Re: Five Games in He played his most complete game of the season last night. Generally he's been hot and cold on the offensive end but great defensively. He averaging two blocks a game in about 30 minutes.
Re: Five Games in The main problem I see is defense. The Raptors' overall defense is weak, especially at the swingmen positions. Also, the rebounding has been poor despite the addition of JO. Anthony Parker has been pretty good on offense, but defensively I think he's just too old to keep up with a lot of the competition. Kapono is a horrible defender, and Moon gets steals and blocks, but isn't actually a good perimeter defender. Graham does a decent job, but Mitchell refuses to play him meaningful minutes. I think the Raptors should look and see if there is a way to grab Gerald Wallace. He is exactly what the Raptors need. Someone who can slash and play defense on the perimeter. I know his injuries have been a problem, but then again, the Raptors are gambling on JO anyway. A package involving Moon and Graham would be a good start. I'd hate to let Kapono go, for his shooting is as good as his defense is bad, so you gotta learn to take the good with the bad.
Re: Five Games in I like where you're going with the Wallace thing and I think it's interesting but what if they deal had to include Bargnani? And I don't think there's anyway the Raps could absorb that much salary. Good call on Parker, he was a tough, if not maybe even decent defender two years ago but those legs are just a little bit older these days. He still capable of having great night and will still be a steady hand but I don't know if the AP we saw in the season opener is the one we'll see at the end of the season. Often times Smitch is asking him to guard some pretty good young swingmen and it's gotta be tough running after them all game long.
It's nice having an outside perspective from someone who isn't too attached to this team. I agree with everything you said. IMO, options 2 and 3 on that poll are inter-related. We really don't have consistent defense coming from the guard or swingman positions and we certainly don't have anybody standing out at the 3. Anthony Parker is really our only good perimeter defender and he might be losing a step. He's certainly never been a player that could single-handedly anchor a defense, and if you surround him with automatic blowbys like Jamario and Jose, there's only so much he can do. It's scary to think how bad our perimeter D could be without Bosh, JO, and Bargs providing a legitimate shotblocking presence. Jamario Moon just shouldn't be starting anywhere in the league at this point, if you look at how he closed last season as well as how he's started this one. He's just one of the most thick-headed players in the game. Defensively he's a purely reactionary player, not really focusing on positioning and footwork. He's content to let his player beat him, because he feels he has a chance to block him once he nears the rim. On the other side, he stalls the offense whenever he touches the ball. His jumpshot form is unconventional and ineffective, but I feel like he's the most trigger-happy player on the team. I feel like Smitch really has to get over his attachment to this player soon. In the past, you could rationalize keeping him in the starting lineup because he defended and rebounded decently. But that's now regressed significantly, to the point where you're wondering how much better defensively he is than Kapono. Both the Pistons and Hawks targeted him more than I've seen any player in recent years. Joey Graham looks like a better option, simply because he brings you back to even (mediocre defense and invisible offense: won't hurt your or help you).
It's worth noting that Colangelo said at one point over the offseason, that he'd consider dipping into the luxury tax area if Toronto looked like a strong team with one or two significant weaknesses. I hope he sticks to that promise.
It's actually possible to trade for Gerald Wallace, but the package looks far from enticing. If we give up Parker, Graham and Moon, the salaries work out (tried it on the trade checker), but I highly doubt Charlotte would fall for that. They probably wouldn't do this trade even if we gave up some draft picks. In reality, there is really no feasible way to get Gerald Wallace, unless we give Bargnani too, but I'm not giving up on this kid yet. He has shown he can dominate (see Warriors game), and a talent like him doesn't come very often. I still think Il Mago can turn out to be pretty good, he just needs to learn to play to his strengths. He can run laps around most players that guard him, so he should take it to the hole more. I know he is known as a shooter, but if driving is going to get you buckets, then stop shooting jumpers!
Another Bargnani optimist like me! I'm with you on all that and I feel like the biggest thing holding him back right now is a lack of assertiveness. He'll go through stretches where he plays solid defense, while having no noticeable presence offensively. It leads to forgettable performances that might not be blameworthy and certainly are welcome after last season, but are just a waste of his talent. With our shorter rotation, we need him to make his mark on the game every time he's on the floor. You see him really establish position and play strong a few times once he subs in and then he stops after the guards ignore him once or twice. He's got to keep doing it, again and again and again. And if his teammates keep ignoring him, he has to get in their ears and demand the ball. There are so many times where he's our best player out on the floor, but he looks afraid to act like it.
The biggest issue is that the Raps play in a league where the top teams in each conference got to where they are via crooked trades, collusion, and cronyism.
My outside view without seeing the Raptors play yet is that they need more of a complete 2nd scorer. I know Bosh can flat out score, but relying on Parker and Kapono as the 2nd or 3rd option is disturbing to me longterm. I don't know who exactly Colangelo would want and I am sure he doesn't want to overpay. He could go for someone cheap like Luther Head or Rashard McCants and see how they fit in the offence.
Speeds, you've been spending too much time in that MMA forum of yours, lol. Parker has just not looked good so far this month but i expect to see him rebound against the Celtics.
