Scotts Shots - Game 1 vs Orlando
Okay, I decided to dust off Scotts Shots from the old newsgroup days, just for the hell of it and a tip of the cap to you old school folks….RaptorsTalk does it better, but what the hell. I was doing it when Hulk Hogan was still wrestling, not a TV show star.
- Andrea instead of Jamario. I like the move. Keep the butterflied Moon on the bench to start and throw a surprise at SVG. He sucks, switch it out. No big gamble here. Gotta hope Bargs continues his playoff hotstreak.
- Hedo on fire early. Nice. Did I say Magic in 4?
- bargs lifting arm does not equal defence
- open 3s. That’s a new twist as well. Good on Mitchell for throwing that new look into our arsenal. Oh, wait.
- whoa..Chuck saying we got a call? Bargs getting the start? 23 degrees in April? Wow. Maybe my herpes will finally clear too.
- Moon in at the 6 minute mark. Still like the move.
- wow…Thunderclappers in unison. Impressive.
- Dave Chappelle’s Block Party has been moved to Dwight Howards house. Please RSVP.
- I have Leo losing his voice by the start of the fourth.
- hmmm.. Jamario gives up a 20fter to pass off to Rasho who is literally standing right beside him. Good thinking.
- anybody else happy this isn’t on a major US network that right now is showing home renovations instead?
- what’s up with the shoulders of Mitchell’s suit? Looks like a velcro suit that he can tear away and get his superhero suit on. He might need it.
- 43 points in the first. Blue & White Ignite, indeed.
- Kapono is hustling. Almost got a board over Foyle, he deflects a pass and also forces the Magic to take a timeout on an inbounds play.
- wow….Hedo looks like Elmer the Safety Elephant gong through pylons.
- question: who is more open….an Orlando Magic player or a hooker?
- sooooo…you be patient, set up a play, and still shoot from outside, eh TJ? Hope you enjoy Sacramento next year.
- wow, the Raps win a shot clock call at an end of a quarter. They get all the breaks today.
- Raptors coming out hard in the second half. That’s great to see.
- seems the Magic have some Raptor-itis: you have a big man that can score, yet they aren’t getting him the ball.
- Bosh picking up quick fouls, has 4 late in the third. Could this cost us the game?
- where is Delfino?
- Kapono is on fire. Told you he should be a starter all year. Maybe Game 2?
- earlier this weekend I said Rasho would contain Superman. I was wrong. So wrong.
- remember that point guard advantage we have? Yeah, not so much.
- Bosh’s passing has been brutal today.
- So, you are trying to stop an Orlando run. What do you do? Go away from Kapono who has been helping you all day.
Hard game to swallow, but I truly believe the Raptors take the advantage in a few categories: they fought back still only shooting 38%, Jamario was able to sit and get the feel for playoff atmosphere, the Magic probably played as best as they can in the first quarter and the Raps didn’t hang their heads.
They will take game 2. If they don’t, I’ll be shocked beyond belief and will have to wonder about their hopes in the series.
Apr 20th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
shocked beyond belief if they don’t take game 2? lol
Raps Fan’s last blog post..Raptors lose to Magic 114-100 - Game 1 - NBA Playoffs April 20, 2008
Apr 20th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
Maybe I am crazy. But having watched this team since the start as I am sure many have. When the whole world thinks the Raptors have no chance at all that is when they play some of thier best basketball.
But I can understand people be very disturbed by what they saw today. It was like a bad dream come true. I just get a little tired of the sky is falling attitude that you see from many fans.
Fire Sam, Trade Ford, Bargnani too. I mean i get it already. It is rare I see constructive comments anymore. I even saw a post on Real Gm talking about how getting swept by the Magic helps us. That is a wonderful attitude isn’t it.
I hope for better things in Game 2 it can’t get much worse then today’s 1st quarter.
James Dino Nation Blogger’s last blog post..It Was Over Early, Magic Take Game 1
Apr 20th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
This is one of the most difficult types of series to call with so many young high-impact players. It’s nice that Jamario got to watch, but there’s this big guy on the Magic playing in his first playoff game too.
I’m actually enjoying the playoffs for the first time in a few years. This was probably the hardest one of them all to watch, though. When optimism = a team not losing by 30 even though they played like it, you know it’s kinda ugly. And despite that, if the Raps had a better coach, I’d feel comfortable giving them the upset. For a team with such bad help defense, they were helping all over the place today — leaving the Magic’s 3 point shooters wide open.
And James, no matter how many times I read it, I can’t figure out if your comment is positive or negative.
Granville Waiters Ghost’s last blog post..Scotts Shots - Game 1 vs Orlando
Apr 20th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
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re: ” … it can’t get much worse then today’s 1st quarter.”
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That’s a joke, right?
khandor’s last blog post..NBA Playoffs Preview (2007-2008)
Apr 21st, 2008 at 10:06 am
3 most points given up in NBA Playoff history so how can it be worse then that? Your thinking the worst in NBA History?
James Dino Nation Blogger’s last blog post..Morning After Meltdown
Apr 21st, 2008 at 10:36 am
well, to be fair, they tied the NBA record for most 3s in first quarter and set a Raptors high for most points given up in a quarter.
The second one isn’t hard to do since we don’t have a ton of playoff quarters under our belts.
Apr 21st, 2008 at 10:56 am
Staying in this postive frame of mind is making me feel like Chuck Swirsky. I like Chuck and all but I don’t want to feel like a homer. I just am trying to see that it is not all doom and gloom. I don’t want to waive my white flag yet is that so wrong?
James Dino Nation Blogger’s last blog post..Morning After Meltdown
Apr 21st, 2008 at 11:00 am
Does anyone know why Moon played so little? (I skipped the pregame so maybe I missed something) Is Sam just scared that Hedo will post him up? ‘Cause Bargs isn’t exactly a defensive stopper to begin with, but expecting him to guard arguably their most important offensive player is a bit much. Then again, it appears that asking anyone on our team to guard anyone on their team is a bit much.
Here’s hoping Bosh takes off his skirt and starts eating Lewis’ lunch the way he should. I think he needs to play a more traditional post game against someone he out-sizes like Lewis. Catching it at 17′ doesn’t help much against a quicker player.
And, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that game was on nationally on TNT in the US, and everyone saw our embarrassing effort. Ugh…
Apr 21st, 2008 at 12:57 pm
James - not at all. I still think the Raptors take the series. Honestly. Will I be surprised if they don’t? Not at all. If the Magic continue to hit that outside shot at a decent clip, we are done. Which leads me to….
Scott - I’m assuming that, as was said in the media today, the reason was in hopes that Bargs sees the spotlight and plays aggressively because of it, much like the Nets playoffs. I also think his ability to hit the 3 and offset the (anticipated) surge from the Magic played a part, much like Kapono seeing minutes over Moon.
I have no issue on how Bosh played. I think Lewis played him tough and I expect Bosh to learn from it and counteract it. I also think SVG has another defensive set for Bosh up his sleeve and will use it if needed later in the series.
My point about the broadcast was having it on TNT on a Sunday afternoon/morning is a lot “better” than on ABC. Same in Canada…having it on TSN is better than on CBC if you are going to have your testicles handed to you while people are eating their lunch.
ABC averaged 3.1 million viewers, whereas TNT averaged 1.2 million (all figures 2008)
Scott’s last blog post..Linkage - April 21
Apr 21st, 2008 at 3:15 pm
Okay, I was a little harsh on Bosh. I think he played hard, but not very smart. He’s got to understand who is guarding him, and play to his strengths. Both of us hope he does that better in game 2!
With regards to Bargs, I have to say I read the same things you did, and I don’t know how you feel about it, but I hate that logic. He had a few good games last year, but a couple stinkers as well, and it was A YEAR AGO against a different team! Kapono was playing aggressively and he certainly deserved the minutes he got, but I think Andrea’s porous defense on Hedo was a big reason the Magic got so many open shots initially. Granted, Moon may have different problems guarding Hedo (in the post), but I don’t agree with essentially benching a guy that’s been a big part of the team all year. Give him a chance, and if Hedo starts abusing him in the post, then adjust… but I hate the idea of changing everything without even giving Jamario a chance.
Apr 21st, 2008 at 3:25 pm
I have a few sore spots with Bosh, but one thing I have noticed is he does learn. I expect him to be able to get some stuff off in Game 2, but I also expect Stan to throw a different look at him if he does get hot, just as the Nets did a few times last year.
Are we a team that relies on scoring more than defending? Yes. Therefore, I have no problem trying out Bargs in place of Moon. Try and keep up with the Magic’s shooting and keep yourself in the game. Did our defence get us back in the game yesterday? Nope. Their shots didn’t drop and ours did for that stretch.
Personally, I don’t think Jamario would have made one lick of difference in that game yesterday. None. If anything, I think his showing on AllStar weekend speaks volumes about his confidence on a big stage and I think him sitting on the bench and taking it all in will benefit him greatly. I almost hate to say it, but I can see him feeding off that energy in Toronto and having a big game.
I also have my doubts that Jamario could have cooled Hedo down from the outside. Sure, Moon’s defence is adequate, but that wouldn’t have been enough yesterday.
Apr 21st, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Fair enough, but Hedo was killing us on drives (not from the outside), leading to inside buckets for him, or open jumpers for others. I’m pretty sure Jamario could have done a better job keeping Hedo in front of him. Bargs just had no chance to stick with him, since Hedo is too good with the dribble.
I guess hindsight is the best sight, though, since we wouldn’t be having this discussion if Bargs had stepped up. God he’s frustrating.
I agree that Hedo is a tough matchup for whoever we put on him, and I agree that we shouldn’t go as far as say, putting Joey Graham on him, since our offense is the way we win. But again, I just don’t agree with benching a guy that started 70+ games for no reason other than we *think* he won’t do so well.
Apr 21st, 2008 at 4:49 pm
True, but I think one of the prevalent (and probably rightfully so) arguments all season is that Moon started only because we had nobody else. I, for one, didn’t agree with it since December and floated my own ideas out there.
Should Sam have made the choice in the playoffs? Yes. I firmly believe it. I think the fact that Sam didn’t hand in his lineup sheet to the officials until shortly before the tip so his players didn’t have to answer questions and to keep the move from SVG shows it was well thought out and not a whim. Orlando came out on fire, record setting fire, and I’m not sure much of it can be tied to Moon not being in there. The fact that we led the Magic by 6 in quarters 2 through 4 add to that argument.
Hedo’s shots:
Makes:
0ft
11ft
12ft
17ft
17ft
25ft
Miss:
25ft
25ft
I wonder how much of that Moon could have taken away. I’m not sure that it would be too much.
Apr 21st, 2008 at 5:39 pm
How can you like the Andrea over Moon move? The thing to take into the playoffs is rhythm and continuity, I don’t think experimenting with starting lineups is the way to go. I can see Mitchell was thinking that he might use Andrea’s size of Turkoglu but try and think back to when Andrea actually used his size to his advantage in a matchup, go ahead, think about it….tick…tock…tick….tock…..never!
Arsenalist’s last blog post..Game 1: Horrible defense, lack of plan kills off Raptors
Apr 21st, 2008 at 6:09 pm
I agree with Arsenalist. Can’t make changes like that before a series starts. Sure, if you’re down 0-2 and need to shake something up, go for it… but not before you give your guys a chance.
Further, I think Hedo’s penetration was what led to a lot of those early jumpers for other guys, and I think Moon could have helped there. Either way, water under the bridge now.
That said, I agree that Moon was pretty much starting by default, since neither Kapono nor Delfino has been able to string together more than a couple decent games. But, I think Moon earned his job by contributing to the team in places we really stink (eg blocks and rebounds). Let the man play!
Apr 21st, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Should I go back and see what you guys said last year when Bargs was put in the starting lineup during the playoffs? Was there much complaining about his play then?
Again, I applaud the move. I may not be a big fan of the player, but the idea behind the move is a solid one in my opinion.
Granted, as Scott points out, since our perimeter defence is about as effective as a condom on an elephant, Hedo’s passing was probably not taken into consideration. I’m ASSuming the thought was through a big guy at him, let him drive and get met with either Bosh or Rasho.
And, I still say, you take that 1st quarter away, which you will probably never see again in this series, and the non-Moon lineup worked.
In any event, I’m sure he will see more time tomorrow…and that, to be honest, frightens me even more.
Apr 21st, 2008 at 7:30 pm
I’m sorry Mr. AltRaps sir but I can’t figure out why you “applaud the move”. Last year he had a good playoffs and regular season because the scouts hadn’t caught up with him yet. It’s not like he’s a “playoff performer” and takes it to another level in the post-season. Last year he played the same way in the regular season as he did in the playoffs, this year he’s going to play the same way in the playoffs as he did in the regular season. You’re counting on a Bargnani to have an “On” switch which simply doesn’t exist.
Here’s a fact: for what it’s worth Jamario Moon is our best defender (I hate the little fuck but it’s true) and he was benched in the first quarter and a defensive liability was inserted who proceeded to get pwn3d by Turkuglo and was a big part of our defensive struggles which pretty much decided the game. How can you applaud this move? I would even look past it if he had given us anything on offense to keep the balance in the first quarter but he didn’t even do that, he was what they call a “non-factor” on offense and played like a gimp on defense.
Arsenalist’s last blog post..Game 1: Horrible defense, lack of plan kills off Raptors
Apr 21st, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Yeah, the biggest problem is that it takes away one of our best defenders (do we even have a “best” defender?? haha), and replaces him with one of our worst. And then asks that worst defender to guard their most important offensive player. I’m actually a Sam Mitchell supporter generally, but I just don’t buy the thinking on this one.
Moreover, that Bargnani switch in last year’s playoffs was made to shake things up after things were looking grim, if I recall correctly. Had that been the case with this change, I’d be a lot less critical, but this was done before a second had been played.
Having said all that, I think it’s pretty easy for us to sit here and pick that decision apart after the fact, given how Bargs played. It was a gamble, and I assume one that Sam thought could help the team. sigh…
Apr 21st, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Maceo Baston FTW.
Arsenalist’s last blog post..Game 1: Horrible defense, lack of plan kills off Raptors
Apr 22nd, 2008 at 1:14 am
You are somewhat using half my argument, Scott. Plus, if you don’t think our play in the last 2 months as we headed into the playoffs to play the 3rd seed warranted a change, then I don’t know what will. It was (and is) dire indeed. Bargs was a gamble and I still steadfastly say it cost us nothing. Nothing and I mean NOTHING in our defensive patterns in the first quarter looked any different than any other game this year. We have been weak on the perimeter ALL YEAR and to think that the Magic weren’t going to attack that weakness is folly, Jamario, Andrea, whomever was in there. Hell, we throw arguably our worst defender in there (Kapono) and we actually gained ground.
Arsenalist, outside of points (off 1.5ish), Bargs stats are pretty consistent with last year. Yes, his percentages are off, but everything else is on par with his previous season. Sooooo….??? Guess I should expect a good second game from him, huh?
Apr 22nd, 2008 at 2:50 am
I don’t think I agree with your last paragraph, Scott (which Scott of the 3 or so Scotts you are, I’m not sure!) I remember seeing Bargnani in November 2006 and thinking he was completely and utterly overmatched. I mean, he looked not much different than how I think I would look against NBA talent. By the end of the year, he looked like an above average rotation player. It was pretty dramatic.
This year? Pretty dramatic, but not in a good way.
It’s very rare that a 2nd year basketball player actually has a decrease in minutes per game while still playing 78 games.
Granville Waiters Ghost’s last blog post..Linkage - April 21
Apr 22nd, 2008 at 9:18 am
Somewhat using half your argument? haha What does that even mean?
I’m just acknowledging that there was coherent logic behind the move - just not logic with which I agree.
Apr 22nd, 2008 at 11:34 pm
GWG…point is when looking at averages, as most do (I not being one of them most of the time), Bargs numbers this year compared to last are not greatly different. Obviously this calendar year he has sucked wind, but so has this team. If people want to say this team can turn it around, why not say Bargs can?
Scott G - I argued that the move was a good gamble even if the personnel involved was questionable. You then stated “It was a gamble, and I assume one that Sam thought could help the team.”. In general, much the same argument in that it was a gamble and a nice curve, as was going small tonight and the next move Sam has up his sleeve for Game 3.
Scott’s last blog post..Raptors Roll Call - Game 2 vs Orlando
Apr 23rd, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Sure, Bargnani can turn it around. I’d even say he’s quite likely to do so. But it’s pretty rare that a 2nd year lottery pick gets more minutes and plays worse.
Why do I believe that starting Bargnani at SF wasn’t really based on match-ups but Sam Mitchell believing it was a “challenge” to ye olde manhood? I don’t know, maybe it’s because every time I hear the term “drill sergeant,” he always looks like Sam Mitchell in my mind.
Granville Waiters Ghosts last blog post..Let’s Step Back.