Just wanted to add that i do think VSpan should get more minutes, but I'm talking in the 5-8 minute range. he isn't ready to contribute more than that, but he can't be worse than Lucas, who MANY of you were saying HAD TO BE SIGNED.
Bottom line: Euro players can play. Sorry to wake up those guys who are still living in the past. The gap is no longer there. Euro and US players are competing at the same level. The sooner those arrogant, ignorant dummies face the reality, the better US basketball will be. LOL, oh yes, I am laughing at JVG who said any Euro teams can't win double digit games if they play in the NBA
I just love how one games changes everything for fans. Yall see another team doing good with their young guys and rookies, and automatically think that the Rockets should be doing the same thing. Yall base everything on that one game. The Raptors have been a lottery team for a long time so all they have is younger players. Why wouldn't they play them? If we were in their position, we'd probably have a team stacked full of young players too. But we wouldn't be winning like we are now.
i agree, except we aren't winning now. we were winning a few weeks before the all-star break, but heading into it and coming out of it this team's play has clearly declined. we've lost 3 out of our last 4. for a team with championship aspirations, that is unacceptable. the sky isn't falling, certainly, but it's getting dark and cloudy.
Again, I am sure that the NBa will not give Billy the player of the week award, even though he matched his earlier feat of "shooting 1000% from the field". Sadly, the proff is still in the hotdog....
But he choked at the free throw line, he could have had 7 points in 4 minutes instead of a lowly 6 points in 4 minutes. I mean 1.25 points per minute is crap prodcuction right? DD
Unacceptable? Did you forget that we are missing one of our franchise players, Yao Ming? Let's be real, this is how everyone expected the Rockets to play when we lost Yao. But since we won so many games without him, fans have been spoiled with winning and forget that we still are missing a HUGE piece. When we actually start losing games, fans start to worry. Without our 2 stars, its pretty clear that we are one of the worst teams in the NBA. Being able to win so many games without our big guy surprised just about everyone. I think it's safe to say that we definitely overachieved during the time with Yao injured. A little slump was bound to happen sometime. It's only so much that one guy can do to lead their teams to victories. It was only a matter of time before teams started to heavily contain McGrady and make his teammates beat them. So no, it's not getting "dark and cloudy" at all. As a matter of fact, it's starting to get sunnier everyday because Yao's comeback is very near.
This is probably some of the most ridiculous analysis I've ever heard. Pretty close to something Bill Walton would say or Charles Barkley. How in the world can you hate on TJ Ford? He has no upside/potential? Are you serious!?! This guy came back from CAREER ending surgery to where he is now. He's essentially been in the league for 3 years and has only had one semi-healthy season to show his skills. Yet he's leading this Raptor's team and supposedly he "sucks". First off, his numbers are where they should be, especially with so many weapon's on this team. He is not a Steve Nash or Jason Kidd, but he's a damn good PG and there are only a few others I'd want running my team. Oh, he's also two years younger than Calderon. Yeah, no potential at all. You guys are on some serious Eurojuice there to even suggest Calderon is the next Stockton. I liked what I saw from him and even would have liked the Rocket's to pick him up. He's a nice player, but lets not go too far. He does have potential, but the tandem of him and Ford is working great. I like that they are both winners and that is what you need at that position. I do agree that Billy should get more minutes. I can see the potential in him to be our starting PG in the next few years, but not now. It's too late in the season to change starting PG's, but I would like to see him get a shot at backup minutes. I know Calderon got his shot last year off the bench, but his mid to long range game is much better than Billy's right now. It will take him at least a year or so to adjust. One last thing, while I agree the gap b/w the U.S./Euro has deminished I'd still take a team of D-Wade/Bosh/Carmelo/Garnett/Duncan and whoever else. Problem is that U.S. National Teams don't play with each other like Euro league teams do so there is no chemistry. Anyone who knows anything about basketball and team dynamics knows that above average talent w/chemistry beats superior talent without it.
Hate to say it. But I really enjoyed watching the Raptors last night. The ball movement was crazy terrific, just moving around so fast that our defense didn't even know where the ball was some of the time. And their handles were all very good. Their point guards really get them in the flow and everybody passes so well and then they can shoot it too. You can say what you want about Euro basketball but it is real basketball. And you can win in the NBA playing that way. It would have been interesting to see what Yao does against these guys. With Yao, it truly becomes a battle of styles. I think we would have prevailed with Yao because of our experience and superstars, but if Yao gets in foul trouble early, the result is no different. Toronto is winning games and it is in large part due to the Euro influence and BC's influence. That CANNOT be denied. And when your team turns into a 1 trick pony (McGrady), you need to have another player that can handle, finish, and create. That player is VSpan.
The GM needs to have some balls and tell him to play vspan. Colangelo did it to get mitchell to play bargnani since he refused to play him to start the year. The raptors were losing to start the year and BC said if this season is going to be about rebuilding, then it's going to be a waste if we don't develop bargnani in the process. After that Bargnani started to get more minutes instead of the spot minutes he was given. If not BC forcing mitchell to play bargnani, he would still be rotting on the bench today.
How about Les just fires CD and Morey and hire Steve Patterson from the Trailblazers? He just resigned or got forced out.
Van Gundy know the PG spot is weak as crap and you know VSPan > 2x Lucas, thats why u brought the dude over. With Yao out and not clogging the lanes, this is the perfect time to at least experiment him behind rafer. Bottom line the kid can ball, He just needs to play with his teammmates in actual games and regain his WC form.
The prob with Vspan is that his style is not well-suited to the team. He is an up-tempo guy who gambles a lot both on passes and on defense. That's anathema to the JVG style, which is to play low turnover ball with solid D. Vspan can be fun to watch, but JVG would have to completely change the principles of the team to accomodate him. You know a coach that would work well for Vspan? Don Nelson. Everybody loves watching Nelson's teams. But they never win, and honestly speaking, never even have a chance in the playoffs.
here is the plan for billy. learn how to shoot. learn how to defend. learn how to take care of the ball. learn how to run a team. learn how to not whine about p.t.
QFT Second round scrubs do not claim that they were McGrady wherever they came from, suck it up when they don't get PT, and work hard to get better. Rafer was the legend of Rucker Park, but he took his lumps in the NBDL and earned his place in the NBA. Michael Redd was nothing when he came into the league as a second round pick, where is he now? How'd he get there? By working hard on his game, instead of whining like Spanoulis is.
