Tag Archives: Pound the Rock

by | May 6, 2012 · 11:12 pm

Raptors Season a Step in the Right Direction

I’ve taken my time in writing a year-end review for the Raptors.  There are things that have already been said much better than I and at the end of the day I’m not really sure how I even feel about the way this season transpired.

The Raptors were not a great team.  They lost a lot of games.  Hell, they lost twice to the lowly Charlotte Bobcats (quite possibly the worst team in history).  They missed the playoffs again and did not secure a great chance at a top three pick.

Still, I’m a “glass is half full” kind of guy and I still feel the team had enough positive this season to be hopeful for the future.

While we saw problems with the club like the lack of a bona fide star, poor wing play for most of the season and a rash of injuries, we also saw marked improvement in a number of areas.  Our defense was much improved, some unexpected players stepped up to show they belong here and our coaching staff showed that they can strategize with the best in the league.

Overall it was a tough year, but one that has given the fan base reason to beleive next year is going to be better.

Zan for Three

My Captain, My Captain

It was clear early in the year that Dwane Casey was going to be the voice of this team.  He addressed the media at every turn and preached the same philosophies over and over.  He talked about “building a culture”, improving the team defence and to keep working hard.  His mantra “pound the rock” was adopted by each of his players and became a rallying cry throughout the year in the locker room, interviews and on twitter.  In wins and difficult losses his players continued to stick to the plan.

The turnaround in this team is most notable on the defensive side of the ball.  Last year the Raptors ranked near the bottom in all defensive statistics.  This year they finished 9th in points allowed, 8th in Opponents field goal percentage, and 5th in opponents three-point field goal percentage.  They were also significantly improved in their rebounding numbers, soemthing that has plagued them since Charles Oakley left town. 

A nice improvement in a number of defensive areas.  What is also a credit to the coaching staff is that these improvements materialized all with a back court that many thought was too weak on the defensive end.

Who then should be credited with the turnaround?  Look no further than the coach and his staff.

Dwane Casey had a successful first year in charge of the Raptors. His message was simple and consistent and it stuck with his players. He has successfully changed the culture in Toronto.

Casey was able to mask the defensive shortcomings of Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani (two players that everyone thought were hopeless on the defensive end) in his zone defense and turned the Raptors into a tough team to score against.

The effort Casey put forth helped make Bargnani a top-tier player during the first half of the season and helped rejuvenate the career of Jose Calderon.

Casey, for his efforts, has already had his contract extended and bigger and better things should be expected from the team with improvements to the roster.

Had Casey been on a higher profile team he might even be a candidate for coach of the year. His extended contract was a no-brainer and a bigger pay day may be coming if the team keeps heading in the direction it is currently pointed.

In this shortened Raptor season Casey has given Raptor fans a reason to be hopeful for the future.

Jekyll and Hyde

So no one knows on any given night which Andrea Bargnani or which Demar Derozan will show up.  Both had polarizing years, to say the least, and neither player could put it all together for an extended stretch of games.

Early on it looked as though Andrea Bargnani was going to bust loose on the NBA.  He was shooting the ball with confidence, driving the lane, hitting shots and playing with confidence on both ends of the floor.

For the first month and a half of the season all of the Dirk Nowitzki comparisons were beginning to finally make sense.

Then he got injured.

Andrea wasn’t the same player when he returned.  He was hesitant, lost his confidence and could not find his rhythm.  Either the injury was not fully healed or opposing defenses made adjustments.  Either way he wasn’t a dominant player in the second half.

Raptor fans are now left wondering which player was the real Andrea Bargnani and which player is going to show up next year.

While Andrea was having a great start and rough finish, Demar Derozan’s season was almost the complete and utter opposite.

Demar started the season terribly.  By the all-star break he was averaging 40% shooting and averaged 15 points a game.  He was getting to the foul line 5 times a game.  He was sputtering and everyone in the city seemed to be noticing.  Journalists, bloggers, pundits, everyone was questioning whether Demar was going to be a significant part of this teams future.

He looked like a player destined for a career off the bench.

In the second half, he spent a lot less time trying to shoot three-pointers and started focusing on getting to the foul line.  He was able to draw contact and get to the stripe a lot more. In December Derozan averaged little over 2 free throw attempts per game.  Later in the year he averaged as high as 6 attempts per game. A small but significant improvement.

Demar has begun to learn what he does well.  Casey had him attacking the rim consistently in the second half. Although he didn’t always get the call, he kept attacking, kept “pounding the rock”.

By the end of the second half Demar began to look a lot more like the player Raptor fans were expecting when he was drafted out of USC. He was more in control, wasn’t afraid of contact and eased into his role as a number one option.

Now Raptor fans have to hope that ‘First half Andrea’ and ‘Second half Derozan’ are actually who these players really are.

Many question marks may remain, but one thing is certain; the success of this team next year depends on how Andrea and Derozan play. 

Supporting Players

The Raptors may not have a bona fide superstar at the moment.  They may have to steal that star from the draft or in free agency, but what the team does have a plethora of are character players.  Guys that come to the court and leave it all on the floor.  A squad of fighters that any coach would love to have coming off the bench.

Jerryd Bayless showed himself to be a very capable point guard and 2 guard this season and is perfectly suited to a bench role next season, if he stays in town. He can shoot, drive and dish and can potentially cause matchup nightmares for opposing teams.

James Johnson can play many positions as well and does a little bit of everything.  He can block, rebound, defend and occasionally score.  He plays the 3, 4 and occasionally the 5 and has a high basketball IQ when he’s on the floor.  If he has not burned bridges with coach Casey he will be a valuable part of the team next year.

Jose Calderon had one of his best seasons as a professional basketball player in 2011/12.  He distributed the ball with ease averaging 8.6 assists good enough for 4th in the league behind only Rondo, Nash and Chris Paul.  He established himself as a team leader going forward and one that Dwane Casey is not afraid to put full trust in.  He also became a much better defensive player under Casey.  Calderon may just retire here in Toronto and the fans, who have cheered and jeered him over the years, likely have no issue with him staying after the year he has had.

Plus the foul…

The Colangelo Factor

Raptors fans were subtlety reminded of the fact that they have one heck of a GM in Bryan Colangelo. Though his star is not nearly as bright as it once was in Toronto, Colangelo has positioned his team to be a player once again in 2012/13.  The steady GM has cleared capspace for his team and has drafted a number of strong young players to build around.  He’s also got all of his players signed to team friendly contracts meaning that they are very tradeable.

This kind of flexibility has given the Raptor faithful some hope for next year especially with the arrival of highly touted 2011 first round pick Jonas Valanciunas.  Jonas made Colangelo look even better this year by having a stellar year overseas and raising eyebrows with his strong play on both ends of the court in Lithuania.

Colangelo should also be credited with his very clever scouting of the D-league.  He brought over three players (Anderson, Uzoh, Dentmon) and  in the final two months of the season all three played valuable minutes and showed they belong in the league.  That kind of success in finding D-League players is a rarity in this league. Uzoh and Anderson may actually have a shot of sticking with the club next year while Dentmon will garner an invite to someone’s training camp. 

No Raptor player, outside of maybe Bargnani, has been as often criticiszed as Jose Calderon. This season may have helped to prove all the negative voices wrong once and for all.

If that doesn’t prove to people that Colangelo has got some skill as an executive, then hopefully his off-season moves will.

Zan of the Year

Jose Calderon

A tough call, but Calderon was the Raptors most consistent player.  He learned to minimize his weaknesses on the court and played to his strengths.  There isn’t a better veteran point guard than Calderon to be handing the ball out to young players like Ed Davis, Demar Derozan and Amir Johnson.  He protects the ball,  puts it where it needs to go and genuinely seems to care about his teammates.

He is, far and away, my favourite All-time Raptor, but this year he proved his worth on the court too.  Going forward Dwane Casey knows he has a great leader in Calderon.  Someone who will lead when asked and who also isn’t afraid to step aside for a teammate.

A great comeback year for Jose.

Not Zan of the Year

Tank Nation

Yeah, so that philosophy didn’t quite work out did it? The Raptors were playing Solomon Alabi and 3 D-League-ers at the end of the year, but even they couldn’t lose.  The Raptors were a team that over achieved in many ways.  This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but on draft night when Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Andre Drummund will likely be heading to the Bobcats, Wizards and Cavs the Raptors will be looking on wishing they had lost a couple more games (or played the Bobcats an extra game or two).

Still, a solid season that ended on a high note.  The team has Jonas,  a first round pick , tradeable assets and host of capspace.  This is definitely a team headed in the right direction.

***

Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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by | April 15, 2012 · 8:40 pm

Who are These Guys?

So the Toronto Raptors are all of a sudden playing like a team that could put a scare into a higher seeded team in the playoffs.  What has happened? Or more to the point, what took so long?

No Bargnani, no Calderon, no Bayless, no Problem.

Dwane Casey started a lineup that would have been considered a joke at the beginning of the year and came away with an impressive and decisive victory over a very good Atlanta Hawks team.

The last time the Raptors won in Atlanta, it was 2007 and Peyton Manning was winning his only Super Bowl championship with the Indianapolis Colts.  Yep, it was that long ago.

I don’t know what Dwane Casey has told this team or what he has done to make them so much better than they should be, but he has really turned the fortunes of this team around.  He is winning with a roster that shouldn’t be.

On Sunday night his defensive system held the high-octane, playoff bound Atlanta Hawks to 86 points on 40% shooting.

Much will be made of the effect this game will have on the Raptors eventual first round draft pick and on the “Tank Nation” movement, but how can you not like the way Dwane Casey has this team playing?

Break up the Raptors!!

Zan for Three

Kudos to the Coach

While many will thumb their nose at another victory and chalk it up to hurting our chances at a top pick in the NBA draft, much needs to be made about the way Dwane Casey has turned this team around.  While (arguably) three of his best players were out with injury, Casey willed his band of castaways to consecutive victories over Boston and Atlanta; both teams heading to the playoffs in two weeks.  His defensive system and preparedness has got this team playing the best ball they have played all season regardless of the names on the back of the jerseys.

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

With a roster that sports 3 D-League players and a host of others that would be hard pressed to crack the Bobcats lineup this year, Casey has gotten a lot out of this team.

Alan Anderson is playing his way into the hearts of the Raptor faithful and Justin Dentmon and Ben Uzoh are showing that they belong in the NBA.  Most importantly, for the Raptors moving forward, Demar Derozan is looking every bit a top flight player.

All of the success goes to the coach.

You may not know a lot them, but this Raptor team is playing some very inspired ball over the last few weeks. Dwane Casey deserves all of the credit for the turnaround.

Casey has his team playing hard and giving their all.  They’ve bought in to the “pound the rock” mantra and the results are becoming more and more consistent.

I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time to talk extension.

10 Day Factor

There are some out there who believe you have to be wary of players that are on 10 day contracts as they tend to play very hard until they get a full contract.  I say it’s time to test that theory.

All three of Toronto’s 10-day club have earned the right to be a part of the team this year and possibly beyond.  Alan Anderson has been an absolute revelation and deserves a guaranteed contract with the big club for next year.  His 16 points on 6 of 9 shooting has been a regular kind of statline and he is often the hardest working player on the court every night he plays.

If you’re a believer in rewarding hard work then you almost have to give this guy a guaranteed deal.  A great find by Colangelo and great faith shown by Casey.

Where do you buy the Anderson Jerseys?

Breaking out of the Dog House

James Johnson hasn’t been the same player since he was benched by Dwane Casey for unspecified reasons a few weeks ago.  He’s looked lost and he hasn’t seen anywhere near the minutes he was seeing before being benched.  He lost his starting spot to Aaron Gray and never got it back.  It’s been a bad month for JJ.

Tonight he got his groove back.  He played hard and made the most of his 23 minutes scoring 15 on 6 of 8 shooting and chipped in with 4 rebounds and a steal.  He was all over the defensive end and did a great job containing Atlanta’s high scoring forwards.

Hopefully, he’s back. 

Zan of the Night

Demar Derozan

Not enough is being made of the complete turnaround in Derozans game over the last month.  He has shed his rough first half and is looking every bit the player the Raptors brass envisions him to be going forward.  Dwane Casey has cracked the code with Demar and has him playing the best ball, possibly of his career.

This all bodes very well for next year as the Raptors will be gunning for the playoffs.  With a confident, effective Derozan that goal becomes a lot more realistic.

Not Zan of the Night

Joe Johnson

A rough night at the office for Johnson.  One of the better veteran shooters around, he had a simply dreadful game shooting 2 for 12 with only 7 points.  He was held completely in check by the Raptors defense and could not get his team going at all.  A lopsided loss to the Raptors says a lot about Atlanta’s playoff chances.  If the Hawks have any hope in the Eastern conference playoffs it will be Joe Johnson that must lead them.  Tonight he was a non-factor.

…finally

An Alabi Sighting!  0 points in 2 minutes of play, but he did get a shot off! More to come, I’m sure.  Free Alabi!

***

Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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by | April 7, 2012 · 8:03 am

Cavs Beat Raptors in Tank Bowl 2012

That wasn’t the prettiest game in the world last night, in fact, let us never speak of it again.

The Raptors sported a starting lineup the Bakersfield Jam would likely not be concerned about.  Ben Uzoh?  Alan Anderson? and Justin Dentmon serving as the primary backup one shootaround into his Raptor career?

If this is what “Tank Nation” is all about then I want no part of it.

That was ugly.  That was ugly before the disgraceful 4th quarter where the Raptors were outscored 33-17.  I mean the game was tied at 68 in the 3rd Quarter.  Is that “pounding the rock” or just straight stinking out the joint?

To be fair, the Raptors were without Calderon, who was relegated to the bench with “hockey face” after Elton Brand elbowed him in the face on Wednesday.  They were also without James Johnson, who is usually a spark plug for the Raptors.  He was out with what can only be described as “upsetting the coach”.

Not a great effort for our team, not at all.

Still Derozan had another strong game, Sonny Weems returned and Tristan Thompson got a nice ovation from the crowd.  Not all bad, I guess.

Zan For Three

Driving the Tank

I get it. I really do.  I understand Tank Nation.  I understand the idea of cheering when your team loses.

The Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t get Kevin Durant by winning lots of games.  Lebron wasn’t delivered on Cleveland’s doorstep for shows of good effort.

Losing brings Toronto a valuable asset. Losing lots, at least theoretically, increases the value of that asset.

But if we are going to tank this season, I’d at least like to go down with some dignity.  Dwane Casey has shown this past week that he has absolutely no intention of leaving this season with a whimper.  He has this team playing hard and aggressive.

Just not last night.

If we are working towards next year, it would be nice to see a little more Ed Davis and a little more Solomon Alabi.  Last night, Justin Dentmon, fresh off of getting to the city, played 20 minutes. Alabi, a two-year Raptor, drank Gatorade.

Ben Uzoh and Alan Anderson are living out their NBA dreams of starting in a game, while some of our younger players are wasting away on the bench.

Tank or no Tank, let’s play the players that have a possible future here.

Rumour Mill

So James Johnson sat against the Cavaliers on the very same night Sonny Weems made a public appearance in Toronto.  2+2=4

I’m not going to suggest that the Raptors are looking to replace Johnson with Weems.  That would be a bad idea, a very bad idea.  But Weems is a solid offensive player and one who has really shown some promise in Lithuania this year.  His arrival at the very same time his replacement was being benched is sure to conjure up all kinds of baseless rumours and armchair GM-ing.

It is not out of the realm of possibility that he returns, though.

He’s good friends with Demar Derozan who is seemingly part of our future. He can score in bunches, which would be a nice asset to have on our bench, especially since Leandro Barbosa’s output has been replaced by Alan Anderson’s thus far.  And he seems to want to be here.  If we are to believe his words. 

Sonny is a pretty one-dimensional player, but like Barbosa, he scores a lot.  If used properly off the bench he could become a semi-valuable asset.

That being said I don’t think the plan moving forward is to have Johnson start at the 3 next season (he would likely come in off the bench) and the Raptors don’t need to carry the extra wing if one will be acquired in the summer.

The Weems debate will continue and Colangelo is going to have to make a decision.

At the very least, there will be plenty of chatter about Mr. Weems over the last couple of weeks of the season.

The Dog House

Of all the players that I could imagine being in Dwane Casey’s “dog house”, James Johnson wouldn’t be one of them.  This season he has been Mr. Everything playing with energy, doing the little things and playing strong defense.

He has been a fan favourite because of the energy he plays with on the court.

It is therefore very intriguing why he has been benched in favour of Alan Anderson.

In typical Dwane Casey fashion, this matter is being dealt with internally (as it should be), but one has to wonder what Johnson did to earn his mini vacation.

Hopefully it was a minor incident that both parties are now .  The Raptors need James Johnson; tank or no tank.  He’s a fun player to watch and would have come in handy last night against the Cavs.

Zan of the Night

Demar Derozan

The kid is getting his confidence back.  Unfortunately he’s getting it back just in time for the season to end.  Once again Raptor fans went from being done with Derozan to thinking he might be part of the core.  Is he the player from the first half? or the one playing well to end the season?

Seems like Derozan has got a bit of “Reimer-itis”, hopefully his solid play continues into next season and he doesn’t revert back to his old ways.  On Friday night he shot the ball well, got to the line and was one of the only players that gave his team a chance to win.

Not Zan of the Night

Alan Anderson

He is not an NBA starter, but there he was as the Raptors starting small forward.  He won’t be there much longer, one can only assume.  He finished with 30 minutes of play and zero points.  He missed the four shots he took and was an overall -13 on the night.

But I guess he deserves more time that Alabi.

#freealabi

***

Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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by | April 5, 2012 · 1:07 pm

Raptor Fans Torn by Recent Good Play

What a wonderful stretch for the Toronto Raptors. Things are looking really positive, the team is playing well, their defense looks a million percent better than last year and finally the Raptors have been able to put themselves on the right side of close games.

But is that what we want?

Forgive me for putting words in people’s mouths but I feel like Raptor fans right now aren’t sure what to do or how to feel.  Winning games can’t be a bad thing, unless losing games brings you greater opportunity at a top three pick in this years draft.

Personally I feel like I’m in a Mini Wheats commercial.  The fan in me wants my team to win at any cost, but the pragmatist in me wants losses to ensure a greater chance at a Micheal Kidd-Gilchrist or Anthony Davis.

Wednesday night against the Sixers I couldn’t help but feel excited.  I haven’t seen the Raptors play with that kind of energy in a long, long time.  The Raps took complete control of the game in the second half and blew out a formidable opponent for the first time in I don’t know how long.  More remarkably, they held their opponents to 7 points in the 4th quarter.  I don’t know if that clutch play has ever happened. Especially on the second night of a back to back.

But now the Raptors have positioned themselves much lower on the current draft rankings and are quickly playing their way out of a top flight player in this years draft.

That’s not good when you consider the future is still very much up in the air.  Derozan and Bargnani are playing well now, but maybe they won’t when the pressure is back on next year.  That would leave the Raptors, likely, in a similar position to this year.

They need a Kidd-Gilchrist.  They need an Anthony Davis.  These are game changers that could make a huge difference in the Raptors fortunes next year, especially when you consider the arrival of Jonas Valanciunas as well.

So should I stop cheering for my team? Should I not be able to enjoy a win, even if our star players play well?

I’m confused.  I’m torn and I imagine most Raptor fans are.

What makes this all especially hard for Raptor fans is the complete lack of anything else to cheer for in this city.  The Leafs are awful, TFC is all over the place, the Argos are an after thought and the Blue Jays are only now beginning their season.  If we can’t cheer for this what can we cheer for?

The Toronto sports scene is a real life tragedy. The only cheering we can do is for losing enough games to give ourselves a chance at a higher pick.

Pretty Sad.

Dwane Casey has really turned this years Toronto Raptors around. They are performing at a level no one ever expected them to. That's a good thing, right?

Certainly this is not part of Dwane Casey’s plan. He doesn’t seem to care too much about draft position or about how many games we lose.  He is a competitor through and through and the success he is having right now with our current group should be commended and should be noticed.

We want playoff basketball next year.  Colangelo needs a playoff appearance to ensure job stability and from the looks of this team, they are a couple of solid acquisitions away from that goal.

Wouldn’t a top three draft pick help expidite that playoff goal?

Casey has improved our overall defense.  We used to rank dead last in defensive efficiency under Jay Triano.  With Dwane Casey calling the shots, according to John Hollinger ,the Raptors are now 13th in the league in points allowed, 14th in rebounding and a remarkable 5th in defensive rebounding.  That’s quite the turnaround for a team that was dead last in almost every defensive category a year ago.

How can you not applaud that? Or get excited when the team works hard defensively to win a close game?  This is what Dwane Casey was brought in to do.  The fact that we are already seeing a major turnaround is a great step in the right direction.

Now it’s up to Colangelo to give Casey the tools he needs to turn the Raptors into a game no one wants to see on their schedule.

Fans should cheer when their team wins, not when they lose or just when they win some pizza.  This years version of the Raptors deserves the fans support.  If they win it is because the coach has these players playing out of their shoes.  The whole team has bought into “pounding the Rock” and the results are starting to take shape.

They’re just happening a little faster than what we ever expected.

But that’s a good thing.  Right?

***

Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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by | February 27, 2012 · 6:38 am

Hopes for the Second Half

When the Raptors started the season, or about the same time Rasual Butler’s sneakers first squeaked on the ACC court, it was clear that this team was not playoff bound.  Now that the Raptors have finished up the unofficial first half of the season with a 10-23 record, it is pretty clear that the only place this team is going is the NBA draft lottery at the end of the year.

But that doesn’t mean Raptor fans aren’t looking for a little bit of positivity in the second half.

There are certainly things this fan base want to see from the team so that they feel hope exists for next season.

Development of young players is high on the agenda. As is trading assets for picks and youth.  For some finishing as low as possible is the desired result.

So what do you wanna see from the Raps in the second half?

Here’s our list:

1) A Strong Return for Andrea Bargnani

Bargnani has been out for a while and his health has to be on the minds of fans and team officials.  Before he went out Bargnani was putting together one hell of a season.  He finally seemed to be putting his skills together to become a dominant force for the Raptors.  He was scoring outside the paint with his beautiful jumper, but for the first time he was consistently getting to the rim as well.

Andrea also seemed to be fitting in well on the defensive side of the ball as he was steady in the paint and his rebounding numbers were gradually picking up.

An injury can certainly alter the way you play.  Going inside becomes a second thought.  Taking a charge or fighting for a rebound aren’t as easy as they were before. Let us hope the injury doesn’t mess with Andrea’s head.  Let’s hope that when he comes back, he comes back with the same fight he had before he was injured.

His ascention as a superstar is key to the success of the Toronto Raptors, this year and next.

2) Demar Puts it all Together

No Raptor has been criticized nearly as much as Derozan.  He is not having the type of year that basketball fans in this city were hoping.  I’m not here to rip him anymore, but in the second half Raptor fans will be looking for him to step up his game.

Whether or not Demar Derozan can bounce back from a rough start to the season will be one of the big stories for the Raptors and their fans during the second half of the season.

This is a player Raptor fans not only wanna see play well they want to see him play like a star.  Coming into this season fans were looking to Bargnani and Derozan to form the nucleus of the young core moving forward.  So far Bargnani looks like he is part of that nucleus, Derozan does not.

He still has half a season to show us all that he is an elite player in this league.  It’s one of the stories that everyone will be following in the second half.  Let’s hope he turns on the jets and makes us all forget his first half.

Who Stays and Who Goes?

Jose Calderon, Leandro Barbosa, Rasual Butler, pretty much any veteran we have will be the subject of trade chatter and their names will be floated out there.  The Raptors have the benefit of having a lot of pieces that a playoff bound team could be looking for to solidify their run.  Not only that but all of these veterans have contracts that make them more attractive to prospective trade partners with only one or two years remaining on their deals.

Not every veteran will be traded and nor should they all, but certainly the value coming back will be of interest to the Raptors and their faithful.  It’ll be hard to turn down a nice young player or a 1st round draft pick for a contract of a player that doesn’t fit into the teams long-term.  With lots of capspace coming this summer, having a little bit more might just be what the doctor ordered to expedite this rebuilding process.

Lots of chatter will be had.

Who Steps Up? 

While Derozan and Andrea will be the focus of many, the Raptors are still going to need someone from their supporting cast to emerge as part of this teams young core in the long-term.  Amir Johnson, James Johnson Jarryd Bayless and Ed Davis need to show they belong here.  The Raptors didn’t have an player compete in the Rising Stars Challenge game this weekend, but one of these four players need to become one for us.

All have shown positive flashes this year and need to continue doing so.  Their continued development let this fan base know that next years team has a solid supporting cast.  It gives the team a stronger foundation to build around.

Keeping it interesting

This team is not going to playoffs.  That much is clear, but we don’t want to watch a team that gets killed every night.  How painful for the fan base to have to watch the team become the Washington Generals every night, especially against teams it should compete against.  The fans need to know the effort is there and that the feeling of rebirth is close.

The Raptors might have to pull an upset victory or two and need to keep it close in as many games as they can.  This will be Dwane Casey’s biggest Challenge as the year goes on.  How to keep “pounding the rock” even when hope is lost.

Which leads me to my last point…

How Low Can They Go? 

There will be many fans calling for “Tank Nation” to ensure the highest chance at a top three pick.  Fans will be watching the standings fiercely to see if we are still in the Anthony Davis Sweepstakes.  I will not be one of them, but certainly a lower position would give us a better shot at a higher pick.

Regardless of where we finish, rest assured that Raptor fans will be watching the NCAA tournament with vested interest.  One of those stars (likely a top five or six pick) will be coming to Toronto next year.  Fans will be watching and hoping a little more losing leads to a little more talent in the NBA draft.

So there will be plenty to watch for Raptor fans in the second half.  Let’s hope what we see leads us to believe that next years version of the Raptors will be a little more involved in All Star festivities than they were this year.

***
Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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by | February 1, 2012 · 10:13 pm

The Beatdown Goes On in Boston

So that was awful.

There’s not much to say about the game.  The Raptors were thoroughly outplayed and beaten by the Celtics.  This game wasn’t even interesting, I mean I missed Modern Family for this game(though thankfully it was a repeat).  Why?  Neither team did anything interesting and the Raptors did almost nothing at all.  No defense, no offense, no chance.

Say what you want about missing Kleiza and Bargnani, the effort was simply not there.

If you’re part of  “Tank Nation” you might have something to cheer about, but even the people who want this team to lose for a higher pick cannot be pleased with the complete lack of guts in this game. That’s not the way anyone wants to lose a game. 

Back to Back beatings for the Raptors are good for no one.  Hopefully this wakes up some of the players and they come out with a little more fire at home on Friday.

It would be hard to play with less. 

Zan for three

Gray’s Anatomy

The only slightly bright spot for the Raptors tonight was Aaron Gray.  He played with intensity and worked hard under the basket and finished with a very credible 8 points and 9 rebounds.  Gray’s play should certainly earn him some more minutes, but the fact that he has been a factor at all this season says so much more about how disappointing Amir Johnson and Ed Davis have been.

Davis made amends in the second half for a pretty mediocre first half, but he hasn’t been as advertised this season.  He shows up one night and then disappears for the next two.

Gray is not a part of the future of this franchise.  He isn’t even really a part of their present, but he is currently out playing young “core pieces” in Amir and Ed.

There is nothing bad about seeing a bench guy step up and play well, but he really shouldn’t be out there.  Ed Davis is supposed to be a consistent force under the basket and Amir is supposed to be our energy guy.

Neither have been as advertised this season.

That certainly was a beatdown. The Raptors (And Bayless in this shot) took it on the chin against the Celtics falling 100-64 in Boston.

Ed Davis finally came alive in the second half, but Amir never showed up.

In their absence, Gray is finding some minutes that shouldn’t be there for the taking.

The Demar Derozan Watch

If I know Raptor fans, like I know Raptor fans everyone is giving up on Demar Derozan.  They’re calling for him to be moved, looking to the future without him, throwing in the towel on him as part of our “core” going forward.

He’s not playing well.  He hasn’t shown the promise he did at the end of last year.  He hasn’t signalled that he should be one of our central pieces going forward.

But, then again, that’s what most of us said about Bargnani last year.

We were wrong.  Maybe Demar is just having a hard time adjusting to his expanded role. 

Without Bargnani in the lineup, Demar is really the only scoring threat the Raptors have.  He is the focus of opposing defenses and the main focus of scouting reports.  He’s not used to being targeted by opposing teams.  That adjustment takes time.

Watching him play against Ray Allen on Wednesday only highlighted the fears fans all have.  He didn’t look good on either end of the floor and was held in check and taken to school by a veteran star.  The gap between the All-Star guard and Derozan was never as apparent as it was on Wednesday night.

But maybe this game came at exactly the right time.

Maybe Ray Allen gives Demar something to think about, something to strive for.  Games like this stay with you.  They haunt you while you’re on the road to the next game.  Let’s hope this sits with Demar for a while and he plays Friday with this game in the back of his mind.  Maybe this game will be the chip he carries on his shoulder for the rest of the season, that ignites a fire under him. 

Let’s hope this was his wake up call.

Pound the Rock

I’m interested to see how this team responds on Friday against a very beatable Washington team.  Two losses in a row is one thing, but to be absolutely crushed and humiliated twice in a row is something else.  This team needs to come out like caged animals on Friday.  They need to show some fight and if they go down they need to go down swinging with everything they have.

Losses like this test the fortitude of a team.  These young players need to shrug this off, learn from their mistakes and just come out focused and determined to do better.

The “Pound the Rock” mantra isn’t just about continuing to learn and  getting better, it’s about responding to adversity.  Over the last two games this team has seen some adversity.  Friday is where we will learn what this team is made of.  Can they bounce back after embarrassing defeats?  Show more fight and hustle win or lose?

We’ll find out.

Zan of the Night

Adnan Virk

The former Score employee and current ESPN anchor tweeted early in the night that he had received free tickets to see Toronto at the Garden.  He was the big winner on the night because he didn’t pay to see this monstrosity.  I’m sure he doesn’t pay for many basketball tickets, but he definitely got what he paid for.  Plus it’s great that he still makes the effort to check out a team he once worked for and cheered for when he was here in Toronto.  He is definitely missed on Raptors broadcasts and Toronto television.

Not Zan of the Night

Take your pick.  The entire Raptors team looked lost and out of sync. No one player was more to blame than any other.  This one is on everyone.  Hopefully they can dust it off and get back at it on Friday.

***

Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald

***

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by | January 7, 2012 · 12:32 am

Raptors Can’t Keep Up with the Nets

So, you can’t win ‘em all.  This is a mantra that Raptors fans should’ve had to adopt early in the season and will likely have to start adopting now.  After a very surprisingly strong start to the year, the Raptors looked very much like a team destined for the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

They did not rebound the ball well, gave up way too many second chance points and could not defend the three.  These are all issues that plauged them last year and will continue to haunt them if they cannot find a remedy.

In the end the Raptors have to try and learn from this game as they’re right back at it tomorrow.  One of the benefits of a shortened 66-game season is that you have no choice but to have a short memory.  Games come quickly on the heels of a loss.  The Raps have no time to hang their heads  Get some sleep, figure it out and play again tomorrow.

Hopefully the effort will return. On the stat sheet, this looks like a win for the Raptors.  The effort was there at times, the timing needs to improve.

Zan for Three

Return of the Hump

What a sad story.

The unfairly treated Kris Humphries, was a key part of New Jersey's victory over the Raptors at the ACC on Friday night.

For nothing related to basketball whatsoever, this guy is getting booed everywhere he plays.  Even at home he gets the hate from the fans.

It wasn’t really that different when he played his former team either.  He took to the court to a smattering of boos and was booed often while the game progressed.

What exactly did he do to us?

I remember Kris Humphries coming here in a one sided trade for Arujao.  Yeah, remember that guy? He deserved the boos.

Humphries played hard here for Sam Mitchell and earned his extended minutes on the court.  He wasn’t an all-star but a definite energy guy off the bench.

In NJ he has been a solid contributor and was once again despite (or in spite of) the booing fans at the ACC.  16 rebounds? not a bad night at the office.  He contiinues to play well, much to the shagrin of his very vocal critics.

Not to sound like the Britney Spears guy, but “Leave Kris Alone”!!!

He doesn’t deserve it.

Pound the Rock

It is the Mantra of this years Raptors.  The players are united on Twitter, using the hashtag after each game win or lose.

In hindsight it really is a brilliant mantra for this young team.  This year is going to filled with nights like tonight, when players like Deron Williams shred our perimeter defence.  When inside players like Kris Humphries dominate the paint and we look foolish defensively.

This young team just needs to keep it coming.

We have seen major improvements in Andrea Bargnani and Demar Derozan early on and over the last two nights we have seen Ed Davis react to his name being called out.

These young players really do need to the ‘pound the rock’.  Things are improving, they just aren’t going to happen over night.

Take your lumps and get back out there.  The fans see the improvement and hopefully the players and coaches feel it.

Return of the Mack

Ed Davis has been all over the news lately.  He saw a drastic reduction in minutes because of a perceived lack of effort.  According to many in the media he had a sit down with coach Casey this week to discuss his issues.  Low and behold we have seen a return to the player many of us expected to see this season.  He  has been active offensively and has battled in the paint.

Ed Davis, in my opinion, is a clear part of this core moving forward.  He may have the most upside of any player on this current roster.  He just needs to keep working.

He can score, he has a strong post up game and is an above average defender. He has all the tools to become a significant part of this teams future.

He just needs to put it all together.  Luckily he has a coach in Dwane Casey that knows when to let things slide and when tough love is necessary.  He saw a lack of effort in Ed and knew exactly how to motivate him to improve.

That’s the sign of a good coach.

I’m looking forward to, and fully expecting, to see significant improvement in Ed’s game as the season progresses.

Zan of the Night

Kris Humphries

Take that boo-birds.  Nothing like a 16 rebound effort to quiet the haters.  No reason at all to boo this kid, he was dialed in and played a great game for the Nets. Kudos to the fans at the ACC who did cheer and there were quite a few.

Not Zan of the Night

Demar Derozan

Not a great shooting night for Derozan.  He did not look confident out there at all tonight and just couldn’t get that shot to drop.

At one point Gary Forbes was even brought in to provide more ‘juice’.

Dust it off, and get back at ‘er tomorrow.  There will always be nights like tonight for shooters like Demar, it’s how you respond that separates the stars from the pretenders.

***

Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald

***

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