Ross Victory Helps Build Bridges

Terrence Ross wowed the fans in attendance at the All-Star Game in Houston on Saturday night and gave Toronto fans something they haven’t had in a while : credibility.

The Raptors did not have a representative in the All-Star game itself and haven’t had one since Chris Bosh left town.  Ross was the first Raptor to take part in All-Star weekend since DeMar DeRozan and so he had the attention of every Raptor fan North of the border.

Ross was clearly the most talented dunker on the night and took home the trophy and the bragging rights as the 2013 NBA Slam Dunk Champion.  His victory gives Toronto a little bit of cred around the NBA, another reason for fans to come out and a new name for the team to market around the league.

What Terrence Ross also gave to Raptor fans on Saturday night, besides the obvious thrill of victory, was a history lesson.

Terrence Ross did more than win a dunk contest this weekend, he forced fans to remember the greatest Raptor of all time.

In one of Ross’s better dunks on the night he busted out a vintage Vince Carter purple Raptor jersey.

It was the type of move that could alienate him from certain Raptor fans as Vince, whether rightly or wrongly, is still considered public enemy number one in these parts.

But I think it was a classy move and one that might soften some the fan base towards the polarizing former Raptor.

Ross was paying homage to the greatest era of Raptor basketball and obviously the last great dunk contest the NBA has seen.  Why shouldn’t Raptor fans look back on those days and smile? Why shouldn’t we be proud of the history (no matter how short) of this franchise?  The history of this franchise, whether we like it or not, is rooted in the years Vince called Toronto home.

He left this city badly, there is no doubt about that.  He phoned in his last days as a Raptor and the trade that sent him to New Jersey decimated this franchise, while turning New Jersey into a contender.  We had to watch him lead another team to great heights while the walls fell down around us.  To make matters worse, every time he came back to Toronto, he seemed to find some new way to stick it to us.  Last second three-point shots, alley-oop dunks off in-bounds passes and, of course; a series victory over the Raptors in 2006-07 when we finally made it back to the playoffs.

The guy left us and then came back to burn us over and over again.

But, regardless of the pain and anger fans feel at the way Vince left and haunted us from New Jersey, he was the best talent this city has ever seen.

He was the best player in the NBA for many years, had multiple years as top vote getter for the All-star game, appeared regularly on US television because of his marketability; and he was ours.

While our expansion cousins were busy finding a new home in Memphis, the Toronto Raptors were the toast of the League because of Vince and what he was able to do on the court.  He had the fans attention, the leagues attention and the attention of his competition. Toronto was not a fun place to play if you were an opponent.

He put this team on the map.

Maybe just maybe, those days with Vince as top vote getter, playoff contender, dunk champion, selling out buildings all over the league was what saved this franchise from suffering a similar fate as our expansion cousins in Vancouver.

Vince Carter, whether we want to admit it or not, was the most important player ever to put on a Raptors jersey. Fans should now be ready to acknowledge that.

Toronto was a top draw for teams around the NBA. Everyone and their mother wanted to see what Vince would do when the Raptors came to town.  His jersey was everywhere; not just in Toronto.

Most importantly, the team competed in the Eastern Conference and gave fans here a reason to show up.  Without Vince, all of that success would have disappeared and with it quite possibly the fan base and ticket sales.

He kept this team relevant.

There have been times over the years that I have seen someone wear a Vince Carter jersey to the ACC and I have cringed.  Number 15 no longer belongs to him; that’s Amir Johnson’s number. But when I saw Ross reveal his Vince Carter jersey on Saturday night I  felt pride.

Suddenly the feelings I had as a fan watching Vince Carter dunk on All-Star weekend, the pride I felt knowing we had the most popular player in the entire league, the excitement I had for a playoff series came flooding back.

Ross paid homage to the greatest era this basketball team has ever seen and maybe it’s time we did the same.

Vince could become a free agent after this season if the Mavericks do not pick up his $3 million option and he would make a solid veteran role player off the bench for this young Toronto team.

Could he return to finish out his career where it began?

And if not, will his jersey ever hang from the rafters of the ACC?

These are questions that only time will tell, but in the meantime maybe we shouldn’t feel so embarrassed about wearing our old Carter Jerseys to the ACC.  Maybe we shouldn’t feel so bad applauding the man who made this franchise relevant the next time he returns to the ACC as an opponent.

Terrence Ross’s victory, as exciting as it was, may have also helped build a bridge for Raptors fans to get over the feelings of anger and betrayal towards a man who helped build this franchise.

With the Raptors potentially ready to host the 2016 All-Star game, it might be time to mend fences with the greatest Raptor of all time so that he can be a part of that special weekend.

No matter what the future holds for Vince and the Raptors, one thing is certain.  At some point in time, whether we like it or not, Vince deserves to be properly thanked and cheered for everything he did for the Raptors.

The time for forgiveness may be upon us.

Thank you Terrence Ross for thrilling us this weekend and for forcing us to remember where we came from.

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Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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Raptors have the Right man in Charge

It’s been a pretty crazy few days in Raptor land.  Steve Nash may be coming home to Canada to lead the Raptors back to the playoffs with the hope of  hosting a postseason game for the first time in four years.

There have been all kinds of wild rumours and big time dollar figures being thrown around over the “twittersphere” and beyond.  While you may agree or disagree with the players names and dollar figures being tossed around.  One thing should be very clear for Raptor fans.

We are lucky to have Bryan Colangeloas our General Manager.

Colangelo has been a steady hand for this Raptors franchise. His decisions are not always successdul, but they are bold.

In his time in charge of the Raptors he has been active and creative in trying to build a team that will be competitive.  True, his attempts haven’t always brought success on the court, but he has shown resiliency and an ability to admit his mistakes, which keeps the Raptors active every year.

In the past he presided over shrewd business decisions like trading highly regarded rookie Charlie Villanueva for TJ Ford, going overseas and bringing in fairly unknown international players like Jorge Garbajosa and Anthony Parker.  Those moves won him an Atlantic division title.

He tried to take the next step by trading to acquire Jermaine O’neal, but that didn’t work out so he turned him into Shawn Marion and then ultimately Hedo Turkoglu.

Now the Hedo acquisition, at the time, was a stroke of genius.  A trade that simply should not have been able to happen. The Raptors acquired the biggest fish in the pond that year.  A calculated and complicated transaction that, in the end, didn’t pan out.

Hedo was moved quickly (he was likely to be run out of town anyway) for Barbosa who was moved to clear capspace.

And here we are.

Many will look to Colangelo’s record and see a whole lot of failures.  Jermaine O’neal didn’t mesh with Bosh, Turkoglu was an unmitigated disaster.  But what I see is a GM trying to improve every year and who continues to take risks.  Better yet, none of the risks he has taken has cemented the raptors into Salary cap hell or left the team stuck with an untradeable contract.

He’s taken risks, but, unlike other GMs, has been able to get himself out of situations that haven’t worked.

Now this offseason has started with a bang.

Colangelo is throwing a lot of money in an attempt to lure Steve Nash back to his homeland and has made a gigantic offer to Landry Fields.

The Steve Nash signing is about building a culture and selling tickets (lets not kid ourselves here).  Nash would instantly become the face of Toronto sports.  Sorry Jose Bautista and Phil Kessel, but Nash would instantly become the most marketable athlete the city has seen in a long time.  That is instant cash for MLSE.

Steve Nash coming home to Canada, is a dream that is on the verge of reality.

A three-year offer is also safe in many ways.  Nash is older but there is every indication his body can continue to withstand the grind of an 82 game season.  Three year contracts are shorter terms and become tradeable assets in the final year.  If the Nash thing doesn’t work out, his contract is a chip to play in that third year.

Nash to Toronto would mean butts in seats.  But let us not forget the basketball side of this story.  Nash would be a steady hand at the driver’s seat for a team filled with young talent.  His addition instantly makes Demar DeRozan, Jonas Valanciunas and Bargnani that much better.  It takes a lot of pressure off of them as well.

Nash has made a career out of creating superstars.  Players that have played with Nash have made names for themselves because they were given the ball in the right places. Shawn Marion, Joe Johnson, Amare Stoudamire, Channing Frye, Jared Dudley, and more have all benefited greatly from playing alongside Nash.

There is every reason he can do the same with Toronto’s young, talented lineup.

Nash to Toronto makes sense.  Basketball wise and money wise as MLSE stands to make millions on jersey sales and merchandise.

Hence the signing yesterday of Landry Fields.

The New York Knicks are one of the few competitors for Steve Nash (yes LA and Dallas are hanging around too but they aren’t really in play).  Colangelo, in a brilliant move, effectively eliminated his stiffest competition for the prize he wants.

New York can’t use Fields in a sign and trade, they’ve taken their eye off of Jeremy Lin (their now biggest concern) and likely have no money left for Nash.

A stroke of genius.

Also, assuming the Raptors do not rescind the offer after signing Nash, Landry Fields represents a significant upgrade at the 3 for Toronto.  He’s tough, can score and plays strong on the defensive end. A trait I’m sure that is not lost on Dwane Casey.  He’s also likely to improve his game with Nash distributing the ball.

Now this decision could all blow up in the face of Colangelo again.  He could lose Nash to Dallas or Nash could sign and be a bust in the mould of a Hedo Turkoglu.  Maybe we watch Nash deteriorate in Toronto and he isn’t able to take us anywhere.

Something tells me that if given the opportunity, Colangelo will right his wrong, clean up his mess and be able to point the ship back in the right direction.  That’s what he’s always done.

For now we get to enjoy one of the most exciting off seasons the Raptors have had in years.  There is a real buzz surrounding the team and in the eyes of most, a real shot at achieving some success.

We have Colangelo to thank for that.

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Kristoffer Pedlar
The Zan Tabak Herald

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@kpedlar

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A Point of Focus or Contention?

This week the Zan will take a look at the Raptors position by position and will give you a look into what can be expected or shouldn’t be expected from the Raps this year.

The first position to break down might just be the easiest.  The point guard.

Coming into this season, the point guard position is one of the few spots on this roster where there really aren’t any question marks.  It is pretty clear who will be playing,  it’s really up to coach Casey how to divide up the minutes. This may prove to be a difficult task.

The Players

Jose Calderon

Jarryd Bayless

Anthony Carter

The Story

The choice in starting point guard and division of minutes will likely yield plenty of discussion and should become an outlet to vent our frustrations during a losing season.

No player gets it worse on Raptor blogs than Jose Calderon, but he’ll still likely start for the Raps.

It’s not a bad choice as this young team could use a steady hand that gets them the ball in the right places and takes care of the rock.  Though I would anticipate that Jarryd Bayless will get plenty of minutes and a legit shot to take over as the starter as the season progresses.

Bayless will be a focal point for raptor fans this year that want to see what exactly he can do as a team leader.

Bayless is still an enigma wrapped in a puzzle for the Raptors.  Is he a SG? a PG? a Bench player? a starter?

With no real expectations this season, it might be worth it to find out, while the results of games are not that important.

Bayless seems to me to be more of a SG than a PG, but I guess this is something we will discover this year. With increased responsibility comes greater expectations and Raptor fans are wondering what exactly Bayless means for the future.  Is he part of the core or not?  This will be his make or break year.

As for Anthony Carter;  Well, I wouldn’t expect him to get all that much playing time.  He’s here to push Calderon and Bayless in practice, teach defence and be a general, all around positive influence.

He has won games in his career, has been around the league a long time and will act as player/mentor/coach for this young team. He was an inspired choice for Colangelo in the off-season and his role on the team will be very much in the mould of a Mark Jackson, a Darrick Martin, a Jalen Rose.  A veteran who will help these young players develop.

If he even moderately improves Calderon’s defense he should be given a nobel prize.

In Our Dreams

The best case scenario here is for Dwane Casey to instill a defensive mindset in his point guards.  That’s why he is here, that’s why Anthony Carter is here.

Calderon is an awful defender.  You don’t need to go too far to find all kinds of people writing/complaining about all his negative traits on the defensive end.

If he can show some improvement or at least have a system built around him to plug the gaping holes he’s going to leave then that will be a positive.

Calderon really isn’t a major concern going into the season.  He is what he is and he isn’t likely to develop all that much.  The hope here is that Bayless develops into something and starts pushing Calderon for minutes.

A best case scenario would see Bayless playing  his way into a starting spot sometime during the season.  If he can showcase himself as a solid point guard option then the Raptors will be able to focus on other areas of need moving forward.

The Raptors want Bayless to succeed and firmly entrench himself as the everyday point guard of today and tomorrow.  It is far more likely he’ll show himself to be an adequate member of the Raptor bench.  Either way a piece for the future would be nice.

The Reality

Dwane Casey is a solid coach who implemented a very smart system that played to the needs and strengths of the Dallas Mavericks.  He was able to hide Dirk’s deficiencies under the rim and made the most of what he had, but he isn’t a miracle worker.

This is not Dallas.

Jose Calderon is not going to get a whole lot better defensively, Jarryd Bayless is not even a point guard, in my opinion, and Anthony Carter cannot be counted on to cover for these two for long stretches.

I foresee a lot more of Anthony Carter than we really should or will want to see.  If defense is king this year, he’s the one that will come in and play. I can see this getting under the skin of the Raptor faithful that want to see Bayless given any and all minutes to prove his worth to the team going forward.

This is a position that will see many changes next season.  In all likelihood Bryan Colangelo already knows who his PG target is in Free Agency next year or in the draft.

All three-point guards are stop gaps for this season.  None will be around in a year or two.  In fact, Calderon could be amnestied ( I love how that is becoming a verb now) this coming off-season ending his days as a Raptor.  I’ve been a big fan of his over the years, but this is his last chance to prove that he’s got something to bring to the table. Hopefully he embraces his mentorship role with the Raptors the way he has embraced everything asked of him during his Raptors tenure.

This will definitely be the most frustrating position for Raptors this year and also likely the punching bag for all frustrations surrounding the team on message boards and blogs.

Get ready for a rough year.

***

Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald

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Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Zantabakherald

Let’s NBA!

The news came at the very early hours of Saturday morning.  The lockout is over and a handshake agreement is in place to save the 2011-2012 NBA season.

The 11th hour negotiations saved what could have been a media nightmare for the NBA.  Questions remain however. Why couldn’t this happen sooner? Isn’t this deal very close to the one that existed months ago? Does this deal actually do anything positive for small market teams? What do the Raptors get out of this?

In the end, it doesn’t really matter.  NBA basketball is returning and fans everywhere are rejoicing.

It’s time to put away the anger, the bitterness and the hard feelings that may linger with this longer than necessary work stoppage.  It’s time to get to work.

For the Raptors, there is much to be done.

A new head coach now has less time to get his team prepared for the upcoming battle of the regular season.  Dwayne Casey has a difficult road ahead of him.  This ain’t the Dallas Mavericks.

Goodbye Dirk Nowitzski, hello Andrea Bargnani.  Goodbye Mark Cuban, Hello Richard Peddie.

Casey has a lot of work to do this season.  This team has been allergic to defense for as long as I can remember and they weren’t exactly scoring at will last year either.  Without a clear number one option, and a pretty thin bench Casey will have to get creative on offense.  It will be interesting to see what kind of a lineup he goes with and how he uses the teams speed to his advantage.

The NBA is back and soon the ACC will be rocking. Fans of the Raptors, however, will likely have to hold their breath for something big to cheer about.

In Dallas he was able to institute a defensive system that hid the deficiencies of lesser defensive players.  Congratulations Mr. Casey! You now have the task of hiding the deficiencies of Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani. No small task.

Then there is the roster.  Full of holes and full of question marks.

Who is our starting center again?

What is this team going to do with a starting lineup of Calderon,Derozan , J. Johnson, Bargnani and Reggie Evans (if he is wisely brought back).  This lineup is not setting the world on fire.  What they lack in pure talent, hopefully they make up for with effort.

In the end, this year might be one where Casey gets to see what he has and what needs to go.  It will take time to put his stamp on the team.  It will likely take longer than a 60 game season. As always, Raptor fans will need to practice patience.

Then there are the personnel decisions that need to be made.

Will there be a player that will fall victim to the amnesty clause? (Bargnani and Calderon I’m looking at you)

Bryan Colangelo and his new right hand man, Ed Stefanski are looking over the new CBA and seeing what options they have.  There is some cap space that can be used and there is likely to be a number of free agents available for possibly bottom basement prices. Bring back Joey Dorsey? Julian Wright? Check out the open market and splurge on a bigger name like Jeff Foster or Joel Przybilla?

These next few weeks will be fast and furious, but if you’re a Raptor fan, is there anyone you’d rather have handling the situation than Bryan Colangelo?

Suffice it to say there is plenty of work to get done.  No time to sit around and bask in the glow of labour peace. The Raptors need some serious work and there isn’t really much time to do it.

What is certain about this year is that there will be a lot of player evaluation.  The Raptors have a number of young assets (A Johnson, Bayless, Derozan, Davis, J. Johnson, Bargnani) and it’s time to see which, if any, will be part of the core that moves forward.

Will Colangelo make trades? Acquisitions?

Without question, he will.

Hallelujah! The season is happening, now let’s figure this team out.

The year ahead is likely to be a rough road in Raptorland, but at least there is a season to enjoy.

Let’s NBA!!

***

Kristoffer Pedlar

Zan Tabak Herald

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@kpedlar

Who’s your Team in the 2011 Playoffs?

With the Raptors season now a distant memory, the basketball fan in me has to find a team to cheer for, a team to really get behind.  A team that will let me feel the ups and downs of a true fan with some sort of authenticity. I love watching basketball but it is way more fun when you have someone to cheer for.

Last year I chose Atlanta and Phoenix and it was a fun playoff to watch.  I a little heartbroken when Nash and company were eliminated after a surprise filled run.  Was it worth the feeling the morning after, watching a game go into the early morning on a Wednesday?  Yup.

So this year, who do I cheer for?

There are lots and lots of talent to cheer for in the Eastern Conference.  Could I get behind a guy like Derek Rose and his jaw dropping play?  For sure.  Or do I want to support the original Big Three in Boston? or the Evil Empire that calls Miami home?  or do I take a relative underdog that might surprise a few people?

I still Like Atlanta and their young team.  Kirk Hinrich has given the young scorers on that team a level headed leader.  Definitely a possible upset or two in the Dirty South this year.

In the West my usual choice would be Steve Nash and the Suns, but alas they weren’t good enough to get the job done this year.

So who now?

Dallas?  They’ve got some great talent and a veteran cheif calling the shots in Jason Kidd; a guy you just can’t hate.

San Antonio?  Old reliable. A team that quietly goes about their business and one that has Matt Bonner a definite favourite of mine and Raptor fans alike.

Then there are the defending champs from LA.  My hatred of the Celtics led me to cheer for them last year, but this is not my favourite team.  Kobe this past week irked me quite a bit with his homophobic slur and half hearted apology.  They’re not looking like defending champs and they might not be around very long. Not that I would be greatly disappointed.

Then there are your long shots.  The Thunder are exciting and the acquisition of Kendrick Perkins was designed for this time of year.  Kevin Durant is a great player to wach and provides a lot of excitement.  As does Chris Paul in New Orleans or LaMarcus Aldridge in Portland.

So who’s it gonna be.

In the West, I’m going with the Thunder.  They’re young, exciting and humble.  Kendrick Perkins is a game changer for them.  I think they will surprise the Spurs and Mavs in the West.  Watch out for this team because they have a chance to go all the way and do it while playing very exciting basketball.

Kevin Durant is one of the most exciting players out there and Russell Westbrook looks ready to bust out this year.  They might not make it all the way but they’re a team I can get behind.  They remind me of what I dream the Raptors to one day be.  And in Oklahoma you get an absolutely basketball-mad environment as your backdrop.  It writes itself.  GO Thunder!

Is there a team more hated in the NBA than the Miami Heat? This spring Im cheering for Anyone but Maimi.

In the East I’m taking an “ABM” mentality.  That would be “Anyone But Miami”.

There is nothing like an NBA playoff series with a clear villain.  Miami is that villain.  Everyone outside of South Beach, where Lebron took his talents, will be cheering against the Big 2.5.  Add me to that list.

I hate these guys.  I hate their attitude, their over confidence, their cocky swaggar, the referees love of blowing the whistle for everything that comes within a foot of them.  It’s everything I hate about the league wrapped up into one team.

So therefore: Go 76ers! Go Celtics! Go Bulls!  ABM!  Anyone but Miami!

If I’m calling a specific team to beat them I’d have to go with Boston or Chicago.  Chicago is the team I think will do it.  They have the same amount of scoring power, but Chi-town also has a strong inside game that Miami cannot contend with.

Carlos Boozer + Joakim Noah > Chris Bosh and Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

The greatest call of the playoffs will hopefully be when Chuck Swirsky gets out the Salami and Cheese for Lebron and his buddies.

So, for the next month and a half I’ll be sitting in front of my TV watching and cheering for the Thunder and Anyone but Miami!

Who are you cheering for?

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Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald

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Raptors will themselves to Victory

I’m not sure just how they did it, but somehow the Raptors overcame a depleted bench and the loss of two more players during the game to stun the Dallas Mavericks in Dallas.

This is the kind of victory that a team can hang its hat on and will hopefully help to build some momentum.  With the way their bench is looking right now the Raptors can use whatever momentum they can summon.

No Bargnani. No Calderon. No Weems. No Chance.  Right?

Not necessarily the case as Amir Johnson turned in one of his better defensive efforts and the raptors got key contributions from guys like Joey Dorsey, Julian Wright and an absolutely amazing Ed Davis to beat one of the best teams in the entire league.

This may be the game of the season for this team.  They had no business winning this game, but used grit and toughness to defeat a stellar opponent.

The Zan for Three

Hockey Mentality

Toronto is a hockey town.  Despite the disgusting state of affairs with the Maple Leafs, hockey remains the focus in the city and likely will until fans realize that they are being stolen from by rich owners that don’t give a crap about winning.

It is important in this city that the Raptors show some fight.  The wincing of Vince Carter when he stubbed a toe grew tired in this city.  If you want to play in Toronto, you have to fight on every possession.

Players like JYD, Pops Mensah Bonsu and Reggie Evans have endeared themselves to the Toronto faithful for putting in maximum effort despite the cost on their bodies.

The Raptors showed this fight Tuesday night in Dallas.  The team fought for every rebound and gave their bodies up for the sake of the fight.  Amir Johnson was stitched up over his left eye for the game and Julian Wright dove into the crowd fighting for the loose ball.

This isn’t the best team in the league, no doubt, but there is something about them that you just can’t help but like.

Finding an Identity

Joey Dorsey and the rest of the Raptor bench came to the rescue in a big "team defining" victory over the Mavericks.

 

These kinds of wins help a team form an identity.  Bayless fought through pain.  The entire bench played a significant role from Wright to Dorsey.  These kinds of victories help a young team realize who they are.  Are they a young flashy team that runs the ball?  A careful methodical team that plans smart X’s and O’s?  or are they a team that fights and gets as dirty as they need to in order to win.  Tuesday night they may have found that identity.  They realized that they can hang with the best in the league and come out on top.

Reggie Evans Factor

A game like that and you could be forgiven for thinking that Reggie Evans was playing.  The Raptors were all over the boards and fought for every loose ball that was available.  The defense was strong and the Mavericks couldn’t get much going on offense.  These are things that Reggie Evans does with ease.  There was no player on the Raptors that had a crazy stat line, everyone just did their job and worked hard to defeat their opponent.

There are many out there that feel Reggie and his expiring contract will be of use in a trade come the deadline, but if I’m Bryan Colangelo, I’m thinking very hard about trading a player that seems to be rubbing off on my younger studs.  Last night every player on this team had Reggie Evans masks on and played the game the right way.  Reggie might be a great tutor for young guys like Amir Johnson and Ed Davis going forward.

Join the Keep Reggie Bandwagon!!!

Zan of the Night

Ed Davis

The best way to learn in the NBA sometimes is to get thrown into the fire.  Ed Davis hasn’t been playing big minutes so far in his young NBA career, but he got thrown into the fire on Tuesday night.  He played the most minutes of his career and had a double-double by halftime.  The kid came to the defense of his team when they needed it most.

17 and 12 is the kind of night that Chris Bosh used to have and not usually in Dallas.

There is something special here.  I have a feeling this kid is going to be a really good NBA player.

Not Zan of the Night

Linas Kleiza

What are you thinking?  Seriously?  Your team is down two starters and you mouth off to the ref?  Come on man.  If I am Jay Triano I am running the hell out of Kleiza at practice.  There is absolutely no defense for your stupidity.  Yes, you had a point to complain, but the NBA isn’t going to let Linas Kleiza complain the way that Lebron or Kobe can complain.  The league is handing out techs like they’re going out of style.

Just a dumb ass decision.

 

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Kristoffer Pedlar

The Zan Tabak Herald

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Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Zantabakherald

 

 

The Small Forward – According to Zan

The Players

Hedo Tukoglu

Turkoglu joins the Raptors this season as the most talented small forward since Vince Carter.

Antoine Wright

Demar Derozan

Sonny Weems

The Story

The biggest free agent acquisition of the off-season arrives in Toronto with the hopes and dreams of Raptor fans pinned to his #26 jersey.  Hedo Turkoglu will be the starting small forward on opening night and after that the picture is a little less clear.  Gone are Jamario Moon, Anthony Parker, Joey Graham, Jason Kapono and Shawn Marion who all occupied this position at various points during  last season.

Turkoglu comes in as the most talented player to ever play the small forward position for the Raptors since the days of #15 and finally provides some stability at the wing.  He brings consistency to a position that hasn’t had any for a long time.  Turkoglu also adds clutch shooting and a veteran presence in the dressing room.  He has done something in his career that other Raptors at camp have not done and that is win.  He brings a resume that includes numerous playoff appearances including last years run to the Finals with Orlando and hopes to propel this team back to the playoffs.

Antoine Wright should serve as the primary back up at the Small forward and comes in with a wealth of experience from his busy season last year backing up the injured Jason Terry in Dallas.  He is a defensive specialist and will provide the team with needed defensive help off the bench.  Don’t be surprised to see Derozan occupy this position off the bench at times as well when the Raptors go to a smaller lineup.

The little known Sonny Weems will clean up the mess in garbage time when he isn’t sporting a suit on the bench.

The Best Case Scenario

Turkoglu plays like an all-star and raises the levels of the other players on the court.  His playmaking ability opens up Derozan, Belinelli and Calderon for more wide open shots and he leads the team back to the playoffs. Team Chemistry takes shape early on and the Raps create match-up problems for their opponents all season long. His leadership brings out the best in Chris Bosh and Turkoglu’s involvement with the team inspires #4 to stick around for a few more years after this one.

The Worst Case Scenario

The team takes a while to gel and there are all kinds of issues with ball distribution.  Turkoglu is a little slower than he was last season and does not provide the Raptors with enough of a presence on defense especially against some of the league’s more elite wing players.  The Raps score tonnes of points but so do their opponents.  Hedo and the rest of the team do not mesh and the Raps play a variety of styles all season long hoping something will stick on their way to missing the playoffs once again.

The Prediction

Turkoglu and the Raptors will take some time to get used to each other but in the end they will gel.  The team will score lots of points but will look foolish at times on the defensive end.  Turkoglu won’t have an all-star season but he will be an effective leader on and off the court and his style of play will elevate the perimeter game of Calderon and Belinelli and turn them into deadly weapons on offense.  Hedo will hit a couple of game winning shots during the year and the Raps will head back to the playoffs somewhere between the 4 and 7 seed.  His defense will be steady but unspectacular and will receive his fair share of criticism from the Raptor faithful.

Antoine Wright will be a fan favourite and a fixture off the bench for Jay Triano.  His defense helps the team win some close games and he becomes known as the teams defensive stopper, being asked to guard some of the tougher wing players in the league.

Sonny Weems doesn’t play much but provides the most hardcore of Raptor fans the odd treat in garbage time, much the way the sight of Nathan Jawaii did last season.

The Raptor X-Factor

Every game last year the Raptor commentators would choose their in game “X-Factor”, a player that helped tip the balance of the game in the Raptors favour but wasn’t one of the starting five.  This year one of the interesting choices each night for the raptors announce team will be, newly acquired, Antoine Wright.  He embodies the spirit of an X-Factor not because he is expected to be a big part of the teams offensive output but with his athleticism and defensive energy he may just end up being a key reason the Raptors win ball games.

Wright was considered by many to be a “throw in player” or “add on” in the massive Hedo Turkoglu/Shawn Marion trade but could end up being a hidden gem.

In a recent interview, with the Fan590 morning show, Jay Triano discussed Wrights status as the forgotten acquisition this summer.  “The one player everyone keeps forgetting about in this deal is Antoine Wright who is a super good defensive player and he tracks the ball extremely well.  He is a little bit of a tough guy as well.“

It is clear Wright addresses needs on this Raptor team and may become a popular name summoned from Triano’s bench this season.  Given the Raptors difficulties guarding the perimeter last year it would seem to make sense that Wright will become a very valuable player on this Raptors team.  Not only can he defend athletic players on the opposing team but Wright can do something that most of the Raptor perimeter players could not do last year: rebound.  For a shooting guard he averaged a very respectable 2.1 rebounds per game.  This is something Jay Triano is looking forward to seeing from his team “we are also expecting rebounding to come from the perimeter as well”.

Last year with Dallas Wright was asked to fill in as a starter for large stretches of time when Jason Terry went down with an injury mid-season.  He responded by averaging 7.3 points per game and was asked to guard very strong perimeter players in the loaded Western Conference.  With the increased minutes Wright played a key role in the Mavs success near the end of the season(in which they finished 6^th in the West) and into the playoffs.

Brian Colangelo is confident that Wright will play a large role in improving the Raptors defensive fortunes this season and will provide much needed toughness to a team that was often criticized for being “too soft”.   “The thing I like to hear about him, from Rick Carlisle himself, is that he might have been his toughest defender and can guard three positions on the perimeter 1’s , 2’s  and 3’s, even some very quick ones.  Also, he’s a tough kid.  He might have been his (Carlisle’s) toughest kid.  If there was a fracas on the court last year he was the first guy to get his chin in there.  What did we need more than anything last year?…perimeter defense and toughness.”

Both Triano and Colangelo do not see him as a “throw in” player on this team or a footnote in the Hedo Turkoglu trade.  With Antoine Wright the coach and general manager see someone they can depend on late in close games to defend the basket.  That is something the club was sorely lacking last year and as a result saw victories slip through their fingers in the late stages of games.  Don’t be surprised to see Antoine Wright playing key minutes late in ball games.  In fact there is a very real possibility that we could see Wright starting at the 2 or 3 positions at some point during the season.

Don’t be surprised if next year Matt Devlin, Leo Rautins and Jack Armstrong regularly select Antoine Wright as their X-Factor.  He is someone that tends to fly under the radar when you look at this roster…something the Toronto Raptors will be banking on this coming season.