Toronto Raptors – Delivering Damaged Goods

Delivering Damaged Goods

Picture this: You are the delivery boy. Ding Dong rings the door bell. The purchaser opens the door. He has ordered the worlds finest crystal wine glasses for his wife. He’s excited to see the box with the Crystal Classics brand name on it and signs off on the delivery. He then opens up the box only to find his crystal wine glasses shattered! “Forget the name brand; what’s the point of having these if I can’t use them.” Such is the story of the Toronto Raptors center Jermaine O’Neal. The name carries accolades such as 6 times All-Star and 3 times All-NBA team. All which sound promising and attractive especially to teams that need help at their forward-center position. But what’s the point of signing off on such a delivery if you can’t use it?

A trade seems IMMINENT
Jermaine O’Neal is an attractive piece for playoff teams. Don’t expect teams like the Sacramento Kings or Memphis Grizzlies to make trade offers for Jermaine O’Neal. Although he has great experience and an All-Star presence in the low post he is also expensive and injury prone and does not solve solutions for any young or non-playoff team this year. With the Raptors slowly fading from the playoff picture it might be wise for Bryan Colangelo to move O’Neal’s contract for a contract that would be coming off the books at the end of this year. Most teams want to see if O’Neal is healthy enough to play before pulling the trigger on any blockbuster deals. A trade possibility includes:

Miami Heat: Shawn Marion, Marcus Banks


The Miami Heat need a dominant Center. Especially one that will prove to be serviceable during their playoff runs this year. Basketball usually tends to slow down to a half-court game in the playoffs and the value of Big Men are truly tested and appreciated during this time. This is where O’Neal can truly prove to be beneficial as the Heat could face Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic or Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics.

In return the Raptors would get Shawn Marion. Marion would rejoin with a familiar face in Bryan Colangelo, who was Marion’s general manager until he joined the Raptors in 2006.

Financially this move makes sense as well. O’Neal (who makes $21.3 million this season, has a player option for $23 million next season) while Marion’s contract, bit over $17 million will come off the books at the end of the season.

NO INSIDE-OUT GAME
The Raptors must use their strengths wisely and to their advantage! They are tied for 5th in the NBA for 3-point field goal percentage. The Raptors are surrounded by reliable 3-point shooters in Jose Calderon, Anthony Parker, Jason Kapono, and Andrea Bargnani. The Raptors need to start using these guys more thoughtfully with an inside-out game. Jermaine O’Neal is selfish! There is no inside-out game with him. Of course it’s not fair to call a player of his calibre selfish but this is a team game. Plenty of times the ball gets thrown into the paint and O’Neal forces up tough shots. He gets double-teamed and when that happens there is usually a Raptors player open on the perimeter.

TORONTO WE HAVE A PROBLEM

TORONTO WE HAVE A PROBLEM!!!
It’s obvious that the Toronto Raptors are having a disappointing start to the season. But with 25 games into the season the phrase “start to the season or early in the season” can’t be used anymore. We are at the 1/3 mark of the season and Brian Calengelo has to make some moves, and soon!! What the Raptors are doing right now is not working. They don’t seem to have a style of play and are still trying to figure it out!? Even with two All-Star Bigs such as Chris Bosh and Jermaine O’Neal the team is getting out-rebounded on a nightly basis. There’s no more time left for this team to gel. Patience is running quick and the longer it takes the sooner you scratch this season and begin to rebuild for the next. We have $20 million players (Jermaine O’Neal 2008/09 $21,352,200). The fans, the city, the GM do not have time for everyone to become best buddies and then decide Ok we’re ready to play at full speed now. They had the meet and greets, they practiced together and now its time to play with some Passion and Grit. They are making the same mistakes over and over again and are constantly getting beat in the 4th quarter. Do we need a coaching change yet again?

The PROBLEM:
1) Lack of grit and passion = poor mentality = beat before 4th quarter starts.
2) Out rebounded = paid 20 million more to get out rebounded more?!!
3) Out scored in the 4th quarter = need a scoring SG/SF (think Corey Magette)
4) Lack true-tough leadership = Bosh needs to toughen up even more.

The ANSWER:
Lacklustre leadership sets a lacklustre example! Either Jermaine O’Neal or Chris Bosh will have to show some passion to fire up their team. Think of what Kevin Garnett brings to the Celtics each game. Even on the bench KG is yelling and getting his team fired up, or in some cases crying (lol Big Baby Glen Davis, I couldn’t let that one go). Get MAD Damn it! CB4 and new coach Jay Triano (Mr. Nice Guy) have to pick up some technical fouls. Do Bosh or J.O need to grab a chair and throw it on the court, or call out their team mates, dunk and scream, stare down opponents? They need to do what they must to become a problem! The Raptors aren’t considered a problem in the East. They are soft on the court and need to get rid of the less-passionate, soft personalities and bring in some grit and attitude….some gangsters!

Trade BAIT: Andrea Bargnani, Anthony Parker
At the start of the season I was excited to see how Bargnani had developed in the offseason. I thought he was progressing quite nicely until all the sudden he hit the rookie wall…but there lies the problem…HE’S NOT A ROOKIE ANYMORE. This is Bargnani’s 3rd season! How many more does he need to develop some consistency? The fans can see the effort but we’re at a point where we need to see the RESULT! There are plenty of teams that are interested in Bargnani. Let them test their patience with the number 1 pick. Offer him to the Warriors since Don Nelson loves his European Bigs (think Andris Biedrins) in exchange for Corey Maggette. We need a scoring SG with some grit! I’d love to see the Raptors bring in a personality like Stephen Jackson!


Pick EM UP?
Corey Maggete, Ben Gordon, Gerald Wallace, Tyrus Thomas, Shawn Marion (seems impossible BUT it can be done if the HEAT are interested in Bargnani, Jason Kapono or AP).

We SHOULDN’T HAVE:
We shouldn’t have drafted Bargnani with our 1st pick. I understand the pick from a business perspective but it hasn’t worked to our advantage. Bringing Bargnani into a metropolis like Toronto attracted the Italian fans the same way that Jose Calderon did with the Spanish fans. Now we have Italian night at the ACC which is great but this is basketball and games need to be won; not fans! Brian Colangelo could have drafted regarded players such as LaMarcus Aldridge or NBA ready Brandon Roy! Instead he pulled a Joe Dumars (think Darko Milicic 2nd pick in the 2003 draft). At least he had a marketing scheme behind the pick. I hate to be harsh on Bargnani but that’s how Toronto fans are. We are passionate and impatient. We BOO the Raptors even when they are down by 3 (Raptors vs. Mavericks, December 17, 2008)

A FEW STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION:
To step in the right direction the Raptors must:
1) Bring in a true scoring SG/SF.
HOW?
A) Trade away Bargnani or Anthony Parker and bring in a gritty player. Someone that has a winning attitude and toughness (S. Jackson type)
B) Take the 6 million that they will have to spend next summer, and use it now (there’s a way of doing this) to sign a true SG to a mid. level contract.
2) Play a more up-tempo style. Although Jose Calderon is a great point guard to build from he does not push up the ball as much as he used to (nor does he drive to the basket for easy layups like he did last year). Make note that you DO NOT need to pass the ball to the PG in order to run a fast-break. As soon as they rebound or inbound the ball push it up quick through 1-2 passes. What I see the Raptors doing a lot of the times is grabbing a rebound and waiting for Calderon. Then they give the ball to Jose as he trots up the court and run’s a VERY PREDICTABLE half-court offense.

If the Raptors loose this season they loose Bosh! I strongly believe this is a determining season of whether Bosh will remain a Raptor come 2010. He will have plenty of tempting offers thrown at him and it will be tough to say no to possible combinations such as Mike D’Antoni and LeBron James. Though the Raptors seem to be falling...Chris Bosh will have plenty of parachutes thrown at him.