Raptors roundup - Sam’s Town

Well it is Thursday so that must mean it is time to catch up with the Raptors. You are thinking why? I have just decided that Thursday will be the day I target to praise, belittle and just catch up on my fav team of dino’s. This week has been a wave of emotion, wins, losses and a long time record ended for Mo Pete.

Last night I stayed up to watch the Raps in Dallas and this game was never really close. It could of been called “How to shoot three pointers” brought to you by the Dallas Mavericks. It was raining three balls harder than the weather in the Pacific Northwest. I just could not get over how many open looks the Mavs were getting. Come on they teach you in preschool gym class to at least get a hand in their face.

Positives from this game? Well the Raps horrible first half play was enough to make Dirk’s head spin and he had to leave with blurred vision. That skill could come in handy down the road for Toronto. Derick Martin hit a dramatic three at the buzzer to keep a six year streak alive for Toronto. The Raptors have not had a game without a made three ball since 1999 and that is the longest streak going in the NBA. Chuck was having a heart attack thinking it was going to end and was even calling out to the players to let them know. Phew dodged a bullet there.

After a big road win the night before it was a little disappointing to see how they played last night but if you take into account the Hornets played without two of the best players on Monday and then last night they were playing most likely the best team in the West, you can see how things happened how they did.

There are going to be ups and downs and I just hope they gel better come January or February. I think the point gaurd spot is going to be an issue since it seems Jose runs the team better than TJ. That could change but Ford is always going to be the man since he has the big contract. Bargnani continues to impress with added minutes and that is the most exciting thing for Toronto. We all still see him as Hoffa and everything he shows skills and confidence it shocks us. Keep it up Barg.

Next up we got the Celtics at home Friday night. Should be a game to win but you never really know do you.

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Should the Raps fire Sam? Edwin checks in

It’s a done deal.

I think the players are going through a 40 game audition.

A few interesting notes.

Of the players still on this year’s roster, all have improved, with the exception of an injured Morris Peterson. That will help Sam.

The Raptors have had only one head coach who’s had previous full time head coaching experience: Wilkens.

No former Raptors’ head coach has been rehired by another team as a head coach.

It remains to be see what he does with this new squad - they should do well in the east. Winning 35 games is a must for him to keep his job.

But he’s gone.

Edwin

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Let me start by saying that Darrick Martin is my new favourite Raptor (for the next 48 hours, anyway). With the Raptors down 22 points last night, Martin had the ball on the wing during their last possession, seemingly ready to dribble out the last few seconds of the clock. Many a Raptor fan has witnessed this scene before, a dejected point guard at the end of another thrashing, just waiting for it to be over. Only this time, things were a bit different. The Raptors streak of 628 consecutive games in which they have scored a three point basket, the longest in the NBA, was on the line. Yes, our woeful Craptors actually have a record on the books (aside from allowing Kobe Bryant to score more points in a game then anyone since the Cuban Missile Crisis), and it was in jeopardy last night. With Peterson out with an elbow injury (his own consecutive games played streak also snapped a few days ago), there was no other designated gunner to take his place. Garbajosa, Barganani, Jones, Calderon, none of these guys are usually trigger-shy, but the Raptors had combined to go 0/5 to this point. Cue Darrick Martin with 6 seconds to go in the game: he’s dribbling, dribbling, no Maverick is guarding him….it looks like he’s just going to hold on to it…….and then…….WHAT? He launches a 3 pointer at the buzzer………GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The second most exciting three of the season (behind Bosh’s game winning buzzer beater against the 76ers) had me jumping and screaming, which is weird because it had absolutely no impact on the outcome of the game. Sigh. This is life as a Raptors fan, folks.

So, should they fire Sam? I know that Cuzzy has been calling for his head for sometime now, and the reality is that this guy is a better personality then he is a coach. Be that as it may, the real question to me is, who are you going to replace him with? Everyone knows that Colangelo is eyeing Marc Iavaroni, currently an assistant with the Suns, but that deal cannot take place until the end of the season. I like Iavaroni, he learned the ropes under Hall of Fame coach Pete Newell, and also served as an assistant under Pat Riley and Mike Fratello. The fact that he is probably a good fit in Toronto unfortunately doesn’t help us for the rest of this year. So what are our other options, promote an assistant from within? Here’s where I get skeptical: Jim Todd, I like. He gets along well with Sam and the rest of the players, but I’m not convinced he can command respect out of these guys. Ditto for Alex English. Both of these guys know their basketball, but a head coach has to have the ability to kick ass and take names, and I’m not sure either of these guys are capable. Jay Triano, anyone? I think he goes too far in the other direction. Not only does he do absolutely nothing for the team (every time I see footage from Raps practices, he is invariably under the basket rebounding while the other guys are actually coaching. Watch him next game during a timeout: he’s not even listening! He’s not even in the huddle! How in the hell does this guy earn a paycheck?), but we saw how well he got along with the players when he coached the Canadian National team, particularly those of African descent (just ask Jamal Magloire and Rick Fox). Should Triano be head coach? Hell no…..

So where does that leave us? Short of hiring Ron Jeremy (okay, I know everyone else calls him Stan Van Gundy), I don’t see us landing a coach of any repute, even ill-repute. Paul Silas? Rudy Tomjonovich? I don’t see any of these guys coming back to coach for a team that, well, is the Raptors. Let’s face it, I think we are stuck with Sam for the time being. Yes, Marty York wrote an article based on an “interview” he had with a player on the Raptors who went off on a tirade, essentially saying that no one in the locker room listens to Sam anymore. But York has been raking the muck for years, and at this point has far less credibility as a journalist than Mitchell does as a coach.

Yes, Sam is a poor X’s and O’s guy. Yes, he has serious problems keeping his cool. But I don’t see anything gained by replacing him with an assistant who will in all probability coach the same system as he will, and will in turn be replaced at the end of the season. Have him stick it out until the off-season, and then make a decision. He has gotten out coached in more than a few games, this is true. Colangelo wants to see more of Bargnani, and I want to see more of Kris Humphries. But I’ve never questioned Sam’s effort and dedication to this team, and I think if that’s not enough to keep him long-term, it should at least be enough to keep him short term. And hey, losing more games only puts us in a better position for next year’s draft, otherwise known as the Greg Oden sweepstakes.

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