Parker’s answer to what can cure the stagnant, mostly one-man fourth-quarter offence the Raptors have put on display in back-to-back losses?
"I think it’s a balance between T.J. running that high screen and roll but also mixing it up and trying to get some movement," Parker said. "From a defensive standpoint it’s easy when you know what is coming and you don’t have to move around. We can get the same kind of looks but maybe after some motion and things like that and then every- one feels like they are part of the offence. I think in a lot of those cases we would get better looks."
"We just have to find a balance of T.J. being able to do what he does," Parker said. "He did a lot of good things. He got to the basket. He got to the free throw line. But I think we can make it a little bit easier for him."
The Raptors faithful can pull their hair out and scream obscenities at their televisions all they want over Ford’s decision to put the game on his shoulders and win it or lose it practically by himself. But they also should remember that without Ford, the Raptors never would have been in a position to overcome that 18-point deficit Wednesday.
Ford himself acknowledged something has to change.
"We just have to find a way to work it out," Ford said. "We know Denver (tonight) will be the same style of play. It’s going to be another tough game for us. We just have to adapt. We have to continue to find a way … You have different lineups and with (Chris Bosh) out things are different. We are trying to work it out while we are on the court. Because of the schedule you really don’t get a chance to practise much."
Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell, perhaps attempting to deflect some of the attention from Ford, suggested it’s not all on his point guard.
"We have to get more movement," Mitchell said. "We have to get more people involved touching the basketball but when (our point guard) does give the ball up, those guys who catch it, they’ve got to make a play. Sometimes they have to sweep that ball through and not necessarily drive to the basket to score, but set up one of their teammates. We’re so used to having our point guards make a play to set us up."
In the absence of Chris Bosh, Parker has become a go-to guy in the offence, scoring 20 or more in the past three games and averaging 20.2 over his past eight. He’s also shooting just shy of 56% from the field, and 50% from three-point range over that span.
About the only thing missing from his game right now is a fourth-quarter presence and he really hasn’t had much of a say in that, but he refuses to complain about it.
"If we win the game it doesn’t matter to me," Parker said when asked about his lack of touches in the fourth quarter the past two games. "But it’s tough. I think (I could do more) and I’m not just talking about making shots for me but being a part of the offence and create for others. When the ball moves around it’s better. You get better looks, people feel more involved and from a defensive standpoint it keeps (your opponent) on his heels instead of just attacking because you know what is coming."
"I like the way we are playing," Mitchell said. "We’re playing hard. The teams we have played these first two games, those are two excellent teams who are playing hard and we battled. We just have to get off to a better start and get that timely stop when we need it. We just haven’t been able to come up with that stop."
Anthony Parker, who is playing as well now as he has any time this season, has mostly been affected in those troublesome fourth quarters.
After having 20 points through three quarters Wednesday night in Oakland, Parker missed the only shot he took in the fourth as Toronto fell 117-106 to the Warriors.
After having 21 points through three quarters Tuesday night in Los Angeles, Parker didn’t get a field goal attempt in the fourth as Toronto fell 117-108 to the Lakers.
For a guy averaging 18 points a game over his last eight, shooting nearly 55 per cent from the field and 48 per cent from three-point range in that period, not having Parker at least present a threat to score is a disservice.
But, in a problem acknowledged by all those involved, Toronto’s lack of motion and ball distribution on offence has to be solved for the team to be better.
"It’s hard for us to get practice time … when you have different lineups and with C.B. (Chris Bosh) out, things are a lot different," Ford said after his 23-point, eight-assist outing against Golden State, a game in which he took 10 of Toronto’s 21 fourth-quarter field goal attempts.
"We’re trying to work it out while we’re on the court."
Ford has lifted 22 shots in the past two fourth quarters, making 10 and scoring a combined 27 points. He has made some circus shots, got to the free-throw line, and been the offensive catalyst.
But his success has also come with a price. Other players are not factoring in during those critical late possessions, and the ball is not moving.
Mitchell said Ford isn’t solely to blame. He said Toronto’s wing players occasionally get the ball but pass it right back to the point guards.
"We’ve got to get more movement, and we’ve got to get more people involved touching the basketball," Mitchell said. "But also, when we do give the ball up, the guys who catch it have got to make a play."
We also aren’t interested in making much of a case for the fifth-seeded Toronto Raptors, who — without Chris Bosh — have won twice in their last seven games. Bosh returned to the court for a Tuesday workout, but didn’t bring along enough help to make the Raps a danger to the Celtics or Pistons.
In the History of the NBA, Rebounding and Defense (in conjunction with efficient Offense) have always been fundamental components of each and every championship team.
What it takes to win the NBA Championship
An architectural flaw in Bryan Colangelo’s NBA design template?
You better believe it is!
… one which, unfortunately, his teams may never be able to overcome, in pursuit of championship glory … unless he is prepared to alter his Basketball Philosophy.
if the Raptors hoped to steal the 2nd game on their 5-games-in-7-nights road-trip, what they absolutely had to do was come out on top in the ‘Battle of the Boards’ vs the #30 team (-4.7 per game), in the NBA, in terms of Rebounding Differential.
Alas, when Toronto failed, in this regard (see the Boxscore), in addition to coming up short in Turnovers & Steals, there was no way for this team – minus Chris Bosh (who might otherwise have been able to save them by getting to the FT line, at his usual pace) – to outscore the Warriors, even though these two teams match-up fairly evenly in terms of their player personnel.
When you play the worst rebounding team in the league and you lose the ‘Battle of the Boards’ … your team is probably going to lose the game, as well … it’s as simple as that.
Adding the results of each game up, the Magic have scored 1226 points against these teams this season, while they’ve surrendered 1244. The Magic’s won-lost record against these teams is 7-5, yet their Pythagorean expectation is 5-7. Thus, the Magic and their fans should perhaps curb their enthusiasm about their chances of making it out of the second round of the postseason. Statistically, they haven’t proven that they can hang with Boston, Detroit, or Cleveland, and their lone decisive victory over Toronto occurred when the Raptors were without their best player.
Early in the game, the 7-0 Rasho Nesterovic caught the ball in the post with the 6-3 Baron Davis guarding him one-on-one. Barnett immediately said, "He shouldn’t wait. He should go right up." As he uttered those words, Nesterovic dribbled, Davis timed the move perfectly and as Nesterovic tried to shoot Davis made a sensational block and went coast to coast for a layup to put the Warriors up 16-4. If this were an ESPN telecast, all we would hear is Stephen A. Smith screaming Nesterovic’s name derisively. Instead, Barnett calmly explained what happened on the play as only someone who actually understands the game could do: "Nesterovic played into the hands of Baron. When you put it on the floor like that, you give Baron time to react and work his magic. He didn’t need to dribble; he should have just gone up and shot the ball over Baron." This just shows how a "mismatch" is only a "mismatch" if you know how to take advantage of it. Nesterovic (or Dirk Nowitzki in last year’s playoffs) should not pound the ball and try to get a little closer to the hoop; he is tall enough and has a good enough shooting stroke that if he shoots the ball right after he catches it there is no way that Davis can bother his shot. By trying to gain an "advantage" Nesterovic actually put himself at a disadvantage.
In the second half, 7-0 center-forward Andrea Bargnani caught the ball in the post against Davis and immediately made a turnaround jumper. Davis retrieved the ball after it went through the net and bounced it in frustration before the Warriors inbounded. Revisiting the theme of what a big man who is a face up shooter should do when he catches the ball with Davis guarding him, Barnett said, "He is much better when he doesn’t put it on the floor and just turns and shoots."
My Personal Seat Licence (PSL) for this extraordinary pair of centre court Toronto Raptors tickets are available for sale!
I’ve owned these seats since the Air Canada Centre opened, for all Raptors games. Now they can be yours. I simply am not able to get use the seats often enough. In fact, I’d be willing to purchase some game tickets back from the lucky new PSL owner.
Not only do you get access to all Raptors Games and Play-offs and access to the Platinum Lounge, but you receive advance notice on the purchase of concert tickets and special events at the ACC.
I paid $13,455 for two PSL’s in May, 1998 (each seat was $6,727.50). Once you own a PSL, these seats are literally yours forever – unless you choose to sell them in the future.
Most years I’m sitting at the ACC, Section 119, Row 23, Seats 19 & 20 right on the aisle. Those prime centre court seats have been my season tickets since the day the ACC opened. Well, they won’t be mine for much longer. My days as a season ticket holder go way back to the Sky Dome days, but they are almost over.
After 13 seasons, I will not be renewing my Toronto Raptors season tickets. This week’s ridiculous ticket hike, which follows a similar hike last season was the last straw.
Toronto Sun reported my displeasure
For those of you who read the Toronto Sun, you saw an article which reported my impending cancellation (text below). Raptors seasons tickets used to be affordable for me. Now they’re not.
Watching my annual ticket costs almost double over the past decade made me decide its time to call it quits.
This latest ticket increase was not necessary. The Canadian dollar trades above its US counterpart, inflation is low, Raptors player’s salaries are in check thanks to the salary cap and the team is benefiting from very strong attendance. Forbes reports record Raptors profits.
Based on these factors, you’d think ticket prices would remain flat – wouldn’t you? Plus, the Raptors are not playing great ball this season. Hard to demand more money for a mediocre product, isn’t it?
Of course, we know MLSE too well and they want to squeeze every last nickel out of their customers – so a greed-driven price increase really shouldn’t have surprised any fan.
The Raptors begged me to stick with them in the horrible Babcock years and I did as a way to show my support for my team. Back then, I couldn’t give my tickets away, the Raptors were that bad. Now the thanks I get is to pay a ticket price that far exceeds what those in other NBA cities pay.
It would be easy for the Raptors to offer special discounts for long-time seat holders, like the Argos do. Of course, they don’t and won’t.
Sadly, MLSE’s greed is pricing ordinary fans like me, Scott and others right out of the lower bowl and eventually out of the ACC. Frankly, I don’t think there is enough corporate support for the Raptors to easily replace the long-time loyal fans who are throwing in the towel. MLSE is making a mistake.
I predict that if Colangelo’s rebuilding plan falters, the ACC will be empty like it was in the Babcock years – if not emptier.
I’m in the business world and I understand the need for profit. But the greed and arrogance that I sense out of MLSE has turned me off. Since the Sun article I have received dozens of messages from disgruntled fans who are not renewing their Raptors tickets for those same reasons.
In the early days of the ACC, I felt like a special part of the Raptor family. I knew my ticket reps and they knew me. Today, I’m just another number in MLSE’s money wheel.
An MLSE senior executive told me that prices went up “because we’re in the business of making money and we having rising costs including the need for $9 million to re-sign Jose Calderon.”
Well, good luck. Just know that I won’t be spending another dime to fund any of it and the Ontario Teachers can retire on someone else’s money.
And while Sam Mitchell wouldn’t throw anyone under the bus (nor should he) … he said after the game that, yes, the ball needs to move a little bit more. He admitted things got stagnant … especially in the 4th.
Ford has proven to be a great team player in the past. He can be a fabulous distributor and playmaker when he chooses to do so. With Chris Bosh out of the line up, THAT is the kind of player Toronto needs; not a guy that feels he has to carry the team and do it all on his own.
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Two things I’d take from the recent comments from Parker about Ford’s play:
1. Anthony Parker — This guy is so clear headed. He articulated what everyone was thinking without rubbing anyone the wrong way.
2. Bryan Colangelo — Has to be licking his chops. TJ might not be involving the offense, but I think he’s doing enough to impress people around the league. This kind of behavior will up his value and give us a reason to trade him.
Hope you are right on point #2, e.
I know I’m a pessimist, but I still think a GM looks for something extra in a package for TJ just as insurance. It’s a big contract for a physical risk. If I’m another GM and you want something of value back from me for TJ, I’m asking for a Parker or a first rounder as well.
Scott’s last blog post..Linkage – March 14
Keep in mind that TJ is a BYC player, so the flexibility in dealing him is limited as well.
Spudz’s last blog post..Lolita | Vladimir Nabokov
That ends as of July 1 2008, Spudz….and with the trade deadline done, ain’t much going to happen until then.
With the draft in late June, I’d expect (hope) the Raptors would wait until after the draft to see what they get and move from there.
Scott’s last blog post..Linkage – March 14