2:50am Eastern
I said this on the pre game show last night on the FAN … but I wanted to reiterate it in this blog as well …
At the risk of sounding like a “homer” …
I don’t think this season was a total disappointment for the Raptors.
Did I expect more from this team?
Would it have been better to see this crew improve on their 47-win season total from last year?
Am I concerned about the apparent regression of Andrea Bargnani?
Well, the answer is a resounding YES to every one of those questions.
However, injuries played a major role in Toronto’s step back this season.
Talk all you want about defense, intensity, consistency and creativity; those are all things that plagued the Raps throughout the year. But it was the injury bug that had the biggest impact on Toronto’s success - or lack of it.
Think about the impact that Jorge Garbajosa had on this team last year. He had a magnificent rookie season. Garbo was the man who drew the assignment more often than not on the opposing team’s best player. He had grit and attitude and his basketball I.Q. was second to none.
Toronto missed Garbajosa in their first round series against the Nets last spring. As well as Joey Graham played at times down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs, having Garbo could have made a major difference when trying to shut down/slow down Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson.
Well, that was only 6 games. The Raps had to do it this year for 80 games. And the man that filled the shoes so well last year - Graham - was banged up at the beginning of this year as well … so he was unable to take the reigns and secure (finally) a regular spot in the rotation and in the league.
With the door left open at that small forward slot … a number of scenarios could have unfolded. But the most unlikely one did: Jamario Moon. The 27-year-old rookie who bounced around every league imaginable before finding a home in T.O. started for the first time during an early-season game in Chicago and he never looked back. He had a fantastic rookie season but I think it would be fair to say that if Garbo were healthy, Moon would’ve been a member of that 2ND unit. Heck, you could even argue that if Graham had been healthy, Moon may have struggled even more to get minutes with the 2ND unit … let alone as a starter!
Garbajosa on the sidelines took 20% of last year’s starting 5 out of the mix. And then … barely a month into the season … the Raps lost 40% of last year’s starters … when TJ Ford was hammered in Atlanta by Al Horford … and the diminutive guard missed nearly two months of action!
Though Jose Calderon played at an All Star level in Ford’s absence, the trickle-down effect was huge … as Toronto had to get by with Juan Dixon and Darrick Martin as their primary back-ups. Dixon was a shooting guard trying to convert himself into a point guard on-the-fly, and Martin was a veteran that knew coming into the season that he’d be used sparingly … if at all.
Despite those two MAJOR holes in Toronto’s line up, the team managed to survive. In fact, they did more than survive … they went on a tear. With Bosh playing some of his best ball of the season and Calderon blistering every opposing team, the Raps were flirting with being 10+ games over .500 right after the All Star Break in mid-February. Even though Ford had come back during the late stages of that run, the momentum had been built by Calderon and company and the team had time to gradually work TJ back into form.
However, Sam Mitchell was dealt another blow at the worst possible time. Just when the team looked to be turning the corner and starting to show signs of the club many people felt Toronto would be this year; Bosh went down with a mysterious knee injury on the brink of a nasty road schedule in March.
Bosh went on to miss 15 games - including a brutal 0-5 west coast trip that kicked the Raptors back around the Mendoza Line. T.O. went 4-11 during CB4’s absence and the team looked nothing like the energetic squad that took the league by storm at the same time last season.
But despite all of the injuries, the Raps stayed in the playoff hunt. And the way things have played out, someone somewhere must be smiling down on this team.
While a sweep at the hands of the Magic is always a possibility, there’s no denying that Toronto matches up against Orlando better than any of the other top teams in the East. You’ve got to figure that Toronto wanted no part of Boston; Detroit owns them; and facing LeBron James in the post-season isn’t a very intriguing first-round notion! Heck, with their rebounding, speed, and versatility at the swing spots, you could argue that even Washington, Philadelphia, and Atlanta would have given Toronto greater problems too!
Man for man, position for position, the Raptors and Magic are very similar. One of the few things that separate these clubs is their respective records. Toronto finished the year at 41-41 … 11 less wins than Orlando. But another win or two here or there and the Raps may have leap-frogged Washington for 5TH in the East and that would have meant a date with LeBron.
So here we are … getting ready for the playoffs. Toronto’s regular season is over. And while we all (well, most of us) had loftier goals in mind … this team did finish only 6 games off last year’s record-setting season. Six games. That’s it. Six games … despite major injuries to two key players/starter and a nagging injury that kept the best player out of the line up for nearly one-fifth of the season.
In my mind, that’s not that bad.
Even if the Raptors had surpassed last year’s 47 wins — let’s say they get 48, 49, or even 50 or 51 (which I thought they had a legit chance at doing) — they still would have finished 2ND in their division to Boston, and their record still wouldn’t have been better than the Magic’s. Unless they really caught fire and managed to surpass Orlando’s 52 wins, the best Toronto could have/would have finished was 4TH overall.
The difference now - between 4TH and 6TH - is one game. One home game. That’s it. “Home court advantage” is out the window for the Raps. But when you factor-in everything that went wrong with this team this season, I think that’s a minor failure overall.
Are changes needed and will changes be made in the off season?
Absolutely.
But the “second season” is upon us … and success in the playoffs could do a lot for the future of this team and how Bryan Colangelo assesses what needs to be done and who needs to stay or go.
The playoffs are where this team should truly be judged. Another first-round exit would be a disappointment. But worrying about 47 wins versus 41 wins or anything else is a moot point in my eyes … for now.
E. Smith
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I agree with your points but every team had major injury problems.
Do we have a structured defense that can provide consistency?
Andrea is way more athletic than last year and has shown he is physically tough. Should he not have had a coach to teach him the centers position or his he permanently a shooting guard?
With our lack of physicality and Humphries under contract why was he not play more when he was great when he played?
On the game last night TJ had 3 assists and two turnovers. Is Parker slumping due to TJ taking too much care of himself and holding the ball too much? Why was Bosh so much better on offense with Calderon in January/February?
Has Sam put the proper work ethics and strategies into the team? What has Sam Done in two years to grow these players?
He admits he had nothing to do with Caleron. Mejay is Mejay. Andrea is on his own. Humphries does not play. Did Sam develop Bosh and Rasho? Moon is the Sam player that came here except is more selective on his jump shot. Parker was two time MVP in Europe before Sam met him. What has Sam done to move this young team forward?
- MilesEric
Answer ONE question!!!
Are the Raptors a better team today and are they more prepared than they were in October of 07?
Sam is a total bust!!!
Sam will need 55% to 60% shooting to compete with Orlando which has nothing to do with Sam. Sam says everything is great. Sam should wear a Leafs jersey not a classy suit.
Bryan Colangello admitted mistakes were made. What are we 6 and 24? Bryan will start to prove or invalidate himself this summer by the moves he makes. His first move should be to buy out Sam.
- MilesEric im hoping to hear your playoff predictions tonight on hoops… as well as Jonseys and armstrongs
- marioEric, most coaches say they will take a player with good offensive skills because they can teach defense. The Raptors defense in the last 2 months, when the team has essentially been healthy is no better than when Sam Mitchell took over as coach. Teams are still killing them in the paint and penetrating the middle of the defense. The defensive schemes seem inadequate.
- MarvinA lot of the blame has to go to the players. There is not one physical player on the team. Anthony Parker is simply not a physical defender which is why the Raptors are continuously exploited by 2’s and 3’s.
The Raptors had injuries to deal with in 2007 as well. The difference this year in large part has been the outside shooting. Bargnani and Kapono have been busts and Parker has not shot the ball as well as last year. When this team is not shooting the jump shot well they are an average team at best.
While I don’t expect Pat Riley’s Knicks, you cannot be a serious threat when you are as soft as the Raptors are. Colangelo does not have a track record of building a defensive minded team. I hope that changes or this team will be stuck in the same rut next year.
I think I would agree (and I said it) that Toronto’s “D” hasn’t been great and it needs to improve in the post season. It has to be addressed in the off season, no doubt.
But for what it’s worth … Just food for thought … the Raps finished 10TH in the league in opponents PPG, and 15TH in opponents FG%
- E. SmithEric, a couple of points:
1. Every team faces injuries. While the team lost TJ, with an incredible 2nd PG in Calderon, this team more than any other team in the league was well-suited to absorb the loss of its starting PG. Also, even if TJ had not been injured, its hard to envision the team playing much better than it did when it was on a roll when Calderon was the starter.
2. Colangelo called this season a disappointment. That is in contrast to the coache’s assessment who called it an unbelievable season.
3. Even if one accepts that the injuries had some impact, the season has been a significant disappointment because of the team’s horrendous play during the last 25 games during which time they didn’t beat anyone of substance and lost to sub .500 teams.
4. A playoff win against Orlando will not mask the changes that need to be made to this team in the summer.
5. Eric, I’m not sure that Sam has settled on his PG rotation for the playoffs. For the most part, it seems that he was trying to balance minutes during the games in an effort to be fair to the 2 PGs. Who do you think will be the PG down the stretch in the 4th quarter of the Orlando series?
5. Who wins the San Antonio and Phoenix series? That one will be incredible.
- Robert KrizmanOh, this is such a terrible team, they must have won 41 games by nothing but luck, the team might as well be disbanded, and all the commenters on blogs like this are absolutely brilliant basketball minds, it’s a crime they’re not employed in the NBA. Who should we see about being charged with this crime of keeping these basketball savants unemployed? Jesus Murphy, what a bunch of glass-is-3/4 empty complainers you people are! I actually feel sorry for you whiners at times, what with the miserable lives you must lead.
If your opinion of the team is so damn bad, people, just stop watching, and for crying out loud, stop inflicting your “expert” opinions on those of us who actually do have a clue.
Eric, keep up the good work, hope to keep reading and hearing you throughout the Raptors run.
- TabberI can’t help but notice the team took a turn for the worse when TJ Ford returned. Jose had us at 8 games above .500; one of the hottest teams in the league at the time.
I didn’t notice a trickle down effect, Eric. If Jose was 35 years old, then ya, I would be concerned with the possibility, but Jose plays better the more often he plays. The Raps would have won more games if TJ Ford was out for the year, I don’t even think that is arguable.
Bosh’s injury was a huge factor, especially since we were on our way out west. And I will say that if TJ wasn’t there on that trip we would have lost all those games by a lot more points, as if that matters.
Bosh is going to get hurt every season for some stretch of time, it’s just going to be something we are will ahve to get used to.
To be fair, TJ Ford is an exceptional athlete, one of the quickest players in the league, however he just doesn’t hagve what it takes to lead a team. He is a poor leader. Every team needs a floor leader, and it’s best if he is your point guard. Bosh, I think, can be a great leader, but I just think the team is better off with Jose playing 40 minutes a game, and not looking over his shoulder at the scores table to see when he is being yanked. You cannot deny that Jose and the team have played worse since TJ’s return, if that is some wicked coincedance, than I stand corrected.
Now, with all that being said, I think this is going to be a longer series than most people are expecting it to be lol. GO RAPS.
- JamieI agree that the injuries to garbo (full season) TJ (two months) and bosh for 20 plus games all together had a huge impact on where they ended up. But name me a team that loses it’s starting PG, one of their best defenders and their main scorer that wouldn’t have a drop from the prev. season in the standings.Most would be lucky to make the playoffs.
All that being said, i don’t get throwing Sam under the bus. When you lose those players with a team that was never very good defensivly to begin with and only win 6 less games than the previous season! That’s circumstances not bad coaching.
- jefftabber pretty much hit it on the bubble.
im saddened to see how raptor fans, whom should be cheering their team on right when playoffs start, are nagging about the regular season.
I’m going to say this again like Tabber said, if you’re disappointed with the season, then don’t bother watching the playoffs.
- BehzadHey Miles,
If Bryan does buy out Sam, are you interested in coaching the Raps? You seem to know SO MUCH about coaching in the NBA.
- RichardRichard
A modest observer such as myself can see there is nothing in how Sam runs the team that makes them look anything like Boston, Detroit, San Antonio or Utah. The consistent teams have similarities such as repeatable game plan that controls time and space on both ends of the court.
I also hope this is Bryan’s wake up call that we need players and a coach that buys into playing basketball the way the best teams do. Shooting teams like us, Chicago, Golden State are doomed to randomness. We have the only center in basketball who one third of his shots are threes.
I have no aspirations for any other career than my present career which is financial. Sam makes eight times as much as me which would be nice but I am not jealous of his pay. He conned them out of the money. If I did not want to watch a growing Raptors team I could not care less about Sam.
- MilesTo put it in more simplistic terms so you may understand my position.
I do not believe a good coach in the History of the world said everything is great when the team has 8 wins in their last 24 games and looses a game to a back-ups.
I have probabably spent over 40 grand on Raptors tickets, shirts, flags for kids and fans in my area, going the the 6th game in New Jersey. My shoulders have been killing me for three months from waving a large Raptors flag. I felt Sam was a lousy coach four years ago. Last year I was tired of him. This year I sold my seasons.
- MIles