The Raps are on the turnaround.

SI.com - Chris Mannix: Colangelo turns Raptors into contenders (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/chris_mannix/01/29/raptors.colangelo/index.html)

Great article about how it all starts with a team approach and a strong GM working constantly to make the team better, even if it is fighting with ownership for money.

Particularly interesting is the stats at the end, and how much the Raps have improved offensively and defensively.

In case anyone was wondering, the Raps are currently starting 4 Internationals in the lineup.

Jose Calderon - PG (Spain)

Anthony Parker - SG (American, but made his mark winning Euroleague titles with Maccabi Tel Aviv - Israel)

Jorge Garbajosa - SF (Spain)

Rasho Nesterovic - C (Slovenia)

They also bring #1 Pick Andreas Bargnani (Italy) off the bench.

As I've posted many times, the first team to bring International style team ball and uptempo offense to the East is gunna be the Raps. They are a squad worth watching.

Clearly, their turnaround is due to the departure of Isiah Thomas.

They certainly are on the right path... some gutsy moves picking up TJ & Garby... See if ya lose enough you eventually end up with enough talent by default... then the right GM comes along and brings a winning environment.... it's the same coach that everyone was trying to run outta town last year.... they believe they can win now.
This is why we should not expect as many W's as the past... these young guns are growing up (Atlanta, Chalotte, Raps etc)... they ain't pushovers no more.

Lets give some credit to Sam Mitchell too, who has been able to mesh the Euorpeans as well as the younger players into solid squad to reckon with on any given night.

I wonder how he would do with our squad?:noidea:

The Raptors are employing the newest Canadian hoops defensive scheme. Its called the "Hard Frozen Zone" as compared to one the Pistons play under Flip which is called the "Soft Frozen Zone"

When they apply the Hard Frozen Zone pressure opponents wind up dribbling with frozen balls which leads to a horribly low shooting percentage.

:hoops:

When they apply the Hard Frozen Zone pressure opponents wind up dribbling with frozen balls which leads to a horribly low shooting percentage.

:hoops: Sounds painful:cold:

Pretty neat article relating to the one in the first post. Talks about how the scouting money was actually spent. Apparently it was for in-house scouting.

TheStar.com - Sports - Long shot pays off for Parker (http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/176134)

I know that is the trend with teams now. Mark Cuban spends a lot of money in improving the team from within, expanding the coaching staff and on video capabilities. Since you can only spend so much under the cap on your roster, the places you can spend (uncontrollably if you like) are the coaches, facilities etc. Whatever it takes to get an edge. Kinda like how Bill Davidson bought the Pistons their own plane back in the day (Roundball One), that was the first time a basketball team had their own jet.

Article is also about Anthony Parker, who is probably one of my favorite non-Pistons this year.

Roscoe...as you and I both guessed last summer, the Charlie Villanueva for TJ Ford trade looks like a steal for the Raptors, and has made them contenders.

Meanwhile, the Bucks took a huge step backward.

Indeed Murph. A pass first PG with handles is a lot more valuable than a jump shooting PF.

Supply and demand.

I saw an interesting story on NBA TV about what close friends TJ Ford and Chris Bosh are. Apparently they played basketball together in high school and so perhaps Bosh was behind the trade for TJ Ford. The TV piece said they are best friends and confide in each other about everything. I do think the Raptors would try to keep Bosh happy.

TheStar.com - Sports - Raptors claim awards hat trick (http://www.thestar.com/article/177515)

For the first time in Raptor history, the team swept three monthly awards, another signal that the franchise's fortunes are on the rise and that people are starting to sit up and take notice.

I'm still astonished that this Raptor team is not getting better looks by the so-called experts for the all-star game and mid-season rewards. Two particular snubbings I'd like to bring to everyone's attention:


Anthony Parker:

How has no one even considered this guy for most improved player (or even the comeback player of the year)? He's been the defensive force behind the Raptors this year and the glue guy when it comes to offensive awareness and hitting shots. There's not much to his game that I can complain about (except lack of ability to create his own shot but that's not his role on the team). His numbers, although not stellar, are showing signs of what may be coming once he gets even more minutes after we ship out Mopete to someone else or lose him in the offseason.

He's a perfect example of what I feel may be an even bigger increase in the international game. As much as the NBA draws star-power from our North American hoop dreams, we lost AP18 for a lot of years in the European scene while he was with Tel Aviv. He's in this THIRTIES now, lord knows what he could've amounted to if he stayed with the Nets a long time ago and was given proper training, playing time and attention like he got in the Euroleagues.

You'll never know, we might be saying the same thing about Alex Acker in a few years.


Jose Calderon:

No Soph vs Rookies game? What? The Spanish Fly's been lighting up the scorecard since TJ went down with an injury and its only his second year. I'd even go as far as say that the team plays better when Jose's on the floor because of his ability to pass and run the offense with a poise of a veteran. The recent run? A lot to do with him as well, his basketball IQ is as large as his heart is.

How much does this city love him? A couple games ago he went down hard and his back seized up. I've never heard the Air Canada Center so quiet and cheer so loud when he gave that thumbs up.


So excuse me if I may seem a bit off in Raptor land right now guys. We went from bottom feeders with a team revolved around Mopete and Mike James jacking up 3's and playing poor defense to an established and improving set of youth and veteran experience. It's a fantasy come true for everyone up here, I expected Collangelo to do a great job but not this quick.

I just read another article about the raptors:

Raptors: Recent Success Must be Tempered | HOOPSWORLD.com (http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_20689.shtml)

They must have read my "Bad GM vs Good GM" thread.
http://www.pistonsforum.com/detroit-pistons-general-discussion/684-bad-gm-vs-good-gm-raps-vs-stones.html

Out of the 15 teams in the Eastern Conference some notes about the records:

Detroit 28-18
Chicago 28-20
Washington 27-19
Cleveland 27-21
Indiana 26-21
Toronto/Orlando 25-23
Miami 22-25


So although they're just 'floating around' .500 right now - I'm still making a lot of loud noise over it. The east is weak and there's still a lot of the season to go. Let's not forget they're the only team in the Titanic (Atlantic) division right now too above .500. We're going to the playoffs after last year getting the #1 overall pick baby and that calls for a celebration!
:djparty:

Interesting article on the Raps:
SI.com - Writers - Ian Thomsen: Bosh fuels Raptors'%unexpected rise - Tuesday February 6, 2007 6:10PM (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/ian_thomsen/02/06/bosh.notes/index.html)

Now back to the game. Half time and they're tired vs the Magic!

These guys are fun to watch. Barnagni, Calderon, and Bosh especially.

They're just cold blooded shooters.

TheStar.com - Sports - Raps deal with Bargnani loss (http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/194369)

A long night of pain, fever and worry ended with Andrea Bargnani having an emergency appendectomy about 3:30 this morning and the Raptors not knowing when they'll get their prized rookie back in action.

"At this point, there's no set timetable for a return," Raptor president and general manager Bryan Colangelo said this morning. "We're going to be looking at trying to get him back as quickly as possible but we obviously will do it the right way.

TheStar.com - Sports - Raptors dig down deep (http://www.thestar.com/article/201340)

Confidence manifests itself in many ways in the NBA, from brash behaviour to trash talking and chest thumping and letting everyone in the arena see cockiness and belief.

The Raptors have none of that but what they have, what they showed in a brilliant fourth quarter here last night, is a quiet confidence, the kind of assurance that men of substance display, a knowledge that if they do what they are supposed to do they will prevail.

And after struggling through three quarters, the cumulative impact of five games in seven nights showing by being a step slow to loose balls and a couple of inches short on jump shots, the Raptors did what they have done on a number of occasions this year: Dig down deep and get the job done.
Those bolded lines remind you of our Pistons?

I keep telling folks, the Pistons/Raptors would be a fantastic series. 4 hours apart so fans can travel to road games, the Raps would get huge attention up here (Canada) playing the Pistons and both teams know how to fight for a win.

I know Miami, Cleveland and Chicago are the prohibitive favorites, but the Raptors are only a game behind Chicago for the second best record in the East. Why do people keep overlooking them?

I haven't been overlooking them...on the contrary, I'm extremely curious to see them play the Pistons twice in the coming week. IMO they pose a bigger team threat to Detroit than Cleveland. We might be lucky to win one of those against a team that is definitely up & coming.

Colangelo and Mitchell did a brilliant job besting their ferocious competitors within the Atlantic Division. Way to go fellas :)

I was impressed with how the 76ers didn't fold when they lost AI. They never quit.