Tag Archives: Utah Jazz

by | January 26, 2012 · 1:17 am

Raptors Show Fight in Win over Jazz

It was everything you wanted in a basketball game.  Whether you are driving the tank this season or still cheering for little victories, this game had something for everyone.

The Toronto Raptors used a complete team effort to battle back from an 18 point deficit to overcome the Utah Jazz in double overtime for their second straight victory.

The Raptors used team defense, timely shooting and grit to come away with a well-earned win.

The biggest winner on the night was anyone that stayed up to watch the end of the game.  Fans were rewarded with a back and forth battle that gave fans two quarters of free basketball.  Nothing wrong with that.

Hopefully the win wasn’t costly as Andrea Bargnani left the game after re-aggravating his calf injury and was later seen on crutches.  Hopefully he will be back, he clearly makes a big difference.

Zan for Three

Night and Day

This team is completely different when Andrea Bargnani is on the floor.  He gives them direction and is an absolute force on the offensive end this season.  Everything he has ever been in our minds over the last few years, he is turning into on the court.

He is shooting the lights out, driving the ball and driving defenders bananas as he draws them inside and out.  Teams can’t guard him and he isn’t allowing them to contain him either.

The best sign for Raptor fans actually came when Andrea re-aggravated his calf injury late in the game.  He was pulled from the game and looked absolutely irate.  He sported a death stare for a while and slammed his towel on the bench.  This might not seem like something to get excited about, but when was the last time you saw that much emotion from Il Mago?

If he is the star for this team going forward, and I think that he is, then this is exactly what you want to see your leader do when he has to sit on the bench.

Love the emotion!

Playing to Potential

Bryan Colangelo sold us on a lot of these players over the last few seasons.  James Johnson’s grit and intangibles, Amir Johnson’s size and defensive presence, Calderon’s ability to get to the rim, Kleiza’s hot shooting and Demar’s ability to drive.

When the Raptors needed someone to step up in the absence of Andrea Bargnani, Linas Kleiza answered the call. He was dominant off the bench and led the team to victory in overtime.

These are qualities we have seen only flashes of over the last couple of seasons. Tonight it was all there.  It was incredible to watch players do what they are supposed to do on paper.

Jose drove the ball, Demar got to the line,Kleiza shot the lights out and James Johnson battled all night long.  This was a complete team effort tonight and when all cylinders are firing.  This team is tough to beat when they are all playing the way they are capable of.

Dwane Casey you might just be on to something here.

Kleizanated

Linas Kleiza was a big Colangelo acquisition an off-season ago.  He went into the 2010 World Championships  and looked dominant shooting the ball and leading Lithuania to a thrid place finish.  Then he here and was flat.  He didn’t shoot the ball well, didn’t defend well an eventually lost is start SF spot before having his season shortened by injury.  He never reached the potential that we had seen or heard about.

Since coming back from injury Kleiza has ben getting better and better and is beginning to show flashes of that player we saw in the world championships in 2010 for Lithuania.

This guy can shoot.  He can be a dominant force for this team. And I’m looking forward to a whole lot more of what we saw Wednesday night because he is finally beginning to look like a player the raptors might want to keep around.

Zan of the Night

Kleiza

No Question.  When Bargnani went out with an injury, Linas stepped up in a major way hitting big shots in the extra periods.  He had ice in his veins and seemed confident every time he touched the ball.  The Jazz couldn’t stop him, especially in the extra frame and his defensive energy in OT  helped clinch the victory.

Not Zan of the Night

Gordon Hayward

Just couldn’t get anything to fall despite the continued effort.  Not a great night at the office for him, but when you’re a shooter you have to ride the wave.

An honourable mention to Ed Davis once again for helping cement his spot in the doghouse.  You have to make the most of your time on the floor, especially when it is limited.  Amir gets this, Ed does not.

I’m also upset with him because I have him on my fantasy team.  If not for Ed Davis I’d look like a genius.  It’s time to pick up the slack my friend.  For you, and for me.

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Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald

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Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Zantabakherald

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by | November 3, 2010 · 11:44 pm

Raps Get Played by the Jazz in Utah

It was certainly a night to forget for the Raptors as they continued their Western trip in Utah.  The first half looked like an utter gong show, but the Raptors showed some fight, cutting the lead to just one in the third frame.  In the end the Jazz did pretty much whatever they wanted for the other three quarters to secure a dominant win.

This should start the calls out there for a “tanking” or for “heads to roll”.  But I feel it more appropriate to try to make sense out of this madness instead of letting it tear us all apart.

The Raptors are probably not as good as many of us “homers” were hoping they’d be.  I still don’t think we are as bad as many made us out to be.  But after the way the Raps were manhandled inside and out by Deron Williams and All Jefferson it is clear that there is still a lot of work to do in Raptorland.

The Zan for Three

Silver Lining

Look, it’s pretty much all we have this year.  This team is going to lose a lot of games.  Some, like the one in Sacramento, will be heartbreaking.  Others, like tonight, will be a tease.  There are other ways to lose that we will surely experience as well this year; maybe even on this road trip. That doesn’t mean there isn’t something we can find hopeful.  Right?

Joey Dorsey – Played his first minutes tonight and didn’t look half bad.  He sank both shots he had, collected three boards and seemed to play with some energy.  He had four fouls in nine minutes…but we’re trying to be positive.

Andrea Bargnani – Played with some fight in the third quarter and had a great shooting game.  He probably isn’t the guy to build around, but he is making someone very happy in the fantasy sports world.

Sonny Weems –  He had a great shooting night off the bench and really helped the Raps climb back into this one.  He might be a nice piece off the bench for the Raps at times this year.

There will be many nights where you’ll just have to pick out the few hopeful moments in order to remind yourself there will be sunlight at the end of the tunnel some time down the road.

 

 

The Raptors fought their way back in Utah, only to watch the Jazz walk away with victory.

Time to Stop the Gravy Train

I hate to use the words of our infamous mayor-elect (as sad as that is), but the Raptors have to stop letting teams get easy buckets.  Don’t get me wrong, Deron Williams is a great player and will certainly eat opposing teams for breakfast sometimes, but he had it way too easy tonight.  Williams blew by Calderon and Jack and when he wasn’t finishing at the rim he was dishing it off to Jefferson for more easy buckets.

The Raptors simply are not a good enough team to give their opponents an easy ride.  They have to defend the perimeter harder and prevent easy baskets.  Tonight Williams was running circles around the Raps and they couldn’t do anything about it.

Early Energy

One thing you couldn’t fault the Raptors for in Sacramento was their energy from the moment the ball was tipped off.  They fought their way to huge lead before the Kings could even wake up.  Tonight they came out sluggish and slow.  They looked like they had been partying it up all night on the beaches in California.  We know that isn’t possible because they were in Utah and no partying whatsoever goes on there.

The Raptors must come in to each game ready to play immediately.  If they do not they will find themselves down early and often and without a way to fight their way back.  They fought tonight, but the hole they dug themselves into was far too deep to get out of.

Zan of the Night

Deron Williams

He was the puppet master for the Jazz tonight and the architect of misfortune for the Raptors.  He did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted to it and the Raptors simply could not contain him.  One of the more underappreciated players in the league.  A true talent, that took control tonight.

Not Zan of the Night

Jose Calderon

What is going on with this guy?  Is he still upset about his off-season trade?  I mean, I get it, but get over it already.  Jose is not good on the defensive end and he probably will never be.  We’ve already accepted his deficiencies on the defensive end, but his shots are not falling and he looks very uncomfortable out there.  This is the team leader when he’s on the floor and right now he seems lost.  Calderon had another bad night and the Raptors lost.  He needs to get his game back on track.

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Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald
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Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Zantabakherald

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by | March 24, 2010 · 11:10 pm

Raptors Get Tuned By the Jazz

It was an ugly night at the ACC, the kind where the best thing about the game is the Raptors mascot.  And, god love him, too.  He is hilarious, especially when he wears that little inflatable suit.  Yup, that was the best part of the game for the Raptors, when the Raptor pretended to eat someone in an inflatable suit.  Pretty much sums it up doesn’t it?

This is a team fighting for a playoff spot, but there wasn’t much fight from the opening tip.  Hedo Turkoglu lasted only one half and no one decided to play any defence to speak of.  Usually the Raptors put up a better effort at home against a top team like the Jazz, but tonight there was no such effort.  This does not look like a team fighting for a playoff spot.  This doesn’t look like a team fighting for anything.  The effort on defence was not there and Deron Williams had a field day.  He made the Raptors look like Husky pylons.

If this team plans on playing playoff basketball for very long, they need to find the will to win.  A lot of work lies ahead for this team.

The Zan for Three

Deron Williams

Wow.  Is he really this good or are the Raptors this bad?  18 points and 16 assists?  He didn’t even play that much in the second half.  He made Jose Calderon look like a statue all night and just had his way with the Raptors.  I openly questioned his inclusion on the All-Star team this year, but he just might be the real deal.  The Jazz are sitting in 4th in the Western Conference and he is the reason why.  If the Raptors want to learn something about willing your team to victory, making smart choices, and fighting for a victory in a playoff race. They need to look no further than Deron.  He is a player any team would love to have on their team.  A leader.  A winner.

Sad faces on the bench is a common sight these days.

The Clock is Ticking

After the game, Antoine Wright said this:  “It’s just time to come together as a team. We’re running out of time. We’ve got to figure it out.”  This could not be more true to the point.  It is getting tiring talking about the same deficiencies game in and game out.  This team has a limited amount of time to point the ship in the right direction and start moving up the standings.  They are stuck in 8th and are running out of time to get where they should, by all rights, be right now.  Wright is often vocal and often says things you don’t want to hear, but he speaks the truth here.  In the words of SNL character Oscar Rogers “Fix it!”

Something More

One has to wonder whether there is something more to this sudden run of bad basketball.  The Raptors looked great heading into the All-Star break and seemed poised for a top 5 finish in the East.  They were becoming a team that other clubs in the league did not want to face.

Something happened.

It could just be good players playing bad basketball or maybe it’s something more.  The players don’t look like they’re having fun, they are smiling less.  Of course, losing will do that to a player, a coach, a fan or two.  Maybe something is up.  Jack doesn’t seem happy with his backup role, Jose didn’t seem happy with his.  Turkoglu wants “ball” and has been mentioning it regularly to anyone that will listen.  Antoine Wright is fired up 24/7 and then there’s Bosh’s looming free-agency.  Maybe this is a club that is imploding.  Maybe there is something going on behind the scenes we are not aware of.  The Raptors have lost their mojo.  If they’re too worried about next season in the thick of a playoff battle then that is all they will be playing for.

Plus the Foul…

No Love for the big Slovenian

What does it say about Rasho’s status on the team when he doesn’t play in a lopsided blowout?  Yes, Reggie played well at the end of the game, but come on!  This was the perfect time to put him in.  What is up with that? Let’s NBA already!

Zan of the Night

Deron Williams

An All Star doing what All Stars do.  He is quickly adding himself to the list of elite NBA players in the league.  He is a tough match up on any night and tonight there was no answer for him.  He is leading the Jazz up the standings in the very tough Western Conference.  This is not a team I would want a first round playoff match-up with.  Although I don’t know if there is a team in the 1-8 spots in the West that I would rather play.

Not Zan of the Night

Jose Calderon

He was a human pylon tonight.  He looked more crossing guard than a point guard.  His defence is never anything to write home about, but tonight he was totally useless on that end of the floor.  They say defence wins championships.  Tonight was not an encouraging sign for the Raptors.  Jose needs to bring it or he needs to sit.  He is becoming far too much a liability on the defensive end.

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Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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by | November 18, 2009 · 11:39 pm

Utah plays the Raps like a Jazz Flute at Ron Burgandy’s House

Everyone knows this team lives and dies by thier jump shot. Well, in the fourth quarter the team died a slow, painful and terrible death against the Utah Jazz.

They went one for 12 to start the frame and instead of taking the ball inside they decided to keep shooting. Not the best plan for success..

The good news is, one of the worst stretches of the season is over, and the Raps are back home. The hopes are what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.

Zan for Three

Get it inside!

When the Raps went to the bucket they had a great deal more success tonight. So why not do that more? Bosh and Bargnani were at their best when they got the ball close to the basket. Jose’s shots weren’t falling and Jack couldn’t catch a cold.  The point is, Utah doesn’t play strong D and the Raps didn’t take advantage of it. I felt like I was in a time warp as they settled for jumper after jumper.  If your shots aren’t falling….try something else!

X-Factors

Marco Belinelli is playing out of his head right now.  The guy is a sharpshooter out there for the Raps.  He plays with confidence and isn’t afraid to drive the net.  He needs more plays to run through him.

Amir wasn’t a flashy player tonight but I just wanted to give him some love as well. He’s been flying under the radar this year.  The kid works hard, plays his role and is a key contributor off the bench.  He’s a garbage man out there grabing loose balls, fighting for boards and blocking shots.  He cleans up the mess and does his job quietly.

Jose  + Jack = What exactly?

These two should not be on the floor together.  There is absolutely no chemistry between them and I have no idea why Jay Triano continues to shove it down our throats.  Jack doesn’t play with control and Jose wouldn’t know defence if it waved it’s hands in front of his face during a shot.  The two don’t belong together and we are weaker on both ends of the floor when they play at the same time.

Zan of the Game

Marco Belinelli

Yes he looks like he should be wearing a striped shirt on the back of a gondola but this guy can play.  He shoots like a Big Headed NBA Jam player on fire.  He needs the ball in his hands more and the Raps need to kick it out his way more often.  He’s like a creepier looking Dell Curry.

Not Zan of the Game

Jarrett Jack

We might have to change this category to “Jarrett Jack of the Game”,  if he keeps playing like this. He is all over the place…the guy is starting to give me Wil Solomon flashbacks…and that’s a bad trip.

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by | August 29, 2009 · 9:39 am

The Raptors Add Depth To Bench In More Ways Than One

Marc Iavaroni

It has been one busy summer for Raptors General Manager Brian Colangelo.  He has completely overhauled the team leaving only three core players from last year (Bosh, Calderon and Bargnani).  He has looked at the team from last year and addressed the glaring holes that were present a year ago:  wing scoring, clutch play, athleticism and toughness. He also made sure that the core players on this team were locked up for the foreseeable future in order to convince Chris Bosh to re-sign next year.   The one move that may have slipped under the radar this summer was the official acquisition of assistant coach Marc Iavaroni.

The Iavaroni addition was rumoured since last season when he routinely showed up during Raptor practices and was made official this summer.

He has long been a favourite of Colangelo’s having worked under him as an assistant coach in Mike D’Antoni’s system and also as a consultant for the US mens basketball team.  In 2006 when the Raptors were looking at potentially letting Sam Mitchell go Iavaroni was one of the only names mentioned in any reports other than Mitchell who was eventually re-signed.

It is not a surprise that Iavaroni has found a home with the Raptors when he once again became an NBA coaching free-agent.

In Iavaroni the Raptors are getting much more than a “coach in waiting”.  And make no mistake about it he is not in Toronto for Jay Triano’s job.  He is here to make Jay’s job easier.  He will be the teams defensive specialist assigned the task at improving the defensive strategy on an offensively focused team.  Iavroni, like Triano, is also a student of the European style of game that is the hallmark of the Raptors team.  Jay Triano believes this to be an asset as it provides consistency throughout the coaching staff.  ”With my experience in playing overseas and coaching the Canadian team, and Marc Iavaroni playing in Europe, I think there will be a European flavor to what we do.”

Iavaroni, was a stand-out assistant during his time with the Phoenix Suns where the team made it to the Western Conference finals twice.  He earned a reputation for being a straight shooter and was involved in drawing up plays for the team as well as inspiring a sense of defense on another offensively gifted team.  He has also assisted with the Team USA men’s team and worked alongside Pat Riley in Miami before becoming head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies in 2007.

Iavaroni, a former NBA player as well, is known for his ability to improve team defense although you wouldn’t know it from watching his Grizzlies play during his tenure there.  He was instrumental in developing the Suns’ defense during this time there.   Although the Suns were (and still are) known for their running offence, powered by Steve Nash, they did see a significant improvement in their defense during Iavaroni’s tenure in the desert. Iavroni

With the Raptors he seems like a perfect fit.  The team has had major issues defending the perimeter and has been running the risk of being labeled a one-dimensional team.  Iavaroni will be stepping in with new defensive minded players like Reggie Evans, Antoine Wright and, to a lesser extent, athletic rookie Demar Derozan.  Iavaroni will also be asked to help improve the defensive efforts of Bargnani, Bosh and Calderon in order to propel the Raps into the upper-ecshelon of the Eastern Conference.  Shutting down the opposing team was an area of concern for the Raps last season

Iavaroni provides a steady hand to the coaching staff.  One who understands the challenge ahead for Jay Triano and one who can help both the current roster and the current coaching staff achieve the levels of success now expected of them.  Iavaroni’s years of experience as a player and coach provide some veteran leadership on the bench this year.  He has been a winner in Phoenix and a general in Memphis and will be asked to provide both this coming season.

With Iavaroni on the bench this year the Raptors are proving they have as much depth off the court as they now do on it.

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