March 11, 2007
This Rebounding Situation is Getting Ugly
Jay wrote this today:
Even though the Raptors fought down the stretch and kept coming back to keep it close, this was one of those games that they really didn’t deserve to win. The Raps were outrebounded again, which really isn’t that much of a surprise, but the fact that so many of those rebounds were uncontested or had nobody even in the area, has to set off some alarms.
Nice game by TJ, running the floor and EFFECTIVELY using his speed. In the third quarter, there were a few plays where he used his quickness to blow by the Sonics when the floor was open for easy layups. He also had the vision to stop and pop when it was there (which it was quite often from the free throw line) and he gave a lot of guys good looks (13 assists). How one RF reader could even possibly suggest that this game didn’t need to go to overtime because of TJ’s play is, well, it’s so ridiculous, it doesn’t even deserve further comment. That’s just hate.
What I loved about Bargnani today was that he was consistently getting beaten on D, but when the time came down the stretch, he took a big charge. He stepped up and knew he was going to get rocked, but he held his ground and took the charge. I also like that he had some simply brutal 3-point attempts (I mean, one hit glass and no rim), but down the stretch again, off a miss by TJ, a block against Bosh and then receiving a broken play pass, he calmly drained a 3. That’s what it takes to play in the NBA. You can be having the worst day or making some glaring mistakes, but you have to have enough confidence in your game that you know when it’s on the line, you can answer the call. Onions baby, onions.
Going back to what I was saying earlier about the Sonics, they’re not a last place team. They showed that today. They also showed that they have a tendency to lose close games. Maybe that’s mental toughness, maybe it’s coaching, I’m not completely sure since I don’t follow them on a regular basis, but things like fouling a rookie on a 3-point attempt in the dying seconds of a game won’t help your team to win.
Ray Allen also showed what I was talking about with that sweet stroke. I mean, a few of those dying second, broken play 3 pointers and almost 3 pointers were a treat to watch. I am not completely sure what the Raptors were thinking letting him take those open mid-range jumpers, because he’s going to hit those 9 times out of 10 and if he starts hitting those early, he’s going to get warm and then you’re in for a long night.
Okay, quickly back to rebounding. A RF reader (TTFD) made a comment that about rebounding and how Sam should really just have them running a box-out practice. I couldn’t have said it better myself. Sure, a lot of it would be stuff that they already know and I’m not even sure at this point if it is something that many guys on the team are good at, but a point would be made. It’s like having a bad hockey game, where you don’t hustle, so your next practice, there are no pucks and the power skating lady is there to make you skate for an hour (if anybody has been through this, you know the pain that goes through every inch of your body when you even see that woman at your practice). A point has to be made with the Raptors that the rebounding situation is out of control. Sure, there are guys who are good rebounders and there are guys who aren’t, but if you’re not even putting a body on anybody, if you’re not clogging the lane, on offense, if you’re not banging for a rebound, then you’re making everybody on the other team a great rebounder. They don’t even have to try.
Anyway, nice to see the Raptors come out with the win in the end. Can’t believe MoPete barely played in a game like that where they needed some defensive stops. I like Juan Dixon’s game, but how MoPete has slid so far down with Sam, I don’t know. What did he do? His game was solid, he was great off the bench, plays possibly the best D on the team. I don’t know. If I were MoPete, I would probably start taking some of this personally.
That’s all.
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March 12th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
“It’s like having a bad hockey game, where you don’t hustle, so your next practice, there are no pucks and the power skating lady is there to make you skate…”
That’s exactly what I was envisioning when I mentioned that. Hopefully they rebound with a little more tenacity tonight.
March 12th, 2007 at 3:09 pm
I’m curled up in a fetal position, having flashbacks of the power skating lady…crossovers! Crossovers! T-Push! Nooooooooooooo!
A big part of rebounding is just being tough. Positioning and all that is important, but you have to have the balls to go in there and get dirty.
I’m with you, hopefully there’s a little more tenacity tonight.