knows it except him.

They are brash, confident and hard to like.  It seems to have become the calling card of the Celtics over the last couple of years. They seem to lack humility in victory or defeat.  If they lose, they complain to the refs.  If they win, they walk around like they own the world.  What makes them even less like-able is that they always seem to find a way to win.

King James can’t walk around like that because he hasn’t won what the Celtics have won.  Bitter Raptors fans, like myself, can’t walk around with that confidence because our team just isn’t good enough.  They aren’t the Celtics.  And, god I wish they were a little more like the Celtics.

What the Celtics have been able to do during this post-season is shut people like me up.  How can you argue against a team that wins games?  How can you hate a team that shares the ball and plays defense?  Isn’t that what we all want from our team?  Orlando and Phoenix are sure wishing they had it right now.

How can you hate the way Rajon Rondo has been playing?  This kid went from being a cheap option off the bench for the Celtics after the mega-offseason they had to get Garnett and Allen, to a superstar in his own right.  He was scrub riding the coat tails of bigger and better players.  But he has really emerged into an elite player.  He is looking like the best player on the court almost every night in these playoffs and has many times this season.  He is beginning to eclipse the play of the players he once rode to a championship.  He is becoming the Celtics go-to guy.  There certainly are not many that can stop him.

Rajon Rondo has really emerged as a player to worry about. He has gone from bench warmer to superstar in the last year. He is emerging as the Celtics best player in these playoffs.

The Celtics came in as long shots to make a trip to the final.  Many predicted that Dwayne Wade would run circles around the “old” and “tired” Celtics team.  But, he didn’t.  The Celtics dominated the series and played team basketball.  Every night it was a different player that stepped up: Pierce, Rondo, Garnett, Wallace, Allen.  They were too much to handle.

Surely these “old-timers” wouldn’t be able to keep up with King James and the Cavaliers.  The Cavs loaded up at the deadline adding Antawn Jamison and looked destined for the finals.  Guess again.  The Celtics absolutely shut King James down.  He has never looked so human.  The Celtics played strong, tough defense and would not allow the Cavs to do anything. King James dream will have to wait another year with possibly a different club.

Now Orlando is shooting blanks against Boston as well.  The Celtics aren’t looking old, it’s Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis and even Dwight Howard that are looking “slow” and “tired”.  Stan Van Gundy certainly is.  He can’t figure out what to do.  How do you stop Rajon Rondo?  Not with Jameer Nelson.  How do you get inside the minds of this Celtics team?  It doesn’t look like you can.

The Celtics deserve to be where they are and they deserve to walk around like winners, because they are.  It won’t make me like them anymore.  I will continue to hate the hell out of them.  I will cheer for the Lakers or Suns in the Finals no matter what.  But I won’t be able to help myself as I enjoy watching the way Boston plays.  I will enjoy watching Rondo and I will enjoy hating the Celtics.

The hate I feel for them is truly a jealousy.  I wish the team I cheered for played like that.

Sometimes the Bad Guys can’t be stopped.  If you can’t beat ‘em.  Join ‘em.

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Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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by | May 15, 2010 · 12:07 pm

Cavs Channel Raptors in Losing Series to Celtics

Is it just me or did the Cavaliers do their best Raptor impression during the last series with the Celtics?

I’m not trying to take a swipe at the hometown team, nor am I trying to take a swipe at the Cavaliers, but there were parallels that were hard to question and the parallels will continue for these two franchises moving into the big free agent summer of 2010.

The Cavaliers were favoured against the Celtics and were expected to waltz all the way to th NBA Final series.  The only bump in the road was expected to be the Magic from Orlando.

There will be a lot of soul searching for Lebron this summer as his Cavaliers were once again bounced from the playoffs.

The Cavaliers were led by their superstar de jour: Lebron James.  He did everything a superstar was supposed to do during the regular season, but was criticized heavily during this series.  He didn’t put in the effort Cleveland fans have become accustomed to.  His heart and defensive ability came into question, despite scoring a triple-double in the decisive game 6.

Does this not remind you of The Raptors superstar de jour: Chris Bosh?  Who played incredibly well during the first half of the season.  Not MVP well, but well enough to lead his team to the playoffs.  And then the second half of the season happened and he wasn’t quite the same.  He was a little tentative, not aggressive on the defensive end and his heart was called into question.  All of this, despite leading his team in scoring and averaging a double-double all season long.

Both are superstars that did not lead the way a Kobe or Jordan led.  Both put up amazing individual numbers, but neither could lead their team to the collective goal of winning.

Other elements were similar too.

There was the big acquisition of Shaquile O’neal that never really panned out for the Cavs.  He was injured for parts of the season and looked old out there on a regular basis.  He wasn’t the same player he has been in his career and was absolutely outmatched by Kevin Garnett on the defensive end in the Celtics series.  He was a bust of an acquisition that was supposed to put the Cavaliers over the edge.  There was no player that was more disappointing this season than Shaq.

Kind of reminds me of  Hedo Turkoglu.  The player that was supposed to put the Raptors over the hump.  The big playoff performer of just one year ago.  He added little in the way of leadership, looked lost on offense and his only success was his penchant for one worded interviews.

It was a disappointing season for Chris Bosh in Toronto. Will it be his last in the city?

Former Raptors were even a part of the Cavaliers failure this playoff season.  Anthony Parker played good in spurts for the Cavs but he was overmatched as a starting 2 on a team that was supposed to have championship visions.  He was overmatched much the way he was last year as a starter on a Raptor team that missed the playoffs.  A great player, one of my favourites, but not a starter in this league.

Jamario Moon was out there tossing up inadvertant three balls, much the way he did when he was a Raptor.  In fact, he took a ridiculous three for an air ball in that decisive sixth game and that was the sign, to me, that the Cavs were done.  No team is going to win with Jamario Moon taking three balls.

The coaching of both teams has been called into question all season long.  Is Mike Brown the right coach to lead a team to a championship?  Has he lost the ears of his team?

Jay Triano has been heavily criticized as well.  He hasn’t made the playoffs as a head coach and he lost the locker room this season as Turkoglu’s antics damaged th chemistry of the team.

Will either be back?  Only time will tell.

The Cavaliers are channeling the Raptors both on and off the court as well.  Danny Ferry is a solid GM.  He brought in a number of pieces to compliment LeBron, but hasn’t found the right mix.  This past season he seemed to be playing a frantic game of chess trying to put the right pieces together.  Adding Shaq and then later Antawn Jamison were good moves for the regular season, but Shaq is old and very “foulable”, since he still can’t hit a free throw to save his life and Jamison has still not had extensive playoff experience.  Clear in hindsight, I suppose.

Very reminiscent of Colangelo’s juggling act in Raptor Land.  Jermaine O’neal?  Looked good at the time but busted completely.  Turkoglu?  I suppose one could argue the jury is still out on that one, but it looked pretty bad this year.  Belinelli, Jack, Derozan, Weems, Johnson? Lots of moves that had varying degrees of success and failure, but the mix did not equal victory.

Now both franchise’s find themselves on the verge of the biggest summer of their existence.  Both teams are in a position to lose their greatest assets.  Lebron and Bosh are the architects of their future success in the league.  Wil they stay? or Will they go?  If New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has anything to say about it, both will be Knicks next year.  But, many pundits have looked at Los Angeles, Dallas, Miami, Chicago as possible destinations as well.  There is also a possibility they will stay as both players like their team and city.

Lebron turned Cleveland into a team to be reckoned with during his time there.

Bosh brought the Raptors back to respectability since his arrival.

No one knows what will end up happening.  Now both teams’ fans play the agonizing waiting game.  They will put faith in their respective GM’s to make the right call.  Both teams will be anxiously waiting for news from Twitter, the papers or the stars themselves for the next two months.  It will be excruciating.

Fans in Cleveland and Toronto will be united in their agony of waiting to see where the chips fall.

Where they fall could have serious repercussions for these two franchises.

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Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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by | April 23, 2010 · 5:45 pm

Playoff Dilema: Who to Cheer For?

So, the Raptors are out of the playoffs and I’m slowly getting over my bitterness and frustration with another season without home town playoff basketball.  I’ve been settling in to watch the Celtics-Heat series and have been flipping through the rest of the series’ on The Score when I can.

As a Raptor fan my allegiance is, and always will be, to the Raptors.  Therefore it is hard to decide who to cheer for this playoff season.  Who is a Raptor fan to cheer for?

Now don’t get me wrong, I love basketball.  I will watch two teams I absolutely despise play in a playoff series.  The NBA playoffs, much like the NHL playoffs, are a completely different game.  Every possession becomes important.  Every timeout is thought through.  Players begin rivalries that last for two weeks.  The intensity in the area from the fans and players is an unreal thing to bear witness to.

But who to cheer for?

What team is going to give me some satisfaction by winning it all?

What team do I want to see walk away with a championship?

I thought about this dilemma long and hard and started at the top, with the most likely finalists: The Cavs and Lakers.  There are elements of both of these teams that I love.  Kobe and Lebron are, obviously, a good place to start looking.  They are the two best players in the NBA bar none and can change a game on a dime.  However, I am one of those fans that cheers for the underdog.  Neither of these teams fit that description.  As much as I’d love to see the Laker dynasty take another one or watch Lebron, Jamario and Anthony Parker win their first.  I just don’t think I like their team enough.  Will I watch them?  Absolutely.  With pleasure.  But I don’t want them to win that much.

What about Orlando?  A great young team with some fantastic pieces.  Dwight Howard deserves a ring.  He is a monster and every bit a star player.  A championship calibre player.  The problem I have with Orlando is Vince.  Part of me wants to see him win a ring and the other part wants to see him fail.  I’m like the characters from the old Mini-Wheats commercial.  The Magic have a real shot, that cannot be denied, but I would both love and hate every possession.  Too torn on Orlando.

There are the Celtics?  Nope.  No way.  I hate the Celtics more than any team in the NBA.  In fact, whoever they play will become my new favourite team.  Garnett has become a prima donna and I can’t take any team seriously that has “Big Baby” getting into the faces of other teams. No to the Celtics. 110%

The Bulls beat my Raptors and I’m still not over it.

Milwaukee has a great young player in Brandon Jennings, but they just don’t do it for me.  Without Bogut they are dead in the water anyway.

Is there a more exciting team to watch than Josh Smith and the young Hawks in Atlanta?

The Bobcats helped the Bulls get into the playoffs.  I hold grudges.

Miami has Wade and O’neal who I love as well as Canadian Joel Anthony and they are playing the Celtics who, as we know, I despise.  They will also likely try to steal Bosh in the off-season and for that reason alone are not a team I can cheer for. They’ve already won recently and don’t need the win as badly as other teams.  Close, but not the team I will cheer for.

The Eastern team I’d like to see in the Finals is the Atlanta Hawks.  They have one of the best young lineups in the NBA.  All of their players play hard and there isn’t a player on that team I can dislike.  They’re a team that could surprise a lot of people.  Mike Bibby and Joe Johnson are two of the best leaders in the NBA.  Josh Smith and Marvin Williams are two of the most exciting young players in the game and Al Horford is going to be a dominant player in the league.  They’re likeable, exciting to watch and are well coached.

Go Hawks!

In the Western Conference, we’ve already discussed the  Lakers.  They will, most likely, take the championship spot in the West, but I want to cheer for someone different.  Someone that hasn’t won.

What about the Thunder?  In a couple of years we are all going to be talking about how 2010 was the year the Thunder came of age.  They are not ready yet and, more than likely, won’t get past the first round.  This young team is gaining some playoff experience.  This is the first year of many this team will be battling for the prize.  Soon, this will be the team to beat in the NBA.  Mark my words.

The Jazz are not an exciting team.  Deron Williams is, but after that not much in the way of excitement.  Unless you count Andrea Kirilenko as exciting.  Plus I still can’t forgive Carlos Boozer for the way he left Cleveland.  I hold grudges remember?

The Nuggets would be the scariest looking champions of all-time.  For that reason alone they are enticing.  I just can’t get behind them yet.  Maybe a few Billups daggers will get me going.

The Mavs are fantastic on paper and their owner is a whole lot more entertaining that the Teachers’ Pension Plan but Big D just isn’t for me either.

Neither is Portland.  A great looking young team, much like the Hawks, but no Roy equals no chance.

Steve Nash is a player Raptor fans should have no problem getting behind. Go Suns!

San Antonio is still plugging away, but they’re looking old and tired and not cheer worthy.

The Western team of choice is the Phoenix Suns.  Steve Nash is a Canadian.  check.  He is a very unselfish basketball player that makes others around him better. Check.  He can control a game like no other.  Check.  He makes Jason Richardson, Channing Frye and Grant Hill look like All-Stars.  Check Mate.

Phoenix deserves a shot. They ‘re a likeable team and definitely one that you can cheer for. Plus they are underdogs.

If it’s not going to be the Raptors, Go Suns and Go Hawks!

Let the second season begin!

***

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Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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by | April 12, 2010 · 11:40 pm

Raptors Keep Hope Alive

It was an effort that came 24 hours after it was supposed to.  The Raptors looked confident and convincing in a 111-97 win on the road in Detroit.  The win moved them to within a half game of the idle Chicago Bulls.  The Raptors will be rooting for the Celtics tomorrow as they face off against the Bulls in a game that could make or break the Bulls’ chances at the post season.

Andrea Bargnani led his Raptor team to an important victory that keeps the Raptors very much alive in the battle for he 8th seed in the Eastern Conference.

The game was full of positives and negatives as Andrea Bargnani played the role of superstar for a night and Amir Johnson absolutely demolished his former team with 26 points.

On the flip side, Sonny Weems left the game with an ankle injury and was being X-rayed and looked at after the game.  Word from Paul Jones was that he would be okay.  The Raptors are going to need Sonny to help the team score in their final game, at home, against the Knicks.  A game that could send them back to the post season.

The Zan For Three…

That’s more like it

There is a part of me that would like to believe that Andrea Bargnani read yesterday’s Zan Post Game and was inspired to put together a 33 point night.  I realize that he, most likely did not, but it was nice to see him take on the role of team leader with confidence.  He was unstoppable tonight.  Bargnani is a tough match up on any given night and the more he exploits this mismatch against opposing teams, the more the Raptors will win games.  This team is at its best when Andrea is rolling.  Tonight he could do no wrong.  If this is the player we are going to see consistently then the Raptors could be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs.

How Do You Like Me Now?

It has gotta hurt for the Pistons to watch how much Amir Johnson has grown as a player this year.  They drafted him 56th overall in 2005 as the last high school player every to be drafted.  The Pistons watched him grow, but didn’t seem to have the time or patience to allow him to mature in Detroit.  He was traded to the Bucks and then flipped to the Raptors and is now playing a pretty consistent and important role on this team.  Tonight he put down 26 points against his former squad.  That’s gotta feel nice for Amir.

The Pistons on the other hand let him go so they could develop more “NBA ready” players in Jason Maxiell, Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum.  How has that worked out for you, Detroit?

Amir Johnson got a chance to show Detroit fans what could have been with a 26 point performance against his former club.

Maybe you let one slip away.

Let’s Go Celtics

I never thought I would ever willingly cheer for the Boston Celtics, but here we are.  Two games left for Chicago, one for Toronto.  If Boston wins then Toronto will control its own destiny at home against New York on Wednesday.  I can’t believe I am going to say this.  C’mon Garnett!  Let’s go Rondo! Uggggh…. it had to be the Celtics, didn’t it.

Zan of the Night

No Question. Andrea Bargnani.  He played like a superstar and led his team to an absolutely imperative victory.  He looked like a top dog out there.  A player that could hang with the NBA’s elite.  Now we need to see this more consistently.

No Zan of the Night

Charlie V.  Did you really guarantee a victory tonight?  On What basis?  How many games have the Pistons actually won?  Charlie Villanueva is a solid player and I really enjoyed his tenure in Toronto, but you’re on a lottery team.  You don’t guarantee victories on a lottery team.  Time to lay-off the Twitter, you’re worse that John Mayer.

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Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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