Puffers Posts - Pass the #$&^@*&^% Ball

Meriam Webster Online dictionary:
pass - a: to transfer or transmit from one to another
- b: to put in circulation

With apologies to MW, I thought I would just put my version of their definition up here in case any members of the Raps organization takes the time to read what their troubled fans write about them.

I usually like to have the boxscore open in front of me on the screen when I write these little missives, to keep myself grounded in reality (I know you won't agree I keep myself grounded in reality Scott) and to avoid making any wildly exaggerated claims. I couldn't bear to call up the boxscore for either the Bucks or Magic game. Nor do I think it necessary. I know, without looking, that the assist numbers are way down.

I know this because I watched the games. And, while they don't keep track of how many times a ball touches four pairs of hands before a shot is attempted, I have a great sense of how many times that has happened amongst the Raps players in the last two games. 0. Well, maybe I remember wrong. Maybe it ws 1/2 of 0. I know it wasn't 3, or 4, or 5 times.

What happened to the passing game? Why haven't I heard Chuck say "Now that's Raptor basketball" since last Sunday? It is because the whole squad seems to have devolved into some kind of ugly mob of one-on-one, 'I've got to save the team' mindless automatons.

Apologies to TJ, whose shot has been falling. And who starts the game out passing. But after 15 minutes of nobody managing to shoot above 15%, he believes it is up to him to score. Hey TJ, no one player not named Bryant or James, is going to win a basketball game by himself. You've got to keep passing the ball.

It's not all Fords fault, by any means. The whole team has lost confidence in their own AND their teammates abilities to score. That is the only explanation I can think of for the lack of 'swinging the ball around to the open man' effort. The open man has been clancking shots. It looks like the only passes occurring are from guys who are afraid to shoot.

The last quarter of the Orlando game showed some slight evidence of the shooting slump maybe going away. And watching Bargs take it to the hole did my heart good. Watching some semblance of the real Bosh appear once again also did my heart good. But maybe the best part of the night was the way the crowd gave extended appreciation to Garbo when he came on the floor and when he hit his shot. They were obviously sending a message. And by that time in the game, there was precious little to feel good about.

I don't even want to talk about Sam's rotations, or player combinations. He's sending messages too, and they don't have anything to do with how hard players are working in practice, or the kind of effort they are making on trhe floor. He's saying he has lost confidence in his own guys. And a coach can't send that kind of message.

For whatever reason, four of the starting five are clanking shots. Bosh may have injury, conditioning issues. With Bargs, Parker, and Kapono, either the Raps offense has changed and that is throwing them off, or their own heads (self-confidence) are screwing with them. Bring back Hopla, or get a team shrink.

The Lansdell Lecture

Will the real Toronto Raptors please stand up?

We've played four games now, and seen four completely different versions of the team. Which one is the team we can expect to see more of? Which one should we HOPE to see?

Against Philadelphia, we saw a team that could get a big lead, lose it, and not get discouraged and lose the will to come back. They weathered a strong comeback and some shoddy defence on their part, and jumped on Bargnani's back to ride him to the finish.

Against New Jersey, we saw the team that everyone pictured in the off-season: a team that, on their night, when the shots are falling, can blow out the best teams in the league. But also, a team that had significant holes in their defence. Richard Jefferson abused the team, a pattern that would re-emerge on Tuesday against Milwaukee. More on that later. Carter was invisible, Kidd was subpar, but some of that was down to them having to work so hard on the other end.

The Boston game reminded me of the Kevin O'Neill Toronto teams. The defence was smothering, but they couldn't buy a jumpshot. TJ Ford was incredible, but he can't do it on his own. The fact that they shot 27% in the first half and were only down a handful, and shot 37% for the game and STILL ended up an All-Star shot short of winning the game, says that this team is very, very good. Was the shooting an abomination? Possibly. Certainly we've seen all the players, bar TJ, play much better than that. Garnett on Bosh in overtime was not bad play from Bosh, rather the ridiculous skills that the Big Ticket possesses.

Finally, the Milwaukee game. This was the antithesis of the New Jersey game: nothing worked. I don't agree with the doomsayers who blame the entire game on poor defence. For example, Desmond Mason's one-handed turnaround baseliners will miss 6 nights out of 7. Michael Redd is that good every night. Yes, the defence was bad, but it wasn't 65% opponent FG% bad. The offence, of course, was as bad as against Boston, if not worse. Jump shot after ill-advised jump shot. It's like everyone saw the way Jamario Moon played when he came in and decided to follow his example instead of vice versa.

What we, the fans, want to see, is the heart from the Philly game, the offence from the Jersey game, and the defence from the Boston game.

And the Kris Humphries and Juan Dixon from the Milwaukee game. These two players performed well, before garbage time, and likely moved themselves up in the rotation somewhat. Moon looked...well, starstruck (sorry). He's a great natural athlete (where have I heard THAT tune before...), but that won't make you an NBA player on its own. He needs to stay close to the hoop, jump over some people for some offensive boards, and dunk a few back again. If he has the talent, it will come through.

While we're looking for people, can someone see if they can find Chris Bosh? I suggest starting on Mars and working outwards, because the guy wearing #4 for us right now is clearly a poor alien simulacrum to take his place while they do tests on the real CB4. Orlando is not likely to herald the return either....Howard is a man-beast.

I'll be back next week with more on the boys. Lansdellicious – out.

Puffers Posts _ Raps Fall In Overtime

On a night when only TJ Ford and Rasho Nesterovic could come close to hitting their career numbers for field goal %, the Raps lost to the Big Three and company by 3 points in overtime.

After watching the game, all I can say is, if Boston is the favoured team to come out of the East, then the West should have no trouble. Unless, that is, the Raps are much better than they have been given credit for.

With Bosh shooting 5 - 15, Bargnani shooting 2 - 13, Parker 2 - 6, Dixon 1 - 4 and Calderon 2 - 11, the Raps still managed to never let the game slip out of reach. Bosh, Parker, Bargs, Kapono and Delfino managed to corral 32 rebounds and the Raps matched Bostons total of 42, with 12 of them at the offensive end. They actually outscored Boston at the free throw line by one, after getting almost no trips in the first half.

Ford had a bad night at the office, as far as turnovers to assist ratios go. The Raps only managed 17 assists in total, and only 5 for Ford to go with his 5 TO's. Too much of the first half of the game was firing the ball in to Bosh for an unsuccessful attempt to go 1 on 1 for a basket in the paint. Eventually it led to 5 fouls on Garnett, but the Raps were trying to dig themselves out of a hole by then.

Where was the crisp passing around the perimeter? Where were the open shots? After so many of the starters going 0 for their first 5 attmepts, Sam must have wanted them to work it inside. I think he should have just let them shoot themselves out of their slump.

Having said that, while the Big Three never looked scared, they did look awful vulnerable. If the Raps had even managed to hit 35% of their shots in the first quarter, this game would have been over halfway through the fourth. Of course, could'a, would'a, should'a. As our friend Scott will no doubt point out, live by the jump shot, die by the jump shot.