14 Responses to “Moon Out For The Year”

1. 1.
   April 28th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
   

   Eric, any idea if this hernia is the reason for the downturn in Moon’s production this year? Or is this a more recent thing? Regardless, wish Moon all the best. Thanks

   - binson
2. 2.
   April 28th, 2009 at 4:13 pm
   

   My understanding is that this is more of a recent thing

   - E. Smith
3. 3.
   April 28th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
   

   Jamario was a good guy like so many we’ve had around here but I looked at him a lot like the Junkyard Dog and maybe Pops; fan favourites due to effort alone and not enough skills to keep a roster spot on a contender.

   Good luck to you Jamrio and get healthy. Say hi to JO for us…..

   - Gary
4. 4.
   April 28th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
   

   Jamario Moon was nothing like Jerome Williams.

   JYD was so much more than simply a fan favorite. Did you see him play? Crashing into the stands for loose balls, wrestling to the death for rebounds, crashing the boards to pound his way to the glass. His committed style of play, sometimes singlehandedly, was the difference in many Raptors wins. I can’t remember a single thing Jamario Moon ever did for the Raptors — and that says a lot about his impact.

   He was once of the best players this team has ever had. This team’s biggest flaw is not having player’s as dedicated (on the court) as previous Raps like Oakley and JYD.

   To suggest Jamario Moon is anything like these types of players is to extremely overestimate the importance of him while with the Raptors. He might be a nice guy, but he was as soft as they come.

   I’d love to see Jason Kapono and Jamario Moon in a wrestling match. Like watching paint dry…

   - brento
5. 5.
   April 29th, 2009 at 11:50 am
   

   Can someone answer these questions ?
   .Do you think BC is delaying announcing the hiring of Triano so fans get the impression it is a deliberate, exhaustive process ?

   Do you think CB is considering anyone else- possibly an assistant coach in playoffs ?

   do you think Sam Mitchell will be head-coaching in NBA next season ?

   Does CB have relatives in Europe he visits ?

   - Chas Calz
6. 6.
   April 29th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
   

   - No
   - Possibly (and I’m assuming you mean “BC”)
   - Possibly. It would help Toronto – take them off the hook for some of his $$
   - Yes (and I’m assuming again you mean “BC”)

   - E. Smith
7. 7.
   April 29th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
   

   Brento,
   Your points are very astute ( I didn’t get the dictionary out), Curious who would your players in this era that reflect the Oak,JYD? I totally agree that the babyface is nice but I think they need some guys with some “hair on their chest guy that spit nails”(for lack of a better term) that’ll do the dirty work but not get out of hand. Some of those players exist but how many of them are “Playoff grizzled”? its a tough one. What do you think man?

   - Lanny from Whitby
8. 8.
   April 29th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
   

   Hey Lanny…I’d love to say I have nothing better to do than watch NBA games…but I’d be lying.

   Other than taking a few minutes to check out what’s going down on this blog, I haven’t paid much attention to non-Raptors issues in a very long time.

   Back in school, I used to watch a lot of NBA games, so I was quite familiar with the league. But now, I don’t know the types of guys out there to help the Raptors. I’ll leave the hypothetical dream team construction to others with the time to do so.

   What I do know is that playoff teams all have a certain element of that toughness. That is what separates them from the rest of the league. That is why they tough it out through the long regular season, and still have plenty left in the tank for the even tougher playoffs.

   In the case of the Raptors, conditioning seems to be a key factor. I doubt many of the current squad could truly handle the physical commitment required to survive a 7 game series.

   But, more importantly, the mental makeup of this team seems very, very weak. Far too much inconsistency, and very few players who bring a full effort every night. In fact, Jose Calderon may be the only Raptors player who attempts to do so in every game. He is the one guy who always has that crazy look in his eyes — you know the one I mean — the one that says he will do whatever he can to win (assuming, of course, that his body is prepared).

   I love guys like that. Alvin Williams was a great example. Totally determined, even though his knees were falling apart.

   But, if you watch the current teams in the playoffs, you’ll see piles of players giving huge efforts. The coaches identify who these players are, cut short their benches, and let those guys kill each other on the court. It’s amazing stuff to watch.

   And the fact BC has compiled one of the softest teams this city has ever seen is evidenced in the fact they have not won a single playoff series since he arrived.

   Enough said. Three years is long enough for me…especially considering his pedigree, and completely arrogant personality (at least, the one he shows to fans).

   - brento
9. 9.
   April 29th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
   

   Oh…I thought of one — I like that James guy on Cleveland. I think his first name is Lanny or Larry or Loquisha or something like that.

   That dude is going to be a superstar…just watch ;)

   - brento
10. 10.
    April 29th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
    

    If, by some miracle BC doesn’t give Triano the job , who might Raps go after ?

    - Chas Calz
11. 11.
    April 29th, 2009 at 4:12 pm
    

    A ceartive GM can make a difference in a hurry ..
    Look at the Bulls .. that could have and should been Raps playing Celts had we made a few good moves instead of the moves ” that didn’t work out”
    Vinnie is doing a nice job coaching Bulls too .

    but I have supreme confidence , as we all do, that Colangelo, knowing that his job is on the line , will redeem himself and prove all the nay-sayers wrong in the coming season .

    - Chas Calz
12. 12.
    April 29th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
    

    That’s funny, Chas.

    I hear you on the “redeem himself” angle, but it just doesn’t work like that.

    There are contracts that the team must honour, and a group of players that can’t just be dumped.

    This is a mess that doesn’t just get “fixed”. And, unfortunately, there is no one “tweak” that gets this team over the top.

    Raptors management seems intent on riding the big 3 into the playoffs, and hope it will lead them to a championship. But, it seem extremely unlikely that this team will improve significantly in the near future. Unless BC can find a way to parlay one or two of Bosh, Bargs and Jose into a legit NBA star, they’re stuck with what they have.

    Adding one good player (ie. Marion) won’t really change the team’s defensive woes. It won’t make a big difference in any aspect of the game. Sure, a few more points and rebounds, but it won’t change the culture of the team.

    I believe this team needs an overhaul. And, if so, it would take a miracle to add more than 5 to 10 wins for next season. And that will, likely, just get them into a position to be knocked out in the first round…again.

    I hate to be the eternal pessimist…but I don’t see a one-year quick fix for this team.

    - brento
13. 13.
    April 29th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
    

    Good Call Brento! You too Chas! I think you guys have very valid points! I’m hoping BC is feeling the heat, as he should! I don’t see it being fixed in the year but I don’t think its as bad as say Memphis!

    - Lanny from Whitby
14. 14.
    April 30th, 2009 at 9:55 am
    

    If you have any doubts about Raptors bright future, Raptors.com still has BC’s press conference to look at again .
    It will remind you that BC only has missed the playoffs 3/14 times .
    Not that he takes all the credit for that lofty record . The coach and players also had minor roles

    - Chas Calz